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Hou Y, Yang K, Wang L, Wang J, Huang X, Piffko A, Luo SZ, Yu X, Rao E, Martinez C, Bugno J, Mack M, Vokes EE, Pitroda SP, Chmura SJ, Weichselbaum RR, Liang HL. Radiotherapy Enhances Metastasis Through Immune Suppression by Inducing PD-L1 and MDSC in Distal Sites. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:1945-1958. [PMID: 38427437 PMCID: PMC11062826 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-3206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Radiotherapy (RT) is a widely employed anticancer treatment. Emerging evidence suggests that RT can elicit both tumor-inhibiting and tumor-promoting immune effects. The purpose of this study is to investigate immune suppressive factors of radiotherapy. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We used a heterologous two-tumor model in which adaptive concomitant immunity was eliminated. RESULTS Through analysis of PD-L1 expression and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) frequencies using patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells and murine two-tumor and metastasis models, we report that local irradiation can induce a systemic increase in MDSC, as well as PD-L1 expression on dendritic cells and myeloid cells, and thereby increase the potential for metastatic dissemination in distal, nonirradiated tissue. In a mouse model using two distinct tumors, we found that PD-L1 induction by ionizing radiation was dependent on elevated chemokine CXCL10 signaling. Inhibiting PD-L1 or MDSC can potentially abrogate RT-induced metastasis and improve clinical outcomes for patients receiving RT. CONCLUSIONS Blockade of PD-L1/CXCL10 axis or MDSC infiltration during irradiation can enhance abscopal tumor control and reduce metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhu Hou
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong University; Xi’an, ShaanXi 710061, China
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Kaiting Yang
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Liangliang Wang
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Jiaai Wang
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Xiaona Huang
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Andras Piffko
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Sean Z. Luo
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Current address: Biomedical Engineering program, Northwestern University; Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Xinshuang Yu
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Current address: Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong, First Medical University and Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital; Jinan, Shandong 250014, China
| | - Enyu Rao
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Current address: Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University; Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Carlos Martinez
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Current address: University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607 USA
| | - Jason Bugno
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- The Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 600637, USA
| | - Matthias Mack
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Regensburg, 93042 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Everett E. Vokes
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637 USA
| | - Sean P. Pitroda
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Steven J. Chmura
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Ralph R. Weichselbaum
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| | - Hua Laura Liang
- Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
- Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, University of Chicago; Chicago, IL 60637 USA
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Lekan AA, Weiner LM. The Role of Chemokines in Orchestrating the Immune Response to Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:559. [PMID: 38339310 PMCID: PMC10854906 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030559] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemokines are small molecules that function as chemotactic factors which regulate the migration, infiltration, and accumulation of immune cells. Here, we comprehensively assess the structural and functional role of chemokines, examine the effects of chemokines that are present in the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor microenvironment (TME), specifically those produced by cancer cells and stromal components, and evaluate their impact on immune cell trafficking, both in promoting and suppressing anti-tumor responses. We further explore the impact of chemokines on patient outcomes in PDAC and their role in the context of immunotherapy treatments, and review clinical trials that have targeted chemokine receptors and ligands in the treatment of PDAC. Lastly, we highlight potential strategies that can be utilized to harness chemokines in order to increase cytotoxic immune cell infiltration and the anti-tumor effects of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Louis M. Weiner
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3970 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA;
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van Eijck CWF, Mustafa DAM, Vadgama D, de Miranda NFCC, Groot Koerkamp B, van Tienhoven G, van der Burg SH, Malats N, van Eijck CHJ. Enhanced antitumour immunity following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy mediates a favourable prognosis in women with resected pancreatic cancer. Gut 2024; 73:311-324. [PMID: 37709493 PMCID: PMC10850691 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2023-330480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study investigates sex disparities in clinical outcomes and tumour immune profiles in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who underwent upfront resection or resection preceded by gemcitabine-based neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). METHODS Patients originated from the PREOPANC randomised controlled trial. Upfront surgery was performed in 82 patients, and 66 received nCRT before resection. The impact of sex on overall survival (OS) was investigated using Cox proportional hazards models. The immunological landscape within the tumour microenvironment (TME) was mapped using transcriptomic and spatial proteomic profiling. RESULTS The 5-year OS rate differed between the sexes following resection preceded by nCRT, with 43% for women compared with 22% for men. In multivariate analysis, the female sex was a favourable independent prognostic factor for OS only in the nCRT group (HR 0.19; 95% CI 0.07 to 0.52). Multivariate heterogeneous treatment effects analysis revealed a significant interaction between sex and treatment, implying increased nCRT efficacy among women with resected PDAC. The TME of women contained fewer protumoural CD163+MRC1+M2 macrophages than that of men after nCRT, as indicated by transcriptomic and validated using spatial proteomic profiling. CONCLUSION PDAC tumours of women are more sensitive to gemcitabine-based nCRT, resulting in longer OS after resection compared with men. This may be due to enhanced immunity impeding the infiltration of protumoral M2 macrophages into the TME. Our findings highlight the importance of considering sex disparities and mitigating immunosuppressive macrophage polarisation for personalised PDAC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casper W F van Eijck
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Group, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, and CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Dana A M Mustafa
- Department of Pathology, Tumour-Immuno Pathology Laboratory, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Disha Vadgama
- Department of Pathology, Tumour-Immuno Pathology Laboratory, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Bas Groot Koerkamp
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Núria Malats
- Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Group, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, and CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Casper H J van Eijck
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology Group, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, and CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain
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Lee DH, Imran M, Choi JH, Park YJ, Kim YH, Min S, Park TJ, Choi YW. CDK4/6 inhibitors induce breast cancer senescence with enhanced anti-tumor immunogenic properties compared with DNA-damaging agents. Mol Oncol 2024; 18:216-232. [PMID: 37854019 PMCID: PMC10766199 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Since therapy-induced senescence (TIS) can either support or inhibit cancer progression, identifying which types of chemotherapeutic agents can produce the strongest anti-tumor TIS is an important issue. Here, cyclin-dependent kinase4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i)-induced senescence was compared to the TIS induced by conventional DNA-damaging agents. Despite both types of agents eliciting a similar degree of senescence, we observed increased expression of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and ligands related to pro-tumor immunity (IL6, CXCL8, TGFβ, CD274, and CEACAM1) and angiogenesis (VEGFA) mainly in TIS induced by DNA-damaging agents rather than by CDK4/6i. Additionally, although all agents increased the expression of anti-tumor immunomodulatory proteins related to antigen presentation (MHC-I, B2M) and T cell chemokines (CXCL9, 10, 11), CDK4/6i-induced senescent cells still maintained this expression at a similar or even higher intensity than cells treated with DNA-damaging agents, despite the absence of nuclear factor-kappa-B (NF-κB) and p53 activation. These data suggest that in contrast with DNA-damaging agents, which augment the pro-tumorigenic microenvironment via pro-inflammatory SASP, CDK4/6i can generate TIS only with antitumor immunomodulatory proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Hyun Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyAjou University School of MedicineSuwonKorea
- Department of Biomedical SciencesAjou University Graduate School of MedicineSuwonKorea
- Inflamm‐Aging Translational Research CenterAjou University Medical CenterSuwonKorea
| | - Muhammad Imran
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyAjou University School of MedicineSuwonKorea
- Inflamm‐Aging Translational Research CenterAjou University Medical CenterSuwonKorea
| | - Jae Ho Choi
- Inflamm‐Aging Translational Research CenterAjou University Medical CenterSuwonKorea
- Department of Hematology‐OncologyAjou University School of MedicineSuwonKorea
| | - Yoo Jung Park
- Department of Hematology‐OncologyAjou University School of MedicineSuwonKorea
| | - Young Hwa Kim
- Inflamm‐Aging Translational Research CenterAjou University Medical CenterSuwonKorea
| | - Sunwoo Min
- Department of Biological SciencesKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)DaejeonKorea
| | - Tae Jun Park
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyAjou University School of MedicineSuwonKorea
- Department of Biomedical SciencesAjou University Graduate School of MedicineSuwonKorea
- Inflamm‐Aging Translational Research CenterAjou University Medical CenterSuwonKorea
| | - Yong Won Choi
- Inflamm‐Aging Translational Research CenterAjou University Medical CenterSuwonKorea
- Department of Hematology‐OncologyAjou University School of MedicineSuwonKorea
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Zhang B, Huang B, Zhang X, Li S, Zhu J, Chen X, Song H, Shang D. PANoptosis-related molecular subtype and prognostic model associated with the immune microenvironment and individualized therapy in pancreatic cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1217654. [PMID: 37519797 PMCID: PMC10382139 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1217654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background PANoptosis is an inflammatory type of programmed cell death regulated by PANopotosome. Mounting evidence has shown that PANoptosis could be involved in cancer pathogenesis and the tumor immune microenvironment. Nevertheless, there have been no studies on the mechanism of PANoptosis on pancreatic cancer (PC) pathogenesis. Methods We downloaded the data on transcriptomic and clinical features of PC patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. Additionally, the data on copy number variation (CNV), methylation and somatic mutations of genes in 33 types of cancers were obtained from TCGA. Next, we identified the PANoptosis-related molecular subtype using the consensus clustering analysis, and constructed and validated the PANoptosis-related prognostic model using LASSO and Cox regression analyses. Moreover, RT-qPCR was performed to determine the expression of genes involved in the model. Results We obtained 66 PANoptosis-related genes (PANRGs) from published studies. Of these, 24 PC-specific prognosis-related genes were identified. Pan-cancer analysis revealed complex genetic changes, including CNV, methylation, and mutation in PANRGs were identified in various cancers. By consensus clustering analysis, PC patients were classified into two PANoptosis-related patterns: PANcluster A and B. In PANcluster A, the patient prognosis was significantly worse compared to PANcluster B. The CIBERSORT algorithm showed a significant increase in the infiltration of CD8+ T cells, monocytes, and naïve B cells, in patients in PANcluster B. Additionally, the infiltration of macrophages, activated mast cells, and dendritic cells were higher in patients in PANcluster A. Patients in PANcluster A were more sensitive to erlotinib, selumetinib and trametinib, whereas patients in PANcluster B were highly sensitive to irinotecan, oxaliplatin and sorafenib. Moreover, we constructed and validated the PANoptosis-related prognostic model to predict the patient's survival. Finally, the GEPIA and Human Protein Atlas databases were analyzed, and RT-qPCR was performed. Compared to normal tissues, a significant increase in CXCL10 and ITGB6 (associated with the model) expression was observed in PC tissues. Conclusion We first identified the PANoptosis-related molecular subtypes and established a PANoptosis-related prognostic model for predicting the survival of patients with PC. These results would aid in exploring the mechanisms of PANoptosis in PC pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Bingqian Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Xiaonan Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Shuang Li
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Jingyi Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Huiyi Song
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Dong Shang
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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Giustarini G, Teng G, Pavesi A, Adriani G. Characterization of 3D heterocellular spheroids of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma for the study of cell interactions in the tumor immune microenvironment. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1156769. [PMID: 37519820 PMCID: PMC10375712 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1156769] [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: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest malignancies nowadays. The available chemo- and immunotherapies are often ineffective in treating PDAC due to its immunosuppressive and highly desmoplastic tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), which is hardly reproduced in the existing preclinical models. The PDAC TIME results from a peculiar spatial organization between different cell types. For this reason, developing new human models recapitulating the tissue organization and cell heterogeneity of PDAC is highly desirable. We developed human 3D heterocellular tumor spheroids of PDAC formed by cancer cells, endothelial cells, pancreatic stellate cells (PSC), and monocytes. As a control, we formed spheroids using immortalized epithelial pancreatic ductal cells (non-cancerous spheroids) with cellular heterogeneity similar to the tumor spheroids. Normal spheroids containing endothelial cells formed a complex 3D endothelial network significantly compromised in tumor spheroids. Monocyte/macrophages within the 4-culture tumor spheroids were characterized by a higher expression of CD163, CD206, PD-L1, and CD40 than those in the non-cancerous spheroids suggesting their differentiation towards an immunosuppressive phenotype. The heterocellular tumor spheroids presented a hypoxic core populated with PSC and monocytes/macrophages. The 4-culture tumor spheroids were characterized by spatial proximity of PSC and monocytes to the endothelial cells and a cytokine signature with increased concentrations of CXCL10, CCL2, and IL-6, which have been observed in PDAC patients and associated with poor survival. Further, 4-culture tumor spheroids decreased the concentrations of T-cell chemoattracting cytokines, i.e., CCL4, CCL5, and CXCL9, when compared with the non-cancerous spheroids, revealing a critical immunosuppressive feature of the different types of cells forming the tumor spheroids. Our results showed that the 4-culture tumor spheroids better resembled some critical features of patients' PDAC TIME than monoculture tumor spheroids. Using the proposed human 3D spheroid model for therapy testing at the preclinical stage may reveal pitfalls of chemo- and immuno-therapies to help the development of better anti-tumor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Giustarini
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Germaine Teng
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrea Pavesi
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Giulia Adriani
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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7
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Seo YN, Baik JS, Lee SM, Lee JE, Ahn HR, Lim MS, Park MT, Kim SD. Ionizing Radiation Selectively Increases CXC Ligand 10 Level via the DNA-Damage-Induced p38 MAPK-STAT1 Pathway in Murine J774A.1 Macrophages. Cells 2023; 12:cells12071009. [PMID: 37048082 PMCID: PMC10093567 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ionizing radiation (IR) is an important means of tumor treatment in addition to surgery and drugs. Attempts have been made to improve the efficiency of radiotherapy by identifying the various biological effects of IR on cells. Components of the tumor microenvironment, such as macrophages, fibroblasts, and vascular endothelial cells, influence cancer treatment outcomes through communication with tumor cells. In this study, we found that IR selectively increased the production of CXC motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10), which is emerging as an important biomarker for determining the prognosis of anticancer treatments, without changing the levels of CXCL9 and CXCL11 in murine J774A.1 macrophages. Pretreatment with KU55933, an ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase inhibitor, significantly inhibited IR-induced CXCL10 production. In contrast, pretreatment with N-acetyl-cysteine or glutathione, a reactive oxygen species scavenger, did not inhibit IR-induced CXCL10 production. Further, we attempted to identify the intracellular molecular target associated with the IR-induced increase in CXCL10 secretion by J774A.1 macrophages. IR phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) in J774A.1 macrophages, and p38 MAPK and STAT1 were involved in CXCL10 via IR using pharmacological inhibitors (SB203580 and fludarabine, respectively) and the siRNA technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Na Seo
- Research Center, Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Busan 46033, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Inge University, Busan 47392, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Sue Baik
- Research Center, Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Busan 46033, Republic of Korea
- Department of Medicinal Biotechnology, College of Health Sciences, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Republic of Korea
| | - Song Mi Lee
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyoung Pook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Eun Lee
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyoung Pook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Rim Ahn
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyoung Pook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Seo Lim
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyoung Pook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon-Taek Park
- Research Center, Dongnam Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences, Busan 46033, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence: (M.-T.P.); (S.D.K.)
| | - Sung Dae Kim
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyoung Pook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
- Correspondence: (M.-T.P.); (S.D.K.)
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8
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Zhang X, Huang J, Wang J, Li Y, Hu G, Li H. Circ_0001667 accelerates breast cancer proliferation and angiogenesis through regulating CXCL10 expression by sponging miR-6838-5p. Thorac Cancer 2023; 14:881-892. [PMID: 36811283 PMCID: PMC10067355 DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.14820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND An increasing number of circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been shown to play an important role in the tumorigenesis of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and function of circ_0001667 and its potential molecular mechanisms in breast cancer. METHODS The expression levels of circ_0001667, miR-6838-5p and CXC chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) in breast cancer tissues and cells were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. Cell counting kit-8 assay, EdU assay, flow cytometry, colony formation and tube formation assays were used to detect cell proliferation and angiogenesis. The binding relationship between miR-6838-5p and circ_0001667 or CXCL10 was predicted using the starBase3.0 database and verified by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, RIP and RNA pulldown. Animal experiments were performed to assess the function of circ_0001667 knockdown on breast cancer tumor growth. RESULTS Circ_0001667 was highly expressed in breast cancer tissues and cells, and its knockdown inhibited proliferation and angiogenesis of breast cancer cells. Circ_0001667 sponged miR-6838-5p, and inhibition of miR-6838-5p reversed the inhibitory effect of silencing circ_0001667 on proliferation and angiogenesis of breast cancer cells. MiR-6838-5p targeted CXCL10, and overexpression of CXCL10 reverses the effect of miR-6838-5p overexpression on breast cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis. In addition, circ_0001667 interference also reduced breast cancer tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSION Circ_0001667 is involved in breast cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis through regulation of the miR-6838-5p/CXCL10 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiami Huang
- Department of Gynecology, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiayun Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongheng Li
- Department of Gynecology, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guohua Hu
- Department of Gynecology, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - He Li
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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9
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Raza F, Evans L, Motallebi M, Zafar H, Pereira-Silva M, Saleem K, Peixoto D, Rahdar A, Sharifi E, Veiga F, Hoskins C, Paiva-Santos AC. Liposome-based diagnostic and therapeutic applications for pancreatic cancer. Acta Biomater 2023; 157:1-23. [PMID: 36521673 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the harshest and most challenging cancers to treat, often labeled as incurable. Chemotherapy continues to be the most popular treatment yet yields a very poor prognosis. The main barriers such as inefficient drug penetration and drug resistance, have led to the development of drug carrier systems. The benefits, ease of fabrication and modification of liposomes render them as ideal future drug delivery systems. This review delves into the versatility of liposomes to achieve various mechanisms of treatment for pancreatic cancer. Not only are there benefits of loading chemotherapy drugs and targeting agents onto liposomes, as well as mRNA combined therapy, but liposomes have also been exploited for immunotherapy and can be programmed to respond to photothermal therapy. Multifunctional liposomal formulations have demonstrated significant pre-clinical success. Functionalising drug-encapsulated liposomes has resulted in triggered drug release, specific targeting, and remodeling of the tumor environment. Suppressing tumor progression has been achieved, due to their ability to more efficiently and precisely deliver chemotherapy. Currently, no multifunctional surface-modified liposomes are clinically approved for pancreatic cancer thus we aim to shed light on the trials and tribulations and progress so far, with the hope for liposomal therapy in the future and improved patient outcomes. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Considering that conventional treatments for pancreatic cancer are highly associated with sub-optimal performance and systemic toxicity, the development of novel therapeutic strategies holds outmost relevance for pancreatic cancer management. Liposomes are being increasingly considered as promising nanocarriers for providing not only an early diagnosis but also effective, highly specific, and safer treatment, improving overall patient outcome. This manuscript is the first in the last 10 years that revises the advances in the application of liposome-based formulations in bioimaging, chemotherapy, phototherapy, immunotherapy, combination therapies, and emergent therapies for pancreatic cancer management. Prospective insights are provided regarding several advantages resulting from the use of liposome technology in precision strategies, fostering new ideas for next-generation diagnosis and targeted therapies of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faisal Raza
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Lauren Evans
- Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, 99 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RD, UK
| | - Mahzad Motallebi
- Immunology Board for Transplantation And Cell-based Therapeutics (Immuno_TACT), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran 7616911319, Iran; Nanomedicine Research Association (NRA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Hajra Zafar
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Miguel Pereira-Silva
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga Sta. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; LAQV, REQUIMTE, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga Sta. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Kalsoom Saleem
- Riphah Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Diana Peixoto
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga Sta. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; LAQV, REQUIMTE, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga Sta. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Abbas Rahdar
- Department of Physics, University of Zabol, Zabol 98613-35856, Iran
| | - Esmaeel Sharifi
- Cancer Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Francisco Veiga
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga Sta. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; LAQV, REQUIMTE, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga Sta. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Clare Hoskins
- Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, 99 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1RD, UK
| | - Ana Cláudia Paiva-Santos
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga Sta. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; LAQV, REQUIMTE, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga Sta. Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.
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10
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Geyer M, Gaul LM, D`Agosto SL, Corbo V, Queiroz K. The tumor stroma influences immune cell distribution and recruitment in a PDAC-on-a-chip model. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1155085. [PMID: 37205118 PMCID: PMC10185841 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1155085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The dense tumor stroma of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and its secreted immune active molecules provide a barrier for chemotherapy treatment as well as for immune cell infiltration to the tumor core, providing a challenge for immunotherapeutic strategies. Consequently, the investigation of processes underlying the interaction between the tumor stroma, particularly activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), and immune cells may offer new therapeutic approaches for PDAC treatment. In this study, we established a 3D PDAC model cultured under flow, consisting of an endothelial tube, PSCs and PDAC organoids. This was applied to study the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) on immune cell recruitment and its effect on partly preventing their interaction with pancreatic cancer cells. We observed that stromal cells form a physical barrier, partly shielding the cancer cells from migrating immune cells, as well as a biochemical microenvironment, that seems to attract and influence immune cell distribution. In addition, stromal targeting by Halofuginone led to an increase in immune cell infiltration. We propose that the here developed model setups will support the understanding of the cellular interplay influencing the recruitment and distribution of immune cells, and contribute to the identification of key players in the PDAC immunosuppressive TME as well as support the discovery of new strategies to treat this immune unresponsive tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Vincenzo Corbo
- Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Karla Queiroz
- Mimetas B.V., Oegstgeest, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Karla Queiroz,
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11
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Wang X, Zhang Y, Wang S, Ni H, Zhao P, Chen G, Xu B, Yuan L. The role of CXCR3 and its ligands in cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1022688. [PMID: 36479091 PMCID: PMC9720144 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1022688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemokines are a class of small cytokines or signaling proteins that are secreted by cells. Owing to their ability to induce directional chemotaxis of nearby responding cells, they are called chemotactic cytokines. Chemokines and chemokine receptors have now been shown to influence many cellular functions, including survival, adhesion, invasion, and proliferation, and regulate chemokine levels. Most malignant tumors express one or more chemokine receptors. The CXC subgroup of chemokine receptors, CXCR3, is mainly expressed on the surface of activated T cells, B cells, and natural killer cells, and plays an essential role in infection, autoimmune diseases, and tumor immunity by binding to specific receptors on target cell membranes to induce targeted migration and immune responses. It is vital to treat infections, autoimmune diseases, and tumors. CXCR3 and its ligands, CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11, are closely associated with the development and progression of many tumors. With the elucidation of its mechanism of action, CXCR3 is expected to become a new indicator for evaluating the prognosis of patients with tumors and a new target for clinical tumor immunotherapy. This article reviews the significance and mechanism of action of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 and its specific ligands in tumor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Wang
- Department of Surgery, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yangyang Zhang
- Department of Surgery, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Sen Wang
- Department of Surgery, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hongyan Ni
- Department of Surgery, Henan No.3 Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- Department of Surgery, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guangyu Chen
- Department of Immunotherapy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Benling Xu
- Department of Immunotherapy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Long Yuan
- Department of Surgery, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
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12
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Gautam SK, Basu S, Aithal A, Dwivedi NV, Gulati M, Jain M. Regulation of pancreatic cancer therapy resistance by chemokines. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:69-80. [PMID: 36064086 PMCID: PMC10370390 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal malignancy characterized by high resistance and poor response to chemotherapy. In addition, the poorly immunogenic pancreatic tumors constitute an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) that render immunotherapy-based approaches ineffective. Understanding the mechanisms of therapy resistance, identifying new targets, and developing effective strategies to overcome resistance can significantly impact the management of PDAC patients. Chemokines are small soluble factors that are significantly deregulated during PDAC pathogenesis, contributing to tumor growth, metastasis, immune cell trafficking, and therapy resistance. Thus far, different chemokine pathways have been explored as therapeutic targets in PDAC, with some promising results in recent clinical trials. Particularly, immunotherapies such as immune check point blockade therapies and CAR-T cell therapies have shown promising results when combined with chemokine targeted therapies. Considering the emerging pathological and clinical significance of chemokines in PDAC, we reviewed major chemokine-regulated pathways leading to therapy resistance and the ongoing endeavors to target chemokine signaling in PDAC. This review discusses the role of chemokines in regulating therapy resistance in PDAC and highlights the continuing efforts to target chemokine-regulated pathways to improve the efficacy of various treatment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailendra K Gautam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA
| | - Soumi Basu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA
| | - Abhijit Aithal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA
| | - Nidhi V Dwivedi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA
| | - Mansi Gulati
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA
| | - Maneesh Jain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA; Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA.
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13
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Lee S, Park YS, Kim JH, Lim AR, Hyun MH, Kim B, Lee JW, Lee SB, Kim YH. Identification of Biomarkers Associated with Liver Metastasis Progression from Colorectal Cancer Using Exosomal RNA Profiling. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14194723. [PMID: 36230645 PMCID: PMC9562015 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194723] [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: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to identify novel biomarkers for metastatic colorectal cancer progression using exosomal RNA expression profiling. The exosomal RNA expression profiles of 54 patients with mCRC were investigated. Exosomal RNA profiling was performed at the time of relapse immediately before metastasectomy and cancer recurrence or progression after metastasectomy. The up- and down-regulated RNA expression profiles were screened and analyzed using H-cluster, principle component analysis and gene ontology. The tissue expression profile of the liver metastases was compared with the GSE 41258 set using GSEA tools. We identified two distinctive biological process gene sets (IFNA and PCDB families) related to metastatic progression. The interferon-α response gene set was enriched, especially when the tumor volume was ≥1 cm3. CXCL10, CXCL11 and SAMD 9 mRNA were highly expressed in the plasma exosome samples of patients with mCRC to the liver. Furthermore, high expression of CXCL10 but not CXCL11 or SAMD9 was associated with a poor prognosis and shorter progression-free survival. Conclusions: Cancer-derived exosomal CXCL10 may be a novel biomarker for liver metastasis of mCRC and a potential target for the prevention and treatment of mCRC with liver metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soohyeon Lee
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Young Soo Park
- Cancer Research Institute, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Jwa Hoon Kim
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Ah Reum Lim
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Myung Han Hyun
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Boyeon Kim
- Cancer Research Institute, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
- Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Jong Won Lee
- Cancer Research Institute, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Saet Byeol Lee
- Cancer Research Institute, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
- Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Yeul Hong Kim
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
- Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-920-5569; Fax: +82-2-926-4534
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14
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Gorchs L, Oosthoek M, Yucel-Lindberg T, Moro CF, Kaipe H. Chemokine Receptor Expression on T Cells Is Modulated by CAFs and Chemokines Affect the Spatial Distribution of T Cells in Pancreatic Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153826. [PMID: 35954489 PMCID: PMC9367555 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The infiltration of T cells in pancreatic tumors has been correlated with better overall survival. However, the dense desmoplastic stroma, mainly composed by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), can sequester the T cells in the stroma preventing them from reaching the tumor nests. Chemokines are small molecules capable of directing T cell migration. Here, we explored whether CAFs could modulate the expression of chemokine receptors on T cells and examined if the spatial distribution of T cells within tumors was correlated to chemokine secretion patterns. Overall, we found that CXCR3 ligands was associated with an increased number of T cells in tumor rich areas and that CAFs downregulated the expression of CXCR3 on T cells. Understanding the mechanisms by which T cells are prevented from reaching the tumor nests is of great importance for the development of novel targeting therapies. Abstract The accumulation of T cells is associated with a better prognosis in pancreatic cancer. However, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, largely composed by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), can prevent T cells from reaching the tumor nests. We examined how human CAFs modulated chemokine receptors known to be associated with T cell trafficking, CXCR3 and CCR5, and T cell exclusion, CXCR4. CAFs decreased the expression of CXCR3 and CCR5 but increased CXCR4 expression in both 2D and 3D cultures, affecting the migratory capacity of T cells towards CXCL10. An immunohistochemistry analysis showed that very few T cells were found in the tumor nests. Within the stroma, CD8+ T cells were localized more distantly from the malignant cells whereas CD4+ T cells were more equally distributed. Tumor tissues with a high production of chemokines were associated with less T cell infiltration when the whole tissue was analyzed. However, when the spatial localization of CD8+ T cells within the tissue was taken into account, levels of CXCR3 ligands and the CCR5 ligand CCL8 showed a positive association with a high relative T cell infiltration in tumor-rich areas. Thus, CXCR3 ligands could mediate T cell trafficking but CAFs could prevent T cells from reaching the malignant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Gorchs
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 141 52 Stockholm, Sweden
- Correspondence: (L.G.); (H.K.)
| | - Marlies Oosthoek
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 141 52 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Carlos Fernández Moro
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 141 52 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Pathology and Cancer Diagnostics, Karolinska University Hospital, 141 57 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helen Kaipe
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 141 52 Stockholm, Sweden
- Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, 141 52 Stockholm, Sweden
- Correspondence: (L.G.); (H.K.)
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15
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Li Y, Wang J, Wang H, Zhang S, Wei Y, Liu S. The Interplay Between Inflammation and Stromal Components in Pancreatic Cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:850093. [PMID: 35493517 PMCID: PMC9046560 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.850093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammation involves interactions between various immune cells, inflammatory cells, chemokines and cytokines in pancreatic cancer. Cancer cells as well as surrounding stromal and inflammatory cells establish an inflammatory tumor microenvironment (TME). Inflammation is closely associated with immunity. Meanwhile, immune cells are involved in both inflammation and immune response. Tumor-promoting inflammation and tumor-suppressive immunity are two main characteristics of the tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer. Yet, the mechanism of inflammation and immune response in pancreatic cancer development is still unclear due to the dual role of some cytokines and the complicated crosstalk between tumor and stromal components in TME. In this review, we outline the principal cytokines and stromal cells in the pancreatic TME that are involved in the tumor-promoting and immunosuppressive effects of inflammation, and discuss the interaction between inflammation and stromal components in pancreatic cancer progression. Moreover, the clinical approaches based on targeting TME in pancreatic cancer are also summarized. Defining the mechanisms of interplay between inflammation and stromal components will be essential for further development of anti-cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Operating Room, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shaoqiang Zhang
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yingxin Wei
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shanglong Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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16
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High Expression of Interferon Pathway Genes CXCL10 and STAT2 Is Associated with Activated T-Cell Signature and Better Outcome of Oral Cancer Patients. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12020140. [PMID: 35207629 PMCID: PMC8877377 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12020140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
To improve the survival rate of cancer patients, biomarkers for both early diagnosis and patient stratification for appropriate therapeutics play crucial roles in precision oncology. Investigation of altered gene expression and the relevant molecular pathways in cancer cells are helpful for discovering such biomarkers. In this study, we explore the potential prognostic biomarkers for oral cancer patients through systematically analyzing five oral cancer transcriptomic data sets (TCGA, GSE23558, GSE30784, GSE37991, and GSE138206). Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was individually applied to each data set and the upregulated Hallmark molecular pathways of each data set were intersected to generate 13 common pathways including interferon-α/γ pathways. Among the 5 oral cancer data sets, 43 interferon pathway genes were commonly upregulated and 17 genes exhibited prognostic values in TCGA cohort. After validating in another oral cancer cohort (GSE65858), high expressions of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) and Signal transducer and activator of transcription 2 (STAT2) were confirmed to be good prognostic biomarkers. GSEA of oral cancers stratified by CXCL10/STAT2 expression showed that activation of T-cell pathways and increased tumor infiltration scores of Type 1 T helper (Th1) and CD8+ T cells were associated with high CXCL10/STAT2 expression. These results suggest that high CXCL10/STAT2 expression can predict a favorable outcome in oral cancer patients.
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17
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Shi R, Wang Z, Zhang J, Yu Z, An L, Wei S, Feng D, Wang H. N6-Methyladenosine-Related Long Noncoding RNAs as Potential Prognosis Biomarkers for Endometrial Cancer. Int J Gen Med 2021; 14:8249-8262. [PMID: 34815698 PMCID: PMC8605931 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s336403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Endometrial cancer (EC) is a common gynaecologic malignancy with an increasing incidence rate and mortality in recent years. N6-methylandenosine (m6A)-related long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plays a vital role in EC, emerging as one of the most abundant RNA modifications. Materials and Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and UCSC Xena were used to download data related to EC. Survival and univariate and multifactorial prognostic analyses were performed for m6A-related lncRNAs. The expression levels of the three lncRNAs were verified using q-PCR. A nomogram was used to create a clinical tool to assess overall survival. To investigate the relationship between m6A-related lncRNA and EC, we downloaded differential genes related to EC from the TCGA database and mined three m6A-related lncRNAs, namely SCARNA9, TRAF3IP2-AS1, and AL133243.2. The data were categorized into high- and low-risk groups based on m6A-associated lncRNA. Results Survival analysis revealed that the high-risk group had a lower survival rate. Survival analysis of three m6A-associated lncRNAs revealed that cases with high expression of SCARNA9 tended to have a poorer prognosis, whereas the opposite was true for TRAF3IP2-AS1, AL133243.2. Univariate and multifactorial prognostic analyses suggested statistical differences in patients’ age, FIGO stage, pathological grade, risk score, and prognosis of EC, which was confirmed by results of the separate prognostic factor analysis for the three lncRNAs. Risk status was validated as an independent prognostic indicator, and the prognostic nomogram combined patient age, pathological stage, and FIGO classification to assess 3–5-year survival. Cases from high- and low-risk groups were analysed for the tumour microenvironment and immune cell scores, and stromal cell scores were found to be lower in the high-risk group. Correlations were analysed using different databases for immune cell classification. Conclusion m6A-related lncRNAs may play a key role in the diagnosis and treatment of EC as targets of prognosis and the immune microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Shi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziwei Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhicheng Yu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Lanfen An
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Sitian Wei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Dilu Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongbo Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430022, People's Republic of China
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18
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Huang J, Chen Z, Ding C, Lin S, Wan D, Ren K. Prognostic Biomarkers and Immunotherapeutic Targets Among CXC Chemokines in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:711402. [PMID: 34497764 PMCID: PMC8419473 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.711402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pancreatic cancer is one of the principal causes of tumor-related death worldwide. CXC chemokines, a subfamily of functional chemotactic peptides, affect the initiation of tumor cells and clinical outcomes in several human malignant tumors. However, the specific biological functions and clinical significance of CXC chemokines in pancreatic cancer have not been clarified. Methods Bioinformatics analysis tools and databases, including ONCOMINE, GEPIA2, the Human Protein Atlas, DAVID, GeneMANIA, cBioPortal, STRING, DGidb, MethSurv, TRRUST, SurvExpress, SurvivalMeth, and TIMER, were utilized to clarify the clinical significance and biological functions of CXC chemokine in pancreatic cancer. Results Except for CXCL11/12, the transcriptional levels of other CXC chemokines in PAAD tissues were significantly elevated, and the expression level of CXCL16 was the highest among these CXC chemokines. Our findings also suggested that all of the CXC chemokines were linked to tumor-immune dysfunction involving the abundance of immune cell infiltration, and the Cox proportional hazard model confirmed that dendritic and CXCL3/5/7/8/11/17 were significantly associated with the clinical outcome of PAAD patients. Furthermore, increasing expressions of CXCL5/9/10/11/17 were related to unfavorable overall survival (OS), and only CXCL17 was a prognostic factor for disease-free survival (DFS) in PAAD patients. The expression pattern and prognostic power of CXC chemokines were further validated in the independent GSE62452 dataset. For the prognostic value of single CpG of DNA methylation of CXC chemokines in patients with PAAD, we identified 3 CpGs of CXCL1, 2 CpGs of CXCL2, 2 CpGs of CXCL3, 3 CpGs of CXCL4, 10 CpGs of CXCL5, 1 CpG of CXCL6, 1 CpG of CXCL7, 3 CpGs of CXCL12, 3 CpGs of CXCL14, and 5 CpGs of CXCL17 that were significantly associated with prognosis in PAAD patients. Moreover, the prognostic value of CXC chemokine signature in PAAD was explored and tested in two independent cohort, and results indicated that the patients in the low-risk group had a better OS compared with the high-risk group. Survival analysis of the DNA methylation of CXC chemokine signature demonstrated that PAAD patients in the high-risk group had longer survival times. Conclusions These findings reveal the novel insights into CXC chemokine expression and their biological functions in the pancreatic cancers, which might serve as accurate prognostic biomarkers and suitable immunotherapeutic targets for patients with pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Huang
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Shulan (Hangzhou) Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Shuren University Shulan International Medical College, Hangzhou, China.,School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhitao Chen
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Shulan (Hangzhou) Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Shuren University Shulan International Medical College, Hangzhou, China.,School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chenchen Ding
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Shulan (Hangzhou) Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Shuren University Shulan International Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shengzhang Lin
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Shulan (Hangzhou) Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Shuren University Shulan International Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dalong Wan
- First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kuiwu Ren
- First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Fuyang People's Hospital, Fuyang, China
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19
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Gorchs L, Kaipe H. Interactions between Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and T Cells in the Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment and the Role of Chemokines. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2995. [PMID: 34203869 PMCID: PMC8232575 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13122995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Less than 10% of patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) survive 5 years or more, making it one of the most fatal cancers. Accumulation of T cells in pancreatic tumors is associated with better prognosis, but immunotherapies to enhance the anti-tumor activity of infiltrating T cells are failing in this devastating disease. Pancreatic tumors are characterized by a desmoplastic stroma, which mainly consists of activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Pancreatic CAFs have emerged as important regulators of the tumor microenvironment by contributing to immune evasion through the release of chemokines, cytokines, and growth factors, which alters T-cell migration, differentiation and cytotoxic activity. However, recent discoveries have also revealed that subsets of CAFs with diverse functions can either restrain or promote tumor progression. Here, we discuss our current knowledge about the interactions between CAFs and T cells in PDAC and summarize different therapy strategies targeting the CAF-T cell axis with focus on CAF-derived soluble immunosuppressive factors and chemokines. Identifying the functions of different CAF subsets and understanding their roles in T-cell trafficking within the tumor may be fundamental for the development of an effective combinational treatment for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Gorchs
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helen Kaipe
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden
- Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden
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Lanza M, Casili G, Campolo M, Paterniti I, Colarossi C, Mare M, Giuffrida R, Caffo M, Esposito E, Cuzzocrea S. Immunomodulatory Effect of Microglia-Released Cytokines in Gliomas. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11040466. [PMID: 33917013 PMCID: PMC8067679 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11040466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia, a type of differentiated tissue macrophage, are considered to be the most plastic cell population of the central nervous system (CNS). Microglia substantially contribute to the growth and invasion of tumor mass in brain tumors including glioblastoma (GB). In response to pathological conditions, resting microglia undergo a stereotypic activation process and become capable of phagocytosis, antigen presentation, and lymphocyte activation. Considering their immune effector function, it is not surprising to see microglia accumulation in almost every CNS disease process, including malignant brain tumors. Large numbers of glioma associated microglia and macrophages (GAMs) can accumulate within the tumor where they appear to have an important role in prognosis. GAMs constitute the largest portion of tumor infiltrating cells, contributing up to 30% of the entire glioma mass and upon interaction with neoplastic cells. GAMs acquire a unique phenotype of activation, including both M1 and M2 specific markers. It has been demonstrated that microglia possess a dual role: on one hand, microglia may represent a CNS anti-tumor response, which is inactivated by local secretion of immunosuppressive factors by glioma cells. On the other hand, taking into account that microglia are capable of secreting a variety of immunomodulatory cytokines, it is possible that they are attracted by gliomas to promote tumor growth. A better understanding of microglia-glioma interaction will be helpful in designing novel immune-based therapies against these fatal tumors. Concluding, as microglia significantly may contribute to glioma biology, favoring tumor growth and invasiveness, these cells represent a valuable alternative/additional target for the development of more effective treatments for gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marika Lanza
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 98166 Messina, Italy; (M.L.); (G.C.); (M.C.); (I.P.); (S.C.)
| | - Giovanna Casili
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 98166 Messina, Italy; (M.L.); (G.C.); (M.C.); (I.P.); (S.C.)
| | - Michela Campolo
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 98166 Messina, Italy; (M.L.); (G.C.); (M.C.); (I.P.); (S.C.)
| | - Irene Paterniti
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 98166 Messina, Italy; (M.L.); (G.C.); (M.C.); (I.P.); (S.C.)
| | - Cristina Colarossi
- Mediterranean Institute of Oncology, Via Penninazzo 7, 95029 Viagrande, Italy; (C.C.); (M.M.)
| | - Marzia Mare
- Mediterranean Institute of Oncology, Via Penninazzo 7, 95029 Viagrande, Italy; (C.C.); (M.M.)
| | | | - Maria Caffo
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morpho-Functional Imaging, Unit of Neurosurgery, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy;
| | - Emanuela Esposito
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 98166 Messina, Italy; (M.L.); (G.C.); (M.C.); (I.P.); (S.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Salvatore Cuzzocrea
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 98166 Messina, Italy; (M.L.); (G.C.); (M.C.); (I.P.); (S.C.)
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