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Wei H, Dong C, Li X. Treatment Options for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Immunotherapy: Present and Future. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2024; 12:389-405. [PMID: 38638377 PMCID: PMC11022065 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2023.00462] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer, and the body's immune responses greatly affect its progression and the prognosis of patients. Immunological suppression and the maintenance of self-tolerance in the tumor microenvironment are essential responses, and these form part of the theoretical foundations of immunotherapy. In this review, we first discuss the tumor microenvironment of HCC, describe immunosuppression in HCC, and review the major biomarkers used to track HCC progression and response to treatment. We then examine antibody-based therapies, with a focus on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), monoclonal antibodies that target key proteins in the immune response (programmed cell death protein 1, anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4, and programmed death-ligand 1) which have transformed the treatment of HCC and other cancers. ICIs may be used alone or in conjunction with various targeted therapies for patients with advanced HCC who are receiving first-line treatments or subsequent treatments. We also discuss the use of different cellular immunotherapies, including T cell receptor (TCR) T cell therapy and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy. We then review the use of HCC vaccines, adjuvant immunotherapy, and oncolytic virotherapy, and describe the goals of future research in the development of treatments for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbin Wei
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Chunlu Dong
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xun Li
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Key Laboratory Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Cancer Prevention and Treatment Center of Lanzhou University School of Medicine, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Institute of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Clinical Research Center for General Surgery of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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2
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Poddar A, Ahmady F, Rao SR, Sharma R, Kannourakis G, Prithviraj P, Jayachandran A. The role of pregnancy associated plasma protein-A in triple negative breast cancer: a promising target for achieving clinical benefits. J Biomed Sci 2024; 31:23. [PMID: 38395880 PMCID: PMC10885503 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-024-01012-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: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) plays an integral role in breast cancer (BC), especially triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). This subtype accounts for the most aggressive BC, possesses high tumor heterogeneity, is least responsive to standard treatments and has the poorest clinical outcomes. There is a critical need to address the lack of effective targeted therapeutic options available. PAPP-A is a protein that is highly elevated during pregnancy. Frequently, higher PAPP-A expression is detected in tumors than in healthy tissues. The increase in expression coincides with increased rates of aggressive cancers. In BC, PAPP-A has been demonstrated to play a role in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as well as acting as a biomarker for predicting patient outcomes. In this review, we present the role of PAPP-A, with specific focus on TNBC. The structure and function of PAPP-A, belonging to the pappalysin subfamily, and its proteolytic activity are assessed. We highlight the link of BC and PAPP-A with respect to the IGFBP/IGF axis, EMT, the window of susceptibility and the impact of pregnancy. Importantly, the relevance of PAPP-A as a TNBC clinical marker is reviewed and its influence on immune-related pathways are explored. The relationship and mechanisms involving PAPP-A reveal the potential for more treatment options that can lead to successful immunotherapeutic targets and the ability to assist with better predicting clinical outcomes in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpita Poddar
- Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
- Federation University, Victoria, Australia
- RMIT University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Farah Ahmady
- Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
- Federation University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sushma R Rao
- Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
- Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Revati Sharma
- Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
- Federation University, Victoria, Australia
| | - George Kannourakis
- Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
- Federation University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Prashanth Prithviraj
- Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, Victoria, Australia
- Federation University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Aparna Jayachandran
- Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, Victoria, Australia.
- Federation University, Victoria, Australia.
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Rezagholizadeh F, Tajik F, Talebi M, Taha SR, Shariat Zadeh M, Farhangnia P, Hosseini HS, Nazari A, Mollazadeh Ghomi S, Kamrani Mousavi SM, Haeri Moghaddam N, Khorramdelazad H, Joghataei MT, Safari E. Unraveling the potential of CD8, CD68, and VISTA as diagnostic and prognostic markers in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1283364. [PMID: 38357542 PMCID: PMC10865497 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1283364] [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: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pancreatic cancer is a truculent disease with limited treatment options and a grim prognosis. Immunotherapy has shown promise in treating various types of cancer, but its effectiveness in pancreatic cancer has been lacking. As a result, it is crucial to identify markers associated with immunological pathways in order to improve the treatment outcomes for this deadly cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of three markers, CD8, CD68, and VISTA, in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common subtype of pancreatic cancer. Methods We analyzed gene expression data from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database using bioinformatics tools. We also utilized the STRING online tool and Funrich software to study the protein-protein interactions and transcription factors associated with CD8, CD68, and VISTA. In addition, tissue microarray (TMA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining were performed on 228 samples of PDAC tissue and 10 samples of normal pancreatic tissue to assess the expression levels of the markers. We then correlated these expression levels with the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients and evaluated their survival rates. Results The analysis of the GEO data revealed slightly elevated levels of VISTA in PDAC samples compared to normal tissues. However, there was a significant increase in CD68 expression and a notable reduction in CD8A expression in pancreatic cancer. Further investigation identified potential protein-protein interactions and transcription factors associated with these markers. The IHC staining of PDAC tissue samples showed an increased expression of VISTA, CD68, and CD8A in pancreatic cancer tissues. Moreover, we found correlations between the expression levels of these markers and certain clinicopathological features of the patients. Additionally, the survival analysis revealed that high expression of CD8 was associated with better disease-specific survival and progression-free survival in PDAC patients. Conclusion These findings highlight the potential of CD8, CD68, and VISTA as diagnostic and prognostic indicators in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fereshteh Rezagholizadeh
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Tajik
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Morteza Talebi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Human and Animal Cell Bank, Iranian Biological Resource Center (IBRC), Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Reza Taha
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Pooya Farhangnia
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Board for Transplantation and Cell-Based Therapeutics (ImmunoTACT), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamideh Sadat Hosseini
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Aram Nazari
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shabnam Mollazadeh Ghomi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Board for Transplantation and Cell-Based Therapeutics (ImmunoTACT), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyede Mahtab Kamrani Mousavi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Niloofar Haeri Moghaddam
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Khorramdelazad
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Taghi Joghataei
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Safari
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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4
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Ren R, Chang X, Chen C, Yu H, Han L. VISTA as a prospective immune checkpoint in gynecological malignant tumors: A review of the literature. Open Med (Wars) 2023; 18:20230866. [PMID: 38152334 PMCID: PMC10751886 DOI: 10.1515/med-2023-0866] [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: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA), encoded by the human VSIR gene, is a B7 family checkpoint homologous to the programmed death-Ligand 1 sequence. In gynecologic malignancies, VISTA is abnormally expressed and regulates the tumor immune microenvironment, causing a high upregulation of VISTA expression in T-cells and myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment and promoting tumor proliferation, progression, and immune tolerance. Here, we review the research progress of VISTA in ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers through its structure and immunomodulatory mechanism. The comprehensive study of VISTA is expected to improve the current problem of poor immunotherapeutic effects and provide new ideas for immune therapy in patients with gynecologic tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Ren
- Department of Gynecology, Dalian Women and Children’s Medical Group, Dalian, 116033, China
- Laboratory of Early Diagnosis and Biotherapy of Malignant Tumors in Children and Women in Liaoning Province, Dalian, 116011, China
| | - Xin Chang
- Department of Graduate, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
- Department of Gynecology, Dalian Women and Children’s Medical Group, Dalian, 116033, China
- Laboratory of Early Diagnosis and Biotherapy of Malignant Tumors in Children and Women in Liaoning Province, Dalian, 116011, China
| | - Cong Chen
- Department of Gynecology, Dalian Women and Children’s Medical Group, Dalian, 116033, China
- Laboratory of Early Diagnosis and Biotherapy of Malignant Tumors in Children and Women in Liaoning Province, Dalian, 116011, China
| | - Hao Yu
- Department of Gynecology, Dalian Women and Children’s Medical Group, Dalian, 116033, China
- Laboratory of Early Diagnosis and Biotherapy of Malignant Tumors in Children and Women in Liaoning Province, Dalian, 116011, China
| | - Lu Han
- Department of Gynecology, Dalian Women and Children’s Medical Group, Dalian, 116033, China
- Laboratory of Early Diagnosis and Biotherapy of Malignant Tumors in Children and Women in Liaoning Province, Dalian, 116011, China
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Cai XQ, Huang Q, Zhang TP. The Methylation in B7-H4 and BTLA Genes are Associated with the Risk of Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Immunotargets Ther 2023; 12:149-163. [PMID: 38033484 PMCID: PMC10683667 DOI: 10.2147/itt.s434403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The important roles of B7 homologous body 4 (B7-H4), B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) have been reported. This study aims to evaluate the association among B7-H4 and BTLA genes polymorphism, methylation and PTB susceptibility. Methodology Here, we assessed the possible relationship of 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in B7-H4, BTLA genes with PTB susceptibility in a Chinese population (496 PTB patients and 502 controls) by SNPscan technique. Then, the B7-H4, BTLA genes methylation levels among 98 PTB patients and 97 controls were detected using MethylTarget technique. Results This study found no significant differences in allele and genotype frequencies of B7-H4 gene rs10754339, rs10801935, rs10923223, rs1937956, rs3738414, BTLA gene rs1982809, rs2971205, rs75368388, rs9288953 variants between PTB patients and controls. Haplotype analysis suggested that the lower frequencies of B7-H4 AATTG haplotype, BTLA GATT haplotype and the higher frequency of BTLA AGTC haplotype were found in PTB patients when compared with controls. We also found that the frequency of BTLA gene rs9288953 C allele was significantly increased in PTB patients with drug resistance. Moreover, the methylation levels of B7-H4 and BTLA genes in PTB patients were greater than that in controls, and rs10754339 variant in B7-H4 gene could affect its methylation level in PTB patients. Conclusion B7-H4, BTLA genes polymorphism might not affect PTB susceptibility, while the abnormal methylation levels of B7-H4, BTLA genes were associated with the genetic background of PTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Qian Cai
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Anhui Chest Hospital, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qian Huang
- Department of Public Health, Medical Department, Qinghai University, Xining, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tian-Ping Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China
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Ruan Y, Wang J, Zhang Q, Wang H, Li C, Xu X, Zhai Z. Clinical implications of aberrant PD-1 expression for acute leukemia prognosis. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:383. [PMID: 37759316 PMCID: PMC10536751 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01352-8] [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: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are the most common types of leukemia in adults with an overall poor prognosis. PD-1 alone or combined with other immune checkpoint blockade is a promising research direction for the treatment of acute leukemia (AL) patients. However, clinical Implications of aberrant PD-1 expression in peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes of AML and ALL patients in assessing the prognosis of diseases, remains inconclusive. METHODS In the present study, we used flow cytometry to evaluate PD-1 expression on the surface of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in the peripheral circulation of AML and ALL patients and its clinical significance. A total of 53 AML patients, 44 ALL patients and 28 healthy controls were enrolled in this study and peripheral blood specimens were detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS Our results indicated that percentages of CD4+ PD1+ and CD8+ PD1+ T lymphocytes in newly diagnosed and non-remission groups were significantly higher than healthy control both in AML and ALL patients. The high level of CD4+ PD1+ and CD8+ PD1+ T lymphocytes were respectively poor prognostic indicators of AML patients and ALL patients but had no significant correlation with most common clinical risks. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that aberrant PD-1 expression correlates with the prognosis of AL patient and may thus serve as poor prognostic indicators. Immunotherapy using PD-1 inhibitors may be a promising strategy for AML and ALL patients with peripheral circulating CD4+ PD1+ and CD8+ PD1+ T lymphocytes positively expressed, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Ruan
- Department of Hematology, Hematology Research Center, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Department of Pathology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230013, Anhui, China
| | - Jiyu Wang
- Department of Hematology, Hematology Research Center, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Qiuye Zhang
- People's Hospital of Taizhou, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Taizhou, 225300, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huiping Wang
- Department of Hematology, Hematology Research Center, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Cong Li
- Department of Hematology, Hematology Research Center, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Xuanxuan Xu
- Jingzhou Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430000, Hubei, China
| | - Zhimin Zhai
- Department of Hematology, Hematology Research Center, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China.
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Abenavoli L, Montori M, Svegliati Baroni G, Argenziano ME, Giorgi F, Scarlata GGM, Ponziani F, Scarpellini E. Perspective on the Role of Gut Microbiome in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2023; 59:1427. [PMID: 37629716 PMCID: PMC10456509 DOI: 10.3390/medicina59081427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of liver cancer worldwide and has a high mortality rate. Its incidence has increased due to metabolic-associated liver disease (MAFLD) epidemics. Liver transplantation and surgery remain the most resolute measures. Despite the optimistic use of multi-kinase inhibitors, namely sorafenib, the co-existence of chronic liver disease made the response rate low in these patients. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become a promising hope for certain advanced solid tumors and, also, for advanced HCC. Unfortunately, a large cohort of patients with HCC fail to respond to immunotherapy. Materials and Methods: We conducted a narrative search on the main medical databases for original articles, reviews, meta-analyses, randomized clinical trials, and case series using the following keywords and acronyms and their associations: hepatocellular carcinoma, immunotherapy, checkpoint inhibitors, gut microbiota, and fecal microbiota transplantation. Results: ICIs are a promising and sufficiently safe treatment option for HCC. In detail, they have significantly improved survival and prognosis in these patients vs. sorafenib. Although there are several highlighted mechanisms of resistance, the gut microbiota signature can be used both as a response biomarker and as an effect enhancer. Practically, probiotic dose-finding and fecal microbiota transplantation are the weapons that can be used to increase ICI's treatment-response-reducing resistance mechanisms. Conclusion: Immunotherapy has been a significant step-up in HCC treatment, and gut microbiota modulation is an effective liaison to increase its efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovico Abenavoli
- Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
| | - Michele Montori
- Clinic of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Emergency Digestive Endoscopy, Polytechnics University of Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy; (M.M.); (M.E.A.)
| | | | - Maria Eva Argenziano
- Clinic of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Emergency Digestive Endoscopy, Polytechnics University of Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy; (M.M.); (M.E.A.)
| | - Francesca Giorgi
- Oncology Unit, “Madonna del Soccorso” General Hospital, 63074 San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy;
| | | | - Francesca Ponziani
- Digestive Disease Center (C.E.M.A.D.), Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
- Translational Medicine and Surgery Department, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Emidio Scarpellini
- Translational Research in GastroIntestinal Disorders (T.A.R.G.I.D.), KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Hepatology Outpatient Clinic, “Madonna del Soccorso” General Hospital, 63074 San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy
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Dong W, Ji Y, Pi S, Chen QF. Noninvasive imaging-based machine learning algorithm to identify progressive disease in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma receiving second-line systemic therapy. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10690. [PMID: 37393336 PMCID: PMC10314898 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37862-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to predict tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) plus anti-PD-1 antibodies (TKI-PD-1) efficacy as second-line treatment in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using radiomics analysis. From November 2018 to November 2019, a total of 55 patients were included. Radiomic features were obtained from the CT images before treatment and filtered using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) methods. Subsequently, ten prediction algorithms were developed and validated based on radiomic characteristics. The accuracy of the constructed model was measured through area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) analysis; survival analysis was performed via Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. Overall, 18 (32.7%) out of 55 patients had progressive disease. Through ICCs and LASSO, ten radiomic features were entered into the algorithm construction and validation. Ten machine learning algorithms showed different accuracies, with the support vector machine (SVM) model having the highest AUC value of 0.933 in the training cohort and 0.792 in the testing cohort. The radiomic features were associated with overall survival. In conclsion, the SVM algorithm is a useful method to predict TKI-PD-1 efficacy in patients with advanced HCC using images taken prior to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Dong
- Department of Medical Oncology, Nanyang Second People's Hospital, Nanyang, China
| | - Ye Ji
- Department of Medical Oncology, Nanyang Central Hospital, Nanyang, China
| | - Shan Pi
- Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China.
| | - Qi-Feng Chen
- Department of Medical Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, Guangdong, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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9
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Asghar K, Bashir S, Ali Rana I, Abu Bakar M, Farooq A, Hassan M, Asif Z, Afzal M, Masood I, Ishaq M, Tahseen M, Bilal S, Mehmood S, Kanwal N, Ud Din I, Loya A. PD-L1 is Fascinating but IDO Needs Attention in Non-HCV and Non-HBV-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2023; 10:921-934. [PMID: 37350801 PMCID: PMC10284167 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s409741] [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: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background/Aim Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common forms of liver cancer that is modulated by the immune system. Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) has emerged as a novel therapeutic target in various cancers. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an immunosuppressive enzyme that is associated with poor prognoses in various cancer types. The aim of this study was to investigate the PD-L1 expression, and clinicopathological features of non-HCV and non-HBV-associated HCC patients, including IDO expression. Patients and Methods In this study, immunohistochemical analysis was performed to analyze the expression of PD-L1 and IDO. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded HCC tumor tissues (n=50) were obtained from the pathology department, at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) in Lahore, Pakistan between 2005 and 2022. All the patients were HBV and HCV negative. Furthermore, it was a rare group of patients with no previous history of any viral hepatitis. In addition, for categorical and continuous variables chi-square or Fisher exact test and Mann-Whitney U-test was performed. Results Of 50 tissue specimens, PD-L1+ was observed in 21 [high: 12 (24%), low: 9 (18%)] and PD-L1- was observed in 29 HCC patients. IDO+ was observed in all 50 specimens [high: 42 (84%), low: 8 (16%)]. Additionally, both PD-L1 and IDO had high expression in 11 (22%) patients. While both PD-L1 and IDO had low expression in 2 (4%) patients. Furthermore, in IDO+/PD-L1- group, 20 (69%) out of 29 patients died while in the IDO+/PD-L1+ group, 9 (43%) out of 21 patients died. Conclusion Evaluation of IDO and PD-L1 expression may add therapeutic advantage in non-HCV and non-HBV-associated HCC patients that overexpress IDO. Further validation in a larger cohort is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kashif Asghar
- Department of Basic Sciences Research, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Shaarif Bashir
- Department of Pathology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Iftikhar Ali Rana
- Department of Pathology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Abu Bakar
- Department of Cancer Registry and Clinical Data Management, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Asim Farooq
- Department of Basic Sciences Research, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Hassan
- Department of Basic Sciences Research, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Zukhruf Asif
- Department of Basic Sciences Research, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Mahnoor Afzal
- Department of Basic Sciences Research, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Iqra Masood
- Department of Clinical Research, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ishaq
- Department of Pathology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Tahseen
- Department of Pathology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Sundus Bilal
- Department of Internal Medicine (Gastroenterology), Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Shafqat Mehmood
- Department of Internal Medicine (Gastroenterology), Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Nosheen Kanwal
- Department of Radiology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Islah Ud Din
- Department of Radiology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Asif Loya
- Department of Pathology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
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10
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Nikoo M, Hassan ZF, Mardasi M, Rostamnezhad E, Roozbahani F, Rahimi S, Mohammadi J. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) immunotherapy by anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies: A rapidly evolving strategy. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 247:154473. [PMID: 37207558 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest cancers in the world, with a high relapse rate. Delayed symptom onset observed in 70-80% of patients leads to diagnosis in advanced stages commonly associated with chronic liver disease. Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade therapy has recently emerged as a promising therapeutic option in the clinical management of several advanced malignancies, including HCC, due to the activation of exhausted tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and improved outcomes of T-cell function. However, many people with HCC do not respond to PD-1 blockade therapy, and the diversity of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) restricts their clinical utility. Therefore, numerous effective combinatory strategies, including combinations with anti-PD-1 antibodies and other therapeutic methods ranging from chemotherapy to targeted therapies, are evolving to improve therapeutic outcomes and evoke synergistic anti-tumor impressions in patients with advanced HCC. Unfortunately, combined therapy may have more side effects than single-agent treatment. Nonetheless, identifying appropriate predictive biomarkers can aid in managing potential immune-related adverse events by distinguishing patients who respond best to PD-1 inhibitors as single agents or in combination strategies. In the present review, we summarize the therapeutic potential of PD-1 blockade therapy for advanced HCC patients. Besides, a glimpse of the pivotal predictive biomarkers influencing a patient's response to anti-PD-1 antibodies will be provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzieh Nikoo
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | | | - Mahsa Mardasi
- Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University G. C., Evin, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elmira Rostamnezhad
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Science, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Roozbahani
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Sahel Rahimi
- Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology Department, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology(NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Mohammadi
- Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
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11
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Zhang X, Wu LN, Li XQ, Luo X, Liu SW, Zhang L, Nawaz S, Ma LN, Ding XC. Whether the Golgi protein 73 could be a diagnostic serological marker in hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta analysis. BMC Gastroenterol 2023; 23:85. [PMID: 36964524 PMCID: PMC10039610 DOI: 10.1186/s12876-023-02685-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Value of Golgi protein 73 (GP73) in the diagnosis of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial, especially in its differentiation between HCC and cirrhosis. Besides, some papers showed that GP73 levels are correlated with liver fibrosis. This study conducts a meta-analysis to evaluate the value of GP73 in diagnosing HCC and differential diagnosing HCC from liver cirrhosis. METHODS 36 studies with a sample size of 8314 cases concerning the accuracy of GP73 in the diagnosis of HCC were selected through a systematic review. Seven of these studies included a total of 438 HCC samples and 426 cirrhosis samples and calculated the sensitivity and specificity of GP73 for differential diagnosing HCC from cirrhosis. QUADAS (quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies) was used to evaluate the quality of literature. Statistical analyses were performed using StataSE16 software. RESULTS The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio and the area under the curve were 0.79(95%CI 0.74-0.83),0.85(95%CI 0.80-0.89),5.4(95%CI 3.8-7.5), 0.25(95%CI 0.20-0.31), 22(95%CI 13-35), and 0.88 for GP73 diagnosing HCC;0.74(95%CI 0.64-0.81),0.70(95%CI 0.49-0.85),2.40(95%CI 1.3-4.7),0.38(95%CI 0.23-0.61),6(95%CI 2-19), and 0.78 for GP73 differential diagnosing HCC from liver cirrhosis. CONCLUSION The results suggest that GP73 has a high diagnostic value for HCC and a moderate value for differential diagnosis of HCC from liver cirrhosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhang
- Department of Infectious Disease, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
- Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Li-Na Wu
- Department of Infectious Disease, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Xiao-Qing Li
- Department of Infectious Disease, The 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College Nuclear Industry 416 Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xia Luo
- Department of Infectious Disease, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Shui-Wei Liu
- Department of Infectious Disease, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Le Zhang
- Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Shah Nawaz
- Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Li-Na Ma
- Department of Infectious Disease, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
| | - Xiang-Chun Ding
- Department of Infectious Disease, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
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12
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Yu SJ. Immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: Recent advances and future targets. Pharmacol Ther 2023; 244:108387. [PMID: 36948423 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy is a promising approach to treating various types of cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While single immunotherapy drugs show limited effectiveness on a small subset of patients, the combination of the anti PD-L1 atezolizumab and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor bevacizumab has shown significant improvement in survival compared to sorafenib as a first-line treatment. However, the current treatment options still have a low success rate of about 30%. Thus, more effective treatments for HCC are urgently required. Several novel immunotherapeutic methods, including the use of novel immune checkpoint inhibitors, innovative immune cell therapies like chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T), TCR gene-modified T cells and stem cells, as well as combination strategies are being tested in clinical trials for the treatment of HCC. However, some crucial issues still exist such as the presence of heterogeneous antigens in solid tumors, the immune-suppressive environment within tumors, the risk of on-target/off-tumor, infiltrating CAR-T cells, immunosuppressive checkpoint molecules, and cytokines. Overall, immunotherapy is on the brink of major advancements in the fight against HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Jong Yu
- Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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13
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Dedecker H, Teuwen LA, Vandamme T, Domen A, Prenen H. The role of Immunotherapy in esophageal and gastric cancer. Clin Colorectal Cancer 2023; 22:175-182. [PMID: 37005190 DOI: 10.1016/j.clcc.2023.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Upper gastrointestinal tract tumors historically have a poor prognosis. The decision to treat esophageal or gastric cancers by surgery, radiotherapy, systemic therapy, or a combination of these treatment modalities should always be discussed multidisciplinary. The introduction of immunotherapy has drastically transformed the treatment landscape of multiple solid malignancies. Emerging data from early and late phase clinical trials suggests that the use of immunotherapies that target immune checkpoint proteins such as PD-1/PD-L1 result in superior overall survival in advanced, metastatic, or recurrent esophageal and gastric cancer, whether or not with specific molecular characteristics such as PD-L1 expression level or microsatellite instability. This review offers an overview of the most recent advances in the field of immunotherapy treatment in esophageal and gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Dedecker
- Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), 2650, Edegem, Belgium
| | - Laure-Anne Teuwen
- Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), 2650, Edegem, Belgium; Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Timon Vandamme
- Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), 2650, Edegem, Belgium; Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Andreas Domen
- Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), 2650, Edegem, Belgium; Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Hans Prenen
- Multidisciplinary Oncological Center Antwerp (MOCA), Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), 2650, Edegem, Belgium; Center for Oncological Research (CORE), Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON), University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
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14
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Martin AS, Molloy M, Ugolkov A, von Roemeling RW, Noelle RJ, Lewis LD, Johnson M, Radvanyi L, Martell RE. VISTA expression and patient selection for immune-based anticancer therapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1086102. [PMID: 36891296 PMCID: PMC9986543 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1086102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
V-domain Ig suppressor of T-cell activation (VISTA) is a B7 family member that plays key roles in maintaining T cell quiescence and regulation of myeloid cell populations, which together establish it as a novel immunotherapy target for solid tumors. Here we review the growing literature on VISTA expression in relation to various malignancies to better understand the role of VISTA and its interactions with both tumor cells and immune cells expressing other checkpoint molecules within the tumor microenvironment (TME). The biology of VISTA creates several mechanisms to maintain the TME, including supporting the function of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, regulating natural killer cell activation, supporting the survival of regulatory T cells, limiting antigen presentation on antigen-presenting cells and maintaining T cells in a quiescent state. Understanding these mechanisms is an important foundation of rational patient selection for anti-VISTA therapy. We provide a general framework to describe distinct patterns of VISTA expression in correlation with other known predictive immunotherapy biomarkers (programmed cell death ligand 1 and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes) across solid tumors to facilitate investigation of the most efficacious TMEs for VISTA-targeted treatment as a single agent and/or in combination with anti-programmed death 1/anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander S. Martin
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Randolph J. Noelle
- ImmuNext Inc., Lebanon, NH, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Norris Cotton Cancer Center Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, United States
| | - Lionel D. Lewis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Norris Cotton Cancer Center Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, United States
| | - Melissa Johnson
- Sarah Cannon at Tennessee Oncology, Nashville, TN, United States
| | | | - Robert E. Martell
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
- Curis Inc., Lexington, MA, United States
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15
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Tao S, Liang S, Zeng T, Yin D. Epigenetic modification-related mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinoma resistance to immune checkpoint inhibition. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1043667. [PMID: 36685594 PMCID: PMC9845774 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1043667] [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: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitutes most primary liver cancers and is one of the most lethal and life-threatening malignancies globally. Unfortunately, a substantial proportion of HCC patients are identified at an advanced stage that is unavailable for curative surgery. Thus, palliative therapies represented by multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) sorafenib remained the front-line treatment over the past decades. Recently, the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), especially targeting the PD-1/PD-L1/CTLA-4 axis, has achieved an inspiring clinical breakthrough for treating unresectable solid tumors. However, many HCC patients with poor responses lead to limited benefits in clinical applications, which has quickly drawn researchers' attention to the regulatory mechanisms of immune checkpoints in HCC immune evasion. Evasion of immune surveillance by cancer is attributed to intricate reprogramming modulation in the tumor microenvironment. Currently, more and more studies have found that epigenetic modifications, such as chromatin structure remodeling, DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, and non-coding RNA levels, may contribute significantly to remodeling the tumor microenvironment to avoid immune clearance, affecting the efficacy of immunotherapy for HCC. This review summarizes the rapidly emerging progress of epigenetic-related changes during HCC resistance to ICIs and discusses the mechanisms of underlying epigenetic therapies available for surmounting immune resistance. Finally, we summarize the clinical advances in combining epigenetic therapies with immunotherapy, aiming to promote the formation of immune combination therapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengwei Tao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Shuhang Liang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Taofei Zeng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Dalong Yin
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
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16
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Wang X, Lai Z, Pang Y, Sun Q, Yang W, Wang W. PD-1 blocking strategy for enhancing the anti-tumor effect of CAR T cells targeted CD105. Heliyon 2023; 9:e12688. [PMID: 36685461 PMCID: PMC9849980 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12688] [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: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpos CD105 has become a promising target of immunotherapy development for highly specific expression on the neovascular surface of most types of tumor cells. In previous studies, we constructed a CAR T cell (CD105 CAR T cell) and observed significant antitumor activity. In this study, we optimized the structure of CD105 CAR to increase PD-1 antibody secretion function (CD105 × PD-1 CAR T cells). Methods we tested whether Increased PD-1 antibody secretion with CAR T cells targeted CD105 could promote in vitro proliferation, proinflammatory cytokine production and cytotoxicity,or not. For the in vivo experiments, we constructed a subcutaneously transplanted tumor model and placed it in NOD/SCID mice to verify the anti-tumor effect of this therapy. Results Our data showed that the PD-1 antibody secreted by CD105 × PD-1 CAR T cells could specifically bind to the PD-1 receptor of T cells then blocked the PD-1/PD-L-1 signaling pathway, thus enhancing the activation and proliferation of CAR T cells. After incubation of CD105 × PD-1 CAR T cells with HepG2 as a hepatocellular carcinoma cell line expressing CD105, the results showed that CD105 × PD-1 CAR T cells increased the expression levels of CD69 and CD62L, enhanced the proliferation capacity of CAR T cells, and secreted more IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ than CD105 CAR T cells. Conclusion These data showed that CD105 × PD-1 CAR T cells was specifically killing tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Our findings may therefore provide a promising new strategy for the improvement of CAR T therapy for solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, School of Tropical Medicine Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570100, China,Department of Anesthesiology, Haikou Third People's Hospital, Haikou, 570100, China
| | - Zhiheng Lai
- Department of Anorectal, Hainan Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Haikou, 570100, China
| | - Yanyang Pang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570100, China
| | - Qinghui Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, School of Tropical Medicine Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570100, China
| | - Wenli Yang
- Department of Anatomy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563006, China,Corresponding author. Department of Anatomy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563006, China.
| | - Wu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, School of Tropical Medicine Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570100, China,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobody Research, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China,Corresponding author. Laboratory of Tropical Biomedicine and Biotechnology, School of Tropical Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570100, China.
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17
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Li Q, Han J, Yang Y, Chen Y. PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1070961. [PMID: 36601120 PMCID: PMC9806143 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1070961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high prevalence and mortality rate worldwide. Sorafenib monotherapy has been the standard of first-line treatment for advanced HCC for a long time, but there are still many shortcomings. In recent years, with the deepening of research on tumor immune microenvironment, researchers have begun to explore new approaches in immunotherapy, and the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors has brought fundamental changes to the treatment of HCC. Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) is an immune checkpoint molecule that plays an important role in down-regulating immune system function and promoting tolerance. Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PDL-1) is involved in tumor immune evasion by binding to PD-1, resulting in failure of treatment. Currently, immunotherapy targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis has achieved unprecedented success in HCC, but it also faces great challenges, with its low remission rate still to be solved. For most patients with HCC, the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway is not the only rate limiting factor of antitumor immunity, and blocking only the PD-1/PD-L1 axis is not enough to stimulate an effective antitumor immune response; thus, combination therapy may be a better option. In this study, changes in the immune microenvironment of HCC patients were reviewed to clarify the feasibility of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, and a series of monotherapy and combination therapy clinical trials were summarized to verify the safety and efficacy of this newly developed treatment in patients with advanced HCC. Furthermore, we focused on hyperprogressive disease and drug resistance to gain a better understanding of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade as a promising treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jingjing Han
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yonglin Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Affiliated Taizhou People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou, China,*Correspondence: Yonglin Yang, ; Yu Chen,
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China,*Correspondence: Yonglin Yang, ; Yu Chen,
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18
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Wang L, Wang L, He P. Comprehensive analysis of immune-related gene signature based on ssGSEA algorithms in the prognosis and immune landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:1064432. [PMID: 36568383 PMCID: PMC9780543 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1064432] [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: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to distinguish patients with HCC having distinct tumour immune microenvironment (TIME) features and construct an immune-related gene signature (IRGs) to assess prognosis and provide a basis for personalised therapies. Methods: Transcriptomic data of patients with HCC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. We assessed the immune cell infiltration in each HCC specimen using single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and classified all patients with HCC into high- and low-immune clusters using a hierarchical clustering algorithm. The ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT computational methods were employed to verify the stability and effectiveness of the immune clusters. Subsequently, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of the high- and low-immune clusters and the immune-related genes intersected to obtain the immune-related DEGs. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was then employed to screen the optimal genes for the construction of a prognostic predictive signature and to divide patients into high- and low-risk subgroups. The predictive efficacy of the IRGs was further confirmed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves, univariate and multifactorial Cox regression and time-dependent ROC curves in the TCGA and GSE14520 validation cohorts. Furthermore, we developed a nomogram to predict the prognosis. Tumour mutation burden (TMB) was also analysed in the risk groups. Additionally, gene ontology and gene set variation analysis were used for biological function and pathway exploration. Lastly, drug sensitivity analyses were employed to investigate prospective therapeutics in the two risk populations. Results: Immune cluster analysis based on ssGSEA could well distinguish the TIME characteristics of patients with HCC. The stromal score, immune score and ESTIMATE score were all lower in the low-immune cluster. Meanwhile, most of the immune checkpoint-related genes and HLA family genes were overexpressed in the high-immune cluster, suggesting that this cluster could be a beneficial population for immune checkpoint inhibitors therapy. There were 1,617 DEGs between the two immune clusters, of which 414 genes intersected with immune-associated genes. Furthermore, Cox regression analysis revealed 49 DEGs that were associated with survival. Then, 19 DEGs were screened using the LASSO algorithm for IRGs construction and patients were classified into high- and low-risk groups. Both the constructed signature and nomogram had good prognostic predictive efficacy. The signature-based risk score was an independent prognostic predictor in both the TCGA and GSE14520 cohorts. Additionally, there was no significant difference in TMB between the two risk populations. Lastly, the half-maximal inhibitory concentrations of certain chemotherapeutic and targeted therapeutic agents differed between the two risk groups. Conclusion: Our study provides a personalized tool for predicting the prognosis and TIME landscape of HCC and a basis for developing personalised treatment regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangliang Wang
- Chemoradiotherapy Center of Oncology, The Affiliated People’s Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China,Department of Chemoradiotherapy, The Affiliated People’s Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, China,*Correspondence: Liangliang Wang,
| | - Li Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Ningbo Yinzhou No. 2 Hospital, Ningbo, China
| | - Peihong He
- Beilun Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Ningbo, China
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19
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Shannon AH, Ruff SM, Pawlik TM. Expert Insights on Current Treatments for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Clinical and Molecular Approaches and Bottlenecks to Progress. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2022; 9:1247-1261. [PMID: 36514693 PMCID: PMC9741819 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s383922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver tumor that typically occurs in the setting of chronic liver disease/cirrhosis. Treatment modalities for HCC have evolved and given the variety of treatment options, a multi-disciplinary approach requiring input from surgical, medical, and radiation oncology, hepatology, and interventional radiology is necessary. Multiple advances have been made over the last decade regarding treatment of HCC, especially advanced disease. Resection and transplantation remain as cornerstone curative-intent treatment options. For patients who are not candidates for curative-intent therapy, exciting progress has been made in molecular and cellular approaches to systemic therapy for HCC including immunotherapies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Although the prognosis for advanced HCC remains poor, the armamentarium of therapies has increased, and valuable years of life can be gained with these therapies. While the main therapeutic modality for early-stage disease remains resection, multimodal immunotherapy has emerged as first-line treatment for advanced disease. We herein review different clinical and molecular treatment modalities related to the treatment of HCC, as well as provide insights into future directions for HCC treatment. We highlight how research and progress are needed to move into a new era of molecular and cellular treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander H Shannon
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Samantha M Ruff
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA,Correspondence: Timothy M Pawlik, Department of Surgery, The Urban Meyer III and Shelley Meyer Chair for Cancer Research, Professor of Surgery, Oncology, Health Services Management and Policy, The Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center, 395 W. 12th Ave., Suite 670, Columbus, OH, USA, Tel +1 614 293 8701, Fax +1 614 293 4063, Email
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20
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Qu W, Qiao S, Liu L, Chen Y, Peng C, Hou Y, Xu Z, Lv M, Wang T. Dectin3 protects against hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating glycolysis of macrophages. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 113:109384. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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21
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Ruff SM, Shannon AH, Beane JD, Pawlik TM. Highlighting novel targets in immunotherapy for liver cancer. Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 16:1029-1041. [PMID: 36404729 DOI: 10.1080/17474124.2022.2150841] [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] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alterations to the hepatic immune microenvironment can play a key role in the development and progression of cancer. This is especially true in the liver due to its evolutionarily conserved immunotolerant state. The presence of chronic inflammation can facilitate the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by disrupting the hepatic immune microenvironment. Recently, the addition of the immunotherapy atezolizumab (PD-L1 inhibitor) with bevacizumab (VEGF inhibitor) became the recommended first-line systemic treatment for advanced HCC. AREAS COVERED Given recent updates to the guidelines and emerging data on immunotherapy, we herein provide an overview of currently available and novel immunotherapy approaches for the treatment of HCC, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapy, and vaccine development. This review performed an extensive literature search to investigate benchwork, clinical research, and clinical trials that evaluate current immunotherapy and establish new targets. Literature was focused on the most up-to-date research and included ongoing clinical trials to better evaluate the obstacles and future direction of the field. EXPERT OPINION Given the heterogeneity of HCC tumors, improvement in outcomes will likely come from targeting multiple immune mechanisms. Continued research and clinical trials of combination immunotherapies are necessary to move the field forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Ruff
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Alexander H Shannon
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Joal D Beane
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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22
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Is There a Place for Somatostatin Analogues for the Systemic Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Immunotherapy Era? LIVERS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/livers2040024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have a very limited survival rate even after the recent inclusion of kinase inhibitors or immune checkpoint inhibitors in the therapeutic armamentarium. A significant problem with the current proposed therapies is the considerable cost of treatment that may be a serious obstacle in low- and middle-income countries. Implementation of somatostatin analogues (SSAs) has the potential to overcome this obstacle, but due to some negative studies their extensive evaluation came to a halt. However, experimental evidence, both in vitro and in vivo, has revealed various mechanisms of the anti-tumor effects of these analogues, including inhibition of cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis and induction of apoptosis. Favorable indirect effects such as inhibition of liver inflammation and fibrosis and influence on macrophage-mediated innate immunity have also been noted and are presented in this review. Furthermore, the clinical application of SSAs is both presented and compared with clinical trials of kinase and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). No direct trials have been performed to compare survival in the same cohort of patients, but the cost of treatment with SSAs is a fraction compared to the other modalities and with significantly less serious side effects. As in immunotherapy, patients with viral HCC (excluding alcoholics), as well as Barcelona stage B or C and Child A patients, are the best candidates, since they usually have a survival prospect of at least 6 months, necessary for optimum results. Reasons for treatment failures are also discussed and further research is proposed.
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23
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Song L, Xu C, Zhang T, Chen S, Hu S, Cheng B, Tong H, Li X. Clinical neutrophil-associated genes as reliable predictors of hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:989779. [PMID: 36276937 PMCID: PMC9582652 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.989779] [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: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Growing evidence suggests that infiltrating neutrophils are key players in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor progression. However, a comprehensive analysis of the biological roles of neutrophil infiltration and related genes in clinical outcomes and immunotherapy is lacking. Methods: HCC samples were obtained from the TCGA and GEO databases. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to reveal the TIME landscape. Gene modules significantly associated with neutrophils were found using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), a “dynamic tree-cut” algorithm, and Pearson correlation analysis. Genes were screened using Cox regression analysis and LASSO and prognostic value validation was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Risk scores (RS) were calculated and nomograms were constructed incorporating clinical variables. Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) was used to calculate signaling pathway activity. Immunophenoscore (IPS) was used to analyze differences in immunotherapy among samples with different risk scores. Finally, the relationship between RS and drug sensitivity was explored using the pRRophetic algorithm. Results: 10530 genes in 424 samples (50 normal samples, 374 tumor samples) were obtained from the TCGA database. Using WGCNA, the “MEbrown” gene module was most associated with neutrophils. Nine genes with prognostic value in HCC (PDLIM3, KLF2, ROR2, PGF, EFNB1, PDZD4, PLN, PCDH17, DOK5) were finally screened. Prognostic nomograms based on RS, gender, tumor grade, clinical stage, T, N, and M stages were constructed. The nomogram performed well after calibration curve validation. There is an intrinsic link between risk score and TMB and TIME. Samples with different risk scores differed in different signaling pathway activity, immunopharmaceutical treatment and chemotherapy sensitivity. Conclusion: In conclusion, a comprehensive analysis of neutrophil-related prognostic features will help in prognostic prediction and advance individualized treatment.
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24
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Peng X, Zhu J, Liu S, Luo C, Wu X, Liu Z, Li Y, Yuan R. Signature construction and molecular subtype identification based on cuproptosis-related genes to predict the prognosis and immune activity of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:990790. [PMID: 36248822 PMCID: PMC9555242 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.990790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world, with high incidence, high malignancy, and low survival rate. Cuproptosis is a novel form of cell death mediated by lipoylated TCA cycle proteins-mediated novel cell death pathway and is highly associated with mitochondrial metabolism. However, the relationship between the expression level of cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) and the prognosis of HCC is still unclear. Methods Combining the HCC transcriptomic data from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, we identified the differentially expressed cuproptosis-related genes (DECRGs) and obtained the prognosis-related DECRGs through univariate regression analysis.LASSO and multivariate COX regression analyses of these DECRGs yielded four genes that were used to construct the signature. Next, we use ROC curves to evaluate the performance of signatures. The tumor microenvironment, immune infiltration, tumor mutation load, half-maximum suppression concentration, and immunotherapy effects were also compared between the low-risk and high-risk groups. Finally, we analyzed the expression level, prognosis, and immune infiltration correlation on the four genes that constructed the model. Results Four DECRGs s were used to construct the signature. The ROC curves indicated that signature can better assess the prognosis of HCC patients. Patients were grouped according to the signature risk score. Patients in the low-risk group had a significantly longer survival time than those in the high-risk group. Furthermore, the tumor mutation burden (TMB) values were associated with the risk score and the higher-risk group had a higher proportion of TP53 mutations than the low-risk group.ESTIMATE analysis showed significant differences in stromal scores between the two groups.N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and multiple immune checkpoints were expressed at higher levels in the high-risk group. Then, we found that signature score correlated with chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity and immunotherapy efficacy in HCC patients. Finally, we further confirmed that the four DECRGs genes were associated with the prognosis of HCC through external validation. Conclusions We studied from the cuproptosis perspective and developed a new prognostic feature to predict the prognosis of HCC patients. This signature with good performance will help physicians to evaluate the overall prognosis of patients and may provide new ideas for clinical decision-making and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Peng
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jinfeng Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Sicheng Liu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Chen Luo
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xun Wu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zitao Liu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yanzhen Li
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, China,*Correspondence: Yanzhen Li, ; Rongfa Yuan,
| | - Rongfa Yuan
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,*Correspondence: Yanzhen Li, ; Rongfa Yuan,
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25
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Tan S, Guo X, Bei C, Zhang H, Li D, Zhu X, Tan H. Prognostic significance and immune characteristics of CMTM4 in hepatocellular carcinoma. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:905. [PMID: 35986302 PMCID: PMC9389844 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09999-y] [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: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Previous study has shown that chemokine-like factor (CKLF)-like MARVEL transmembrane domain-containing family member 4 (CMTM4) can bind and maintain programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression to promote tumor progression by alleviating the suppression of tumor-specific T cell activity, suggesting its potential role in tumor immunotherapy. However, the role of CMTM4 in tumor immunity has not been well clarified, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods The protein expression of CMTM4/PD-L1/CD4/CD8 was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) detection in 90 cases of HCC tissues. The mRNA expression profiles and related prognosis data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas-Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC). Two immune therapy cohorts were from Imvigor210 and GSE176307. Results Though the single protein expression of CMTM4, PD-L1, CD4 or CD8 in HCC tissues by IHC detection didn’t show a significant relationship with the prognosis of HCC patients, we found that high co-expression of CMTM4/PD-L1/CD4 showed a good prognosis of HCC patients. Further Timer 2.0 analysis identified that HCC patients with high expression of CMTM4/PD-L1 and high infiltration of CD4+ T cells had a better overall survival than those with low infiltration of CD4+ T cells. Moreover, a series of bioinformatics analyses revealed that CMTM4-related genes posed important effects on prognosis and immunity in HCC patients, and CMTM4 had a positive correlation with infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in HCC. At last, we used two immunotherapy cohorts to verify that the combination of CMTM4 with PD-L1 could improve the prognosis of tumor patients underwent immunotherapy. Conclusions CMTM4 and PD-L1 co-expression with T cell infiltration shows prognostic significance in HCC, suggesting combined effect from multiple proteins should be considered in HCC treatment. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09999-y.
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26
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Zhang W, Gong C, Peng X, Bi X, Sun Y, Zhou J, Wu F, Zeng H, Wang Y, Zhou H, Zhao H, Cai J, Zhou A. Serum Concentration of CD137 and Tumor Infiltration by M1 Macrophages Predict the Response to Sintilimab plus Bevacizumab Biosimilar in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:3499-3508. [PMID: 35275208 PMCID: PMC9662860 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-3972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the biomarkers of sintilimab (anti-PD-1) plus IBI305 (a bevacizumab biosimilar) in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as their safety and efficacy. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 50 patients with advanced HCC received sintilimab (200 mg) plus IBI305 (7.5 or 15 mg/kg), treated every 3 weeks in a phase Ib clinical study. We performed baseline serum cytokine analysis using bead-based multiplex immunoassay and multiplex immunofluorescence on tissue specimens to discover novel biomarkers of response to VEGF/PD-1 combination therapy in HCC. RESULTS The overall response rate was 34.0% (17/50). The median progression-free survival (PFS) and the median overall survival were 10.5 and 20.2 months, respectively. The incidence of grade 3 to 5 adverse events was lower in the 7.5 mg/kg (13.8%) than in the 15 mg/kg (28.6%) dose groups. Biomarker analysis showed that the serum CD137 concentration was significantly higher in patients with clinical benefit (CB) than in those without CB (median, 32.8 pg/mL vs. 19.8 pg/mL, P = 0.034). A markedly longer PFS was observed in patients with high CD137 concentrations compared with those with low concentrations (median, 14.2 months vs. 4.1 months, P = 0.001). The higher density of M1 macrophages (CD68+CD163-) in the stroma was also associated with higher efficacy (P = 0.033) and a longer PFS (P = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS Sintilimab plus IBI305 was well tolerated and was effective therapy for advanced HCC. Both serum concentrations of CD137 and tumor infiltration of M1 macrophages may serve as potential predictive biomarkers. See related commentary by Cappuyns and Llovet, p. 3405.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Caifeng Gong
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xuenan Peng
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyu Bi
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yongkun Sun
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jianguo Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Huiying Zeng
- Department of Interventional Therapy, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Innovent Biologics, Suzhou, China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Innovent Biologics, Suzhou, China
| | - Hong Zhao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Corresponding Authors: Aiping Zhou, Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center / National Clinical Research Center for Cancer / Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China. E-mail: ; Jianqiang Cai, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. E-mail: ; and Hong Zhao, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. E-mail:
| | - Jianqiang Cai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Corresponding Authors: Aiping Zhou, Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center / National Clinical Research Center for Cancer / Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China. E-mail: ; Jianqiang Cai, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. E-mail: ; and Hong Zhao, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. E-mail:
| | - Aiping Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Corresponding Authors: Aiping Zhou, Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center / National Clinical Research Center for Cancer / Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China. E-mail: ; Jianqiang Cai, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. E-mail: ; and Hong Zhao, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. E-mail:
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27
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Iser IC, Vedovatto S, Oliveira FD, Beckenkamp LR, Lenz G, Wink MR. The crossroads of adenosinergic pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:202-213. [PMID: 35779713 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key mechanism related to tumor progression, invasion, metastasis, resistance to therapy and poor prognosis in several types of cancer. However, targeting EMT or partial-EMT, as well as the molecules involved in this process, has remained a challenge. Recently, the CD73 enzyme, which hydrolyzes AMP to produce adenosine (ADO), has been linked to the EMT process. This relationship is not only due to the production of the immunosuppressant ADO but also to its role as a receptor for extracellular matrix proteins, being involved in cell adhesion and migration. This article reviews the crosstalk between the adenosinergic pathway and the EMT program and the impact of this interrelation on cancer development and progression. An in silico analysis of RNAseq datasets showed that several tumor types have a significant correlation between an EMT score and NT5E (CD73) and ENTPD1 (CD39) expressions, with the strongest correlations in prostate adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, it is evident that the cooperation between EMT and adenosinergic pathway in tumor progression is context and tumor-dependent. The increased knowledge about this topic will help broaden the view to explore new treatments and therapies for different types of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabele Cristiana Iser
- Department of Basics Health Sciences and Laboratory of Cell Biology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Samlai Vedovatto
- Department of Biophysics and Center of Biotechnology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Dittrich Oliveira
- Department of Biophysics and Center of Biotechnology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Liziane Raquel Beckenkamp
- Department of Basics Health Sciences and Laboratory of Cell Biology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Guido Lenz
- Department of Biophysics and Center of Biotechnology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Márcia Rosângela Wink
- Department of Basics Health Sciences and Laboratory of Cell Biology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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28
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Vishnoi K, Kumar S, Ke R, Rana A, Rana B. Dysregulation of immune checkpoint proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma: Impact on metabolic reprogramming. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2022; 64:102232. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2022.102232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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29
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Xiao M, Duhem C, Chammout A, Berchem G, Janji B. CMTM6 and CMTM7: New leads for PD-L1 regulation in breast cancer cells undergoing EMT. J Cell Biochem 2022; 123:1025-1031. [PMID: 35575054 PMCID: PMC9325512 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) expression has long been used as a biomarker to stratify patients with cancer who will benefit from anti‐PD‐1/PD‐L1 immunotherapy. However, the use of PD‐L1 as a biomarker to guide treatment decisions has recently been called into question due to its dynamic and heterogeneous expression within each tumor and among different tumors as well as during tumor cell plasticity. Therefore, understanding the molecular basis of PD‐L1 expression would enable delineating its value as a reliable biomarker in the clinic. Here, we provide our perspective on the involvement of CMTM6 and CMTM7 as new lead candidates for the regulation of PD‐L1 in breast tumors undergoing an epithelial to mesenchymal transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malina Xiao
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Caroline Duhem
- Department of Hemato-Oncology, Centre Hospitalier du Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Anwar Chammout
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria
| | - Guy Berchem
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.,Department of Hemato-Oncology, Centre Hospitalier du Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Bassam Janji
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment Group, Department of Cancer Research, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
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30
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Rizzo A, Ricci AD. Predictors of response for hepatocellular carcinoma immunotherapy: is there anything on the horizon? EXPERT REVIEW OF PRECISION MEDICINE AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/23808993.2022.2075724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Rizzo
- Struttura Semplice Dipartimentale di Oncologia Medica per la Presa in Carico Globale del Paziente Oncologico “Don Tonino Bello,” I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II”, Bari, Italy
| | - Angela Dalia Ricci
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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31
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Salman S, Meyers DJ, Wicks EE, Lee SN, Datan E, Thomas AM, Anders NM, Hwang Y, Lyu Y, Yang Y, Jackson W, Dordai D, Rudek MA, Semenza GL. HIF inhibitor 32-134D eradicates murine hepatocellular carcinoma in combination with anti-PD1 therapy. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:156774. [PMID: 35499076 PMCID: PMC9057582 DOI: 10.1172/jci156774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer mortality worldwide and available therapies, including immunotherapies, are ineffective for many patients. HCC is characterized by intratumoral hypoxia, and increased expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in diagnostic biopsies is associated with patient mortality. Here we report the development of 32-134D, a low-molecular-weight compound that effectively inhibits gene expression mediated by HIF-1 and HIF-2 in HCC cells, and blocks human and mouse HCC tumor growth. In immunocompetent mice bearing Hepa1-6 HCC tumors, addition of 32-134D to anti-PD1 therapy increased the rate of tumor eradication from 25% to 67%. Treated mice showed no changes in appearance, behavior, body weight, hemoglobin, or hematocrit. Compound 32-134D altered the expression of a large battery of genes encoding proteins that mediate angiogenesis, glycolytic metabolism, and responses to innate and adaptive immunity. This altered gene expression led to significant changes in the tumor immune microenvironment, including a decreased percentage of tumor-associated macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which mediate immune evasion, and an increased percentage of CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells, which mediate antitumor immunity. Taken together, these preclinical findings suggest that combining 32-134D with immune checkpoint blockade may represent a breakthrough therapy for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaima Salman
- Armstrong Oxygen Biology Research Center
- Institute for Cell Engineering
- McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine
| | | | | | - Sophia N. Lee
- Armstrong Oxygen Biology Research Center
- Institute for Cell Engineering
| | - Emmanuel Datan
- Armstrong Oxygen Biology Research Center
- Institute for Cell Engineering
- McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine
| | - Aline M. Thomas
- Institute for Cell Engineering
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science
| | - Nicole M. Anders
- Department of Oncology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Yousang Hwang
- Armstrong Oxygen Biology Research Center
- Institute for Cell Engineering
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
| | - Yajing Lyu
- Armstrong Oxygen Biology Research Center
- Institute for Cell Engineering
- McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine
| | - Yongkang Yang
- Armstrong Oxygen Biology Research Center
- Institute for Cell Engineering
- Department of Oncology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Walter Jackson
- Armstrong Oxygen Biology Research Center
- Institute for Cell Engineering
- McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine
| | - Dominic Dordai
- Armstrong Oxygen Biology Research Center
- Institute for Cell Engineering
- McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine
| | - Michelle A. Rudek
- Department of Oncology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Gregg L. Semenza
- Armstrong Oxygen Biology Research Center
- Institute for Cell Engineering
- McKusick-Nathans Department of Genetic Medicine
- Department of Oncology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
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32
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Rizzo A, Cusmai A, Gadaleta-Caldarola G, Palmiotti G. Which role for predictors of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma? Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 16:333-339. [PMID: 35403533 DOI: 10.1080/17474124.2022.2064273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a frequently diagnosed malignancy worldwide, still representing an important cause of cancer-related death. Recent years have seen the emergence of novel systemic treatments for HCC patients, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Nonetheless, several questions regarding HCC immunotherapy remain unanswered, especially in terms of biochemical predictors of response. AREAS COVERED In the current paper, we will discuss available evidence regarding predictive biomarkers of response to HCC immunotherapy. A literature search was conducted in January 2022 of Pubmed/Medline, Cochrane library, and Scopus databases. EXPERT OPINION The identification of predictive biomarkers represents an unmet need in HCC patients receiving ICIs. The HCC medical community is called to further efforts aimed to elucidate the effective role of PD-L1 expression, TMB, MSI, gut microbiota, and other emerging biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Rizzo
- Struttura Semplice Dipartimentale di Oncologia Medica per la Presa in Carico Globale del Paziente Oncologico "Don Tonino Bello," I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II", Viale Orazio Flacco 65, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Cusmai
- Struttura Semplice Dipartimentale di Oncologia Medica per la Presa in Carico Globale del Paziente Oncologico "Don Tonino Bello," I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II", Viale Orazio Flacco 65, 70124 Bari, Italy
| | - Gennaro Gadaleta-Caldarola
- Medical Oncology Unit, 'Mons. R. Dimiccoli' Hospital, Barletta (BT), Azienda Sanitaria Locale Barletta, 76121, Italy
| | - Gennaro Palmiotti
- Struttura Semplice Dipartimentale di Oncologia Medica per la Presa in Carico Globale del Paziente Oncologico "Don Tonino Bello," I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II", Viale Orazio Flacco 65, 70124 Bari, Italy
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Qiu ZQ, Wang X, Ji XW, Jiang FJ, Han XY, Zhang WL, An YH. The clinical relevance of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and its correlations with tumorigenic immune infiltrates in hepatocellular carcinoma. Immunology 2022; 166:185-196. [PMID: 35274290 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a cancer with extremely high mortality. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) may play an important role in the occurrence, invasion, and prognosis of HCC; however, its relationship with immunity in HCC has not yet been studied. Therefore, we investigated the diagnostic and prognostic values of EMT and explored its potential connections with tumorigenic immune infiltrates in HCC. We first proposed a quantitative metric of EMT activity, the EMT score. After applying this metric to 20 datasets from the Integrative Molecular Database of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, The Cancer Genome Atlas, and the Gene Expression Omnibus, we explored the ability of the EMT score to stratify across sample types. We then applied the EMT score for survival analysis and to differentiate patients with/without vascular invasion to test its prognostic value. We also collected and calculated data on the abundance of immune cells and immune cell markers in HCC and investigated their correlations with EMT scores. Finally, we synthesized and analyzed 20 datasets and constructed an EMT-gene-immune linkage network. The results showed higher EMT scores in HCC samples than in cirrhotic and normal livers. The cases with higher EMT scores also showed poorer performance in terms of prognostic factors such as vascular invasion and overall survival time. Our research demonstrated a broad correlation between EMT and the tumor immune microenvironment, and we uncovered multiple potential linkers associated with both EMT and immunity. Studying EMT has clinical relevance and high diagnostic and prognostic value for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Qiang Qiu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Xiang-Wen Ji
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Center for Noncoding RNA Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Fen-Jun Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100093, China.,Department of Research and Development, Beijing Yihua Biological Technology Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100041, China
| | - Xin-Ye Han
- Department of Research and Development, Beijing Yihua Biological Technology Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100041, China
| | - Wei-Li Zhang
- Department of Inpatient Administration and Medical Record Management, Third Medical Center, General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Yi-Hua An
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100093, China
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Cheng Y, Tang R, Li X, Wang B, Cheng Y, Xiao S, Sun P, Yu W, Li C, Lin X, Zhu Y. LRP1B is a Potential Biomarker for Tumor Immunogenicity and Prognosis of HCC Patients Receiving ICI Treatment. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2022; 9:203-220. [PMID: 35345553 PMCID: PMC8957351 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s348785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background New predictors of the efficacy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) immunotherapy are needed. The ability of a single gene mutation to predict the therapeutic effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in HCC remains unknown. Methods The most frequently mutated genes in HCC were analyzed using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) datasets. Mutant genes that correlated with the tumor mutational burden (TMB) and prognosis were obtained. The mutation pattern and immunological function of one of the most frequently mutated genes, LRP1B, were determined. A pan-tumor analysis of LRP1B expression, association with cancer prognosis, and immunological role was also explored. A retrospective clinical study was conducted using 102 HCC patients who received ICI treatment to further verify whether gene mutations can predict the effectiveness of immunotherapy and prognosis of HCC. Results LRP1B is among the most frequently mutated genes in HCC cohorts in TCGA and ICGC datasets. TCGA data showed that the LRP1B mutation activated immune signaling pathways and promoted mast cell activation. Patients with LRP1B mutations had significantly higher TMB than those with wild-type LRP1B. LRP1B expression correlated with the cancer-immunity cycle and immune cell infiltration. High LRP1B expression was also associated with poor survival among HCC patients. Results from the clinical study showed that HCC patients in the LRP1B mutation group had a poor response to ICI and worse prognosis than the wild-type group. The LRP1B mutation group had significantly higher TMB and mast cell infiltration in tumor tissues. Conclusion This study is the first to report that a single gene LRP1B mutation is associated with a poor clinical response to ICI treatment and negative outcomes in HCC patients. HighLRP1B expression correlated with tumor immunity and HCC prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Cheng
- Digestive Department, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
- Liver Tumor Center, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Rui Tang
- Digestive Department, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiangzhao Li
- Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Biao Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanling Cheng
- Digestive Department, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuzhe Xiao
- Digestive Department, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Penghui Sun
- Nanfang PET Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenxuan Yu
- Liver Tumor Center, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Cheng Li
- Liver Tumor Center, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinsheng Lin
- Liver Tumor Center, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yun Zhu
- Liver Tumor Center, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Yun Zhu, Liver Tumor Center, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, People’s Republic of China, Email
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Liu J, Gu L, Zhang D, Li W. Determining the Prognostic Value of Spliceosome-Related Genes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:759792. [PMID: 35281269 PMCID: PMC8907852 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.759792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The spliceosome plays an important role in mRNA alternative splicing and is aberrantly expressed in several tumors. However, the potential roles of spliceosome-related genes in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain poorly understood. Materials and Methods: Patient data were acquired from public databases. Expression differences and survival analyses were used to assess the importance of spliceosome-related genes in HCC prognosis. To explore the potential regulatory mechanisms of these genes, a protein-protein interaction network was constructed and screened using univariate and multivariate Cox regression and random forest analyses. This was used to create a five-gene prognostic model. The prognostic value and predictive power of the five-gene signature were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analyses in the training set. These results were further validated in an independent external set. To facilitate clinical application, a nomogram was prepared to predict the overall survival of HCC patients. The relative expression of five genes was detected using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: The analysis revealed that LSM1-7, SNRPB, SNRPD1-3, SNRPE, SNRPF, SNRPG, and SNRPN could be used as prognostic biomarkers in HCC patients. Moreover, the five-gene risk model could clearly distinguish between the high-and low-risk groups. Furthermore, the risk model was associated with the tumor mutation burden, immune cell infiltration of CD8+ T cells, natural killer T cells, M2 macrophages, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, which also demonstrated the predictive efficacy of this risk model in HCC immunotherapy. Conclusion: Spliceosome-related genes and the five-gene signature could serve as novel prognostic biomarkers for HCC patients, aiding clinical patient monitoring and follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Yue Bei People’s Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shaoguan, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
- Medical Research Center, Yue Bei People’s Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shaoguan, China
| | - Liming Gu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Dangui Zhang
- Research Center of Translational Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Wenli Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Yue Bei People’s Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shaoguan, China
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Wang J, Li Y, Zhang C, Chen X, Zhu L, Luo T. Characterization of diagnostic and prognostic significance of cell cycle-linked genes in hepatocellular carcinoma. Transl Cancer Res 2022; 10:4636-4651. [PMID: 35116320 PMCID: PMC8799204 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-21-1145] [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: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background The high degree of heterogeneity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) imposes a significant challenge to predict the prognosis. Currently, increasing evidence has indicated that cell cycle-linked genes are strongly linked to occurrence and progress of HCC. Herein, we purposed to create a prediction model on the basis of cell cycle-linked genes. Methods The transcriptome along with clinicopathological data abstracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used as a training cohort. Lasso regression analysis was employed to create a prediction model in TCGA cohort. The data of samples obtained from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) data resource were applied in the verification of the model. A series of bioinformatics analyzed the relationship of the risk signature with overall survival (OS), biological function, and clinicopathological features. Results Six cell cycle-linked genes (PLK1, CDC20, HSP90AA1, CHEK1, HDAC1, and NDC80) were chosen to create the prognostic model, demonstrating a good prognostic capacity. Further analyses indicated that the model could independently assess the OS of HCC patients. A single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) indicated that the risk signature was remarkably linked to immune status. Additionally, there was a remarkable association of the risk signature with TP53 mutation frequency, as well as immune checkpoint molecule expression levels. Conclusions We created a prediction model using six cell cycle-linked genes to predict HCC prognosis. The six genes are expected to be novel markers for HCC diagnosis, as well as treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jukun Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Li
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Linzhong Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Luo
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Cao L, Bridle KR, Shrestha R, Prithviraj P, Crawford DHG, Jayachandran A. CD73 and PD-L1 as Potential Therapeutic Targets in Gallbladder Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031565. [PMID: 35163489 PMCID: PMC8836068 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is one of the most common and aggressive biliary tract cancers with a dismal prognosis. Ongoing clinical trials are evaluating a few selected immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) as monotherapy for the treatment of GBC patients. However, only a subset of patients benefits from these treatments. To improve ICI therapy response, molecular mechanisms that confer resistance to immune checkpoint (IC) blockade needs to be explored. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program and cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been implicated as key processes that confer ICI treatment resistance. However, in GBC the EMT-CSC-IC axis has not yet been clearly elucidated. This study aims to examine the aberrant expression of ICs associated with CSC and EMT. We successfully enriched CSCs by utilizing a 3-dimensional culture system and established a reversible EMT model with human GBC NOZ cell line. Notably, ICs CD73 and PD-L1 were closely associated with both CSC and EMT phenotypes. Knockdown of CD73 or PD-L1 reduced the proliferative and motile abilities of both adherent monolayers and anchorage-free spheroids. In conclusion, blocking CD73 and PD-L1 offer a promising therapeutic strategy for targeting highly aggressive populations with CSC and EMT phenotype to improve GBC patient prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Cao
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4120, Australia; (L.C.); (K.R.B.); (R.S.); (D.H.G.C.)
- Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4120, Australia
| | - Kim R. Bridle
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4120, Australia; (L.C.); (K.R.B.); (R.S.); (D.H.G.C.)
- Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4120, Australia
| | - Ritu Shrestha
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4120, Australia; (L.C.); (K.R.B.); (R.S.); (D.H.G.C.)
- Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4120, Australia
| | | | - Darrell H. G. Crawford
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4120, Australia; (L.C.); (K.R.B.); (R.S.); (D.H.G.C.)
- Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4120, Australia
| | - Aparna Jayachandran
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4120, Australia; (L.C.); (K.R.B.); (R.S.); (D.H.G.C.)
- Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4120, Australia
- Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, Ballarat, VIC 3350, Australia;
- Correspondence:
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Current progress of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Biosci Rep 2022; 42:230695. [PMID: 35075482 PMCID: PMC8821949 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20212304] [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: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer worldwide. The onset of the disease is occult and develops rapidly. As a result, the disease is often detected when it is already in advanced stages, resulting in patients losing the best opportunity for liver transplantation and surgical treatment. Therefore, effective treatment of HCC is particularly important in clinical practice. During the past decades, there have been considerable advances in the treatment of HCC, and immunotherapy is increasingly recognized as a promising approach in clinical trials. In this review, an overview of immune checkpoint (ICP) inhibitors (ICIs) and their role in the treatment of liver cancers, particularly advanced HCC, is presented and the recent therapeutic progress with treatment with different ICIs alone or in combination with other methods/therapeutic agents is summarized. In addition, the identification of biomarkers to predict treatment response and the limitations of current ICIs are analyzed, and future directions for ICI treatment are discussed.
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Signature Construction and Molecular Subtype Identification Based on Pyroptosis-Related Genes for Better Prediction of Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:4494713. [PMID: 35069975 PMCID: PMC8767411 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4494713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. However, there is a lack of adequate means of treatment prognostication for HCC. Pyroptosis is a newly discovered way of programmed cell death. However, the prognostic role of pyroptosis in HCC has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we generated a novel prognostic signature to evaluate the prognostic value of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) using the data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The accuracy of the signature was validated using survival analysis through the International Cancer Genome Consortium cohort (n = 231) and the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University cohort (n = 180). Compared with other clinical factors, the risk score of the signature was found to be associated with better patient outcomes. The enrichment analysis identified multiple pathways related with pyroptosis in HCC. Furthermore, drug sensitivity testing identified six potential chemotherapeutic agents to provide possible treatment avenues. Interestingly, patients with low risk were confirmed to be associated with lower tumor mutation burden (TMB). However, patients at high risk were found to have a higher count of immune cells. Consensus clustering was performed to identify two main molecular subtypes (named clusters A and B) based on the signature. It was found that compared with cluster B, better survival outcomes and lower TMB were observed in cluster A. In conclusion, signature construction and molecular subtype identification of PRGs could be used to predict the prognosis of HCC, which may provide a specific reference for the development of novel biomarkers for HCC treatment.
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Rizzo A, Ricci AD, Di Federico A, Frega G, Palloni A, Tavolari S, Brandi G. Predictive Biomarkers for Checkpoint Inhibitor-Based Immunotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Where Do We Stand? Front Oncol 2022; 11:803133. [PMID: 34976841 PMCID: PMC8718608 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.803133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the sixth most commonly diagnosed malignancy worldwide, still representing an important cause of cancer-related death. Over the next few years, novel systemic treatment options have emerged. Among these, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been widely evaluated and are under assessment, as monotherapy or in combination with other anticancer agents in treatment-naïve and previously treated patients. In particular, the approval of the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab plus the antiangiogenic agent bevacizumab as front-line treatment for advanced HCC has led to the adoption of this combination in this setting, and the IMbrave 150 phase III trial has established a novel standard of care. However, several questions remain unanswered, including the identification of reliable predictors of response to ICIs in HCC patients. In the current paper, we will provide an updated overview of potentially useful predictive biomarkers of response to immunotherapy in advanced HCC. A literature search was conducted in September 2021 of Pubmed/Medline, Cochrane library and Scopus databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Rizzo
- Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Angela Dalia Ricci
- Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Giorgio Frega
- Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Andrea Palloni
- Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Simona Tavolari
- Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giovanni Brandi
- Medical Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Hwang S, Lee KJ, Moon DB, Song GW, Jung DH, Kim YK, Yang H, An DE, Lee S, Lee SG. Prognostic impact of serum soluble PD-1 and ADV score for living donor liver transplantation in patients with previously untreated hepatocellular carcinoma. Ann Surg Treat Res 2022; 102:46-54. [PMID: 35071119 PMCID: PMC8753378 DOI: 10.4174/astr.2022.102.1.46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shin Hwang
- Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Kyung Jin Lee
- Asan Institute of Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Deok-Bog Moon
- Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Gi-Won Song
- Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dong-Hwan Jung
- Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yun Kyu Kim
- Asan Institute of Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hunji Yang
- Asan Institute of Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Da Eun An
- Asan Institute of Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sion Lee
- Asan Institute of Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sung-Gyu Lee
- Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Singh V, Khurana A, Allawadhi P, Banothu AK, Bharani KK, Weiskirchen R. Emerging Role of PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Chronic Liver Diseases. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:790963. [PMID: 35002724 PMCID: PMC8733625 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.790963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/PD-ligand (L)1, the immune checkpoint inhibitors have emerged as a promising strategy for the treatment of various diseases including chronic liver diseases (CLDs) such as hepatitis, liver injury and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The role of PD-1/PD-L1 has been widely inspected in the treatment of viral hepatitis and HCC. PD-1 is known to play a crucial role in inhibiting immunological responses and stimulates self-tolerance by regulating the T-cell activity. Further, it promotes apoptosis of antigen-specific T-cells while preventing apoptosis of Treg cells. PD-L1 is a trans-membrane protein which is recognized as a co-inhibitory factor of immunological responses. Both, PD-1 and PD-L1 function together to downregulate the proliferation of PD-1 positive cells, suppress the expression of cytokines and stimulate apoptosis. Owing to the importance of PD-1/PD-L1 signaling, this review aims to summarize the potential of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in CLDs along with toxicities associated with them. We have enlisted some of the important roles of PD-1/PD-L1 in CLDs, the clinically approved products and the pipelines of drugs under clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishakha Singh
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, Roorkee, India
| | - Amit Khurana
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC), RWTH Aachen University Hospital,Aachen, Germany
- Centre for Biomedical Engineering (CBME), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, New Delhi, India
- Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Science (CVSc), Hyderabad, India
- Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Science (CVSc), Warangal, India
| | - Prince Allawadhi
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, Roorkee, India
| | - Anil Kumar Banothu
- Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Science (CVSc), Hyderabad, India
| | - Kala Kumar Bharani
- Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Science (CVSc), Warangal, India
| | - Ralf Weiskirchen
- Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC), RWTH Aachen University Hospital,Aachen, Germany
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Khan AA, Liu ZK, Xu X. Recent advances in immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 2021; 20:511-520. [PMID: 34344612 DOI: 10.1016/j.hbpd.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is challenging as most patients are diagnosed at advanced stage with underlying chronic liver conditions. Conventional systemic chemotherapy has failed in HCC, and the clinical efficacy of FDA-approved molecular targeted agents such as sorafenib and lenvatinib remains unsatisfactory. DATA SOURCES Literature search was conducted in PubMed for relevant articles published before January 2021. The search aimed to identify recent developments in immune-based treatment approaches for HCC. Information of clinical trials was obtained from https://clinicaltrials.gov/. RESULTS Two immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), nivolumab and pembrolizumab were approved as monotherapies, which has revolutionized HCC treatment. Besides, combination ICIs have also got accelerated FDA approval recently. Immune-based therapies have challenged targeted drugs owing to their safety, tolerability, and survival benefits. In addition to the significant success in ICIs, other immunotherapeutic strategies such as cancer vaccine, chimeric antigen receptor T-cells, natural killer cells, cytokines, and combination therapy, have also shown promising outcomes in clinical trials. Various diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers have been identified which can help in clinical decision making when starting treatment with ICIs. CONCLUSIONS Immunotherapy has emerged as one of the mainstream treatment modalities for advanced HCC in recent years. However, challenges such as low response rate and acquired resistance in previously respondent patients still exist. Further research is needed to understand the unique resistance mechanism to immunotherapy and to discover more predictive biomarkers to guide clinical decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali Khan
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Zhi-Kun Liu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; Key Lab of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Public Health, Hangzhou 310003, China; Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China.
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44
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Yin Y, Shi L, Yang J, Wang H, Yang H, Wang Q. B7 family member H4 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition and promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells. Bioengineered 2021; 13:107-118. [PMID: 34818980 PMCID: PMC8805878 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.2009411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract, which has the second highest incidence among gastrointestinal tumors. At present, due to the limitations of current CRC treatment strategies, there is an urgent need for developing more effective therapies. B7 family member H4 (B7-H4) is associated with the progression of a wide spectrum of cancers, but its functional role in CRC is unknown. The purpose of this study is to clarify the role of B7-H4 in CRC and the underlying mechanisms in controlling the progression of CRC. Our data showed that B7-H4 expression in CRC tissues and cell lines was significantly upregulated as compared with normal tissues and normal cell lines. High B7-H4 expression was correlated with a poor prognosis of CRC patients. B7-H4 overexpression promoted the proliferation and invasion of CRC cells, which could be suppressed by Wnt signaling inhibitor. In a mouse xenograft model, silencing B7-H4 suppressed tumor growth and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CRC cells. Collectively, our study demonstrated the oncogenic roles of B7-H4 in regulating the proliferation, EMT as well as the migration of CRC cells through Wnt signaling pathway. The heightened expression of B7-H4 could serve as a prognostic marker for CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhen Yin
- Cancer Center, Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, Suzhou, China
| | - Lili Shi
- Department of Ultrasound, Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, Suzhou, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Cancer Center, Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, Suzhou, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hang Yang
- Cancer Center, Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, Suzhou, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, Suzhou, China
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45
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Li Y, Zou L, Liu X, Luo J, Liu H. Identification of Immune-Related Genes for Establishment of Prognostic Index in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:760079. [PMID: 34796177 PMCID: PMC8593215 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.760079] [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: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has been proved to be a promising therapy to many types of solid tumors. However, effective biomarker for estimating the response to ICI therapy and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients remains underexplored. The aim of this study is to build a novel immune-related prognostic index based on transcriptomic profiles. Methods: Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was conducted to identify immune-related hub genes that are differentially expressed in HCC cohorts. Next, univariate Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis were used to detect hub genes associated to overall survival (OS). To validate the immune-related prognostic index, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed. CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE were used to explore the tumor microenvironment and immune infiltration level. Results: The differential expression analysis detected a total of 148 immune-related genes, among which 25 genes were identified to be markedly related to overall survival in HCC patients. LASSO analysis yielded 10 genes used to construct the immune-related gene prognostic index (IRGPI), by which a risk score is computed to estimate low vs. high risk indicating the response to ICI therapy and prognosis. Further analysis confirmed that this immune-related prognostic index is an effective indicator to immune infiltration level, response to ICI treatment and OS. The IRGPI low-risk patients had better overall survival (OS) than IRGPI high-risk patients on two independent cohorts. Moreover, we found that IRGPI high-risk group was correlated with high TP53 mutation rate, immune-suppressing tumor microenvironment, and these patients acquired less benefit from ICI therapy. In contrast, IRGPI-low risk group was associated with low TP53 and PIK3CA mutation rate, high infiltration of naive B cells and T cells, and these patients gained relatively more benefit from ICI therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinfang Li
- Aliyun School of Big Data, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China
| | - Ling Zou
- Aliyun School of Big Data, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China
| | - Xuejun Liu
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China
| | - Judong Luo
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, China
| | - Hui Liu
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China
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46
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Wong M, Kim JT, Cox B, Larson BK, Kim S, Waters KM, Vail E, Guindi M. Evaluation of tumor mutational burden in small early hepatocellular carcinoma and progressed hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepat Oncol 2021; 8:HEP39. [PMID: 34765106 PMCID: PMC8577511 DOI: 10.2217/hep-2020-0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
While researchers know that tumor mutational burden (TMB) is low in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), prior studies have not investigated TMB in cirrhosis, small early HCC and progressed HCC. HCC (n = 18) and cirrhosis (n = 6) cases were identified. TMB was determined by a 1.7 megabase, 409-gene next-generation sequencing panel. TMB values were defined as the number of nonsynonymous variants per megabase of sequence. There was no significant difference between cirrhosis versus small early HCC or between cohorts when stratified by size, early versus progressed, differentiation or morphology. There was a significant difference between cirrhosis and small early HCC versus progressed HCC (p = 0.045), suggesting TMB may be related to HCC progression. TMB similarities in small early HCC and background cirrhosis suggest TMB is not a useful tool for diagnosing small early HCC. Additional study is needed to address TMB in histological and molecular subsets of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Wong
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Jong T Kim
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Brian Cox
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | | | - Stacey Kim
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | | | - Eric Vail
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Maha Guindi
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
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Shi H, Han L, Zhao J, Wang K, Xu M, Shi J, Dong Z. Tumor stemness and immune infiltration synergistically predict response of radiotherapy or immunotherapy and relapse in lung adenocarcinoma. Cancer Med 2021; 10:8944-8960. [PMID: 34741449 PMCID: PMC8683560 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been shown to accelerate tumor recurrence, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy resistance. Immunotherapy is a powerful anticancer treatment that can significantly prolong the overall survival of patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, little is known about the function of genes related to tumor stemness and immune infiltration in LUAD. After integrating the tumor stemness index based on mRNA expression (mRNAsi), immune score, mRNA expression, and clinical information from the TCGA database, we screened 380 tumor stemness and immune (TSI)-related genes and constructed a five TSI-specific-gene (CPS1, CCR2, NT5E, ANLN, and ABCC2) signature (TSISig) using a machine learning method. Survival analysis indicated that TSISig could stably predict the prognosis of patients with LUAD. Comparison of mRNAsi and immune score between high- and low-TSISig groups suggested that TSISig characterized tumor stemness and immune infiltration. In addition, enrichment of immune subpopulations showed that the low-TSISig group held more immune subpopulations. GSEA revealed that TSISig had a strong association with the cell cycle and human immune response. Further analysis revealed that TSISig not only had a good predictive ability for prognosis but could also serve as an excellent predictor of tumor recurrence and response to radiotherapy and immunotherapy in LUAD patients. TSISig might regulate the development of LUAD by coordinating tumor stemness and immune infiltration. Finally, a connectivity map (CMap) analysis demonstrated that the HDAC inhibitor could target TSISig.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjie Shi
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Linzhi Han
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinping Zhao
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Kaijie Wang
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ming Xu
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiajun Shi
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhe Dong
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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48
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Fu Y, Wei X, Han Q, Le J, Ma Y, Lin X, Xu Y, Liu N, Wang X, Kong X, Gu J, Tong Y, Wu H. Identification and characterization of a 25-lncRNA prognostic signature for early recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:1165. [PMID: 34717566 PMCID: PMC8556945 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08827-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Early recurrence is the major cause of poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are deeply involved in HCC prognosis. In this study, we aimed to establish a prognostic lncRNA signature for HCC early recurrence. Methods The lncRNA expression profile and corresponding clinical data were retrieved from total 299 HCC patients in TCGA database. LncRNA candidates correlated to early recurrence were selected by differentially expressed gene (DEG), univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses. A 25-lncRNA prognostic signature was constructed according to receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the performance of this signature. ROC and nomogram were used to evaluate the integrated models based on this signature with other independent clinical risk factors. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to reveal enriched gene sets in the high-risk group. Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) levels were analyzed with single sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA). Immune therapy response prediction was performed with TIDE and SubMap. Chemotherapeutic response prediction was conducted by using Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) pharmacogenomics database. Results Compared to low-risk group, patients in high-risk group showed reduced disease-free survival (DFS) in the training (p < 0.0001) and validation cohort (p = 0.0132). The 25-lncRNA signature, AFP, TNM and vascular invasion could serve as independent risk factors for HCC early recurrence. Among them, the 25-lncRNA signature had the best predictive performance, and combination of those four risk factors further improves the prognostic potential. Moreover, GSEA showed significant enrichment of “E2F TARGETS”, “G2M CHECKPOINT”, “MYC TARGETS V1” and “DNA REPAIR” pathways in the high-risk group. In addition, increased TILs were observed in the low-risk group compared to the high-risk group. The 25-lncRNA signature negatively associates with the levels of some types of antitumor immune cells. Immunotherapies and chemotherapies prediction revealed differential responses to PD-1 inhibitor and several chemotherapeutic drugs in the low- and high-risk group. Conclusions Our study proposed a 25-lncRNA prognostic signature for predicting HCC early recurrence, which may guide postoperative treatment and recurrence surveillance in HCC patients. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08827-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Fu
- Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicines, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China.,School of Medical Instruments, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China
| | - Xindong Wei
- Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210000, China
| | - Qiuqin Han
- Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicines, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China
| | - Jiamei Le
- Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicines, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China
| | - Yujie Ma
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicines, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China
| | - Xinjie Lin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicines, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China
| | - Yuhui Xu
- Graduate School of Art and Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Ning Liu
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Taian City Central Hospital, Taian, 271000, Shandong, China
| | - Xuan Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command, Nanjing, 210000, China
| | - Xiaoni Kong
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Department of Liver Diseases, Central Laboratory, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200021, China
| | - Jinyang Gu
- Department of Transplantation, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Ying Tong
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
| | - Hailong Wu
- Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China. .,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicines, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China.
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Moldogazieva NT, Zavadskiy SP, Sologova SS, Mokhosoev IM, Terentiev AA. Predictive biomarkers for systemic therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2021; 21:1147-1164. [PMID: 34582293 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2021.1987217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and the third cancer-related cause of death worldwide. In recent years, several systemic therapy drugs including sorafenib, lenvatinib, regorafenib, cabozantinib, ramucicurab, nivilumab, and pembrolizumab have been approved by FDA for advanced HCC. However, their insufficient efficacy, toxicity, and drug resistance require clinically applicable and validated predictive biomarkers.Areas covered: Our review covers the recent advancements in the identification of proteomic/genomic/epigenomic/transcriptomic biomarkers for predicting HCC treatment efficacy with the use of multi-kinase inhibitors (MKIs), CDK4/6 inhibitors, and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Alpha-fetoprotein, des-carboxyprothrombin, vascular endothelial growth factor, angiopoietin-2, and dysregulated MTOR, VEGFR2, c-KIT, RAF1, PDGFRβ have the potential of proteomic/genomic biomarkers for sorafenib treatment. Alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and albumin-bilirubin grade can predict the efficacy of other MKIs. Rb, p16, and Ki-67, and genes involved in cell cycle regulation, CDK1-4, CCND1, CDKN1A, and CDKN2A have been proposed for CD4/6 inhibitors, while dysregulated TERT, CTNNB1, TP53 FGF19, and TP53 are found to be predictors for ICI efficacy.Expert opinion: There are still limited clinically applicable and validated predictive biomarkers to identify HCC patients who benefit from systemic therapy. Further prospective biomarker validation studies for HCC personalized systemic therapy are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurbubu T Moldogazieva
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Institute of Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, I.m. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University);, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey P Zavadskiy
- Department of Pharmacology, Nelyubin Institute of Pharmacy, I.m. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Russia, Russia
| | - Susanna S Sologova
- Department of Pharmacology, Nelyubin Institute of Pharmacy, I.m. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Russia, Russia
| | - Innokenty M Mokhosoev
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, N.i. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander A Terentiev
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, N.i. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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50
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Tian T, Li Z. Targeting Tim-3 in Cancer With Resistance to PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade. Front Oncol 2021; 11:731175. [PMID: 34631560 PMCID: PMC8492972 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.731175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) or programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) blocking therapy has completely changed the treatment pattern of malignant tumors. It has been tested in a wide range of malignant tumors and achieved clinical success. It might be a promising cancer treatment strategy. However, one of the important disadvantages of PD-1/PD-L1 blocking therapy is that only a few patients have a positive response to it. In addition, primary or acquired drug resistance can also lead to cancer recurrence in patients with clinical response. Therefore, it is very important to overcome the resistance of PD-1/PD-L1 blocking therapy and improve the overall response rate of patients to the immunotherapy. T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain molecule 3 (Tim-3) belongs to the co-inhibitory receptor family involved in immune checkpoint function. Due to adaptive resistance, the expression of Tim-3 is up-regulated in PD-1/PD-L1 blocking therapy resistant tumors. Therefore, blocking the immune checkpoint Tim-3 might antagonize the resistance of PD-1/PD-L1 blocking therapy. This review systematically introduces the preclinical and clinical data of combined blockade of Tim-3 and PD-1/PD-L1 in cancer immunotherapy, and discusses the prospect of overcoming the drug resistance of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy through blockade of Tim-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Tian
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhaoming Li
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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