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Xu D, Zhang D, Wei W, Zhang C. UBA5 inhibition restricts lung adenocarcinoma via blocking macrophage M2 polarization and cisplatin resistance. Exp Cell Res 2024; 440:114148. [PMID: 38936760 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2024.114148] [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: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
UBA5, a ubiquitin-like activated enzyme involved in ufmylation and sumoylation, presents a viable target for pancreatic and breast cancer treatments, yet its role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains underexplored. This study reveals UBA5's tumor-promoting effect in LUAD, as evidenced by its upregulation in patients and positive correlation with TNM stages. Elevated UBA5 levels predict poor outcomes for these patients. Pharmacological inhibition of UBA5 using DKM 2-93 significantly curtails the growth of A549, H1299, and cisplatin-resistant A549 (A549/DDP) LUAD cells in vitro. Additionally, UBA5 knockdown via shRNA lentivirus suppresses tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. High UBA5 expression adversely alters the tumor immune microenvironment, affecting immunostimulators, MHC molecules, chemokines, receptors, and immune cell infiltration. Notably, UBA5 expression correlates positively with M2 macrophage infiltration, the predominant immune cells in LUAD. Co-culture experiments further demonstrate that UBA5 knockdown directly inhibits M2 macrophage polarization and lactate production in LUAD. Moreover, in vivo studies show reduced M2 macrophage infiltration following UBA5 knockdown. UBA5 expression is also associated with increased tumor heterogeneity, including tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, neoantigen presence, and homologous recombination deficiency. Experiments indicate that UBA5 overexpression promotes cisplatin resistance in vitro, whereas UBA5 inhibition enhances cisplatin sensitivity in both in vitro and in vivo settings. Overall, these findings suggest that targeting UBA5 inhibits LUAD by impeding cancer cell proliferation, M2 macrophage polarization, and cisplatin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dacai Xu
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, 524033, PR China; Zhanjiang Central Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524033, PR China.
| | - Donghui Zhang
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, 524033, PR China; Zhanjiang Central Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524033, PR China
| | - Wenlu Wei
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, 524033, PR China; Zhanjiang Central Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524033, PR China
| | - Chong Zhang
- Zhanjiang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, 524033, PR China; Zhanjiang Central Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, 524033, PR China
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2
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Le Z, Chen S, Feng Y, Lu W, Liu M. SERPINC1, a new prognostic predictor of colon cancer, promote colon cancer progression through EMT. Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2024; 7:e2079. [PMID: 38923313 PMCID: PMC11194682 DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.2079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver metastasis of CRC is still the main cause of poor prognosis in patients with CRC. Previous studies have suggested that serpin family C member 1(SERPINC1) is involved in the development of a variety of tumours, but its effect on colorectal cancer progression has been poorly elucidated. METHODS Based on the GEO database, this study identifies the core gene SERPINC1 associated with liver metastasis in CRC. We used transcriptomic data and immunohistochemical staining to explore the expression of SERPINC1 in normal, cancer, and liver metastases tissue from CRC patients. Clinical data obtained from our hospital were used to explore the impact of SERPINC1 on the prognosis of colon cancer patients. Mechanistically, the biological functions exerted by SERPINC1 in CRC were predicted by bioinformatics, and the results were validated by the results of the experiments in vitro. Cell lines with knockdown of SERPINC1 were performed a series assay such as trans well, CCK-8 and colony formation assay to explore the relationship between SERPINC1 and proliferation and metastasis of CRC cells. Finally, the effect of SERPINC1 on the sensitivity of colon cancer patients to immune checkpoint therapy was evaluated. RESULTS In CRC liver metastatic tissues, we found significantly high expression of SERPINC1. Briefly, 212 CRC cohorts showed that SERPINC1 was significantly associated with TNM stage and plasma CA19-9 and CEA in CRC patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox demonstrated that SERPINC1 was significantly associated with 5-year survival after radical surgery for colorectal cancer (p < 0.001). Bioinformatics predicted that SERPINC1 affects metastasis of colon cancer through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Colony formation assay and CCK-8 assay showed that SERPINC1 promotes malignant proliferation of CRC cells, trans well assay showed that SERPINC1 promotes distant migratory behaviour of CRC cells and protein blotting assay showed that SERPINC1 may promote migration by promoting the TGF-β1-mediated EMT of CRC cells. In addition, several immunotherapy cohorts also reflected that the expression of SERPINC1 reduced the sensitivity of CRC patients to immune checkpoint therapy. CONCLUSION Our study identified SERPINC1 as a novel liver metastasis-associated gene in CRC. Targeting SERPINC1 may be a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with liver metastases from CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenghong Le
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Department of Gastrointestinal SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical CollegeBengbuChina
| | - Shuran Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical CollegeBengbuChina
| | - Yan Feng
- Department of GastroenterologyBengbu Third People's HospitalBengbuChina
| | - Weichen Lu
- Department of Gastrointestinal SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical CollegeBengbuChina
| | - Mulin Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan UniversityGuangzhouChina
- Department of Gastrointestinal SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical CollegeBengbuChina
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Yuan Z, Zhu Q, Wu Q, Zhang Z, Guo J, Wu G, Zheng C, Xu Q, Huang D, Cui D. Prognostic and Immune Landscape Analysis of Ubiquitination-related Genes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Based on Bulk and Single-cell RNA Sequencing Data. J Cancer 2024; 15:2580-2600. [PMID: 38577593 PMCID: PMC10988309 DOI: 10.7150/jca.93425] [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: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Despite significant advances in tumor immunotherapy, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a malignancy with a challenging prognosis. The increasing research emphasizes the crucial role of ubiquitination in tumor immunotherapy. However, the establishment of prognostic signatures based on ubiquitination-related genes (UbRGs) and their role in immunotherapy are still lacking in HCC. Methods: We employed datasets from TCGA and GEO for transcriptome differential expression analysis and single-cell RNA sequencing analysis. Applying weighted gene co-expression network analysis, cox regression, lasso, selection and visualization of the most relevant features, and gradient boosting machine, we identified hub UbRGs as a gene signature to develop a prognostic model. We evaluated the predictive utility concerning clinical characteristics as well as its role in the immune landscape and immunotherapy potential. Additionally, western blotting, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, and immunofluorescence were employed to detect the expression and sub-localization of hub genes. Results: Three hub UbRGs (BOP1, CDC20, and UBE2S) were identified as a gene signature. In particular, the high-risk group exhibited notable characteristics, including higher tumor mutation burden, enrichment in immune-related pathways, up-regulation immune checkpoint, and higher immunity scores. Treatment response to immunotherapy varied based on the expression of PD-1 and CTLA-4. Furthermore, single-cell data analysis revealed heterogeneous expression of hub UbRGs across different cell subtypes, while cytological experiments provided additional confirmation of the high expression of hub UbRGs in HCC. Conclusion: Our study provides valuable insights into the identification of novel ubiquitination-related biomarkers with potential applications for prognosis, immunotherapy prediction, and drug sensitivity in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zibo Yuan
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Qingwei Zhu
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Qingsong Wu
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Junwei Guo
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Gongqiang Wu
- Department of Hematology, Dongyang People's Hospital of Zhejiang Provincial, Dongyang, 322100, China
| | - Cuiping Zheng
- Department of Hematology and Chemotherapy, Wenzhou Central Hospital, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Qiuran Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Dongsheng Huang
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Di Cui
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310000, China
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, China
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Zhang M, Wei T, Guo D. The role of abnormal ubiquitination in hepatocellular carcinoma pathology. Cell Signal 2024; 114:110994. [PMID: 38036196 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2023.110994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Primary liver cancer is known for its high incidence and fatality rate. Over the years, therapeutic strategies for primary liver cancer have advanced significantly. Nonetheless, a substantial number of patients have not benefited from these methods, underscoring the pressing need for new and effective treatments for primary liver cancer. Ubiquitination is a critical post-translational modification that enables proteins to fulfill their normal biological functions and maintain their expression stability within cells. Importantly, increasing evidence suggests that the progression of liver cancer cells is often accompanied by disruptions in protein ubiquitination and deubiquitination processes. In this comprehensive review, we have compiled pertinent research about dysregulated ubiquitination in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to broaden our understanding in this field. We elucidate the connections between the ubiquitination proteasome system, deubiquitination, and HCC. Furthermore, we shed light on the role of ubiquitination in cells situated within the tumor microenvironment of HCC including its involvement in mediating the activation of oncogenic pathways, reprogramming metabolic processes, and perturbing normal cellular functions. In conclusion, targeting the dysregulation of ubiquitination in HCC holds promise as a prospective and complementary therapeutic approach to existing treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China; Henan Key Laboratory for Digestive Organ Transplantation, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China
| | - Tingju Wei
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China
| | - Danfeng Guo
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China; Henan Key Laboratory for Digestive Organ Transplantation, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
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Wahab R, Hasan MM, Azam Z, Grippo PJ, Al-Hilal TA. The role of coagulome in the tumor immune microenvironment. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 200:115027. [PMID: 37517779 PMCID: PMC11099942 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.115027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
The rising incidence and persistent thrombosis in multiple cancers including those that are immunosuppressive highlight the need for understanding the tumor coagulome system and its role beyond hemostatic complications. Immunotherapy has shown significant benefits in solid organ tumors but has been disappointing in the treatment of hypercoagulable cancers, such as glioblastoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Thus, targeting thrombosis to prevent immunosuppression seems a clinically viable approach in cancer treatment. Hypercoagulable tumors often develop fibrin clots within the tumor microenvironment (TME) that dictates the biophysical characteristics of the tumor tissue. The application of systems biology and single-cell approaches highlight the potential role of coagulome or thrombocytosis in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). In-depth knowledge of the tumor coagulome would provide unprecedented opportunities to better predict the hemostatic complications, explore how thrombotic stroma modulates tumor immunity, reexamine the significance of clinical biomarkers, and enable steering the stromal versus systemic immune response for boosting the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer treatment. We focus on the role of coagulation factors in priming a suppressive TIME and the huge potential of existing anticoagulant drugs in the clinical settings of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riajul Wahab
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Md Mahedi Hasan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, College of Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Zulfikar Azam
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Paul J Grippo
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Taslim A Al-Hilal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, College of Science, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA.
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Taghizadeh-Hesary F, Houshyari M, Farhadi M. Mitochondrial metabolism: a predictive biomarker of radiotherapy efficacy and toxicity. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:6719-6741. [PMID: 36719474 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-04592-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Radiotherapy is a mainstay of cancer treatment. Clinical studies revealed a heterogenous response to radiotherapy, from a complete response to even disease progression. To that end, finding the relative prognostic factors of disease outcomes and predictive factors of treatment efficacy and toxicity is essential. It has been demonstrated that radiation response depends on DNA damage response, cell cycle phase, oxygen concentration, and growth rate. Emerging evidence suggests that altered mitochondrial metabolism is associated with radioresistance. METHODS This article provides a comprehensive evaluation of the role of mitochondria in radiotherapy efficacy and toxicity. In addition, it demonstrates how mitochondria might be involved in the famous 6Rs of radiobiology. RESULTS In terms of this idea, decreasing the mitochondrial metabolism of cancer cells may increase radiation response, and enhancing the mitochondrial metabolism of normal cells may reduce radiation toxicity. Enhancing the normal cells (including immune cells) mitochondrial metabolism can potentially improve the tumor response by enhancing immune reactivation. Future studies are invited to examine the impacts of mitochondrial metabolism on radiation efficacy and toxicity. Improving radiotherapy response with diminishing cancer cells' mitochondrial metabolism, and reducing radiotherapy toxicity with enhancing normal cells' mitochondrial metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzad Taghizadeh-Hesary
- ENT and Head and Neck Research Center and Department, The Five Senses Health Institute, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Clinical Oncology Department, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Houshyari
- Clinical Oncology Department, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Farhadi
- ENT and Head and Neck Research Center and Department, The Five Senses Health Institute, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Eloranta K, Pihlajoki M, Liljeström E, Nousiainen R, Soini T, Lohi J, Cairo S, Wilson DB, Parkkila S, Heikinheimo M. SLC-0111, an inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase IX, attenuates hepatoblastoma cell viability and migration. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1118268. [PMID: 36776327 PMCID: PMC9909558 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1118268] [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: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In response to hypoxia, tumor cells undergo transcriptional reprogramming including upregulation of carbonic anhydrase (CA) IX, a metalloenzyme that maintains acid-base balance. CAIX overexpression has been shown to correlate with poor prognosis in various cancers, but the role of this CA isoform in hepatoblastoma (HB) has not been examined. Methods We surveyed the expression of CAIX in HB specimens and assessed the impact of SLC-0111, a CAIX inhibitor, on cultured HB cells in normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Results CAIX immunoreactivity was detected in 15 out of 21 archival pathology HB specimens. The CAIX-positive cells clustered in the middle of viable tumor tissue or next to necrotic areas. Tissue expression of CAIX mRNA was associated with metastasis and poor clinical outcome of HB. Hypoxia induced a striking upregulation of CAIX mRNA and protein in three HB cell models: the immortalized human HB cell line HUH6 and patient xenograft-derived lines HB-295 and HB-303. Administration of SLC-0111 abrogated the hypoxia-induced upregulation of CAIX and decreased HB cell viability, both in monolayer and spheroid cultures. In addition, SLC-0111 reduced HB cell motility in a wound healing assay. Transcriptomic changes triggered by SLC-0111 administration differed under normoxic vs. hypoxic conditions, although SLC-0111 elicited upregulation of several tumor suppressor genes under both conditions. Conclusion Hypoxia induces CAIX expression in HB cells, and the CAIX inhibitor SLC-0111 has in vitro activity against these malignant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Eloranta
- Pediatric Research Center, Children’s Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marjut Pihlajoki
- Pediatric Research Center, Children’s Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,*Correspondence: Marjut Pihlajoki,
| | - Emmi Liljeström
- Pediatric Research Center, Children’s Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ruth Nousiainen
- Pediatric Research Center, Children’s Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tea Soini
- Pediatric Research Center, Children’s Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jouko Lohi
- Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Stefano Cairo
- Xentech, Evry, Evry, France,Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica, Padova, Italy,Champions Oncology, Hackensack, NJ, United States
| | - David B. Wilson
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, MO, United States,Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Seppo Parkkila
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland,FICAN Mid, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland,Fimlab Ltd, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Markku Heikinheimo
- Pediatric Research Center, Children’s Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, MO, United States,Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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Zhang J, Tang Z, Guo X, Wang Y, Zhou Y, Cai W. Synergistic effects of nab-PTX and anti-PD-1 antibody combination against lung cancer by regulating the Pi3K/AKT pathway through the Serpinc1 gene. Front Oncol 2022; 12:933646. [PMID: 35992834 PMCID: PMC9381811 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.933646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is a type of cancer with higher morbidity and mortality. In spite of the impressive response rates of nab-paclitaxel (nab-PTX) or programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand inhibitors, the effective treatment remains limited. Currently, alternative strategies aim at drug combination of nab-PTX and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Even as the clinical impact of the combined agents continues to increase, basic research studies are still limited and the mechanisms underlying this synergy are not well studied. In this study, we evaluated the antitumor efficacy and the molecular mechanisms of action of nab-PTX in combination with anti-PD-1 antibody, using Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cell and subcutaneously transplanted tumor models. The combination of nab-PTX and anti-PD-1 antibody displayed stronger antitumor effects, manifested at tumor volume, proliferation and apoptosis through Ki67 and TUNEL staining. In-vivo experiments showed significant increases in CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, PF, and Gzms-B, exerting antitumor effects with reductions in MDSCs and IL-10 after the treatments. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis indicated 20 overlapped differentially expressed genes, and Serpin peptidase inhibitor clade C Member 1 (Serpinc1) was downregulated during treatment in vivo, whose expression level was markedly related to metastasis and overall survival of lung cancer patients. Functional enrichment analysis of the target gene revealed primary GO terms related to tumor, which warrants further investigation. We also found that Serpinc1 overexpression promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibited cell apoptosis of LLC cells in vitro, possibly regulating the associated factors via the Pi3K/AKT pathway. In summary, our results reveal the synergistic antitumor responses of nab-PTX combined with anti-PD-1 antibody, in which Serpinc1 may play an important role, providing a target gene for combination treatment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhijia Tang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi Guo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunxia Wang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhong Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weimin Cai
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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