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Bandini S, Ulivi P, Rossi T. Extracellular Vesicles, Circulating Tumor Cells, and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Hints and Promises. Cells 2024; 13:337. [PMID: 38391950 PMCID: PMC10887032 DOI: 10.3390/cells13040337] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer, in particular lung cancer, while the introduction of predictive biomarkers from liquid biopsies has emerged as a promising tool to achieve an effective and personalized therapy response. Important progress has also been made in the molecular characterization of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs), highlighting their tremendous potential in modulating the tumor microenvironment, acting on immunomodulatory pathways, and setting up the pre-metastatic niche. Surface antigens on EVs and CTCs have proved to be particularly useful in the case of the characterization of potential immune escape mechanisms through the expression of immunosuppressive ligands or the transport of cargos that may mitigate the antitumor immune function. On the other hand, novel approaches, to increase the expression of immunostimulatory molecules or cargo contents that can enhance the immune response, offer premium options in combinatorial clinical strategies for precision immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the identification of immune checkpoints using EVs and CTCs, their potential applications as predictive biomarkers for ICI therapy, and their prospective use as innovative clinical tools, considering that CTCs have already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical use, but providing good reasons to intensify the research on both.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paola Ulivi
- Biosciences Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) “Dino Amadori”, 47014 Meldola, Italy; (S.B.); (T.R.)
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Li Z, Yuan T. Neutrophil extracellular traps in adult diseases and neonatal bacterial infectious diseases: A review. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23559. [PMID: 38173520 PMCID: PMC10761809 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils, the most abundant type of white blood cells, are pivotal in fighting bacterial infections due to their immunological and anti-infection capabilities. In recent years, scientists have discovered a novel mechanism known as neutrophil extracellular traps, which are fibrous networks primarily released by neutrophils that combat bacterial infections. There is a growing interest in studying NETs and their role in human infectious diseases, particularly in neonates susceptible to bacterial infections. NETs and their components have been found in various samples from neonatal-infected patients, providing a new route for early diagnosis of neonatal infectious diseases. This paper aims to summarize the studies on NETs in adult diseases and mainly discuss NETs in neonatal sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and purulent meningitis, to provide scientific evidence for early monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment of neonatal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziheng Li
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tianming Yuan
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Zhejiang, China
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Tong Q, Zhou J. Construction of a 12-gene prognostic model for colorectal cancer based on heat shock protein-related genes. Int J Hyperthermia 2024; 41:2290913. [PMID: 38191150 DOI: 10.1080/02656736.2023.2290913] [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: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Some heat shock proteins (HSPs) have been shown to influence tumor prognosis, but their prognostic significance in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. This study explored the prognostic significance of HSP-related genes in CRC. Transcriptional data and clinical information of CRC patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and a literature search was conducted to identify HSP-related genes. Using Least Absolute Selection and Shrinkage Operator (LASSO) regression and univariate/multivariate Cox regression analyses, 12 HSP-related genes demonstrating significant associations with CRC survival were successfully identified and employed to formulate a predictive risk score model. The efficacy and precision of this model were validated utilizing TCGA and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets, demonstrating its reliability in CRC prognosis prediction. gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses revealed significant disparities between high- and low-risk groups in chromatin remodeling biological functions and neutrophil extracellular trap formation pathways. Single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) further revealed differences in immune cell types and immune functional status between the two risk groups. Differential analysis showed higher expression of immune checkpoints within the low-risk group, while the high-risk group exhibited notably higher Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) scores. Additionally, we predicted the sensitivity of different prognosis risk patients to various drugs, providing potential drug choices for tailored treatment. Combined, our study successfully crafted a novel CRC prognostic model that can effectively predict patient survival, immune landscape, and treatment response, providing important support and guidance for CRC patient prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Tong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Jinhua Guangfu Hospital, Jinhua, China
| | - Junchao Zhou
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Jinhua Guangfu Hospital, Jinhua, China
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Wang B, Su X, Zhang B, Pan S. GSK484, an inhibitor of peptidyl arginine deiminase 4, increases the radiosensitivity of colorectal cancer and inhibits neutrophil extracellular traps. J Gene Med 2023; 25:e3530. [PMID: 37203323 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy and a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4 or PADI4) is expressed in neutrophils that, when activated, can drive the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). PAD4 has been found to be upregulated in CRC patients and to predict a poor prognosis. This study is aimed at exploring the role of PAD4 inhibitor (GSK484) in NET formation and radioresistance in CRC. METHODS Reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to measure PAD4 expression in CRC tissues and cells. GSK484, an inhibitor of PAD4, was investigated in the following functional assays in vitro: western blotting, clonogenic survival, colony formation, TUNEL, flow cytometry and transwell assays. Nude mouse xenograft models were applied to evaluate the effect of GSK484 on tumor growth in CRC in vivo. The formation of NETs influenced by GSK484 was also investigated. RESULTS We showed upregulation of PAD4 mRNA and protein in CRC tissues and cells. High expression of PAD4 was related to a poor prognosis in CRC patients. GSK484 treatment promoted the radiosensitivity of CRC cells and induced cell death by promoting DNA double-strand breaks. Rescue experiments further verified that GSK484 inhibited the effects of PAD4 overexpression in irradiated CRC cells. Moreover, GSK484 injection strengthened the radiosensitivity of CRC and inhibited NET formation in vivo. CONCLUSIONS PAD4 inhibitor GSK484 promotes the radiosensitivity of CRC and inhibits NET formation in vivo and in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binbin Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaojuan Su
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shiwen Pan
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
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Senchukova MA. Genetic heterogeneity of colorectal cancer and the microbiome. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2023; 15:443-463. [PMID: 37009315 PMCID: PMC10052667 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i3.443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
In 2020, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the World Health Organization's GLOBOCAN database ranked colorectal cancer (CRC) as the third most common cancer in the world. Most cases of CRC (> 95%) are sporadic and develop from colorectal polyps that can progress to intramucosal carcinoma and CRC. Increasing evidence is accumulating that the gut microbiota can play a key role in the initiation and progression of CRC, as well as in the treatment of CRC, acting as an important metabolic and immunological regulator. Factors that may determine the microbiota role in CRC carcinogenesis include inflammation, changes in intestinal stem cell function, impact of bacterial metabolites on gut mucosa, accumulation of genetic mutations and other factors. In this review, I discuss the major mechanisms of the development of sporadic CRC, provide detailed characteristics of the bacteria that are most often associated with CRC, and analyze the role of the microbiome and microbial metabolites in inflammation initiation, activation of proliferative activity in intestinal epithelial and stem cells, and the development of genetic and epigenetic changes in CRC. I consider long-term studies in this direction to be very important, as they open up new opportunities for the treatment and prevention of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina A Senchukova
- Department of Oncology, Orenburg State Medical University, Orenburg 460000, Russia
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Li Q, Chen W, Li Q, Mao J, Chen X. A novel neutrophil extracellular trap signature to predict prognosis and immunotherapy response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1019967. [PMID: 36225931 PMCID: PMC9549764 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1019967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common malignant cancers, and patients with HNSCC possess early metastases and poor prognosis. Systematic therapies (including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy) are generally applied in the advanced/late stages of HNSCC, but primary and acquired resistance eventually occurs. At present, reliable biomarkers to predict the prognosis of HNSCC have not been completely identified. Recent studies have shown that neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are implicated in cancer progression, metastasis and cancer immune response, and NET-related gene signatures are associated with the prognosis of patients with several human cancers. To explore whether NET-related genes play crucial roles in HNSCC, we have performed systematic analysis and reported several findings in the current study. Firstly, we identified seven novel NET-related genes and developed a NET-score signature, which was highly associated with the clinicopathological and immune traits of the HNSCC patients. Then, we, for the first time, found that NIFK was significantly upregulated in HNSCC patient samples, and its levels were significantly linked to tumor malignancy and immune status. Moreover, functional experiments confirmed that NIFK was required for HNSCC cell proliferation and metastasis. Altogether, this study has identified a novel NET-score signature based on seven novel NET-related genes to predict the prognosis of HNSCC and NIFK has also explored a new method for personalized chemo-/immuno-therapy of HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qilin Li
- Department of Stomatology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- School of Stomatology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Oral and Maxillofacial Development and Regeneration, Wuhan, China
| | - Weimin Chen
- Department of Stomatology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- School of Stomatology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Oral and Maxillofacial Development and Regeneration, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiuhui Li
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedicine of Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Xin Chen, ; Qiuhui Li, ; Jing Mao,
| | - Jing Mao
- Department of Stomatology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- School of Stomatology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Oral and Maxillofacial Development and Regeneration, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Xin Chen, ; Qiuhui Li, ; Jing Mao,
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical School, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Xin Chen, ; Qiuhui Li, ; Jing Mao,
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Zahid KR, Raza U, Tumbath S, Jiang L, Xu W, Huang X. Neutrophils: Musketeers against immunotherapy. Front Oncol 2022; 12:975981. [PMID: 36091114 PMCID: PMC9453237 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.975981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils, the most copious leukocytes in human blood, play a critical role in tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and immune suppression. Recently, neutrophils have attracted the attention of researchers, immunologists, and oncologists because of their potential role in orchestrating immune evasion in human diseases including cancer, which has led to a hot debate redefining the contribution of neutrophils in tumor progression and immunity. To make this debate fruitful, this review seeks to provide a recent update about the contribution of neutrophils in immune suppression and tumor progression. Here, we first described the molecular pathways through which neutrophils aid in cancer progression and orchestrate immune suppression/evasion. Later, we summarized the underlying molecular mechanisms of neutrophil-mediated therapy resistance and highlighted various approaches through which neutrophil antagonism may heighten the efficacy of the immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Finally, we have highlighted several unsolved questions and hope that answering these questions will provide a new avenue toward immunotherapy revolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kashif Rafiq Zahid
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Umar Raza
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Soumya Tumbath
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Lingxiang Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Wenjuan Xu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Xiumei Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Xiumei Huang,
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