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Păsărică MA, Curcă PF, Dragosloveanu CDM, Grigorescu AC, Nisipașu CI. Pathological and Molecular Diagnosis of Uveal Melanoma. Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:958. [PMID: 38732371 PMCID: PMC11083017 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14090958] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Uveal melanoma (UM) is a common malignant intraocular tumor that presents with significant genetic differences to cutaneous melanoma and has a high genetic burden in terms of prognosis. (2) Methods: A systematic literature search of several repositories on uveal melanoma diagnosis, prognosis, molecular analysis, and treatment was conducted. (3) Results: Recent genetic understanding of oncogene-initiation mutations in GNAQ, GNA11, PLCB4, and CYSLTR2 and secondary progression drivers of BAP1 inactivation and SF3B1 and EIF1AX mutations offers an appealing explanation to the high prognostic impact of adding genetic profiling to clinical UM classification. Genetic information could help better explain peculiarities in uveal melanoma, such as the low long-term survival despite effective primary tumor treatment, the overwhelming propensity to metastasize to the liver, and possibly therapeutic behaviors. (4) Conclusions: Understanding of uveal melanoma has improved step-by-step from histopathology to clinical classification to more recent genetic understanding of oncogenic initiation and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihai Adrian Păsărică
- Clinical Department of Ophthalmology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; (M.A.P.); (C.D.M.D.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, Clinical Hospital for Ophthalmological Emergencies, 010464 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Paul Filip Curcă
- Clinical Department of Ophthalmology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; (M.A.P.); (C.D.M.D.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, Clinical Hospital for Ophthalmological Emergencies, 010464 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Christiana Diana Maria Dragosloveanu
- Clinical Department of Ophthalmology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania; (M.A.P.); (C.D.M.D.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, Clinical Hospital for Ophthalmological Emergencies, 010464 Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Cosmin Ionuț Nisipașu
- Department of Dental Medicine I, Implant-Prosthetic Therapy, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania;
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Bahar ME, Kim HJ, Kim DR. Targeting the RAS/RAF/MAPK pathway for cancer therapy: from mechanism to clinical studies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:455. [PMID: 38105263 PMCID: PMC10725898 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01705-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic dissemination of solid tumors, a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, underscores the urgent need for enhanced insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying metastasis, chemoresistance, and the mechanistic backgrounds of individuals whose cancers are prone to migration. The most prevalent signaling cascade governed by multi-kinase inhibitors is the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, encompassing the RAS-RAF-MAPK kinase (MEK)-extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) pathway. RAF kinase is a primary mediator of the MAPK pathway, responsible for the sequential activation of downstream targets, such as MEK and the transcription factor ERK, which control numerous cellular and physiological processes, including organism development, cell cycle control, cell proliferation and differentiation, cell survival, and death. Defects in this signaling cascade are associated with diseases such as cancer. RAF inhibitors (RAFi) combined with MEK blockers represent an FDA-approved therapeutic strategy for numerous RAF-mutant cancers, including melanoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, and thyroid cancer. However, the development of therapy resistance by cancer cells remains an important barrier. Autophagy, an intracellular lysosome-dependent catabolic recycling process, plays a critical role in the development of RAFi resistance in cancer. Thus, targeting RAF and autophagy could be novel treatment strategies for RAF-mutant cancers. In this review, we delve deeper into the mechanistic insights surrounding RAF kinase signaling in tumorigenesis and RAFi-resistance. Furthermore, we explore and discuss the ongoing development of next-generation RAF inhibitors with enhanced therapeutic profiles. Additionally, this review sheds light on the functional interplay between RAF-targeted therapies and autophagy in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Entaz Bahar
- Department of Biochemistry and Convergence Medical Sciences and Institute of Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, College of Medicine, Jinju, South Korea
| | - Hyun Joon Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Convergence Medical Sciences and Institute of Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, College of Medicine, Jinju, South Korea
| | - Deok Ryong Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Convergence Medical Sciences and Institute of Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, College of Medicine, Jinju, South Korea.
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Wang MM, Coupland SE, Aittokallio T, Figueiredo CR. Resistance to immune checkpoint therapies by tumour-induced T-cell desertification and exclusion: key mechanisms, prognostication and new therapeutic opportunities. Br J Cancer 2023; 129:1212-1224. [PMID: 37454231 PMCID: PMC10575907 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02361-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint therapies (ICT) can reinvigorate the effector functions of anti-tumour T cells, improving cancer patient outcomes. Anti-tumour T cells are initially formed during their first contact (priming) with tumour antigens by antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Unfortunately, many patients are refractory to ICT because their tumours are considered to be 'cold' tumours-i.e., they do not allow the generation of T cells (so-called 'desert' tumours) or the infiltration of existing anti-tumour T cells (T-cell-excluded tumours). Desert tumours disturb antigen processing and priming of T cells by targeting APCs with suppressive tumour factors derived from their genetic instabilities. In contrast, T-cell-excluded tumours are characterised by blocking effective anti-tumour T lymphocytes infiltrating cancer masses by obstacles, such as fibrosis and tumour-cell-induced immunosuppression. This review delves into critical mechanisms by which cancer cells induce T-cell 'desertification' and 'exclusion' in ICT refractory tumours. Filling the gaps in our knowledge regarding these pro-tumoral mechanisms will aid researchers in developing novel class immunotherapies that aim at restoring T-cell generation with more efficient priming by APCs and leukocyte tumour trafficking. Such developments are expected to unleash the clinical benefit of ICT in refractory patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Meng Wang
- Medical Immune Oncology Research Group (MIORG), Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Singapore National Eye Centre and Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sarah E Coupland
- InFLAMES Research Flagship Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Liverpool Ocular Oncology Research Group (LOORG), Institute of Systems Molecular and Integrative Biology, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Tero Aittokallio
- InFLAMES Research Flagship Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Cancer Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology (OCBE), Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Carlos R Figueiredo
- Medical Immune Oncology Research Group (MIORG), Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
- InFLAMES Research Flagship Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
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Kichina JV, Maslov A, Kandel ES. PAK1 and Therapy Resistance in Melanoma. Cells 2023; 12:2373. [PMID: 37830586 PMCID: PMC10572217 DOI: 10.3390/cells12192373] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignant melanoma claims more lives than any other skin malignancy. While primary melanomas are usually cured via surgical excision, the metastatic form of the disease portents a poor prognosis. Decades of intense research has yielded an extensive armamentarium of anti-melanoma therapies, ranging from genotoxic chemo- and radiotherapies to targeted interventions in specific signaling pathways and immune functions. Unfortunately, even the most up-to-date embodiments of these therapies are not curative for the majority of metastatic melanoma patients, and the need to improve their efficacy is widely recognized. Here, we review the reports that implicate p21-regulated kinase 1 (PAK1) and PAK1-related pathways in the response of melanoma to various therapeutic modalities. Ample data suggest that PAK1 may decrease cell sensitivity to programmed cell death, provide additional stimulation to growth-promoting molecular pathways, and contribute to the creation of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Accordingly, there is mounting evidence that the concomitant inhibition of PAK1 enhances the potency of various anti-melanoma regimens. Overall, the available information suggests that a safe and effective inhibition of PAK1-dependent molecular processes would enhance the potency of the currently available anti-melanoma treatments, although considerable challenges in implementing such strategies still exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia V. Kichina
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton St., Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Alexei Maslov
- Department of Cell Stress Biology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton St., Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Eugene S. Kandel
- Department of Cell Stress Biology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton St., Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
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Liu J, Zhang P, Yang F, Jiang K, Sun S, Xia Z, Yao G, Tang J. Integrating single-cell analysis and machine learning to create glycosylation-based gene signature for prognostic prediction of uveal melanoma. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1163046. [PMID: 37033251 PMCID: PMC10076776 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1163046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing evidence suggests a correlation between glycosylation and the onset of cancer. However, the clinical relevance of glycosylation-related genes (GRGs) in uveal melanoma (UM) is yet to be fully understood. This study aimed to shed light on the impact of GRGs on UM prognosis. METHODS To identify the most influential genes in UM, we employed the AUCell and WGCNA algorithms. The GRGs signature was established by integrating bulk RNA-seq and scRNA-seq data. UM patients were separated into two groups based on their risk scores, the GCNS_low and GCNS_high groups, and the differences in clinicopathological correlation, functional enrichment, immune response, mutational burden, and immunotherapy between the two groups were examined. The role of the critical gene AUP1 in UM was validated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. RESULTS The GRGs signature was comprised of AUP1, HNMT, PARP8, ARC, ALG5, AKAP13, and ISG20. The GCNS was a significant prognostic factor for UM, and high GCNS correlated with poorer outcomes. Patients with high GCNS displayed heightened immune-related characteristics, such as immune cell infiltration and immune scores. In vitro experiments showed that the knockdown of AUP1 led to a drastic reduction in the viability, proliferation, and invasion capability of UM cells. CONCLUSION Our gene signature provides an independent predictor of UM patient survival and represents a starting point for further investigation of GRGs in UM. It offers a novel perspective on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of UM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlan Liu
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Pengpeng Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fang Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany
| | - Keyu Jiang
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shiyi Sun
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhijia Xia
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Jian Tang, ; Gang Yao, ; Zhijia Xia,
| | - Gang Yao
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Jian Tang, ; Gang Yao, ; Zhijia Xia,
| | - Jian Tang
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Jian Tang, ; Gang Yao, ; Zhijia Xia,
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