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Mustafa M, Abbas K, Alam M, Habib S, Zulfareen, Hasan GM, Islam S, Shamsi A, Hassan I. Investigating underlying molecular mechanisms, signaling pathways, emerging therapeutic approaches in pancreatic cancer. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1427802. [PMID: 39087024 PMCID: PMC11288929 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1427802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, a clinically challenging malignancy constitutes a significant contributor to cancer-related mortality, characterized by an inherently poor prognosis. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of pancreatic adenocarcinoma by examining its multifaceted etiologies, including genetic mutations and environmental factors. The review explains the complex molecular mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis and summarizes current therapeutic strategies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and emerging modalities such as immunotherapy. Critical molecular pathways driving pancreatic cancer development, including KRAS, Notch, and Hedgehog, are discussed. Current therapeutic strategies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, are discussed, with an emphasis on their limitations, particularly in terms of postoperative relapse. Promising research areas, including liquid biopsies, personalized medicine, and gene editing, are explored, demonstrating the significant potential for enhancing diagnosis and treatment. While immunotherapy presents promising prospects, it faces challenges related to immune evasion mechanisms. Emerging research directions, encompassing liquid biopsies, personalized medicine, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, and computational intelligence applications, hold promise for refining diagnostic approaches and therapeutic interventions. By integrating insights from genetic, molecular, and clinical research, innovative strategies that improve patient outcomes can be developed. Ongoing research in these emerging fields holds significant promise for advancing the diagnosis and treatment of this formidable malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Mustafa
- Department of Biochemistry, J.N. Medical College, Faculty of Medicine, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Kashif Abbas
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Mudassir Alam
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Safia Habib
- Department of Biochemistry, J.N. Medical College, Faculty of Medicine, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Zulfareen
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Gulam Mustafa Hasan
- Department of Basic Medical Science, College of Medicine, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sidra Islam
- Department of Inflammation & Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Anas Shamsi
- Center of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research (CMBHSR), Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
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2
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Ye Z, Cheng P, Huang Q, Hu J, Huang L, Hu G. Immunocytes interact directly with cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment: one coin with two sides and future perspectives. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1388176. [PMID: 38840908 PMCID: PMC11150710 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1388176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment is closely linked to the initiation, promotion, and progression of solid tumors. Among its constitutions, immunologic cells emerge as critical players, facilitating immune evasion and tumor progression. Apart from their indirect impact on anti-tumor immunity, immunocytes directly influence neoplastic cells, either bolstering or impeding tumor advancement. However, current therapeutic modalities aimed at alleviating immunosuppression from regulatory cells on effector immune cell populations may not consistently yield satisfactory results in various solid tumors, such as breast carcinoma, colorectal cancer, etc. Therefore, this review outlines and summarizes the direct, dualistic effects of immunocytes such as T cells, innate lymphoid cells, B cells, eosinophils, and tumor-associated macrophages on tumor cells within the tumor microenvironment. The review also delves into the underlying mechanisms involved and presents the outcomes of clinical trials based on these direct effects, aiming to propose innovative and efficacious therapeutic strategies for addressing solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyi Ye
- Department of General Surgery (Breast and Thyroid Surgery), Shaoxing People’s Hospital; Shaoxing Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, China
| | - Pu Cheng
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qi Huang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Department of Oncology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jingjing Hu
- School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Liming Huang
- Department of General Surgery (Breast and Thyroid Surgery), Shaoxing People’s Hospital; Shaoxing Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guoming Hu
- Department of General Surgery (Breast and Thyroid Surgery), Shaoxing People’s Hospital, Shaoxing Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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3
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Li L, Xia S, Zhao Z, Deng L, Wang H, Yang D, Hu Y, Ji J, Huang D, Xin T. EMP3 as a prognostic biomarker correlates with EMT in GBM. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:89. [PMID: 38229014 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11796-0] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive malignant central nervous system tumor with a poor prognosis.The malignant transformation of glioma cells via epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been observed as a main obstacle for glioblastoma treatment. Epithelial membrane protein 3 (EMP3) is significantly associated with the malignancy of GBM and the prognosis of patients. Therefore, exploring the possible mechanisms by which EMP3 promotes the growth of GBM has important implications for the treatment of GBM. METHODS We performed enrichment and correlation analysis in 5 single-cell RNA sequencing datasets. Differential expression of EMP3 in gliomas, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, diagnostic accuracy and prognostic prediction were analyzed by bioinformatics in the China Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) database and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. EMP3-silenced U87 and U251 cell lines were obtained by transient transfection with siRNA. The effect of EMP3 on glioblastoma proliferation was examined using the CCK-8 assay. Transwell migration assay and wound healing assay were used to assess the effect of EMP3 on glioblastoma migration. Finally, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of EMT-related transcription factors and mesenchymal markers. RESULTS EMP3 is a EMT associated gene in multiple types of malignant cancer and in high-grade glioblastoma. EMP3 is enriched in high-grade gliomas and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type gliomas.EMP3 can be used as a specific biomarker for diagnosing glioma patients. It is also an independent prognostic factor for glioma patients' overall survival (OS). In addition, silencing EMP3 reduces the proliferation and migration of glioblastoma cells. Mechanistically, EMP3 enhances the malignant potential of tumor cells by promoting EMT. CONCLUSION EMP3 promotes the proliferation and migration of GBM cells, and the mechanism may be related to EMP3 promoting the EMT process in GBM; EMP3 may be an independent prognostic factor in GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Department of Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Siyu Xia
- Department of Oncology, The Beidahuang Group General Hospital, Harbin, 150006, China
| | - Zitong Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Tongji University, Shanghai, 201619, China
| | - Lili Deng
- Department of Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Hanbing Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Dongbo Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Yizhou Hu
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jingjing Ji
- Department of Pathology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Dayong Huang
- Department of Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China.
| | - Tao Xin
- Department of Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China.
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4
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Albadari N, Xie Y, Li W. Deciphering treatment resistance in metastatic colorectal cancer: roles of drug transports, EGFR mutations, and HGF/c-MET signaling. Front Pharmacol 2024; 14:1340401. [PMID: 38269272 PMCID: PMC10806212 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1340401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In 2023, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most diagnosed malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. At the time of the initial visit, 20% of patients diagnosed with CRC have metastatic CRC (mCRC), and another 25% who present with localized disease will later develop metastases. Despite the improvement in response rates with various modulation strategies such as chemotherapy combined with targeted therapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, the prognosis of mCRC is poor, with a 5-year survival rate of 14%, and the primary reason for treatment failure is believed to be the development of resistance to therapies. Herein, we provide an overview of the main mechanisms of resistance in mCRC and specifically highlight the role of drug transports, EGFR, and HGF/c-MET signaling pathway in mediating mCRC resistance, as well as discuss recent therapeutic approaches to reverse resistance caused by drug transports and resistance to anti-EGFR blockade caused by mutations in EGFR and alteration in HGF/c-MET signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Wei Li
- College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
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Akhurst RJ. From shape-shifting embryonic cells to oncology: The fascinating history of epithelial mesenchymal transition. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 96:100-114. [PMID: 37852342 PMCID: PMC10883734 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.10.003] [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: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or transformation (EMT) is a cell shape-changing process that is utilized repeatedly throughout embryogenesis and is critical to the attainment of a precise body plan. In the adult, EMT is observed under both normal and pathological conditions, such as during normal wounding healing, during development of certain fibrotic states and vascular anomalies, as well as in some cancers when malignant cells progress to become more aggressive, invasive, and metastatic. Epithelia derived from any of the three embryonic germ layers can undergo EMT, including those derived from mesoderm, such as endothelial cells (sometimes termed Endo-MT) and those derived from endoderm such as fetal liver stroma. At the cellular level, EMT is defined as the transformation of epithelial cells towards a mesenchymal phenotype and is marked by attenuation of expression of epithelial markers and de novo expression of mesenchymal markers. This process is induced by extracellular factors and can be reversible, resulting in mesenchymal-to-epithelial transformation (MET). It is now clear that a cell can simultaneously express properties of both epithelia and mesenchyme, and that such transitional cell-types drive tumor cell heterogeneity, an important aspect of cancer progression, development of a stem-like cell state, and drug resistance. Here we review some of the earliest studies demonstrating the existence of EMT during embryogenesis and discuss the discovery of the extracellular factors and intracellular signaling pathways that contribute to this process, with components of the TGFβ signaling superfamily playing a prominent role. We mention early controversies surrounding in vivo EMT during embryonic development and in adult diseased states, and the maturation of the field to a stage wherein targeting EMT to control disease states is an aspirational goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary J Akhurst
- Department of Anatomy and UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, USA
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6
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Bachert SE, Cornea V, Bocklage T. Adenosquamous proliferation in radial sclerosing lesions: Histologic spectrum and key features in systematic review of 247 lesions. Breast 2023; 71:99-105. [PMID: 37566996 PMCID: PMC10432801 DOI: 10.1016/j.breast.2023.08.002] [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: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Adenosquamous proliferation (ASP) is known to occur in the central nidus of radial sclerosing lesions (RSL) of the breast. However, their significance is debated and remains largely unknown. In addition, there is a histologic overlap between ASP and low-grade adenosquamous carcinomas (LGASC). We conducted a large retrospective review of 247 RSLs to evaluate the prevalence of ASP and quantitatively analyze associated histologic features of RSLs including size, stromal cellularity, and presence of chronic inflammation. The central nidus of RSLs were classified as hyalinized in 121 cases (49%), cellular in 37 cases (15%), and equally mixed hyalinized and cellular in 89 (36%). ASP occurred in 92 of 247 RSLs (37.2%). Cases with ASP were significantly associated with a cellular stroma; 78.4% of RSLS with cellular stroma had ASP versus just 11.6% of hyalinized RSLs. In our large cohort, inflammation is commonly found in RSLs with ASP (p= <0.001). In conclusion, we confirm that ASP is statistically more likely to be found in RSLs with a cellular stroma. In addition, ASP is commonly associated with chronic inflammation. The finding challenges the notion that prominent lymphocytes are a diagnostic clue to LGASC on limited biopsy material.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Emily Bachert
- University of Kentucky, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, USA.
| | - Virgilius Cornea
- University of Kentucky, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, USA
| | - Thérèse Bocklage
- University of Kentucky, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, USA
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7
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Han L, Huang X, Zhao B, Zhu H, Wang R, Liu S, Lin H, Feng F, Ma X, Liu F, Xue J, Liu W. TGF-β1 mediates tumor immunosuppression aggravating at the late stage post-high-light-dose photodynamic therapy. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023; 72:3079-3095. [PMID: 37351605 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03479-3] [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: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an emerging clinical treatment that is expected to become an important adjuvant strategy for the immunotherapeutic cancer treatment. Recently, numerous works have reported combination strategies. However, clinical data showed that the anti-tumor immune response of PDT was not lasting though existing. The immune activation effect will eventually turn to immunosuppressive effect and get aggravated at the late stage post-PDT. So far, the mechanism is still unclear, which limits the design of specific correction strategies and further development of PDT. Several lines of evidence suggest a role for TGF-β1 in the immunosuppression associated with PDT. Herein, this study systematically illustrated the dynamic changes of immune states post-PDT within the tumor microenvironment. The results clearly demonstrated that high-light-dose PDT, as a therapeutic dose, induced early immune activation followed by late immunosuppression, which was mediated by the activated TGF-β1 upregulation. Then, the mechanism of PDT-induced TGF-β1 accumulation and immunosuppression was elucidated, including the ROS/TGF-β1/MMP-9 positive feedback loop and CD44-mediated local amplification, which was further confirmed by spatial transcriptomics, as well as by the extensive immune inhibitory effect of local high concentration of TGF-β1. Finally, a TGF-β blockade treatment strategy was presented as a promising combinational strategy to reverse high-light-dose PDT-associated immunosuppression. The results of this study provide new insights for the biology mechanism and smart improvement approaches to enhance tumor photodynamic immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingfei Han
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Xiaoxian Huang
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
- Tumor Precise Intervention and Translational Medicine Laboratory, The Affiliated Taian City Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Taian, 271000, China
| | - Hongtan Zhu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Ruyi Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Shaoxia Liu
- Tumor Precise Intervention and Translational Medicine Laboratory, The Affiliated Taian City Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Taian, 271000, China
| | - Honglei Lin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Feng Feng
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Xiao Ma
- Gansu Institute for Drug Control, Gansu, 730000, China
| | - Fulei Liu
- Tumor Precise Intervention and Translational Medicine Laboratory, The Affiliated Taian City Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Taian, 271000, China.
- Pharmaceutical Department, The Affiliated Taian City Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Taian, 271000, China.
| | - Jingwei Xue
- Tumor Precise Intervention and Translational Medicine Laboratory, The Affiliated Taian City Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Taian, 271000, China.
| | - Wenyuan Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
- Zhejiang Center for Safety Study of Drug Substances (Industrial Technology Innovation Platform), Hangzhou, 310018, China.
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8
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Pratelli G, Carlisi D, Di Liberto D, Notaro A, Giuliano M, D'Anneo A, Lauricella M, Emanuele S, Calvaruso G, De Blasio A. MCL1 Inhibition Overcomes the Aggressiveness Features of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11149. [PMID: 37446326 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive subtype among breast cancers (BCs), characterized by anoikis resistance, high invasiveness, and metastatic potential as well as Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and stemness features. In the last few years, our research focused on the function of MCL1, an antiapoptotic protein frequently deregulated in TNBC. Here, we demonstrate that MCL1 inhibition by A-1210477, a specific BH3-mimetic, promotes anoikis/apoptosis in the MDA-MB-231 cell line, as shown via an increase in proapoptotic markers and caspase activation. Our evidence also shows A-1210477 effects on Focal Adhesions (FAs) impairing the integrin trim and survival signaling pathways, such as FAK, AKT, ERK, NF-κB, and GSK3β-inducing anoikis, thus suggesting a putative role of MCL1 in regulation of FA dynamics. Interestingly, in accordance with these results, we observed a reduction in migratory and invasiveness capabilities as confirmed by a decrease in metalloproteinases (MMPs) levels following A-1210477 treatment. Moreover, MCL1 inhibition promotes a reduction in EMT characteristics as demonstrated by the downregulation of Vimentin, MUC1, DNMT1, and a surprising re-expression of E-Cadherin, suggesting a possible mesenchymal-like phenotype reversion. In addition, we also observed the downregulation of stemness makers such as OCT3/4, SOX2, NANOG, as well as CD133, EpCAM, and CD49f. Our findings support the idea that MCL1 inhibition in MDA-MB-231 could be crucial to reduce anoikis resistance, aggressiveness, and metastatic potential and to minimize EMT and stemness features that distinguish TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Pratelli
- Department of Physics and Chemistry (DiFC)-Emilio Segrè, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Daniela Carlisi
- Section of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BIND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Diana Di Liberto
- Section of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BIND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonietta Notaro
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Michela Giuliano
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonella D'Anneo
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Marianna Lauricella
- Section of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BIND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Sonia Emanuele
- Section of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BIND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Calvaruso
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Anna De Blasio
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
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O'Connell I, Dongre A. Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy for Breast Cancer: Lessons from Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Mol Diagn Ther 2023; 27:433-444. [PMID: 37193859 PMCID: PMC10299941 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-023-00652-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade therapies have generated efficacious responses in certain tumor types; however, the responses of breast carcinomas have been largely limited. Moreover, the identity of various parameters that can predict responses to immunotherapies, and at the same time, serve as putative biomarkers that can be therapeutically targeted to enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapies for breast cancers, remains to be comprehensively delineated. Activation of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in cancer cells, including those of the breast, increases their tumor-initiating potential and promotes their aggressiveness and resistance to multiple treatment regimens. Moreover, the residence of cancer cells in alternating epithelial or mesenchymal plastic phenotypic states can also influence their immuno-modulatory properties and susceptibilities to immune checkpoint blockade therapies. In this current opinion, we discuss the lessons that can be learnt from epithelial-mesenchymal transition to potentiate the efficacy of immunotherapy for breast cancers. We also discuss strategies to sensitize more-mesenchymal cancer cells to anti-tumor immunity and immune checkpoint blockade therapies, with the hope that these can serve as new translational avenues for the treatment of human breast tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel O'Connell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, T7-012A VRT, 930 Campus Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Anushka Dongre
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, T7-012A VRT, 930 Campus Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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10
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Zhu WZ, He QY, Feng DC, Wei Q, Yang L. Circadian rhythm in prostate cancer: time to take notice of the clock. Asian J Androl 2023; 25:184-191. [PMID: 36073562 PMCID: PMC10069698 DOI: 10.4103/aja202255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The circadian clock is an evolutionary molecular product that is associated with better adaptation to changes in the external environment. Disruption of the circadian rhythm plays a critical role in tumorigenesis of many kinds of cancers, including prostate cancer (PCa). Integrating circadian rhythm into PCa research not only brings a closer understanding of the mechanisms of PCa but also provides new and effective options for the precise treatment of patients with PCa. This review begins with patterns of the circadian clock, highlights the role of the disruption of circadian rhythms in PCa at the epidemiological and molecular levels, and discusses possible new approaches to PCa therapy that target the circadian clock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Zhen Zhu
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qi-Ying He
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - De-Chao Feng
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qiang Wei
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lu Yang
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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11
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Harnessing epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity to boost cancer immunotherapy. Cell Mol Immunol 2023; 20:318-340. [PMID: 36823234 PMCID: PMC10066239 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-023-00980-8] [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: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy is a powerful option for cancer treatment. Despite demonstrable progress, most patients fail to respond or achieve durable responses due to primary or acquired ICB resistance. Recently, tumor epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) was identified as a critical determinant in regulating immune escape and immunotherapy resistance in cancer. In this review, we summarize the emerging role of tumor EMP in ICB resistance and the tumor-intrinsic or extrinsic mechanisms by which tumors exploit EMP to achieve immunosuppression and immune escape. We discuss strategies to modulate tumor EMP to alleviate immune resistance and to enhance the efficiency of ICB therapy. Our discussion provides new prospects to enhance the ICB response for therapeutic gain in cancer patients.
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12
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Chen C, Wang Z, Ding Y, Qin Y. Tumor microenvironment-mediated immune evasion in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1133308. [PMID: 36845131 PMCID: PMC9950271 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1133308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy and is the third leading cause of tumor-related mortality worldwide. In recent years, the emergency of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) has revolutionized the management of HCC. Especially, the combination of atezolizumab (anti-PD1) and bevacizumab (anti-VEGF) has been approved by the FDA as the first-line treatment for advanced HCC. Despite great breakthrough in systemic therapy, HCC continues to portend a poor prognosis owing to drug resistance and frequent recurrence. The tumor microenvironment (TME) of HCC is a complex and structured mixture characterized by abnormal angiogenesis, chronic inflammation, and dysregulated extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, collectively contributing to the immunosuppressive milieu that in turn prompts HCC proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. The tumor microenvironment coexists and interacts with various immune cells to maintain the development of HCC. It is widely accepted that a dysfunctional tumor-immune ecosystem can lead to the failure of immune surveillance. The immunosuppressive TME is an external cause for immune evasion in HCC consisting of 1) immunosuppressive cells; 2) co-inhibitory signals; 3) soluble cytokines and signaling cascades; 4) metabolically hostile tumor microenvironment; 5) the gut microbiota that affects the immune microenvironment. Importantly, the effectiveness of immunotherapy largely depends on the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Also, the gut microbiota and metabolism profoundly affect the immune microenvironment. Understanding how TME affects HCC development and progression will contribute to better preventing HCC-specific immune evasion and overcoming resistance to already developed therapies. In this review, we mainly introduce immune evasion of HCC underlying the role of immune microenvironment, describe the dynamic interaction of immune microenvironment with dysfunctional metabolism and the gut microbiome, and propose therapeutic strategies to manipulate the TME in favor of more effective immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yanru Qin
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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13
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Rezouki I, Zohair B, Ssi SA, Karkouri M, Razzouki I, Elkarroumi M, Badou A. High VISTA expression is linked to a potent epithelial-mesenchymal transition and is positively correlated with PD1 in breast cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1154631. [PMID: 37152039 PMCID: PMC10157209 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1154631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common type of tumor in women worldwide. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, particularly anti-PDL1, have shown promise as a therapeutic approach for managing this disease. However, this type of immunotherapy still fails to work for some patients, leading researchers to explore alternative immune checkpoint targets. The Ig suppressor of T cell activation domain V (VISTA) has emerged as a novel immune checkpoint that delivers inhibitory signals to T cells and has demonstrated encouraging results in various cancers. Our study investigated the association of VISTA expression with clinicopathological parameters in breast cancer patients, its involvement in the Epithelial-Mesenchymal-Transition (EMT) process, and its correlation with PD1 expression. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that VISTA was associated with lobular and metaplastic histological type, tumor size, lymph node status, ER and PR negative status, and the TNBC molecular subtype. Furthermore, VISTA expression was strongly associated with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Immunohistochemistry analysis corroborated the transcriptomic results, indicating that VISTA was expressed in most immune cells (94%) and was significantly expressed in breast cancer tumor cells compared to matched adjacent tissues. Our study also showed for the first time that VISTA overexpression in breast cancer cells could be associated with the EMT process. Additionally, we identified a positive correlation between VISTA and PD-1 expression. Together, these results highlight the immunosuppressive effect of VISTA in breast cancer patients and suggest that bi-specific targeting of VISTA and PD-1 in combination therapy could be beneficial for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibtissam Rezouki
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics and Human Pathologies, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Casablanca, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Basma Zohair
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics and Human Pathologies, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Casablanca, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Saadia Ait Ssi
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics and Human Pathologies, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Casablanca, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Mehdi Karkouri
- Laboratory of Pathological Anatomy, University Hospital Center (CHU) Ibn Rochd, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Ibtissam Razzouki
- Laboratory of Pathological Anatomy, University Hospital Center (CHU) Ibn Rochd, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Mohamed Elkarroumi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Center (CHU) Ibn Rochd, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Abdallah Badou
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics and Human Pathologies, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Casablanca, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco
- Mohammed VI Center for Research and Innovation, Rabat, Morocco, and Mohammed VI University of Sciences and Health, Casablanca, Morocco
- *Correspondence: Abdallah Badou, ; ;
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14
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Mechanisms of Primary and Acquired Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14194616. [PMID: 36230538 PMCID: PMC9564277 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are now a cornerstone of systemic treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, their efficacy is blunted by mechanisms of tumour resistance in many patients. This review reports on the state of the art of resistance to ICIs, focusing on HCC, with the aim to provide clear and direct information to clinicians and researchers. Growing knowledge on the mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy can indeed guide the choice of and expand the application of novel combined treatments. Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver cancer and a relevant global health problem. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) represent the most effective systemic treatment for HCC. However, due to primary resistance, approximately 40% of HCC patients do not achieve a disease control with ICIs. Moreover, a similar proportion will experience disease progression after an initial response caused by secondary resistance. This review describes the mechanisms of primary and secondary resistance and reports the ongoing therapeutic strategies to overcome these obstacles.
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15
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Crosstalk between Immune Checkpoint Modulators, Metabolic Reprogramming and Cellular Plasticity in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Curr Oncol 2022; 29:6847-6863. [PMID: 36290817 PMCID: PMC9601266 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol29100540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the major causes of mortality in women worldwide. Accounting for 15-20% of all breast cancer diagnoses, the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype presents with an aggressive clinical course, heightened metastatic potential and the poorest short-term prognosis. TNBC does not respond to hormonal therapy, only partially responds to radio- and chemotherapy, and has limited targeted therapy options, thus underlining the critical need for better therapeutic treatments. Although immunotherapy based on immune checkpoint inhibition is emerging as a promising treatment option for TNBC patients, activation of cellular plasticity programs such as metabolic reprogramming (MR) and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) causes immunotherapy to fail. In this report, we review the role of MR and EMT in immune checkpoint dysregulation in TNBCs and specifically shed light on development of novel combination treatment modalities for this challenging disease. We highlight the clinical relevance of crosstalk between MR, EMT, and immune checkpoints in TNBCs.
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16
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Mullins R, Pal A, Barrett TF, Neal MEH, Puram SV. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity in Tumor Immune Evasion. Cancer Res 2022; 82:2329-2343. [PMID: 35363853 PMCID: PMC9256788 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-4370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a fundamental process that occurs during embryogenesis and tissue repair. However, EMT can be hijacked by malignant cells, where it may promote immune evasion and metastasis. Classically considered a dichotomous transition, EMT in cancer has recently been considered a plastic process whereby malignant cells display and interconvert among hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) states. Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) and associated hybrid E/M states are divergent from classical EMT, with unique immunomodulatory effects. Here, we review recent insights into the EMP-immune cross-talk, highlighting possible mechanisms of immune evasion conferred by hybrid E/M states and roles of immune cells in EMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley Mullins
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A
| | - Ananya Pal
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A
| | - Thomas F Barrett
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A
| | - Molly E Heft Neal
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A
| | - Sidharth V Puram
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.,Corresponding author: Sidharth V. Puram, MD PhD, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., Campus Box 8115, St. Louis, MO 63110, (314) 362-7509,
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17
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Liu J, Wang P, Huang B, Cheng Q, Duan Y, Chen L, Ma T, Zhu C, Li D, Fan W, Yu M. Effective suppression of triple negative breast cancer by paclitaxel nanoparticles conjugated with transmembrane TNF-α monoclonal antibody. Int J Pharm 2022; 624:121969. [PMID: 35803533 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.121969] [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: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Transmembrane TNF-α (tmTNF), a transmembrane form of TNF-α, was reported overexpressed in approximately 84% of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients and has emerged as a valid candidate biomarker for targeting TNBC. Paclitaxel is a first-line chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer, but suffers from low water solubility, resulting in its low bioavailability. To achieve site-specific delivery of the anticancer chemotherapeutic drug (paclitaxel) on TNBC, we developed tmTNF-α monoclonal antibody (mAb)-conjugated paclitaxel (PTX) nanoparticles (NPs) (tmTNF-α mAb-PTX NPs) as potential nanocarriers. This targeted delivery-therapy nanocarriers was conducted by using an emulsification-evaporation method. tmTNF-α mAb-PTX NPs displayed favorable physicochemical properties. Compared with the control groups, tumor growth in human MDA-MB-231 xenograft mice was suppressed significantly by tmTNF-α mAb-PTX NPs. TmTNF-α mAb-PTX NPs exerts anti-tumor effects via promoting apoptosis and regulating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) / protein kinase B (AKT)/ mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) cascade, as well as AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and nuclear factor Kappa-B (NF-κB) pathways. Moreover, tmTNF-α mAb-PTX NPs can inhibit the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in TNBC to suppress tumor progression and metastasis. Together, the novel tmTNF-α mAb-PTX NPs based targeted drug delivery system is a potentially highly effective approach for treating TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacui Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory & Center for Gene Diagnosis, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China; Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xiamen Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Fudan University Xiamen Branch), Xiamen, Fujian 361006, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Pathology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Ben Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210029, China
| | - Qingyuan Cheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory & Center for Gene Diagnosis, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Yiping Duan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory & Center for Gene Diagnosis, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Liangyue Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory & Center for Gene Diagnosis, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Tiantian Ma
- Department of Clinical Laboratory & Center for Gene Diagnosis, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Cuiwen Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory & Center for Gene Diagnosis, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Dongxu Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory & Center for Gene Diagnosis, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Wei Fan
- Department of Pathology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Mingxia Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory & Center for Gene Diagnosis, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
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18
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Fan H, Zhang J, Zou B, He Z. The Role of CEP55 Expression in Tumor Immune Response and Prognosis of Patients with Non-small Cell lung Cancer. ARCHIVES OF IRANIAN MEDICINE 2022; 25:432-442. [DOI: 10.34172/aim.2022.72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Background: With the continuous advancement of diagnostic methods, more and more early-stage Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients are diagnosed. Although many scholars have devoted substantial efforts to investigate the pathogenesis and prognosis of NSCLC, its molecular mechanism is still not well explained. Methods: We retrieved three gene datasets GSE10072, GSE19188 and GSE40791 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and screened and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Then, we performed KEGG and GO functional enrichment analysis, survival analysis, risk analysis and prognosis analysis on the selected hub genes. We constructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and used the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Results: The biological process analysis showed that these genes were mainly enriched in cell division and nuclear division. Survival analysis showed that the genes of CEP55 (centrosomal protein 55), NMU (neuromedin U), CAV1 (Caveolin 1), TBX3 (T-box transcription factor 3), FBLN1 (fibulin 1) and SYNM (synemin) may be involved in the development, invasion or metastasis of NSCLC (P<0.05, logFC>1). Prognostic analysis and independent prognostic analysis showed that the expression of these hub gene-related mRNAs was related to the prognostic risk of NSCLC. Risk analysis showed that the selected hub genes were closely related to the overall survival time of patients with NSCLC. Conclusion: The DEGs and hub genes screened and identified in this study will help us to understand the molecular mechanisms of NSCLC, and CEP55 expression affects the survival and prognosis of patients with NSCLC, and participates in tumor immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyin Fan
- Thoracic Department, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Ultrasound Department, Jiangxi Chest Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Bin Zou
- Thoracic Department, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Zhisheng He
- Thoracic Department, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
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19
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Yang X, Qin C, Zhao B, Li T, Wang Y, Li Z, Li T, Wang W. Long Noncoding RNA and Circular RNA: Two Rising Stars in Regulating Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Pancreatic Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:910678. [PMID: 35719940 PMCID: PMC9204003 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.910678] [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: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly malignant tumor with especially poor prognosis. However, the molecular mechanisms of pancreatic oncogenesis and malignant progression are not fully elucidated. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process is important to drive pancreatic carcinogenesis. Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs(circRNAs) have been characterized to participate in EMT in PDAC, which can affect the migration and invasion of tumor cells by playing important roles in epigenetic processes, transcription, and post-transcriptional regulation. LncRNAs can act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) to sequester target microRNAs(miRNAs), bind to the genes which localize physically nearby, and directly interact with EMT-related proteins. Currently known circRNAs mostly regulate the EMT process in PDAC also by acting as a miRNA sponge, directly affecting the protein degradation process. Therefore, exploring the functions of lncRNAs and circRNAs in EMT during pancreatic cancer might help pancreatic cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Yang
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Qin
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Bangbo Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Tianhao Li
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanyang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zeru Li
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Tianyu Li
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Weibin Wang
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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20
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Beyond Genetics: Metastasis as an Adaptive Response in Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116271. [PMID: 35682953 PMCID: PMC9181003 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic disease represents the primary cause of breast cancer (BC) mortality, yet it is still one of the most enigmatic processes in the biology of this tumor. Metastatic progression includes distinct phases: invasion, intravasation, hematogenous dissemination, extravasation and seeding at distant sites, micro-metastasis formation and metastatic outgrowth. Whole-genome sequencing analyses of primary BC and metastases revealed that BC metastatization is a non-genetically selected trait, rather the result of transcriptional and metabolic adaptation to the unfavorable microenvironmental conditions which cancer cells are exposed to (e.g., hypoxia, low nutrients, endoplasmic reticulum stress and chemotherapy administration). In this regard, the latest multi-omics analyses unveiled intra-tumor phenotypic heterogeneity, which determines the polyclonal nature of breast tumors and constitutes a challenge for clinicians, correlating with patient poor prognosis. The present work reviews BC classification and epidemiology, focusing on the impact of metastatic disease on patient prognosis and survival, while describing general principles and current in vitro/in vivo models of the BC metastatic cascade. The authors address here both genetic and phenotypic intrinsic heterogeneity of breast tumors, reporting the latest studies that support the role of the latter in metastatic spreading. Finally, the review illustrates the mechanisms underlying adaptive stress responses during BC metastatic progression.
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21
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Li HS, Liu CM, Wang Y. Limited role of KRAS mutation in guiding immunotherapy in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Future Oncol 2022; 18:2433-2443. [PMID: 35440164 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2021-1488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of sotorasib (AMG-510) and adagrasib (MRTX-849) has resolved the problem of non-availability of drugs for patients with KRASG12C-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer. However, more research is required before these drugs can be introduced as a first-line treatment for those patients, and there are no available drugs for other non-G12C-mutated patients so far; therefore, immunotherapy remains the optimal first-line treatment in this situation. The role of KRAS in affecting the response to immunotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer has not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this review was to summarize the impact of KRAS mutations, a highly heterogeneous group, on immunotherapy to provide clinicians and researchers with relevant information that can help guide decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Shuai Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Cheng-Ming Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
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22
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Shen JZ, Qiu Z, Wu Q, Zhang G, Harris R, Sun D, Rantala J, Barshop WD, Zhao L, Lv D, Won KA, Wohlschlegel J, Sangfelt O, Laman H, Rich JN, Spruck C. A FBXO7/EYA2-SCF FBXW7 axis promotes AXL-mediated maintenance of mesenchymal and immune evasion phenotypes of cancer cells. Mol Cell 2022; 82:1123-1139.e8. [PMID: 35182481 PMCID: PMC8934274 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A mesenchymal tumor phenotype associates with immunotherapy resistance, although the mechanism is unclear. Here, we identified FBXO7 as a maintenance regulator of mesenchymal and immune evasion phenotypes of cancer cells. FBXO7 bound and stabilized SIX1 co-transcriptional regulator EYA2, stimulating mesenchymal gene expression and suppressing IFNα/β, chemokines CXCL9/10, and antigen presentation machinery, driven by AXL extracellular ligand GAS6. Ubiquitin ligase SCFFBXW7 antagonized this pathway by promoting EYA2 degradation. Targeting EYA2 Tyr phosphatase activity decreased mesenchymal phenotypes and enhanced cancer cell immunogenicity, resulting in attenuated tumor growth and metastasis, increased infiltration of cytotoxic T and NK cells, and enhanced anti-PD-1 therapy response in mouse tumor models. FBXO7 expression correlated with mesenchymal and immune-suppressive signatures in patients with cancer. An FBXO7-immune gene signature predicted immunotherapy responses. Collectively, the FBXO7/EYA2-SCFFBXW7 axis maintains mesenchymal and immune evasion phenotypes of cancer cells, providing rationale to evaluate FBXO7/EYA2 inhibitors in combination with immune-based therapies to enhance onco-immunotherapy responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Z Shen
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Zhixin Qiu
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Qiulian Wu
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Guoxin Zhang
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92037, USA
| | - Rebecca Harris
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Dahui Sun
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | | | - William D Barshop
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Linjie Zhao
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Deguan Lv
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | | | - James Wohlschlegel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Olle Sangfelt
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Heike Laman
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
| | - Jeremy N Rich
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92037, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
| | - Charles Spruck
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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23
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Ge Y, Liu H, Zhang Y, Liu J, Yan R, Xiao Z, Fan X, Huang X, An G. Inhibition of DCLK1 kinase reverses epithelial-mesenchymal transition and restores T-cell activity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Transl Oncol 2022; 17:101317. [PMID: 34998236 PMCID: PMC8739467 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2021.101317] [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: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has recently become a promising cancer therapy with extensive applications of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) appears to be unresponsive to immunotherapy due to the immunosuppressive microenvironment. Recent studies showed that cancer stem cell marker DCLK1 promoted the initiation and development of PDAC. Nevertheless, the mechanism driving this process remains unclear. Here, by performing gain-of-function investigations in PDAC cell lines, we demonstrate that both DCLK1 long (DCLK1-iso1, DCLK1-AS) and short (DCLK1-iso4, DCLK1-BL) isoforms can efficiently activate EMT leading to tumor migration and invasion. Consistent with experiments in vitro, bioinformatic analysis demonstrates that DCLK1 may act as a driver of EMT activation in PDAC. Further analysis showed that EMT was associated with an immunosuppressive microenvironment, which includes more immunosuppressive cells and chemokines, and patients with a higher EMT score were less sensitive to immune checkpoint inhibitors according to the TIDE (Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion) algorithm. Multiplexed immunofluorescence results demonstrated the close correlation between DCLK1, EMT and immunosuppression in PDAC patients. The findings were further confirmed in vivo reflected by decreased CD4+, CD8+ T cells and increased M2 macrophages as well as E-cad loss in DCLK1-overexpressing subcutaneous tumors. Importantly, the highly-specific DCLK1 inhibitor (DCLK1-IN-1) was able to effectively block EMT process and restore T-cell activity. Altogether, our data demonstrate that DCLK1 is strongly associated with tumor immune escape in PDAC and inhibiting DCLK1 kinase activity may be a promising therapeutic modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Ge
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.
| | - Heshu Liu
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Huai-Rou Hospital, Beijing 101400, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Rui Yan
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Zeru Xiao
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Xiaona Fan
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Xuying Huang
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Guangyu An
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.
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24
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Zhang F, Li X, Chen H, Guo J, Xiong Z, Yin S, Jin L, Chen X, Luo D, Tang H, Mao C, Lian L. Mutation of MUC16 Is Associated With Tumor Mutational Burden and Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients With Gastric Cancer. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:836892. [PMID: 35211490 PMCID: PMC8863212 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.836892] [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: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a critical factor in determining the prognosis of gastric cancer (GC), but its underlying mechanism remains unclear. The tumor mutational burden (TMB) has recently been recognized as a biomarker for predicting prognosis and response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, while mucin 16, cell surface associated (MUC16) is frequently mutated in GC. This study explored whether MUC16 mutation status is associated with TMB, LNM, and prognosis in patients with GC. Methods Somatic mutation data were downloaded from three GC cohorts. TMB values were calculated and associations between the TMB and clinical characteristics were analyzed. The mutational landscapes of these three GC cohorts were individually explored and visualized using waterfall diagrams. Univariate logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were performed to screen for mutated genes associated with LNM and overall survival (OS). Associations between MUC16 mutations and TMB, microsatellite instability (MSI), LNM, and tumor microenvironment signatures were explored. Results TMB was associated with LNM and OS in patients with GC. Analyzing the three GC cohorts (The Cancer Genome Atlas-Stomach Adenocarcinoma, International Cancer Genome Consortium [ICGC]-China, and ICGC-Japan) revealed that MUC16 was one of the most frequently mutated genes in patients with GC. MUC16 mutations were associated with better prognosis, including lower LNM rates and improved OS rates. In addition, MUC16 mutation status was associated with TMB and MSI statuses. Fifteen upregulated and 222 downregulated genes were identified in patients with MUC16 mutations, compared to in those in patients with wild-type MUC16. An altered tumor microenvironment signature was also identified in GC samples with MUC16 mutations; it was characterized by significantly decreased infiltration regarding stromal cells, CD4+ T cells, and macrophages. Conclusion MUC16 mutation status was associated with TMB, microsatellite status, LNM, and survival in patients with GC. These findings may provide new insights into the mechanism of LNM and could act as a signpost for prognostic predictions and immunotherapy guidance for patients with GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengxiang Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xianzhe Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huaxian Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianping Guo
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhizhong Xiong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shi Yin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Longyang Jin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xijie Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dandong Luo
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haijie Tang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chaobin Mao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lei Lian
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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25
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Yao J, Zhang Y, Li M, Sun Z, Liu T, Zhao M, Li Z. Single-Cell RNA-Seq Reveals the Promoting Role of Ferroptosis Tendency During Lung Adenocarcinoma EMT Progression. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:822315. [PMID: 35127731 PMCID: PMC8810644 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.822315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and ferroptosis are two important processes in biology. In tumor cells, they are intimately linked. We used single-cell RNA sequencing to investigate the regulatory connection between EMT and ferroptosis tendency in LUAD epithelial cells. We used Seurat to construct the expression matrix using the GEO dataset GSE131907 and extract epithelial cells. We found a positive correlation between the trends of EMT and ferroptosis tendency. Then we used SCENIC to analyze differentially activated transcription factors and constructed a molecular regulatory directed network by causal inference. Some ferroptosis markers (GPX4, SCP2, CAV1) were found to have strong regulatory effects on EMT. Cell communication networks were constructed by iTALK and implied that Ferro_High_EMT_High cells have a higher expression of SDC1, SDC4, and activation of LGALS9-HARVCR2 pathways. By deconvolution of bulk sequencing, the results of CIBERSORTx showed that the co-occurrence of ferroptosis tendency and EMT may lead to tumor metastasis and non-response to immunotherapy. Our findings showed there is a strong correlation between ferroptosis tendency and EMT. Ferroptosis may have a promotive effect on EMT. High propensities of ferroptosis and EMT may lead to poor prognosis and non-response to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxi Yao
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Department of Urology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yuchong Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Mengling Li
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Center of Evidence-Based Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zuyu Sun
- Department of Urology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Department of Urology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- *Correspondence: Tao Liu, ; Mingfang Zhao, ; Zhi Li,
| | - Mingfang Zhao
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- *Correspondence: Tao Liu, ; Mingfang Zhao, ; Zhi Li,
| | - Zhi Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- *Correspondence: Tao Liu, ; Mingfang Zhao, ; Zhi Li,
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26
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Tiwari JK, Negi S, Kashyap M, Nizamuddin S, Singh A, Khattri A. Pan-Cancer Analysis Shows Enrichment of Macrophages, Overexpression of Checkpoint Molecules, Inhibitory Cytokines, and Immune Exhaustion Signatures in EMT-High Tumors. Front Oncol 2022; 11:793881. [PMID: 35096592 PMCID: PMC8790577 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.793881] [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: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a highly dynamic process that occurs under normal circumstances; however, EMT is also known to play a central role in tumor progression and metastasis. Furthermore, role of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in shaping anticancer immunity and inducing the EMT is also well recognized. Understanding the key features of EMT is critical for the development of effective therapeutic interventions. Given the central role of EMT in immune escape and cancer progression and treatment, we have carried out a pan-cancer TIME analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset in context to EMT. We have analyzed infiltration of various immune cells, expression of multiple checkpoint molecules and cytokines, and inflammatory and immune exhaustion gene signatures in 22 cancer types from TCGA dataset. A total of 16 cancer types showed a significantly increased (p < 0.001) infiltration of macrophages in EMT-high tumors (mesenchymal samples). Furthermore, out of the 17 checkpoint molecules we analyzed, 11 showed a significant overexpression (p < 0.001) in EMT-high samples of at least 10 cancer types. Analysis of cytokines showed significant enrichment of immunosuppressive cytokines-TGFB1 and IL10-in the EMT-high group of almost all cancer types. Analysis of various gene signatures showed enrichment of inflammation, exhausted CD8+ T cells, and activated stroma signatures in EMT-high tumors. In summary, our pan-cancer EMT analysis of TCGA dataset shows that the TIME of EMT-high tumors is highly immunosuppressive compared to the EMT-low (epithelial) tumors. The distinctive features of EMT-high tumors are as follows: (i) the enrichment of tumor-associated macrophages, (ii) overexpression of immune checkpoint molecules, (iii) upregulation of immune inhibitory cytokines TGFB1 and IL10, and (iv) enrichment of inflammatory and exhausted CD8+ T-cell signatures. Our study shows that TIMEs of different EMT groups differ significantly, and this would pave the way for future studies analyzing and targeting the TIME regulators for anticancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayesh Kumar Tiwari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Shloka Negi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Manju Kashyap
- Facultad de Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción, Chile
| | - Sheikh Nizamuddin
- Department of Urology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Freiburg, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Amar Singh
- Schulze Diabetes Institute, Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Arun Khattri
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
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27
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Yang Y, Meng WJ, Wang ZQ. Cancer Stem Cells and the Tumor Microenvironment in Gastric Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 11:803974. [PMID: 35047411 PMCID: PMC8761735 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.803974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) might be responsible for tumor initiation, relapse, metastasis and treatment resistance of GC. The tumor microenvironment (TME) comprises tumor cells, immune cells, stromal cells and other extracellular components, which plays a pivotal role in tumor progression and therapy resistance. The properties of CSCs are regulated by cells and extracellular matrix components of the TME in some unique manners. This review will summarize current literature regarding the effects of CSCs and TME on the progression and therapy resistance of GC, while emphasizing the potential for developing successful anti-tumor therapy based on targeting the TME and CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wen-Jian Meng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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28
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Chang A, Sloan EK, Antoni MH, Knight JM, Telles R, Lutgendorf SK. Biobehavioral Pathways and Cancer Progression: Insights for Improving Well-Being and Cancer Outcomes. Integr Cancer Ther 2022; 21:15347354221096081. [PMID: 35579197 PMCID: PMC9118395 DOI: 10.1177/15347354221096081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between psychosocial factors and cancer has intrigued people for centuries. In the last several decades there has been an expansion of mechanistic research that has revealed insights regarding how stress activates neuroendocrine stress-response systems to impact cancer progression. Here, we review emerging mechanistic findings on key pathways implicated in the effect of stress on cancer progression, including the cellular immune response, inflammation, angiogenesis, and metastasis, with a primary focus on the mediating role of the sympathetic nervous system. We discuss converging findings from preclinical and clinical cancer research that describe these pathways and research that reveals how these stress pathways may be targeted via pharmacological and mind-body based interventions. While further research is required, the body of work reviewed here highlights the need for and feasibility of an integrated approach to target stress pathways in cancer patients to achieve comprehensive cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aeson Chang
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Drug Discovery Biology, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Erica K. Sloan
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Drug Discovery Biology, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Division of Surgery, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael H. Antoni
- Departments of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Behavioral Sciences, and Cancer Control Program, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jennifer M. Knight
- Department of Psychiatry and Cancer Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Rachel Telles
- Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Urology, and Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Susan K. Lutgendorf
- Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Urology, and Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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29
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Furukawa K, Hatakeyama K, Terashima M, Nagashima T, Urakami K, Ohshima K, Notsu A, Sugino T, Yagi T, Fujiya K, Kamiya S, Hikage M, Tanizawa Y, Bando E, Kanai Y, Akiyama Y, Yamaguchi K. Molecular classification of gastric cancer predicts survival in patients undergoing radical gastrectomy based on project HOPE. Gastric Cancer 2022; 25:138-148. [PMID: 34476642 DOI: 10.1007/s10120-021-01242-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastric cancer (GC) has been classified based on molecular profiling like The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Asian Cancer Research Group (ACRG), and attempts have been made to establish therapeutic strategies based on these classifications. However, it is difficult to predict the survival according to these classifications especially in radically resected patients. We aimed to establish a new molecular classification of GC which predicts the survival in patients undergoing radical gastrectomy. METHODS The present study included 499 Japanese patients with advanced GC undergoing radical (R0/R1) gastrectomy. Whole-exome sequencing, panel sequencing, and gene expression profiling were conducted (High-tech Omics-based Patient Evaluation [Project HOPE]). We classified patients according to TCGA and ACRG subtypes, and evaluated the clinicopathologic features and survival. Then, we attempted to classify patients according to their molecular profiles associated with biological features and survival (HOPE classification). RESULTS TCGA and ACRG classifications failed to predict the survival. In HOPE classification, hypermutated (HMT) tumors were selected first as a distinctive feature, and T-cell-inflamed expression signature-high (TCI) tumors were then extracted. Finally, the remaining tumors were divided by the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) expression signature. HOPE classification significantly predicted the disease-specific and overall survival (p < 0.001 and 0.020, respectively). HMT + TCI showed the best survival, while EMT-high showed the worst survival. The HOPE classification was successfully validated in the TCGA cohort. CONCLUSIONS We established a new molecular classification of gastric cancer that predicts the survival in patients undergoing radical surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichiro Furukawa
- Division of Gastric Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan.,Department of Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Keiichi Hatakeyama
- Medical Genetics Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan
| | - Masanori Terashima
- Division of Gastric Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan.
| | - Takeshi Nagashima
- Cancer Diagnostics Research Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan.,SRL Inc., Shinjuku Mitsui Building, 2-1-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 163-0403, Japan
| | - Kenichi Urakami
- Cancer Diagnostics Research Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan
| | - Keiichi Ohshima
- Medical Genetics Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan
| | - Akifumi Notsu
- Clinical Research Center, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, 1007 Shimonagakubo,Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan
| | - Takashi Sugino
- Division of Pathology, Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan
| | - Taisuke Yagi
- Division of Gastric Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan
| | - Keiichi Fujiya
- Division of Gastric Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kamiya
- Division of Gastric Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan
| | - Makoto Hikage
- Division of Gastric Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan
| | - Yutaka Tanizawa
- Division of Gastric Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan
| | - Etsuro Bando
- Division of Gastric Surgery, Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan
| | - Yae Kanai
- Department of Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yasuto Akiyama
- Immunotheraphy Division, Shizuoka Cancer Center Research Institute, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan
| | - Ken Yamaguchi
- Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007 Shimonagakubo, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka, 411-8777, Japan
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Prinz F, Jonas K, Balihodzic A, Klec C, Reicher A, Barth DA, Riedl J, Gerger A, Kiesslich T, Mayr C, Rinner B, Kargl J, Pichler M. MicroRNA mimics can distort physiological microRNA effects on immune checkpoints by triggering an antiviral interferon response. RNA Biol 2022; 19:1305-1315. [PMID: 36469564 PMCID: PMC9728468 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2022.2152978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The microRNA-200 family has wide-ranging regulatory functions in cancer development and progression. Above all, it is strongly associated with the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process during which cells change their epithelial to a mesenchymal phenotype and acquire invasive characteristics. More recently, miR-200 family members have also been reported to impact the immune evasion of cancer cells by regulating the expression of immunoinhibitory immune checkpoints (ICs) like PD-L1. Therefore, we aimed to comprehensively characterize this miR-200 family as a regulatory interface between EMT and immune evasion mechanisms in biliary tract cancer. Initial correlation analyses and transient overexpression experiments using miRNA mimics suggested miR-200c-3p as a putative regulator of ICs including PD-L1, LGALS9, and IDO1. However, these effects could not be confirmed in stable miR-200c-3p overexpression cell lines, nor in cells transiently transfected with miR-200c-3p mimic from an independent manufacturer. By shifting our efforts towards dissecting the mechanisms leading to these disparate effects, we observed that the initially used miR-200c-3p mimic triggered a double-stranded (ds)RNA-dependent antiviral response. Besides upregulating the ICs, this had substantial cellular consequences including an induction of interferon type I and type III expression, increased levels of intracellular dsRNA sensors, and a significantly altered cellular growth and apoptotic activity.Our study highlights the capability of miRNA mimics to non-specifically induce a dsRNA-mediated antiviral interferon response. Consequently, phenotypic alterations crucially distort physiological miRNA functions and might result in a major misinterpretation of previous and future miRNA studies, especially in the context of IC regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Prinz
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria,Research Unit for Non-Coding RNA and Genome Editing, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Katharina Jonas
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria,Research Unit for Non-Coding RNA and Genome Editing, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Amar Balihodzic
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria,Research Unit for Non-Coding RNA and Genome Editing, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Christiane Klec
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria,Research Unit for Non-Coding RNA and Genome Editing, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Andreas Reicher
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria,Research Unit for Non-Coding RNA and Genome Editing, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Dominik Andreas Barth
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Jakob Riedl
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Armin Gerger
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Tobias Kiesslich
- Center for Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria,Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Christian Mayr
- Center for Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria,Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Beate Rinner
- Division of Biomedical Research, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Julia Kargl
- Division of Pharmacology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Martin Pichler
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria,Research Unit for Non-Coding RNA and Genome Editing, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria,Department of Experimental Therapeutics, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA,CONTACT Martin Pichler Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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Deep Radiotranscriptomics of Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma for Assessing Molecular and Histology Subtypes with a Data-Driven Analysis. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11122383. [PMID: 34943617 PMCID: PMC8700168 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11122383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiogenomic and radiotranscriptomic studies have the potential to pave the way for a holistic decision support system built on genomics, transcriptomics, radiomics, deep features and clinical parameters to assess treatment evaluation and care planning. The integration of invasive and routine imaging data into a common feature space has the potential to yield robust models for inferring the drivers of underlying biological mechanisms. In this non-small cell lung carcinoma study, a multi-omics representation comprised deep features and transcriptomics was evaluated to further explore the synergetic and complementary properties of these diverse multi-view data sources by utilizing data-driven machine learning models. The proposed deep radiotranscriptomic analysis is a feature-based fusion that significantly enhances sensitivity by up to 0.174 and AUC by up to 0.22, compared to the baseline single source models, across all experiments on the unseen testing set. Additionally, a radiomics-based fusion was also explored as an alternative methodology yielding radiomic signatures that are comparable to several previous publications in the field of radiogenomics. Furthermore, the machine learning multi-omics analysis based on deep features and transcriptomics achieved an AUC performance of up to 0.831 ± 0.09/0.925 ± 0.04 for the examined molecular and histology subtypes analysis, respectively. The clinical impact of such high-performing models can add prognostic value and lead to optimal treatment assessment by targeting specific oncogenes, namely the response of tyrosine kinase inhibitors of EGFR mutated or predicting the chemotherapy resistance of KRAS mutated tumors.
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He L, Wick N, Germans SK, Peng Y. The Role of Breast Cancer Stem Cells in Chemoresistance and Metastasis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13246209. [PMID: 34944829 PMCID: PMC8699562 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13246209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains an aggressive disease due to the lack of targeted therapies and low rate of response to chemotherapy that is currently the main treatment modality for TNBC. Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are a small subpopulation of breast tumors and recognized as drivers of tumorigenesis. TNBC tumors are characterized as being enriched for BCSCs. Studies have demonstrated the role of BCSCs as the source of metastatic disease and chemoresistance in TNBC. Multiple targets against BCSCs are now under investigation, with the considerations of either selectively targeting BCSCs or co-targeting BCSCs and non-BCSCs (majority of tumor cells). This review article provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the role of BCSCs in TNBC and the identification of cancer stem cell biomarkers, paving the way for the development of new targeted therapies. The review also highlights the resultant discovery of cancer stem cell targets in TNBC and the ongoing clinical trials treating chemoresistant breast cancer. We aim to provide insights into better understanding the mutational landscape of BCSCs and exploring potential molecular signaling pathways targeting BCSCs to overcome chemoresistance and prevent metastasis in TNBC, ultimately to improve the overall survival of patients with this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin He
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6201 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75235, USA; (L.H.); (N.W.); (S.K.G.)
| | - Neda Wick
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6201 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75235, USA; (L.H.); (N.W.); (S.K.G.)
| | - Sharon Koorse Germans
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6201 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75235, USA; (L.H.); (N.W.); (S.K.G.)
| | - Yan Peng
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6201 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75235, USA; (L.H.); (N.W.); (S.K.G.)
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
- Correspondence:
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Elucidated tumorigenic role of MAML1 and TWIST1 in gastric cancer is associated with Helicobacter pylori infection. Microb Pathog 2021; 162:105304. [PMID: 34818576 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has a fundamental role in tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. Helicobacter pylori (HP) induces EMT and thus causes gastric cancer (GC) by deregulating multiple signaling pathways involved in EMT. TWIST1 and MAML1 have been confirmed to be critical inducers of EMT via diverse signaling pathways such as Notch signaling. This study aimed to investigate for the first time possible associations between TWIST1/MAML1 mRNA expression levels, HP infection, and clinicopathological characteristics in GC patients. METHOD TWIST1 and MAML1 mRNA expression levels were evaluated in tumoral and adjacent normal tissues in 73 GC patients using the quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) method. PCR technique was also applied to examine the infection with HP in GC samples. RESULTS Upregulation of TWIST1 and MAML1 expression was observed in 35 (48%) and 34 (46.6%) of 73 tumor samples, respectively. Co-overexpression of these genes was found in 26 of 73 (35.6%) tumor samples; meanwhile, there was a significant positive correlation between MAML1 and TWIST1 mRNA expression levels (P < 0.001). MAML1 overexpression exhibited meaningful associations with advanced tumor stages (P = 0.006) and nodal metastases (P ˂ 0.001). 34 of 73 (46.6%) tumors tested positive for HP, and meanwhile, MAML1 expression was positively related with T (P = 0.05) and grade (P = 0.0001) in these HP-positive samples. Increased TWIST1 expression was correlated with patient sex (P = 0.035) and advanced tumor grade (P = 0.017) in HP-infected tumors. Furthermore, TWIST1 and MAML1 expression levels were inversely linked with histologic grade in HP-negative tumor samples (P = 0.021 and P = 0.048, respectively). CONCLUSION We propose TWIST1 and MAML1 as potential biomarkers of advanced-stage GC that determine the characteristics and aggressiveness of the disease. Based on accumulating evidence and our findings, they can be introduced as promising therapeutic targets to modify functional abnormalities in cells that promote GC progression. Moreover, HP may enhance GC growth and metastasis by disrupting TWIS1/MAML1 expression patterns and related pathways.
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Liang T, Chen J, Xu G, Zhang Z, Xue J, Zeng H, Jiang J, Chen T, Qin Z, Li H, Ye Z, Nie Y, Liu C, Zhan X. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition interaction with CD8+ T cell, dendritic cell and immune checkpoints in the development of melanoma. Cancer Biomark 2021; 34:131-147. [PMID: 34957999 DOI: 10.3233/cbm-210329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melanoma is fatal cancer originating from melanocytes, whose high metastatic potential leads to an extremely poor prognosis. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to reveal the relationship among EMT, TIICs, and immune checkpoints in melanoma. METHODS Gene expression data and clinical data of melanoma were downloaded from TCGA, UCSC Xena and GEO databases. EMT-related DEGs were detected for risk score calculation. "ESTIMATE" and "xCell" were used for estimating TIICs and obtaining 64 immune cell subtypes, respectively. Moreover, we evaluated the relationship between the risk score and immune cell subtypes and immune checkpoints. RESULTS Seven EMT-related genes were selected to establish a risk scoring system because of their integrated prognostic relevance. The results of GSEA revealed that most of the gene sets focused on immune-related pathways in the low-risk score group. The risk score was significantly correlated with the xCell score of some TIICs, which significantly affected the prognosis of melanoma. Patients with a low-risk score may be associated with a better response to ICI therapy. CONCLUSION The individualized risk score could effectively conduct risk stratification, overall survival prediction, ICI therapy prediction, and TME judgment for patients with melanoma, which would be conducive to patients' precise treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuo Liang
- Department of Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Jiarui Chen
- Department of Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Guoyong Xu
- Department of Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Zide Zhang
- Department of Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Jiang Xue
- Department of Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Haopeng Zeng
- Department of Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Jie Jiang
- Department of Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Tianyou Chen
- Department of Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Zhaojie Qin
- Department of Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Zhen Ye
- Department of Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yunfeng Nie
- Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Chong Liu
- Department of Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Xinli Zhan
- Department of Spine and Osteopathy Ward, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
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Benjamin DJ, Lyou Y. Advances in Immunotherapy and the TGF-β Resistance Pathway in Metastatic Bladder Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13225724. [PMID: 34830879 PMCID: PMC8616345 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Bladder cancer accounts for a significant burden to global public health. Despite advances in therapeutics with the advent of immunotherapy, only a small subset of patients benefit from immunotherapy. In this review, we examine the evidence that suggests that the TGF-β pathway may present a resistance mechanism to immunotherapy. In addition, we present possible therapies that may overcome the TGF-β resistance pathway in the treatment of bladder cancer. Abstract Bladder cancer accounts for nearly 200,000 deaths worldwide yearly. Urothelial carcinoma (UC) accounts for nearly 90% of cases of bladder cancer. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy has remained the mainstay of treatment in the first-line setting for locally advanced or metastatic UC. More recently, the treatment paradigm in the second-line setting was drastically altered with the approval of several immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Given that only a small subset of patients respond to ICI, further studies have been undertaken to understand potential resistance mechanisms to ICI. One potential resistance mechanism that has been identified in the setting of metastatic UC is the TGF-β signaling pathway. Several pre-clinical and ongoing clinical trials in multiple advanced tumor types have evaluated several therapies that target the TGF-β pathway. In addition, there are ongoing and planned clinical trials combining TGF-β inhibition with ICI, which may provide a promising therapeutic approach for patients with advanced and metastatic UC.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Benjamin
- Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, UC Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA 92868, USA;
| | - Yung Lyou
- Department of Medical Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-626-256-2805; Fax: +1-625-301-8233
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Llinàs-Arias P, Íñiguez-Muñoz S, McCann K, Voorwerk L, Orozco JIJ, Ensenyat-Mendez M, Sesé B, DiNome ML, Marzese DM. Epigenetic Regulation of Immunotherapy Response in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4139. [PMID: 34439290 PMCID: PMC8394958 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13164139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is defined by the absence of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression. This malignancy, representing 15-20% of breast cancers, is a clinical challenge due to the lack of targeted treatments, higher intrinsic aggressiveness, and worse outcomes than other breast cancer subtypes. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown promising efficacy for early-stage and advanced TNBC, but this seems limited to a subgroup of patients. Understanding the underlying mechanisms that determine immunotherapy efficiency is essential to identifying which TNBC patients will respond to immunotherapy-based treatments and help to develop new therapeutic strategies. Emerging evidence supports that epigenetic alterations, including aberrant chromatin architecture conformation and the modulation of gene regulatory elements, are critical mechanisms for immune escape. These alterations are particularly interesting since they can be reverted through the inhibition of epigenetic regulators. For that reason, several recent studies suggest that the combination of epigenetic drugs and immunotherapeutic agents can boost anticancer immune responses. In this review, we focused on the contribution of epigenetics to the crosstalk between immune and cancer cells, its relevance on immunotherapy response in TNBC, and the potential benefits of combined treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pere Llinàs-Arias
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07120 Palma, Spain; (P.L.-A.); (S.Í.-M.); (M.E.-M.); (B.S.)
| | - Sandra Íñiguez-Muñoz
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07120 Palma, Spain; (P.L.-A.); (S.Í.-M.); (M.E.-M.); (B.S.)
| | - Kelly McCann
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
| | - Leonie Voorwerk
- Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Javier I. J. Orozco
- Saint John’s Cancer Institute, Providence Saint John’s Health Center, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA;
| | - Miquel Ensenyat-Mendez
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07120 Palma, Spain; (P.L.-A.); (S.Í.-M.); (M.E.-M.); (B.S.)
| | - Borja Sesé
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07120 Palma, Spain; (P.L.-A.); (S.Í.-M.); (M.E.-M.); (B.S.)
| | - Maggie L. DiNome
- Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA;
| | - Diego M. Marzese
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory at the Cancer Cell Biology Group, Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa), 07120 Palma, Spain; (P.L.-A.); (S.Í.-M.); (M.E.-M.); (B.S.)
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Oliveira BSAD, de Assis ACC, Souza NM, Ferreira LFR, Soriano RN, Bilal M, Iqbal HMN. Nanotherapeutic approach to tackle chemotherapeutic resistance of cancer stem cells. Life Sci 2021; 279:119667. [PMID: 34087280 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Estimates indicate that cancer will become the leading cause of mortality worldwide in the future. Tumorigenesis is a complex process that involves self-sufficiency in signs of growth, insensitivity to anti-growth signals, prevention of apoptosis, unlimited replication, sustained angiogenesis, tissue invasion, and metastasis. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have an important role in tumor development and resistance. Here we will approach phenotypic plasticity capacity, highly efficient DNA repair systems, anti-apoptotic machinery, sustained stemness features, interaction with the tumor microenvironment, and Notch, Wnt, and Hedgehog signaling pathways. The researches about CSCs as a target in cancer treatment has been growing. Many different options have pointed beneficial results, such as pathways and CSC-surface markers targeting. Besides its limitations, nanotherapeutics have emerged as a potential strategy in this context since they aim to improve pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and reduce the side effects observed in traditional treatments. Nanoparticles have been studied in this field, mostly for drug delivery and a multitherapy approach. Another widely researched approaches in this area are related to heat therapy, such as photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy and magnetic hyperthermia, besides molecular targeting. This review will contemplate the most relevant studies that have shown the effects of nanotherapeutics. In conclusion, although the studies analyzed are mostly preclinical, we believe that there is strong evidence that nanoparticles can increase the chances of a better prognosis to cancer in the future. It is also essential to transpose these findings to the clinic to confirm and better understand the role of nanotherapeutics in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Stefane Alves de Oliveira
- Undergradute student, Department of Medicine, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Governador Valadares, MG 35032-620, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Correa de Assis
- Undergradute student, Department of Medicine, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Governador Valadares, MG 35032-620, Brazil
| | - Natália Melo Souza
- Undergradute student, Department of Medicine, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Governador Valadares, MG 35032-620, Brazil
| | - Luiz Fernando Romanholo Ferreira
- Graduate Program in Process Engineering, Tiradentes University (UNIT), Av. Murilo Dantas, 300, Farolândia, 49032-490 Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil; Institute of Technology and Research (ITP), Tiradentes University (UNIT), Av. Murilo Dantas, 300, Farolândia, 49032-490 Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil
| | - Renato Nery Soriano
- Division of Physiology and Biophysics, Department of Basic Life Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Governador Valadares, MG 35010-177, Brazil
| | - Muhammad Bilal
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian 223003, China.
| | - Hafiz M N Iqbal
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey 64849, Mexico.
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Zhuang H, Chen X, Wang Y, Huang S, Chen B, Zhang C, Hou B. Identification of LIPH as an unfavorable biomarkers correlated with immune suppression or evasion in pancreatic cancer based on RNA-seq. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 71:601-612. [PMID: 34279685 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-021-03019-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is widely considered that pancreatic cancer (PC) is an immunosuppressive cancer. Immune-based therapies remain promising therapeutic strategies for PC. Overexpression of lipase H (LIPH) was reported to be related to immunity in cattle and has also been demonstrated to promote tumor progression in several tumors, but its role in pancreatic carcinogenesis remains unclear. Study on LIPH in PC might provide a new insight into the immunosuppression in PC. METHODS The potential biological and clinical significance of LIPH was evaluated by bioinformatics analysis. We further investigated potential associations between the expression of LIPH and tumor immune infiltration using the CIBERSORT algorithm, the ESTIMAT algorithm, and single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). RESULTS LIPH was significantly overexpressed in tumor tissues compared with normal tissues. LIPH overexpression correlated with tumor recurrence, advanced histologic grade, and poorer overall survival (OS). Four of the most common somatic mutation, including KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4, in PC were all correlated with high LIPH expression. And high LIPH expression was significantly correlated with KRAS activation and SMAD4 inactivation. Besides, LIPH expression was involved in various biological pathways such as negative regulation of cell-cell adhesion, actin cytoskeleton, EMT, angiogenesis, and signaling by MST1. And LIPH overexpression caused high infiltration of TAMs, Treg cells, and Th2/Th1, but reduced the infiltration of CD8+ T cells and Th1 cells. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrated that LIPH correlated with immune suppression or evasion and may function as a novel unfavorable prognostic biomarker in PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongkai Zhuang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.,Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Xinming Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shenshan Central Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shanwei, 516600, China
| | - Ying Wang
- The Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Shanzhou Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Bo Chen
- Department of Breast Cancer, Cancer Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Chuanzhao Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Baohua Hou
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
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Li Y, Weng Y, Pan Y, Huang Z, Chen X, Hong W, Lin T, Wang L, Liu W, Qiu S. A Novel Prognostic Signature Based on Metabolism-Related Genes to Predict Survival and Guide Personalized Treatment for Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:685026. [PMID: 34195087 PMCID: PMC8236898 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.685026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming contributes to patient prognosis. Here, we aimed to reveal the comprehensive landscape in metabolism of head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC), and establish a novel metabolism-related prognostic model to explore the clinical potential and predictive value on therapeutic response. We screened 4752 metabolism-related genes (MRGs) and then identified differentially expressed MRGs in HNSCC. A novel 10-MRGs risk model for prognosis was established by the univariate Cox regression analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression analysis, and then verified in both internal and external validation cohort. Kaplan-Meier analysis was employed to explore its prognostic power on the response of conventional therapy. The immune cell infiltration was also evaluated and we used tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) algorithm to estimate potential response of immunotherapy in different risk groups. Nomogram model was constructed to further predict patients’ prognoses. We found the MRGs-related prognostic model showed good prediction performance. Survival analysis indicated that patients suffered obviously poorer survival outcomes in high-risk group (p < 0.001). The metabolism-related signature was further confirmed to be the independent prognostic value of HNSCC (HR = 6.387, 95% CI = 3.281-12.432, p < 0.001), the efficacy of predictive model was also verified by internal and external validation cohorts. We observed that HNSCC patients would benefit from the application of chemotherapy in the low-risk group (p = 0.029). Immunotherapy may be effective for HNSCC patients with high risk score (p < 0.01). Furthermore, we established a predictive nomogram model for clinical application with high performance. Our study constructed and validated a promising 10-MRGs signature for monitoring outcome, which may provide potential indicators for metabolic therapy and therapeutic response prediction in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Youliang Weng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuhui Pan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zongwei Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaochuan Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wenquan Hong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ting Lin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lihua Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Sufang Qiu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
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Shrestha R, Bridle KR, Cao L, Crawford DHG, Jayachandran A. Dual Targeting of Sorafenib-Resistant HCC-Derived Cancer Stem Cells. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 28:2150-2172. [PMID: 34208001 PMCID: PMC8293268 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol28030200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sorafenib, an oral multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been the first-line therapy for the treatment of patients with advanced HCC, providing a survival benefit of only three months in approximately 30% of patients. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a rare tumour subpopulation with self-renewal and differentiation capabilities, and have been implicated in tumour growth, recurrence and drug resistance. The process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to the generation and maintenance of the CSC population, resulting in immune evasion and therapy resistance in several cancers, including HCC. The aim of this study is to target the chemoresistant CSC population in HCC by assessing the effectiveness of a combination treatment approach with Sorafenib, an EMT inhibitor and an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI). A stem-cell-conditioned serum-free medium was utilised to enrich the CSC population from the human HCC cell lines Hep3B, PLC/PRF/5 and HepG2. The anchorage independent spheres were characterised for CSC features. The human HCC-derived spheres were assessed for EMT status and expression of immune checkpoint molecules. The effect of combination treatment with SB431542, an EMT inhibitor, and siRNA-mediated knockdown of programmed cell death protein ligand-1 (PD-L1) or CD73 along with Sorafenib on human HCC-derived CSCs was examined with cell viability and apoptosis assays. The three-dimensional spheres enriched from human HCC cell lines demonstrated CSC-like features. The human HCC-derived CSCs also exhibited the EMT phenotype along with the upregulation of immune checkpoint molecules. The combined treatment with SB431542 and siRNA-mediated PD-L1 or CD73 knockdown effectively enhanced the cytotoxicity of Sorafenib against the CSC population compared to Sorafenib alone, as evidenced by the reduced size and proliferation of spheres. Furthermore, the combination treatment of Sorafenib with SB431542 and PD-L1 or CD73 siRNA resulted in an increased proportion of an apoptotic population, as evidenced by flow cytometry analysis. In conclusion, the combined targeting of EMT and immune checkpoint molecules with Sorafenib can effectively target the CSC tumour subpopulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritu Shrestha
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4120, Australia; (R.S.); (K.R.B.); (L.C.); (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; (R.S.); (K.R.B.); (L.C.); (D.H.G.C.)
- Gallipoli Medical Research Institute, Greenslopes Private Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4120, Australia
| | - Lu Cao
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4120, Australia; (R.S.); (K.R.B.); (L.C.); (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; (R.S.); (K.R.B.); (L.C.); (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; (R.S.); (K.R.B.); (L.C.); (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: ; Tel.: +61-4-2424-8058
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Gómez-Valenzuela F, Escobar E, Pérez-Tomás R, Montecinos VP. The Inflammatory Profile of the Tumor Microenvironment, Orchestrated by Cyclooxygenase-2, Promotes Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Front Oncol 2021; 11:686792. [PMID: 34178680 PMCID: PMC8222670 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.686792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) corresponds to a complex and dynamic interconnection between the extracellular matrix and malignant cells and their surrounding stroma composed of immune and mesenchymal cells. The TME has constant cellular communication through cytokines that sustain an inflammatory profile, which favors tumor progression, angiogenesis, cell invasion, and metastasis. Although the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) represents a relevant metastasis-initiating event that promotes an invasive phenotype in malignant epithelial cells, its relationship with the inflammatory profile of the TME is poorly understood. Previous evidence strongly suggests that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) overexpression, a pro-inflammatory enzyme related to chronic unresolved inflammation, is associated with common EMT-signaling pathways. This review article summarizes how COX-2 overexpression, within the context of the TME, orchestrates the EMT process and promotes initial metastatic-related events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernán Gómez-Valenzuela
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Enrico Escobar
- Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ricardo Pérez-Tomás
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapy - Bellvitge, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Viviana P Montecinos
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Liu Y, Teng L, Fu S, Wang G, Li Z, Ding C, Wang H, Bi L. Highly heterogeneous-related genes of triple-negative breast cancer: potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:644. [PMID: 34053447 PMCID: PMC8165798 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08318-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly heterogeneous subtype of breast cancer, showing aggressive clinical behaviors and poor outcomes. It urgently needs new therapeutic strategies to improve the prognosis of TNBC. Bioinformatics analyses have been widely used to identify potential biomarkers for facilitating TNBC diagnosis and management. Methods We identified potential biomarkers and analyzed their diagnostic and prognostic values using bioinformatics approaches. Including differential expression gene (DEG) analysis, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, functional enrichment analysis, Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network construction, survival analysis, multivariate Cox regression analysis, and Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF). Results A total of 105 DEGs were identified between TNBC and other breast cancer subtypes, which were regarded as heterogeneous-related genes. Subsequently, the KEGG enrichment analysis showed that these genes were significantly enriched in ‘cell cycle’ and ‘oocyte meiosis’ related pathways. Four (FAM83B, KITLG, CFD and RBM24) of 105 genes were identified as prognostic signatures in the disease-free interval (DFI) of TNBC patients, as for progression-free interval (PFI), five genes (FAM83B, EXO1, S100B, TYMS and CFD) were obtained. Time-dependent ROC analysis indicated that the multivariate Cox regression models, which were constructed based on these genes, had great predictive performances. Finally, the survival analysis of TNBC subtypes (mesenchymal stem-like [MSL] and mesenchymal [MES]) suggested that FAM83B significantly affected the prognosis of patients. Conclusions The multivariate Cox regression models constructed from four heterogeneous-related genes (FAM83B, KITLG, RBM24 and S100B) showed great prediction performance for TNBC patients’ prognostic. Moreover, FAM83B was an important prognostic feature in several TNBC subtypes (MSL and MES). Our findings provided new biomarkers to facilitate the targeted therapies of TNBC and TNBC subtypes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08318-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiduo Liu
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Linxin Teng
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shiyi Fu
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guiyang Wang
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhengjun Li
- College of Health Economics Management, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chao Ding
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haodi Wang
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lei Bi
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China.
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Busuioc C, Ciocan-Cartita CA, Braicu C, Zanoaga O, Raduly L, Trif M, Muresan MS, Ionescu C, Stefan C, Crivii C, Al Hajjar N, Mǎrgǎrit S, Berindan-Neagoe I. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Gene Signature Related to Prognostic in Colon Adenocarcinoma. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11060476. [PMID: 34073426 PMCID: PMC8229043 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11060476] [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: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) remains an important cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key mechanism, promoting not only the invasive or metastatic phenotype but also resistance to therapy. Using bioinformatics approaches, we studied the alteration on EMT related genes and its implication on COAD prognostic based on public datasets. For the EMT mechanisms, two overexpressed genes were identified (NOX4 and IGF2BP3), as well as five downregulated genes (BMP5, DACT3, EEF1A2, GCNT2 and SFRP1) that were related to prognosis in COAD. A qRT-PCR validation step was conducted in a COAD patient cohort comprising of 29 tumor tissues and 29 normal adjacent tissues, endorsing the expression level for BMP5, as well as for two of the miRNAs targeting key EMT related genes, revealing upregulation of miR-27a-5p and miR-146a-5p. The EMT signature can be used to develop a panel of biomarkers for recurrence prediction in COAD patients, which may contribute to the improvement of risk stratification for the patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantin Busuioc
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 40015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.B.); (C.A.C.-C.); (C.B.); (O.Z.); (L.R.); (I.B.-N.)
| | - Cristina Alexandra Ciocan-Cartita
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 40015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.B.); (C.A.C.-C.); (C.B.); (O.Z.); (L.R.); (I.B.-N.)
| | - Cornelia Braicu
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 40015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.B.); (C.A.C.-C.); (C.B.); (O.Z.); (L.R.); (I.B.-N.)
| | - Oana Zanoaga
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 40015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.B.); (C.A.C.-C.); (C.B.); (O.Z.); (L.R.); (I.B.-N.)
| | - Lajos Raduly
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 40015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.B.); (C.A.C.-C.); (C.B.); (O.Z.); (L.R.); (I.B.-N.)
| | - Monica Trif
- Centre for Innovative Process Engineering (CENTIV) GmbH, 28857 Syke, Germany;
| | - Mihai-Stefan Muresan
- 7th Surgical Department, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.-S.M.); (C.I.)
- Surgical Department, Municipal Hospital, 400139 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Calin Ionescu
- 7th Surgical Department, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.-S.M.); (C.I.)
- Surgical Department, Municipal Hospital, 400139 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cristina Stefan
- Sing Duke-NUS Global Health Institute Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore;
| | - Carmen Crivii
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence: (C.C.); (S.M.)
| | - Nadim Al Hajjar
- Department of Surgery, Octavian Fodor Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 19–21 Croitorilor Street, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 19–21 Croitorilor Street, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simona Mǎrgǎrit
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care I, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 19–21 Croitorilor Street, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, Octavian Fodor Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 19–21 Croitorilor Street, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence: (C.C.); (S.M.)
| | - Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 40015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.B.); (C.A.C.-C.); (C.B.); (O.Z.); (L.R.); (I.B.-N.)
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Suárez-Arriaga MC, Méndez-Tenorio A, Pérez-Koldenkova V, Fuentes-Pananá EM. Claudin-Low Breast Cancer Inflammatory Signatures Support Polarization of M1-Like Macrophages with Protumoral Activity. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2248. [PMID: 34067089 PMCID: PMC8125772 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13092248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously reported that triple-negative breast cancer (BRCA) cells overexpress the cytokines GM-CSF, G-CSF, MCP-1, and RANTES, and when monocytes were 3-D co-cultured with them, M1-like macrophages were generated with the ability to induce aggressive features in luminal BRCA cell lines. These include upregulation of mesenchymal and stemness markers and invasion. In this study, we stimulated peripheral blood monocytes with the four cytokines and confirmed their capacity to generate protumoral M1-like macrophages. Using the METABRIC BRCA database, we observed that GM-CSF, MCP-1, and RANTES are associated with triple-negative BRCA and reduced overall survival, particularly in patients under 55 years of age. We propose an extended M1-like macrophage proinflammatory signature connected with these three cytokines. We found that the extended M1-like macrophage signature coexists with monocyte/macrophage, Th1 immune response, and immunosuppressive signatures, and all are enriched in claudin-low BRCA samples, and correlate with reduced patient overall survival. Furthermore, we observed that all these signatures are also present in mesenchymal carcinomas of the colon (COAD) and bladder (BLCA). The claudin-low tumor subtype has an adverse clinical outcome and remains poorly understood. This study places M1 macrophages as potential protumoral drivers in already established cancers, and as potential contributors to claudin-low aggressiveness and poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayra Cecilia Suárez-Arriaga
- Unidad de Investigación en Virología y Cáncer, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City 06720, Mexico;
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología y Bioinformática Genómica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico;
| | - Alfonso Méndez-Tenorio
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología y Bioinformática Genómica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico;
| | - Vadim Pérez-Koldenkova
- Laboratorio Nacional de Microscopía Avanzada, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 06720, Mexico;
| | - Ezequiel M. Fuentes-Pananá
- Unidad de Investigación en Virología y Cáncer, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City 06720, Mexico;
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Sung JY, Cheong JH. Pan-Cancer Analysis Reveals Distinct Metabolic Reprogramming in Different Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Activity States. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13081778. [PMID: 33917859 PMCID: PMC8068218 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Recent genomic classification of tumors has stated that clinically refractory cancers aggregate as a distinct molecular subtype associated with epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT subtype tumors are clinically intractable due to shared malignant characteristics such as poor prognosis and metastasis and are resistant to chemotherapy and immune checkpoint blockades. Therefore, there is an urgent clinical need for the identification of potential therapeutic targets for this tumor subtype. Here, we profiled the metabolic signatures of 9452 samples across 31 cancer types based on EMT activity and identified that ~80 to 90% of cancer types had high carbohydrate and energy metabolism associated with the high EMT state. Furthermore, we identified CHST14 as a potential metabolic target for the EMT subtype for stomach cancer associated with reprogramming of energy metabolism. Our analyses identified metabolic reprogramming associated with EMT, suggesting metabolism-associated targets for clinically refractory cancer subtypes. Abstract Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is critical for cancer development, invasion, and metastasis. Its activity influences metabolic reprogramming, tumor aggressiveness, and patient survival. Abnormal tumor metabolism has been identified as a cancer hallmark and is considered a potential therapeutic target. We profiled distinct metabolic signatures by EMT activity using data from 9452 transcriptomes across 31 different cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Our results demonstrated that ~80 to 90% of cancer types had high carbohydrate and energy metabolism, which were associated with the high EMT group. Notably, among the distinct EMT activities, metabolic reprogramming in different immune microenvironments was correlated with patient prognosis. Nine cancer types showed a significant difference in survival with the presence of high EMT activity. Stomach cancer showed elevated energy metabolism and was associated with an unfavorable prognosis (p < 0.0068) coupled with high expression of CHST14, indicating that it may serve as a potential drug target. Our analyses highlight the prevalence of cancer type-dependent EMT and metabolic reprogramming activities and identified metabolism-associated genes that may serve as potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Yong Sung
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea;
| | - Jae-Ho Cheong
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea;
- Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
- Yonsei Biomedical Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-2228-2094
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Taki M, Abiko K, Ukita M, Murakami R, Yamanoi K, Yamaguchi K, Hamanishi J, Baba T, Matsumura N, Mandai M. Tumor Immune Microenvironment during Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:4669-4679. [PMID: 33827891 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-4459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been shown to play a critical role in tumor development from initiation to metastasis. EMT could be regarded as a continuum, with intermediate hybrid epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes having high plasticity. Classical EMT is characterized by the phenotype change of epithelial cells to cells with mesenchymal properties, but EMT is also associated with multiple other molecular processes, including tumor immune evasion. Some previous studies have shown that EMT is associated with the cell number of immunosuppressive cells, such as myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and the expression of immune checkpoints, such as programmed cell death-ligand 1, in several cancer types. At the molecular level, EMT transcriptional factors, including Snail, Zeb1, and Twist1, produce or attract immunosuppressive cells or promote the expression of immunosuppressive checkpoint molecules via chemokine production, leading to a tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. In turn, immunosuppressive factors induce EMT in tumor cells. This feedback loop between EMT and immunosuppression promotes tumor progression. For therapy directly targeting EMT has been challenging, the elucidation of the interactive regulation of EMT and immunosuppression is desirable for developing new therapeutic approaches in cancer. The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and immunotherapy targeting immunosuppressive cells could be a promising therapy for EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mana Taki
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Kaoru Abiko
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Hospital Organization Kyoto Medical Center, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masayo Ukita
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryusuke Murakami
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Koji Yamanoi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ken Yamaguchi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Junzo Hamanishi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Baba
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Iwate, Japan
| | - Noriomi Matsumura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University, Osaka-sayama, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masaki Mandai
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
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Bartlett AQ, Pennock ND, Klug A, Schedin P. Immune Milieu Established by Postpartum Liver Involution Promotes Breast Cancer Liver Metastasis. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1698. [PMID: 33916683 PMCID: PMC8038410 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13071698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In rodents, we identified a physiologic process within the normal liver that creates a pre-metastatic niche. This physiology is weaning-induced liver involution, characterized by hepatocyte cell death, immune influx, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Here, using weaning-induced liver involution as a model of a physiologically regulated pro-metastatic niche, we investigate how liver involution supports breast cancer metastasis. Liver metastases were induced in BALB/c immune competent hosts by portal vein injection of D2OR (low metastatic) or D2A1 (high metastatic) mouse mammary tumor cells. Tumor incidence and multiplicity increased in involution hosts with no evidence of a proliferation advantage. D2OR tumor cell extravasation, seeding, and early survival were not enhanced in the involuting group compared to the nulliparous group. Rather, the involution metastatic advantage was observed at 14 days post tumor cell injection. This metastatic advantage associated with induction of immune tolerance in the involution host liver, reproductive state dependent intra-tumoral immune composition, and CD8-dependent suppression of metastases in nulliparous hosts. Our findings suggest that the normal postpartum liver is in an immune suppressed state, which can provide a pro-metastatic advantage to circulating breast cancer cells. Potential relevance to women is suggested as a postpartum diagnosis of breast cancer is an independent predictor of liver metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Q. Bartlett
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; (A.Q.B.); (N.D.P.); (A.K.)
| | - Nathan D. Pennock
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; (A.Q.B.); (N.D.P.); (A.K.)
| | - Alex Klug
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; (A.Q.B.); (N.D.P.); (A.K.)
| | - Pepper Schedin
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; (A.Q.B.); (N.D.P.); (A.K.)
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97201, USA
- Young Women’s Breast Cancer Translational Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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Yu H, Gu D, Yue C, Xu J, Yan F, He X. An Immune Cell-Based Signature Associating With EMT Phenotype Predicts Postoperative Overall Survival of ESCC. Front Oncol 2021; 11:636479. [PMID: 33869022 PMCID: PMC8047630 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.636479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the deadliest solid malignancies and has a poor survival rate worldwide. In this study, we aimed to establish a tumor-infiltrating immune cell-based prognosis signature (IPS) to predict patients’ survival times and aid in the development of targeted therapies or immunotherapies. The abundances of 22 types of immune cells were determined by the CIBERSORT algorithm from ESCC patient gene expression data in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) training set (n = 179) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) validation set (n = 95). Then, the IPS was established by using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with high IPS scores had significantly worse overall survival times than patients with low IPS scores in both the training set and the validation set (log-rank p = 0.001, and p = 0.050, respectively). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses proved that the IPS was a robust prognostic factor for ESCC, independent of age, sex, tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage, pathology grade, and tumor location. In the mechanistic study, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process was identified by both gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) as the underlying mechanism by which the IPS affects the prognosis of ESCC. After systematic correlation analyses, we found that M2 macrophages were the only cell type in the IPS significantly correlated with the EMT process. This relationship between M2 macrophage infiltration and the EMT phenotype was also confirmed by our preliminary immunochemistry (IHC) and multiplexed immunofluorescence study. In conclusion, we constructed an IPS that predicts the postoperative prognosis of ESCC patients and uncovered the critical role of M2 macrophages in the interplay between immune status and the EMT phenotype in ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongliang Yu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Dayong Gu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Chao Yue
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianhua Xu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Feng Yan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Xia He
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
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GTF2IRD1 overexpression promotes tumor progression and correlates with less CD8+ T cells infiltration in pancreatic cancer. Biosci Rep 2021; 40:226431. [PMID: 32936232 PMCID: PMC7527428 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20202150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: General Transcription Factor II-I Repeat Domain-Containing Protein 1 (GTF2IRD1) is a member of the GTF21 gene family, which encodes a set of multifunctional transcription factors. However, the potential function of GTF2IRD1 in pancreatic cancer (PC) still remains unknown. Study on GTF2IRD1 might provide a new insight into the carcinogenesis and therapeutics of PC. Methods: In the current study, the clinical significance and potential biological of GTF2IRD1 were evaluated by bioinformatics analysis. The oncogenic role of GTF2IRD1 in PC was also determined using in vitro studies. Possible associations between GTF2IRD1 expression and tumor immunity were analyzed using ESTIMATE algorithm and single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA). Results: GTF2IRD1 expression was significantly up-regulated in tumor tissues, and positively associated with higher histologic grade, higher American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, and worse prognosis. Function enrichment analysis demonstrated that GTF2IRD1 may be involved in pancreatic adenocarcinoma pathway, TGF-β signaling pathway, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) related biological functions, such as T-cell receptor signaling pathway, leukocyte transendothelial migration, resistin as a regulator of inflammation, and regulation of leukocyte-mediated cytotoxicity. Knockdown of GTF2IRD1 expression inhibited cancer cell proliferation, colony formation, and invasion in vitro. ESTIMATE algorithm and ssGSEA demonstrated that GTF2IRD1 expression negatively correlated with the infiltration and anti-tumor activity of TILs, especially for CD8+ T cells. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that GTF2IRD1 overexpression promotes tumor progression and correlates with less CD8+ T cells infiltration in PC.
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Mezi S, Botticelli A, Pomati G, Cerbelli B, Scagnoli S, Amirhassankhani S, d’Amati G, Marchetti P. Standard of Care and Promising New Agents for the Treatment of Mesenchymal Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1080. [PMID: 33802438 PMCID: PMC7959307 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13051080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathologic definition of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) relies on the absence of expression of estrogen, progesterone and HER2 receptors. However, this BC subgroup is distinguished by a wide biological, molecular and clinical heterogeneity. Among the intrinsic TNBC subtypes, the mesenchymal type is defined by the expression of genes involved in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition, stromal interaction and cell motility. Moreover, it shows a high expression of genes involved in proliferation and an immune-suppressive microenvironment. Several molecular alterations along different pathways activated during carcinogenesis and tumor progression have been outlined and could be involved in immune evasion mechanisms. Furthermore, reverting epithelial to mesenchymal transition process could lead to the overcoming of immune-resistance. This paper reviews the current knowledge regarding the mesenchymal TNBC subtype and its response to conventional therapeutic strategies, as well as to some promising molecular target agents and immunotherapy. The final goal is a tailored combination of cytotoxic drugs, target agents and immunotherapy in order to restore immunocompetence in mesenchymal breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Mezi
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Science, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.M.); (B.C.); (G.d.)
| | - Andrea Botticelli
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.B.); (P.M.)
| | - Giulia Pomati
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Bruna Cerbelli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Science, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.M.); (B.C.); (G.d.)
| | - Simone Scagnoli
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Sasan Amirhassankhani
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 7EH, UK;
| | - Giulia d’Amati
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Science, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy; (S.M.); (B.C.); (G.d.)
| | - Paolo Marchetti
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy; (A.B.); (P.M.)
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