Integrin α6β4 in Colorectal Cancer: Expression, Regulation, Functional Alterations and Use as a Biomarker

Anoikis in cell fate, physiopathology, and therapeutic interventions

The extracellular matrix (ECM) governs a wide spectrum of cellular fate processes, with a particular emphasis on anoikis, an integrin-dependent form of cell death. Currently, anoikis is defined as an intrinsic apoptosis. In contrast to traditional apoptosis and necroptosis, integrin correlates ECM signaling with intracellular signaling cascades, describing the full process of anoikis. However, anoikis is frequently overlooked in physiological and pathological processes as well as traditional in vitro research models. In this review, we summarized the role of anoikis in physiological and pathological processes, spanning embryonic development, organ development, tissue repair, inflammatory responses, cardiovascular diseases, tumor metastasis, and so on. Similarly, in the realm of stem cell research focused on the functional evolution of cells, anoikis offers a potential solution to various challenges, including in vitro cell culture models, stem cell therapy, cell transplantation, and engineering applications, which are largely based on the regulation of cell fate by anoikis. More importantly, the regulatory mechanisms of anoikis based on molecular processes and ECM signaling will provide new strategies for therapeutic interventions (drug therapy and cell-based therapy) in disease. In summary, this review provides a systematic elaboration of anoikis, thus shedding light on its future research.

Biofilm mediated integrin activation and directing acceleration of colorectal cancer

Bacterial biofilm plays a vital role in influencing several diseases, infections, metabolic pathways and communication channels. Biofilm influence over colorectal cancer (CRC) has been a booming area of research interest. The virulence factors of bacterial pathogen have a high tendency to induce metabolic pathway to accelerate CRC. The bacterial species biofilm may induce cancer through regulating the major signalling pathways responsible for cell proliferation, differentiation, survival and growth. Activation of cancer signals may get initiated from the chronic infections through bacterial biofilm species. Integrin mediates in the activation of major pathway promoting cancer. Integrin-mediated signals are expected to be greatly influenced by biofilm. Integrins are identified as an important dimer, whose dysfunction may alter the signalling cascade specially focusing on TGF-β, PI3K/Akt/mToR, MAPK and Wnt pathway. Along with biofilm shield, the tumour gains greater resistance from radiation, chemotherapy and also from other antibiotics. The biofilm barrier is known to cause challenges for CRC patients undergoing treatment.

Noncanonical functions of adhesion proteins in inflammation

Cell adhesion proteins localize to epithelial and endothelial cell membranes to form junctional complexes between neighboring cells or between cells and the underlying basement membrane. The structural and functional integrities of these junctions are critical to establish cell polarity and maintain tissue barrier function, while also facilitating leukocyte migration and adhesion to sites of inflammation. In addition to their adhesive properties, however, junctional proteins can also serve important noncanonical functions in inflammatory signaling and transcriptional regulation. Intriguingly, recent work has unveiled novel roles for cell adhesion proteins as both signaling initiators and downstream targets during inflammation. In this review, we discuss both the traditional functions of junction proteins in cell adhesion and tissue barrier function as well as their noncanonical signaling roles that have been implicated in facilitating diverse inflammatory pathologies.

Fibroblasts Promote Resistance to KRAS Silencing in Colorectal Cancer Cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC) responses to KRAS-targeted inhibition have been limited due to low response rates, the mechanisms of which remain unknown. Herein, we explored the cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) secretome as a mediator of resistance to KRAS silencing. CRC cell lines HCT15, HCT116, and SW480 were cultured either in recommended media or in conditioned media from a normal colon fibroblast cell line (CCD-18Co) activated with rhTGF-β1 to induce a CAF-like phenotype. The expression of membrane stem cell markers was analyzed by flow cytometry. Stem cell potential was evaluated by a sphere formation assay. RNAseq was performed in KRAS-silenced HCT116 colonospheres treated with either control media or conditioned media from CAFs. Our results demonstrated that KRAS-silencing up-regulated CD24 and down-regulated CD49f and CD104 in the three cell lines, leading to a reduction in sphere-forming efficiency. However, CAF-secreted factors restored stem cell marker expression and increased stemness. RNA sequencing showed that CAF-secreted factors up-regulated genes associated with pro-tumorigenic pathways in KRAS-silenced cells, including KRAS, TGFβ, NOTCH, WNT, MYC, cell cycle progression and exit from quiescence, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and immune regulation. Overall, our results suggest that resistance to KRAS-targeted inhibition might derive not only from cell-intrinsic causes but also from external elements, such as fibroblast-secreted factors.

Integrin-associated transcriptional characteristics of circulating tumor cells in breast cancer patients

Background

Integrins enable cell communication with the basal membrane and extracellular matrix, activating signaling pathways and facilitating intracellular changes. Integrins in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a significant role in apoptosis evasion and anchor-independent survival. However, the link between CTCs expressing different integrin subunits, their transcriptional profile and, therefore, their functional activity with respect to metastatic potential remains unclear.

Methods

Single-cell RNA sequencing of CD45-negative cell fraction of breast cancer patients was performed. All CTCs were divided into nine groups according to their integrin profile.

Results

СTCs without the gene expression of integrins or with the expression of non-complementary α and β subunits that cannot form heterodimers prevailed. Only about 15% of CTCs expressed integrin subunits which can form heterodimers. The transcriptional profile of CTCs appeared to be associated with the spectrum of expressed integrins. The lowest potential activity was observed in CTCs without integrin expression, while the highest frequency of expression of tumor progression-related genes, namely genes of stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, proinflammatory chemokines and cytokines as well as laminin subunits, were observed in CTCs co-expressing ITGA6 and ITGB4. Validation on the protein level revealed that the median of integrin β4+ CTCs was higher in patients with more aggressive molecular subtypes as well as in metastatic breast cancer patients. One can expect that CTCs with ITGA6 and ITGB4 expression will have pronounced metastatic potencies manifesting in expression of EMT and stemness-related genes, as well as potential ability to produce chemokine/proinflammatory cytokines and laminins.

Role of Microenvironmental Components in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) is one of the ten most common malignant neoplasms, characterized by an aggressive course, high recurrence rate, poor response to treatment, and low survival rate. This creates the need for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of the pathogenesis of this cancer. The tumor microenvironment (TME) of HNSCC consists of stromal and immune cells, blood and lymphatic vessels, and extracellular matrix. It is known that HNSCC is characterized by complex relationships between cancer cells and TME components. TME components and their dynamic interactions with cancer cells enhance tumor adaptation to the environment, which provides the highly aggressive potential of HNSCC and resistance to antitumor therapy. Basic research aimed at studying the role of TME components in HNSCC carcinogenesis may serve as a key to the discovery of both new biomarkers-predictors of prognosis and targets for new antitumor drugs. This review article focuses on the role and interaction with cancer of TME components such as newly formed vessels, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and extracellular matrix.

Integrin signaling in cancer: bidirectional mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities

Integrins are transmembrane receptors that possess distinct ligand-binding specificities in the extracellular domain and signaling properties in the cytoplasmic domain. While most integrins have a short cytoplasmic tail, integrin β4 has a long cytoplasmic tail that can indirectly interact with the actin cytoskeleton. Additionally, 'inside-out' signals can induce integrins to adopt a high-affinity extended conformation for their appropriate ligands. These properties enable integrins to transmit bidirectional cellular signals, making it a critical regulator of various biological processes.Integrin expression and function are tightly linked to various aspects of tumor progression, including initiation, angiogenesis, cell motility, invasion, and metastasis. Certain integrins have been shown to drive tumorigenesis or amplify oncogenic signals by interacting with corresponding receptors, while others have marginal or even suppressive effects. Additionally, different α/β subtypes of integrins can exhibit opposite effects. Integrin-mediated signaling pathways including Ras- and Rho-GTPase, TGFβ, Hippo, Wnt, Notch, and sonic hedgehog (Shh) are involved in various stages of tumorigenesis. Therefore, understanding the complex regulatory mechanisms and molecular specificities of integrins are crucial to delaying cancer progression and suppressing tumorigenesis. Furthermore, the development of integrin-based therapeutics for cancer are of great importance.This review provides an overview of integrin-dependent bidirectional signaling mechanisms in cancer that can either support or oppose tumorigenesis by interacting with various signaling pathways. Finally, we focus on the future opportunities for emergent therapeutics based on integrin agonists. Video Abstract.

Regulation and Functions of α6-Integrin (CD49f) in Cancer Biology

Over the past decades, our knowledge of integrins has evolved from being understood as simple cell surface adhesion molecules to receptors that have a complex range of intracellular and extracellular functions, such as delivering chemical and mechanical signals to cells. Consequently, they actively control cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Dysregulation of integrin signaling is a major factor in the development and progression of many tumors. Many reviews have covered the broader integrin family in molecular and cellular studies and its roles in diseases. Nevertheless, further understanding of the mechanisms specific to an individual subunit of different heterodimers is more useful. Thus, we describe the current understanding of and exploratory investigations on the α6-integrin subunit (CD49f, VLA6; encoded by the gene itga6) in normal and cancer cells. The roles of ITGA6 in cell adhesion, stemness, metastasis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance, and as a diagnosis biomarker, are discussed. The role of ITGA6 differs based on several features, such as cell background, cancer type, and post-transcriptional alterations. In addition, exosomal ITGA6 also implies metastatic organotropism. The importance of ITGA6 in the progression of a number of cancers, including hematological malignancies, suggests its potential usage as a novel prognostic or diagnostic marker and useful therapeutic target for better clinical outcomes.

Targeting lysine-specific demethylase 1 (KDM1A/LSD1) impairs colorectal cancer tumorigenesis by affecting cancer cells stemness, motility, and differentiation

Among all cancers, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3rd most common and the 2nd leading cause of death worldwide. New therapeutic strategies are required to target cancer stem cells (CSCs), a subset of tumor cells highly resistant to present-day therapy and responsible for tumor relapse. CSCs display dynamic genetic and epigenetic alterations that allow quick adaptations to perturbations. Lysine-specific histone demethylase 1A (KDM1A also known as LSD1), a FAD-dependent H3K4me1/2 and H3K9me1/2 demethylase, was found to be upregulated in several tumors and associated with a poor prognosis due to its ability to maintain CSCs staminal features. Here, we explored the potential role of KDM1A targeting in CRC by characterizing the effect of KDM1A silencing in differentiated and CRC stem cells (CRC-SCs). In CRC samples, KDM1A overexpression was associated with a worse prognosis, confirming its role as an independent negative prognostic factor of CRC. Consistently, biological assays such as methylcellulose colony formation, invasion, and migration assays demonstrated a significantly decreased self-renewal potential, as well as migration and invasion potential upon KDM1A silencing. Our untargeted multi-omics approach (transcriptomic and proteomic) revealed the association of KDM1A silencing with CRC-SCs cytoskeletal and metabolism remodeling towards a differentiated phenotype, supporting the role of KDM1A in CRC cells stemness maintenance. Also, KDM1A silencing resulted in up-regulation of miR-506-3p, previously reported to play a tumor-suppressive role in CRC. Lastly, loss of KDM1A markedly reduced 53BP1 DNA repair foci, implying the involvement of KDM1A in the DNA damage response. Overall, our results indicate that KDM1A impacts CRC progression in several non-overlapping ways, and therefore it represents a promising epigenetic target to prevent tumor relapse.

Derivation and characterization of new cell line from intestine of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

A continuous intestine cell line from turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) designated as SMI was established utilizing the tissue explant technique. Primary SMI cell was cultured at 24 °C in a medium with 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS), then subcultured in 10% FBS after 10 passages. Impacts of medium or temperature on the growth of SMI were examined and the results indicated it grew well in DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS at 24 °C. The SMI cell line was subcultured more than 60 times. Karyotyping, chromosome number, and ribosomal RNA genotyping analysis revealed that SMI had a modal diploid chromosome number of 44 and originated from turbot. After being transfected with pEGFP-N1 and FAM-siRNA, a large number of green fluorescence signals were observed in SMI, indicating that SMI could be used as an ideal platform to explore gene function in vitro. In addition, the expression of epithelium-associated genes such as itga6, itgb4, gja1, claudin1, zo-1, and E-cadherin in SMI suggested the SMI had some characteristics of epidermal cells. The upregulation of immune-associated genes such as TNF-β, NF-κB, and IL-1β in SMI after stimulation with pathogen-associated molecular patterns suggested the SMI might exhibit immune functions similar to the intestinal epithelium in vivo.

Single-Cell and Transcriptome-Based Immune Cell-Related Prognostic Model in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Traditional studies mostly focus on the role of single gene in regulating clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), while it ignores the impact of tumour heterogeneity on disease progression. The purpose of this study is to construct a prognostic risk model for ccRCC by analysing the differential marker genes related to immune cells in the single-cell database to provide help in clinical diagnosis and targeted therapy. Single-cell data and ligand-receptor relationship pair data were downloaded from related publications, and ccRCC phenotype and expression profile data were downloaded from TCGA and CPTAC. Based on the DEGs of each cluster acquired from single-cell data, immune cell marker genes, and ligand-receptor gene data, we constructed a multilayer network. Then, the genes in the network and the genes in TCGA were used to construct the WGCNA network, which screened out prognosis-associated genes for subsequent analysis. Finally, a prognostic risk scoring model was obtained, and CPTAC data showed that the effectiveness of this model was good. A nomogram based on the predictive model for predicting the overall survival was established, and internal validation was performed well. Our findings suggest that the predictive model built and based on the immune cell scRNA-seq will enable us to judge the prognosis of patients with ccRCC and provide more accurate directions for basic relevant research and clinical practice.

Extracellular Vesicle Antibody Microarray for Multiplexed Inner and Outer Protein Analysis

Proteins are found both outside and inside of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and govern the properties and functions of EVs, while also constituting a signature of the cell of origin and of biological function and disease. Outer proteins on EVs can be directly bound by antibodies to either enrich EVs, or probe the expression of a protein on EVs, including in a combinatorial manner. However, co-profiling of inner proteins remains challenging. Here, we present the high-throughput, multiplexed analysis of EV inner and outer proteins (EVPio). We describe the optimization of fixation and heat-induced protein epitope retrieval for EVs, along with oligo-barcoded antibodies and branched DNA signal amplification for sensitive, multiplexed, and high-throughput assays. We captured four subpopulations of EVs from colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines HT29 and SW403 based on EpCAM, CD9, CD63, and CD81 expression, and quantified the co-expression of eight outer [integrins (ITGs) and tetraspanins] and four inner (heat shock, endosomal, and inner leaflet) proteins. The differences in co-expression patterns were consistent with the literature and known biological function. In conclusion, EVPio analysis can simultaneously detect multiple inner and outer proteins in EVs immobilized on a surface, opening the way to extensive combinatorial protein profiles for both discovery and clinical translation.

Combining single-cell tracking and omics improves blood stem cell fate regulator identification

Molecular programs initiating cell fate divergence (CFD) are difficult to identify. Current approaches usually compare cells long after CFD initiation, therefore missing molecular changes at its start. Ideally, single cells that differ in their CFD molecular program but are otherwise identical are compared early in CFD. This is possible in diverging sister cells, which were identical until their mother's division and thus differ mainly in CFD properties. In asymmetrically dividing cells, divergent daughter fates are prospectively committed during division, and diverging sisters can thus be identified at the start of CFD. Using asymmetrically dividing blood stem cells, we developed a pipeline (ie, trackSeq) for imaging, tracking, isolating, and transcriptome sequencing of single cells. Their identities, kinship, and histories are maintained throughout, massively improving molecular noise filtering and candidate identification. In addition to many identified blood stem CFD regulators, we offer here this pipeline for use in CFDs other than asymmetric division.

CircRNA-Associated ceRNA Network Reveals Focal Adhesion and Metabolism Pathways in Neuropathic Pain

Background. Increasing evidence has shown that noncoding RNAs perform a remarkable function in neuropathic pain (NP); nonetheless, the mechanisms underlying the modulation of competitive endogenous RNA in NP remain uncertain. The goal of this research was to investigate the molecular processes underlying NP. Methods. We utilized the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to obtain NP-related microarray datasets that included the expression patterns of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Following that, bioinformatics analyses and a molecular biology experiment were carried out. Results. According to the findings, carrying out enrichment studies of the targeted genes had an impact on a variety of NP-related pathways. Notably, we isolated a ceRNA subnetwork incorporating two upregulated circRNAs (Esrrg and Map3k3) which primarily participate in the focal adhesion pathway by regulating Integrin Subunit Beta 4 (ITGB4) and two downregulated circRNAs (Dgkb and Atp2a2), which potentially regulate metabolism-related molecule Lipase A (LIPA). Conclusions. According to our findings, the focal adhesion and metabolic signaling pathways could be critical in the advancement of NP, and some circRNA might regulate this biological process through the ceRNA network, which might offer pertinent insights into the underlying mechanisms.

Putative anoikis resistant subpopulations are enriched in lymph node metastases and indicate adverse prognosis in colorectal carcinoma

Anoikis refers to apoptosis induced by the loss of contact with the extracellular matrix. Anoikis resistance is essential for metastasis. We have recently shown that it is possible to quantitatively evaluate putative anoikis resistant (AR) subpopulations in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Abundance of these multi-cell structures is an independent marker of adverse prognosis. Here, we have quantified putative AR subpopulations in lymph node (LN) metastases of CRC and evaluated their prognostic value and relationship with the characteristics of primary tumors. A case series included 137 unselected CRC patients, 54 with LN metastases. Areal densities (structures/mm²) of putative AR structures in primary tumors had been analyzed previously and now were determined from all nodal metastases (n = 183). Areal density of putative AR structures was higher in LN metastases than in primary tumors. Variation of the areal density within different LN metastases of a single patient was lower than between metastases of different patients. Abundance of putative AR structures in LN metastases was associated with shorter cancer specific survival (p = 0.013), and this association was independent of T and N stages. Abundance of putative AR structures in primary tumors and LN metastases had a cumulative adverse effect on prognosis. Enrichment of putative AR subpopulations in LN metastases suggest that in metastasis formation, there is a selection favoring cells capable of forming these structures. Higher intra-case constancy relative to inter-case variation suggests that such selection is stable in metastasis development. Our findings indirectly support the biological validity of our concept of putative AR structures.

Integration of human inspection and AI-based morphological typing of PDOs reveals inter-patient heterogeneity of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogenous disease, and patients have differences in therapeutic response. However, the mechanisms underlying inter-patient heterogeneity in the response to chemotherapeutic agents remain to be elucidated, and molecular tumor characteristics are required to select patients for specific therapies. Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) established from CRCs recapitulate various biological characteristics of tumor tissues, including cellular heterogeneity and the response to chemotherapy. PDOs established from CRCs exhibit various morphologies, but there are no criteria for defining these morphologies, which hampers the analysis of their biological significance. Here, we developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based classifier to categorize PDOs based on microscopic images according to their similarity in appearance and classified tubular adenocarcinoma-derived PDOs into six types. Transcriptome analysis identified differential expression of genes related to cell adhesion in some of the morphological types. Genes involved in ribosome biogenesis were also differentially expressed and were most highly expressed in morphological types exhibiting CRC stem cell properties. We identified an RNA polymerase I inhibitor, CX-5641, to be an upstream regulator of these type-specific gene sets. Notably, PDO types with increased expression of genes involved in ribosome biogenesis were resistant to CX-5461 treatment. Taken together, these results uncover the biological significance of the morphology of PDOs and provide novel indicators by which to categorize CRCs. Therefore, the AI-based classifier is a useful tool to support PDO-based cancer research.

Antioxidant and Anticancer Functions of Protein Acyltransferase DHHC3

Silencing of DHHC3, an acyltransferase enzyme in the DHHC family, extensively upregulates oxidative stress (OS). Substrates for DHHC3-mediated palmitoylation include several antioxidant proteins and many other redox regulatory proteins. This helps to explain why DHHC3 ablation upregulates OS. DHHC3 also plays a key role in cancer. DHHC3 ablation leads to diminished xenograft growth of multiple cancer cell types, along with diminished metastasis. Furthermore, DHHC3 protein is upregulated on malignant/metastatic cancer samples, and upregulated gene expression correlates with diminished patient survival in several human cancers. Decreased primary tumor growth due to DHHC3 ablation may be partly explained by an elevated OS → senescence → innate immune cell recruitment mechanism. Elevated OS due to DHHC3 ablation may also contribute to adaptive anticancer immunity and impair tumor metastasis. In addition, DHHC3 ablation disrupts antioxidant protection mechanisms, thus enhancing the efficacy of OS-inducing anticancer drugs. A major focus has thus far been on OS regulation by DHHC3. However, remaining to be studied are multiple DHHC3 substrates that may affect tumor behavior independent of OS. Nonetheless, the currently established properties of DHHC3 make it an attractive candidate for therapeutic targeting in situations in which antioxidant protections need to be downmodulated, and also in cancer.

Integrins and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Cooperation in the Tumor Microenvironment of Muscle-Invasive Lethal Cancers

Muscle-invasive lethal carcinomas traverse into and through this specialized biophysical and growth factor enriched microenvironment. We will highlight cancers that originate in organs surrounded by smooth muscle, which presents a barrier to dissemination, including prostate, bladder, esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers. We propose that the heterogeneity of cell-cell and cell-ECM adhesion receptors is an important driver of aggressive tumor networks with functional consequences for progression. Phenotype heterogeneity of the tumor provides a biophysical advantage for tumor network invasion through the tensile muscle and survival of the tumor network. We hypothesize that a functional epithelial-mesenchymal cooperation (EMC)exists within the tumor invasive network to facilitate tumor escape from the primary organ, invasion and traversing of muscle, and navigation to metastatic sites. Cooperation between specific epithelial cells within the tumor and stromal (mesenchymal) cells interacting with the tumor is illustrated using the examples of laminin-binding adhesion molecules—especially integrins—and their response to growth and inflammatory factors in the tumor microenvironment. The cooperation between cell-cell (E-cadherin, CDH1) and cell-ECM (α6 integrin, CD49f) expression and growth factor receptors is highlighted within poorly differentiated human tumors associated with aggressive disease. Cancer-associated fibroblasts are examined for their role in the tumor microenvironment in generating and organizing various growth factors. Cellular structural proteins are potential utility markers for future spatial profiling studies. We also examine the special characteristics of the smooth muscle microenvironment and how invasion by a primary tumor can alter this environment and contribute to tumor escape via cooperation between epithelial and stromal cells. This cooperative state allows the heterogenous tumor clusters to be shaped by various growth factors, co-opt or evade immune system response, adapt from hypoxic to normoxic conditions, adjust to varying energy sources, and survive radiation and chemotherapeutic interventions. Understanding the epithelial-mesenchymal cooperation in early tumor invasive networks holds potential for both identifying early biomarkers of the aggressive transition and identification of novel agents to prevent the epithelial-mesenchymal cooperation phenotype. Epithelial-mesenchymal cooperation is likely to unveil new tumor subtypes to aid in selection of appropriate therapeutic strategies.

Integrin α6-Targeted Molecular Imaging of Central Nervous System Leukemia in Mice

Central nervous system leukemia (CNS-L) is caused by leukemic cells infiltrating into the meninges or brain parenchyma and remains the main reason for disease relapse. Currently, it is hard to detect CNS-L accurately by clinically available imaging models due to the relatively low amount of tumor cells, confined blood supply, and the inferior glucose metabolism intensity. Recently, integrin α6-laminin interactions have been identified to mediate CNS-L, which suggests that integrin α6 may be a promising molecular imaging target for the detection of CNS-L. The acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell line NALM6 stabled and transfected with luciferase was used to establish the CNS-L mouse model. CNS-L-bearing mice were monitored and confirmed by bioluminescence imaging. Three of our previously developed integrin α6-targeted peptide-based molecular imaging agents, Cy5-S5 for near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF), Gd-S5 for magnetic resonance (MR), and ¹⁸F-S5 for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, were employed for the molecular imaging of these CNS-L-bearing mice. Bioluminescence imaging showed a local intensive signal in the heads among CNS-L-bearing mice; meanwhile, Cy5-S5/NIRF imaging produced intensive fluorescence intensity in the same head regions. Moreover, Gd-S5/MR imaging generated superior MR signal enhancement at the site of meninges, which were located between the skull bone and brain parenchyma. Comparatively, MR imaging with the clinically available MR enhancer Gd-DTPA did not produce the distinguishable MR signal in the same head regions. Additionally, ¹⁸F-S5/PET imaging also generated focal radio-concentration at the same head regions, which generated nearly 5-times tumor-to-background ratio compared to the clinically available PET radiotracer ¹⁸F-FDG. Finally, pathological examination identified layer-displayed leukemic cells in the superficial part of the brain parenchyma tissue, and immunohistochemical staining confirmed the overexpression of the integrin α6 within the lesion. These findings suggest the potential application of these integrin α6-targeted molecular imaging agents for the accurate detection of CNS-L.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes as novel vehicles for delivery of miRNAs in cancer therapy

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known as promising sources for cancer therapy and can be utilized as vehicles in cancer gene therapy. MSC-derived exosomes are central mediators in the therapeutic functions of MSCs, known as the novel cell-free alternatives to MSC-based cell therapy. MSC-derived exosomes show advantages including higher safety as well as more stability and convenience for storage, transport and administration compared to MSCs transplant therapy. Unmodified MSC-derived exosomes can promote or inhibit tumors while modified MSC-derived exosomes are involved in the suppression of cancer development and progression via the delivery of several therapeutics molecules including chemotherapeutic drugs, miRNAs, anti-miRNAs, specific siRNAs, and suicide gene mRNAs. In most malignancies, dysregulation of miRNAs not only occurs as a consequence of cancer progression but also is directly involved during tumor initiation and development due to their roles as oncogenes (oncomiRs) or tumor suppressors (TS-miRNAs). MiRNA restoration is usually achieved by overexpression of TS-miRNAs using synthetic miRNA mimics and viral vectors or even downregulation of oncomiRs using anti-miRNAs. Similar to other therapeutic molecules, the efficacy of miRNAs restoration in cancer therapy depends on the effectiveness of the delivery system. In the present review, we first provided an overview of the properties and potentials of MSCs in cancer therapy as well as the application of MSC-derived exosomes in cancer therapy. Finally, we specifically focused on harnessing the MSC-derived exosomes for the aim of miRNA delivery in cancer therapy.

Establishment of a novel prognostic signature based on an identified expression profile of integrin superfamily to predict overall survival of patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma

The abnormal expression of integrin superfamily members commonly related to kinds of malignancies. However, the role of integrins in predicting the prognosis of cancers is still little known, especially for colorectal cancer that is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death. RNA-seq data and clinical features of colorectal adenocarcinoma (COAD) patients were derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), used to analyze the expression pattern and genomic alterations of integrin genes in the COAD cohort. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering divided COAD patients into two clusters (clusters 1 & 2), and we observed that patients in cluster 2 with high expressions of most integrin genes had worse clinical features and shorter overall survival (a median OS: 67.25 months vs 99.93 months, p = 0.012), compared to those in cluster 1. Combined with univariate Cox regression analysis, Pearson Correlation Coefficients (PCC), and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), an integrin-related signature was established, including ITGA1, ITGA5, ITGA7, ITGA11, ITGAX, ITGAM, ITGB1, and ITGB5. And the AUC values for OS at 1, 3, and 5 years was 0.61, 0.59, and 0.56, further demonstrating the predicting capacity of our signature. Furthermore, overexpression of which also significantly correlated with poorer prognosis of colon cancer patients in a separate validation cohort, GSE17536 (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the AUC values for OS in the validation cohort at 1, 3, and 5 years was 0.62, 0.59, and 0.59. Additionally, enrichment analysis indicated significant differences between cluster 1 and cluster 2 in the biological processes of cell adhesion, signal transduction, extracellular matrix, immune system, and in tumor microenvironment (TME), which were crucial to the progression of tumor. The findings supplied compelling evidence that our signature could be a novel prognostic biomarker for COAD patients, and these genes had the potential to be therapeutic targets.

Roles of Integrins in Gastrointestinal Cancer Metastasis

Integrins are a large family of heterodimeric transmembrane receptors which mediate cell adhesion and transmit signals to the cell interior. The mechanistic roles of integrins have long been an enigma in cancer, given its complexity in regulating different cellular behaviors. Recently, however, increasing research is providing new insights into its function and the underlying mechanisms, which collectively include the influences of altered integrin expression on the aberrant signaling pathways and cancer progression. Many studies have also demonstrated the potentiality of integrins as therapeutic targets in cancer treatment. In this review, we have summarized these recent reports and put a particular emphasis on the dysregulated expression of integrins and how they regulate related signaling pathways to facilitate the metastatic progression of gastrointestinal cancer, including gastric cancer (GC) and colorectal cancer (CRC), which will address the crucial roles of integrins in gastrointestinal cancer.

Personalized Immunotherapy in Colorectal Cancers: Where Do We Stand?

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in the world. Immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies, immune-checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapy, and cancer vaccines has raised great hopes for treating poor prognosis metastatic CRCs that are resistant to the conventional therapies. However, high inter-tumor and intra-tumor heterogeneity hinder the success of immunotherapy in CRC. Patients with a similar tumor phenotype respond differently to the same immunotherapy regimen. Mutation-based classification, molecular subtyping, and immunoscoring of CRCs facilitated the multi-aspect grouping of CRC patients and improved immunotherapy. Personalized immunotherapy using tumor-specific neoantigens provides the opportunity to consider each patient as an independent group deserving of individualized immunotherapy. In the recent decade, the development of sequencing and multi-omics techniques has helped us classify patients more precisely. The expansion of such advanced techniques along with the neoantigen-based immunotherapy could herald a new era in treating heterogeneous tumors such as CRC. In this review article, we provided the latest findings in immunotherapy of CRC. We elaborated on the heterogeneity of CRC patients as a bottleneck of CRC immunotherapy and reviewed the latest advances in personalized immunotherapy to overcome CRC heterogeneity.

Proteomic characterization of GSK3β knockout shows altered cell adhesion and metabolic pathway utilisation in colorectal cancer cells

Glycogen-specific kinase (GSK3β) is an integral regulator of the Wnt signalling pathway as well as many other diverse signalling pathways and processes. Dys-regulation of GSK3β is implicated in many different pathologies, including neurodegenerative disorders as well as many different tumour types. In the context of tumour development, GSK3β has been shown to play both oncogenic and tumour suppressor roles, depending upon tissue, signalling environment or disease progression. Although multiple substrates of the GSK3β kinase have been identified, the wider protein networks within which GSK3β participates are not well known, and the consequences of these interactions not well understood. In this study, LC-MS/MS expression analysis was performed using knockout GSK3β colorectal cancer cells and isogenic controls in colorectal cancer cell lines carrying dominant stabilizing mutations of β-catenin. Consistent with the role of GSK3β, we found that β-catenin levels and canonical Wnt activity are unaffected by knockout of GSK3β and therefore used this knockout cell model to identify other processes in which GSK3β is implicated. Quantitative proteomic analysis revealed perturbation of proteins involved in cell-cell adhesion, and we characterized the phenotype and altered proteomic profiles associated with this. We also characterized the perturbation of metabolic pathways resulting from GSK3β knockout and identified defects in glycogen metabolism. In summary, using a precision colorectal cancer cell-line knockout model with constitutively activated β-catenin we identified several of the diverse pathways and processes associated with GSK3β function.

Neuromedin U induces an invasive phenotype in CRC cells expressing the NMUR2 receptor

Background

Successful colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy often depends on the accurate identification of primary tumours with invasive potential. There is still a lack of identified pathological factors associated with disease recurrence that could help in making treatment decisions. Neuromedin U (NMU) is a secretory neuropeptide that was first isolated from the porcine spinal cord, and it has emerged as a novel factor involved in the tumorigenesis and/or metastasis of many types of cancers. Previously associated with processes leading to CRC cell invasiveness, NMU has the potential to be a marker of poor outcome, but it has not been extensively studied in CRC.

Methods

Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used to analyse NMU and NMU receptor (NMUR1 and NMUR2) expression in CRC tissues vs. normal tissues, and real-time PCR was used for NMU and NMU receptor expression analysis. NMU protein detection was performed by immunoblotting. Secreted NMU was immunoprecipitated from cell culture-conditioned media and analysed by immunoblotting and protein sequencing. DNA demethylation by 5-aza-CdR was used to analyse the regulation of NMUR1 and NMUR2 expression. NMU receptor activity was monitored by detecting calcium mobilisation in cells loaded with fluo-4, and ERK1/2 kinase activation was detected after treatment with NMU or receptor agonist. Cell migration and invasion were investigated using membrane filters. Integrin expression was evaluated by flow cytometry.

Results

The obtained data revealed elevated expression of NMU and NMUR2 in CRC tissue samples and variable expression in the analysed CRC cell lines. We have shown, for the first time, that NMUR2 activation induces signalling in CRC cells and that NMU increases the motility and invasiveness of NMUR2-positive CRC cells and increases prometastatic integrin receptor subunit expression.

Conclusions

Our results show the ability of CRC cells to respond to NMU via activation of the NMUR2 receptor, which ultimately leads to a shift in the CRC phenotype towards a more invasive phenotype.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-021-02073-8.

Glimpse into Cellular Internalization and Intracellular Trafficking of Lipid-Based Nanoparticles in Cancer Cells

Lipid-based nanoparticles as drug delivery carriers have been mainly used for delivery of anti-cancer therapeutic agents. Lipid-based nanoparticles, due to their smaller particle size and similarity to cell membranes, are readily internalized into cancer cells. Interestingly, cancer cells also overexpress receptors for specific ligands including folic acid, hyaluronic acid, and transferrin on their surface. This allows the use of these ligands for surface modification of the lipid-based nanoparticle. These modifications then allow the specific recognition of these ligand-coated nanoparticles by their receptors on cancer cells allowing the targeted gradual intracellular accumulation of the functionalized nanoplatforms. These interactions could eventually enhance the internalization of desired drugs via increasing ligand-receptor mediated cellular uptake of the nanoplatforms. The cellular internalization of the nanoplatforms also varies and depends on their physicochemical properties including particle size, zeta potential, and shape. The cellular uptake is also influenced by the types of ligand internalization pathway utilized by cells such as phagocytosis, macropinocytosis, and multiple endocytosis pathways. In this review, we will classify and discuss lipid based nanoparticles engineered to express specific ligands, and are recognized by their receptors on cancer cell, and their cellular internalization pathways. Moreover, the intracellular fate of nanoparticles decorated with specific ligands and the best internalization pathways (caveolae mediated endocytosis) for safe cargo delivery will be discussed.

Extracellular matrix and its therapeutic potential for cancer treatment

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is one of the major components of tumors that plays multiple crucial roles, including mechanical support, modulation of the microenvironment, and a source of signaling molecules. The quantity and cross-linking status of ECM components are major factors determining tissue stiffness. During tumorigenesis, the interplay between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) often results in the stiffness of the ECM, leading to aberrant mechanotransduction and further malignant transformation. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of ECM dysregulation in the TME would contribute to the discovery of promising therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. Herein, we summarized the knowledge concerning the following: (1) major ECM constituents and their functions in both normal and malignant conditions; (2) the interplay between cancer cells and the ECM in the TME; (3) key receptors for mechanotransduction and their alteration during carcinogenesis; and (4) the current therapeutic strategies targeting aberrant ECM for cancer treatment.

A laminin-based local regulatory network in the testis that supports spermatogenesis

In adult rat testes, the basement membrane is structurally constituted by laminin and collagen chains that lay adjacent to the blood-testis barrier (BTB). It plays a crucial scaffolding role to support spermatogenesis. On the other hand, laminin-333 comprised of laminin-α3/ß3/γ3 at the apical ES (ectoplasmic specialization, a testis-specific cell-cell adherens junction at the Sertoli cell-step 8-19 spermatid interface) expressed by spermatids serves as a unique cell adhesion protein that forms an adhesion complex with α6ß1-integrin expressed by Sertoli cells to support spermiogenesis. Emerging evidence has shown that biologically active fragments are derived from basement membrane and apical ES laminin chains through proteolytic cleavage mediated by matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and MMP2, respectively. Two of these laminin bioactive fragments: one from the basement membrane laminin-α2 chain called LG3/4/5-peptide, and one from the apical ES laminin-γ3 chain known as F5-peptide, are potent regulators that modify cell adhesion function at the Sertoli-spermatid interface (i.e., apical ES) but also at the Sertoli cell-cell interface designated basal ES at the blood-testis barrier (BTB) with contrasting effects. These findings not only highlight the physiological significance of these bioactive peptides that create a local regulatory network to support spermatogenesis, they also open a unique area of research. For instance, it is likely that several other bioactive peptides remain to be identified. These bioactive peptides including their downstream signaling proteins and cascades should be studied collectively in future investigations to elucidate the underlying mechanism(s) by which they coordinate with each other to maintain spermatogenesis. This is the goal of this review.

An autophagy-related prognostic signature associated with immune microenvironment features of uveal melanoma

Autophagy is involved in cancer initiation and progression but its role in uveal melanoma (UM) was rarely investigated. Herein, we built an autophagy-related gene (ARG) risk model of UM patients by univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression model and filtrated out nine prognostic ARGs in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. Survival and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve analysis in the TCGA and other four independent UM cohorts (GSE22138, GSE27831, GSE44295 and GSE84976) proved that the ARG-signature possessed robust and steady prognosis predictive ability. We calculated risk scores for patients included in our study and patients with higher risk scores showed worse clinical outcomes. We found the expressions of the nine ARGs were significantly associated with clinical and molecular features (including risk score) and overall survival (OS) of UM patients. Furthermore, we utilized univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to determine the independent prognostic ability of the ARG-signature. Functional enrichment analysis showed the ARG-signature was correlated with several immune-related processes and pathways like T-cell activation and T-cell receptor signaling pathway. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) found tumor hallmarks including angiogenesis, IL6-JAK-STAT3-signaling, reactive oxygen species pathway and oxidative phosphorylation were enriched in high-risk UM patients. Finally, infiltrations of several immune cells and immune-related scores were found significantly associated with the ARG-signature. In conclusion, the ARG-signature might be a strong predictor for evaluating the prognosis and immune infiltration of UM patients.

Preparation and characterization of PEGylated liposomal Doxorubicin targeted with leptin-derived peptide and evaluation of their anti-tumor effects, in vitro and in vivo in mice bearing C26 colon carcinoma

Employing targeting ligands on the surface of liposomes has the great potential to improve therapeutic efficacy and decreases off-target effects of liposomal formulations. In the present study, a leptin-derived peptide (Lp31) was evaluated to optimize the therapeutic efficacy of PEGylated liposomal Doxorubicin (PLD, Caelyx®). Leptin is an appetite regulatory hormone that is secreted into the blood circulation by the adipose tissue and it functions via its over expressed receptors (Ob-R) in a wide variety of cancers. Lp31, as targeting ligand, was conjugated to Maleimide-PEG2000-DSPE and then post-inserted into Caelyx. The anti-tumor activity and therapeutic efficacy of leptin modified Caelyx were evaluated and compared with Caelyx. The in vitro experiments demonstrated enhanced cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of Lp31-targeted Caelyx in C26 cell line compared to Caelyx. In BALB/c mice bearing C-26 murine carcinoma, Lp31 modified Caelyx groups exhibited significantly higher doxorubicin concentration at tumor tissue. Furthermore, Lp31 modified Caelyx at the dose of 10 mg/kg resulted in significant tumor growth inhibition and enhanced survival time compared to Caelyx. According to these results, the novel Lp31-liposomal doxorubicin offers great promise for the treatment of colon cancer and merits further investigation.

An integrated multi-omics approach to identify regulatory mechanisms in cancer metastatic processes

BACKGROUND

Metastatic progress is the primary cause of death in most cancers, yet the regulatory dynamics driving the cellular changes necessary for metastasis remain poorly understood. Multi-omics approaches hold great promise for addressing this challenge; however, current analysis tools have limited capabilities to systematically integrate transcriptomic, epigenomic, and cistromic information to accurately define the regulatory networks critical for metastasis.

RESULTS

To address this limitation, we use a purposefully generated cellular model of colon cancer invasiveness to generate multi-omics data, including expression, accessibility, and selected histone modification profiles, for increasing levels of invasiveness. We then adopt a rigorous probabilistic framework for joint inference from the resulting heterogeneous data, along with transcription factor binding profiles. Our approach uses probabilistic graphical models to leverage the functional information provided by specific epigenomic changes, models the influence of multiple transcription factors simultaneously, and automatically learns the activating or repressive roles of cis-regulatory events. Global analysis of these relationships reveals key transcription factors driving invasiveness, as well as their likely target genes. Disrupting the expression of one of the highly ranked transcription factors JunD, an AP-1 complex protein, confirms functional relevance to colon cancer cell migration and invasion. Transcriptomic profiling confirms key regulatory targets of JunD, and a gene signature derived from the model demonstrates strong prognostic potential in TCGA colorectal cancer data.

CONCLUSIONS

Our work sheds new light into the complex molecular processes driving colon cancer metastasis and presents a statistically sound integrative approach to analyze multi-omics profiles of a dynamic biological process.

Clinical Significance of Integrin Subunit Beta 4 in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background: The expression level and clinical significance of integrin subunit beta 4 (ITGB4) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain unclear. Materials and Methods: Expression of ITGB4 in HNSCC tissues were evaluated by calculating standard mean differences (SMDs) based on gene chips, RNA-seq, and immunohistochemistry data (n = 2330) from multiple sources. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to detect the ability of ITGB4 to distinguish HNSCC from non-HNSCC samples. The relationship between the expression level of ITGB4 and clinical parameters was evaluated by calculating SMDs. Results: Identical results of mRNA and protein levels indicated remarkable up-expression of ITGB4 in HNSCC tissues. Further ROC curves showed that ITGB4 could distinguish HNSCC from non-HNSCC samples. Genetic alteration analysis of ITGB4 in HNSCC indicated that overexpression of ITGB4 in HNSCC was likely not owing to genetic alteration of ITGB4. Moreover, ITGB4 overexpression level may be correlated with clinical T stage. Conclusion: ITGB4 likely plays an essential role in HNSCC occurrence based on our study and its potential diagnostic value is worthy of further exploration in the future.

Bladder Cancer Metastasis Induced by Chronic Everolimus Application Can Be Counteracted by Sulforaphane In Vitro

Chronic treatment with the mTOR inhibitor, everolimus, fails long-term in preventing tumor growth and dissemination in cancer patients. Thus, patients experiencing treatment resistance seek complementary measures, hoping to improve therapeutic efficacy. This study investigated metastatic characteristics of bladder carcinoma cells exposed to everolimus combined with the isothiocyanate sulforaphane (SFN), which has been shown to exert cancer inhibiting properties. RT112, UMUC3, or TCCSUP bladder carcinoma cells were exposed short- (24 h) or long-term (8 weeks) to everolimus (0.5 nM) or SFN (2.5 µM), alone or in combination. Adhesion and chemotaxis along with profiling details of CD44 receptor variants (v) and integrin α and β subtypes were evaluated. The functional impact of CD44 and integrins was explored by blocking studies and siRNA knock-down. Long-term exposure to everolimus enhanced chemotactic activity, whereas long-term exposure to SFN or the SFN-everolimus combination diminished chemotaxis. CD44v4 and v7 increased on RT112 cells following exposure to SFN or SFN-everolimus. Up-regulation of the integrins α6, αV, and β1 and down-regulation of β4 that was present with everolimus alone could be prevented by combining SFN and everolimus. Down-regulation of αV, β1, and β4 reduced chemotactic activity, whereas knock-down of CD44 correlated with enhanced chemotaxis. SFN could, therefore, inhibit resistance-related tumor dissemination during everolimus-based bladder cancer treatment.

Fibronectin promotes tumor cells growth and drugs resistance through a CDC42-YAP-dependent signaling pathway in colorectal cancer

Fibronectin (FN) is a high-molecular-weight glycoprotein of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that binds to membrane-spanning receptor proteins or other elements in ECM. The expression of FN could be involved in the cancer cells proliferation or migration, and the molecular mechanisms responsible for FN induced protumor signals begin to be elucidated. Here, we report that the elevated expression of FN was observed in those chemoresistant tumor tissues from patients with colorectal cancer. Consistently, FN culture significantly strengthened the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells, induced the colorectal tumor sustained growth and drug resistance in vitro and in vivo. In mechanism, FN could bind to integrin αvβ1, resulting the downstream cell division cycle 42/yes-associated protein 1 (CDC42/YAP-1) signaling pathway activation. The activation of CDC42/YAP-1 signal induces the upregulation of transcription factor SOX2, causing the sustained growth and drugs resistance in colorectal cancer. Blockade of integrin αvβ1 significantly suppressed the colorectal cancer growth and drugs resistance development in vitro and in vivo, which provides a new target for clinical colorectal cancer treatment.

Rac1 Signaling: From Intestinal Homeostasis to Colorectal Cancer Metastasis

The small GTPase Rac1 has been implicated in a variety of dynamic cell biological processes, including cell proliferation, cell survival, cell-cell contacts, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell motility, and invasiveness. These processes are orchestrated through the fine tuning of Rac1 activity by upstream cell surface receptors and effectors that regulate the cycling Rac1-GDP (off state)/Rac1-GTP (on state), but also through the tuning of Rac1 accumulation, activity, and subcellular localization by post translational modifications or recruitment into molecular scaffolds. Another level of regulation involves Rac1 transcripts stability and splicing. Downstream, Rac1 initiates a series of signaling networks, including regulatory complex of actin cytoskeleton remodeling, activation of protein kinases (PAKs, MAPKs) and transcription factors (NFkB, Wnt/β-catenin/TCF, STAT3, Snail), production of reactive oxygen species (NADPH oxidase holoenzymes, mitochondrial ROS). Thus, this GTPase, its regulators, and effector systems might be involved at different steps of the neoplastic progression from dysplasia to the metastatic cascade. After briefly placing Rac1 and its effector systems in the more general context of intestinal homeostasis and in wound healing after intestinal injury, the present review mainly focuses on the several levels of Rac1 signaling pathway dysregulation in colorectal carcinogenesis, their biological significance, and their clinical impact.