Prognostic Implications of CD10 and CD15 Expression in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

The prognostic value of cancer stem cell markers in thyroid cancer: a systematic review

Introduction

Thyroid cancer stem cells (TCSCs) play a crucial role in the pathogenesis, metastasis, and therapeutic response of thyroid cancer, making them promising biomarkers and potential targets for clinical intervention. This systematic review aims to qualitatively assess the impact of commonly used TCSC markers on the prognosis of thyroid cancer using qualitative methods.

Methods

In total, the analysis encompassed five articles.

Results

Six TCSC markers were involved, among which CD133, CD44, CD24, CD15 and ALDH1 were associated with the prognosis of thyroid cancer.

Conclusions

However, the utility of these TCSC markers in clinical practice for predicting the prognosis of thyroid cancer requires further research to provide additional evidence supporting their effectiveness.

Phenotype of Urine Sediment Cells in Patients with Bladder Cancer

Phenotype of urine sediment cells were studied in patients with bladder cancer depending on the cancer stage and recurrence prognosis. In T1N0M0 stage, the number of lymphocytes decreased, in T2N0M0 stage, the most pronounced shift was an increase in the number of erythrocytes. Irrespectively of the disease stage, we observed increased number of innate immunity cells and cells that inhibit antitumor immunity in the composition of the leukocyte fraction of urine sediment cells. At T1N0M0 stage, the epithelial-endothelial fraction was characterized by increased content of cells expressing CD13 marker (responsible for tumor growth and metastasis) and reduced number of cells expressing CD15 marker (responsible for intercellular adhesion). In patients developing relapse of bladder cancer, the number of lymphocytes was decreased in urine sediment cells and the number of epithelial and endothelial cells expressing CD13 marker was increased.

High expressions of CD10, FAP and GPR77 in CAFs are associated with chemoresistance and worse prognosis in gastric cancer

INTRODUCTION

As neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) has been successfully introduced in gastric cancer (GC), more biomarkers are needed to evaluate the efficacy. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is associated with chemoresistance and prognosis. Three biomarkers, CD10, fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP) and G-protein-coupled receptor 77 (GPR77), have been proved to express in CAFs. However, their predictive values for efficacy of NCT and prognosis in gastric cancer is unknown.

METHODS

Totally, specimens of 171 locally advanced gastric cancer patients who underwent NCT and D2 radical gastrectomy and matched preoperative biopsy specimens were retrospectively analyzed. Tumor regression grade (TRG) is reevaluated according to Mandard TRG. Expressions of CD10, FAP and GPR77 in CAFs before NCT (pre-) and after NCT (post-) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Survival curves on overall survival (OS) were obtained by Kaplan-Meier method, and differences were analyzed by log-rank test. Associations between categorical variables were explored by chi-square test or Fisher's exact method. Univariable and multivariate analyses were performed by logistic regression model and Cox proportional hazard regression model.

RESULTS

High expressions of post-CD10, post-FAP, post-GPR77 and pre-CD10 were related to worse TRG (all p<0.05). In multivariable analysis, post- and pre-FAP were independent predictive factors to TRG (p<0.010). Post-CD10 (p=0.032) and post-FAP (p=0.013) were related to OS in univariable analysis, but none of biomarkers were independent prognostic factors in multivariable analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Expressions of CD10, FAP and GPR77 in CAFs were related to chemoresistance and overall survival, and these biomarkers have predictive values for tumor regression and prognosis in locally advanced gastric cancer patients.

Targeting CD10 on B-Cell Leukemia Using the Universal CAR T-Cell Platform (UniCAR)

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing T-cells are without a doubt a breakthrough therapy for hematological malignancies. Despite their success, clinical experience has revealed several challenges, which include relapse after targeting single antigens such as CD19 in the case of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), and the occurrence of side effects that could be severe in some cases. Therefore, it became clear that improved safety approaches, and targeting multiple antigens, should be considered to further improve CAR T-cell therapy for B-ALL. In this paper, we address both issues by investigating the use of CD10 as a therapeutic target for B-ALL with our switchable UniCAR system. The UniCAR platform is a modular platform that depends on the presence of two elements to function. These include UniCAR T-cells and the target modules (TMs), which cross-link the T-cells to their respective targets on tumor cells. The TMs function as keys that control the switchability of UniCAR T-cells. Here, we demonstrate that UniCAR T-cells, armed with anti-CD10 TM, can efficiently kill B-ALL cell lines, as well as patient-derived B-ALL blasts, thereby highlighting the exciting possibility for using CD10 as an emerging therapeutic target for B-cell malignancies.

Emerging Biomarkers in Thyroid Practice and Research

Simple Summary

Tumor biomarkers are molecules at genetic or protein level, or certain evaluable characteristics. These help in perfecting patient management. Over the past decade, advanced and more sensitive techniques have led to the identification of many new biomarkers in the field of oncology. A knowledge of the recent developments is essential for their application to clinical practice, and furthering research. This review provides a comprehensive account of such various markers identified in thyroid carcinoma, the most common endocrine malignancy. While some of these have been brought into use in routine patient management, others are novel and need more research before clinical application.

Abstract

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. Recent developments in molecular biological techniques have led to a better understanding of the pathogenesis and clinical behavior of thyroid neoplasms. This has culminated in the updating of thyroid tumor classification, including the re-categorization of existing and introduction of new entities. In this review, we discuss various molecular biomarkers possessing diagnostic, prognostic, predictive and therapeutic roles in thyroid cancer. A comprehensive account of epigenetic dysregulation, including DNA methylation, the function of various microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, germline mutations determining familial occurrence of medullary and non-medullary thyroid carcinoma, and single nucleotide polymorphisms predisposed to thyroid tumorigenesis has been provided. In addition to novel immunohistochemical markers, including those for neuroendocrine differentiation, and next-generation immunohistochemistry (BRAF V600E, RAS, TRK, and ALK), the relevance of well-established markers, such as Ki-67, in current clinical practice has also been discussed. A tumor microenvironment (PD-L1, CD markers) and its influence in predicting responses to immunotherapy in thyroid cancer and the expanding arena of techniques, including liquid biopsy based on circulating nucleic acids and plasma-derived exosomes as a non-invasive technique for patient management, are also summarized.

Distinguishing Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules and Identifying Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Cancer by Plasma N-Glycomics

BACKGROUND

Biomarkers are needed for patient stratification between benign thyroid nodules (BTN) and thyroid cancer (TC) and identifying metastasis in TC. Though plasma N-glycome profiling has shown potential in the discovery of biomarkers and can provide new insight into the mechanisms involved, little is known about it in TC and BTN. Besides, several studies have indicated associations between abnormal glycosylation and TC. Here, we aimed to explore plasma protein N-glycome of a TC cohort with regard to their applicability to serve as biomarkers.

METHODS

Plasma protein N-glycomes of TC, BTN, and matched healthy controls (HC) were obtained using a robust quantitative strategy based on MALDI-TOF MS and included linkage-specific sialylation information.

RESULTS

Plasma N-glycans were found to differ between BTN, TC, and HC in main glycosylation features, namely complexity, galactosylation, fucosylation, and sialylation. Four altered glycan traits, which were consecutively decreased in BTN and TC, and classification models based on them showed high potential as biomarkers for discrimination between BTN and TC ("moderately accurate" to "accurate"). Additionally, strong associations were found between plasma N-glycans and lymph node metastasis in TC, which added the accuracy of predicting metastasis before surgery to the existing method.

CONCLUSIONS

We comprehensively evaluated the plasma N-glycomic changes in patients with TC or BTN for the first time. We determined several N-glycan biomarkers, some of them have potential in the differential diagnosis of TC, and the others can help to stratify TC patients to low or high risk of lymph node metastasis. The findings enhanced the understanding of TC.

Updates in the Pathologic Classification of Thyroid Neoplasms: A Review of the World Health Organization Classification

Advances in medical sciences and evidence-based medicine have led to momentous changes in classification and management of thyroid neoplasms. Much progress has been made toward avoiding overdiagnosis and overtreatment of thyroid cancers. The new 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of thyroid neoplasms updated the diagnostic criteria and molecular and genetic characteristics reflecting the biology and behavior of the tumors, and newly introduced the category of borderline malignancy or uncertain malignant potential. Some neoplasms were subclassified, renamed, or redefined as a specific entity. This review introduces changes in the fourth edition WHO classification of thyroid tumors and updates the contemporary diagnosis and classification of thyroid tumors. We also discuss several challenges with the proposal of new diagnostic entities, since they have unique histopathologic and molecular features and clinical relevance.

CD73 Overexpression Promotes Progression and Recurrence of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Simple Summary

This study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathologic significance of CD73 expression in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and the potential for CD73 to serve as a therapeutic target of PTC. CD73 was highly expressed in PTC, but not in the normal thyroid tissue. Overexpression of CD73 was associated with unfavorable clinicopathologic characteristics and a shorter recurrence-free survival. The expression level of CD73 mRNA was associated with the abundance of Tregs and dendritic cells, depletion of natural killer (NK) cells, and high expression of immune checkpoint genes and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-related genes. CD73 inhibitor attenuated PTC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, and suppressed PTC xenograft tumor growth in nude mice. These results suggest that CD73 expression is an unfavorable prognostic marker for patients with PTC. CD73 blockade would be an attractive candidate for therapeutic strategies in patients with advanced PTC.

Abstract

CD73 is involved in tumor immune escape and promotes the growth and progression of cancer cells. The functional role of CD73 expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has not yet been established. In 511 patients with PTC, immunohistochemistry for CD73 on tissue microarrays showed that the high expression of CD73 was associated with an aggressive histologic variant (p = 0.002), extrathyroidal extension (p < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001), and BRAF^V600E mutation (p = 0.015). Survival analysis results showed that patients with high CD73 expression had worse recurrence-free survival (p = 0.023). CD73 inhibitors induced G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, inhibited the migration and invasion of PTC cells, and suppressed tumor growth in PTC xenograft nude mice. High expression of CD73 (NT5E) mRNA was associated with unfavorable clinicopathologic characteristics, the abundance of Tregs and dendritic cells, depletion of natural killer (NK) cells, and high expression of immune checkpoint genes and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-related genes in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Taken together, CD73 expression promotes tumor progression and predicts low recurrence-free survival. Targeting the CD73–adenosine axis in the tumor microenvironment offers an attractive pathway for therapeutic strategies aimed at advanced PTC.