SFMBT2-Mediated Infiltration of Preadipocytes and TAMs in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer microenvironment: multidimensional regulation of immune cells, vascular system, stromal cells, and microbiota

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent malignancies in males worldwide. Increasing research attention has focused on the PCa microenvironment, which plays a crucial role in tumor progression and therapy resistance. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the key components of the PCa microenvironment, including immune cells, vascular systems, stromal cells, and microbiota, and explore their implications for diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS

Keywords such as "prostate cancer", "tumor microenvironment", "immune cells", "vascular system", "stromal cells", and "microbiota" were used for literature retrieval through online databases including PubMed and Web of Science. Studies related to the PCa microenvironment were selected, with a particular focus on those discussing the roles of immune cells, vascular systems, stromal cells, and microbiota in the development, progression, and treatment of PCa. The selection criteria prioritized peer-reviewed articles published in the last five years, aiming to summarize and analyze the latest research advancements and clinical relevance regarding the PCa microenvironment.

RESULTS

The PCa microenvironment is highly complex and dynamic, with immune cells contributing to immunosuppressive conditions, stromal cells promoting tumor growth, and microbiota potentially affecting androgen metabolism. Vascular systems support angiogenesis, which fosters tumor expansion. Understanding these components offers insight into the mechanisms driving PCa progression and opens avenues for novel therapeutic strategies targeting the tumor microenvironment.

CONCLUSIONS

A deeper understanding of the PCa microenvironment is crucial for advancing diagnostic techniques and developing precision therapies. This review highlights the potential of targeting the microenvironment to improve patient outcomes, emphasizing its significance in the broader context of PCa research and treatment innovation.

The role of proinflammatory cytokines and CXC chemokines (CXCL1-CXCL16) in the progression of prostate cancer: insights on their therapeutic management

Reproductive cancers are malignancies that develop in the reproductive organs. One of the leading cancers affecting the male reproductive system on a global scale is prostate cancer (PCa). The negative consequences of PCa metastases endure and are severe, significantly affecting mortality and life quality for those who are affected. The association between inflammation and PCa has captured interest for a while. Inflammatory cells, cytokines, CXC chemokines, signaling pathways, and other elements make up the tumor microenvironment (TME), which is characterized by inflammation. Inflammatory cytokines and CXC chemokines are especially crucial for PCa development and prognosis. Cytokines (interleukins) and CXC chemokines such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-7, IL-17, TGF-β, TNF-α, CXCL1-CXCL6, and CXCL8-CXCL16 are thought to be responsible for the pleiotropic effects of PCa, which include inflammation, progression, angiogenesis, leukocyte infiltration in advanced PCa, and therapeutic resistance. The inflammatory cytokine and CXC chemokines systems are also promising candidates for PCa suppression and immunotherapy. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to provide insight on how the spectra of inflammatory cytokines and CXC chemokines evolve as PCa develops and spreads. We also discussed recent developments in our awareness of the diverse molecular signaling pathways of these circulating cytokines and CXC chemokines, as well as their associated receptors, which may one day serve as PCa-targeted therapies. Moreover, the current status and potential of theranostic PCa therapies based on cytokines, CXC chemokines, and CXC receptors (CXCRs) are examined.

Acetylation- and ubiquitination-regulated SFMBT2 acts as a tumor suppressor in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common kidney tumor. The analysis from medical database showed that Scm-like with four MBT domains protein 2 (SFMBT2) was decreased in advanced clear cell RCC cases, and its downregulation was associated with the poor prognosis. This study aims to investigate the role of SFMBT2 in clear cell RCC.

METHODS

The expression of SFMBT2 in clear cell RCC specimens were determined by immunohistochemistry staining and western blot. The overexpression and knockdown of SFMBT2 was realized by infection of lentivirus loaded with SFMBT2 coding sequence or silencing fragment in 786-O and 769-P cells, and its effects on proliferation and metastasis were assessed by MTT, colony formation, flow cytometry, wound healing, transwell assay, xenograft and metastasis experiments in nude mice. The interaction of SFMBT2 with histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) and seven in absentia homolog 1 (SIAH1) was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation.

RESULTS

In our study, SFMBT2 exhibited lower expression in clear cell RCC specimens with advanced stages than those with early stages. Overexpression of SFMBT2 inhibited the growth and metastasis of clear cell RCC cells, 786-O and 769-P, in vitro and in vivo, and its silencing displayed opposites effects. HDAC3 led to deacetylation of SFMBT2, and the HDAC3 inhibitor-induced acetylation prevented SFMBT2 from SIAH1-mediated ubiquitination modification and proteasome degradation. K687 in SFMBT2 protein molecule may be the key site for acetylation and ubiquitination.

CONCLUSIONS

SFMBT2 exerted an anti-tumor role in clear cell RCC cells, and HDAC3-mediated deacetylation promoted SIAH1-controlled ubiquitination of SFMBT2. SFMBT2 may be considered as a novel clinical diagnostic marker and/or therapeutic target of clear cell RCC, and crosstalk between its post-translational modifications may provide novel insights for agent development.

TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT-ASSOCIATED miR-7-5p, miR-19a-3p, AND miR-23b-3p EXPRESSION IN PROSTATE CANCER WITH DIFFERENT PROGRESSION RISK

BACKGROUND

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in the occurrence and progression of prostate cancer (PCa). At the same time, the mechanisms and features of the interaction between tumor cells and individual components of the TME in PCa remain not fully elucidated. The aim was to study the expression levels of tumor-associated miR-7-5p, miR-19a-3p, and miR-23b-3p in the PCa tissue and to analyze their relationship with the features of TME.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The work is based on the analysis of the results of the examination and treatment of 50 patients with PCa of stages II-IV. The expression of miRNA in the PCa tissue was analyzed by the real-time polymerase chain reaction. The expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), vimentin (VIM), and CD68 in PCa tissue was determined by the immunohistochemical method. The identification of mast cells in the PCa tissue was assessed by the histochemical method.

RESULTS

The analysis of the expression levels of tumor-associated miRNAs demonstrated that the tumor tissue of patients with a high risk of PCa progression was characterized by 4.93 (p < 0.01) and 8.97 (p < 0.05) times higher levels of miR-19a-3p and miR-23b-3p, respectively, compared to similar indicators in the group of patients with a low risk of PCa progression. The levels of miR-7-5p and miR-19a-3p expression in the PCa tissue correlated with the expression level of α-SMA (r = 0.49 and r = 0.45, respectively; p < 0.05) and VIM (r = 0.45 and r = 0.46; respectively, p < 0.05). A direct relationship (r = 0.44; p < 0.05) was established between the level of miR-7-5p expression and the degree of infiltration of the prostate gland tissue by tumor-associated macrophages.

CONCLUSIONS

The features of the expression of tumor-associated miR-7-5p, miR-19a-3p, and miR-23b-3p indicated the prospect of their use as markers of the aggressiveness of the PCa course.

A CIC-related-epigenetic factors-based model associated with prediction, the tumor microenvironment and drug sensitivity in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is generally considered a cold tumor and is characterized by epigenetic alterations. Although tumor cells are surrounded by many immune cells such as macrophages, T cells may be suppressed, be inactivated, or not be presented due to various mechanisms, which usually results in poor prognosis and insensitivity to immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is considered a promising anti-cancer therapy in osteosarcoma but requires more research, but osteosarcoma does not currently respond well to this therapy. The cancer immunity cycle (CIC) is essential for anti-tumor immunity, and is epigenetically regulated. Therefore, it is possible to modulate the immune microenvironment of osteosarcoma by targeting epigenetic factors. In this study, we explored the correlation between epigenetic modulation and CIC in osteosarcoma through bioinformatic methods. Based on the RNA data from TARGET and GSE21257 cohorts, we identified epigenetic related subtypes by NMF clustering and constructed a clinical prognostic model by the LASSO algorithm. ESTIMATE, Cibersort, and xCell algorithms were applied to analyze the tumor microenvironment. Based on eight epigenetic biomarkers (SFMBT2, SP140, CBX5, HMGN2, SMARCA4, PSIP1, ACTR6, and CHD2), two subtypes were identified, and they are mainly distinguished by immune response and cell cycle regulation. After excluding ACTR6 by LASSO regression, the prognostic model was established and it exhibited good predictive efficacy. The risk score showed a strong correlation with the tumor microenvironment, drug sensitivity and many immune checkpoints. In summary, our study sheds a new light on the CIC-related epigenetic modulation mechanism of osteosarcoma and helps search for potential drugs for osteosarcoma treatment.

Osteoid cell-derived chemokines drive bone-metastatic prostate cancer

One of the greatest challenges in improving prostate cancer (PCa) survival is in designing new therapies to effectively target bone metastases. PCa regulation of the bone environment has been well characterized; however, bone-targeted therapies have little impact on patient survival, demonstrating a need for understanding the complexities of the tumor-bone environment. Many factors contribute to creating a favorable microenvironment for prostate tumors in bone, including cell signaling proteins produced by osteoid cells. Specifically, there has been extensive evidence from both past and recent studies that emphasize the importance of chemokine signaling in promoting PCa progression in the bone environment. Chemokine-focused strategies present promising therapeutic options for treating bone metastasis. These signaling pathways are complex, with many being produced by (and exerting effects on) a plethora of different cell types, including stromal and tumor cells of the prostate tumor-bone microenvironment. ​This review highlights an underappreciated molecular family that should be interrogated for treatment of bone metastatic prostate cancer (BM-PCa).

A cutting-edge immunomodulatory interlinkage between HOTAIR and MALAT1 in tumor-associated macrophages in breast cancer: A personalized immunotherapeutic approach

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers, accounting for 2.3 million cases worldwide. BC can be molecularly subclassified into luminal A, luminal B HER2-, luminal B HER2+, HER2+, and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). These molecular subtypes differ in their prognosis and treatment strategies; thus, understanding the tumor microenvironment (TME) of BC could lead to new potential treatment strategies. The TME hosts a population of cells that act as antitumorigenic such as tumor-associated eosinophils or pro-tumorigenic such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), monocytic-derived populations such as MDSCs, or most importantly "tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs)," which are derived from CD14⁺ monocytes. TAMs are reported to have the pro-inflammatory phenotype M1, which is found only in the very early stages of tumor and is not correlated with progression; however, the M2 phenotype is anti-inflammatory that is correlated with tumor progression and metastasis. The current study focused on controlling the anti-inflammatory activity in TAMs of hormonal, HER2+, and TNBC by epigenetic fine-tuning of two immunomodulatory proteins, namely, CD80 and mesothelin (MSLN), which are known to be overexpressed in BC with pro-tumorigenic activity. Long non-coding RNAs are crucial key players in tumor progression whether acting as oncogenic or tumor suppressors. We focused on the regulatory role of MALAT1 and HOTAIR lncRNAs and their role in controlling the tumorigenic activity of TAMs. This study observed the impact of manipulation of MALAT1 and HOTAIR on the expression of both CD80 and MSLN in TAMs of BC. Moreover, we analyzed the interlinkage between HOTAIR and MALAT1 as regulators to one another in TAMs of BC. The current study reported an upstream regulatory effect of HOTAIR on MALAT1. Moreover, our results showed a promising use of MALAT1 and HOTAIR in regulating oncogenic immune-modulatory proteins MSLN and CD80 in TAMs of HER2+ and TNBC. The downregulation of MALAT1 and HOTAIR resulted in the upregulation of CD80 and MSLN, which indicates that they might have a cell-specific activity in TAMs. These data shed light on novel key players affecting the anti-inflammatory activity of TAMs as a possible therapeutic target in HER2+ and TNBC.

The role of tumor-associated macrophages and soluble mediators in pulmonary metastatic melanoma

Skin malignant melanoma is a highly aggressive skin tumor, which is also a major cause of skin cancer-related mortality. It can spread from a relatively small primary tumor and metastasize to multiple locations, including lymph nodes, lungs, liver, bone, and brain. What’s more metastatic melanoma is the main cause of its high mortality. Among all organs, the lung is one of the most common distant metastatic sites of melanoma, and the mortality rate of melanoma lung metastasis is also very high. Elucidating the mechanisms involved in the pulmonary metastasis of cutaneous melanoma will not only help to provide possible explanations for its etiology and progression but may also help to provide potential new therapeutic targets for its treatment. Increasing evidence suggests that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play an important regulatory role in the migration and metastasis of various malignant tumors. Tumor-targeted therapy, targeting tumor-associated macrophages is thus attracting attention, particularly for advanced tumors and metastatic tumors. However, the relevant role of tumor-associated macrophages in cutaneous melanoma lung metastasis is still unclear. This review will present an overview of the origin, classification, polarization, recruitment, regulation and targeting treatment of tumor-associated macrophages, as well as the soluble mediators involved in these processes and a summary of their possible role in lung metastasis from cutaneous malignant melanoma. This review particularly aims to provide insight into mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets to readers, interested in pulmonary metastasis melanoma.

Racial differences in prostate tumor microenvironment: implications for disparate clinical outcomes and potential opportunities

Disparities in cancer incidence and outcome are common among the racial and ethnical minorities in the United States and are of significant social and clinical concern. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-cutaneous malignancy in American men and exhibits substantial racial disparities with African American men bearing the highest burden in terms of incidence and mortality. A multitude of factors, including socioeconomic, behavioral, and access to healthcare, have been implicated as the underlying causes of such disparities. More recent data also suggest that there are inherent molecular and biological differences in prostate tumors of patients having distinct racial backgrounds. Tumor microenvironment has tremendous impact on the course of cancer progression and clinical outcome and may also contribute to the racial disparities observed in prostate cancer. Therefore, a better understanding of critical differences in the tumor microenvironment components may provide newer directions to study the biological causes of prostate cancer health disparities and may identify novel therapeutic targets. This review discusses the findings related to the tumor microenvironment differences between African American and Caucasian American prostate cancer patients and makes suggestion regarding their potential significance in prostate cancer disparities.

circ‑0000212 promotes cell proliferation of colorectal cancer by sponging miR‑491 and modulating FOXP4 expression

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a lethal and common malignancy worldwide. Non-coding (nc)RNAs have been shown to modulate tumor progression in several types of cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the role of hsa_circ_0000212 in CRC, as a sponge of microRNA (miR)-491. The expression levels of miR-491 and forkhead box P4 (FOXP4) were analyzed using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The association between miR-491 and FOXP4 and the clinicopathological characteristics were also analyzed. A novel circular (circ)RNA, hsa_circ_0000212, was found to sponge miR-491 based on bioinformatics analysis. The potential binding site between miR-491 and FOXP4 or circ-0000212 was validated using luciferase and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. The expression levels and distribution of circ-0000212 was also determined. Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assays were performed to determine the role of miR-491 or circ-0000212 on the proliferation of the CRC cells. Decreased miR-491 or increased FOXP4 expression levels were associated with the pathological stage in patients with CRC. In addition, miR-491 inhibited cell proliferation by targeting FOXP4. circ-0000212 was increased in CRC tissues and was predominantly localized in the cytoplasm. Furthermore, circ-0000212 augmented viability of the CRC cells by sponging miR-491 and modulating FOXP4. In conclusion, circ-0000212 may serve as a novel tumor-promoter and drug target in CRC.