Single-Cell RNA Sequencing of a Postmenopausal Normal Breast Tissue Identifies Multiple Cell Types That Contribute to Breast Cancer

Breast cancer patient-derived organoids for the investigation of patient-specific tumour evolution

BACKGROUND

A reliable preclinical model of patient-derived organoids (PDOs) was developed in a case study of a 69-year-old woman diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) to investigate the tumour evolution before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery. The results were achieved due to the development of PDOs from tissues collected before (O-PRE) and after (O-POST) treatment.

METHODS

PDO cultures were characterized by histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, real-time PCR, bulk RNA-seq, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and drug screening.

RESULTS

Both PDO cultures recapitulated the histological and molecular profiles of the original tissues, and they showed typical mammary gland organization, confirming their reliability as a personalized in vitro model. Compared with O-PRE, O-POST had a greater proliferation rate with a significant increase in the Ki67 proliferation index. Moreover O-POST exhibited a more stem-like and aggressive phenotype, with increases in the CD24low/CD44low and EPCAMlow/CD49fhigh cell populations characterized by increased tumour initiation potential and multipotency and metastatic potential in invasive lobular carcinoma. Analysis of ErbB receptor expression indicated a decrease in HER-2 expression coupled with an increase in EGFR expression in O-POST. In this context, deregulation of the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway was assessed by transcriptomic analysis, confirming the altered transcriptional profile. Finally, transcriptomic single-cell analysis identified 11 cell type clusters, highlighting the selection of the luminal component and the decrease in the number of Epithelial-mesenchymal transition cell types in O-POST.

CONCLUSION

Neoadjuvant treatment contributed to the enrichment of cell populations with luminal phenotypes that were more resistant to chemotherapy in O-POST. PDOs represent an excellent 3D cell model for assessing disease evolution.

Preclinical Repurposing of Sitagliptin as a Drug Candidate for Colorectal Cancer by Targeting CD24/CTNNB1/SOX4-Centered Signaling Hub

Despite significant advances in treatment modalities, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a poorly understood and highly lethal malignancy worldwide. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) and the tumor microenvironment (TME) have been shown to play critical roles in initiating and promoting CRC progression, metastasis, and treatment resistance. Therefore, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms contributing to the generation and maintenance of CSCs is crucial to developing CSC-specific therapeutics and improving the current standard of care for CRC patients. To this end, we used a bioinformatics approach to identify increased CD24/SOX4 expression in CRC samples associated with poor prognosis. We also discovered a novel population of tumor-infiltrating CD24+ cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), suggesting that the CD24/SOX4-centered signaling hub could be a potential therapeutic target. Pathway networking analysis revealed a connection between the CD24/SOX4-centered signaling, β-catenin, and DPP4. Emerging evidence indicates that DPP4 plays a role in CRC initiation and progression, implicating its involvement in generating CSCs. Based on these bioinformatics data, we investigated whether sitagliptin, a DPP4 inhibitor and diabetic drug, could be repurposed to inhibit colon CSCs. Using a molecular docking approach, we demonstrated that sitagliptin targeted CD24/SOX4-centered signaling molecules with high affinity. In vitro experimental data showed that sitagliptin treatment suppressed CRC tumorigenic properties and worked in synergy with 5FU and this study thus provided preclinical evidence to support the alternative use of sitagliptin for treating CRC.

Pharmacogenomic Analysis of Combined Therapies against Glioblastoma Based on Cell Markers from Single-Cell Sequencing

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive form of primary brain cancer and the lack of viable treatment options has created an urgency to develop novel treatments. Personalized or predictive medicine is still in its infancy stage at present. This research aimed to discover biomarkers to inform disease progression and to develop personalized prophylactic and therapeutic strategies by combining state-of-the-art technologies such as single-cell RNA sequencing, systems pharmacology, and a polypharmacological approach. As predicted in the pyroptosis-related gene (PRG) transcription factor (TF) microRNA (miRNA) regulatory network, TP53 was the hub gene in the pyroptosis process in glioblastoma (GBM). A LASSO Cox regression model of pyroptosis-related genes was built to accurately and conveniently predict the one-, two-, and three-year overall survival rates of GBM patients. The top-scoring five natural compounds were parthenolide, rutin, baeomycesic acid, luteolin, and kaempferol, which have NFKB inhibition, antioxidant, lipoxygenase inhibition, glucosidase inhibition, and estrogen receptor agonism properties, respectively. In contrast, the analysis of the cell-type-specific differential expression-related targets of natural compounds showed that the top five subtype cells targeted by natural compounds were endothelial cells, microglia/macrophages, oligodendrocytes, dendritic cells, and neutrophil cells. The current approach-using the pharmacogenomic analysis of combined therapies-serves as a model for novel personalized therapeutic strategies for GBM treatment.

RUNX2 and Cancer

Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) is critical for the modulation of chondrocyte osteoblast differentiation and hypertrophy. Recently discovered RUNX2 somatic mutations, expressional signatures of RUNX2 in normal tissues and tumors, and the prognostic and clinical significance of RUNX2 in many types of cancer have attracted attention and led RUNX2 to be considered a biomarker for cancer. Many discoveries have illustrated the indirect and direct biological functions of RUNX2 in orchestrating cancer stemness, cancer metastasis, angiogenesis, proliferation, and chemoresistance to anticancer compounds, warranting further exploration of the associated mechanisms to support the development of a novel therapeutic strategy. In this review, we focus mainly on critical and recent research developments, including RUNX2's oncogenic activities, by summarizing and integrating the findings on somatic mutations of RUNX2, transcriptomic studies, clinical information, and discoveries about how the RUNX2-induced signaling pathway modulates malignant progression in cancer. We also comprehensively discuss RUNX2 RNA expression in a pancancer panel and in specific normal cell types at the single-cell level to indicate the potential cell types and sites for tumorigenesis. We expect this review to shed light on the recent mechanistical findings and modulatory role of RUNX2 in cancer progression and provide biological information that can guide new research in this field.

Transcriptome analysis reveals differences in cell cycle, growth and migration related genes that distinguish fibroblasts derived from pre-invasive and invasive breast cancer

Background/Introduction

As the most common form of pre-invasive breast cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) affects over 50,000 women in the US annually. Despite standardized treatment involving lumpectomy and radiation therapy, up to 25% of patients with DCIS experience disease recurrence often with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), indicating that a subset of patients may be under-treated. As most DCIS cases will not progress to invasion, many patients may experience over-treatment. By understanding the underlying processes associated with DCIS to IDC progression, we can identify new biomarkers to determine which DCIS cases may become invasive and improve treatment for patients. Accumulation of fibroblasts in IDC is associated with disease progression and reduced survival. While fibroblasts have been detected in DCIS, little is understood about their role in DCIS progression.

Goals

We sought to determine 1) whether DCIS fibroblasts were similar or distinct from normal and IDC fibroblasts at the transcriptome level, and 2) the contributions of DCIS fibroblasts to breast cancer progression.

Methods

Fibroblasts underwent transcriptome profiling and pathway analysis. Significant DCIS fibroblast-associated genes were further analyzed in existing breast cancer mRNA databases and through tissue array immunostaining. Using the sub-renal capsule graft model, fibroblasts from normal breast, DCIS and IDC tissues were co-transplanted with DCIS.com breast cancer cells.

Results

Through transcriptome profiling, we found that DCIS fibroblasts were characterized by unique alterations in cell cycle and motility related genes such as PKMYT1, TGF-α, SFRP1 and SFRP2, which predicted increased cell growth and invasion by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Immunostaining analysis revealed corresponding increases in expression of stromal derived PKMYT1, TGF-α and corresponding decreases in expression of SFRP1 and SFRP2 in DCIS and IDC tissues. Grafting studies in mice revealed that DCIS fibroblasts enhanced breast cancer growth and invasion associated with arginase-1+ cell recruitment.

Conclusion

DCIS fibroblasts are phenotypically distinct from normal breast and IDC fibroblasts, and play an important role in breast cancer growth, invasion, and recruitment of myeloid cells. These studies provide novel insight into the role of DCIS fibroblasts in breast cancer progression and identify some key biomarkers associated with DCIS progression to IDC, with important clinical implications.

B Cells in Breast Cancer Pathology

B cells have recently become a focus in breast cancer pathology due to their influence on tumour regression, prognosis, and response to treatment, besides their contribution to antigen presentation, immunoglobulin production, and regulation of adaptive responses. As our understanding of diverse B cell subsets in eliciting both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses in breast cancer patients increases, it has become pertinent to address the molecular and clinical relevance of these immune cell populations within the tumour microenvironment (TME). At the primary tumour site, B cells are either found spatially dispersed or aggregated in so-called tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). In axillary lymph nodes (LNs), B cell populations, amongst a plethora of activities, undergo germinal centre reactions to ensure humoral immunity. With the recent approval for the addition of immunotherapeutic drugs as a treatment option in the early and metastatic settings for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, B cell populations or TLS may resemble valuable biomarkers for immunotherapy responses in certain breast cancer subgroups. New technologies such as spatially defined sequencing techniques, multiplex imaging, and digital technologies have further deciphered the diversity of B cells and the morphological structures in which they appear in the tumour and LNs. Thus, in this review, we comprehensively summarise the current knowledge of B cells in breast cancer. In addition, we provide a user-friendly single-cell RNA-sequencing platform, called "B singLe cEll rna-Seq browSer" (BLESS) platform, with a focus on the B cells in breast cancer patients to interrogate the latest publicly available single-cell RNA-sequencing data collected from diverse breast cancer studies. Finally, we explore their clinical relevance as biomarkers or molecular targets for future interventions.

Oxidative Stress Response Biomarkers of Ovarian Cancer Based on Single-Cell and Bulk RNA Sequencing

Background

The occurrence and development of ovarian cancer (OV) are significantly influenced by increased levels of oxidative stress (OS) byproducts and the lack of an antioxidant stress repair system. Hence, it is necessary to explore the markers related to OS in OV, which can aid in predicting the prognosis and immunotherapeutic response in patients with OV.

Methods

The single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset GSE146026 was retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and Bulk RNA-seq data were obtained from TCGA and GTEx databases. The Seurat R package and SingleR package were used to analyze scRNA-seq and to identify OS response-related clusters based on ROS markers. The "limma" R package was used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between normal and ovarian samples. The risk model was constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis. The immune cell infiltration, genomic mutation, and drug sensitivity of the model were analyzed using the CIBERSORT algorithm, the "maftools," and the "pRRophetic" R packages, respectively.

Results

Based on scRNA-seq data, we identified 12 clusters; OS response-related genes had the strongest specificity for cluster 12. A total of 151 genes were identified from 2928 DEGs to be significantly correlated with OS response. Finally, nine prognostic genes were used to construct the risk score (RS) model. The risk score model was an independent prognostic factor for OV. The gene mutation frequency and tumor immune microenvironment in the high- and low-risk score groups were significantly different. The value of the risk score model in predicting immunotherapeutic outcomes was confirmed.

Conclusions

OS response-related RS model could predict the prognosis and immune responses in patients with OV and provide new strategies for cancer treatment.

Ductal keratin 15+ luminal progenitors in normal breast exhibit a basal-like breast cancer transcriptomic signature

Normal breast luminal epithelial progenitors have been implicated as cell of origin in basal-like breast cancer, but their anatomical localization remains understudied. Here, we combine collection under the microscope of organoids from reduction mammoplasties and single-cell mRNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of FACS-sorted luminal epithelial cells with multicolor imaging to profile ducts and terminal duct lobular units (TDLUs) and compare them with breast cancer subtypes. Unsupervised clustering reveals eleven distinct clusters and a differentiation trajectory starting with keratin 15⁺ (K15⁺) progenitors enriched in ducts. Spatial mapping of luminal progenitors is confirmed at the protein level by staining with critical duct markers. Comparison of the gene expression profiles of normal luminal cells with those of breast cancer subtypes suggests a strong correlation between normal breast ductal progenitors and basal-like breast cancer. We propose that K15⁺ basal-like breast cancers originate in ductal progenitors, which emphasizes the importance of not only lineages but also cellular position within the ductal-lobular tree.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts in the single-cell era

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are central players in the microenvironment of solid tumors, affecting cancer progression and metastasis. CAFs have diverse phenotypes, origins and functions and consist of distinct subpopulations. Recent progress in single-cell RNA-sequencing technologies has enabled detailed characterization of the complexity and heterogeneity of CAF subpopulations in multiple tumor types. In this Review, we discuss the current understanding of CAF subsets and functions as elucidated by single-cell technologies, their functional plasticity, and their emergent shared and organ-specific features that could potentially be harnessed to design better therapeutic strategies for cancer.

Updated Functional Roles of NAMPT in Carcinogenesis and Therapeutic Niches

Simple Summary

The advantages and applications of using the non-invasive way to detect serum biomarkers for assessing cancer diagnosis and prognosis have been explored. Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), also designated as pre-B-cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF) or visfatin, is a secreted adipokine known to modulate tumor malignancies. Its significance in predicting cancer patient’s survival outcome further renders the implementation of NAMPT in clinical practice. In this review, recent discoveries of NAMPT in cancer studies were focused and integrated. We aim to provide updates for researchers who are proposing relevant objectives.

Abstract

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is notable for its regulatory roles in tumor development and progression. Emerging evidence regarding NAMPT somatic mutations in cancer patients, NAMPT expressional signatures in normal tissues and cancers, and the prognostic significance of NAMPT in many cancer types has attracted attention, and NAMPT is considered a potential biomarker of cancer. Recent discoveries have demonstrated the indirect association and direct biological functions of NAMPT in modulating cancer metastasis, proliferation, angiogenesis, cancer stemness, and chemoresistance to anticancer drugs. These findings warrant further investigation of the underlying mechanisms to provide knowledge for developing novel cancer therapeutics. In this review article, we explore recent research developments involving the oncogenic activities of NAMPT by summarizing current knowledge regarding NAMPT somatic mutations, clinical trials, transcriptome data, and clinical information and discoveries related to the NAMPT-induced signaling pathway in modulating hallmarks of cancer. Furthermore, the comprehensive representation of NAMPT RNA expression in a pancancer panel as well as in specific normal cell types at single-cell level are demonstrated. The results suggest potential sites and cell types that could facilitate NAMPT-related tumorigenesis. With this review, we aim to shed light on the regulatory roles of NAMPT in tumor development and progression, and provide information to guide future research directions in this field.

The Role of Myeloid Cells in Hepatotoxicity Related to Cancer Immunotherapy

Simple Summary

Immune-modulating cancer treatments have proved to be highly effective in a wide range of tumour types. They interrupt the usual communication between cells in the immune system, encouraging them to become more active in identifying and destroying cancer cells. Although these therapies are very successful in treating cancer, patients frequently experience liver injury as a side effect related to over activation of the immune system. If cancer patients develop this side effect, they need to stop their cancer therapy and be given strong immunosuppressants. Researchers are now working on understanding the mechanisms involved in the development of liver inflammation. In this review we will summarise findings identifying classes of immune cells that are of particular importance in this context and highlight ways in which we can use this knowledge to improve the safety of these new cancer drugs.

Abstract

Drug-related hepatotoxicity is an emerging clinical challenge with the widening use of immunotherapeutic agents in the field of oncology. This is an important complication to consider as more immune oncological targets are being identified to show promising results in clinical trials. The application of these therapeutics may be complicated by the development of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), a serious limitation often requiring high-dose immunosuppression and discontinuation of cancer therapy. Hepatoxicity presents one of the most frequently encountered irAEs and a better understanding of the underlying mechanism is crucial for the development of alternative therapeutic interventions. As a novel drug side effect, the immunopathogenesis of the condition is not completely understood. In the liver, myeloid cells play a central role in the maintenance of homeostasis and promotion of inflammation. Recent research has identified myeloid cells to be associated with hepatic adverse events of various immune modulatory monoclonal antibodies. In this review article, we provide an overview of the role of myeloid cells in the immune pathogenesis during hepatoxicity related to cancer immunotherapies and highlight potential treatment options.

Application and prospects of single cell sequencing in tumors

Cancer is an intricate disease with inherent intra-tumor heterogeneity at the cellular level because of genetic changes and environmental differences. Cellular heterogeneity exists even within the same tumor type. Small deviations in a genome or transcriptome can lead to significant differences in function. Conventional bulk population sequencing, which produces admixed populations of cells, can only provide an average expression signal for one cell population, ignoring differences between individual cells. Important advances in sequencing have been made in recent years. Single cell sequencing starts in a single cell, thereby increasing our capability to characterize intratumor heterogeneity. This technology has been used to analyze genetic variation, specific metabolic activity, and evolutionary processes in tumors, which may help us understand tumor occurrence and development and improve our understanding of the tumor microenvironment. In addition, it provides a theoretical basis for the development of clinical treatments, especially for personalized medicine. In this article, we briefly introduce Single cell sequencing technology, summarize the application of Single cell sequencing to study the tumor microenvironment, as well as its therapeutic application in different clinical procedures.

Functional Roles of SPINK1 in Cancers

Serine Peptidase Inhibitor Kazal Type 1 (SPINK1) is a secreted protein known as a protease inhibitor of trypsin in the pancreas. However, emerging evidence shows its function in promoting cancer progression in various types of cancer. SPINK1 modulated tumor malignancies and induced the activation of the downstream signaling of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in cancer cells, due to the structural similarity with epidermal growth factor (EGF). The discoverable SPINK1 somatic mutations, expressional signatures, and prognostic significances in various types of cancer have attracted attention as a cancer biomarker in clinical applications. Emerging findings further clarify the direct and indirect biological effects of SPINK1 in regulating cancer proliferation, metastasis, drug resistance, transdifferentiation, and cancer stemness, warranting the exploration of the SPINK1-mediated molecular mechanism to identify a therapeutic strategy. In this review article, we first integrate the transcriptomic data of different types of cancer with clinical information and recent findings of SPINK1-mediated malignant phenotypes. In addition, a comprehensive summary of SPINK1 expression in a pan-cancer panel and individual cell types of specific organs at the single-cell level is presented to indicate the potential sites of tumorigenesis, which has not yet been reported. This review aims to shed light on the roles of SPINK1 in cancer and provide guidance and potential directions for scientists in this field.

Leptin and Cancer: Updated Functional Roles in Carcinogenesis, Therapeutic Niches, and Developments

Leptin is an obesity-associated adipokine that is known to regulate energy metabolism and reproduction and to control appetite via the leptin receptor. Recent work has identified specific cell types other than adipocytes that harbor leptin and leptin receptor expression, particularly in cancers and tumor microenvironments, and characterized the role of this signaling axis in cancer progression. Furthermore, the prognostic significance of leptin in various types of cancer and the ability to noninvasively detect leptin levels in serum samples have attracted attention for potential clinical applications. Emerging findings have demonstrated the direct and indirect biological effects of leptin in regulating cancer proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis and chemoresistance, warranting the exploration of the underlying molecular mechanisms to develop a novel therapeutic strategy. In this review article, we summarize and integrate transcriptome and clinical data from cancer patients together with the recent findings related to the leptin signaling axis in the aforementioned malignant phenotypes. In addition, a comprehensive analysis of leptin and leptin receptor distribution in a pancancer panel and in individual cell types of specific organs at the single-cell level is presented, identifying those sites that are prone to leptin-mediated tumorigenesis. Our results shed light on the role of leptin in cancer and provide guidance and potential directions for further research for scientists in this field.