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Li Y, Jin H, Li Q, Shi L, Mao Y, Zhao L. The role of RNA methylation in tumor immunity and its potential in immunotherapy. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:130. [PMID: 38902779 PMCID: PMC11188252 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-02041-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
RNA methylation, a prevalent post-transcriptional modification, has garnered considerable attention in research circles. It exerts regulatory control over diverse biological functions by modulating RNA splicing, translation, transport, and stability. Notably, studies have illuminated the substantial impact of RNA methylation on tumor immunity. The primary types of RNA methylation encompass N6-methyladenosine (m6A), 5-methylcytosine (m5C), N1-methyladenosine (m1A), and N7-methylguanosine (m7G), and 3-methylcytidine (m3C). Compelling evidence underscores the involvement of RNA methylation in regulating the tumor microenvironment (TME). By affecting RNA translation and stability through the "writers", "erasers" and "readers", RNA methylation exerts influence over the dysregulation of immune cells and immune factors. Consequently, RNA methylation plays a pivotal role in modulating tumor immunity and mediating various biological behaviors, encompassing proliferation, invasion, metastasis, etc. In this review, we discussed the mechanisms and functions of several RNA methylations, providing a comprehensive overview of their biological roles and underlying mechanisms within the tumor microenvironment and among immunocytes. By exploring how these RNA modifications mediate tumor immune evasion, we also examine their potential applications in immunotherapy. This review aims to provide novel insights and strategies for identifying novel targets in RNA methylation and advancing cancer immunotherapy efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Haoer Jin
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qingling Li
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Liangrong Shi
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yitao Mao
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Luqing Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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Da W, Song Z, Liu X, Wang Y, Wang S, Ma J. The role of TET2 in solid tumors and its therapeutic potential: a comprehensive review. Clin Transl Oncol 2024:10.1007/s12094-024-03478-5. [PMID: 38598002 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-024-03478-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Indeed, tumors are a significant health concern worldwide, and understanding the underlying mechanisms of tumor development is crucial for effective prevention and treatment. Epigenetics, which refers to changes in gene expression that are not caused by alterations in the DNA sequence itself, plays a critical role in the entire process of tumor development. It goes without saying that the effect of methylation on tumors is a significant aspect of epigenetics. Among the methylation modifications, DNA methylation is an important part, which plays a regulatory role in tumor-related genes. Ten-eleven translocation 2 (TET2) is a highly influential protein involved in the modification of DNA methylation. Its primary role is associated with the suppression of tumor development, making it a significant player in cancer research. However, TET2 is frequently mentioned in hematological diseases, its role in solid tumors has received little attention. Studying the changes of TET2 in solid tumors and the regulatory mechanism will facilitate its investigation as a clinical target for targeted therapy and may also provide directions for clinical treatment of malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxin Da
- Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Xuefu Road No. 301, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Ziyu Song
- Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Xuefu Road No. 301, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Xiaodong Liu
- Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Xuefu Road No. 301, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Yahui Wang
- Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Xuefu Road No. 301, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Shengjun Wang
- Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Xuefu Road No. 301, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Jie Ma
- Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Xuefu Road No. 301, Zhenjiang, 212013, China.
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Liu Y, Wu J, Chen L, Zou J, Yang Q, Tian H, Zheng D, Ji Z, Cai J, Li Z, Chen Y. ncRNAs-mediated overexpression of TET3 predicts unfavorable prognosis and correlates with immunotherapy efficacy in breast cancer. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24855. [PMID: 38318018 PMCID: PMC10838756 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most frequent form of cancer in women and the primary cause of cancer-related deaths globally. DNA methylation and demethylation are important processes in human tumorigenesis. Ten-eleven translocation 3 (TET3) is a DNA demethylase. Prior research has demonstrated that TET3 is highly expressed in various human malignant tumors. However, the exact function and mechanism of TET3 in breast cancer remain unclear. In this study, we investigated TET3 expression in breast cancer and its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer patients. The results presented that TET3 expression was significantly increased in breast cancer and associated with the PAM50 subtype. Subsequently, we performed receiver operating characteristic, survival, and Cox hazard regression analyses. These results suggest that TET3 expression is associated with a poor prognosis and may be an indirect independent prognostic indicator in breast cancer. We also established a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of TET3 and executed enrichment analyses of TET3 co-expressed genes, revealing their primary association with the cell cycle. Moreover, we identified noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) contributing to TET3 overexpression using expression, correlation, and survival analyses. We identified the LINC01521/hsa-miR-29a-3p axis as the primary TET3 upstream ncRNA-related pathway in breast cancer. Furthermore, TET3 expression was positively associated with immune cell infiltration, immune cell biomarkers, and eight immune checkpoint gene expressions in breast cancer. TET3 expression also correlated with patient responses to immunotherapy. Finally, we conducted subcellular localization and immunohistochemical staining analysis of TET3 in breast cancer. We found that TET3 localized to the nucleoplasm, vesicles, and cytosol in the MCF-7 cell line, and TET3 expression was significantly upregulated in breast cancer tissues compared to para-tumor tissues. Our findings indicate that ncRNA-mediated overexpression of TET3 predicts an unfavorable prognosis and correlates with immunotherapy efficacy in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Juan Zou
- Department of Thyroid, Breast and Hernia Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiuping Yang
- Department of Thyroid, Breast and Hernia Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Huiting Tian
- Department of Thyroid, Breast and Hernia Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Daitian Zheng
- Department of Thyroid, Breast and Hernia Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zeqi Ji
- Department of Thyroid, Breast and Hernia Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiehui Cai
- Department of Thyroid, Breast and Hernia Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhiyang Li
- Department of Thyroid, Breast and Hernia Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yexi Chen
- Department of Thyroid, Breast and Hernia Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
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Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Botchway BOA, Wang X, Liu X. Curcumin can improve spinal cord injury by inhibiting DNA methylation. Mol Cell Biochem 2024; 479:351-362. [PMID: 37076656 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-023-04731-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious central nervous system disease. Traumatic SCI often causes persistent neurological deficits below the injury level. Epigenetic changes occur after SCI. Studies have shown DNA methylation to be a key player in nerve regeneration and remodeling, and in regulating some pathophysiological characteristics of SCI. Curcumin is a natural polyphenol from turmeric. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects, and can mitigate the cell and tissue damage caused by SCI. This report analyzed the specific functions of DNA methylation in central nervous system diseases, especially traumatic brain injury and SCI. DNA methylation can regulate the level of gene expressions in the central nervous system. Therefore, pharmacological interventions regulating DNA methylation may be promising for SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical College, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, 312000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical College, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, 312000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Benson O A Botchway
- Institute of Neuroscience, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Bupa Cromwell Hospital, London, UK
| | - Xichen Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical College, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, 312000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xuehong Liu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical College, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, 312000, Zhejiang, China.
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Wang Y, Wang X, Lu J. Ten-Eleven-Translocation Genes in Cancer. Cancer Treat Res 2023; 190:363-373. [PMID: 38113007 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-45654-1_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The Ten-Eleven-Translocation (TET) family of genes, including TET1, TET2, and TET3, play critical roles in the oxidation of 5-methylcytosine marks in both DNA and RNA, thereby regulating the epigenome and epitranscriptome in cells. These genes are frequently mutated in both hematopoietic malignancies and in solid cancers. TET2, in particular, is one of the most frequently mutated genes in clonal hematopoiesis in the general population, which impacts both the transformation of hematopoietic malignancies and the immune responses in solid tumors. While much has been learned in the 14 years since the discovery of TETs' biochemical function and mutations, many important questions remain. This review covers several aspects of TET-related biology to discuss key yet unanswered questions. What are the functions of different forms of TET mutations found in human cancers? How does TET2 mutation enable pre-malignant hematopoietic expansion? How does TET2 mutation cooperate with partner lesions to cause transformation? And how do TET mutations affect immune responses in solid cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadong Wang
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Xujun Wang
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Jun Lu
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
- Yale Cooperative Center of Excellence in Hematology, New Haven, 12208, USA.
- Yale Center for RNA Science and Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
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Alagia A, Gullerova M. The Methylation Game: Epigenetic and Epitranscriptomic Dynamics of 5-Methylcytosine. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:915685. [PMID: 35721489 PMCID: PMC9204050 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.915685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA and RNA methylation dynamics have been linked to a variety of cellular processes such as development, differentiation, and the maintenance of genome integrity. The correct deposition and removal of methylated cytosine and its oxidized analogues is pivotal for cellular homeostasis, rapid responses to exogenous stimuli, and regulated gene expression. Uncoordinated expression of DNA/RNA methyltransferases and demethylase enzymes has been linked to genome instability and consequently to cancer progression. Furthermore, accumulating evidence indicates that post-transcriptional DNA/RNA modifications are important features in DNA/RNA function, regulating the timely recruitment of modification-specific reader proteins. Understanding the biological processes that lead to tumorigenesis or somatic reprogramming has attracted a lot of attention from the scientific community. This work has revealed extensive crosstalk between epigenetic and epitranscriptomic pathways, adding a new layer of complexity to our understanding of cellular programming and responses to environmental cues. One of the key modifications, m5C, has been identified as a contributor to regulation of the DNA damage response (DDR). However, the various mechanisms of dynamic m5C deposition and removal, and the role m5C plays within the cell, remains to be fully understood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monika Gullerova
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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