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Kang H, Gu X, Cao S, Tong Z, Song N. Integrated multi-omics analyses reveal the pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic pulmonary macrophage subcluster in silicosis. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 284:116899. [PMID: 39181076 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 08/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Silicosis is a lethal occupational disease caused by long-term exposure to respirable silica dust. Pulmonary macrophages play a crucial role in mediating the initiation of silicosis. However, the phenotypic and functional heterogeneities of pulmonary macrophages in silicosis have not been well-studied. METHODS The silicosis mouse model was established by intratracheal administration of silica suspension. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALFs) of mice were collected for the multiplex cytokine analysis. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics were performed to reveal the heterogeneity and spatial localization of macrophages in the lung tissues. The formation of the fibrotic nodules was characterized by histology, hydroxyproline assay, and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. The expression of the pro-inflammatory or pro-fibrotic genes was investigated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). RESULTS We found that the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines is significantly increased in the BALFs of silicosis mice. Apparent collagen deposition can also be observed in the silicotic lung tissues. By scRNA-seq, we have identified a subpopulation of Mmp12hi macrophages significantly expanding in the lung tissues of mice with silicosis. Spatial transcriptomics analysis further confirmed that the Mmp12hi macrophages are mainly enriched in silicosis nodules. Pseudotime trajectory showed that these Mmp12hi macrophages, highly expressing both pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic genes, are derived from Ly6c+ monocytes. Additionally, 4-octyl itaconate (4-OI) treatment, which can alleviate pulmonary fibrosis in silicosis mice, also reduces the enrichment of the Mmp12hi macrophages. Moreover, we found a subset of macrophages in BALFs derived from patients with silicosis exhibited similar characteristics of Mmp12hi macrophages in silicosis mice models. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggested that a group of Mmp12hi macrophages highly express both pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic factors in silicosis mice, and thus may contribute to the progression of fibrosis. The findings have proposed new insights for understanding the heterogeneity of lung macrophages in silicosis, suggesting that the subset of Mmp12hi macrophages may be a potential therapy target to further halt the progression of silicosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanyujie Kang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Xueqing Gu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Siyu Cao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Zhaohui Tong
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.
| | - Nan Song
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China; Medical Research Center, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.
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2
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Cao Z, Hu Z, Wang Y, Zhao F, Li J, Li R, Hu W, Liu B, Tang S, Wang P, Li F, Chen Z, Wang L, Ma X. Letrozole-Based Near-Infrared Dynamic Imaging Targeting Ductal-Vascular RhoJ From Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia to Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2402913. [PMID: 39329457 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202402913] [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: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) relies heavily on neoangiogenesis for its progression, making early detection crucial. Here, LTZi-MHI148 (Letrozole inhibitor bonding with MHI-148 dye), a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent agent is developed, to target RhoJ (Ras Homolog Family Member J), a protein expressed in neonatal vasculature, for both imaging and therapy of early PDAC. This agent is synthesized by conjugating Letrozole with MHI-148, exhibiting excellent NIR characteristics and photostability. In vitro studies showed that LTZi-MHI148 selectively accumulated within pancreatic cancer cells through Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide (OATP) transporters and bound to cytoplasmic RhoJ. In vivo, the probe effectively targeted neoangiogenesis and Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasias (PanINs) in various PDAC models, including the orthotopic, ectopic, spontaneous, and tamoxifen-induced tumors. Notably, LTZi-MHI148 detected preneoplastic PanIN lesions with Overexpressed RhoJ and active neoangiogenesis in both spontaneous and tamoxifen-induced PDAC murine models. Longitudinal imaging studies revealed that RhoJ-targeted neoangiogenesis tracks lesion progression, highlighting LTZi-MHI148's utility in monitoring disease progression. Furthermore, multiple LTZi-MHI148 administrations attenuated PanINs to PDAC progression, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic intervention. These findings underscore the translational potential of LTZi-MHI148 for the early detection and targeted therapy of PDAC, utilizing NIR-I/II imaging to monitor RhoJ overexpression in precancerous ductal neoplasia associated with neoangiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Cao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518020, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China
| | - Zhuang Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Yishu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China
| | - Fengyun Zhao
- Cancer Research Institute of Zhongshan City, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, Zhongshan, Guangdong, 528403, China
| | - Jingmin Li
- Internal medicine department, Guangzhou women and children's Medical Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510620, China
| | - Ruihan Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Weibin Hu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China
| | - Bei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China
| | - Shaohui Tang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510120, China
| | - Fugui Li
- Cancer Research Institute of Zhongshan City, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, Zhongshan, Guangdong, 528403, China
| | - Zilin Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Lisheng Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518020, China
| | - Xiaodong Ma
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China
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Zhang Y, Ding X, Zhang X, Li Y, Xu R, Li HJ, Zuo D, Chen G. Unveiling the contribution of tumor-associated macrophages in driving epithelial-mesenchymal transition: a review of mechanisms and therapeutic Strategies. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1404687. [PMID: 39286635 PMCID: PMC11402718 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1404687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), fundamental constituents of the tumor microenvironment (TME), significantly influence cancer development, primarily by promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT endows cancer cells with increased motility, invasiveness, and resistance to therapies, marking a pivotal juncture in cancer progression. The review begins with a detailed exposition on the origins of TAMs and their functional heterogeneity, providing a foundational understanding of TAM characteristics. Next, it delves into the specific molecular mechanisms through which TAMs induce EMT, including cytokines, chemokines and stromal cross-talking. Following this, the review explores TAM-induced EMT features in select cancer types with notable EMT characteristics, highlighting recent insights and the impact of TAMs on cancer progression. Finally, the review concludes with a discussion of potential therapeutic targets and strategies aimed at mitigating TAM infiltration and disrupting the EMT signaling network, thereby underscoring the potential of emerging treatments to combat TAM-mediated EMT in cancer. This comprehensive analysis reaffirms the necessity for continued exploration into TAMs' regulatory roles within cancer biology to refine therapeutic approaches and improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijia Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Taizhou Second People's Hospital (Mental Health Center affiliated to Taizhou University School of Medicine), Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaofei Ding
- Department of Pharmacology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Ye Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Rui Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Hai-Jun Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Taizhou Second People's Hospital (Mental Health Center affiliated to Taizhou University School of Medicine), Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Daiying Zuo
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Guang Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Taizhou Second People's Hospital (Mental Health Center affiliated to Taizhou University School of Medicine), Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Pharmacology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
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Silver A, Chakraborty A, Pittu A, Feier D, Anica M, West I, Sarkisian MR, Deleyrolle LP. Get to know your neighbors with a SNAQ ™: A framework for single cell spatial neighborhood analysis in immunohistochemical images. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.04.606539. [PMID: 39149345 PMCID: PMC11326196 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.04.606539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Motivation Analyzing the local microenvironment of tumor cells can provide significant insights into their complex interactions with their cellular surroundings, including immune cells. By quantifying the prevalence and distances of certain immune cells in the vicinity of tumor cells through a neighborhood analysis, patterns may emerge that indicate specific associations between cell populations. Such analyses can reveal important aspects of tumor-immune dynamics, which may inform therapeutic strategies. This method enables an in-depth exploration of spatial interactions among different cell types, which is crucial for research in oncology, immunology, and developmental biology. Results We introduce an R Markdown script called SNAQ™ (Single-cell Spatial Neighborhood Analysis and Quantification), which conducts a neighborhood analysis on immunofluorescent images without the need for extensive coding knowledge. As a demonstration, SNAQ™ was used to analyze images of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Samples stained for DAPI, PanCK, CD68, and PD-L1 were segmented and classified using QuPath. The resulting CSV files were exported into RStudio for further analysis and visualization using SNAQ™. Visualizations include plots revealing the cellular composition of neighborhoods around multiple cell types within a customizable radius. Additionally, the analysis includes measuring the distances between cells of certain types relative to others across multiple regions of interest. Availability and implementation The R Markdown files that comprise the SNAQ™ algorithm and the input data from this paper are freely available on the web at https://github.com/AryehSilver1/SNAQ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryeh Silver
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA
| | - Avirup Chakraborty
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
- Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Avinash Pittu
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Diana Feier
- College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Miruna Anica
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Illeana West
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Matthew R Sarkisian
- Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Loic P Deleyrolle
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
- Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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Pei XZ, Cai M, Jiang DW, Chen SH, Wang QQ, Lu HM, Lu YF. FAM53B promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma metastasis by regulating macrophage M2 polarization. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2024; 16:1479-1499. [PMID: 38660645 PMCID: PMC11037046 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i4.1479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our study investigated the role of FAM53B in regulating macrophage M2 polarization and its potential mechanisms in promoting pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) metastasis. AIM To further investigate the role of FAM53B in regulating macrophage M2 polarization and its potential mechanism in promoting PDAC metastasis. Our goal is to determine how FAM53B affects macrophage M2 polarization and to define its underlying mechanism in PDAC metastasis. METHODS Cell culture and various experiments, including protein analysis, immunohistochemistry, and animal model experiments, were conducted. We compared FAM53B expression between PDAC tissues and healthy tissues and assessed the correlation of FAM53B expression with clinical features. Our study analyzed the role of FAM53B in macrophage M2 polarization in vitro by examining the expression of relevant markers. Finally, we used a murine model to study the role of FAM53B in PDAC metastasis and analyzed the potential underlying mechanisms. RESULTS Our research showed that there was a significant increase in FAM53B levels in PDAC tissues, which was linked to adverse tumor features. Experimental findings indicated that FAM53B can enhance macrophage M2 polarization, leading to increased anti-inflammatory factor release. The results from the mouse model further supported the role of FAM53B in PDAC metastasis, as blocking FAM53B prevented tumor cell invasion and metastasis. CONCLUSION FAM53B promotes PDAC metastasis by regulating macrophage M2 polarization. This discovery could lead to the development of new strategies for treating PDAC. For example, interfering with the FAM53B signaling pathway may prevent cancer spread. Our research findings also provide important information for expanding our understanding of PDAC pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan-Zeng Pei
- Department of Hepatological Surgery, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Min Cai
- Department of Hepatological Surgery, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Da-Wei Jiang
- Department of Hepatological Surgery, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Song-Hai Chen
- Department of Hepatological Surgery, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Qing-Qing Wang
- Department of Hepatological Surgery, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Hui-Min Lu
- Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610044, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yi-Fan Lu
- Department of Hepatological Surgery, The First Hospital of Jiaxing, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang Province, China
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Hayakawa K, Zhou Y, Shinton SA. B-1 derived anti-Thy-1 B cells in old aged mice develop lymphoma/leukemia with high expression of CD11b and Hamp2 that different from TCL1 transgenic mice. Immun Ageing 2024; 21:22. [PMID: 38570827 PMCID: PMC10988983 DOI: 10.1186/s12979-024-00415-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Human old aged unmutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia U-CLL are the TCL1+ZAP70+CD5+ B cells. Since CD5 makes the BCR signaling tolerance, ZAP70 increased in U-CLL not only TCL1+ alone. In mice, TCL1 (TCL1A) is the negative from neonate to old aged, as TC-. VH8-12/Vk21-5 is the anti-thymocyte/Thy-1 autoreactive ATA B cell. When ATA μκTg generation in mice, ATA B cells are the neonate generated CD5+ B cells in B-1, and in the middle age, CD5+ can be down or continuously CD5+, then, old aged CLL/lymphoma generation with increased CD11b in TC-ZAP70-CD5- or TC-ZAP70+CD5+. In this old aged TC-ATA B microarray analysis showed most similar to human CLL and U-CLL, and TC-ZAP70+CD5+ showed certain higher present as U-CLL. Original neonate ATA B cells showed with several genes down or further increase in old aged tumor, and old aged T-bet+CD11c+, CTNNB1hi, HMGBhi, CXCR4hi, DPP4hi and decreased miR181b. These old aged increased genes and down miR181b are similar to human CLL. Also, in old age ATA B cell tumor, high CD38++CD44++, increased Ki67+ AID+, and decreased CD180- miR15Olow are similar to U-CLL. In this old aged ATA B, increased TLR7,9 and Wnt10b. TC+Tg generated with ATAμκTg mice occurred middle age tumor as TC+ZAP70-CD5+ or TC+ZAP70+CD5+, with high NF-kB1, TLR4,6 and Wnt5b,6 without increased CD11b. Since neonatal state to age with TC+Tg continuously, middle age CLL/lymphoma generation is not similar to old aged generated, however, some increased in TC+ZAP70+ are similar to the old age TC- ATA B tumor. Then, TC- ATA B old age tumor showed some difference to human CLL. ATA B cells showed CD11b+CD22++, CD24 down, and hepcidin Hamp2++ with iron down. This mouse V8-12 similar to human V2-5, and V2-5 showed several cancers with macrophages/neutrophils generated hepcidin+ ironlow or some showed hepcidin- iron+ with tumor, and mouse V8-12 with different Vk19-17 generate MZ B cells strongly increased macrophage++ in old aged and generated intestine/colon tumor. Conclusion, neonate generated TC-ATA B1 cells in old aged tumor generation are CD11b+ in the leukemia CLL together with lymphoma cancer with hepcidin-related Hamp2++ in B-1 cell generation to control iron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoko Hayakawa
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia, PA, 19111, USA.
| | - Yan Zhou
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia, PA, 19111, USA
| | - Susan A Shinton
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia, PA, 19111, USA
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Willems RAL, Biesmans C, Campello E, Simioni P, de Laat B, de Vos-Geelen J, Roest M, Ten Cate H. Cellular Components Contributing to the Development of Venous Thrombosis in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer. Semin Thromb Hemost 2024; 50:429-442. [PMID: 38049115 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1777304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive type of cancer and has a poor prognosis. Patients with PDAC are at high risk of developing thromboembolic events, which is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality following cancer progression. Plasma-derived coagulation is the most studied process in cancer-associated thrombosis. Other blood components, such as platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells, have been gaining less attention. This narrative review addresses the literature on the role of cellular components in the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with PDAC. Blood cells seem to play an important role in the development of VTE. Altered blood cell counts, i.e., leukocytosis, thrombocytosis, and anemia, have been found to associate with VTE risk. Tumor-related activation of leukocytes leads to the release of tissue factor-expressing microvesicles and the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps, initiating coagulation and forming a scaffold for thrombi. Tissue factor-expressing microvesicles are also thought to be released by PDAC cells. PDAC cells have been shown to stimulate platelet activation and aggregation, proposedly via the secretion of podoplanin and mucins. Hypofibrinolysis, partially explained by increased plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity, is observed in PDAC. In short, PDAC-associated hypercoagulability is a complex and multifactorial process. A better understanding of cellular contributions to hypercoagulability might lead to the improvement of diagnostic tests to identify PDAC patients at highest risk of VTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Anne Laura Willems
- Department of Functional Coagulation, Synapse Research Institute, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Thrombosis Expert Center Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Division of Vascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- CARIM, School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Charlotte Biesmans
- Department of Functional Coagulation, Synapse Research Institute, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Thrombosis Expert Center Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Division of Vascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Elena Campello
- General Medicine and Thrombotic and Hemorrhagic Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Paolo Simioni
- General Medicine and Thrombotic and Hemorrhagic Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Bas de Laat
- Department of Functional Coagulation, Synapse Research Institute, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- CARIM, School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Platelet Pathophysiology, Synapse Research Institute, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Judith de Vos-Geelen
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- GROW, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Mark Roest
- Department of Platelet Pathophysiology, Synapse Research Institute, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo Ten Cate
- Thrombosis Expert Center Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Division of Vascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- CARIM, School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Long T, Wu W, Wang X, Chen M. TPR is a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target associated with immune infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma. Mol Clin Oncol 2024; 20:27. [PMID: 38414509 PMCID: PMC10895467 DOI: 10.3892/mco.2024.2725] [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: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer. In the present study, it was demonstrated that translocated promoter region (TPR) was upregulated in tumor tissues and associated with prognosis and immune infiltration in HCC. The clinical outcome of patients with HCC with aberrant expression of TPR was examined using multiple databases, including Gene Expression Omnibus, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression, Kaplan-Meier (KM) Plotter and Xiantao tool. The clinicopathologic characteristics of patients from TCGA database that were associated with overall survival were assessed using Cox regression and KM analysis. The potential hallmarks associated with TPR expression were further predicted by Metascape and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, and the relationship between TPR and immune infiltration was explored using the Tumor-Immune System Interactions Database and the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource. The results demonstrated that TPR expression was higher in HCC and its overexpression was associated with a worse prognosis, alongside a correlation with several clinical features. Furthermore, cell differentiation, a prospective new hallmark of cancer, was differentially enriched in the high TPR expression phenotype pathway. Moreover, TPR may also modulate the tumor immune microenvironment as it was significantly associated with immunoregulators and chemokines, as well as different tumor infiltration immune cells. According to the in vitro experiments, TPR silencing inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT and the proliferation of HCC cells. In summary, TPR may be a new marker and target for HCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng Long
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
| | - Weijie Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
| | - Minshan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
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Tan P, Cai S, Huang Z, Li M, Liu S, Chen J, Fu W, Zhao L. E3 ubiquitin ligase FBXW11 as a novel inflammatory biomarker is associated with immune infiltration and NF-κB pathway activation in pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Cell Signal 2024; 116:111033. [PMID: 38182068 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111033] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, PDAC) is an aggressive disease with an overall poor prognosis. Pancreatitis is a major risk factor for the development of PDAC. Due to the lack of reliable and accurate biomarkers, the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of PDAC face great challenges. It is of great significance to elucidate the pathogenesis of PDAC and explore novel inflammatory biomarkers. METHODS We identified E3 ubiquitin ligases associated with pancreatic inflammation by combining multiple GEO datasets and UbiNet 2.0, and integrating the WGCNA algorithm and Limma R package. A risk score model for PDAC patients was established by using LASSO regression. We investigated the correlation between FBXW11 and immune cell infiltration using CIBERSORT, mMCP-counter, ImmuCellAI-mouse, QUANTISEQ, and TIMER algorithms, based on GEO, ArrayExpress, and TCGA datasets. We used Ubibrowser 2.0 to predict potential substrates for FBXW11. WikiPathway, MSigDB Hallmark, and Elsevier pathway analysis of FBXW11 key substrates were also performed using the EnrichR database. We detected protein expression through IHC, immunofluorescence, and western blot in the cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis mouse model. RESULTS We first identified that FBXW11 exhibited a clear tendency to gradually increase in normal, pancreatitis, and PDAC patients. The validation analysis revealed that the FBXW11 protein exhibited significantly high expression in cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis mice, with its distribution primarily observed in the cytoplasm. Simultaneously, we developed a risk model utilizing the genes associated with FBXW11 to forecast the outcome of patients with PDAC and the likelihood of pancreatitis advancing to pancreatic cancer. Functional analysis showed that FBXW11, as a novel inflammatory biomarker, had a significant positive correlation with macrophage infiltration and the NF-κB signaling pathway. Finally, the western blot assay of the NF-κB signaling pathway in pancreatic tissues demonstrated that high activation of NF-κB was correlated with high expression of FBXW11. CONCLUSIONS Our research not only provides evidence for FBXW11 as a novel inflammatory biomarker but also provides new insights into the research and clinical treatment of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Tan
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710000, China; Metabolic Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou City, Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, Department of General Surgery (Hepatopancreatobiliary surgery), The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Shuang Cai
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710000, China
| | - Zhiwei Huang
- Department of General Surgery (Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Mo Li
- Department of General Surgery (Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Shenglu Liu
- Department of General Surgery (Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Jiatong Chen
- Department of General Surgery (Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Wenguang Fu
- Metabolic Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases Key Laboratory of Luzhou City, Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, Department of General Surgery (Hepatopancreatobiliary surgery), The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.; Department of General Surgery (Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Lingyu Zhao
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710000, China.
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10
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Guo S, Wang Z. Unveiling the immunosuppressive landscape of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: implications for innovative immunotherapy strategies. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1349308. [PMID: 38590651 PMCID: PMC10999533 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1349308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer, particularly pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), stands as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, marked by challenging treatment and dismal prognoses. As immunotherapy emerges as a promising avenue for mitigating PDAC's malignant progression, a comprehensive understanding of the tumor's immunosuppressive characteristics becomes imperative. This paper systematically delves into the intricate immunosuppressive network within PDAC, spotlighting the significant crosstalk between immunosuppressive cells and factors in the hypoxic acidic pancreatic tumor microenvironment. By elucidating these mechanisms, we aim to provide insights into potential immunotherapy strategies and treatment targets, laying the groundwork for future studies on PDAC immunosuppression. Recognizing the profound impact of immunosuppression on PDAC invasion and metastasis, this discussion aims to catalyze the development of more effective and targeted immunotherapies for PDAC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songyu Guo
- First Clinical Medical College, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
- Department of Hepatic-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Zhenxia Wang
- Department of Hepatic-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
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11
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Luo A, Qiao N, Hu K, Xu H, Xie M, Jiang Y, Hu J. BZW1 is a prognostic and immunological biomarker in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e37092. [PMID: 38306570 PMCID: PMC10843520 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000037092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the most common malignant tumor of the digestive system and is called the "king of cancer" because it has been labeled with high malignancy, rapid progression, poor survival, and poor prognosis. Previously, it was reported that the basic leucine zipper and W2 domains 1 (BZW1) is involved in the progression of many tumors. However, its research in digestive system tumors such as pancreatic cancer is rarely studied. To explore potential biomarkers related to survival and prognosis of pancreatic cancer and provide a new targeted therapy for it. We first analyzed the mRNA and protein expression of BZW1 in pancreatic cancer. We then explored the correlation of BZW1 with survival prognosis and immune infiltration in pancreatic cancer patients. Finally, we explored BZW1-related gene enrichment analysis, including protein-protein interaction networks, gene ontology functional enrichment analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis. The mRNA and protein expression of the BZW1 gene in pancreatic cancer tissues were higher than those in adjacent normal tissues, and pancreatic cancer patients with high BZW1 expression had a poor prognosis. In addition, the expression of BZW1 was positively or negatively correlated with different immune cells of pancreatic cancer, such as CD4 + T lymphocytes, CD8 + T lymphocytes, B cells, macrophages, neutrophils, etc. Correlation enrichment analysis showed that we obtained 50 available experimentally determined BZW1-binding proteins and 100 targeted genes related to BZW1, and the intersection genes were eukaryotic translation termination factor 1 and Guanine nucleotide binding protein, alpha inhibiting activity polypeptide 3. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between BZW1 and eukaryotic translation termination factor 1 and Guanine nucleotide binding protein, alpha inhibiting activity polypeptide 3 genes in pancreatic cancer. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed BZW1 was mainly related to biological processes such as "mRNA processing," "RNA splicing," "regulation of translational initiation," and "activation of innate immune response." The results of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis further indicated that BZW1 may be involved in pancreatic carcinogenesis through the "spliceosome" and "ribosome." The BZW1 gene may be a potential immunotherapy target and a promising prognostic marker for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Luo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Longyan Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Longyan, Fujian, China
| | - Nan Qiao
- Department of Student Affairs, Jiangxi Institute of Economic Administrators, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Ke Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Henglang Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Mingjun Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yiping Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Jia Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
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12
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Lu Q, Tang Y, Luo S, Gong Q, Li C. Coptisine, the Characteristic Constituent from Coptis chinensis, Exhibits Significant Therapeutic Potential in Treating Cancers, Metabolic and Inflammatory Diseases. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE 2023; 51:2121-2156. [PMID: 37930333 DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x2350091x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Naturally derived alkaloids belong to a class of quite significant organic compounds. Coptisine, a benzyl tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid, is one of the major bioactive constituents in Coptis chinensis Franch., which is a famous traditional Chinese medicine. C. chinensis possesses many kinds of functions, including the ability to eliminate heat, expel dampness, purge fire, and remove noxious substances. In Asian countries, C. chinensis is traditionally employed to treat carbuncle and furuncle, diabetes, jaundice, stomach and intestinal disorders, red eyes, toothache, and skin disorders. Up to now, there has been plenty of research of coptisine with respect to its pharmacology. Nevertheless, a comprehensive review of coptisine-associated research is urgently needed. This paper was designed to summarize in detail the progress in the research of the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, safety, and formulation of coptisine. The related studies included in this paper were retrieved from the following academic databases: The Web of Science, PubMed, Google scholar, Elsevier, and CNKI. The cutoff date was January 2023. Coptisine manifests various pharmacological actions, including anticancer, antimetabolic disease, anti-inflammatory disease, and antigastrointestinal disease effects, among others. Based on its pharmacokinetics, the primary metabolic site of coptisine is the liver. Coptisine is poorly absorbed in the gastrointestinal system, and most of it is expelled in the form of its prototype through feces. Regarding safety, coptisine displayed potential hepatotoxicity. Some novel formulations, including the [Formula: see text]-cyclodextrin-based inclusion complex and nanocarriers, could effectively enhance the bioavailability of coptisine. The traditional use of C. chinensis is closely connected with the pharmacological actions of coptisine. Although there are some disadvantages, including poor solubility, low bioavailability, and possible hepatotoxicity, coptisine is still a prospective naturally derived drug candidate, especially in the treatment of tumors as well as metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Further investigation of coptisine is necessary to facilitate the application of coptisine-based drugs in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Lu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhuhai Campus, Zhuhai 519041, P. R. China
| | - Ying Tang
- Department of Pharmacology, Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai Campus, Zhuhai 519041, P. R. China
| | - Shuang Luo
- Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518005, P. R. China
| | - Qihai Gong
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Guizhou Province and School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, P. R. China
| | - Cailan Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai Campus, Zhuhai 519041, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Guizhou Province and School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563000, P. R. China
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13
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Chen Y, Deng Q, Chen H, Yang J, Chen Z, Li J, Fu Z. Cancer-associated fibroblast-related prognostic signature predicts prognosis and immunotherapy response in pancreatic adenocarcinoma based on single-cell and bulk RNA-sequencing. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16408. [PMID: 37775715 PMCID: PMC10541448 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43495-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) influence many aspects of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) carcinogenesis, including tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. A six-gene prognostic signature was constructed for PAAD based on the 189 CAF marker genes identified in single-cell RNA-sequencing data. Multivariate analyses showed that the risk score was independently prognostic for survival in the TCGA (P < 0.001) and ICGC (P = 0.004) cohorts. Tumor infiltration of CD8 T (P = 0.005) cells and naïve B cells (P = 0.001) was greater in the low-risk than in the high-risk group, with infiltration of these cells negatively correlated with risk score. Moreover, the TMB score was lower in the low-risk than in the high-risk group (P = 0.0051). Importantly, patients in low-risk group had better immunotherapy responses than in the high-risk group in an independent immunotherapy cohort (IMvigor210) (P = 0.039). The CAV1 and SOD3 were highly expressed in CAFs of PAAD tissues, which revealed by immunohistochemical staining. In summary, this comprehensive analysis resulted in the development of a novel prognostic signature, which was associated with immune cell infiltration, drug sensitivity, and TMB, and could predict the prognosis and immunotherapy response of patients with PAAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajun Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qican Deng
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hui Chen
- Institute of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianguo Yang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhenzhou Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Juncai Li
- Department of Surgery, The People's Hospital of Yubei District of Chongqing, Chongqing, China.
| | - Zhongxue Fu
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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14
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Guo K, Zhao Y, Cao Y, Li Y, Yang M, Tian Y, Dai J, Song L, Ren S, Wang Z. Exploring the key genetic association between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma through integrated bioinformatics. Front Genet 2023; 14:1115660. [PMID: 37501719 PMCID: PMC10369079 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1115660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) develops rapidly and has a poor prognosis. It has been demonstrated that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and chronic pancreatitis (CP) have a close connection. However, the underlying mechanisms for chronic pancreatitis transforming into pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify real hub genes in the development of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Methods: RNA-seq data of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to construct a gene co-expression network between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. GEO2R and a Venn diagram were used to identify differentially expressed genes. Then visualized networks were constructed with ClueGO, and modules of PPI network were calculated by MCODE plugin. Further validation of the results was carried out in two additional cohorts. Analyses of CEL-coexpressed genes and regulators including miRNAs and transcription factors were performed by using the corresponding online web tool. Finally, the influence of CEL in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) was assessed by immune contextual analysis. Results: With the help of WGCNA and GEO2R, four co-expression modules and six hub genes were identified, respectively. ClueGO enrichment analysis and MCODE cluster analysis revealed that the dysfunctional transport of nutrients and trace elements might contribute to chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma development. The real hub gene CEL was identified with a markedly low expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in external validation sets. According to the miRNA-gene network construction, hsa-miR-198 may be the key miRNA. A strong correlation exists between CEL and TIME after an evaluation of the influence of CEL in TIME. Conclusion: Our study revealed the dysfunctional transport of nutrients and trace elements may be common pathogenesis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and chronic pancreatitis. Examination on these common pathways and real hub genes may shed light on the underlying mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Guo
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yatong Zhao
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yingying Cao
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Meng Yang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Ying Tian
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianmeng Dai
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lina Song
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuai Ren
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhongqiu Wang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
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Mercanti L, Sindaco M, Mazzone M, Di Marcantonio MC, Piscione M, Muraro R, Mincione G. PDAC, the Influencer Cancer: Cross-Talk with Tumor Microenvironment and Connected Potential Therapy Strategies. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2923. [PMID: 37296886 PMCID: PMC10251917 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15112923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the leading causes of death by cancer in the world. What makes this pathological condition particularly lethal is a combination of clinical and molecular heterogeneity, lack of early diagnostic indexes, and underwhelming results from current therapeutic protocols. A major cause of PDAC chemoresistance seems to lie in the ability of cancer cells to spread out and fill the pancreatic parenchyma, exchanging nutrients, substrates, and even genetic material with cells from the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME). Several components can be found in the TME ultrastructure, including collagen fibers, cancer-associated fibroblasts, macrophages, neutrophils, mast cells, and lymphocytes. Cross-talk between PDAC and TME cells results in the latter being converted into cancer-favoring phenotypes; this behavior could be compared to an influencer guiding followers into supporting his activity. Moreover, TME could be a potential target for some of the newest therapeutic strategies; these include the use of pegvorhyaluronidase-α and CAR-T lymphocytes against HER2, FAP, CEA, MLSN, PSCA, and CD133. Other experimental therapy options are being currently studied, aiming to interfere with the KRAS pathway, DNA-repairing proteins, and apoptosis resistance in PDAC cells. Hopefully these new approaches will grant better clinical outcomes in future patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Mercanti
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti–Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (L.M.); (M.S.); (M.M.)
| | - Maria Sindaco
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti–Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (L.M.); (M.S.); (M.M.)
| | - Mariangela Mazzone
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti–Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (L.M.); (M.S.); (M.M.)
| | - Maria Carmela Di Marcantonio
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti–Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (L.M.); (M.S.); (M.M.)
| | | | - Raffaella Muraro
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti–Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (L.M.); (M.S.); (M.M.)
| | - Gabriella Mincione
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti–Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (L.M.); (M.S.); (M.M.)
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16
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Peng M, Ying Y, Zhang Z, Liu L, Wang W. Reshaping the Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment at Different Stages with Chemotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15092448. [PMID: 37173915 PMCID: PMC10177210 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The dynamic tumor microenvironment, especially the immune microenvironment, during the natural progression and/or chemotherapy treatment is a critical frontier in understanding the effects of chemotherapy on pancreatic cancer. Non-stratified pancreatic cancer patients always receive chemotherapeutic strategies, including neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy, predominantly according to their physical conditions and different disease stages. An increasing number of studies demonstrate that the pancreatic cancer tumor microenvironment could be reshaped by chemotherapy, an outcome caused by immunogenic cell death, selection and/or education of preponderant tumor clones, adaptive gene mutations, and induction of cytokines/chemokines. These outcomes could in turn impact the efficacy of chemotherapy, making it range from synergetic to resistant and even tumor-promoting. Under chemotherapeutic impact, the metastatic micro-structures in the primary tumor may be built to leak tumor cells into the lymph or blood vasculature, and micro-metastatic/recurrent niches rich in immunosuppressive cells may be recruited by cytokines and chemokines, which provide housing conditions for these circling tumor cells. An in-depth understanding of how chemotherapy reshapes the tumor microenvironment may lead to new therapeutic strategies to block its adverse tumor-promoting effects and prolong survival. In this review, reshaped pancreatic cancer tumor microenvironments due to chemotherapy were reflected mainly in immune cells, pancreatic cancer cells, and cancer-associated fibroblast cells, quantitatively, functionally, and spatially. Additionally, small molecule kinases and immune checkpoints participating in this remodeling process caused by chemotherapy are suggested to be blocked reasonably to synergize with chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maozhen Peng
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Ying Ying
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wenquan Wang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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17
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Deng M, Aberle MR, van Bijnen AAJHM, van der Kroft G, Lenaerts K, Neumann UP, Wiltberger G, Schaap FG, Olde Damink SWM, Rensen SS. Lipocalin-2 and neutrophil activation in pancreatic cancer cachexia. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1159411. [PMID: 37006254 PMCID: PMC10057111 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1159411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundCancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome characterized by body weight loss and systemic inflammation. The characterization of the inflammatory response in patients with cachexia is still limited. Lipocalin-2, a protein abundant in neutrophils, has recently been implicated in appetite suppression in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer cachexia. We hypothesized that lipocalin-2 levels could be associated with neutrophil activation and nutritional status of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients.MethodsPlasma levels of neutrophil activation markers calprotectin, myeloperoxidase, elastase, and bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) were compared between non-cachectic PDAC patients (n=13) and cachectic PDAC patients with high (≥26.9 ng/mL, n=34) or low (<26.9 ng/mL, n=34) circulating lipocalin-2 levels. Patients’ nutritional status was assessed by the patient-generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA) and through body composition analysis using CT-scan slices at the L3 level.ResultsCirculating lipocalin-2 levels did not differ between cachectic and non-cachectic PDAC patients (median 26.7 (IQR 19.7-34.8) vs. 24.8 (16.6-29.4) ng/mL, p=0.141). Cachectic patients with high systemic lipocalin-2 levels had higher concentrations of calprotectin, myeloperoxidase, and elastase than non-cachectic patients or cachectic patients with low lipocalin-2 levels (calprotectin: 542.3 (355.8-724.9) vs. 457.5 (213.3-606.9), p=0.448 vs. 366.5 (294.5-478.5) ng/mL, p=0.009; myeloperoxidase: 30.3 (22.1-37.9) vs. 16.3 (12.0-27.5), p=0.021 vs. 20.2 (15.0-29.2) ng/mL, p=0.011; elastase: 137.1 (90.8-253.2) vs. 97.2 (28.8-215.7), p=0.410 vs. 95.0 (72.2-113.6) ng/mL, p=0.006; respectively). The CRP/albumin ratio was also higher in cachectic patients with high lipocalin-2 levels (2.3 (1.3-6.0) as compared to non-cachectic patients (1.0 (0.7-4.2), p=0.041). Lipocalin-2 concentrations correlated with those of calprotectin (rs=0.36, p<0.001), myeloperoxidase (rs=0.48, p<0.001), elastase (rs=0.50, p<0.001), and BPI (rs=0.22, p=0.048). Whereas no significant correlations with weight loss, BMI, or L3 skeletal muscle index were observed, lipocalin-2 concentrations were associated with subcutaneous adipose tissue index (rs=-0.25, p=0.034). Moreover, lipocalin-2 tended to be elevated in severely malnourished patients compared with well-nourished patients (27.2 (20.3-37.2) vs. 19.9 (13.4-26.4) ng/mL, p=0.058).ConclusionsThese data suggest that lipocalin-2 levels are associated with neutrophil activation in patients with pancreatic cancer cachexia and that it may contribute to their poor nutritional status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Deng
- Department of Surgery and School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Merel R. Aberle
- Department of Surgery and School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Annemarie A. J. H. M. van Bijnen
- Department of Surgery and School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Gregory van der Kroft
- Department of Surgery and School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of General, Visceral- and Transplantation Surgery, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Kaatje Lenaerts
- Department of Surgery and School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Ulf P. Neumann
- Department of Surgery and School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of General, Visceral- and Transplantation Surgery, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Georg Wiltberger
- Department of General, Visceral- and Transplantation Surgery, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Frank G. Schaap
- Department of Surgery and School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of General, Visceral- and Transplantation Surgery, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Steven W. M. Olde Damink
- Department of Surgery and School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of General, Visceral- and Transplantation Surgery, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Sander S. Rensen
- Department of Surgery and School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Sander S. Rensen,
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Huang Q, Peng X, Li Q, Zhu J, Xue J, Jiang H. Construction and comprehensive analysis of a novel prognostic signature associated with pyroptosis molecular subtypes in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1111494. [PMID: 36817451 PMCID: PMC9935619 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1111494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Treatment of cancer with pyroptosis is an emerging strategy. Molecular subtypes based on pyroptosis-related genes(PRGs) seem to be considered more conducive to individualized therapy. It is meaningful to construct a pyroptosis molecular subtypes-related prognostic signature (PMSRPS) to predict the overall survival (OS) of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma(PAAD) and guide treatment. Methods Based on the transcriptome data of 23 PRGs, consensus clustering was applied to divide the TCGA and GSE102238 combined cohort into three PRGclusters. Prognosis-related differentially expressed genes(DEGs) among PRGclusters were subjected to LASSO Cox regression analysis to determine a PMSRPS. External cohort and in vitro experiments were conducted to verify this PMSRPS. The CIBERSORT algorithm, the ESTIMATE algorithm and the Immunophenoscore (IPS) were used to analyze the infiltrating abundance of immune cells, the tumor microenvironment (TME), and the response to immunotherapy, respectively. Wilcoxon analysis was used to compare tumor mutational burden (TMB) and RNA stemness scores (RNAss) between groups. RT-qPCR and in vitro functional experiments were used for evaluating the expression and function of SFTA2. Results Based on three PRGclusters, 828 DEGs were obtained and a PMSRPS was subsequently constructed. In internal and external validation, patients in the high-risk group had significantly lower OS than those in the low-risk group and PMSRPS was confirmed to be an independent prognostic risk factor for patients with PAAD with good predictive performance. Immune cell infiltration abundance and TME scores indicate patients in the high-risk group have typical immunosuppressive microenvironment characteristics. Analysis of IPS suggests patients in the high-risk group responded better to novel immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) than PD1/CTLA4. The high-risk group had higher TMB and RNAss. In addition, 10 potential small-molecule compounds were screened out. Finally, we found that the mRNA expression of SFTA2 gene with the highest risk coefficient in PMSRPS was significantly higher in PAAD than in paracancerous tissues, and knockdown of it significantly delayed the progression of PAAD. Conclusions PMSRPS can well predict the prognosis, TME and immunotherapy response of patients with PAAD, identify potential drugs, and provide treatment guidance based on individual needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Huang
- Department of General Practice, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China,Department of Geriatrics, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xingyu Peng
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Qingqing Li
- Department of General Practice, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China,Department of Geriatrics, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinfeng Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ju Xue
- Department of Pathology, Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Hua Jiang
- Department of General Practice, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China,Department of Geriatrics, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China,*Correspondence: Hua Jiang,
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19
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Zhu YH, Zheng JH, Jia QY, Duan ZH, Yao HF, Yang J, Sun YW, Jiang SH, Liu DJ, Huo YM. Immunosuppression, immune escape, and immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer: focused on the tumor microenvironment. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2023; 46:17-48. [PMID: 36367669 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-022-00741-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common type of pancreatic cancer, is characterized by poor treatment response and low survival time. The current clinical treatment for advanced PDAC is still not effective. In recent years, the research and application of immunotherapy have developed rapidly and achieved substantial results in many malignant tumors. However, the translational application in PDAC is still far from satisfactory and needs to be developed urgently. To carry out the study of immunotherapy, it is necessary to fully decipher the immune characteristics of PDAC. This review summarizes the recent progress of the tumor microenvironment (TME) of PDAC and highlights its link with immunotherapy. We describe the molecular cues and corresponding intervention methods, collate several promising targets and progress worthy of further study, and put forward the importance of integrated immunotherapy to provide ideas for future research of TME and immunotherapy of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Heng Zhu
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia-Hao Zheng
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, People's Republic of China
| | - Qin-Yuan Jia
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, People's Republic of China
| | - Zong-Hao Duan
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong-Fei Yao
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Yang
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong-Wei Sun
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shu-Heng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 800 Dongchuan Road, 200240, People's Republic of China.
| | - De-Jun Liu
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yan-Miao Huo
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, People's Republic of China.
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Zhou S, Szöllősi AG, Huang X, Chang-Chien YC, Hajdu A. A Novel Immune-Related Gene Prognostic Index (IRGPI) in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (PAAD) and Its Implications in the Tumor Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14225652. [PMID: 36428747 PMCID: PMC9688924 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14225652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is one of the most lethal malignancies, with less than 10% of patients surviving more than 5 years. Existing biomarkers for reliable survival rate prediction need to be enhanced. As a result, the objective of this study was to create a novel immune-related gene prognostic index (IRGPI) for estimating overall survival (OS) and to analyze the molecular subtypes based on this index. Materials and procedures: RNA sequencing and clinical data were retrieved from publicly available sources and analyzed using several R software packages. A unique IRGPI and optimum risk model were developed using a machine learning algorithm. The prediction capability of our model was then compared to that of previously proposed models. A correlation study was also conducted between the immunological tumor microenvironment, risk groups, and IRGPI genes. Furthermore, we classified PAAD into different molecular subtypes based on the expression of IRGPI genes and investigated their features in tumor immunology using the K-means clustering technique. RESULTS A 12-gene IRGPI (FYN, MET, LRSAM1, PSPN, ERAP2, S100A1, IL20RB, MAP3K14, SEMA6C, PRKCG, CXCL11, and GH1) was established, and verified along with a risk model. OS prediction by our model outperformed previous gene signatures. According to the findings of our correlation studies, different risk groups and IRGPI genes were found to be tightly related to tumor microenvironments, and PAAD could be further subdivided into immunologically distinct molecular subtypes based on the expression of IRGPI genes. CONCLUSION The current study constructed and verified a unique IRGPI. Furthermore, our findings revealed a connection between the IRGPI and the immunological microenvironment of tumors. PAAD was differentiated into several molecular subtypes that might react differently to immunotherapy. These findings could provide new insights for precision and translational medicine for more innovative immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujing Zhou
- Department Data Science and Visualization, Faculty of Informatics, University of Debrecen, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Attila Gábor Szöllősi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Xufeng Huang
- Department Data Science and Visualization, Faculty of Informatics, University of Debrecen, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Yi-Che Chang-Chien
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- Correspondence: (Y.-C.C.-C.); (A.H.)
| | - András Hajdu
- Department Data Science and Visualization, Faculty of Informatics, University of Debrecen, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary
- Correspondence: (Y.-C.C.-C.); (A.H.)
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21
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Skorupan N, Palestino Dominguez M, Ricci SL, Alewine C. Clinical Strategies Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4209. [PMID: 36077755 PMCID: PMC9454553 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14174209] [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: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer has a complex tumor microenvironment which engages in extensive crosstalk between cancer cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and immune cells. Many of these interactions contribute to tumor resistance to anti-cancer therapies. Here, new therapeutic strategies designed to modulate the cancer-associated fibroblast and immune compartments of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas are described and clinical trials of novel therapeutics are discussed. Continued advances in our understanding of the pancreatic cancer tumor microenvironment are generating stromal and immune-modulating therapeutics that may improve patient responses to anti-tumor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nebojsa Skorupan
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Medical Oncology Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mayrel Palestino Dominguez
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Samuel L. Ricci
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Christine Alewine
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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22
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Zhou S, Han Y, Yang R, Pi X, Li J. TIMM13 as a prognostic biomarker and associated with immune infiltration in skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM). Front Surg 2022; 9:990749. [PMID: 36061054 PMCID: PMC9428353 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.990749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Providing protection against aggregation and guiding hydrophobic precursors through the mitochondria’s intermembrane space, this protein functions as a chaperone-like protein. SLC25A12 is imported by TIMM8 as a result of its interaction with TIMM13. In spite of this, it is still unknown how TIMM13 interacts with skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Methods Aberrant expression of TIMM13 in SKCM and its clinical outcome was evaluated with the help of multiple databases, including the Xiantao tool (https://www.xiantao.love/), HPA, and UALCAN. TISIDB and Tumor Immune Estimation Resources (TIMER) databases were applied to explore the association between TIMM13 and tumor infiltration immune cells. OS nomogram was constructed, and model performance was examined. Finally, TIMM13 protein expression was validated by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results TIMM13 expression was higher in SKCM samples than in peritumor samples. TIMM13 was strongly associated with sample type, subgroup, cancer stage, lymph node stage, and worse survival. Further, upregulation of TIMM13 was significantly associated with immunoregulators, and chemokines, as well as T cells, B cells, monocytes, neutrophils, macrophages, and T-cell regulators. An analysis of bioinformatic data uncovered that TIMM13 expression was strongly associated with PD1 (T-cell exhaustion marker). The nomogram showed good predictive performance based on calibration plot. TIMM13 was highly expressed in melanoma tissue samples than in normal samples. Conclusion In brief, TIMM13 may be a prognostic biomarker for SKCM. It might modulate the tumor immune microenvironment and lead to a poorer prognosis. In addition, it is necessary to study the targeted therapy of TIMM13.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sitong Zhou
- Department of Dermatology, The First People’s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Han
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Vaccine Research and Development on Severe Infectious Diseases, Kunming, China
| | - Ronghua Yang
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Correspondence: Jiehua Li Xiaobing Pi Ronghua Yang
| | - Xiaobing Pi
- Department of Dermatology, The First People’s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, China
- Correspondence: Jiehua Li Xiaobing Pi Ronghua Yang
| | - Jiehua Li
- Department of Dermatology, The First People’s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, China
- Correspondence: Jiehua Li Xiaobing Pi Ronghua Yang
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23
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Neutrophil Extracellular Traps and Pancreatic Cancer Development: A Vicious Cycle. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14143339. [PMID: 35884400 PMCID: PMC9318070 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14143339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are a neutrophil-generated extracellular network of chromatin and chromatin-bound molecules with antimicrobial potency. Recent data suggest that NETs are associated with cancer progression and cancer-associated hypercoagulability. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal type of cancer in which hypercoagulability and cancer-related thrombosis are among the main complications. In the current report, we summarize the available data on the interplay between NET formation and PDAC development. We conclude that NETs support a dual role during PDAC progression and metastasis. Their formation is on the one hand an important event that shapes the cancer microenvironment to support cancer cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis. On the other hand, NETs may lead to cancer-associated thrombosis. Both mechanisms seem to be dependent on distinct molecular mechanisms that link inflammation to cancer progression. Collectively, NET formation may contribute to the pathogenesis of PDAC, while during cancer development, the proinflammatory environment enables the induction of new NETs and thrombi, forming a vicious cycle. We suggest that targeting NET formation may be an effective mechanism to inhibit both PDAC development and the accompanying hypercoagulability.
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Wang J, Liu X, Ji J, Luo J, Zhao Y, Zhou X, Zheng J, Guo M, Liu Y. Orthotopic and Heterotopic Murine Models of Pancreatic Cancer Exhibit Different Immunological Microenvironments and Different Responses to Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:863346. [PMID: 35874730 PMCID: PMC9302770 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.863346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, tumor-bearing murine models established using tumor cell lines have been the most commonly used models to study human cancers. Even though there are several studies reported that implant sites caused disparities in tumor behaviors, few of them illuminated the positional effect on immunotherapy. Herein, we describe surgical techniques for a novel orthotopic implantation of syngeneic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tissue slices. This method has a high success modeling rate and stable growth kinetics, which makes it useful for testing novel therapeutics. Pathological examination indicated that the orthotopic tumor displayed poor vascularization, desmoplastic stromal reaction, and a highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. This unique microenvironment resulted in limited response to PD1/CTLA4 blockade therapy and anti-MUC1 (αMUC1) CAR-T transfer treatment. To reverse the suppressive tumor microenvironment, we developed gene modified T-cells bearing a chimeric receptor in which activating receptor NKG2D fused to intracellular domains of 4-1BB and CD3ζ (NKG2D CAR). The NKG2D CAR-T cells target myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which overexpress Rae1 (NKG2D ligands) within the TME. Results indicated that NKG2D CAR-T cells eliminated MDSCs and improved antitumor activity of subsequently infused CAR-T cells. Moreover, we generated a bicistronic CAR-T, including αMUC1 CAR and NKG2D CAR separated by a P2A element. Treatment with the dual targeted bicistronic CAR-T cells also resulted in prolonged survival of orthotopic model mice. In summary, this study describes construction of a novel orthotopic PDAC model through implantation of tissue slices and discusses resistance to immunotherapy from the perspective of a PDAC microenvironment. Based on the obtained results, it is evident that elimination MDSCs by NKG2D CAR could rescue the impaired CAR-T cell activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Wang
- Department of pathology, Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xingchen Liu
- Department of pathology, Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junsong Ji
- Institute of Organ Transplantation, Changzheng Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianhua Luo
- National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology & Institute of Immunology, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanyu Zhao
- Institute of Organ Transplantation, Changzheng Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaonan Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Changzheng Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianming Zheng
- Department of pathology, Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yanfang Liu, ; Meng Guo, ; Jianming Zheng,
| | - Meng Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology & Institute of Immunology, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yanfang Liu, ; Meng Guo, ; Jianming Zheng,
| | - Yanfang Liu
- Department of pathology, Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
- National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology & Institute of Immunology, Navy Medical University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yanfang Liu, ; Meng Guo, ; Jianming Zheng,
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25
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Chen R, Pan S. Increased neutrophil infiltration as a body-wide effect in pancreatic cancer development. EBioMedicine 2022; 81:104089. [PMID: 35665683 PMCID: PMC9166464 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ru Chen
- Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Sheng Pan
- The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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26
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Wang X, Li W, Jiang H, Ma C, Huang M, Wei X, Wang W, Jing L. Zebrafish Xenograft Model for Studying Pancreatic Cancer-Instructed Innate Immune Microenvironment. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:6442. [PMID: 35742884 PMCID: PMC9224329 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has up to half the tumor mass of tumor-associated myeloid cells. Myeloid innate immune cells play important roles in regulating cancer cell recognition and tumor growth. PDAC cells often mold myeloid cells into pro-tumoral state to fuel cancer growth and induce immune suppression. However, how tumor cells educate the innate immune responses remains largely unknown. In this study, we used four different human PDAC cell lines (PANC1, BxPC3, AsPC1, and CFPAC1) to establish the zebrafish xenograft model and investigated the interaction between pancreatic cancer and innate immune cells. The primary tumor-derived cancer cells PANC1 and BxPC3 activated innate immune anti-tumoral responses efficiently, while cancer cells from metastatic tissues AsPC1 and CFPAC1 induced an innate immune suppression and educated innate immune cells towards pro-tumoral state. Chemical conversion of innate immune cells to anti-tumoral state inhibited tumor growth for AsPC1 and CFPAC1. Moreover, genetic and pharmacological inhibition of macrophages also significantly reduced tumor growth, supporting the important roles of macrophages in innate immune suppression. REG4 expression is high in AsPC1 and CFPAC1. Knockdown of REG4 induced innate immune activation and reduced tumor growth in the xenografts, indicating that REG4 is a beneficial target for PDAC therapy. Our study provides a fast in-vivo model to study PDAC-innate immune interaction and their plasticity that could be used to study the related mechanism as well as identify new drugs to enhance immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lili Jing
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; (X.W.); (W.L.); (H.J.); (C.M.); (M.H.); (X.W.); (W.W.)
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27
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Wei R, Zhang H, Cao J, Qin D, Li S, Deng W. Sample-Specific Perturbation of Gene Interactions Identifies Pancreatic Cancer Subtypes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:4792. [PMID: 35563183 PMCID: PMC9099782 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a highly fatal disease and an increasing common cause of cancer mortality. Mounting evidence now indicates that molecular heterogeneity in pancreatic cancer significantly impacts its clinical features. However, the dynamic nature of gene expression pattern makes it difficult to rely solely on gene expression alterations to estimate disease status. By contrast, biological networks tend to be more stable over time under different situations. In this study, we used a gene interaction network from a new point of view to explore the subtypes of pancreatic cancer based on individual-specific edge perturbations calculated by relative gene expression value. Our study shows that pancreatic cancer patients from the TCGA database could be separated into four subtypes based on gene interaction perturbations at the individual level. The new network-based subtypes of pancreatic cancer exhibited substantial heterogeneity in many aspects, including prognosis, phenotypic traits, genetic mutations, the abundance of infiltrating immune cell, and predictive therapeutic efficacy (chemosensitivity and immunotherapy efficacy). The new network-based subtypes were closely related to previous reported molecular subtypes of pancreatic cancer. This work helps us to better understand the heterogeneity and mechanisms of pancreatic cancer from a network perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Dongfengdong Road 651, Guangzhou 510060, China; (R.W.); (J.C.); (D.Q.)
| | - Huihui Zhang
- Pharm-X Center, Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dongchuan Road 800, Shanghai 200240, China;
| | - Jianzhong Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Dongfengdong Road 651, Guangzhou 510060, China; (R.W.); (J.C.); (D.Q.)
| | - Dailei Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Dongfengdong Road 651, Guangzhou 510060, China; (R.W.); (J.C.); (D.Q.)
| | - Shengping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Dongfengdong Road 651, Guangzhou 510060, China; (R.W.); (J.C.); (D.Q.)
| | - Wuguo Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Dongfengdong Road 651, Guangzhou 510060, China; (R.W.); (J.C.); (D.Q.)
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