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Li M, Freeman S, Franco-Barraza J, Cai KQ, Kim A, Jin S, Cukierman E, Ye K. A bioprinted sea-and-island multicellular model for dissecting human pancreatic tumor-stroma reciprocity and adaptive metabolism. Biomaterials 2024; 310:122631. [PMID: 38815457 PMCID: PMC11186049 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.122631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) presents a formidable clinical challenge due to its intricate microenvironment characterized by desmoplasia and complex tumor-stroma interactions. Conventional models hinder studying cellular crosstalk for therapeutic development. To recapitulate key features of PDAC masses, this study creates a novel sea-and-island PDAC tumor construct (s&i PTC). The s&i PTC consists of 3D-printed islands of human PDAC cells positioned within an interstitial extracellular matrix (ECM) populated by human cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). This design closely mimics the in vivo desmoplastic architecture and nutrient-poor conditions. The model enables studying dynamic tumor-stroma crosstalk and signaling reciprocity, revealing both known and yet-to-be-discovered multicellular metabolic adaptations. Using the model, we discovered the orchestrated dynamic alterations of CAFs under nutrient stress, resembling critical in vivo human tumor niches, such as the secretion of pro-tumoral inflammatory factors. Additionally, nutrient scarcity induces dynamic alterations in the ECM composition and exacerbates poor cancer cell differentiation-features well-established in PDAC progression. Proteomic analysis unveiled the enrichment of proteins associated with aggressive tumor behavior and ECM remodeling in response to poor nutritional conditions, mimicking the metabolic stresses experienced by avascular pancreatic tumor cores. Importantly, the model's relevance to patient outcomes is evident through an inverse correlation between biomarker expression patterns in the s&i PTCs and PDAC patient survival rates. Key findings include upregulated MMPs and key ECM proteins (such as collagen 11 and TGFβ) under nutrient-avid conditions, known to be regulated by CAFs, alongside the concomitant reduction in E-cadherin expression associated with a poorly differentiated PDAC state under nutrient deprivation. Furthermore, elevated levels of hyaluronic acid (HA) and integrins in response to nutrient deprivation underscore the model's fidelity to the PDAC microenvironment. We also observed increased IL-6 and reduced α-SMA expression under poor nutritional conditions, suggesting a transition of CAFs from myofibroblastic to inflammatory phenotypes under a nutrient stress akin to in vivo niches. In conclusion, the s&i PTC represents a significant advancement in engineering clinically relevant 3D models of PDAC masses. It offers a promising platform for elucidating tumor-stroma interactions and guiding future therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Sebastian Freeman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Janusz Franco-Barraza
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Lewis Katz Temple School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kathy Q Cai
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Lewis Katz Temple School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amy Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Sha Jin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Edna Cukierman
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Lewis Katz Temple School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Kaiming Ye
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA.
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2
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Fuller RN, Morcos A, Bustillos JG, Molina DC, Wall NR. Small non-coding RNAs and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Linking diagnosis, pathogenesis, drug resistance, and therapeutic potential. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189153. [PMID: 38986720 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189153] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
This review comprehensively investigates the intricate interplay between small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a devastating malignancy with limited therapeutic options. Our analysis reveals the pivotal roles of sncRNAs in various facets of PDAC biology, spanning diagnosis, pathogenesis, drug resistance, and therapeutic strategies. sncRNAs have emerged as promising biomarkers for PDAC, demonstrating distinct expression profiles in diseased tissues. sncRNA differential expression patterns, often detectable in bodily fluids, hold potential for early and minimally invasive diagnostic approaches. Furthermore, sncRNAs exhibit intricate involvement in PDAC pathogenesis, regulating critical cellular processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis. Additionally, mechanistic insights into sncRNA-mediated pathogenic pathways illuminate novel therapeutic targets and interventions. A significant focus of this review is dedicated to unraveling sncRNA mechanisms underlying drug resistance in PDAC. Understanding these mechanisms at the molecular level is imperative for devising strategies to overcome drug resistance. Exploring the therapeutic landscape, we discuss the potential of sncRNAs as therapeutic agents themselves as their ability to modulate gene expression with high specificity renders them attractive candidates for targeted therapy. In summary, this review integrates current knowledge on sncRNAs in PDAC, offering a holistic perspective on their diagnostic, pathogenic, and therapeutic relevance. By elucidating the roles of sncRNAs in PDAC biology, this review provides valuable insights for the development of novel diagnostic tools and targeted therapeutic approaches, crucial for improving the prognosis of PDAC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan N Fuller
- Department of Basic Science, Division of Biochemistry, Center for Health Disparity and Mol. Med., Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; Department of Radiation Medicine, James M. Slater, MD Proton Treatment and Research Center, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Ann Morcos
- Department of Basic Science, Division of Biochemistry, Center for Health Disparity and Mol. Med., Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; Department of Radiation Medicine, James M. Slater, MD Proton Treatment and Research Center, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Joab Galvan Bustillos
- Department of Basic Science, Division of Biochemistry, Center for Health Disparity and Mol. Med., Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - David Caba Molina
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Nathan R Wall
- Department of Basic Science, Division of Biochemistry, Center for Health Disparity and Mol. Med., Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; Department of Radiation Medicine, James M. Slater, MD Proton Treatment and Research Center, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA.
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3
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Farina A, Viggiani V, Cortese F, Moretti M, Tartaglione S, Angeloni A, Anastasi E. Combined PIVKA II and Vimentin-Guided EMT Tracking in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Combined Biomarker-Guided EMT Tracking in PDAC. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2362. [PMID: 39001424 PMCID: PMC11240554 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16132362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
"Background/Aim": the current inability to diagnose Pancreatic Cancer Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) at an early stage strongly influences therapeutic strategies. Protein Induced by Vitamin K Absence (PIVKA II) showed an accurate diagnostic performance for PDAC. Since circulating PIVKA II has been recently associated with pancreatic origin cells with Vimentin, an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) early activation marker, the aim of this study was to investigate in vivo the combination between the two proteins. "Materials and Methods": we assayed the presence of PIVKA II and Vimentin proteins by using different diagnostic methods. A total of 20 PDAC patients and 10 healthy donors were tested by Western Blot analysis; 74 PDAC patient and 46 healthy donors were assayed by ECLIA and Elisa. "Results": Western Blot analysis showed the concomitant expression of PIVKA II and Vimentin in PDAC patient sera. Immunometric assay performed on a larger cohort of patients demonstrated that 72% of PIVKA II-positive PDAC patients were Vimentin-positive. Additionally, in a group of PDAC patients with PIVKA II levels ≥2070 ng/mL, the percentage of Vimentin-positive subjects reached 84%. "Conclusion": the association between PIVKA II protein and the EMT suggests that this molecule could be considered a marker of the acquisition of an aggressive phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Farina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, V. Le Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Viggiani
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, V. Le Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Cortese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, V. Le Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Moretti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, V. Le Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Tartaglione
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, V. Le Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Angeloni
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, V. Le Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Anastasi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, V. Le Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
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Liou GY, Byrd CJ, Storz P, Messex JK. Cytokine CCL9 Mediates Oncogenic KRAS-Induced Pancreatic Acinar-to-Ductal Metaplasia by Promoting Reactive Oxygen Species and Metalloproteinases. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4726. [PMID: 38731942 PMCID: PMC11083758 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) can originate from acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM). Pancreatic acini harboring oncogenic Kras mutations are transdifferentiated to a duct-like phenotype that further progresses to become pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) lesions, giving rise to PDAC. Although ADM formation is frequently observed in KrasG12D transgenic mouse models of PDAC, the exact mechanisms of how oncogenic KrasG12D regulates this process remain an enigma. Herein, we revealed a new downstream target of oncogenic Kras, cytokine CCL9, during ADM formation. Higher levels of CCL9 and its receptors, CCR1 and CCR3, were detected in ADM regions of the pancreas in p48cre:KrasG12D mice and human PDAC patients. Knockdown of CCL9 in KrasG12D-expressed pancreatic acini reduced KrasG12D-induced ADM in a 3D organoid culture system. Moreover, exogenously added recombinant CCL9 and overexpression of CCL9 in primary pancreatic acini induced pancreatic ADM. We also showed that, functioning as a downstream target of KrasG12D, CCL9 promoted pancreatic ADM through upregulation of the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and metalloproteinases (MMPs), including MMP14, MMP3 and MMP2. Blockade of MMPs via its generic inhibitor GM6001 or knockdown of specific MMP such as MMP14 and MMP3 decreased CCL9-induced pancreatic ADM. In p48cre:KrasG12D transgenic mice, blockade of CCL9 through its specific neutralizing antibody attenuated pancreatic ADM structures and PanIN lesion formation. Furthermore, it also diminished infiltrating macrophages and expression of MMP14, MMP3 and MMP2 in the ADM areas. Altogether, our results provide novel mechanistic insight into how oncogenic Kras enhances pancreatic ADM through its new downstream target molecule, CCL9, to initiate PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geou-Yarh Liou
- Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
| | - Crystal J. Byrd
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
| | - Peter Storz
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Justin K. Messex
- Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
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Ruan S, Wang H, Zhang Z, Yan Q, Chen Y, Cui J, Huang S, Zhou Q, Zhang C, Hou B. Identification and validation of stemness-based and ferroptosis-related molecular clusters in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Transl Oncol 2024; 41:101877. [PMID: 38262107 PMCID: PMC10832490 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101877] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal malignancy with an extremely poor prognosis. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered to be responsible for the poor survival, recurrence and therapy resistance of PDAC. Ferroptosis plays a crucial role in the sustain and survival of CSCs. Here, we employed a rigorous evaluation of multiple datasets to identify a novel stemness-based and ferroptosis-related genes (SFRGs) signature to access the potential prognostic application. This work we retrieved RNA-sequencing and clinical annotation data from the TCGA, ICGC, GTEx and GEO database, and acquired 26 stem cell gene sets and 259 ferroptosis genes from StemChecker database and FerrDb database, respectively. Based on consensus clustering and ssGSEA analysis, we identified two expression patterns of CSCs traits (C1 and C2). Then, WGCNA analysis was implemented to screen out hub module genes correlated with stemness. Furthermore, differential expression analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and the Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Cox regression were performed to identify the SFRGs and to construct model. In addition, the differences in prognosis, tumor microenvironment (TME) components and therapy responses were evaluated between two risk groups. Finally, we verified the most influential marker ARNTL2 experimentally by western blot, qRT-PCR, sphere formation assay, mitoscreen assay, intracellular iron concentration determination and MDA determination assays. In conclusion, we developed a stemness-based and ferroptosis-related prognostic model, which could help predict overall survival for PDAC patients. Targeting ferroptosis may be a promising therapeutic strategy to inhibit PDAC progression by suppressing CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiye Ruan
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Hailiang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Weihai Central Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Weihai 264400, China
| | - Zhongyan Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Qian Yan
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China; School of Medicine South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 51000, China
| | - Yubin Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China; School of Medicine South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 51000, China
| | - Jinwei Cui
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China; School of Medicine South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 51000, China
| | - Shanzhou Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China; Department of General Surgery, Hui Ya Hospital of The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Huizhou, Guangdong 516081, China.
| | - Chuanzhao Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
| | - Baohua Hou
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China; School of Medicine South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 51000, China; Heyuan People's Hospital, Heyuan 517000, China.
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6
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Piñeiro R. Editorial: Mechanisms of metastasis from circulating and disseminated tumor cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1386050. [PMID: 38476261 PMCID: PMC10927939 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1386050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Piñeiro
- Translational Medical Oncology Group (Oncomet), Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- European Liquid Biopsy Society (ELBS), Hamburg, Germany
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Bhandari K, Kong JS, Morris K, Xu C, Ding WQ. Protein Arginine Methylation Patterns in Plasma Small Extracellular Vesicles Are Altered in Patients with Early-Stage Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:654. [PMID: 38339405 PMCID: PMC10854811 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030654] [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: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) contain lipids, proteins and nucleic acids, which often resemble their cells of origin. Therefore, plasma sEVs are considered valuable resources for cancer biomarker development. However, previous efforts have been largely focused on the level of proteins and miRNAs in plasma sEVs, and the post-translational modifications of sEV proteins, such as arginine methylation, have not been explored. Protein arginine methylation, a relatively stable post-translational modification, is a newly described molecular feature of PDAC. The present study examined arginine methylation patterns in plasma sEVs derived from patients with early-stage PDAC (n = 23) and matched controls. By utilizing the arginine methylation-specific antibodies for western blotting, we found that protein arginine methylation patterns in plasma sEVs are altered in patients with early-stage PDAC. Specifically, we observed a reduction in the level of symmetric dimethyl arginine (SDMA) in plasma sEV proteins derived from patients with early- and late-stage PDAC. Importantly, immunoprecipitation followed by proteomics analysis identified a number of arginine-methylated proteins exclusively present in plasma sEVs derived from patients with early-stage PDAC. These results indicate that arginine methylation patterns in plasma sEVs are potential indicators of PDAC, a new concept meriting further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kritisha Bhandari
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (K.B.); (J.S.K.)
| | - Jeng Shi Kong
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (K.B.); (J.S.K.)
| | - Katherine Morris
- Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Chao Xu
- Department of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA;
| | - Wei-Qun Ding
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (K.B.); (J.S.K.)
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Rezagholizadeh F, Tajik F, Talebi M, Taha SR, Shariat Zadeh M, Farhangnia P, Hosseini HS, Nazari A, Mollazadeh Ghomi S, Kamrani Mousavi SM, Haeri Moghaddam N, Khorramdelazad H, Joghataei MT, Safari E. Unraveling the potential of CD8, CD68, and VISTA as diagnostic and prognostic markers in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1283364. [PMID: 38357542 PMCID: PMC10865497 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1283364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pancreatic cancer is a truculent disease with limited treatment options and a grim prognosis. Immunotherapy has shown promise in treating various types of cancer, but its effectiveness in pancreatic cancer has been lacking. As a result, it is crucial to identify markers associated with immunological pathways in order to improve the treatment outcomes for this deadly cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of three markers, CD8, CD68, and VISTA, in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common subtype of pancreatic cancer. Methods We analyzed gene expression data from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database using bioinformatics tools. We also utilized the STRING online tool and Funrich software to study the protein-protein interactions and transcription factors associated with CD8, CD68, and VISTA. In addition, tissue microarray (TMA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining were performed on 228 samples of PDAC tissue and 10 samples of normal pancreatic tissue to assess the expression levels of the markers. We then correlated these expression levels with the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients and evaluated their survival rates. Results The analysis of the GEO data revealed slightly elevated levels of VISTA in PDAC samples compared to normal tissues. However, there was a significant increase in CD68 expression and a notable reduction in CD8A expression in pancreatic cancer. Further investigation identified potential protein-protein interactions and transcription factors associated with these markers. The IHC staining of PDAC tissue samples showed an increased expression of VISTA, CD68, and CD8A in pancreatic cancer tissues. Moreover, we found correlations between the expression levels of these markers and certain clinicopathological features of the patients. Additionally, the survival analysis revealed that high expression of CD8 was associated with better disease-specific survival and progression-free survival in PDAC patients. Conclusion These findings highlight the potential of CD8, CD68, and VISTA as diagnostic and prognostic indicators in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fereshteh Rezagholizadeh
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Tajik
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Morteza Talebi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Human and Animal Cell Bank, Iranian Biological Resource Center (IBRC), Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Reza Taha
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Pooya Farhangnia
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Board for Transplantation and Cell-Based Therapeutics (ImmunoTACT), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamideh Sadat Hosseini
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Aram Nazari
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shabnam Mollazadeh Ghomi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Board for Transplantation and Cell-Based Therapeutics (ImmunoTACT), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyede Mahtab Kamrani Mousavi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Niloofar Haeri Moghaddam
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Khorramdelazad
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Taghi Joghataei
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Safari
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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9
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Fraile-Martinez O, García-Montero C, Pekarek L, Saz JV, Álvarez-Mon MÁ, Barrena-Blázquez S, García-Honduvilla N, Buján J, Asúnsolo Á, Coca S, Alvarez-Mon M, Guijarro LG, Saez MA, Ortega MA. Decreased survival in patients with pancreatic cancer may be associated with an increase in histopathological expression of inflammasome marker NLRP3. Histol Histopathol 2024; 39:35-40. [PMID: 37057822 DOI: 10.14670/hh-18-617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a malignant neoplasm that, despite its low frequency, has a 5-year survival rate of less than 10%. The study of different histopathological markers has allowed a better understanding of the onset and development of this type of tumor as well as facilitating an approach to clinical variables based on their diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive value. In this sense, the NLRP3 protein of the inflammasome has been shown to be a component of great relevance in the initiation and progression of pancreatic cancer, although the value of this biomarker in patients has not yet been clarified. In this study, we selected 41 patients with pancreatic cancer and followed them for 60 months (5 years), evaluating their NLRP3 expression using immunohistochemical techniques. Furthermore, by performing Kaplan-Meier curves, we evaluated the survival of these patients in relation to their NLRP3 expression. Our results show that a significant percentage of our cohort had high expression of this component (90.74%) and that there is an inverse relationship between the expression of NLRP3 and patient survival. High levels of NLRP3 expression are related to lower survival and worse prognosis in these patients, possibly due to an ineffective immune system response and increased tumor-promoted inflammation. Future studies should be aimed at confirming these results in larger groups and evaluating various clinical strategies based on this knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Fraile-Martinez
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcala de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Cielo García-Montero
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcala de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Leonel Pekarek
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcala de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Oncology Service, Guadalajara University Hospital, Guadalajara, Spain
| | - José V Saz
- Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Álvarez-Mon
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcala de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Natalio García-Honduvilla
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcala de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Julia Buján
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcala de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángel Asúnsolo
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcala de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Surgery, Medical and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Santiago Coca
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcala de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Melchor Alvarez-Mon
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcala de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Immune System Diseases-Rheumatology, Oncology Service an Internal Medicine (CIBEREHD), University Hospital Príncipe de Asturias, Alcala de Henares, Spain
| | - Luis G Guijarro
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of System Biology, University of Alcalá, Alcala de Henares, Spain
| | - Miguel A Saez
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcala de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Pathological Anatomy Service, Central University Hospital of Defence-UAH Madrid, Alcala de Henares, Spain
| | - Miguel A Ortega
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcala de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Cancer Registry and Pathology Department, Principe de Asturias University Hospital, Alcala de Henares, Spain.
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10
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Fyfe J, Dye D, Razak NBA, Metharom P, Falasca M. Immune evasion on the nanoscale: Small extracellular vesicles in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma immunity. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 96:36-47. [PMID: 37748738 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.09.004] [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: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a type of cancer alarmingly expanding in our modern societies that is still proving to be very challenging to counteract. This disease constitutes a quintessential example of the multiple interactions existing between the tumour and its surrounding microenvironment. In particular, PDAC is characterized by a very immunosuppressive environment that favours cancer growth and makes this cancer type very resistant to immunotherapy. The primary tumour releases many factors that influence both the microenvironment and the immune landscape. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), recently identified as indispensable entities ensuring cell-to-cell communication in both physiological and pathological processes, seem to play a pivotal function in ensuring the delivery of these factors to the tumour-surrounding tissues. In this review, we summarize the present understanding on the crosstalk among tumour cells and the cellular immune microenvironment emphasizing the pro-malignant role played by extracellular vesicles. We also discuss how a greater knowledge of the roles of EVs in tumour immune escape could be translated into clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Fyfe
- Metabolic Signalling Group, Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health and Innovation Research Institute [1], Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Danielle Dye
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health and Innovation Research Institute [1], Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Norbaini Binti Abdol Razak
- Platelet Research Laboratory, Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health and Innovation Research Institute [1], Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Pat Metharom
- Platelet Research Laboratory, Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health and Innovation Research Institute [1], Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Marco Falasca
- Metabolic Signalling Group, Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health and Innovation Research Institute [1], Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia; University of Parma, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Via Volturno 39, 43125 Parma, Italy.
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11
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Cui C, Huo Q, Xiong X, Li K, Fishel ML, Li B, Yokota H. Anticancer Peptides Derived from Aldolase A and Induced Tumor-Suppressing Cells Inhibit Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2447. [PMID: 37896207 PMCID: PMC10610494 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15102447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
PDAC (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor. We have previously developed induced tumor-suppressing cells (iTSCs) that secrete a group of tumor-suppressing proteins. Here, we examined a unique procedure to identify anticancer peptides (ACPs), using trypsin-digested iTSCs-derived protein fragments. Among the 10 ACP candidates, P04 (IGEHTPSALAIMENANVLAR) presented the most efficient anti-PDAC activities. P04 was derived from aldolase A (ALDOA), a glycolytic enzyme. Extracellular ALDOA, as well as P04, was predicted to interact with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and P04 downregulated oncoproteins such as Snail and Src. Importantly, P04 has no inhibitory effect on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). We also generated iTSCs by overexpressing ALDOA in MSCs and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). iTSC-derived conditioned medium (CM) inhibited the progression of PDAC cells as well as PDAC tissue fragments. The inhibitory effect of P04 was additive to that of CM and chemotherapeutic drugs such as 5-Flu and gemcitabine. Notably, applying mechanical vibration to PBMCs elevated ALDOA and converted PBMCs into iTSCs. Collectively, this study presented a unique procedure for selecting anticancer P04 from ALDOA in an iTSCs-derived proteome for the treatment of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changpeng Cui
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China; (C.C.); (Q.H.); (X.X.); (K.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Qingji Huo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China; (C.C.); (Q.H.); (X.X.); (K.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Xue Xiong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China; (C.C.); (Q.H.); (X.X.); (K.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Kexin Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China; (C.C.); (Q.H.); (X.X.); (K.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Melissa L. Fishel
- Department of Pediatrics, Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Baiyan Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China; (C.C.); (Q.H.); (X.X.); (K.L.)
| | - Hiroki Yokota
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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12
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Abu-Khudir R, Hafsa N, Badr BE. Identifying Effective Biomarkers for Accurate Pancreatic Cancer Prognosis Using Statistical Machine Learning. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:3091. [PMID: 37835833 PMCID: PMC10572229 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13193091] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) has one of the lowest survival rates among all major types of cancer. Consequently, it is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Serum biomarkers historically correlate well with the early prognosis of post-surgical complications of PC. However, attempts to identify an effective biomarker panel for the successful prognosis of PC were almost non-existent in the current literature. The current study investigated the roles of various serum biomarkers including carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 8 (CXCL-8), procalcitonin (PCT), and other relevant clinical data for identifying PC progression, classified into sepsis, recurrence, and other post-surgical complications, among PC patients. The most relevant biochemical and clinical markers for PC prognosis were identified using a random-forest-powered feature elimination method. Using this informative biomarker panel, the selected machine-learning (ML) classification models demonstrated highly accurate results for classifying PC patients into three complication groups on independent test data. The superiority of the combined biomarker panel (Max AUC-ROC = 100%) was further established over using CA19-9 features exclusively (Max AUC-ROC = 75%) for the task of classifying PC progression. This novel study demonstrates the effectiveness of the combined biomarker panel in successfully diagnosing PC progression and other relevant complications among Egyptian PC survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasha Abu-Khudir
- Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 380, Hofuf 31982, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
- Chemistry Department, Biochemistry Branch, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
| | - Noor Hafsa
- Computer Science Department, College of Computer Science and Information Technology, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 400, Hofuf 31982, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Badr E. Badr
- Egyptian Ministry of Labor, Training and Research Department, Tanta 31512, Egypt;
- Botany Department, Microbiology Unit, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
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13
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Dobre M, Poenaru RC, Niculae AM, Vladut C, Herlea V, Milanesi E, Hinescu ME. Increased Levels of miR-15b-5p and miR-20b-5p in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma with Hepatic Metastases. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1577. [PMID: 37628628 PMCID: PMC10454474 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081577] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive and lethal forms of cancer. The symptoms appear in advanced stages, and diagnostic and prognostic tests for the early detection of PDAC and disease evolution are not available. The dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been associated with cancer development and progression, and some miRNAs have been reported to promote specific metastasis. In this study we aimed to identify the miRNAs dysregulated in PDAC tumoral tissues and a subset of miRNAs associated with tumoral characteristics, mainly metastasis presence and site. For this, the expression of 84 miRNAs was evaluated by qPCR in 30 tumoral tissues and 16 samples of non-tumoral pancreatic tissues. The comparison revealed 32 dysregulated miRNAs (19 upregulated and 13 downregulated) in the PDAC group. Reactome pathway over-representation analysis revealed that these miRNAs are involved in several biological pathways, including "ESR-mediated signaling", "PIP3 activates AKT signaling", and "Regulation of PTEN", among others. Moreover, our study identified an upregulation of miR-15b-5p and miR-20b-5p in the tumoral tissues of patients with hepatic metastasis, outlining these miRNAs as potential markers for hepatic metastasis. No significant difference in miRNA expression was observed in relation to anatomic location, lymphovascular invasion, lung metastasis, and the presence of diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Dobre
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania; (M.D.); (A.M.N.); (M.E.H.)
| | - Radu Cristian Poenaru
- Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (R.C.P.); (C.V.)
| | - Andrei Marian Niculae
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania; (M.D.); (A.M.N.); (M.E.H.)
- Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (R.C.P.); (C.V.)
| | - Catalina Vladut
- Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (R.C.P.); (C.V.)
- Department of Gastroenterology, “Prof. Dr. Agrippa Ionescu” Clinical Emergency Hospital, 011356 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Vlad Herlea
- Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Elena Milanesi
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania; (M.D.); (A.M.N.); (M.E.H.)
- Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (R.C.P.); (C.V.)
| | - Mihail Eugen Hinescu
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania; (M.D.); (A.M.N.); (M.E.H.)
- Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (R.C.P.); (C.V.)
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14
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Zamisa SJ, Adeleke AA, Devnarain N, Rhman MA, Owira PMO, Omondi B. The link between relative stability constant of DNA- and BSA-chromenopyrimidine complexes and cytotoxicity towards human breast cancer cells (MCF-7). RSC Adv 2023; 13:21820-21837. [PMID: 37475760 PMCID: PMC10354499 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra01741a] [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: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we synthesized and characterized ten chromenopyrimidine derivatives using analytical and spectroscopic methods. Studies on DNA and albumin binding affinity, as well as cytotoxicity tests on human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells, of the chromenopyrimidines, were conducted. The natural logarithm of the relative stability constant of DNA- and BSA-chromenopyrimidine complexes [ln(KDNA/KBSA)] was used as a criterion for selecting compounds for cytotoxicity studies. We found that ln(KDNA/KBSA) was inversely related to IC50 values of the compounds in MCF-7 cells. The antiproliferative effects of the compounds were found to induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, which is a desired mechanism of cell death. Correlations between the DNA and albumin binding affinities of chromenopyrimidines were established. We propose that this relationship approach can, for a given set of compounds, assist in predicting the cytotoxicity of potential drug candidates towards MCF-7 cells based on their experimentally determined CT-DNA and BSA binding affinities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sizwe J Zamisa
- School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal Private Bag X54001 Durban 4000 South Africa
| | - Adesola A Adeleke
- School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal Private Bag X54001 Durban 4000 South Africa
| | - Nikita Devnarain
- Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal Private Bag X54001 Durban 4000 South Africa
| | - Mahasin Abdel Rhman
- Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal Private Bag X54001 Durban 4000 South Africa
| | - Peter M O Owira
- Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal Private Bag X54001 Durban 4000 South Africa
| | - Bernard Omondi
- School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal Private Bag X54001 Durban 4000 South Africa
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15
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Gordon ER, Wright CA, James M, Cooper SJ. Transcriptomic and functional analysis of ANGPTL4 overexpression in pancreatic cancer nominates targets that reverse chemoresistance. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:524. [PMID: 37291514 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11010-1] [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: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest cancers based on five-year survival rates. Genes contributing to chemoresistance represent novel therapeutic targets that can improve treatment response. Increased expression of ANGPTL4 in tumors correlates with poor outcomes in pancreatic cancer. METHODS We used statistical analysis of publicly available gene expression data (TCGA-PAAD) to test whether expression of ANGPTL4 and its downstream targets, ITGB4 and APOL1, were correlated with patient survival. We measured the impact of ANGPTL4 overexpression in a common pancreatic cancer cell line, MIA PaCa-2 cells, using CRISPRa for overexpression and DsiRNA for knockdown. We characterized global gene expression changes associated with high levels of ANGPTL4 and response to gemcitabine treatment using RNA-sequencing. Gemcitabine dose response curves were calculated on modified cell lines by measuring cell viability with CellTiter-Glo (Promega). Impacts on cell migration were measured using a time course scratch assay. RESULTS We show that ANGPTL4 overexpression leads to in vitro resistance to gemcitabine and reduced survival times in patients. Overexpression of ANGPTL4 induces transcriptional signatures of tumor invasion and metastasis, proliferation and differentiation, and inhibition of apoptosis. Analyses revealed an overlapping signature of genes associated with both ANGPTL4 activation and gemcitabine response. Increased expression of the genes in this signature in patient PDAC tissues was significantly associated with shorter patient survival. We identified 42 genes that were both co-regulated with ANGPTL4 and were responsive to gemcitabine treatment. ITGB4 and APOL1 were among these genes. Knockdown of either of these genes in cell lines overexpressing ANGPTL4 reversed the observed gemcitabine resistance and inhibited cellular migration associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and ANGPTL4 overexpression. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that ANGPTL4 promotes EMT and regulates the genes APOL1 and ITGB4. Importantly, we show that inhibition of both targets reverses chemoresistance and decreases migratory potential. Our findings have revealed a novel pathway regulating tumor response to treatment and suggest relevant therapeutic targets in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Gordon
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, 601 Genome Way, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Carter A Wright
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, 601 Genome Way, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
- The University of Alabama in Huntsville, 301 Sparkman Drive, 35899, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Mikayla James
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, 601 Genome Way, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Sara J Cooper
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, 601 Genome Way, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA.
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16
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Seo YD, Wargo JA. From bugs to drugs: Bacterial 3-IAA enhances efficacy of chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101039. [PMID: 37196631 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Tintelnot et al.1 identified enrichment of indole-3-acetic acid (3-IAA), a tryptophan metabolite produced by gut microbiota, as a predictor of chemotherapy response in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Recapitulated in mouse models, 3-IAA represents a novel potential therapeutic approach for chemotherapy sensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y David Seo
- Departments of Surgical Oncology and Genomic Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jennifer A Wargo
- Departments of Surgical Oncology and Genomic Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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17
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Paredes de la Fuente R, Doolin JW, Peters ML. Partial response in non-resectable adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas with high tumour mutation burden treated with gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel and pembrolizumab. BMJ Case Rep 2023; 16:e251936. [PMID: 36746516 PMCID: PMC9906246 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2022-251936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A previously healthy man in his 60s was diagnosed with a rare histological subtype of pancreatic cancer, adenosquamous carcinoma. After somatic mutation profiling, it was found that the tumour had microsatellite instability status high and a high tumour mutational burden. The patient was started on combination therapy with gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel and pembrolizumab. Tumour size and biomarkers showed a dramatic response eventually leading to the patient being transitioned to maintenance therapy with pembrolizumab. The patient has demonstrated continued response since the start of the treatment. This is the first report in the literature showing a sustained response in this type of neoplasm that was treated with a checkpoint inhibitor, and thus adds to the evidence supporting universal somatic testing in all pancreatic cancers for a tailored approach to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James W Doolin
- Medical Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mary Linton Peters
- Medical Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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18
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Gordon ER, Wright CA, James M, Cooper SJ. Transcriptomic and functional analysis of ANGPTL4 overexpression in pancreatic cancer nominates targets that reverse chemoresistance. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2444404. [PMID: 36747689 PMCID: PMC9900996 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2444404/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest cancers based on five-year survival rates. Genes contributing to chemoresistance represent novel therapeutic targets that can improve treatment response. Increased expression of ANGPTL4 in tumors correlates with poor outcomes in pancreatic cancer. Methods We used statistical analysis of publicly available gene expression data (TCGA-PAAD) to test whether expression of ANGPTL4 and its downstream targets, ITGB 4 and APOL1 , were correlated with patient survival. We measured the impact of ANGPTL4 overexpression in a common pancreatic cancer cell line, MIA PaCa-2 cells, using CRISPRa for overexpression and DsiRNA for knockdown. We characterized global gene expression changes associated with high levels of ANGPTL4 and response to gemcitabine treatment using RNA-sequencing. Gemcitabine dose response curves were calculated on modified cell lines by measuring cell viability with CellTiter-Glo (Promega). Impacts on cell migration were measured using a time course scratch assay. Results We show that ANGPTL4 overexpression leads to in vitro resistance to gemcitabine and reduced survival times in patients. Overexpression of ANGPTL4 induces transcriptional signatures of tumor invasion and metastasis, proliferation and differentiation, and inhibition of apoptosis. Analyses revealed an overlapping signature of genes associated with both ANGPTL4 activation and gemcitabine response. Increased expression of the genes in this signature in patient PDAC tissues was significantly associated with shorter patient survival. We identified 42 genes that were both co-regulated with ANGPTL4 and were responsive to gemcitabine treatment. ITGB4 and APOL1 were among these genes. Knockdown of either of these genes in cell lines overexpressing ANGPTL4 reversed the observed gemcitabine resistance and inhibited cellular migration associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and ANGPTL4 overexpression. Conclusions These data suggest that ANGPTL4 promotes EMT and regulates the genes APOL1 and ITGB4 . Importantly, we show that inhibition of both targets reverses chemoresistance and decreases migratory potential. Our findings have revealed a novel pathway regulating tumor response to treatment and suggest relevant therapeutic targets in pancreatic cancer.
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19
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Brocco D, De Bellis D, Di Marino P, Simeone P, Grassadonia A, De Tursi M, Grottola T, Di Mola FF, Di Gregorio P, Zappacosta B, Angelone A, Lellis LD, Veschi S, Florio R, De Fabritiis S, Verginelli F, Marchisio M, Caporale M, Luisi D, Di Sebastiano P, Tinari N, Cama A, Lanuti P. High Blood Concentration of Leukocyte-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Is Predictive of Favorable Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer: Results from a Multicenter Prospective Study. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14194748. [PMID: 36230671 PMCID: PMC9562679 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Blood-circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as key players to develop novel liquid biopsy-based approaches in cancer, including pancreatic cancer. In this study, we aimed to explore the prognostic and predictive value of blood-circulating extracellular vesicles released by immune cells in patients with pancreatic cancer. A recently patented flow cytometry protocol was applied for the identification and phenotypical characterization of blood-circulating EVs in a cohort of 56 patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) and in a group of 48 healthy controls. We observed an increased blood concentration of leukocyte-derived EVs (CD45+) and PD-L1+ EVs in patients with PC as compared to healthy controls. Intriguingly, a high blood concentration of leukocyte-derived EVs identified PC patients with a good prognosis and improved clinical outcomes. This study revealed the promising role of EVs released by immune cells as a source of candidate biomarkers in patients with pancreatic cancer. Abstract Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Identification of novel tumor biomarkers is highly advocated in PC to optimize personalized treatment algorithms. Blood-circulating extracellular vesicles hold promise for liquid biopsy application in cancer. We used an optimized flow cytometry protocol to study leukocyte-derived EVs (CD45+) and PD-L1+ EVs in blood from 56 pancreatic cancer patients and 48 healthy controls (HCs). Our results show that PC patients presented higher blood levels of total EVs (p = 0.0003), leukocyte-derived EVs (LEVs) (p = 0.001) and PD-L1+ EVs (p = 0.01), as compared with HCs. Interestingly, a blood concentration of LEVs at baseline was independently associated with improved overall survival in patients with borderline resectable or primary unresectable PC (HR = 0.17; 95% CI 0.04–0.79; p = 0.02). Additionally, increased blood-based LEVs were independently correlated with prolonged progression-free survival (HR = 0.10; 95% CI 0.01–0.82; p = 0.03) and significantly associated with higher disease control rate (p = 0.02) in patients with advanced PC receiving standard chemotherapy. Notably, a strong correlation between a decrease in blood LEVs concentration during chemotherapy and disease control was observed (p = 0.005). These intriguing findings point to the potential of LEVs as novel blood-based EV biomarkers for improved personalized medicine in patients affected by PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Brocco
- Department of Pharmacy, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Correspondence: (D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Domenico De Bellis
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (C.A.S.T.), University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Pietro Di Marino
- Clinical Oncology Unit, S.S. Annunziata Hospital, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Pasquale Simeone
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (C.A.S.T.), University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Antonino Grassadonia
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Michele De Tursi
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Tommaso Grottola
- Surgical Oncology Unit, Casa di Cura Pierangeli, 65124 Pescara, Italy
| | | | - Patrizia Di Gregorio
- Unit of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, S.S. Annunziata Hospital, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Barbara Zappacosta
- Anatomical Pathology Unit, Casa di Cura Pierangeli, 65124 Pescara, Italy
| | - Antonio Angelone
- Anatomical Pathology Unit, Casa di Cura Pierangeli, 65124 Pescara, Italy
| | - Laura De Lellis
- Department of Pharmacy, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Serena Veschi
- Department of Pharmacy, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Rosalba Florio
- Department of Pharmacy, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Simone De Fabritiis
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (C.A.S.T.), University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Fabio Verginelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Marco Marchisio
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (C.A.S.T.), University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Marta Caporale
- Medical Oncology Unit, S. Spirito Hospital, 65124 Pescara, Italy
| | - Dimitri Luisi
- Medical Oncology Unit, S. Spirito Hospital, 65124 Pescara, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Di Sebastiano
- Surgical Oncology Unit, Casa di Cura Pierangeli, 65124 Pescara, Italy
- Department of Medical, Oral & Biotechnological Sciences, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Nicola Tinari
- Department of Medical, Oral & Biotechnological Sciences, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cama
- Department of Pharmacy, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Correspondence: (D.B.); (A.C.)
| | - Paola Lanuti
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (C.A.S.T.), University “G. D’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
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20
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Multiplexed Detection of Pancreatic Cancer by Combining a Nanoparticle-Enabled Blood Test and Plasma Levels of Acute-Phase Proteins. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14194658. [PMID: 36230585 PMCID: PMC9563576 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In this study, a multiplexed strategy based on the combination of a nanoparticle-enabled blood test and serum levels of acute-phase proteins proved to be able to distinguish pancreatic cancer patients from healthy controls with a good and sex-dependent prediction ability. This study suggests a possible role of acute-phase proteins as pancreatic cancer biomarkers and paves the way for the development of multiplexed technologies for early cancer detection. Abstract The development of new tools for the early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents an area of intense research. Recently, the concept has emerged that multiplexed detection of different signatures from a single biospecimen (e.g., saliva, blood, etc.) may exhibit better diagnostic capability than single biomarkers. In this work, we develop a multiplexed strategy for detecting PDAC by combining characterization of the nanoparticle (NP)-protein corona, i.e., the protein layer that surrounds NPs upon exposure to biological fluids and circulating levels of plasma proteins belonging to the acute phase protein (APPs) family. As a first step, we developed a nanoparticle-enabled blood (NEB) test that employed 600 nm graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets and human plasma (HP) (5% vol/vol) to produce 75 personalized protein coronas (25 from healthy subjects and 50 from PDAC patients). Isolation and characterization of protein corona patterns by 1-dimensional (1D) SDS-PAGE identified significant differences in the abundance of low-molecular-weight corona proteins (20–30 kDa) between healthy subjects and PDAC patients. Coupling the outcomes of the NEB test with the circulating levels of alpha 2 globulins, we detected PDAC with a global capacity of 83.3%. Notably, a version of the multiplexed detection strategy run on sex-disaggregated data provided substantially better classification accuracy for men (93.1% vs. 77.8%). Nanoliquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC MS/MS) experiments allowed to correlate PDAC with an altered enrichment of Apolipoprotein A-I, Apolipoprotein D, Complement factor D, Alpha-1-antichymotrypsin and Alpha-1-antitrypsin in the personalized protein corona. Moreover, other significant changes in the protein corona of PDAC patients were found. Overall, the developed multiplexed strategy is a valid tool for PDAC detection and paves the way for the identification of new potential PDAC biomarkers.
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Tonini V, Zanni M. Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer: What strategies to avoid a foretold catastrophe. World J Gastroenterol 2022; 28:4235-4248. [PMID: 36159004 PMCID: PMC9453775 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i31.4235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
While great strides in improving survival rates have been made for most cancers in recent years, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the solid tumors with the worst prognosis. PDAC mortality often overlaps with incidence. Surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment, but it can be performed in a very limited number of cases. In order to improve the prognosis of PDAC, there are ideally two possible ways: the discovery of new strategies or drugs that will make it possible to treat the tumor more successfully or an earlier diagnosis that will allow patients to be operated on at a less advanced stage. The aim of this review was to summarize all the possible strategies available today for the early diagnosis of PDAC and the paths that research needs to take to make this goal ever closer. All the most recent studies on risk factors and screening modalities, new laboratory tests including liquid biopsy, new imaging methods and possible applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning were reviewed and commented on. Unfortunately, in 2022 the results for this type of cancer still remain discouraging, while a catastrophic increase in cases is expected in the coming years. The article was also written with the aim of highlighting the urgency of devoting more attention and resources to this pathology in order to reach a solution that seems more and more unreachable every day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Tonini
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40138, Italy
| | - Manuel Zanni
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna 40138, Italy
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22
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Local Ablative Therapy Associated with Immunotherapy in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Solution to Overcome the Double Trouble?-A Comprehensive Review. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11071948. [PMID: 35407555 PMCID: PMC8999652 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11071948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a major killer and is a challenging clinical research issue with abysmal survival due to unsatisfactory therapeutic efficacy. Two major issues thwart the treatment of locally advanced nonresectable pancreatic cancer (LAPC): high micrometastasis rate and surgical inaccessibility. Local ablative therapies induce a systemic antitumor response (i.e., abscopal effect) in addition to local effects. Thus, the incorporation of additional therapies could be key to improving immunotherapy's clinical efficacy. In this systematic review, we explore recent applications of local ablative therapies combined with immunotherapy to overcome immune resistance in PDAC and discuss future perspectives and challenges. Particularly, we describe four chemoradiation studies and nine reports on irreversible electroporation (IRE). Clinically, IRE is the ablative therapy of choice, utilized in all but two clinical trials, and may create a favorable microenvironment for immunotherapy. Various immunotherapies have been used in combination with IRE, such as NK cell- or γδ T cell-based therapy, as well as immune checkpoint inhibitors. The results of the clinical trials presented in this review and the advancement potential of these therapies to phase II/III trials remain unknown. A multiple treatment approach involving chemotherapy, local ablation, and immunotherapy holds promise in overcoming the double trouble of LAPC.
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