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Oshi M, Chida K, Roy AM, Mann GK, An N, Yan L, Endo I, Takabe K. Higher inflammatory response in hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with immune cell infiltration and a better outcome. Hepatol Int 2024; 18:1299-1309. [PMID: 38898190 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-024-10678-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often develops from chronic liver inflammation. Inflammation within a tumor can either promote cancer progression or activate an immune response against it. This study aims to determine the clinical significance of enhanced inflammation in HCC. METHODS Data from 655 HCC patients across four cohorts (TCGA, GSE6764, GSE76427, GSE89377) were examined. Inflammatory response was quantified using a scoring system derived from the gene set variation analysis of the "INFLAMMATORY_RESPONSE" gene set. RESULTS A stepwise increase in inflammatory response was noted from normal liver to cirrhosis, with consistently lower levels in HCC across both GSE6764 and GSE89377 cohorts (both p < 0.001). Similar trends were observed in interferon response, pathways such as IL6/JAK/STAT3 and complement signaling, coagulation cascade, and allograft rejection (all p < 0.02). HCCs with high inflammatory response were associated with increased immune cell infiltrations (p < 0.01) and cytolytic activity (p < 0.001). Interestingly, these HCCs had reduced mutation rates, no relationship with cell proliferation, and displayed both immune responses and pro-cancerous signals including epithelial-mesenchymal transition, KRAS, and hypoxia. Further, a high inflammatory score correlated with improved disease-free survival in TCGA (p = 0.034) and overall survival in GSE76427 (p = 0.008). CONCLUSION HCC with higher levels of inflammatory response demonstrated increased immune cell infiltration, enhanced immune-related and other pro-cancerous-related signaling, and showed a trend toward a better patient prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Oshi
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kohei Chida
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Arya Mariam Roy
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Gabriella Kim Mann
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Nan An
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Li Yan
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Itaru Endo
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Takabe
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA.
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan.
- Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, 160-8402, Japan.
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.
- Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, 951-8520, Japan.
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
- Department of Surgery, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA.
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Sato T, Oshi M, Huang JL, Chida K, Roy AM, Endo I, Takabe K. CD133 expression is associated with less DNA repair, better response to chemotherapy and survival in ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2024:10.1007/s10549-024-07434-3. [PMID: 39017815 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-024-07434-3] [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: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE CD133, a cancer stem cells (CSC) marker, has been reported to be associated with treatment resistance and worse survival in triple-negative breast cancer (BC). However, the clinical relevance of CD133 expression in ER-positive/HER2-negative (ER + /HER2-) BC, the most abundant subtype, remains unknown. METHODS The BC cohorts from the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC, n = 1904) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, n = 1065) were used to obtain biological variables and gene expression data. RESULTS Epithelial cells were the exclusive source of CD133 gene expression in a bulk BC. CD133-high ER + /HER2- BC was associated with CD24, NOTCH1, DLL1, and ALDH1A1 gene expressions, as well as with WNT/β-Catenin, Hedgehog, and Notch signaling pathways, all characteristic for CSC. Consistent with a CSC phenotype, CD133-low BC was enriched with gene sets related to cell proliferation, such as G2M Checkpoint, MYC Targets V1, E2F Targets, and Ki67 gene expression. CD133-low BC was also linked with enrichment of genes related to DNA repair, such as BRCA1, E2F1, E2F4, CDK1/2. On the other hand, CD133-high tumors had proinflammatory microenvironment, higher activity of immune cells, and higher expression of genes related to inflammation and immune response. Finally, CD133-high tumors had better pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in GSE25066 cohort and better disease-free survival and overall survival in both TCGA and METABRIC cohorts. CONCLUSION CD133-high ER + /HER2- BC was associated with CSC phenotype such as less cell proliferation and DNA repair, but also with enhanced inflammation, better response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and better prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Sato
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
- University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
- National Hospital Organization Disaster Medical Center, Tokyo, 190-0014, Japan
| | - Masanori Oshi
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Jing Li Huang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Kohei Chida
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, 036-8562, Japan
| | - Arya Mariam Roy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Itaru Endo
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Takabe
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA.
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan.
- Department of Surgery, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA.
- Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, 951-8520, Japan.
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
- Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, 160-8402, Japan.
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Chida K, Oshi M, Roy AM, Sato T, Takabe MP, Yan L, Endo I, Hakamada K, Takabe K. Enhanced cancer cell proliferation and aggressive phenotype counterbalance in breast cancer with high BRCA1 gene expression. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2024:10.1007/s10549-024-07421-8. [PMID: 38972017 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-024-07421-8] [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: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE While comprehensive research exists on the mutation of the DNA repair gene BRCA1, limited information is available regarding the clinical significance of BRCA1 gene expression. Given that cancer cell proliferation is aggrevated by DNA repair, we hypothesized that high BRCA1 gene expression breast cancer (BC) might be linked with aggressive tumor biology and poor clinical outcomes. METHODS The cohorts: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, n = 1069), METABRIC (n = 1903), and SCAN-B (n = 3273) were utilzed to obtain data of 6245 BC patients. RESULTS BC patients without BRCA1 mutation exhibited higher BRCA1 expression, which was associated with DNA repair functionality. However, no such correlation was observed with BRCA2 expression. The association of high BRCA1 expression with cancer cell proliferation was evidenced by significant enrichment of cell proliferation-related gene sets, higher histological grade, and proliferation score. Furthermore, increased levels of homologous recombination deficiency, intratumoral heterogeneity, and altered fractions were associated with high BRCA1 expression. Moreover, BC with high BRCA1 expression exhibited reduced infiltration of dendritic cells and CD8 T-cells, while showing increased infiltration of Th1 cells. Surprisingly, BRCA1 expression was not associated with the survival of BC irrespective of the subtypes. Conversely, BC with low BRCA1 expression enriched cancer aggravating pathway gene sets, such as Cancer Stem Cell-related signaling (NOTCH and HEDGEHOG), Angiogenesis, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Inflammatory Response, and TGF-beta signaling. CONCLUSION Despite being linked to heightened proliferation of cancer cells and unassertive phenotype, BRCA1 expression did not show any association with survival in BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Chida
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, 036-8562, Japan
| | - Masanori Oshi
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Arya Mariam Roy
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Takumi Sato
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
- Department of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8654, Japan
| | - Maya Penelope Takabe
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Li Yan
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Itaru Endo
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kenichi Hakamada
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, 036-8562, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Takabe
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA.
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0004, Japan.
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo Jacobs, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA.
- Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, 160-8402, Japan.
- Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, 951-8510, Japan.
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
- Department of Breast Surgery, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA.
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Liu Y, Zhang X, Gu W, Su H, Wang X, Wang X, Zhang J, Xu M, Sheng W. Unlocking the Crucial Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Tumor Metastasis: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Prospects. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00220-0. [PMID: 38825314 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.05.031] [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: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumor metastasis represents a stepwise progression and stands as a principal determinant of unfavorable prognoses among cancer patients. Consequently, an in-depth exploration of its mechanisms holds paramount clinical significance. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), constituting the most abundant stromal cell population within the tumor microenvironment (TME), have garnered robust evidence support for their pivotal regulatory roles in tumor metastasis. AIM of Review This review systematically explores the roles of CAFs at eight critical stages of tumorigenic dissemination: 1) extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, 2) epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), 3) angiogenesis, 4) tumor metabolism, 5) perivascular migration, 6) immune escape, 7) dormancy, and 8) premetastatic niche (PMN) formation. Additionally, we provide a compendium of extant strategies aimed at targeting CAFs in cancer therapy. Key Scientific Concepts of Review This review delineates a structured framework for the interplay between CAFs and tumor metastasis while furnishing insights for the potential therapeutic developments. It contributes to a deeper understanding of cancer metastasis within the TME, facilitating the utilization of CAF-targeting therapies in anti-metastatic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingxue Liu
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wenchao Gu
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hui Su
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jiayu Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Midie Xu
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Weiqi Sheng
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
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Dhungel N, Dragoi AM. Exploring the multifaceted role of direct interaction between cancer cells and fibroblasts in cancer progression. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1379971. [PMID: 38863965 PMCID: PMC11165130 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1379971] [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: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The interaction between the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the cancer cells is a complex and mutually beneficial system that leads to rapid cancer cells proliferation, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. It is now recognized that cancer cells are not isolated, and tumor progression is governed among others, by many components of the TME. The reciprocal cross-talk between cancer cells and their microenvironment can be indirect through the secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and paracrine signaling through exosomes, cytokines, and growth factors, or direct by cell-to-cell contact mediated by cell surface receptors and adhesion molecules. Among TME components, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are of unique interest. As one of the most abundant components of the TME, CAFs play key roles in the reorganization of the extracellular matrix, facilitating metastasis and chemotherapy evasion. Both direct and indirect roles have been described for CAFs in modulating tumor progression. In this review, we focus on recent advances in understanding the role of direct contact between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in driving tumor development and metastasis. We also summarize recent findings on the role of direct contact between cancer cells and CAFs in chemotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilu Dhungel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, LSUHSC, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Ana-Maria Dragoi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, LSUHSC, Shreveport, LA, United States
- Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, INLET Core, LSUHSC, Shreveport, LA, United States
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Wang Y, Wang L, Wei Y, Wei C, Yang H, Chen Q, Zhang R, Shen H. Advances in the molecular regulation mechanism of tumor dormancy and its therapeutic strategy. Discov Oncol 2024; 15:184. [PMID: 38795254 PMCID: PMC11127899 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-024-01049-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor dormancy is a stage in the growth and development of malignant cells and is one of the biological characteristics of malignant cells. Complex transitions involving dormant tumor cells between quiescent and proliferative states pose challenges for tumor eradication. This paper explores the biological features and molecular mechanisms of tumor dormancy and highlights emerging therapies. The strategies discussed promise innovative clinical potential against malignant tumors. Understanding the mechanisms of dormancy can help provide valuable insights into the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors to advance the fight against this world problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Wang
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 51006, People's Republic of China
| | - Linlin Wang
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 51006, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaojun Wei
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 51006, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuang Wei
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 51006, People's Republic of China
| | - Haohang Yang
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 51006, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiurui Chen
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 51006, People's Republic of China
| | - Rongxin Zhang
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 51006, People's Republic of China.
| | - Han Shen
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 51006, People's Republic of China.
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Oshi M, Roy AM, Yan L, Kinoshita S, Tamura Y, Kosaka T, Akiyama H, Kunisaki C, Takabe K, Endo I. Enhanced epithelial-mesenchymal transition signatures are linked with adverse tumor microenvironment, angiogenesis and worse survival in gastric cancer. Cancer Gene Ther 2024; 31:746-754. [PMID: 38532115 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-024-00756-w] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial mechanism that facilitates cancer cell metastasis. Despite its importance, the clinical significance of EMT in gastric cancer (GC) patients has yet to be clearly demonstrated. For gauging the extent of EMT in GC, we employed gene set variation analysis to score 807 patient samples from two large cohorts: TCGA and GSE84437. In both cohorts, EMT high GC showed a significant association with worse overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.74, p = 0.011 and HR = 2.01, p < 0.001, respectively). This association was stronger when considering the EMT signature score compared to the individual expressions of EMT-related genes (CDH1, CDH2, VIM, and FN1). While the EMT signature level did not differ among various cancers, high EMT signature specifically correlated with survival in GC alone. Mucinous and diffuse histological types exhibited higher EMT levels compared to others (p < 0.001), and the EMT signature level was correlated with tumor depth and AJCC stage (all p < 0.001). Interestingly, the EMT score was an independent factor for overall and disease-specific survival (multivariate; p = 0.006 and 0.032, respectively). EMT high GC displayed a lower fraction of Th1 cells and a higher fraction of dendritic cells, M1 macrophages and several stromal cells. EMT high GC exhibited an inverse correlation with cell proliferation-related gene sets. While they significantly enriched multiple pro-cancerous gene sets, such as TGF-β signaling, hypoxia, and angiogenesis. The presence of EMT signature in a bulk tumor was linked to TGF-β signaling, hypoxia, and angiogenesis, and was also associated with poorer survival outcomes in GC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Oshi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan.
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA.
| | - Arya Mariam Roy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Li Yan
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Sachika Kinoshita
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Yuko Tamura
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Takashi Kosaka
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Hirotoshi Akiyama
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Chikara Kunisaki
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Takabe
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
- Department of Surgery, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
- Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, 160-8402, Japan
| | - Itaru Endo
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
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Sato T, Oshi M, Huang JL, Chida K, Roy AM, Endo I, Takabe K. CD133 expression is associated with less DNA repair, better response to chemotherapy and survival in ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4148608. [PMID: 38585981 PMCID: PMC10996805 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4148608/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Purpose CD133, a cancer stem cells (CSC) marker, has been reported to be associated with treatment resistance and worse survival in triple-negative breast cancer (BC). However, the clinical relevance of CD133 expression in ER-positive/HER2-negative (ER+/HER2-) BC, the most abundant subtype, remains unknown. Methods The BC cohorts from the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC, n = 1904) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, n = 1065) were used to obtain biological variables and gene expression data. Results Epithelial cells were the exclusive source of CD133 gene expression in a bulk BC. CD133-high ER+/HER2- BC was associated with CD24, NOTCH1, DLL1, and ALDH1A1 gene expressions, as well as with WNT/β-Catenin, Hedgehog, and Notchsignaling pathways, all characteristic for CSC. Consistent with a CSC phenotype, CD133-low BC was enriched with gene sets related to cell proliferation, such as G2M Checkpoint, MYC Targets V1, E2F Targets, and Ki67 gene expression. CD133-low BC was also linked with enrichment of genes related to DNA repair, such as BRCA1, E2F1, E2F4, CDK1/2. On the other hand, CD133-high tumors had proinflammatory microenvironment, higher activity of immune cells, and higher expression of genes related to inflammation and immune response. Finally, CD133-high tumors had better pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in GSE25066 cohort and better disease-free survival and overall survival in both TCGA and METABRIC cohorts. Conclusion CD133-high ER+/HER2- BC was associated with CSC phenotype such as less cell proliferation and DNA repair, but also with enhanced inflammation, better response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and better prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Masanori Oshi
- Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine
| | | | | | | | - Itaru Endo
- Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine
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Richbourg NR, Irakoze N, Kim H, Peyton SR. Outlook and opportunities for engineered environments of breast cancer dormancy. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl0165. [PMID: 38457510 PMCID: PMC10923521 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl0165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Dormant, disseminated breast cancer cells resist treatment and may relapse into malignant metastases after decades of quiescence. Identifying how and why these dormant breast cancer cells are triggered into outgrowth is a key unsolved step in treating latent, metastatic breast cancer. However, our understanding of breast cancer dormancy in vivo is limited by technical challenges and ethical concerns with triggering the activation of dormant breast cancer. In vitro models avoid many of these challenges by simulating breast cancer dormancy and activation in well-controlled, bench-top conditions, creating opportunities for fundamental insights into breast cancer biology that complement what can be achieved through animal and clinical studies. In this review, we address clinical and preclinical approaches to treating breast cancer dormancy, how precisely controlled artificial environments reveal key interactions that regulate breast cancer dormancy, and how future generations of biomaterials could answer further questions about breast cancer dormancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan R. Richbourg
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Ninette Irakoze
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Hyuna Kim
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Shelly R. Peyton
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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10
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Collignon E. Unveiling the role of cellular dormancy in cancer progression and recurrence. Curr Opin Oncol 2024; 36:74-81. [PMID: 38193374 DOI: 10.1097/cco.0000000000001013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Cellular dormancy is a major contributor to cancer progression and recurrence. This review explores recent findings on the molecular mechanisms implicated in cancer dormancy and investigates potential strategies to improve therapeutic interventions. RECENT FINDINGS Research on cancer dormancy reveals a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. Providing a latent reservoir of tumor cells with reduced proliferation and enhanced drug-tolerance, dormant cancer cells emerge from a clonally diverse population after therapy or at metastatic sites. These cells exhibit distinct transcriptional and epigenetic profiles, involving the downregulation of Myc and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways, and the induction of autophagy. Senescence traits, under the control of factors such as p53, also contribute significantly. The tumor microenvironment can either promote or prevent dormancy establishment, notably through the involvement of T and NK cells within the dormant tumor niche. Strategies to combat dormancy-related relapse include direct elimination of dormant tumor cells, sustaining dormancy to prolong survival, or awakening dormant cells to re-sensitize them to antiproliferative drugs. SUMMARY Improving our understanding of cancer dormancy at primary and secondary sites provides valuable insights into patient care and relapse prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Collignon
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Faculty of Medicine, ULB-Cancer Research Centre (U-CRC) and Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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Jiao Y, Yu Y, Zheng M, Yan M, Wang J, Zhang Y, Zhang S. Dormant cancer cells and polyploid giant cancer cells: The roots of cancer recurrence and metastasis. Clin Transl Med 2024; 14:e1567. [PMID: 38362620 PMCID: PMC10870057 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1567] [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: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumour cell dormancy is critical for metastasis and resistance to chemoradiotherapy. Polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) with giant or multiple nuclei and high DNA content have the properties of cancer stem cell and single PGCCs can individually generate tumours in immunodeficient mice. PGCCs represent a dormant form of cancer cells that survive harsh tumour conditions and contribute to tumour recurrence. Hypoxic mimics, chemotherapeutics, radiation and cytotoxic traditional Chinese medicines can induce PGCCs formation through endoreduplication and/or cell fusion. After incubation, dormant PGCCs can recover from the treatment and produce daughter cells with strong proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities via asymmetric cell division. Additionally, PGCCs can resist hypoxia or chemical stress and have a distinct protein signature that involves chromatin remodelling and cell cycle regulation. Dormant PGCCs form the cellular basis for therapeutic resistance, metastatic cascade and disease recurrence. This review summarises regulatory mechanisms governing dormant cancer cells entry and exit of dormancy, which may be used by PGCCs, and potential therapeutic strategies for targeting PGCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Jiao
- School of Integrative MedicineTianjin University of Traditional Chinese MedicineTianjinChina
| | - Yongjun Yu
- Department of PathologyTianjin Union Medical CenterTianjinChina
| | - Minying Zheng
- Department of PathologyTianjin Union Medical CenterNankai UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Man Yan
- School of Integrative MedicineTianjin University of Traditional Chinese MedicineTianjinChina
| | - Jiangping Wang
- School of Integrative MedicineTianjin University of Traditional Chinese MedicineTianjinChina
| | - Yue Zhang
- School of Integrative MedicineTianjin University of Traditional Chinese MedicineTianjinChina
| | - Shiwu Zhang
- Department of PathologyTianjin Union Medical CenterTianjinChina
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Chida K, Oshi M, An N, Kanazawa H, Roy AM, Mann GK, Yan L, Endo I, Hakamada K, Takabe K. Gastric cancer with enhanced myogenesis is associated with less cell proliferation, enriched epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis, and poor clinical outcomes. Am J Cancer Res 2024; 14:355-367. [PMID: 38323295 PMCID: PMC10839307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) remains a lethal disease, with over 26,000 new cases and more than 11,000 deaths annually in the US. Thus, a deeper understanding of GC biology is critical to improve survival. Myogenesis is the formation of muscle fibers, which is a mesodermal tissue. In cancer, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a known phenomenon that promotes metastasis and poor survival. Given that myogenesis produces mesenchymal cells, we hypothesized that GC with increased myogenesis is linked to aggressive tumor behaviors and less favorable outcomes. In this study, three GC patient cohorts: TCGA (n=375), GSE26253 (n=432), and GSE84437 (n=482), were analyzed. The "MYOGENESIS" set in the Hallmark collection which comprises 200 myogenesis-related genes was analyzed to perform gene set variation analysis to create a score to quantify the myogenesis activity. Our results showed that T category of AJCC cancer staging that reflects the tumor invasion to stomach wall consistently correlated with myogenesis activity in two GC cohorts. High myogenesis GC was associated with lower cell proliferation, evidenced by reduced proliferation scores, decreased Ki67 gene expression, and less enrichment of E2F Targets, G2M checkpoint, MYC Targets V1, and V2 gene sets. High myogenesis tumors showed increased stromal cells (fibroblasts and adipocytes) infiltration within the tumor microenvironment, as well as less silent and non-silent mutation rates and copy number alterations. Higher lymphocyte infiltration, leukocyte fraction, T-cell receptor richness, and B-cell receptor richness were associated with high myogenesis GC. However, infiltration of CD4 cells, T helper type 1 and 2 cells, Natural Killer cells, regulatory T cells, and plasma cells was lower, with increased infiltration of dendritic cells in high myogenesis GC. High myogenesis GC enriched EMT, Hedgehog, TGF-β, and KRAS gene sets. Furthermore, it was associated with enhanced angiogenesis, evidenced by enrichment of Angiogenesis, Coagulation, and Hypoxia gene sets, and increased infiltration of microvascular and lymphatic endothelial cells and pericytes. High myogenesis GC consistently correlated with worse overall survival in all three cohorts, and worse disease-specific and progression-free survival in the TCGA cohort. Hence, our findings suggest that GC with enhanced myogenesis is associated with decreased cell proliferation, increased EMT and angiogenesis, and worse prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Chida
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffalo, NY 14263, USA
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of MedicineHirosaki 036-8562, Japan
| | - Masanori Oshi
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffalo, NY 14263, USA
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of MedicineYokohama, Kanagawa 236-0004, Japan
| | - Nan An
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Hirofumi Kanazawa
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler School of MedicineTyler, TX 11937, USA
| | - Arya M Roy
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Gabriella K Mann
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Li Yan
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Itaru Endo
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of MedicineYokohama, Kanagawa 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kenichi Hakamada
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of MedicineHirosaki 036-8562, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Takabe
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffalo, NY 14263, USA
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of MedicineYokohama, Kanagawa 236-0004, Japan
- Department of Surgery, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New YorkBuffalo, NY 14263, USA
- Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, Tokyo Medical UniversityTokyo 160-8402, Japan
- Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental SciencesNiigata 951-8510, Japan
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of MedicineFukushima 960-1295, Japan
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Oshi M, Chida K, Roy AM, Mann GK, An N, Yan L, Endo I, Takabe K. Higher Inflammatory Response in Hepatocellular Carcinoma is Associated with Immune Cell Infiltration and a Better Outcome. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3768964. [PMID: 38260290 PMCID: PMC10802714 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3768964/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Background & Aims Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often develops from chronic liver inflammation. Inflammation within a tumor can either promote cancer progression or activate an immune response against it. This study aims to determine the clinical significance of enhanced inflammation in HCC. Methods Data from 655 HCC patients across four cohorts (TCGA, GSE6764, GSE76427, GSE89377) were examined. Inflammatory response was quantified using a scoring system derived from the gene set variation analysis of the "INFLAMMATORY_RESPONSE" gene set. Results A stepwise increase in inflammatory response was noted from normal liver to cirrhosis, with consistently lower levels in HCC across both GSE6764 and GSE89377 cohorts (both p<0.001). Similar trends were observed in interferon response, pathways such as IL6/JAK/STAT3 and complement signaling, coagulation cascade, and allograft rejection (all p<0.02). HCCs with high inflammatory response were associated with increased immune cell infiltrations (p<0.01) and cytolytic activity (p<0.001). Interestingly, these HCCs had reduced mutation rates, no relationship with cell proliferation, and displayed both immune responses and pro-cancerous signals including epithelial-mesenchymal transition, KRAS, and hypoxia. Further, a high inflammatory score correlated with improved disease-free survival in TCGA (p=0.034) and overall survival in GSE76427 (p=0.008). Conclusion HCC with higher levels of inflammatory response demonstrated increased immune cell infiltration, enhanced immune-related and other pro-cancerous-related signaling, and better patient prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Nan An
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Li Yan
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Itaru Endo
- Yokohama City University: Yokohama Shiritsu Daigaku
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Zarodniuk M, Steele A, Lu X, Li J, Datta M. CNS tumor stroma transcriptomics identify perivascular fibroblasts as predictors of immunotherapy resistance in glioblastoma patients. NPJ Genom Med 2023; 8:35. [PMID: 37884531 PMCID: PMC10603041 DOI: 10.1038/s41525-023-00381-w] [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: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) is a hallmark of solid tumors; however, it remains poorly understood which cellular and molecular components contribute to the formation of ECM stroma in central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Here, we undertake a pan-CNS analysis of retrospective gene expression datasets to characterize inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity of ECM remodeling signatures in both adult and pediatric CNS disease. We find that CNS lesions - glioblastoma in particular - can be divided into two ECM-based subtypes (ECMhi and ECMlo) that are influenced by the presence of perivascular stromal cells resembling cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Ligand-receptor network analysis predicts that perivascular fibroblasts activate signaling pathways responsible for recruitment of tumor-associated macrophages and promotion of cancer stemness. Our analysis reveals that perivascular fibroblasts are correlated with unfavorable response to immune checkpoint blockade in glioblastoma and poor patient survival across a subset of CNS tumors. We provide insights into new stroma-driven mechanisms underlying immune evasion and immunotherapy resistance in CNS tumors like glioblastoma, and discuss how targeting these perivascular fibroblasts may prove an effective approach to improving treatment response and patient survival in a variety of CNS tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksym Zarodniuk
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Alexander Steele
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Xin Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Meenal Datta
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.
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Oshi M, Roy AM, Yan L, Sasamoto M, Tokumaru Y, Wu R, Yamada A, Yamamoto S, Chishima T, Narui K, Endo I, Takabe K. Accelerated glycolysis in tumor microenvironment is associated with worse survival in triple-negative but not consistently with ER+/HER2- breast cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2023; 13:3041-3054. [PMID: 37559984 PMCID: PMC10408485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming to sustain immortality is a hallmark of cancer and glycolysis is an important way to attain this. Thus, we investigate the association of glycolysis and associated pathways in the survival of breast cancer. A total of 5,176 breast cancer patients from multiple independent cohorts were analyzed. We determined the glycolytic signaling score by the degree of enrichment by Gene Set Variant Analysis and the median was used to divide each cohort into high vs low score groups. Glycolysis high breast cancer significantly enriched the hallmark cell proliferation-related gene sets (E2F targets, G2M checkpoint, and MYC targets v1 and v2) and was associated with high MKI67 expression. In all cohorts, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) was associated with the highest glycolysis score. It was found that in TNBC, glycolysis high breast cancer was associated with worse survival but in ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer this was not observed consistently. The glycolysis high TNBC enriched multiple pro-cancerous gene sets and was infiltrated with a low level of B-cells and anti-cancerous immune cells, and significantly associated with a decreased level of cytolytic activity. It was also observed that the glycolysis was higher in the metastatic sites than in the primary breast cancer and the survival was not affected by the metastatic sites. In conclusion, accelerated glycolysis is associated with cancer cell proliferation and worse survival in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Oshi
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffalo, New York 14263, USA
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of MedicineYokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Arya Mariam Roy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffalo, New York 14263, USA
| | - Li Yan
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffalo, New York 14263, USA
| | - Mahato Sasamoto
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of MedicineYokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Tokumaru
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffalo, New York 14263, USA
| | - Rongrong Wu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffalo, New York 14263, USA
| | - Akimitsu Yamada
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of MedicineYokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of MedicineYokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Takashi Chishima
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of MedicineYokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Narui
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of MedicineYokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Itaru Endo
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of MedicineYokohama 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Takabe
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer CenterBuffalo, New York 14263, USA
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of MedicineYokohama 236-0004, Japan
- Department of Surgery, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New YorkBuffalo, New York 14263, USA
- Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental SciencesNiigata 951-8520, Japan
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of MedicineFukushima 960-1295, Japan
- Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, Tokyo Medical UniversityTokyo 160-8402, Japan
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Abstract
The genomics and pathways governing metastatic dormancy are critically important drivers of long-term patient survival given the considerable portion of cancers that recur aggressively months to years after initial treatments. Our understanding of dormancy has expanded greatly in the last two decades, with studies elucidating that the dormant state is regulated by multiple genes, microenvironmental (ME) interactions, and immune components. These forces are exerted through mechanisms that are intrinsic to the tumor cell, manifested through cross-talk between tumor and ME cells including those from the immune system, and regulated by angiogenic processes in the nascent micrometastatic niche. The development of new in vivo and 3D ME models, as well as enhancements to decades-old tumor cell pedigree models that span the development of metastatic dormancy to aggressive growth, has helped fuel what arguably is one of the least understood areas of cancer biology that nonetheless contributes immensely to patient mortality. The current review focuses on the genes and molecular pathways that regulate dormancy via tumor-intrinsic and ME cells, and how groups have envisioned harnessing these therapeutically to benefit patient survival.
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Dormancy, stemness, and therapy resistance: interconnected players in cancer evolution. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2023; 42:197-215. [PMID: 36757577 PMCID: PMC10014678 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-023-10092-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
The biological complexity of cancer represents a tremendous clinical challenge, resulting in the frequent failure of current treatment protocols. In the rapidly evolving scenario of a growing tumor, anticancer treatments impose a drastic perturbation not only to cancer cells but also to the tumor microenvironment, killing a portion of the cells and inducing a massive stress response in the survivors. Consequently, treatments can act as a double-edged sword by inducing a temporary response while laying the ground for therapy resistance and subsequent disease progression. Cancer cell dormancy (or quiescence) is a central theme in tumor evolution, being tightly linked to the tumor's ability to survive cytotoxic challenges, metastasize, and resist immune-mediated attack. Accordingly, quiescent cancer cells (QCCs) have been detected in virtually all the stages of tumor development. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have focused on the characterization of quiescent/therapy resistant cancer cells, unveiling QCCs core transcriptional programs, metabolic plasticity, and mechanisms of immune escape. At the same time, our partial understanding of tumor quiescence reflects the difficulty to identify stable QCCs biomarkers/therapeutic targets and to control cancer dormancy in clinical settings. This review focuses on recent discoveries in the interrelated fields of dormancy, stemness, and therapy resistance, discussing experimental evidences in the frame of a nonlinear dynamics approach, and exploring the possibility that tumor quiescence may represent not only a peril but also a potential therapeutic resource.
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He S, Wang J, Huang Y, Kong F, Yang R, Zhan Y, Li Z, Ye C, Meng L, Ren Y, Zhou Y, Chen G, Shen Z, Sun S, Zheng S, Dong R. Intestinal fibrosis in aganglionic segment of Hirschsprung's disease revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing. Clin Transl Med 2023; 13:e1193. [PMID: 36738110 PMCID: PMC9898741 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is a relatively common congenital disability. Accumulating extracellular matrix (ECM) prompts intestinal fibrosis remodelling in the aganglionic segments of HSCR. The contributions of various cellular subsets in the fibrogenesis of HSCR segments are poorly understood. METHODS Single-cell transcriptomics from 8 aganglionic segments and 5 normal segments of 7 HSCR subjects and 26 healthy segments of seven healthy donors were analysed. Fibrotic phenotype and alterations were explored using differential expression analysis and single-cell trajectory analysis. Fibrosis-related transcription factors were inferred through single-cell regulatory network inference. Bulk transcriptomic data, proteomic data, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to validate the alterations in the HSCR intestine. RESULTS Various collagen, fibronectin and laminin protein-coding genes expression were up-regulated in the stromal and glial cells of the HSCR intestine. The number of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in the aganglionic segments increased, and more myofibroblasts were activated at an earlier stage in HSCR segments, which infers that there is an intestinal fibrosis phenotype in HSCR segments. The fibrotic regulators POSTN, ANXA1 and HSP70 were highly expressed in the ECM-related cellular subsets in the transitional segments and aganglionic segments. The transcription factor regulatory network revealed that fibrosis-related and megacolon-related NR2F1 in the fibroblasts and glial subsets was up-regulated in the aganglionic segment. CONCLUSIONS This work identifies intestinal fibrosis and related regulators in aganglionic segments of HSCR; hence, anti-fibrotic therapy may be considered to prevent HSCR-associated enterocolitis (HAEC), relieve intestinal stricture and improve cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiwei He
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Junfeng Wang
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Yanlei Huang
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Fanyang Kong
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Ran Yang
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Yong Zhan
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Zifeng Li
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Chunjing Ye
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Lingdu Meng
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Yankang Ren
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Gong Chen
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Zhen Shen
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Song Sun
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Shan Zheng
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
| | - Rui Dong
- Department of Pediatric SurgeryShanghai Key Laboratory of Birth DefectChildren's Hospital of Fudan UniversityMinistry of HealthShanghaiChina
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Otálora-Otálora BA, López-Kleine L, Rojas A. Lung Cancer Gene Regulatory Network of Transcription Factors Related to the Hallmarks of Cancer. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:434-464. [PMID: 36661515 PMCID: PMC9857713 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcriptomic analysis of microarray and RNA-Seq datasets followed our own bioinformatic pipeline to identify a transcriptional regulatory network of lung cancer. Twenty-six transcription factors are dysregulated and co-expressed in most of the lung cancer and pulmonary arterial hypertension datasets, which makes them the most frequently dysregulated transcription factors. Co-expression, gene regulatory, coregulatory, and transcriptional regulatory networks, along with fibration symmetries, were constructed to identify common connection patterns, alignments, main regulators, and target genes in order to analyze transcription factor complex formation, as well as its synchronized co-expression patterns in every type of lung cancer. The regulatory function of the most frequently dysregulated transcription factors over lung cancer deregulated genes was validated with ChEA3 enrichment analysis. A Kaplan-Meier plotter analysis linked the dysregulation of the top transcription factors with lung cancer patients' survival. Our results indicate that lung cancer has unique and common deregulated genes and transcription factors with pulmonary arterial hypertension, co-expressed and regulated in a coordinated and cooperative manner by the transcriptional regulatory network that might be associated with critical biological processes and signaling pathways related to the acquisition of the hallmarks of cancer, making them potentially relevant tumor biomarkers for lung cancer early diagnosis and targets for the development of personalized therapies against lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Andrea Otálora-Otálora
- Grupo de Investigación INPAC, Unidad de Investigación, Fundación Universitaria Sanitas, Bogotá 110131, Colombia
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá 11001, Colombia
| | - Liliana López-Kleine
- Departamento de Estadística, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá 11001, Colombia
- Correspondence: (L.L.-K.); (A.R.)
| | - Adriana Rojas
- Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Genética Humana, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110211, Colombia
- Correspondence: (L.L.-K.); (A.R.)
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Liang Q, Xu Z, Liu Y, Peng B, Cai Y, Liu W, Yan Y. NR2F1 Regulates TGF-β1-Mediated Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Affecting Platinum Sensitivity and Immune Response in Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14194639. [PMID: 36230565 PMCID: PMC9563458 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanism underlying platinum resistance in ovarian cancer (OC) remains unclear. We used bioinformatic analyses to screen differentially expressed genes responsible for platinum resistance and explore NR2F1′s correlation with prognostic implication and OC staging. Moreover, Gene-set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses were used for pathway analysis. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) properties, invasion, and migration capacities were analyzed by biochemical methods. The association between NR2F1 and cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) infiltration and immunotherapeutic responses were also researched. A total of 13 co-upregulated genes and one co-downregulated gene were obtained. Among them, NR2F1 revealed the highest correlation with a poor prognosis and positively correlated with OC staging. GSEA and GO analysis suggested the induction of EMT via TGFβ-1 might be a possible mechanism that NR2F1 participates in resistance. In vitro experiments showed that NR2F1 knockdown did not affect cell proliferation, but suppressed cell invasion and migration with or without cisplatin treatment through the EMT pathway. We also found that NR2F1 could regulate TGF-β1 signaling, and treating with TGF-β1 could reverse these effects. Additionally, NR2F1 was predominantly associated with immunosuppressive CAF infiltration, which might cause a poor response to immune check blockades. In conclusion, NR2F1 regulates TGF-β1-mediated EMT affecting platinum sensitivity and immune response in OC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuju Liang
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Zhijie Xu
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Yuanhong Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Bi Peng
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Yuan Cai
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Yuanliang Yan
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- Correspondence:
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