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He K, Wang H, Huo R, Jiang SH, Xue J. Schwann cells and enteric glial cells: Emerging stars in colorectal cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189160. [PMID: 39059672 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189160] [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: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Cancer neuroscience, a promising field dedicated to exploring interactions between cancer and the nervous system, has attracted growing attention. The gastrointestinal tracts exhibit extensive innervation, notably characterized by intrinsic innervation. The gut harbors a substantial population of glial cells, including Schwann cells wrapping axons of neurons in the peripheral nervous system and enteric glial cells intricately associated with intrinsic innervation. Glial cells play a crucial role in maintaining the physiological functions of the intestine, encompassing nutrient absorption, barrier integrity, and immune modulation. Nevertheless, it has only been in recent times that the significance of glial cells within colorectal cancer (CRC) has begun to receive considerable attention. Emerging data suggests that glial cells in the gut contribute to the progression and metastasis of CRC, by interacting with cancer cells, influencing inflammation, and modulating the tumor microenvironment. Here, we summarize the significant roles of glial cells in the development and progression of CRC and discuss the latest technologies that can be integrated into this field for in-depth exploration, as well as potential specific targeted strategies for future exploration to benefit patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin He
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Ruixue Huo
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Shu-Heng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China.
| | - Junli Xue
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China.
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Zhang Z, Lv ZG, Lu M, Li H, Zhou J. Nerve-tumor crosstalk in tumor microenvironment: From tumor initiation and progression to clinical implications. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189121. [PMID: 38796026 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
The autonomic nerve system (ANS) innervates organs and tissues throughout the body and maintains functional balance among various systems. Further investigations have shown that excessive activation of ANS not only causes disruption of homeostasis, but also may promote tumor formation. In addition, the dynamic interaction between nerve and tumor cells in the tumor microenvironment also regulate tumor progression. On the one hand, nerves are passively invaded by tumor cells, that is, perineural invasion (PNI). On the other hand, compared with normal tissues, tumor tissues are subject to more abundant innervation, and nerves can influence tumor progression through regulating tumor proliferation, metastasis and drug resistance. A large number of studies have shown that nerve-tumor crosstalk, including PNI and innervation, is closely related to the prognosis of patients, and contributes to the formation of cancer pain, which significantly deteriorates the quality of life for patients. These findings suggest that nerve-tumor crosstalk represents a potential target for anti-tumor therapies and the management of cancer pain in the future. In this review, we systematically describe the mechanism by which nerve-tumor crosstalk regulates tumorigenesis and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhang
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhen Gang Lv
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Miao Lu
- Department of Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Surgery, Zhongda Hospital Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Haifeng Li
- Department of Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Surgery, Zhongda Hospital Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jiahua Zhou
- Department of Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Surgery, Zhongda Hospital Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China.
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Shurin MR, Wheeler SE, Shurin GV, Zhong H, Zhou Y. Schwann cells in the normal and pathological lung microenvironment. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1365760. [PMID: 38638689 PMCID: PMC11024312 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1365760] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The lungs are a key organ in the respiratory system. They are regulated by a complex network of nerves that control their development, structure, function, and response to various pathological stimuli. Accumulating evidence suggests the involvement of a neural mechanism in different pathophysiological conditions in the lungs and the development and progression of common respiratory diseases. Lung diseases are the chief source of death globally. For instance, lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed malignancy, after prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women, and is the most lethal cancer worldwide. However, although airway nerves are accepted as a mechanistically and therapeutically important feature that demands appropriate emphasizing in the context of many respiratory diseases, significantly less is known about the role of the neuroglial cells in lung physiology and pathophysiology, including lung cancer. New data have uncovered some cellular and molecular mechanisms of how Schwann cells, as fundamental components of the peripheral nervous system, may regulate lung cancer cells' survival, spreading, and invasiveness in vitro and in vivo. Schwann cells control the formation and maintenance of the lung cancer microenvironment and support metastasis formation. It was also reported that the number of lung cancer-associated Schwann cells correlates with patients' survival. Different factors secreted by Schwann cells, including microRNA, are known to sharpen the lung cancer environment by regulating the tumor-neuro-immune axis. Further clinical and experimental studies are required to elucidate the detailed role of Schwann cells in creating and maintaining pulmonary tumor-neuro-immune axis, which will advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of lung cancer and may inform therapeutic hypotheses aiming neoplasms and metastases in the lung.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R. Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Sarah E. Wheeler
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Galina V. Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Hua Zhong
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Xu J, Wang Y, Yang Y, Wang W, Gu A, Han B, Shurin GV, Zhong R, Shurin MR, Zhong H. Schwann cell-derived exosomes promote lung cancer progression via miRNA-21-5p. Glia 2024; 72:692-707. [PMID: 38192185 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24497] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Schwann cells (SCs), the primary glial cells of the peripheral nervous system, which have been identified in many solid tumors, play an important role in cancer development and progression by shaping the tumor immunoenvironment and supporting the development of metastases. Using different cellular, molecular, and genetic approaches with integrated bioinformatics analysis and functional assays, we revealed the role of human SC-derived exosomal miRNAs in lung cancer progression in vitro and in vivo. We found that exosomal miRNA-21 from SCs up-regulated the proliferation, motility, and invasiveness of human lung cancer cells in vitro, which requires functional Rab small GTPases Rab27A and Rab27B in SCs for exosome release. We also revealed that SC exosomal miRNA-21-5p regulated the functional activation of tumor cells by targeting metalloprotease inhibitor RECK in tumor cells. Integrated bioinformatic analyses showed that hsa-miRNA-21-5p is associated with poor prognosis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma and can promote lung cancer progression through multiple signaling pathways including the MAPK, PI3K/Akt, and TNF signaling. Furthermore, in mouse xenograft models, SC exosomes and SC exosomal hsa-miRNA-21-5p augmented human lung cancer cell growth and lymph node metastasis in vivo. Together our data revealed, for the first time, that SC-secreted exosomes and exosomal miRNA-21-5p promoted the proliferation, motility, and spreading of human lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Thus, exosomal miRNA-21 may play an oncogenic role in SC-accelerated progression of lung cancer and this pathway may serve as a new therapeutic target for further evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhou
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianlin Xu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Yang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weimin Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Aiqin Gu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Baohui Han
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Galina V Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Runbo Zhong
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Michael R Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hua Zhong
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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