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Fattahi AS, Jafari M, Farahavar G, Abolmaali SS, Tamaddon AM. Expanding horizons in cancer therapy by immunoconjugates targeting tumor microenvironments. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 201:104437. [PMID: 38977144 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104437] [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: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunoconjugates are promising molecules combining antibodies with different agents, such as toxins, drugs, radionuclides, or cytokines that primarily aim to target tumor cells. However, tumor microenvironment (TME), which comprises a complex network of various cells and molecular cues guiding tumor growth and progression, remains a major challenge for effective cancer therapy. Our review underscores the pivotal role of TME in cancer therapy with immunoconjugates, examining the intricate interactions with TME and recent advancements in TME-targeted immunoconjugates. We explore strategies for targeting TME components, utilizing diverse antibodies such as neutralizing, immunomodulatory, immune checkpoint inhibitors, immunostimulatory, and bispecific antibodies. Additionally, we discuss different immunoconjugates, elucidating their mechanisms of action, advantages, limitations, and applications in cancer immunotherapy. Furthermore, we highlight emerging technologies enhancing the safety and efficacy of immunoconjugates, such as antibody engineering, combination therapies, and nanotechnology. Finally, we summarize current advancements, perspectives, and future developments of TME-targeted immunoconjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Saamaan Fattahi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Mahboobeh Jafari
- Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
| | - Ghazal Farahavar
- Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
| | - Samira Sadat Abolmaali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
| | - Ali Mohammad Tamaddon
- Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
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Yang L, Zhang S, Zheng L, Kong F, Pu P, Li X, Jia L. Association of ADP‑ribosylation factor family genes with prognosis and immune infiltration of breast cancer. Oncol Lett 2024; 27:280. [PMID: 38699662 PMCID: PMC11063756 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2024.14413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer found in women. ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) are a group of small proteins that bind to GTP and are involved in controlling different cellular functions. The function and evolution of multiple ARFs in BC have remained to be fully elucidated, despite existing studies on this protein family in Homo sapiens and other species. In the present study, a systematic analysis of ARF expression levels in BC tissues compared to normal breast tissues was performed using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. The analysis revealed significantly higher expression of ARFs in BC tissues. In addition, the prognostic significance of ARF1 and ARF3-6 expression levels was assessed in patients with BC. Of note, elevated ARF1 expression was associated with reduced rates of distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in affected individuals. Similarly, patients with high expression levels of ARF3 had lower post-progression survival (PPS) rates. In addition, patients with higher ARF4 expression had worse PPS and patients with high ARF5 expression exhibited lower DMFS. Patients with high ARF6 expression had worse DMFS, OS, RFS and predictive power score values. Furthermore, the expression of ARF was found to be strongly linked to the infiltration of various immune cell types, namely dendritic cells, macrophages, neutrophils, CD8+ T cells and B cells. These significant associations offer a solid foundation for the potential utilization of new therapeutic targets and predictive markers for the treatment of BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixian Yang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Xingtai People's Hospital, Xingtai, Hebei 054000, P.R. China
| | - Shiyu Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Xingtai People's Hospital, Xingtai, Hebei 054000, P.R. China
| | - Lei Zheng
- Department of Breast Surgery, Xingtai People's Hospital, Xingtai, Hebei 054000, P.R. China
| | - Fanting Kong
- Department of Breast Surgery, Xingtai People's Hospital, Xingtai, Hebei 054000, P.R. China
| | - Pengpeng Pu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Xingtai People's Hospital, Xingtai, Hebei 054000, P.R. China
| | - Xiaowei Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, Xingtai People's Hospital, Xingtai, Hebei 054000, P.R. China
| | - Lining Jia
- Department of Breast Surgery, Xingtai People's Hospital, Xingtai, Hebei 054000, P.R. China
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Mogal MR, Jame JA, Sohel M, Mozibullah M, Mahmod MR, Junayed A, Kar N, Arbia L, Al Mamun A, Sikder MA. Integrated bioinformatics analysis reveals upregulated extracellular matrix hub genes in pancreatic cancer: Implications for diagnosis, prognosis, immune infiltration, and therapeutic strategies. Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2024; 7:e2059. [PMID: 38639039 PMCID: PMC11027013 DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.2059] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer (PC) stands out as one of the most formidable malignancies and exhibits an exceptionally unfavorable clinical prognosis due to the absence of well-defined diagnostic indicators and its tendency to develop resistance to therapeutic interventions. The primary objective of this present study was to identify extracellular matrix (ECM)-related hub genes (HGs) and their corresponding molecular signatures, with the intent of potentially utilizing them as biomarkers for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications. METHODS Three microarray datasets were sourced from the NCBI database to acquire upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs), while MatrisomeDB was employed for filtering ECM-related genes. Subsequently, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established using the STRING database. The created network was visually inspected through Cytoscape, and HGs were identified using the CytoHubba plugin tool. Furthermore, enrichment analysis, expression pattern analysis, clinicopathological correlation, survival analysis, immune cell infiltration analysis, and examination of chemical compounds were carried out using Enrichr, GEPIA2, ULCAN, Kaplan Meier plotter, TIMER2.0, and CTD web platforms, respectively. The diagnostic and prognostic significance of HGs was evaluated through the ROC curve analysis. RESULTS Ten genes associated with ECM functions were identified as HGs among 131 DEGs obtained from microarray datasets. Notably, the expression of these HGs exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) higher in PC, demonstrating a clear association with tumor advancement. Remarkably, higher expression levels of these HGs were inversely correlated with the likelihood of patient survival. Moreover, ROC curve analysis revealed that identified HGs are promising biomarkers for both diagnostic (AUC > 0.75) and prognostic (AUC > 0.64) purposes. Furthermore, we observed a positive correlation between immune cell infiltration and the expression of most HGs. Lastly, our study identified nine compounds with significant interaction profiles that could potentially act as effective chemical agents targeting the identified HGs. CONCLUSION Taken together, our findings suggest that COL1A1, KRT19, MMP1, COL11A1, SDC1, ITGA2, COL1A2, POSTN, FN1, and COL5A1 hold promise as innovative biomarkers for both the diagnosis and prognosis of PC, and they present as prospective targets for therapeutic interventions aimed at impeding the progression PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Roman Mogal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMawlana Bhashani Science and Technology UniversityTangailBangladesh
| | - Jasmin Akter Jame
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMawlana Bhashani Science and Technology UniversityTangailBangladesh
| | - Md Sohel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyPrimeasia UniversityDhakaBangladesh
| | - Md Mozibullah
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMawlana Bhashani Science and Technology UniversityTangailBangladesh
| | - Md Rashel Mahmod
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMawlana Bhashani Science and Technology UniversityTangailBangladesh
| | - Asadullah Junayed
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMawlana Bhashani Science and Technology UniversityTangailBangladesh
| | - Newton Kar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMawlana Bhashani Science and Technology UniversityTangailBangladesh
| | - Lubatul Arbia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyPrimeasia UniversityDhakaBangladesh
| | - Abdullah Al Mamun
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMawlana Bhashani Science and Technology UniversityTangailBangladesh
| | - Md Asaduzzaman Sikder
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMawlana Bhashani Science and Technology UniversityTangailBangladesh
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Lu D, Mihoayi M, Ablikim Y, Arikin A. RNA splicing regulator EIF3D regulates the tumor microenvironment through immunogene-related alternative splicing in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:5929-5948. [PMID: 38535990 PMCID: PMC11042944 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Study finds that eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit D (EIF3D) may play an important role in aberrant alternative splicing (AS) events in tumors. AS possesses a pivotal role in both tumour progression and the constitution of the tumour microenvironment (TME). Regrettably, our current understanding of AS remains circumscribed especially in the context of immunogene-related alternative splicing (IGAS) profiles within Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSC). In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the function and mechanism of action of EIF3D by bioinformatics analysis combined with in vitro cellular experiments, and found that high expression of EIF3D in HNSC was associated with poor prognosis of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The EIF3D low expression group had a higher degree of immune infiltration and better efficacy against PD1 and CTLA4 immunotherapy compared to the EIF3D high expression group. TCGA SpliceSeq analysis illustrated that EIF3D influenced differentially spliced alternative splicing (DSAS) events involving 105 differentially expressed immunogenes (DEIGs). We observed an induction of apoptosis and a suppression of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in EIF3D knock-down FaDu cells. RNA-seq analysis unveiled that 531 genes exhibited differential expression following EIF3D knockdown in FaDu cells. These include 52 DEIGs. Furthermore, EIF3D knockdown influenced the patterns of 1923 alternative splicing events (ASEs), encompassing 129 IGASs. This study identified an RNA splicing regulator and revealed its regulatory role in IGAS and the TME of HNSC, suggesting that EIF3D may be a potential target for predicting HNSC prognosis and immunotherapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Lu
- Otolaryngology Diagnosis and Treatment Center, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi 830000, China
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shaanxi Nuclear Industry 215 Hospital, Xianyang 712000, China
| | - Mijti Mihoayi
- Otolaryngology Diagnosis and Treatment Center, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi 830000, China
| | - Yimin Ablikim
- Otolaryngology Diagnosis and Treatment Center, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi 830000, China
| | - Abdeyrim Arikin
- Otolaryngology Diagnosis and Treatment Center, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi 830000, China
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Elsafy S, Metselaar J, Lammers T. Nanomedicine - Immune System Interactions: Limitations and Opportunities for the Treatment of Cancer. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2024; 284:231-265. [PMID: 37578622 DOI: 10.1007/164_2023_685] [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] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Nanoparticles interact with immune cells in many different ways. These interactions are crucially important for determining nanoparticles' ability to be used for cancer therapy. Traditionally, strategies such as PEGylation have been employed to reduce (the kinetics of) nanoparticle uptake by immune cells, to endow them with long circulation properties, and to enable them to exploit the Enhanced Permeability and Retention (EPR) effect to accumulate in tumors. More recently, with immunotherapy becoming an increasingly important cornerstone in the clinical management of cancer, ever more research efforts in academia and industry are focusing on specifically targeting immune cells with nanoparticles. In this chapter, we describe the barriers and opportunities of immune cell targeting with nanoparticles, and we discuss how nanoparticle-based drug delivery to specific immune cell populations in tumors as well as in secondary myeloid and lymphoid organs (such as bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen) can be leveraged to boost the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Elsafy
- Department of Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging (ExMI), Center for Biohybrid Medical Systems (CBMS), University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Josbert Metselaar
- Department of Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging (ExMI), Center for Biohybrid Medical Systems (CBMS), University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Twan Lammers
- Department of Nanomedicine and Theranostics, Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging (ExMI), Center for Biohybrid Medical Systems (CBMS), University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
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Anand U, Dey A, Chandel AKS, Sanyal R, Mishra A, Pandey DK, De Falco V, Upadhyay A, Kandimalla R, Chaudhary A, Dhanjal JK, Dewanjee S, Vallamkondu J, Pérez de la Lastra JM. Cancer chemotherapy and beyond: Current status, drug candidates, associated risks and progress in targeted therapeutics. Genes Dis 2023; 10:1367-1401. [PMID: 37397557 PMCID: PMC10310991 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2022.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 177.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is an abnormal state of cells where they undergo uncontrolled proliferation and produce aggressive malignancies that causes millions of deaths every year. With the new understanding of the molecular mechanism(s) of disease progression, our knowledge about the disease is snowballing, leading to the evolution of many new therapeutic regimes and their successive trials. In the past few decades, various combinations of therapies have been proposed and are presently employed in the treatment of diverse cancers. Targeted drug therapy, immunotherapy, and personalized medicines are now largely being employed, which were not common a few years back. The field of cancer discoveries and therapeutics are evolving fast as cancer type-specific biomarkers are progressively being identified and several types of cancers are nowadays undergoing systematic therapies, extending patients' disease-free survival thereafter. Although growing evidence shows that a systematic and targeted approach could be the future of cancer medicine, chemotherapy remains a largely opted therapeutic option despite its known side effects on the patient's physical and psychological health. Chemotherapeutic agents/pharmaceuticals served a great purpose over the past few decades and have remained the frontline choice for advanced-stage malignancies where surgery and/or radiation therapy cannot be prescribed due to specific reasons. The present report succinctly reviews the existing and contemporary advancements in chemotherapy and assesses the status of the enrolled drugs/pharmaceuticals; it also comprehensively discusses the emerging role of specific/targeted therapeutic strategies that are presently being employed to achieve better clinical success/survival rate in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uttpal Anand
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Abhijit Dey
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal 700073, India
| | - Arvind K. Singh Chandel
- Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Rupa Sanyal
- Department of Botany, Bhairab Ganguly College (affiliated to West Bengal State University), Kolkata, West Bengal 700056, India
| | - Amarnath Mishra
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Amity Institute of Forensic Sciences, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida 201313, India
| | - Devendra Kumar Pandey
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab 144411, India
| | - Valentina De Falco
- Institute of Endocrinology and Experimental Oncology (IEOS), National Research Council (CNR), Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology (DMMBM), University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Arun Upadhyay
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Bandar Sindari, Kishangarh Ajmer, Rajasthan 305817, India
| | - Ramesh Kandimalla
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, Telangana 500007, India
- Department of Biochemistry, Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal, Telangana 506007, India
| | - Anupama Chaudhary
- Orinin-BioSystems, LE-52, Lotus Road 4, CHD City, Karnal, Haryana 132001, India
| | - Jaspreet Kaur Dhanjal
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT-D), Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, New Delhi 110020, India
| | - Saikat Dewanjee
- Advanced Pharmacognosy Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Jayalakshmi Vallamkondu
- Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology-Warangal, Warangal, Telangana 506004, India
| | - José M. Pérez de la Lastra
- Biotechnology of Macromolecules Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, IPNA-CSIC, San Cristóbal de La Laguna 38206, Tenerife, Spain
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Voltarelli VA, Alves de Souza RW, Miyauchi K, Hauser CJ, Otterbein LE. Heme: The Lord of the Iron Ring. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12051074. [PMID: 37237940 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12051074] [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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Heme is an iron-protoporphyrin complex with an essential physiologic function for all cells, especially for those in which heme is a key prosthetic group of proteins such as hemoglobin, myoglobin, and cytochromes of the mitochondria. However, it is also known that heme can participate in pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory responses, leading to cytotoxicity in various tissues and organs such as the kidney, brain, heart, liver, and in immune cells. Indeed, heme, released as a result of tissue damage, can stimulate local and remote inflammatory reactions. These can initiate innate immune responses that, if left uncontrolled, can compound primary injuries and promote organ failure. In contrast, a cadre of heme receptors are arrayed on the plasma membrane that is designed either for heme import into the cell, or for the purpose of activating specific signaling pathways. Thus, free heme can serve either as a deleterious molecule, or one that can traffic and initiate highly specific cellular responses that are teleologically important for survival. Herein, we review heme metabolism and signaling pathways, including heme synthesis, degradation, and scavenging. We will focus on trauma and inflammatory diseases, including traumatic brain injury, trauma-related sepsis, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases where current work suggests that heme may be most important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Azevedo Voltarelli
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Rodrigo W Alves de Souza
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Kenji Miyauchi
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Carl J Hauser
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Leo Edmond Otterbein
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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Targeting Tumor Microenvironment Akt Signaling Represents a Potential Therapeutic Strategy for Aggressive Thyroid Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065471. [PMID: 36982542 PMCID: PMC10049397 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Effects of the tumor microenvironment (TME) stromal cells on progression in thyroid cancer are largely unexplored. Elucidating the effects and underlying mechanisms may facilitate the development of targeting therapy for aggressive cases of this disease. In this study, we investigated the impact of TME stromal cells on cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) in patient-relevant contexts where applying in vitro assays and xenograft models uncovered contributions of TME stromal cells to thyroid cancer progression. We found that TME stromal cells can enhance CSC self-renewal and invasiveness mainly via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway. The disruption of Akt signaling could diminish the impact of TME stromal cells on CSC aggressiveness in vitro and reduce CSC tumorigenesis and metastasis in xenografts. Notably, disrupting Akt signaling did not cause detectable alterations in tumor histology and gene expression of major stromal components while it produced therapeutic benefits. In addition, using a clinical cohort, we discovered that papillary thyroid carcinomas with lymph node metastasis are more likely to have elevated Akt signaling compared with the ones without metastasis, suggesting the relevance of Akt-targeting. Overall, our results identify PI3K/Akt pathway-engaged contributions of TME stromal cells to thyroid tumor disease progression, illuminating TME Akt signaling as a therapeutic target in aggressive thyroid cancer.
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Ruiz-Llorente L, Ruiz-Rodríguez MJ, Savini C, González-Muñoz T, Riveiro-Falkenbach E, Rodríguez-Peralto JL, Peinado H, Bernabeu C. Correlation Between Endoglin and Malignant Phenotype in Human Melanoma Cells: Analysis of hsa-mir-214 and hsa-mir-370 in Cells and Their Extracellular Vesicles. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1408:253-272. [PMID: 37093432 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-26163-3_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Endoglin (CD105) is an auxiliary receptor of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β family members that is expressed in human melanomas. It is heterogeneously expressed by primary and metastatic melanoma cells, and endoglin targeting as a therapeutic strategy for melanoma tumors is currently been explored. However, its involvement in tumor development and malignancy is not fully understood. Here, we find that endoglin expression correlates with malignancy of primary melanomas and cultured melanoma cell lines. Next, we have analyzed the effect of ectopic endoglin expression on two miRNAs (hsa-mir-214 and hsa-mir-370), both involved in melanoma tumor progression and endoglin regulation. We show that compared with control cells, overexpression of endoglin in the WM-164 melanoma cell line induces; (i) a significant increase of hsa-mir-214 levels in small extracellular vesicles (EVs) as well as an increased trend in cells; and (ii) significantly lower levels of hsa-mir-370 in the EVs fractions, whereas no significant differences were found in cells. As hsa-mir-214 and hsa-mir-370 are not just involved in melanoma tumor progression, but they can also target endoglin-expressing endothelial cells in the tumor vasculature, these results suggest a complex and differential regulatory mechanism involving the intracellular and extracellular signaling of hsa-mir-214 and hsa-mir-370 in melanoma development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Ruiz-Llorente
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28040, Madrid, Spain.
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of System Biology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | - María Jesús Ruiz-Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28040, Madrid, Spain
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Claudia Savini
- Microenvironment & Metastasis Group, Molecular Oncology Program, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa González-Muñoz
- Microenvironment & Metastasis Group, Molecular Oncology Program, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Erica Riveiro-Falkenbach
- Department of Pathology, Instituto i+12, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041, Madrid, Spain
| | - José L Rodríguez-Peralto
- Department of Pathology, Instituto i+12, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041, Madrid, Spain
| | - Héctor Peinado
- Microenvironment & Metastasis Group, Molecular Oncology Program, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmelo Bernabeu
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 28040, Madrid, Spain
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Melssen MM, Fisher CT, Slingluff CL, Melief CJM. Peptide emulsions in incomplete Freund's adjuvant create effective nurseries promoting egress of systemic CD4 + and CD8 + T cells for immunotherapy of cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-004709. [PMID: 36939214 PMCID: PMC9472143 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Water-in-oil emulsion incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) has been used as an adjuvant in preventive and therapeutic vaccines since its development. New generation, highly purified modulations of the adjuvant, Montanide incomplete seppic adjuvant (ISA)-51 and Montanide ISA-720, were developed to reduce toxicity. Montanide adjuvants are generally considered to be safe, with adverse events largely consisting of antigen and adjuvant dose-dependent injection site reactions (ISRs). Peptide vaccines in Montanide ISA-51 or ISA-720 are capable of inducing both high antibody titers and durable effector T cell responses. However, an efficient T cell response depends on the affinity of the peptide to the presenting major histocompatibility complex class I molecule, CD4+ T cell help and/or the level of co-stimulation. In fact, in the therapeutic cancer vaccine setting, presence of a CD4+ T cell epitope seems crucial to elicit a robust and durable systemic T cell response. Additional inclusion of a Toll-like receptor ligand can further increase the magnitude and durability of the response. Use of extended peptides that need a processing step only accomplished effectively by dendritic cells (DCs) can help to avoid antigen presentation by nucleated cells other than DC. Based on recent clinical trial results, therapeutic peptide-based cancer vaccines using emulsions in adjuvant Montanide ISA-51 can elicit robust antitumor immune responses, provided that sufficient tumor-specific CD4+ T cell help is given in addition to CD8+ T cell epitopes. Co-treatment with PD-1 T cell checkpoint inhibitor, chemotherapy or other immunomodulatory drugs may address local and systemic immunosuppressive mechanisms, and further enhance efficacy of therapeutic cancer peptide vaccines in IFA and its modern variants. Blinded randomized placebo-controlled trials are critical to definitively prove clinical efficacy. Mineral oil-based adjuvants for preventive vaccines, to tackle spread and severity of infectious disease, induce immune responses, but require more studies to reduce toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marit M Melssen
- Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Novoa Díaz MB, Martín MJ, Gentili C. Tumor microenvironment involvement in colorectal cancer progression via Wnt/β-catenin pathway: Providing understanding of the complex mechanisms of chemoresistance. World J Gastroenterol 2022; 28:3027-3046. [PMID: 36051330 PMCID: PMC9331520 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i26.3027] [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: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to be one of the main causes of death from cancer because patients progress unfavorably due to resistance to current therapies. Dysregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays a fundamental role in the genesis and progression of several types of cancer, including CRC. In many subtypes of CRC, hyperactivation of the β-catenin pathway is associated with mutations of the adenomatous polyposis coli gene. However, it can also be associated with other causes. In recent years, studies of the tumor microenvironment (TME) have demonstrated its importance in the development and progression of CRC. In this tumor nest, several cell types, structures, and biomolecules interact with neoplastic cells to pave the way for the spread of the disease. Cross-communications between tumor cells and the TME are then established primarily through paracrine factors, which trigger the activation of numerous signaling pathways. Crucial advances in the field of oncology have been made in the last decade. This Minireview aims to actualize what is known about the central role of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in CRC chemoresistance and aggressiveness, focusing on cross-communication between CRC cells and the TME. Through this analysis, our main objective was to increase the understanding of this complex disease considering a more global context. Since many treatments for advanced CRC fail due to mechanisms involving chemoresistance, the data here exposed and analyzed are of great interest for the development of novel and effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Belén Novoa Díaz
- Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS)-INBIOSUR (CONICET-UNS), Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina
| | - María Julia Martín
- Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS)-INBIOSUR (CONICET-UNS), Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina
- Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS)-INQUISUR (CONICET-UNS), Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina
| | - Claudia Gentili
- Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS)-INBIOSUR (CONICET-UNS), Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina
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Zi Y, Yang K, He J, Wu Z, Liu J, Zhang W. Strategies to enhance drug delivery to solid tumors by harnessing the EPR effects and alternative targeting mechanisms. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 188:114449. [PMID: 35835353 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The Enhanced Permeability and Retention (EPR) effect has been recognized as the central paradigm in tumor-targeted delivery in the last decades. In the wake of this concept, nanotechnologies have reached phenomenal levels in research. However, clinical tumors display a poor manifestation of EPR effect. Factors including tumor heterogeneity, complicating tumor microenvironment, and discrepancies between laboratory models and human tumors largely contribute to poor efficiency in tumor-targeted delivery and therapeutic failure in clinical translation. In this article, approaches for evaluation of EPR effect in human tumor were overviewed as guidance to employ EPR effect for cancer treatment. Strategies to augment EPR-mediated tumoral delivery are discussed in different dimensions including enhancement of vascular permeability, depletion of tumor extracellular matrix and optimization of nanoparticle design. Besides, the recent development in alternative tumor-targeted delivery mechanisms are highlighted including transendothelial pathway, endogenous cell carriers and non-immunogenic bacteria-mediated delivery. In addition, the emerging preclinical models better reflect human tumors are introduced. Finally, more rational applications of EPR effect in other disease and field are proposed. This article elaborates on fundamental reasons for the gaps between theoretical expectation and clinical outcomes, attempting to provide some perspective directions for future development of cancer nanomedicines in this still evolving landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixuan Zi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Kaiyun Yang
- School of Pharmacy, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jianhua He
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Zimei Wu
- School of Pharmacy, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Jianping Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Wenli Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
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Vav1 accelerates Ras-driven lung cancer and modulates its tumor microenvironment. Cell Signal 2022; 97:110395. [PMID: 35752351 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2022.110395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The potential impact of Vav1 on human cancer was only recently acknowledged, as it is detected as a mutant or an overexpressed gene in various cancers, including lung cancer. Vav1, which is normally and exclusively expressed in the hematopoietic system functions as a specific GDP/GTP nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), strictly regulated by tyrosine phosphorylation. To investigate whether Vav1 plays a causative or facilitating role in-vivo in lung cancer development and to examine whether it co-operates with other oncogenes, such as mutant K-Ras, we generated novel mouse strains that express: Vav1 or K-RasG12D in type II pneumocytes, as well as a transgenic mouse line that expresses both Vav1 and K-RasG12D in these cells. Coexpression of Vav1 and K-RasG12D in the lungs dramatically increased malignant lung cancer lesions, and did so significantly faster than K-RasG12D alone, strongly suggesting that these two oncogenes synergize to enhance lung tumor development. Vav1 expression alone had no apparent effects on lung tumorigenesis. The increase in lung cancer in K-RasG12D/Vav1 mice was accompanied by an increase in B-cell, T-cells, and monocyte infiltration in the tumor microenvironment. Concomitantly, ERK phosphorylation was highly elevated in the lungs of K-RasG12 D/Vav1 mice. Also, several cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-13 which play a significant role in the immune system, were elevated in lungs of Vav1 and K-RasG12 D/Vav1 mice. Our findings emphasize the contribution of Vav1 to lung tumor development through its signaling properties.
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Bête Noire of Chemotherapy and Targeted Therapy: CAF-Mediated Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14061519. [PMID: 35326670 PMCID: PMC8946545 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Tumor cells struggle to survive following treatment. The struggle ends in either of two ways. The drug combination used for the treatment blocks the proliferation of tumor cells and initiates apoptosis of cells, which is a win for the patient, or tumor cells resist the effect of the drug combination used for the treatment and continue to evade the effect of anti-tumor drugs, which is a bête noire of therapy. Cancer-associated fibroblasts are the most abundant non-transformed element of the microenvironment in solid tumors. Tumor cells play a direct role in establishing the cancer-associated fibroblasts’ population in its microenvironment. Since cancer-associated fibroblasts are activated by tumor cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts show unconditional servitude to tumor cells in their effort to resist treatment. Thus, cancer-associated fibroblasts, as the critical or indispensable component of resistance to the treatment, are one of the most logical targets within tumors that eventually progress despite therapy. We evaluate the participatory role of cancer-associated fibroblasts in the development of drug resistance in solid tumors. In the future, we will establish the specific mode of action of cancer-associated fibroblasts in solid tumors, paving the way for cancer-associated-fibroblast-inclusive personalized therapy. Abstract In tumor cells’ struggle for survival following therapy, they resist treatment. Resistance to therapy is the outcome of well-planned, highly efficient adaptive strategies initiated and utilized by these transformed tumor cells. Cancer cells undergo several reprogramming events towards adapting this opportunistic behavior, leading them to gain specific survival advantages. The strategy involves changes within the transformed tumors cells as well as in their neighboring non-transformed extra-tumoral support system, the tumor microenvironment (TME). Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the components of the TME that is used by tumor cells to achieve resistance to therapy. CAFs are diverse in origin and are the most abundant non-transformed element of the microenvironment in solid tumors. Cells of an established tumor initially play a direct role in the establishment of the CAF population for its own microenvironment. Like their origin, CAFs are also diverse in their functions in catering to the pro-tumor microenvironment. Once instituted, CAFs interact in unison with both tumor cells and all other components of the TME towards the progression of the disease and the worst outcome. One of the many functions of CAFs in influencing the outcome of the disease is their participation in the development of resistance to treatment. CAFs resist therapy in solid tumors. A tumor–CAF relationship is initiated by tumor cells to exploit host stroma in favor of tumor progression. CAFs in concert with tumor cells and other components of the TME are abettors of resistance to treatment. Thus, this liaison between CAFs and tumor cells is a bête noire of therapy. Here, we portray a comprehensive picture of the modes and functions of CAFs in conjunction with their role in orchestrating the development of resistance to different chemotherapies and targeted therapies in solid tumors. We investigate the various functions of CAFs in various solid tumors in light of their dialogue with tumor cells and the two components of the TME, the immune component, and the vascular component. Acknowledgment of the irrefutable role of CAFs in the development of treatment resistance will impact our future strategies and ability to design improved therapies inclusive of CAFs. Finally, we discuss the future implications of this understanding from a therapeutic standpoint and in light of currently ongoing and completed CAF-based NIH clinical trials.
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Yang G, Mu Z, Pu K, Chen Y, Zhang L, Zhou H, Luo P, Zhang X. A reliable nomogram model for predicting esophageal stricture after endoscopic submucosal dissection. Medicine (Baltimore) 2022; 101:e28741. [PMID: 35119025 PMCID: PMC8812639 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000028741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Currently, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has gradually become the diagnosis and treatment of choice for initial esophageal cancer. However, the formation of esophageal stricture after ESD is one of its important complications. In this paper, we intend to identify the risk factors of esophageal stricture to develop a nomogram model to predict the risk of esophageal stricture and validate this model.A total, 159 patients were included in this study, including 21 patients with esophageal stenosis. Multivariate analysis showed that age greater than 60 years, high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, the extent of esophageal mucosal defect greater than 1/2, and postoperative pathological type of early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were independent risk factors for predicting esophageal stricture. We constructed a nomogram model to predict esophageal stenosis by these 4 independent predictors.The prediction performance of the model was verified by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the model was 0.889, and the sensitivity and specificity were 80.00% and 91.28%, respectively, indicating that the prediction performance of the model was good; The calibration curve constructed by internal cross-validation suggested that the predicted results of the nomogram agreed well with the actual observed values.The nomogram model has a high accuracy for predicting esophageal stricture after esophageal ESD and is extremely important to reduce or avoid the occurrence of esophageal stricture. But it needs more external and prospective validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guodong Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhao Mu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Sichuan, China
| | - Ke Pu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Sichuan, China
| | - Yulin Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Sichuan, China
| | - Luoyao Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Sichuan, China
| | - Haiyue Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Sichuan, China
| | - Peng Luo
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoying Zhang
- Teaching, and Research Section of Parasitology, School of Basic Medicine, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, China
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Guo S, Wang X, Zhou H, Gao Y, Wang P, Zhi H, Sun Y, Hao Y, Gan J, Zhang Y, Sun J, Zheng W, Zhao X, Xiao Y, Ning S. Identification and Characterization of Immunogene-Related Alternative Splicing Patterns and Tumor Microenvironment Infiltration Patterns in Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030595. [PMID: 35158863 PMCID: PMC8833331 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) plays a crucial role in tumor development and tumor microenvironment (TME) formation. However, our current knowledge about AS, especially immunogene-related alternative splicing (IGAS) patterns in cancers, remains limited. Herein, we identified and characterized post-transcriptional mechanisms of breast cancer based on IGAS, TME, prognosis, and immuno/chemotherapy. We screened the differentially spliced IGAS events and constructed the IGAS prognostic model (p-values < 0.001, AUC = 0.939), which could be used as an independent prognostic factor. Besides, the AS regulatory network suggested a complex cooperative or competitive relationship between splicing factors and IGAS events, which explained the diversity of splice isoforms. In addition, more than half of the immune cells displayed varying degrees of infiltration in the IGAS risk groups, and the prognostic characteristics of IGAS demonstrated a remarkable and consistent trend correlation with the infiltration levels of immune cell types. The IGAS risk groups showed substantial differences in the sensitivity of immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Finally, IGAS clusters defined by unsupervised cluster analysis had distinct prognostic patterns, suggesting an essential heterogeneity of IGAS events. Significant differences in immune infiltration and unique prognostic capacity of immune cells were also detected in each IGAS cluster. In conclusion, our comprehensive analysis remarkably enhanced the understanding of IGAS patterns and TME in breast cancer, which may help clarify the underlying mechanisms of IGAS in neoplasia and provide clues to molecular mechanisms of oncogenesis and progression.
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Na S, Ying L, Jun C, Ya X, Suifeng Z, Yuxi H, Jing W, Zonglang L, Xiaojun Y, Yue W. Study on the molecular mechanism of nightshade in the treatment of colon cancer. Bioengineered 2022; 13:1575-1589. [PMID: 35012428 PMCID: PMC8805967 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.2016045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study attempts to explore the effective components, action targets, and potential mechanism of nightshade for colon cancer treatment. The relationship network diagram of 'traditional Chinese medicine - component - target - disease' was firstly constructed by employing network pharmacology. Experiments were conducted in vivo and in vitro to verify the influence of quercetin, the core effective component of nightshade, on colon cancer. Meanwhile, the regulatory effects of quercetin on core targets and main signaling pathways were determined. Based on the network diagram of 'traditional Chinese medicine - component - target - disease' and KEGG analysis, quercetin might exhibit certain effects on colon cancer treatment by regulating the biological behavior of core targets related to cell apoptosis in tumors including PIK3R1, PIK3CA, Akt1, and Akt2. Furthermore, quercetin has been demonstrated in vitro experiments to suppress the proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells whereas promote their apoptosis in a dose-dependent fashion. In vivo experiments indicate that quercetin had an antitumor effect on human colon cancer SW480 cells in nude mice bearing tumors. Furthermore, PIK3CA could bind to quercetin directly, which is validated by immunocoprecipitation. Therefore, the activation of PI3K/AKT phosphorylation was inhibited by quercetin and moreover the expressions of apoptotic proteins caspase-3 and Bcl2-Associated X protein (BAX) were up-regulated. In conclusion, the potential mechanism of nightshade lies in the activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway inhibited by quercetin, thus promoting apoptosis of colon cancer cells for colon cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Na
- Department of Oncology, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing, 400020, China
| | - Li Ying
- Department of Nephrology, Chongqing Hospital Of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, 400020China
| | - Cheng Jun
- Department of Oncology, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing, 400020, China
| | - Xiong Ya
- Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400037, China
| | - Zhang Suifeng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing, 400020, China
| | - He Yuxi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing, 400020, China
| | - Wang Jing
- Department of Oncology, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing, 400020, China
| | - Lai Zonglang
- Department of Oncology, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing, 400020, China
| | - Yang Xiaojun
- Department of Gastroenterology, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing, 400020, China
| | - Wu Yue
- Department of Gastroenterology, Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Chongqing, 400020, China
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Ji X, Sun T, Xie S, Qian H, Song L, Wang L, Liu H, Feng Q. Upregulation of CPNE7 in mesenchymal stromal cells promotes oral squamous cell carcinoma metastasis through the NF-κB pathway. Cell Death Discov 2021; 7:294. [PMID: 34650058 PMCID: PMC8516970 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-021-00684-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A remarkable shift in Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) plays an important role in cancer metastasis, but the molecular mechanism is still unclear. CPNE7, a calcium-dependent phospholipid-binding protein, mediates signal transduction and metastasis in many tumours. Here, we demonstrated that MSCs derived from OSCC (OSCC-MSCs) promoted the metastasis of OSCC cells by transwell assay and animal models through epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) (p < 0.05). RNA-sequencing, ELISA, neutralizing antibody and CXCR2 inhibitor assay confirmed that CXCL8 secreted by OSCC-MSCs was associated with the upregulated expression of CPNE7 by immunohistochemical and western blotting (p < 0.05). This is mechanistically linked to the activation of CPNE7 to NF-κB pathway-induced metastasis, including phosphorylated p65 and IκBa. CPNE7 silencing inhibited metastatic abilities and the expression of CXCL8, phosphorylated p65, IκBa, and p65 nuclear translocation by western blotting and immunofluorescence, while CPNE7 overexpression markedly promoted these events (p < 0.05). We also identified that Nucleolin could be bind CPNE7 and IκBa by co-immunoprecipitation. Together, our results suggest that upregulation of CPNE7 in MSCs interacted with surface receptor -Nucleolin and then combined with IκBa to promoted phosphorylated IκBa and p65 nuclear translocation to active NF-κB pathway, and then regulates CXCL8 secretion to promote the metastasis of OSCC cells. Therefore, CPNE7 in MSCs could be promising therapeutic targets in OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Ji
- Department of Stomatology, Jinan Central Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, No.105 Jiefang Road, Jinan, 250013, Shandong, China. .,Department of Oral Mucosal Diseases, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, No.44-1 Wenhua Road West, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China. .,Department of Human Microbiome, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, No.44-1 Wenhua Road West, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
| | - Tianyong Sun
- Department of Human Microbiome, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, No.44-1 Wenhua Road West, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Shang Xie
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, 22 Zhongguancun South Avenue, Haidian, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Hua Qian
- Department of Stomatology, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, No. 247 Beiyuan Road, Jinan, 250033, China
| | - Lixiang Song
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, No.44-1 Wenhua Road West, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Lihua Wang
- Department of Human Microbiome, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, No.44-1 Wenhua Road West, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Hongwei Liu
- Department of Oral Medicine, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, 22 Zhongguancun South Avenue, Haidian, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Qiang Feng
- Department of Human Microbiome, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, No.44-1 Wenhua Road West, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China. .,NHC Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology (Shandong University), No.44-1 Wenhua Road West, Jinan, Shandong, China, 250012.
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Chen Y, Xia F, Jiang B, Wang W, Li X. Role of Immune Cell-Specific Hypermethylation Signatures in Classification and Risk Stratification of Breast Cancer. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:674338. [PMID: 34513864 PMCID: PMC8426625 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.674338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Epigenetic regulation, including DNA methylation, plays a major role in shaping the identity and function of immune cells. Innate and adaptive immune cells recruited into tumor tissues contribute to the formation of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), which is closely involved in tumor progression in breast cancer (BC). However, the specific methylation signatures of immune cells have not been thoroughly investigated yet. Additionally, it remains unknown whether immune cells-specific methylation signatures can identify subgroups and stratify the prognosis of BC patients. Methods: DNA methylation profiles of six immune cell types from eight datasets downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus were collected to identify immune cell-specific hypermethylation signatures (IC-SHMSs). Univariate and multivariate cox regression analyses were performed using BC data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas to identify the prognostic value of these IC-SHMSs. An unsupervised clustering analysis of the IC-SHMSs with prognostic value was performed to categorize BC patients into subgroups. Multiple Cox proportional hazard models were constructed to explore the role of IC-SHMSs and their relationship to clinical characteristics in the risk stratification of BC patients. Integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) was performed to determine whether the improvement of IC-SHMSs on clinical characteristics in risk stratification was statistically significant. Results: A total of 655 IC-SHMSs of six immune cell types were identified. Thirty of them had prognostic value, and 10 showed independent prognostic value. Four subgroups of BC patients, which showed significant heterogeneity in terms of survival prognosis and immune landscape, were identified. The model incorporating nine IC-SHMSs showed similar survival prediction accuracy as the clinical model incorporating age and TNM stage [3-year area under the curve (AUC): 0.793 vs. 0.785; 5-year AUC: 0.735 vs. 0.761]. Adding the IC-SHMSs to the clinical model significantly improved its prediction accuracy in risk stratification (3-year AUC: 0.897; 5-year AUC: 0.856). The results of IDI validated the statistical significance of the improvement (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our study suggests that IC-SHMSs may serve as signatures of classification and risk stratification in BC. Our findings provide new insights into epigenetic signatures, which may help improve subgroup identification, risk stratification, and treatment management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Fada Xia
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Bo Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wenlong Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xinying Li
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Franchi-Mendes T, Eduardo R, Domenici G, Brito C. 3D Cancer Models: Depicting Cellular Crosstalk within the Tumour Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4610. [PMID: 34572836 PMCID: PMC8468887 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13184610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumour microenvironment plays a critical role in tumour progression and drug resistance processes. Non-malignant cell players, such as fibroblasts, endothelial cells, immune cells and others, interact with each other and with the tumour cells, shaping the disease. Though the role of each cell type and cell communication mechanisms have been progressively studied, the complexity of this cellular network and its role in disease mechanism and therapeutic response are still being unveiled. Animal models have been mainly used, as they can represent systemic interactions and conditions, though they face recognized limitations in translational potential due to interspecies differences. In vitro 3D cancer models can surpass these limitations, by incorporating human cells, including patient-derived ones, and allowing a range of experimental designs with precise control of each tumour microenvironment element. We summarize the role of each tumour microenvironment component and review studies proposing 3D co-culture strategies of tumour cells and non-malignant cell components. Moreover, we discuss the potential of these modelling approaches to uncover potential therapeutic targets in the tumour microenvironment and assess therapeutic efficacy, current bottlenecks and perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Franchi-Mendes
- iBET—Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (T.F.-M.); (R.E.); (G.D.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo Eduardo
- iBET—Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (T.F.-M.); (R.E.); (G.D.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Giacomo Domenici
- iBET—Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (T.F.-M.); (R.E.); (G.D.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Catarina Brito
- iBET—Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal; (T.F.-M.); (R.E.); (G.D.)
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
- The Discoveries Centre for Regenerative and Precision Medicine, Lisbon Campus, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
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Gunaydin G. CAFs Interacting With TAMs in Tumor Microenvironment to Enhance Tumorigenesis and Immune Evasion. Front Oncol 2021; 11:668349. [PMID: 34336660 PMCID: PMC8317617 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.668349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are among the most important and abundant players of the tumor microenvironment. CAFs as well as TAMs are known to play pivotal supportive roles in tumor growth and progression. The number of CAF or TAM cells is mostly correlated with poor prognosis. Both CAFs and TAMs are in a reciprocal communication with the tumor cells in the tumor milieu. In addition to such interactions, CAFs and TAMs are also involved in a dynamic and reciprocal interrelationship with each other. Both CAFs and TAMs are capable of altering each other's functions. Here, the current understanding of the distinct mechanisms about the complex interplay between CAFs and TAMs are summarized. In addition, the consequences of such a mutual relationship especially for tumor progression and tumor immune evasion are highlighted, focusing on the synergistic pleiotropic effects. CAFs and TAMs are crucial components of the tumor microenvironment; thus, they may prove to be potential therapeutic targets. A better understanding of the tri-directional interactions of CAFs, TAMs and cancer cells in terms of tumor progression will pave the way for the identification of novel theranostic cues in order to better target the crucial mechanisms of carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurcan Gunaydin
- Department of Basic Oncology, Hacettepe University Cancer Institute, Ankara, Turkey
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22
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Sarode GS, Sarode SC, Sengupta N, Ghone U, Sharma NK, Patil S. Hemorrhagic areas as a histological prognosticator in oral cancer: A novel proposition. Med Hypotheses 2021; 154:110642. [PMID: 34274885 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2021.110642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Determination of prognosis in oncology practice is a major challenge and many histological prognosticators have been applied because of the ease and simplicity of using them in day-to-day practice. Our histopathologic observation on 96 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) specimens revealed 34 cases associated with frank hemorrhagic areas, which were close to tumor cells. Hence, we propose that there could be a cross-talk between tumor cells and RBCs which can modulate the biological behavior of the tumor and prognosis of the patient. In the present paper, a scientific foundation is provided for this proposition. Furthermore, an experimental approach is recommended which will facilitate the identification of extracellular metabolites within the tumor microenvironment near RBCs. Such studies may pave the way for a better understanding of the clinical heterogeneity of oral cancer due to differential heme content of red blood cells (RBCs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gargi S Sarode
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dr. D.Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant-Tukaram Nagar, Pimpri, Pune 411018, MH, India
| | - Sachin C Sarode
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dr. D.Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant-Tukaram Nagar, Pimpri, Pune 411018, MH, India.
| | - Namrata Sengupta
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dr. D.Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant-Tukaram Nagar, Pimpri, Pune 411018, MH, India
| | - Urmi Ghone
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dr. D.Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant-Tukaram Nagar, Pimpri, Pune 411018, MH, India
| | - Nilesh K Sharma
- Dr. D.Y. Patil Institute of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pimpri, Pune 411018, Maharashtra, India
| | - Shankargouda Patil
- Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, Division of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
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23
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Combinatorial therapy in tumor microenvironment: Where do we stand? Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1876:188585. [PMID: 34224836 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in tumor initiation and progression by creating a dynamic interaction with cancer cells. The tumor microenvironment consists of various cellular components, including endothelial cells, fibroblasts, pericytes, adipocytes, immune cells, cancer stem cells and vasculature, which provide a sustained environment for cancer cell proliferation. Currently, targeting tumor microenvironment is increasingly being explored as a novel approach to improve cancer therapeutics, as it influences the growth and expansion of malignant cells in various ways. Despite continuous advancements in targeted therapies for cancer treatment, drug resistance, toxicity and immune escape mechanisms are the basis of treatment failure and cancer escape. Targeting tumor microenvironment efficiently with approved drugs and combination therapy is the solution to this enduring challenge that involves combining more than one treatment modality such as chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and nanotherapy that can effectively and synergistically target the critical pathways associated with disease pathogenesis. This review shed light on the composition of the tumor microenvironment, interaction of different components within tumor microenvironment with tumor cells and associated hallmarks, the current status of combinatorial therapies being developed, and various growing advancements. Furthermore, computational tools can also be used to monitor the significance and outcome of therapies being developed. We addressed the perceived barriers and regulatory hurdles in developing a combinatorial regimen and evaluated the present status of these therapies in the clinic. The accumulating depth of knowledge about the tumor microenvironment in cancer may facilitate further development of effective treatment modalities. This review presents the tumor microenvironment as a sweeping landscape for developing novel cancer therapies.
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24
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Zhang LY, Zhang JG, Yang X, Cai MH, Zhang CW, Hu ZM. Targeting Tumor Immunosuppressive Microenvironment for the Prevention of Hepatic Cancer: Applications of Traditional Chinese Medicines in Targeted Delivery. Curr Top Med Chem 2021; 20:2789-2800. [PMID: 33076809 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666201019111524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the ancient and most accepted alternative medicinal systems in the world for the treatment of health ailments. World Health Organization recognizes TCM as one of the primary healthcare practices followed across the globe. TCM utilizes a holistic approach for the diagnosis and treatment of cancers. The tumor microenvironment (TME) surrounds cancer cells and plays pivotal roles in tumor development, growth, progression, and therapy resistance. TME is a hypoxic and acidic environment that includes immune cells, pericytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, various cytokines, growth factors, and extracellular matrix components. Targeting TME using targeted drug delivery and nanoparticles is an attractive strategy for the treatment of solid tumors and recently has received significant research attention under precise medicine concept. TME plays a pivotal role in the overall survival and metastasis of a tumor by stimulating cell proliferation, preventing the tumor clearance by the immune cells, enhancing the oncogenic potential of the cancer cells, and promoting tumor invasion. Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major causes of cancer-associated deaths affecting millions of individuals worldwide each year. TCM herbs contain several bioactive phytoconstituents with a broad range of biological, physiological, and immunological effects on the system. Several TCM herbs and their monomers have shown inhibitory effects in HCC by controlling the TME. This study reviews the fundamentals and applications of targeting strategies for immunosuppressing TME to treat cancers. This study focuses on TME targeting strategies using TCM herbs and the molecular mechanisms of several TCM herbs and their monomers on controlling TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le-Yi Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Chun’an First People’s Hospital (Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Chun’an
Branch), Hangzhou 311700, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China
| | - Jun-Gang Zhang
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China,Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China
| | - Xue Yang
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China
| | - Mao-Hua Cai
- Department of General Surgery, Chun’an First People’s Hospital (Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Chun’an
Branch), Hangzhou 311700, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China
| | - Cheng-Wu Zhang
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China,Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Ming Hu
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China,Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China
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25
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Huang J, Hu M, Niu H, Wang J, Si Y, Cheng S, Ding W. Osteopontin isoform c promotes the survival of cisplatin-treated NSCLC cells involving NFATc2-mediated suppression on calcium-induced ROS levels. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:750. [PMID: 34187410 PMCID: PMC8243455 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08495-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tumor microenvironment (TME) critically contributed to the malignant progression of transformed cells and the chemical responses to chemotherapy reagents. Osteopontin (OPN) is a secretory onco-protein with several splicing isoforms, all of which were known to regulate tumor growth and able to alter cell-cell or cell-TME communication, however, the exact role and regulation of the OPN splicing isoforms was not well understood. Methods In this study, the effects of conditioned medium from the culture of OPN splicing isoforms overexpressing cells on cell functions were evaluated. The methods of nuclear calcium reporter assays and subcellular distribution of nuclear factor of activated T cells c2 (NFATc2) assays were used to investigate the molecular mechanism underlining the roles of OPN splicing isoforms. Results We found that the survival of NSCLC cells treated with cisplatin was increased by secretory OPNc in the condition medium, where reduction of apoptosis by OPNc was associated with the activation of cellular calcium signals and subsequent nuclear translocation of NFATc2. Conclusions The results revealed a mechanism of OPN and downstream signal for tumor cells to survive in chemo-stressed TME, which emphasized the importance of secretory proteins in alternative splicing isoforms. Our study not only demonstrated the importance of OPN neutralization for anti-tumor effects, but also implied that modulation in calcium/NFATc2/ROS axis could be a novel approach for improving the long-term outcome of NSCLC treatment. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08495-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Mu Hu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Huan Niu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Jing Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Yang Si
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Shan Cheng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China.
| | - Wei Ding
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China.
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26
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Gómez-Valenzuela F, Escobar E, Pérez-Tomás R, Montecinos VP. The Inflammatory Profile of the Tumor Microenvironment, Orchestrated by Cyclooxygenase-2, Promotes Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Front Oncol 2021; 11:686792. [PMID: 34178680 PMCID: PMC8222670 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.686792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) corresponds to a complex and dynamic interconnection between the extracellular matrix and malignant cells and their surrounding stroma composed of immune and mesenchymal cells. The TME has constant cellular communication through cytokines that sustain an inflammatory profile, which favors tumor progression, angiogenesis, cell invasion, and metastasis. Although the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) represents a relevant metastasis-initiating event that promotes an invasive phenotype in malignant epithelial cells, its relationship with the inflammatory profile of the TME is poorly understood. Previous evidence strongly suggests that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) overexpression, a pro-inflammatory enzyme related to chronic unresolved inflammation, is associated with common EMT-signaling pathways. This review article summarizes how COX-2 overexpression, within the context of the TME, orchestrates the EMT process and promotes initial metastatic-related events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernán Gómez-Valenzuela
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Enrico Escobar
- Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ricardo Pérez-Tomás
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapy - Bellvitge, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Viviana P Montecinos
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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27
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Gallo G, Vescio G, De Paola G, Sammarco G. Therapeutic Targets and Tumor Microenvironment in Colorectal Cancer. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10112295. [PMID: 34070480 PMCID: PMC8197564 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10112295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a genetically, anatomically, and transcriptionally heterogeneous disease. The prognosis for a CRC patient depends on the stage of the tumor at diagnosis and widely differs accordingly. The tumor microenvironment (TME) in CRC is an important factor affecting targeted cancer therapy. The TME has a dynamic composition including various cell types, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts, tumor-associated macrophages, regulatory T cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, as well as extracellular factors that surround cancer cells and have functional and structural roles under physiological and pathological conditions. Moreover, the TME can limit the efficacy of therapeutic agents through high interstitial pressure, fibrosis, and the degradation of the therapeutic agents by enzymatic activity. For this reason, the TME is a fertile ground for the discovery of new drugs. The aim of this narrative review is to present current knowledge and future perspectives regarding the TME composition based on strategies for patients with CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetano Gallo
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (G.V.); (G.D.P.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Giuseppina Vescio
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (G.V.); (G.D.P.)
| | - Gilda De Paola
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy; (G.V.); (G.D.P.)
| | - Giuseppe Sammarco
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
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28
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Simultaneous Targeting Tumor Cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts with a Paclitaxel-Hyaluronan Bioconjugate: In Vitro Evaluation in Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9060597. [PMID: 34073987 PMCID: PMC8225214 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9060597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) facilitate many aspects of cancer development by providing a structural framework rich in bioactive compounds. There are emerging studies proposing a combination of conventional anti-cancer therapies directed against neoplastic cells to molecules targeting tumor microenvironments. METHODS The study evaluated the pharmacological properties of the anti-tumor agent paclitaxel conjugated to hyaluronic acid (HA) regarding non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and the surrounding fibroblasts. This molecule, named Oncofid-P20 (Onco-P20), preferentially targets cells expressing high levels of CD44, the natural ligand of HA. RESULTS Consistent with paclitaxel's mechanism of action involving interference with the breakdown of microtubules during cell division, highly sensitive carcinoma cells rapidly underwent apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, less sensitive cells, such as dermal fibroblasts, resisted the Onco-P20 treatment and experienced a prolonged growth arrest characterized by morphological change and significant modification of the gene expression profile. Onco-P20-treated fibroblasts exhibited reduced growth factor production, downmodulation of the Wnt signaling pathway, and the acquisition of a marked pro-inflammatory profile. Independently of direct exposure to taxol, in the presence of Onco-P20-treated fibroblasts or in their conditioned medium, carcinoma cells had a reduced proliferation rate. Similar to NHF, fibroblasts isolated from skin cancer lesions or from adjacent tissue acquired anti-neoplastic activity under Onco-P20 treatment. CONCLUSION Collectively, our data demonstrate that Onco-P20, exerting both a direct and an NHF-mediated indirect effect on carcinoma cells, is a candidate for an innovative therapy alternative to surgery for the treatment of NMSC.
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29
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Santolla MF, Talia M, Maggiolini M. S100A4 Is Involved in Stimulatory Effects Elicited by the FGF2/FGFR1 Signaling Pathway in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094720. [PMID: 33946884 PMCID: PMC8124532 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast tumor subtype characterized by poor clinical outcome. In recent years, numerous advancements have been made to better understand the biological landscape of TNBC, though appropriate targets still remain to be determined. In the present study, we have determined that the expression levels of FGF2 and S100A4 are higher in TNBC with respect to non-TNBC patients when analyzing “The Invasive Breast Cancer Cohort of The Cancer Genome Atlas” (TCGA) dataset. In addition, we have found that the gene expression of FGF2 is positively correlated with S100A4 in TNBC samples. Performing quantitative PCR, Western blot, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, promoter studies, immunofluorescence analysis, subcellular fractionation studies, and ChIP assays, we have also demonstrated that FGF2 induces in TNBC cells the upregulation and secretion of S100A4 via FGFR1, along with the ERK1/2–AKT–c-Rel transduction signaling. Using conditioned medium from TNBC cells stimulated with FGF2, we have also ascertained that the paracrine activation of the S100A4/RAGE pathway triggers angiogenic effects in vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) and promotes the migration of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Collectively, our data provide novel insights into the action of the FGF2/FGFR1 axis through S100A4 toward stimulatory effects elicited in TNBC cells.
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MESH Headings
- Antigens, Neoplasm/physiology
- Cell Movement/drug effects
- Culture Media, Conditioned/pharmacology
- Female
- Fibroblast Growth Factor 2/pharmacology
- Fibroblast Growth Factor 2/physiology
- Fibroblasts/pathology
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/physiology
- Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
- Humans
- Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/physiology
- Neoplasm Proteins/physiology
- Neovascularization, Pathologic/physiopathology
- Paracrine Communication
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-rel/physiology
- Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1/genetics
- Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1/physiology
- S100 Calcium-Binding Protein A4/physiology
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Signal Transduction/physiology
- Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/blood supply
- Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/physiopathology
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
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30
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Emami Nejad A, Najafgholian S, Rostami A, Sistani A, Shojaeifar S, Esparvarinha M, Nedaeinia R, Haghjooy Javanmard S, Taherian M, Ahmadlou M, Salehi R, Sadeghi B, Manian M. The role of hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment and development of cancer stem cell: a novel approach to developing treatment. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:62. [PMID: 33472628 PMCID: PMC7816485 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-020-01719-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 286] [Impact Index Per Article: 95.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors, and develops because of the rapid growth of the tumor that outstrips the oxygen supply, and impaired blood flow due to the formation of abnormal blood vessels supplying the tumor. It has been reported that tumor hypoxia can: activate angiogenesis, thereby enhancing invasiveness and risk of metastasis; increase survival of tumor, as well as suppress anti-tumor immunity and hamper the therapeutic response. Hypoxia mediates these effects by several potential mechanisms: altering gene expression, the activation of oncogenes, inactivation of suppressor genes, reducing genomic stability and clonal selection. We have reviewed the effects of hypoxia on tumor biology and the possible strategiesto manage the hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME), highlighting the potential use of cancer stem cells in tumor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asieh Emami Nejad
- Department of Biology, Payame Noor University (PNU), P.O.Box 19395-3697, Tehran, Iran
| | - Simin Najafgholian
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine , Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Alireza Rostami
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine Amiralmomenin Hospital, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Alireza Sistani
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine Valiasr Hospital, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Samaneh Shojaeifar
- Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery , Arak University of Medical Sciences , Arak, Iran
| | - Mojgan Esparvarinha
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine , Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz, Iran
| | - Reza Nedaeinia
- Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease , Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran
| | - Shaghayegh Haghjooy Javanmard
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran
| | - Marjan Taherian
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Ahmadlou
- Sciences Medical of University Arak, Hospital Amiralmomenin, Center Development Research Clinical, Arak, Iran
| | - Rasoul Salehi
- Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease , Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran.,Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine , Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran
| | - Bahman Sadeghi
- Department of Health and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, 3848176341, Iran.
| | - Mostafa Manian
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Medical Science Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Imam Khomeini Campus, Farhikhtegan Bld., Shahid J'afari St., Kermanshah, 3848176341, Iran.
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31
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Patil N, Allgayer H, Leupold JH. MicroRNAs in the Tumor Microenvironment. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1277:1-31. [PMID: 33119862 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-50224-9_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is decisive for the eradication or survival of any tumor mass. Moreover, it plays a pivotal role for metastasis and for providing the metastatic niche. The TME offers special physiological conditions and is composed of, for example, surrounding blood vessels, the extracellular matrix (ECM), diverse signaling molecules, exosomes and several cell types including, but not being limited to, infiltrated immune cells, cancer-associated endothelial cells (CAEs), and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). These cells can additionally and significantly contribute to tumor and metastasis progression, especially also by acting via their own deregulated micro (mi) RNA expression or activity. Thus, miRNAs are essential players in the crosstalk between cancer cells and the TME. MiRNAs are small non-coding (nc) RNAs that typically inhibit translation and stability of messenger (m) RNAs, thus being able to regulate several cell functions including proliferation, migration, differentiation, survival, invasion, and several steps of the metastatic cascade. The dynamic interplay between miRNAs in different cell types or organelles such as exosomes, ECM macromolecules, and the TME plays critical roles in many aspects of cancer development. This chapter aims to give an overview on the multiple contributions of miRNAs as players within the TME, to summarize the role of miRNAs in the crosstalk between different cell populations found within the TME, and to illustrate how they act on tumorigenesis and the behavior of cells in the TME context. Lastly, the potential clinical utility of miRNAs for cancer therapy is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Patil
- Department of Experimental Surgery - Cancer Metastasis, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- Centre for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim (CBTM), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Heike Allgayer
- Department of Experimental Surgery - Cancer Metastasis, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- Centre for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim (CBTM), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jörg H Leupold
- Department of Experimental Surgery - Cancer Metastasis, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
- Centre for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim (CBTM), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
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32
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Chen Y, Wang W, Jiang B, Yao L, Xia F, Li X. Integrating Tumor Stroma Biomarkers With Clinical Indicators for Colon Cancer Survival Stratification. Front Med (Lausanne) 2020; 7:584747. [PMID: 33365318 PMCID: PMC7750539 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2020.584747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor stroma plays an important role in tumor progression and chemotherapeutic resistance; however, its role in colon cancer (CC) survival prognosis remains to be investigated. Here, we identified tumor stroma biomarkers and evaluated their role in CC prognosis stratification. Four independent datasets containing a total of 1,313 patients were included in this study and were divided into training and testing sets. Stromal scores calculated using the estimation of stromal and immune cells in malignant tumors using expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm were used to assess the tumor stroma level. Kaplan-Meier curves and the log-rank test were used to identify relationships between stromal score and prognosis. Tumor stroma biomarkers were identified by cross-validation of multiple datasets and bioinformatics methods. Cox proportional hazards regression models were constructed using four prognosis factors (age, tumor stage, the ESTIMATE stromal score, and the biomarker stromal score) in different combinations for prognosis prediction and compared. Patients with high stromal scores had a lower overall survival rate (p = 0.00016), higher risk of recurrence (p < 0.0001), and higher probability of chemotherapeutic resistance (p < 0.0001) than those with low scores. We identified 16 tumor stroma biomarkers and generated a new prognosis indicator termed the biomarker stromal score (ranging from 0 to 16) based on their expression levels. Its addition to an age/tumor stage-based model significantly improved prognosis prediction accuracy. In conclusion, the tumor stromal score is significantly negatively associated with CC survival prognosis, and the new tumor stroma indicator can improve CC prognosis stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wenlong Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Bo Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lei Yao
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Fada Xia
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xinying Li
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Wu S, Calero-Pérez P, Arús C, Candiota AP. Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy in Preclinical GL261 Glioblastoma: Influence of Therapeutic Parameters and Non-Invasive Response Biomarker Assessment with MRSI-Based Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228775. [PMID: 33233585 PMCID: PMC7699815 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastomas (GBs) are malignant brain tumours with poor prognosis even after aggressive therapy. Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint blockade is a promising strategy in many types of cancer, but its therapeutic effects in GB remain low and associated with immune infiltration. Previous work suggests that oscillations of magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI)-based response pattern with chemotherapy could act as a biomarker of efficient immune system attack onto GBs. The presence of such oscillations with other monotherapies such as anti-PD-1 would reinforce its monitoring potential. Here, we confirm that the oscillatory behaviour of the response biomarker is also detected in mice treated with anti PD-1 immunotherapy both in combination with temozolomide and as monotherapy. This indicates that the spectral pattern changes observed during therapy response are shared by different therapeutic strategies, provided the host immune system is elicited and able to productively attack tumour cells. Moreover, the participation of the immune system in response is also supported by the rate of cured animals observed with different therapeutic strategies (in the range of 50–100% depending on the treatment), which also held long-term immune memory against tumour cells re-challenge. Taken together, our findings open the way for a translational use of the MRSI-based biomarker in patient-tailored GB therapy, including immunotherapy, for which reliable non-invasive biomarkers are still missing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Wu
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Bioquímica de Biociències, Edifici Cs, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (S.W.); (P.C.-P.); (C.A.)
| | - Pilar Calero-Pérez
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Bioquímica de Biociències, Edifici Cs, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (S.W.); (P.C.-P.); (C.A.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 09183 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Carles Arús
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Bioquímica de Biociències, Edifici Cs, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (S.W.); (P.C.-P.); (C.A.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 09183 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina (IBB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Ana Paula Candiota
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Bioquímica de Biociències, Edifici Cs, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (S.W.); (P.C.-P.); (C.A.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 09183 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina (IBB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Correspondence:
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Masuelli L, Benvenuto M, Focaccetti C, Ciuffa S, Fazi S, Bei A, Miele MT, Piredda L, Manzari V, Modesti A, Bei R. Targeting the tumor immune microenvironment with "nutraceuticals": From bench to clinical trials. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 219:107700. [PMID: 33045254 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The occurrence of immune effector cells in the tissue microenvironment during neoplastic progression is critical in determining tumor growth outcomes. On the other hand, tumors may also avoid immune system-mediated elimination by recruiting immunosuppressive leukocytes and soluble factors, which coordinate a tumor microenvironment that counteracts the efficiency of the antitumor immune response. Checkpoint inhibitor therapy results have indicated a way forward via activation of the immune system against cancer. Widespread evidence has shown that different compounds in foods, when administered as purified substances, can act as immunomodulators in humans and animals. Although there is no universally accepted definition of nutraceuticals, the term identifies a wide category of natural compounds that may impact health and disease statuses and includes purified substances from natural sources, plant extracts, dietary supplements, vitamins, phytonutrients, and various products with combinations of functional ingredients. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the immunomodulatory effects of nutraceuticals with a special focus on the cancer microenvironment, highlighting the conceptual benefits or drawbacks and subtle cell-specific effects of nutraceuticals for envisioning future therapies employing nutraceuticals as chemoadjuvants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Masuelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Monica Benvenuto
- Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, via di Sant'Alessandro 8, 00131 Rome, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Focaccetti
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; Department of Human Science and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele University Rome, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Ciuffa
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Fazi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Arianna Bei
- Medical School, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Martino Tony Miele
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Piredda
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Vittorio Manzari
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Modesti
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Bei
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; CIMER, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy.
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Lindsey ML, Deleon-Pennell KY, Bradshaw AD, Larue RAC, Anderson DR, Thiele GM, Baicu CF, Jones JA, Menick DR, Zile MR, Spinale FG. Focusing Heart Failure Research on Myocardial Fibrosis to Prioritize Translation. J Card Fail 2020; 26:876-884. [PMID: 32446948 PMCID: PMC7584737 DOI: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2020.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) has traditionally been defined by symptoms of fluid accumulation and poor perfusion, but it is now recognized that specific HF classifications hold prognostic and therapeutic relevance. Specifically, HF with reduced ejection fraction is characterized by reduced left ventricular systolic pump function and dilation and HF with preserved ejection fraction is characterized primarily by abnormal left ventricular filling (diastolic failure) with relatively preserved left ventricular systolic function. These forms of HF are distributed equally among patients with HF and likely require distinctly different strategies to mitigate the morbidity, mortality, and medical resource utilization of this disease. In particular, HF is a significant medical issue within the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital system and constitutes a major translational research priority for the VA. Because a common underpinning of both HF with reduced ejection fraction and HF with preserved ejection fraction seems to be changes in the structure and function of the myocardial extracellular matrix, a conference was convened sponsored by the VA, entitled, "Targeting Myocardial Fibrosis in Heart Failure" to explore the extracellular matrix as a potential therapeutic target and to propose specific research directions. The conference was conceptually framed around the hypothesis that although HF with reduced ejection fraction and HF with preserved ejection fraction clearly have distinct mechanisms, they may share modifiable pathways and biological mediators in common. Inflammation and extracellular matrix were identified as major converging themes. A summary of our discussion on unmet challenges and possible solutions to move the field forward, as well as recommendations for future research opportunities, are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merry L Lindsey
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska; Research Service, Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska.
| | - Kristine Y Deleon-Pennell
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina; Research Service, Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Amy D Bradshaw
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina; Research Service, Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - R Amanda C Larue
- Research Service, Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Daniel R Anderson
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Geoffrey M Thiele
- Research Service, Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, Nebraska; Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Catalin F Baicu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Jeffrey A Jones
- Research Service, Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina; Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Donald R Menick
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina; Research Service, Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Michael R Zile
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina; Research Service, Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Francis G Spinale
- Cardiovascular Translational Research Center, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC and William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, Columbia, South Carolina
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Torti SV, Torti FM. Iron and Cancer: 2020 Vision. Cancer Res 2020; 80:5435-5448. [PMID: 32928919 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
New and provocative insights into the relationships between iron and cancer have been uncovered in recent years. These include delineation of connections that link cellular iron to DNA repair, genomic integrity, and oncogenic signaling as well as the discovery of ferroptosis, a novel iron-dependent form of cell death. In parallel, new molecules and pathways that regulate iron influx, intracellular iron trafficking, and egress in normal cells, and their perturbations in cancer have been discovered. In addition, insights into the unique properties of iron handling in tumor-initiating cells (cancer stem cells), novel contributions of the tumor microenvironment to the uptake and regulation of iron in cancer cells, and new therapeutic modalities that leverage the iron dependence of cancer have emerged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzy V Torti
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut.
| | - Frank M Torti
- Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut
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Mi S, Qu Y, Chen X, Wen Z, Chen P, Cheng Y. Radiotherapy Increases 12-LOX and CCL5 Levels in Esophageal Cancer Cells and Promotes Cancer Metastasis via THP-1-Derived Macrophages. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:7719-7733. [PMID: 32801779 PMCID: PMC7415441 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s257852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dioxygenase 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) plays an important role in tumorigenesis and promotes angiogenesis and proliferation in several tumors, including prostate and breast tumors. Radiotherapy enhances the expression of 12-LOX in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Two types of macrophages can be found in the tumor microenvironment. The M2 subtype accelerates tumor progression; however, the relationship between 12-LOX and macrophages is not well established. Here, we explore this interaction and its effect on ESCC to induce tumor progression. METHODS AND RESULTS RT-qPCR and Western blot analyses were used to evaluate the mRNA and protein expression levels of 12-LOX and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5 (CCL5) in ESCC after radiotherapy. CCL5 expression was increased by 12-LOX upregulation but was suppressed by the well-established 12-LOX inhibitor, baicalein. Furthermore, CCL5 attracted and repolarized human myeloid leukemia mononuclear cells (THP-1)-derived macrophages. Finally, ESCC co-culture with THP-1-derived macrophages led to a strong cancer migratory capacity. CONCLUSION Radiation-induced 12-LOX overexpression in ESCC upregulates CCL5 expression, thereby attracting THP-1-derived macrophages and promoting their polarization to the M2 subtype, which enhances cellular metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Mi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan Qu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xue Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhihua Wen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Pengxiang Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yufeng Cheng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
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(-)-Kusunokinin inhibits breast cancer in N-nitrosomethylurea-induced mammary tumor rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 882:173311. [PMID: 32619673 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Natural and synthetic (-)-kusunokinin inhibited breast cancer, colon cancer and cholangiocarcinoma cells at the G2/M phase and induced apoptosis. However, there is no report on the action and adverse effects of (-)-kusunokinin in animal models. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic effect of (-)-kusunokinin from Piper nigrum on cancer cells. NMU-induced rat mammary tumors, an ER positive breast cancer model, were treated with (-)-kusunokinin. Proteins of interest related to cell cycle, angiogenesis, migration and signaling proteins were detected in tumor tissues. Results showed that (-)-kusunokinin exhibited strong cytotoxicity against breast, colon and lung cancer cells and caused low toxicity against normal fibroblast cells. For in vivo study, 7.0 mg/kg and 14.0 mg/kg of (-)-kusunokinin reduced tumor growth without side effects on body weight, internal organs and bone marrow. Combination of (-)-kusunokinin with a low effective dose of doxorubicin significantly inhibited tumor growth and provoked cell death in cancer tissues. Mechanistically, 14.0 mg/kg of (-)-kusunokinin decreased cell proliferation (c-Src, PI3K, Akt, p-Erk1/2 and c-Myc), cell cycle (E2f-1, cyclin B1 and CDK1), and metastasis (E-cadherin, MMP-2 and MMP-9) proteins in tumor tissues, which supports its anticancer effect. We further confirmed the antimigration effect of (-)-kusunokinin; the results show that this compound inhibited breast cancer cell (MCF-7) migration in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, the results suggest that 14 mg/kg of (-)-kusunokinin inhibited tumors through the reduction of signaling proteins and their downstream molecules. Therefore, (-)-kusunokinin becomes an intriguing candidate for cancer treatment as it provides a strong potency in cancer inhibition.
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Eisenberg L, Eisenberg-Bord M, Eisenberg-Lerner A, Sagi-Eisenberg R. Metabolic alterations in the tumor microenvironment and their role in oncogenesis. Cancer Lett 2020; 484:65-71. [PMID: 32387442 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming is a characteristic feature of both cancer cells and their neighbouring cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The latter include stroma fibroblasts and adipocytes, that respectively differentiate to become cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and cancer associated adipocytes (CAAs), and infiltrated immune cells, that collaborate with the stromal cells to provide the tumor a pro-tumorigenic niche. Here we discuss the association between the reprogramming of glucose metabolism in the TME and oncogenic signaling and its reflection in the non-canonical functions of metabolic enzymes. We also discuss the non-canonical actions of oncometabolites and the contribution to oncogenesis of external metabolites that accumulate in the TME as result of crosstalk between the tumor and the TME. Special emphasis is given in this regard to lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and adenosine, two powerful metabolites, the concentrations of which rise in the TME due to altered metabolism of the tumor and its surrounding cells, allowing their action as external signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihie Eisenberg
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Michal Eisenberg-Bord
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | | | - Ronit Sagi-Eisenberg
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
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Kostadinova M, Antonov B, Kinov P, Oreshkova T, Mourdjeva M. Mesenchymal stem cells inhibit the growth of prostate carcinoma cells in a long-term cultivation. BIOTECHNOL BIOTEC EQ 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/13102818.2020.1751710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Milena Kostadinova
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction “Acad. Kiril Bratanov”, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Boris Antonov
- Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, University Hospital “Queen Giovanna - ISUL”, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Plamen Kinov
- Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, University Hospital “Queen Giovanna - ISUL”, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Tsvetelina Oreshkova
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction “Acad. Kiril Bratanov”, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Milena Mourdjeva
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction “Acad. Kiril Bratanov”, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
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Fiorito V, Chiabrando D, Petrillo S, Bertino F, Tolosano E. The Multifaceted Role of Heme in Cancer. Front Oncol 2020; 9:1540. [PMID: 32010627 PMCID: PMC6974621 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Heme, an iron-containing porphyrin, is of vital importance for cells due to its involvement in several biological processes, including oxygen transport, energy production and drug metabolism. Besides these vital functions, heme also bears toxic properties and, therefore, the amount of heme inside the cells must be tightly regulated. Similarly, heme intake from dietary sources is strictly controlled to meet body requirements. The multifaceted nature of heme renders it a best candidate molecule exploited/controlled by tumor cells in order to modulate their energetic metabolism, to interact with the microenvironment and to sustain proliferation and survival. The present review summarizes the literature on heme and cancer, emphasizing the importance to consider heme as a prominent player in different aspects of tumor onset and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Fiorito
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Deborah Chiabrando
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Sara Petrillo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Bertino
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Emanuela Tolosano
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
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42
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Stromal reprogramming: A target for tumor therapy. Life Sci 2019; 239:117049. [PMID: 31730862 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2019.117049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) as the dominant, long-lived and highly plastic cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) with multi-faceted roles that are endowed with tumor aggressive features. They can instruct and shape the stroma of tumor into being a highly qualified bed for cellular recruitment, differentiation and plasticity in the host tissue or secondary organ/s. In this Review, we have a discussion over CAF reprogramming as a general concept, inducers and outcomes, pursued by suggesting potential strategies to combat this key promoter of tumor.
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