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Camacho M, Vázquez-López C, Valero C, Holgado A, Terra X, Avilés-Jurado FX, León X. Transcriptional expression of SLC16A7 as a biomarker of occult lymph node metastases in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2024:10.1007/s00405-024-08882-9. [PMID: 39215860 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-024-08882-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Glucose is the main energy substrate of tumor cells. This study aims to assess whether the transcriptional expression of glucose metabolism-related genes is associated with occult lymph node metastases in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. METHODS We examined the transcriptional expression of a panel of glucose metabolism-related genes in a cohort of 53 patients with HNSCC without cervical lymph node involvement at the time of diagnosis (cN0) and subsequently treated with elective neck dissection. RESULTS Occult lymph node metastases were found in 37.7% (n = 20) of the patients. Among the analyzed genes, SLC16A7 exhibited the strongest association with the presence of occult lymph node metastases. Patients with occult lymph node metastases (cN0/pN +) had significantly lower SLC16A7 expression values (p = 0.001). Patients with low SLC16A7 expression (n = 17, 32.1%) had a frequency of occult lymph node metastases of 76.5%, while for patients with high SLCA16A7 expression (n = 36, 67.9%) it was 19.4% (P = 0.0001). A multivariable analysis showed that patients with low expression of SLC16A7 had a 12.6 times higher risk of developing occult lymph node metastases. CONCLUSION cN0 HNSCC patients with low SLC16A7 expression had a higher risk of occult lymph node metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Camacho
- Genomics of Complex Diseases. Institut de Recerca, IIB Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Vázquez-López
- Otorhinolaryngology Head-Neck Surgery Department, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Cristina Valero
- Otorhinolaryngology Head-Neck Surgery Department, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Holgado
- Otorhinolaryngology Head-Neck Surgery Department, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ximena Terra
- MoBioFood Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Francesc Xavier Avilés-Jurado
- Otorhinolaryngology Head-Neck Surgery Department. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. IDIBAPS Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier León
- Otorhinolaryngology Head-Neck Surgery Department, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Center On Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
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Zhou D, Li Y. Gut microbiota and tumor-associated macrophages: potential in tumor diagnosis and treatment. Gut Microbes 2023; 15:2276314. [PMID: 37943609 PMCID: PMC10653702 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2023.2276314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Avoiding immune destruction and polymorphic microbiomes are two key hallmarks of cancer. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is essential for the development of solid tumors, and the function of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the TME is closely linked to tumor prognosis. Therefore, research on TAMs could improve the progression and control of certain tumor patients. Additionally, the intestinal flora plays a crucial role in metabolizing substances and maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the host through a complex network of interactions. Recent experimental and clinical studies have suggested a potential link between gut microbiome and TME, particularly in regulating TAMs. Understanding this association could improve the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy. This review highlights the regulatory role of intestinal flora on TAMs, with a focus on gut microbiota and their metabolites. The implications of this association for tumor diagnosis and treatment are also discussed, providing a promising avenue for future clinical treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongqin Zhou
- The Second Affliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital / The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yongsheng Li
- The Second Affliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital / The Second School of Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
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Sánchez-de-la-Torre M, Cubillos C, Veatch OJ, Garcia-Rio F, Gozal D, Martinez-Garcia MA. Potential Pathophysiological Pathways in the Complex Relationships between OSA and Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:1061. [PMID: 36831404 PMCID: PMC9953831 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Several epidemiological and clinical studies have suggested a relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and a higher incidence or severity of cancer. This relationship appears to be dependent on a myriad of factors. These include non-modifiable factors, such as age and gender; and modifiable or preventable factors, such as specific comorbidities (especially obesity), the use of particular treatments, and, above all, the histological type or location of the cancer. Heterogeneity in the relationship between OSA and cancer is also related to the influences of intermittent hypoxemia (a hallmark feature of OSA), among others, on metabolism and the microenvironment of different types of tumoral cells. The hypoxia inducible transcription factor (HIF-1α), a molecule activated and expressed in situations of hypoxemia, seems to be key to enabling a variety of pathophysiological mechanisms that are becoming increasingly better recognized. These mechanisms appear to be operationally involved via alterations in different cellular functions (mainly involving the immune system) and molecular functions, and by inducing modifications in the microbiome. This, in turn, may individually or collectively increase the risk of cancer, which is then, further modulated by the genetic susceptibility of the individual. Here, we provide an updated and brief review of the different pathophysiological pathways that have been identified and could explain the relationship between OSA and cancer. We also identify future challenges that need to be overcome in this intriguing field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Sánchez-de-la-Torre
- Group of Precision Medicine in Chronic Diseases, Respiratory Department, University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova and Santa María, Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy, IRBLleida, University of Lleida, 25003 Lleida, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carolina Cubillos
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Group of Respiratory Diseases, Respiratory Department, Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPAZ, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Olivia J. Veatch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA
| | - Francisco Garcia-Rio
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Group of Respiratory Diseases, Respiratory Department, Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPAZ, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - David Gozal
- Department of Child Health and Child Health Research Institute, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Miguel Angel Martinez-Garcia
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Respiratory Department, University and Polytechnic La Fe Hospital, 46026 Valencia, Spain
- Pneumology Department, University and Polytechnic La Fe Hospital, 46012 Valencia, Spain
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Afonso M, Brito MA. Therapeutic Options in Neuro-Oncology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5351. [PMID: 35628161 PMCID: PMC9140894 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the biggest challenges in neuro-oncology is understanding the complexity of central nervous system tumors, such as gliomas, in order to develop suitable therapeutics. Conventional therapies in malignant gliomas reconcile surgery and radiotherapy with the use of chemotherapeutic options such as temozolomide, chloroethyl nitrosoureas and the combination therapy of procarbazine, lomustine and vincristine. With the unraveling of deregulated cancer cell signaling pathways, targeted therapies have been developed. The most affected signaling pathways in glioma cells involve tyrosine kinase receptors and their downstream pathways, such as the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways (MAPK). MAPK pathway inhibitors include farnesyl transferase inhibitors, Ras kinase inhibitors and mitogen-activated protein extracellular regulated kinase (MEK) inhibitors, while PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway inhibitors are divided into pan-inhibitors, PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitors and AKT inhibitors. The relevance of the immune system in carcinogenesis has led to the development of immunotherapy, through vaccination, blocking of immune checkpoints, oncolytic viruses, and adoptive immunotherapy using chimeric antigen receptor T cells. In this article we provide a comprehensive review of the signaling pathways underlying malignant transformation, the therapies currently used in the treatment of malignant gliomas and further explore therapies under development, including several ongoing clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Afonso
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Maria Alexandra Brito
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal;
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
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