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Wu S, Wang H, Yang Q, Liu Z, Du J, Wang L, Chen S, Lu Q, Yang DH. METTL3 regulates M6A methylation-modified EBV-pri-miR-BART3-3p to promote NK/T cell lymphoma growth. Cancer Lett 2024; 597:217058. [PMID: 38880226 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.217058] [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: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE N6-methyladenosine (M6A) is the most prevalent epigenetic alteration. Methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) is a key player in the control of M6A modification. Methyltransferase promote the processing of mature miRNA in an M6A-dependent manner, thereby participating in disease occurrence and development. However, the regulatory mechanism of M6A in NK/T cell lymphoma (NKTCL) remains unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS We determined the expression of METTL3 and its correlation with clinicopathological features using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. We evaluated the effects of METTL3 on NKTCL cells using dot blot assay, CCK8 assay and subcutaneous xenograft experiment. We then applied M6A sequencing combined with gene expression omnibus data to screen candidate targets of METTL3. Finally, we investigated the regulatory mechanism of METTL3 in NKTCL by methylated RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. RESULTS We demonstrated that METTL3 was highly expressed in NKTCL cells and tissues and indicated poor prognosis. The METTL3 expression was associated with NKTCL survival. Functionally, METTL3 promoted the proliferation capability of NKTCL cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, EBV-miR-BART3-3p was identified as the downstream effector of METTL3, and silencing EBV-miR-BART3-3p inhibited the proliferation of NKTCL. Finally, we confirmed that PLCG2 as a target gene of EBVmiR-BART3-3p by relative assays. CONCLUSIONS We identified that METTL3 is significantly up-regulated in NKTCL and promotes NKTCL development. M6A modification contributes to the progression of NKTCL via the METTL3/EBV-miR-BART3-3p/PLCG2 axis. Our study is the first to report that M6A methylation has a critical role in NKTCL oncogenesis, and could be a potential target for NKTCL treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojie Wu
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China.
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Hematologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
| | - Qixuan Yang
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China.
| | - Zhengyun Liu
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China.
| | - Jingwen Du
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China.
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China.
| | - Shuaijun Chen
- Department of ENT&HN Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China.
| | - Qisi Lu
- Department of Hematology, Foresea Life Insurance Guangzhou General Hospital, Guangzhou, 515500, China.
| | - Dong-Hua Yang
- New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Mineola, NY, 11501, United States.
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Zhang L, Strange M, Elishaev E, Zaidi S, Modugno F, Radolec M, Edwards RP, Finn OJ, Vlad AM. Characterization of latently infected EBV+ antibody-secreting B cells isolated from ovarian tumors and malignant ascites. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1379175. [PMID: 39086481 PMCID: PMC11288875 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1379175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Intra-tumoral B cells mediate a plethora of immune effector mechanisms with key roles in anti-tumor immunity and serve as positive prognostic indicators in a variety of solid tumor types, including epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Several aspects of intra-tumoral B cells remain unclear, such as their state of activation, antigenic repertoires, and capacity to mature into plasma cells. Methods B lymphocytes were isolated from primary EOC tissue and malignant ascites and were maintained in cell culture medium. The stably maintained cell lines were profiled with flow cytometry and B cell receptor sequencing. Secreted antibodies were tested with a human proteome array comprising more than 21,000 proteins, followed by ELISA for validation. Originating tumor samples were used for spatial profiling with chip cytometry. Results Antibody-secreting B lymphocytes were isolated from the ovarian tumor microenvironment (TME) of four different EOC patients. The highly clonal cell populations underwent spontaneous immortalization in vitro, were stably maintained in an antibody-secreting state, and showed presence of Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) proteins. All originating tumors had high frequency of tumor-infiltrating B cells, present as lymphoid aggregates, or tertiary lymphoid structures. The antigens recognized by three of the four cell lines are coil-coil domain containing protein 155 (CCDC155), growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2), and pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase2 (PDP2), respectively. Anti-CCDC155 circulating IgG antibodies were detected in 9 of 20 (45%) of EOC patients' sera. Tissue analyses with multiparameter chip cytometry shows that the antibodies secreted by these novel human B cell lines engage their cognate antigens on tumor cells. Discussion These studies demonstrate that within the tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte population in EOC resides a low frequency population of antibody-secreting B cells that have been naturally exposed to EBV. Once stably maintained, these novel cell lines offer unique opportunities for future studies on intratumor B cell biology and new target antigen recognition, and for studies on EBV latency and/or viral reactivation in the TME of non-EBV related solid tumors such as the EOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixin Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Mary Strange
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Esther Elishaev
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Magee-Womens Hospital of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Syed Zaidi
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Francesmary Modugno
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Mackenzy Radolec
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Magee-Womens Hospital of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Robert P. Edwards
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Magee-Womens Hospital of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Olivera J. Finn
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Anda M. Vlad
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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Sharma S, Mehta NU, Sauer T, Rollins LA, Dittmer DP, Rooney CM. Cotargeting EBV lytic as well as latent cycle antigens increases T-cell potency against lymphoma. Blood Adv 2024; 8:3360-3371. [PMID: 38640255 PMCID: PMC11255116 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023012183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT The remarkable efficacy of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific T cells for the treatment of posttransplant lymphomas has not been reproduced for EBV-positive (EBV+) malignancies outside the transplant setting. This is because of, in part, the heterogeneous expression and poor immunogenicity of the viral antigens expressed, namely latent membrane proteins 1 and 2, EBV nuclear antigen 1, and BamHI A rightward reading frame 1 (type-2 [T2] latency). However, EBV lytic cycle proteins are also expressed in certain EBV+ malignancies and, because several EBV lytic cycle proteins are abundantly expressed, have oncogenic activity, and likely contribute to malignancy, we sought and identified viral lytic-cycle transcripts in EBV+ Hodgkin lymphoma biopsies. This provided the rationale for broadening the target antigen-specific repertoire of EBV-specific T cells (EBVSTs) for therapy. We stimulated, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors and patients with EBV+ lymphoma with both lytic and latent cycle proteins to produce broad repertoire (BR) EBVSTs. Compared with T2 antigen-specific EBVSTs, BR-EBVSTs more rapidly cleared autologous EBV+ tumors in NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG) mice and produced higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines that should reactivate the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment leading to epitope spreading. Our results confirm that lytic cycle antigens are clinically relevant targets for EBV+ lymphoma and underpin the rationale for integrating BR-EBVSTs as a therapeutic approach for relapsed/refractory EBV+ lymphoma (www.clinicaltrials.gov identifiers: #NCT01555892 and #NCT04664179), as well as for other EBV-associated malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandhya Sharma
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Naren U. Mehta
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Tim Sauer
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Lisa A. Rollins
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Dirk P. Dittmer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Cliona M. Rooney
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Pathology-Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
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Guo X, Bian X, Li Y, Zhu X, Zhou X. The intricate dance of tumor evolution: Exploring immune escape, tumor migration, drug resistance, and treatment strategies. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167098. [PMID: 38412927 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167098] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Recent research has unveiled fascinating insights into the intricate mechanisms governing tumor evolution. These studies have illuminated how tumors adapt and proliferate by exploiting various factors, including immune evasion, resistance to therapeutic drugs, genetic mutations, and their ability to adapt to different environments. Furthermore, investigations into tumor heterogeneity and chromosomal aberrations have revealed the profound complexity that underlies the evolution of cancer. Emerging findings have also underscored the role of viral influences in the development and progression of cancer, introducing an additional layer of complexity to the field of oncology. Tumor evolution is a dynamic and complex process influenced by various factors, including immune evasion, drug resistance, tumor heterogeneity, and viral influences. Understanding these elements is indispensable for developing more effective treatments and advancing cancer therapies. A holistic approach to studying and addressing tumor evolution is crucial in the ongoing battle against cancer. The main goal of this comprehensive review is to explore the intricate relationship between tumor evolution and critical aspects of cancer biology. By delving into this complex interplay, we aim to provide a profound understanding of how tumors evolve, adapt, and respond to treatment strategies. This review underscores the pivotal importance of comprehending tumor evolution in shaping effective approaches to cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojun Guo
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, China; The Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Guangdong Zhanjiang, School of Ocean and Tropical Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xiaonan Bian
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yitong Li
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Guangdong Zhanjiang, School of Ocean and Tropical Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xiao Zhu
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Guangdong Zhanjiang, School of Ocean and Tropical Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.
| | - Xiaorong Zhou
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, China.
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Omar A, Marques N, Crawford N. Cancer and HIV: The Molecular Mechanisms of the Deadly Duo. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:546. [PMID: 38339297 PMCID: PMC10854577 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16030546] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The immune deficiency associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection causes a distinct increased risk of developing certain cancer types. Kaposi sarcoma (KS), invasive cervical cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) are the prominent malignancies that manifest as a result of opportunistic viral infections in patients with advanced HIV infection. Despite the implementation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), the prevalence of these acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining malignancies (ADMs) remains high in developing countries. In contrast, developed countries have experienced a steady decline in the occurrence of these cancer types. However, there has been an increased mortality rate attributed to non-ADMs. Here, we provide a review of the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for the development of ADMs and non-ADMs which occur in HIV-infected individuals. It is evident that ART alone is not sufficient to fully mitigate the potential for ADMs and non-ADMs in HIV-infected individuals. To enhance the diagnosis and treatment of both HIV and malignancies, a thorough comprehension of the mechanisms driving the development of such cancers is imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aadilah Omar
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
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Barros MHM, Alves PDS. Contribution of the Epstein-Barr virus to the oncogenesis of mature T-cell lymphoproliferative neoplasms. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1240359. [PMID: 37781191 PMCID: PMC10538126 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1240359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
EBV is a lymphotropic virus, member of the Herpesviridae family that asymptomatically infects more than 90% of the human population, establishing a latent infection in memory B cells. EBV exhibits complex survival and persistence dynamics, replicating its genome through the proliferation of infected B cells or production of the lytic virions. Many studies have documented the infection of T/NK cells by EBV in healthy individuals during and after primary infection. This feature has been confirmed in humanized mouse models. Together these results have challenged the hypothesis that the infection of T/NK cells per se by EBV could be a triggering event for lymphomagenesis. Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive nodal T- and NK-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) are two EBV-associated lymphomas of T/NK cells. These two lymphomas display different clinical, histological and molecular features. However, they share two intriguing characteristics: the association with EBV and a geographical prevalence in East Asia and Latin America. In this review we will discuss the genetic characteristics of EBV in order to understand the possible role of this virus in the oncogenesis of ENKTCL and NKTCL. In addition, the main immunohistological, molecular, cytogenetic and epigenetic differences between ENKTCL and NKTCL will be discussed, as well as EBV differences in latency patterns and other viral molecular characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paula Daniela S. Alves
- Oncovirology Laboratory, Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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