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Ji G, Yang Q, Wang S, Yan X, Ou Q, Gong L, Zhao J, Zhou Y, Tian F, Lei J, Mu X, Wang J, Wang T, Wang X, Sun J, Zhang J, Jia C, Jiang T, Zhao MG, Lu Q. Single-cell profiling of response to neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy in surgically resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Genome Med 2024; 16:49. [PMID: 38566201 PMCID: PMC10985969 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01320-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The efficacy of neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy (NAT) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is challenged by the intricate interplay within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Unveiling the immune landscape of ESCC in the context of NAT could shed light on heterogeneity and optimize therapeutic strategies for patients. METHODS We analyzed single cells from 22 baseline and 24 post-NAT treatment samples of stage II/III ESCC patients to explore the association between the immune landscape and pathological response to neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 combination therapy, including pathological complete response (pCR), major pathological response (MPR), and incomplete pathological response (IPR). RESULTS Single-cell profiling identified 14 major cell subsets of cancer, immune, and stromal cells. Trajectory analysis unveiled an interesting link between cancer cell differentiation and pathological response to NAT. ESCC tumors enriched with less differentiated cancer cells exhibited a potentially favorable pathological response to NAT, while tumors enriched with clusters of more differentiated cancer cells may resist treatment. Deconvolution of transcriptomes in pre-treatment tumors identified gene signatures in response to NAT contributed by specific immune cell populations. Upregulated genes associated with better pathological responses in CD8 + effector T cells primarily involved interferon-gamma (IFNγ) signaling, neutrophil degranulation, and negative regulation of the T cell apoptotic process, whereas downregulated genes were dominated by those in the immune response-activating cell surface receptor signaling pathway. Natural killer cells in pre-treatment tumors from pCR patients showed a similar upregulation of gene expression in response to IFNγ but a downregulation of genes in the neutrophil-mediated immunity pathways. A decreased cellular contexture of regulatory T cells in ESCC TME indicated a potentially favorable pathological response to NAT. Cell-cell communication analysis revealed extensive interactions between CCL5 and its receptor CCR5 in various immune cells of baseline pCR tumors. Immune checkpoint interaction pairs, including CTLA4-CD86, TIGIT-PVR, LGALS9-HAVCR2, and TNFSF4-TNFRSF4, might serve as additional therapeutic targets for ICI therapy in ESCC. CONCLUSIONS This pioneering study unveiled an intriguing association between cancer cell differentiation and pathological response in esophageal cancer patients, revealing distinct subgroups of tumors for which neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy might be effective. We also delineated the immune landscape of ESCC tumors in the context of clinical response to NAT, which provides clinical insights for better understanding how patients respond to the treatment and further identifying novel therapeutic targets for ESCC patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Ji
- Department of Digestive Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 169 Changle West Road, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Qi Yang
- Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Song Wang
- Geneseeq Research Institute, Nanjing Geneseeq Technology Inc, Nanjing, 210000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaolong Yan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Qiuxiang Ou
- Geneseeq Research Institute, Nanjing Geneseeq Technology Inc, Nanjing, 210000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Li Gong
- Department of Pathology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Jinbo Zhao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Yongan Zhou
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Feng Tian
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Jie Lei
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Xiaorong Mu
- Department of Pathology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Jianyong Sun
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Jipeng Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Chenghui Jia
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical College, Xi'an, 710000, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China.
| | - Ming-Gao Zhao
- Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China.
| | - Qiang Lu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, No. 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China.
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2
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Tang J, Lam GT, Brooks RD, Miles M, Useckaite Z, Johnson IR, Ung BSY, Martini C, Karageorgos L, Hickey SM, Selemidis S, Hopkins AM, Rowland A, Vather R, O'Leary JJ, Brooks DA, Caruso MC, Logan JM. Exploring the role of sporadic BRAF and KRAS mutations during colorectal cancer pathogenesis: A spotlight on the contribution of the endosome-lysosome system. Cancer Lett 2024; 585:216639. [PMID: 38290660 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The highly heterogenous nature of colorectal cancer can significantly hinder its early and accurate diagnosis, eventually contributing to high mortality rates. The adenoma-carcinoma sequence and serrated polyp-carcinoma sequence are the two most common sequences in sporadic colorectal cancer. Genetic alterations in adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), v-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) and tumour protein 53 (TP53) genes are critical in adenoma-carcinoma sequence, whereas v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF) and MutL Homolog1 (MLH1) are driving oncogenes in the serrated polyp-carcinoma sequence. Sporadic mutations in these genes contribute differently to colorectal cancer pathogenesis by introducing distinct alterations in several signalling pathways that rely on the endosome-lysosome system. Unsurprisingly, the endosome-lysosome system plays a pivotal role in the hallmarks of cancer and contributes to specialised colon function. Thus, the endosome-lysosome system might be distinctively influenced by different mutations and these alterations may contribute to the heterogenous nature of sporadic colorectal cancer. This review highlights potential connections between major sporadic colorectal cancer mutations and the diverse pathogenic mechanisms driven by the endosome-lysosome system in colorectal carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingying Tang
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Giang T Lam
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Robert D Brooks
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Mark Miles
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, STEM College, RMIT University, Bundoora, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Zivile Useckaite
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Flinders Drive, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Ian Rd Johnson
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ben S-Y Ung
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Carmela Martini
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Litsa Karageorgos
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Shane M Hickey
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Stavros Selemidis
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, STEM College, RMIT University, Bundoora, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Ashley M Hopkins
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Flinders Drive, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Andrew Rowland
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Flinders Drive, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Ryash Vather
- Colorectal Unit, Department of Surgery, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - John J O'Leary
- Department of Histopathology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Douglas A Brooks
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Maria C Caruso
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Jessica M Logan
- Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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APPL1 Is a Prognostic Biomarker and Correlated with Treg Cell Infiltration via Oxygen-Consuming Metabolism in Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2023; 2023:5885203. [PMID: 36846720 PMCID: PMC9957629 DOI: 10.1155/2023/5885203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is one of the most hazardous tumors in the urinary system. The regulation of oxygen consumption in renal clear cell carcinoma is a consequence of adaptive reprogramming of oxidative metabolism in tumor cells. APPL1 is a signaling adaptor involved in cell survival, oxidative stress, inflammation, and energy metabolism. However, the correlation of APPL1 with regulatory T cell (Treg) infiltration and prognostic value in KIRC remain unclear. In this study, we comprehensively predicted the potential function and prognostic value of APPL1 in KIRC. For KIRC patients, relatively low expression of APPL1 was associated with high degree of metastasis, pathological stage, and shorter overall time or poor prognosis. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses suggested that low expression of APPL1 may be adapted to the malignant progression of tumors via affecting oxygen-consuming metabolism. In addition, the expression level of APPL1 was negatively correlated with Treg cell infiltration and chemotherapy sensitivity, which indicated that APPL1 may regulate the tumor immune infiltration and chemotherapy resistance by decrease oxygen-consuming metabolic process in KIRC. Therefore, APPL1 may become one of the important prognostic factors, and it may serve as a candidate prognostic biomarker in KIRC.
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Xu H, Fu S, Chen Q, Gu M, Zhou J, Liu C, Chen Y, Wang Z. The function of oxytocin: a potential biomarker for prostate cancer diagnosis and promoter of prostate cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 8:31215-31226. [PMID: 28415720 PMCID: PMC5458202 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To measure the level of oxytocin in serum and prostate cancer (PCa) tissue and study its effect on the proliferation of PCa cells. RESULTS Oxytocin level in serum was significantly increased in PCa patients compared with the no-carcinoma individuals. Additionally, the levels of oxytocin and its receptor were also elevated in the PCa tissue. However, no significant difference existed among the PCa of various Gleason grades. Western blot analysis confirmed the previous results and revealed an increased expression level of APPL1. MATERIALS AND METHODS The level of oxytocin in serum was measured by ELISA analysis. The expression of oxytocin and its receptor in prostate was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The proliferation and apoptosis of PCa cells were assessed by the Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK8) assay, cell cycle analysis and caspase3 activity analysis, respectively. Western blot analysis was used for the detection of PCNA, Caspase3 and APPL1 protein levels. CONCLUSIONS Serum and prostatic oxytocin levels are increased in the PCa subjects. Serum oxytocin level may be a biomarker for PCa in the future. Oxytocin increases PCa growth and APPL1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Xu
- Department of Urology, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Shi Fu
- Department of Urology, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Department of Urology, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Meng Gu
- Department of Urology, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Juan Zhou
- Department of Urology, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Chong Liu
- Department of Urology, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Yanbo Chen
- Department of Urology, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Zhong Wang
- Department of Urology, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
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Diggins NL, Kang H, Weaver A, Webb DJ. α5β1 integrin trafficking and Rac activation are regulated by APPL1 in a Rab5-dependent manner to inhibit cell migration. J Cell Sci 2018; 131:jcs.207019. [PMID: 29361527 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.207019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell migration is a tightly coordinated process that requires the spatiotemporal regulation of many molecular components. Because adaptor proteins can serve as integrators of cellular events, they are being increasingly studied as regulators of cell migration. The adaptor protein containing a pleckstrin-homology (PH) domain, phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domain, and leucine zipper motif 1 (APPL1) is a 709 amino acid endosomal protein that plays a role in cell proliferation and survival as well as endosomal trafficking and signaling. However, its function in regulating cell migration is poorly understood. Here, we show that APPL1 hinders cell migration by modulating both trafficking and signaling events controlled by Rab5 in cancer cells. APPL1 decreases internalization and increases recycling of α5β1 integrin, leading to higher levels of α5β1 integrin at the cell surface that hinder adhesion dynamics. Furthermore, APPL1 decreases the activity of the GTPase Rac and its effector PAK, which in turn regulate cell migration. Thus, we demonstrate a novel role for the interaction between APPL1 and Rab5 in governing crosstalk between signaling and trafficking pathways on endosomes to affect cancer cell migration.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Diggins
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Hakmook Kang
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Alissa Weaver
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Donna J Webb
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.,Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
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Liu Y, Zhang C, Zhao L, Du N, Hou N, Song T, Huang C. APPL1 promotes the migration of gastric cancer cells by regulating Akt2 phosphorylation. Int J Oncol 2017; 51:1343-1351. [PMID: 28902365 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2017.4121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
As a multifunctional adaptor protein, APPL1 (adaptor protein containing pleckstrin homology domain, phosphotyrosine binding domain and a leucine zipper motif 1) is overexpressed in many cancers, and has been implicated in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. The present study investigated the expression of APPL1 in gastric carcinoma and the function in regulating cell migration. We investigated the expression of APPL1 in gastric carcinoma based upon The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The expression of APPL1 in collected gastric carcinoma tissues and cultured cells was measured by qRT-PCR and western blot analysis. Transwell assay and wound healing assay were used to analyze the effects of APPL1 on tumor cell migration. The statistical results based upon TCGA database showed significantly higher expression of APPL1 in gastric carcinoma compared to adjacent normal tissues, and we confirmed these findings by measuring APPL1 expression in collected gastric carcinoma tissues and cultured cells. The results of transwell assay and wound healing assay showed that when APPL1 was silenced by siRNA, cell migration was inhibited and overexpression of APPL1 promoted migration. Western blot results demonstrated that changes in several mesenchymal markers were consistent with the observed reduction or enhancement of cell migration. Importantly, the expression of APPL1 significantly affected the phosphorylation of Akt2. In addition, MMP2 and MMP9, downstream effectors of Akt2 changed accordingly, which is a critical requirement for Akt2-mediated cell migration. The results demonstrate an important new function of APPL1 in regulating cell migration through a mechanism that depends on Akt2 phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingxun Liu
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Chunli Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Lingyu Zhao
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Ning Du
- Department of Oncology Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Ni Hou
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Tusheng Song
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Chen Huang
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
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