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Dou WT, Qiu P, Shi Y, Zhu L, Guo C, Li N, Zang Y, Liu T, Zhao S, Pan Y, Dong L, Sessler JL, Tan Y, Li J, Wang H, Tian H, He XP. Orthogonally Engineered Albumin with Attenuated Macrophage Phagocytosis for the Targeted Visualization and Phototherapy of Liver Cancer. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:17377-17388. [PMID: 37497917 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c05052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
The five-year survival rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unsatisfactory. This reflects, in part, the paucity of effective methods that allow the target-specific diagnosis and therapy of HCC. Here, we report a strategy based on engineered human serum albumin (HSA) that permits the HCC-targeted delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Covalent cysteine conjugation combined with the exploitation of host-guest chemistry was used to effect the orthogonal functionalization of HSA with two functionally independent peptides. One of these peptides targets glypican-3 (GPC-3), an HCC-specific biomarker, while the second reduces macrophage phagocytosis through immune-checkpoint stimulation. This orthogonally engineered HSA proved effective for the GPC-3-targeted delivery of near-infrared fluorescent and phototherapeutic agents, thus permitting target-specific optical visualization and photodynamic ablation of HCC in vivo. This study thus offers new insights into specificity-enhanced fluorescence-guided surgery and phototherapy of HCC through the orthogonal engineering of biocompatible proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Tao Dou
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Frontiers Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Rd, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Peng Qiu
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Frontiers Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Rd, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Yuanyuan Shi
- National Center for Liver Cancer, The International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Ling Zhu
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Frontiers Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Rd, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Chen Guo
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Frontiers Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Rd, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Na Li
- National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 333 Haike Rd, Pudong New District, Shanghai 201210, P. R. China
| | - Yi Zang
- National Centre for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Guo Shoujing Rd, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China
- Lingang laboratory, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China
| | - Tingting Liu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Rd, Pudong New District, Shanghai 201210, P. R. China
| | - Suwen Zhao
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Rd, Pudong New District, Shanghai 201210, P. R. China
| | - Yufei Pan
- National Center for Liver Cancer, The International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Liwei Dong
- National Center for Liver Cancer, The International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Jonathan L Sessler
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 East 24th Street-A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States of America
| | - Yexiong Tan
- National Center for Liver Cancer, The International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - Jia Li
- National Centre for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Guo Shoujing Rd, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China
| | - Hongyang Wang
- National Center for Liver Cancer, The International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
| | - He Tian
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Frontiers Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Rd, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Peng He
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Frontiers Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Rd, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, The International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Institute, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China
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Deb G, Cicala A, Papadas A, Asimakopoulos F. Matrix proteoglycans in tumor inflammation and immunity. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2022; 323:C678-C693. [PMID: 35876288 PMCID: PMC9448345 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00023.2022] [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: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Cancer immunoediting progresses through elimination, equilibrium, and escape. Each of these phases is characterized by breaching, remodeling, and rebuilding tissue planes and structural barriers that engage extracellular matrix (ECM) components, in particular matrix proteoglycans. Some of the signals emanating from matrix proteoglycan remodeling are readily co-opted by the growing tumor to sustain an environment of tumor-promoting and immune-suppressive inflammation. Yet other matrix-derived cues can be viewed as part of a homeostatic response by the host, aiming to eliminate the tumor and restore tissue integrity. These latter signals may be harnessed for therapeutic purposes to tip the polarity of the tumor immune milieu toward anticancer immunity. In this review, we attempt to showcase the importance and complexity of matrix proteoglycan signaling in both cancer-restraining and cancer-promoting inflammation. We propose that the era of matrix diagnostics and therapeutics for cancer is fast approaching the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauri Deb
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
| | - Alexander Cicala
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
| | - Athanasios Papadas
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
| | - Fotis Asimakopoulos
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
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3
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Production and characterization of GPC3-N protein and its nanobody. Protein Expr Purif 2022; 195-196:106094. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2022.106094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Hepatocellular carcinoma immunotherapy: The impact of epigenetic drugs and the gut microbiome. LIVER RESEARCH 2020; 4:191-198. [PMID: 33343967 PMCID: PMC7746137 DOI: 10.1016/j.livres.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been increasing for decades. This disease has now risen to become the sixth most common malignancy overall, while ranking as the third most frequent cause of cancer mortality. While several surgical interventions and loco-regional treatment options are available, up to 80% of patients present with advanced disease not amenable to standard therapies. Indeed, traditional cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents are notoriously ineffective and essentially play no role in the management of affected patients. This has led to an enormous need for more effective systemic therapeutic options. In recent years, immunotherapy has emerged as a potentially viable and exciting new alternative for the treatment of HCC. Although the current immunotherapeutic options remain imperfect, various strategies can be employed to further improve their efficacy. New findings have revealed epigenetic modulation can be effective as a new approach for improving HCC immunotherapy. Studying the gut microbiome (gut-liver axis) can also be an interesting subject in this regard. Here, we explore the latest insights into the role of immunotherapy treatmenting HCC, both mono and in combination with other agents. We also focus on the impact of epigenetic drugs and the microbiome in the overall effectiveness of HCC immunotherapy.
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Atypical immunometabolism and metabolic reprogramming in liver cancer: Deciphering the role of gut microbiome. Adv Cancer Res 2020; 149:171-255. [PMID: 33579424 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2020.10.004] [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] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Much recent research has delved into understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of HCC pathogenesis, which has revealed to be heterogenous and complex. Two major hallmarks of HCC include: (i) a hijacked immunometabolism and (ii) a reprogramming in metabolic processes. We posit that the gut microbiota is a third component in an entanglement triangle contributing to HCC progression. Besides metagenomic studies highlighting the diagnostic potential in the gut microbiota profile, recent research is pinpointing the gut microbiota as an instigator, not just a mere bystander, in HCC. In this chapter, we discuss mechanistic insights on atypical immunometabolism and metabolic reprogramming in HCC, including the examination of tumor-associated macrophages and neutrophils, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (e.g., T-cell exhaustion, regulatory T-cells, natural killer T-cells), the Warburg effect, rewiring of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and glutamine addiction. We further discuss the potential involvement of the gut microbiota in these characteristics of hepatocarcinogenesis. An immediate highlight is that microbiota metabolites (e.g., short chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids) can impair anti-tumor responses, which aggravates HCC. Lastly, we describe the rising 'new era' of immunotherapies (e.g., immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive T-cell transfer) and discuss for the potential incorporation of gut microbiota targeted therapeutics (e.g., probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation) to alleviate HCC. Altogether, this chapter invigorates for continuous research to decipher the role of gut microbiome in HCC from its influence on immunometabolism and metabolic reprogramming.
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Vitale D, Kumar Katakam S, Greve B, Jang B, Oh ES, Alaniz L, Götte M. Proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans as regulators of cancer stem cell function and therapeutic resistance. FEBS J 2019; 286:2870-2882. [PMID: 31230410 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
In contrast to the bulk of the tumor, a subset of cancer cells called cancer stem cells (CSC; or tumor-initiating cells) is characterized by self-renewal, unlimited proliferative potential, expression of multidrug resistance proteins, active DNA repair capacity, apoptosis resistance, and a considerable developmental plasticity. Due to these properties, CSCs display increased resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy. Recent findings indicate that aberrant functions of proteoglycans (PGs) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) contribute substantially to the CSC phenotype and therapeutic resistance. In this review, we summarize how the diverse functions of the glycoproteins and carbohydrates facilitate acquisition and maintenance of the CSC phenotype, and how this knowledge can be exploited to develop novel anticancer therapies. For example, the large transmembrane chondroitin sulfate PG NG2/CSPG4 marks stem cell (SC) populations in brain tumors. Cell surface heparan sulfate PGs of the syndecan and glypican families modulate the stemness-associated Wnt, hedgehog, and notch signaling pathways, whereas the interplay of hyaluronan in the SC niche with CSC CD44 determines the maintenance of stemness and promotes therapeutic resistance. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which PGs and GAGs regulate CSC function will aid the development of targeted therapeutic approaches which could avoid relapse after an otherwise successful conventional therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor T cells, PG-primed dendritic cells, PG-targeted antibody-drug conjugates, and inhibitory peptides and glycans have already shown highly promising results in preclinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiana Vitale
- Centro de Investigaciones Básicas y Aplicadas (CIBA), CIT NOBA, Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Pcia. de Bs. As. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (UNNOBA-CONICET), Junín, Argentina
| | | | - Burkhard Greve
- Department of Radiotherapy - Radiooncology, Münster University Hospital, Germany
| | - Bohee Jang
- Department of Life Sciences, The Research Center for Cellular Homeostasis, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eok-Soo Oh
- Department of Life Sciences, The Research Center for Cellular Homeostasis, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Laura Alaniz
- Centro de Investigaciones Básicas y Aplicadas (CIBA), CIT NOBA, Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Pcia. de Bs. As. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (UNNOBA-CONICET), Junín, Argentina
| | - Martin Götte
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Münster University Hospital, Germany
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Role of glypicans in regulation of the tumor microenvironment and cancer progression. Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 168:108-118. [PMID: 31251939 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Glypicans are evolutionary conserved, cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans that are attached to the cell membrane via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor. Glypicans interact with a broad class of soluble and insoluble ligands, such as morphogens, growth factors, chemokines, receptors and components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Such versatility comes from their ability to interact through both their HS chains and core protein. Glypicans are involved in cellular and tissue development, morphogenesis and cell motility. They exhibit differential expression in several cancers, acting as both tumor promoters and inhibitors in a cancer type-specific manner. They also influence tumor stroma by facilitating angiogenesis, ECM remodeling and alteration of immune cell functions. Glypicans have emerged as a new therapeutic moiety, whose functions can be exploited in the field of targeted therapies and precision medicine in cancer. This is demonstrated by the emergence of several anti-glypican antibody-based immunologics that have been recently developed and are being evaluated in clinical trials. This review will focus on glypican structure and function with an emphasis on their expression in various cancers. Discussion will also center on the potential of glypicans to be therapeutic targets for inhibition of cancer cell growth.
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Zhang Y, Qiu D, Li R, Liu Y, Shi S, Wang Y. Preparation of a monoclonal antibody against the carcinoembryonic antigen, glypican‑3. Mol Med Rep 2019; 19:3889-3895. [PMID: 30896845 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The carcinoembryonic antigen, glypican‑3 (GPC3), is a putative therapeutic target and diagnostic marker of hepatoma. In the present study, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specifically against GPC3 was obtained via cloning the sequence of GPC3 via polymerase chain reaction and inserting it into a pET16b vector prior to transfection into Escherichia coli (E. coli) BL21. BALB/c mice were immunized with 20 µg purified antigen by intrasplenic embedding. Splenocytes and mouse myeloma cells SP2/0 were fused; then, the hybridoma cells were screened by an indirect ELISA. The properties of the mAb were examined by western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis against the purified protein. The results revealed that the prokaryotic expression vector of GPC3 had been successfully generated and GPC3 was stably expressed in E. coli BL21. A stable hybridoma cell line, 2F3, was generated in the present study, which produced mAbs against GPC3. The mAb 2F3 had a high antibody titer and the isotype was identified as IgG1/κ; 2F3 hybridomas had a median chromosome number of 98. Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses revealed that 2F3 specifically recognized recombinant and native GPC3. The 2F3 clone was proposed as a stable secretor of this mAb against GPC3. The results of present study indicated that the successful preparation of recombinant GPC3 protein and an anti‑human GPC3 mouse mAb may be provide a basis for developments in the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongdong Zhang
- Department of Stomatology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin 300192, P.R. China
| | - Dongri Qiu
- Department of Stomatology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin 300192, P.R. China
| | - Ronghua Li
- Department of Stomatology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin 300192, P.R. China
| | - Yawu Liu
- Department of Clinical Radiology, Kuopio University Hospital, FIN‑70210 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Shuainan Shi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
| | - Yuliang Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
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Qin W, Xiong Y, Chen J, Huang Y, Liu T. DC-CIK cells derived from ovarian cancer patient menstrual blood activate the TNFR1-ASK1-AIP1 pathway to kill autologous ovarian cancer stem cells. J Cell Mol Med 2018; 22:3364-3376. [PMID: 29566310 PMCID: PMC6010766 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.13611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSCs) are highly carcinogenic and have very strong resistance to traditional chemotherapeutic drugs; therefore, they are an important factor in ovarian cancer metastasis and recurrence. It has been reported that dendritic cell (DC)-cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells have significant killing effects on all cancer cells across many systems including the blood, digestive, respiratory, urinary and reproductive systems. However, whether DC-CIK cells can selectively kill OCSCs is currently unclear. In this study, we collected ovarian cancer patient menstrual blood (OCPMB) samples to acquire mononuclear cells and isolated DC-CIK cells in vitro. In addition, autologous CD44+/CD133+ OCSCs were isolated and used as target cells. The experimental results showed that when DC-CIK cells and OCSCs were mixed and cultured in vitro at ratios of 5:1, 10:1 and 50:1, the DC-CIK cells killed significant amounts of OCSCs, inhibited their invasion in vitro and promoted their apoptosis. The qPCR and Western blot results showed that DC-CIK cells stimulated high expression levels and phosphorylation of TNFR1, ASK1, AIP1 and JNK in OCSCs through the release of TNF-α. After the endogenous TNFR1 gene was knocked out in OCSCs using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, the killing function of DC-CIK cells on target OCSCs was significantly attenuated. The results of the analyses of clinical samples suggested that the TNFR1 expression level was negatively correlated with ovarian cancer stage and prognosis. Therefore, we innovatively confirmed that DC-CIK cells derived from OCPMB could secret TNF-α to activate the expression of the TNFR1-ASK1-AIP1-JNK pathway in OCSCs and kill autologous OCSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxing Qin
- Department of Clinical OncologyChangzheng HospitalSecond Military Medical UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Ying Xiong
- Department of Gynaecology and ObstetricsXinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Juan Chen
- Gongli Hospital Affiliated to the Second Military Medical University in Pudong New Area of Shanghai CityShanghaiChina
| | | | - Te Liu
- Shanghai Geriatric Institute of Chinese MedicineShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghaiChina
- Department of PathologyYale University School of MedicineNew HavenCTUSA
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Hirahara N, Tajima Y, Fujii Y, Kaji S, Yamamoto T, Hyakudomi R, Taniura T, Kawabata Y. Prognostic nutritional index as a predictor of survival in resectable gastric cancer patients with normal preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels: a propensity score matching analysis. BMC Cancer 2018. [PMID: 29534689 PMCID: PMC5850976 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4201-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background An ideal tumor marker should be capable of being detected at any stage of the disease. However, gastric cancer patients do not always have elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels, even in advanced cases. Recently, several studies have investigated the associations between preoperative PNI and postoperative long-term outcomes. In this study, we focused on the significance of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) as a potential predictor of survival in resectable gastric cancer patients with normal preoperative serum CEA levels. Methods We retrospectively conducted cohort study to evaluate the PNI as a predictor of survival in 368 resectable gastric cancer patients who underwent potentially curative gastrectomy at our institute between January 2010 and December 2016. We selected 218 patients by propensity score matching to reduce biases due to the different distributions of co-variables among the comparable groups. Results In the multivariate analysis, pStage (hazard ratio [HR]: 14.003, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.033–44.487; p < 0.001), PNI (HR: 2.794, 95% CI: 1.352–6.039; p < 0.001) were identified as independent prognostic factors of CSS in 218 propensity matched gastric cancer patients. The Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that low PNI patients had a significantly poorer cancer specific survival (CSS) than high PNI patients (p = 0.008). Among 166 propensity matched gastric cancer patients with normal preoperative serum CEA levels, multivariate analysis demonstrated that pStage (HR: 7.803, 95% CI: 3.015–24.041; p < 0.001) and PNI (HR: 3.078, 95% CI: 1.232–8.707; p = 0.016) were identified as independent prognostic factors of CSS. And Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that low PNI had a significantly poorer CSS than high PNI value (p = 0.011). Conclusions This study demonstrates that a low preoperative PNI value is a potential independent risk factor for poorer CSS in patients with gastric cancer, even in those with normal serum CEA levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriyuki Hirahara
- Department of Digestive and General Surgery, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
| | - Yoshitsugu Tajima
- Department of Digestive and General Surgery, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan
| | - Yusuke Fujii
- Department of Digestive and General Surgery, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Kaji
- Department of Digestive and General Surgery, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan
| | - Tetsu Yamamoto
- Department of Digestive and General Surgery, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan
| | - Ryoji Hyakudomi
- Department of Digestive and General Surgery, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan
| | - Takahito Taniura
- Department of Digestive and General Surgery, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan
| | - Yasunari Kawabata
- Department of Digestive and General Surgery, Shimane University Faculty of Medicine, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan
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11
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Shang N, Figini M, Shangguan J, Wang B, Sun C, Pan L, Ma Q, Zhang Z. Dendritic cells based immunotherapy. Am J Cancer Res 2017; 7:2091-2102. [PMID: 29119057 PMCID: PMC5665855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells, and tumor antigen-loaded DCs (DC-vaccines) can activate tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in lymphatic tissues. DC vaccination is a newly emerging and potent form of cancer immunotherapy and has clinically relevant mechanisms of action with great potential for the systemic treatment of cancers. However, clinical trials have demonstrated relatively poor therapeutic efficacy. The efficacy of DC-vaccines is strongly influenced by various techniques for the priming antigen loading onto DCs and their ability to migrate to the draining lymph nodes (LNs). Therefore, it is critical to improve DC-vaccines homing to draining LNs after administration in order to optimize DC-based therapy for individual patients. This review underlines 1) appropriate strategy to load tumor antigens onto DCs and 2) to optimize vaccine administration methods to ensure loaded DCs can migrate to LNs, in particular, Intraperitoneal (IP) injection. IP injection of DC-based vaccine may be a potential regimen for gastrointestinal tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) since huge populations of LNs are present throughout the gastrointestinal track. Which might improve the subsequent migration to LNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Shang
- Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL, USA
| | - Matteo Figini
- Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL, USA
| | - Junjie Shangguan
- Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL, USA
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL, USA
| | - Chong Sun
- Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL, USA
| | - Liang Pan
- Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL, USA
| | - Quanhong Ma
- Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL, USA
| | - Zhuoli Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern UniversityChicago, IL, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer CenterChicago, IL, USA
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12
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Zhou F, Shang W, Yu X, Tian J. Glypican-3: A promising biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis and treatment. Med Res Rev 2017. [PMID: 28621802 DOI: 10.1002/med.21455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 209] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type. Therefore, molecular targets are urgently required for the early detection of HCC and the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Glypican-3 (GPC3), an oncofetal proteoglycan anchored to the cell membrane, is normally detected in the fetal liver but not in the healthy adult liver. However, in HCC patients, GPC3 is overexpressed at both the gene and protein levels, and its expression predicts a poor prognosis. Mechanistic studies have revealed that GPC3 functions in HCC progression by binding to molecules such as Wnt signaling proteins and growth factors. Moreover, GPC3 has been used as a target for molecular imaging and therapeutic intervention in HCC. To date, GPC3-targeted magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and near-infrared imaging have been investigated for early HCC detection, and various immunotherapeutic protocols targeting GPC3 have been developed, including the use of humanized anti-GPC3 cytotoxic antibodies, treatment with peptide/DNA vaccines, immunotoxin therapies, and genetic therapies. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the structure, function, and biology of GPC3 with a focus on its clinical potential as a diagnostic molecule and a therapeutic target in HCC immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fubo Zhou
- Department of Interventional Ultrasound, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Wenting Shang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Xiaoling Yu
- Department of Interventional Ultrasound, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Jie Tian
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
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13
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Nakamoto Y. Promising new strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatol Res 2017; 47:251-265. [PMID: 27558453 DOI: 10.1111/hepr.12795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 08/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer death worldwide. It usually arises based on a background of chronic liver diseases, defined as the hypercarcinogenic state. The current treatment options for HCC ranging from locoregional treatments to chemotherapies, including sorafenib, effectively regulate the limited sizes and numbers of the nodules. However, these treatments remain unsatisfactory because they have insufficient antitumor effects on the large and numerous nodules associated with HCC and because of a high recurrence rate in the surrounding inflamed liver. To develop novel and promising therapies with higher antitumor effects, recent progress in identifying molecular targets and developing immunological procedures for HCC are reviewed. The molecular targets discussed include the intracellular signaling pathways of protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin and RAS/RAF/mitogen-activated protein kinase, Wnt/β-catenin and glutamine synthetase, insulin-like growth factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, nuclear factor-κB and telomerase reverse transcriptase, and c-MET. Immunological studies have focused mainly on target identification, T cells, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, natural killer T cells, and vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasunari Nakamoto
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
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14
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Hu P, Wei Z, Li R, Wu D, Meng Z. Prediction and preliminary screening of HLA-A*0201-restricted epitope peptides of human GPC3. Int J Immunogenet 2016; 43:166-70. [PMID: 27102087 DOI: 10.1111/iji.12260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In response to the limited therapeutic option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), immunotherapy as a promising approach points out a new direction to the cure of tumours through specific recognition and elimination of tumour cells by the immunity-enhanced autologous immunocytes of patients. Few effective tumour antigens, however, are alternative in addition to alpha fetoprotein or tumour cell lysates. Recent studies have demonstrated that glypican-3 (GPC3) is not only a promising diagnostic marker, but also ideal therapeutic target to HCC. In this study, potential HLA-A*0201 GPC3 peptides were screened with three epitope prediction software, the binding affinity of 13 predicted epitopes with high scores was determined by T2 cells binding assay and four optimal epitopes were identified. This is the first study in which the optimal HLA-A*0201 GPC3 epitopes were screened from a large number of candidates predicted by three software. The optimized HLA-A*0201 GPC3 peptides will provide new epitope candidates for HCC immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Hu
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Institute of Biomedical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Z Wei
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - R Li
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - D Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Z Meng
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
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15
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Liu T, Mu H, Shen Z, Song Z, Chen X, Wang Y. Autologous adipose tissue‑derived mesenchymal stem cells are involved in rat liver regeneration following repeat partial hepatectomy. Mol Med Rep 2016; 13:2053-9. [PMID: 26783183 PMCID: PMC4769001 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2016.4768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) have been considered to be attractive and readily available adult mesenchymal stem cells, and they are becoming increasingly popular for use in regenerative cell therapy, as they are readily accessible through minimally invasive techniques. The present study investigated whether autologous ADSC transplantation promoted liver regeneration following a repeat partial hepatectomy in rats. The rats were divided into three groups as follows: 70% partial hepatectomy (PH) group; repeat PH (R-PH) group and R-PH/ADSC group, subjected to R-PH and treated with autologous ADSCs via portal vein injection. In each group, the rats were sacrificed at different time points postoperatively in order to evaluate the changes in liver function and to estimate the liver regenerative response. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling index in the liver was measured using immunohistochemistry. The expression levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) mRNA were measured using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that regeneration of the remaining liver following R-PH was significantly promoted by ADSC transplantation, as shown by a significant increase in liver to body weight ratio and the PCNA labeling index at 24 h post-hepatectomy. Additionally, ADSC transplantation markedly inhibited the elevation of serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and total bilirubin, increased HGF content and also attenuated hepatic vacuolar degeneration 24 h postoperatively. Furthermore, the liver was found to almost fully recover from hepatocellular damage due to hepatectomy among the three groups at 168 h postoperatively. These results indicated that autologous ADSC transplantation enhanced the regenerative capacity of the remnant liver tissues in the early phase following R-PH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Key Laboratory for Critical Care Medicine of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300192, P.R. China
| | - Hong Mu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Key Laboratory for Critical Care Medicine of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300192, P.R. China
| | - Zhongyang Shen
- Department of Transplantation Surgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Key Laboratory for Critical Care Medicine of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300192, P.R. China
| | - Zhuolun Song
- Department of Transplantation Surgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Key Laboratory for Critical Care Medicine of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300192, P.R. China
| | - Xiaobo Chen
- Union Stem and Gene Engineering Co., Ltd., Tianjin 300384, P.R. China
| | - Yuliang Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Key Laboratory for Critical Care Medicine of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300192, P.R. China
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