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Song X, Qu Z. NF-κB1 deficiency promotes macrophage-derived adrenal tumors but decreases neurofibromas in HTLV-I LTR-Tax transgenic mice. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303138. [PMID: 38722890 PMCID: PMC11081228 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303138] [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: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is an oncogenic virus whose infection can cause diverse diseases, most notably adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL or ATLL), an aggressive and fatal malignancy of CD4 T cells. The oncogenic ability of HTLV-I is mostly attributed to the viral transcriptional transactivator Tax. Tax alone is sufficient to induce specific tumors in mice depending on the promotor used to drive Tax expression, thereby being used to understand HTLV-I tumorigenesis and model the tumor types developed in Tax transgenic mice. Tax exerts its oncogenic role predominantly by activating the cellular transcription factor NF-κB. Here, we report that genetic deletion of NF-κB1, the prototypic member of the NF-κB family, promotes adrenal medullary tumors but suppresses neurofibromas in mice with transgenic Tax driven by the HTLV-I Long Terminal Repeat (LTR) promoter. The adrenal tumors are derived from macrophages. Neoplastic macrophages also infiltrate the spleen and lymph nodes, causing splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy in mice. Nevertheless, the findings could be human relevant, because macrophages are important target cells of HTLV-I infection and serve as a virus reservoir in vivo. Moreover, the spleen, lymph nodes and adrenal glands are the most common sites of tumor cell infiltration in HTLV-I-infected patients. These data provide new mechanistic insights into the complex interaction between Tax and NF-κB, therefore improving our understanding of HTLV-I oncogenic pathogenesis. They also expand our knowledge and establish a new animal model of macrophage neoplasms and adrenal tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Song
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Zhaoxia Qu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
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2
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Sun F, Xiao Y, Shapiro SD, Qu Z, Xiao G. Critical and distinct roles of cell type-specific NF-κB2 in lung cancer. JCI Insight 2024; 9:e164188. [PMID: 38385745 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.164188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Different from the well-studied canonical NF-κB member RelA, the role of the noncanonical NF-κB member NF-κB2 in solid tumors, and lung cancer in particular, is poorly understood. Here we report that in contrast to the tumor-promoting role of RelA, NF-κB2 intrinsic to lung epithelial and tumor cells had no marked effect on lung tumorigenesis and progression. On the other hand, NF-κB2 limited dendritic cell number and activation in the lung but protected lung macrophages and drove them to promote lung cancer through controlling activation of noncanonical and canonical NF-κB, respectively. NF-κB2 was also required for B cell maintenance and T cell activation. The antitumor activity of lymphocyte NF-κB2 was dominated by the protumor function of myeloid NF-κB2; thus, NF-κB2 has an overall tumor-promoting activity. These studies reveal a cell type-dependent role for NF-κB2 in lung cancer and help understand the complexity of NF-κB action and lung cancer pathogenesis for better design of NF-κB-targeted therapy against this deadliest cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Sun
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yadong Xiao
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Steven D Shapiro
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Zhaoxia Qu
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gutian Xiao
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
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3
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Ankley LM, Conner KN, Vielma TE, Godfrey JJ, Thapa M, Olive AJ. GSK3α/β Restrain IFN-γ-Inducible Costimulatory Molecule Expression in Alveolar Macrophages, Limiting CD4+ T Cell Activation. Immunohorizons 2024; 8:147-162. [PMID: 38345473 PMCID: PMC10916365 DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.2300107] [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: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Macrophages play a crucial role in eliminating respiratory pathogens. Both pulmonary resident alveolar macrophages (AMs) and recruited macrophages contribute to detecting, responding to, and resolving infections in the lungs. Despite their distinct functions, it remains unclear how these macrophage subsets regulate their responses to infection, including how activation by the cytokine IFN-γ is regulated. This shortcoming prevents the development of therapeutics that effectively target distinct lung macrophage populations without exacerbating inflammation. We aimed to better understand the transcriptional regulation of resting and IFN-γ-activated cells using a new ex vivo model of AMs from mice, fetal liver-derived alveolar-like macrophages (FLAMs), and immortalized bone marrow-derived macrophages. Our findings reveal that IFN-γ robustly activates both macrophage types; however, the profile of activated IFN-γ-stimulated genes varies greatly between these cell types. Notably, FLAMs show limited expression of costimulatory markers essential for T cell activation upon stimulation with only IFN-γ. To understand cell type-specific differences, we examined how the inhibition of the regulatory kinases GSK3α/β alters the IFN-γ response. GSK3α/β controlled distinct IFN-γ responses, and in AM-like cells, we found that GSK3α/β restrained the induction of type I IFN and TNF, thus preventing the robust expression of costimulatory molecules and limiting CD4+ T cell activation. Together, these data suggest that the capacity of AMs to respond to IFN-γ is restricted in a GSK3α/β-dependent manner and that IFN-γ responses differ across distinct macrophage populations. These findings lay the groundwork to identify new therapeutic targets that activate protective pulmonary responses without driving deleterious inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurisa M. Ankley
- Department of Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - Kayla N. Conner
- Department of Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - Taryn E. Vielma
- Department of Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - Jared J. Godfrey
- Department of Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - Mahima Thapa
- Department of Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - Andrew J. Olive
- Department of Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
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4
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Sun F, Yan P, Xiao Y, Zhang H, Shapiro SD, Xiao G, Qu Z. Improving PD-1 blockade plus chemotherapy for complete remission of lung cancer by nanoPDLIM2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.23.550248. [PMID: 37546791 PMCID: PMC10402062 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.23.550248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and their combination with other therapies such as chemotherapy, fail in most cancer patients. We previously identified the PDZ-LIM domain-containing protein 2 (PDLIM2) as a bona fide tumor suppressor that is repressed in lung cancer to drive cancer and its chemo and immunotherapy resistance, suggesting a new target for lung cancer therapy improvement. Methods Human clinical samples and data were used to investigate PDLIM2 genetic and epigenetic changes in lung cancer. Using an endogenous mouse lung cancer model faithfully recapitulating refractory human lung cancer and a clinically feasible nano-delivery system, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy, action mechanism, and safety of systemically administrated PDLIM2 expression plasmids encapsulated in nanoparticles (nanoPDLIM2) and its combination with PD-1 antibody and chemotherapeutic drugs. Results PDLIM2 repression in human lung cancer involves both genetic deletion and epigenetic alteration. NanoPDLIM2 showed low toxicity, high tumor specificity, antitumor activity, and greatly improved the efficacy of anti-PD-1 and chemotherapeutic drugs, with complete tumor remission in most mice and substantial tumor reduction in the remaining mice by their triple combination. Mechanistically, nanoPDLIM2 increased major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) expression, suppressed multi-drug resistance 1 (MDR1) induction and survival genes and other tumor-related genes expression in tumor cells, and enhanced lymphocyte tumor infiltration, turning the cold tumors hot and sensitive to ICIs and rendering them vulnerable to chemotherapeutic drugs and activated tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) including those unleashed by ICIs. Conclusions These studies established a clinically applicable PDLIM2-based combination therapy with great efficacy for lung cancer and possibly other cold cancers.
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5
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Chang CY, Armstrong D, Corry DB, Kheradmand F. Alveolar macrophages in lung cancer: opportunities challenges. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1268939. [PMID: 37822933 PMCID: PMC10562548 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1268939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are critical components of the innate defense mechanism in the lung. Nestled tightly within the alveoli, AMs, derived from the yolk-sac or bone marrow, can phagocytose foreign particles, defend the host against pathogens, recycle surfactant, and promptly respond to inhaled noxious stimuli. The behavior of AMs is tightly dependent on the environmental cues whereby infection, chronic inflammation, and associated metabolic changes can repolarize their effector functions in the lungs. Several factors within the tumor microenvironment can re-educate AMs, resulting in tumor growth, and reducing immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) efficacy in patients treated for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The plasticity of AMs and their critical function in altering tumor responses to ICIs make them a desirable target in lung cancer treatment. New strategies have been developed to target AMs in solid tumors reprograming their suppressive function and boosting the efficacy of ICIs. Here, we review the phenotypic and functional changes in AMs in response to sterile inflammation and in NSCLC that could be critical in tumor growth and metastasis. Opportunities in altering AMs' function include harnessing their potential function in trained immunity, a concept borrowed from memory response to infections, which could be explored therapeutically in managing lung cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Yen Chang
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Dominique Armstrong
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - David B. Corry
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Biology of Inflammation Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Farrah Kheradmand
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Biology of Inflammation Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, United States
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6
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Ankley LM, Conner KN, Vielma TE, Thapa M, Olive AJ. GSK3α/β restrains IFNγ-inducible costimulatory molecule expression in alveolar macrophages, limiting CD4 + T cell activation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.16.553574. [PMID: 37645748 PMCID: PMC10462134 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.16.553574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Macrophages play a crucial role in eliminating respiratory pathogens. Both pulmonary resident alveolar macrophages (AMs) and recruited macrophages contribute to detecting, responding to, and resolving infections in the lungs. Despite their distinct functions, it remains unclear how these macrophage subsets regulate their responses to infection, including how activation by the cytokine IFNγ is regulated. This shortcoming prevents the development of therapeutics that effectively target distinct lung macrophage populations without exacerbating inflammation. We aimed to better understand the transcriptional regulation of resting and IFNγ-activated cells using a new ex vivo model of AMs from mice, fetal liver-derived alveolar-like macrophages (FLAMs), and immortalized bone marrow-derived macrophages (iBMDMs). Our findings reveal that IFNγ robustly activates both macrophage types; however, the profile of activated IFNγ-stimulated genes varies greatly between these cell types. Notably, FLAMs show limited expression of costimulatory markers essential for T cell activation upon stimulation with only IFNγ. To understand cell type-specific differences, we examined how the inhibition of the regulatory kinases GSK3α/β alters the IFNγ response. GSK3α/β controlled distinct IFNγ responses, and in AM-like cells, we found GSK3α/β restrained the induction of type I IFN and TNF, thus preventing the robust expression of costimulatory molecules and limiting CD4+ T cell activation. Together, these data suggest that the capacity of AMs to respond to IFNγ is restricted in a GSK3α/β-dependent manner and that IFNγ responses differ across distinct macrophage populations. These findings lay the groundwork to identify new therapeutic targets that activate protective pulmonary responses without driving deleterious inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurisa M. Ankley
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Kayla N. Conner
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Taryn E. Vielma
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Mahima Thapa
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Andrew J Olive
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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7
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Polverino F, Mirra D, Yang CX, Esposito R, Spaziano G, Rojas-Quintero J, Sgambato M, Piegari E, Cozzolino A, Cione E, Gallelli L, Capuozzo A, Santoriello C, Berrino L, de- Torres JP, Hackett TL, Polverino M, D’Agostino B. Similar programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression profile in patients with mild COPD and lung cancer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22402. [PMID: 36575294 PMCID: PMC9792927 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26650-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) is crucial in regulating the immunological tolerance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Alveolar macrophage (AM)-derived PD-L1 binds to its receptor, PD-1, on surveilling lymphocytes, leading to lymphocyte exhaustion. Increased PD-L1 expression is associated with cigarette smoke (CS)-exposure. However, the PD-L1 role in CS-associated lung diseases associated with NSCLC, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is still unclear. In two different cohorts of ever smokers with COPD or NSCLC, and ever and never smoker controls, we evaluated PD-L1 expression: (1) via cutting-edge digital spatial proteomic and transcriptomic profiling (Geomx) of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) lung tissue sections (n = 19); and (2) via triple immunofluorescence staining of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) AMs (n = 83). PD-L1 mRNA expression was also quantified in BAL AMs exposed to CS extract. PD-L1 expression was increased in the bronchiolar wall, parenchyma, and vascular wall from mild-moderate (GOLD 1-2) COPD patients compared to severe-very severe (GOLD 3-4) COPD patients and controls. Within all the COPD patients, PD-L1 protein expression was associated with upregulation of genes involved in tumor progression and downregulation of oncosuppressive genes, and strongly directly correlated with the FEV1% predicted, indicating higher PD-L1 expression in the milder vs. more severe COPD stages. In bronchioles, PD-L1 levels were strongly directly correlated with the number of functionally active AMs. In BAL, we confirmed that AMs from patients with both GOLD 1-2 COPD and NSCLC had the highest and similar, PD-L1 expression levels versus all the other groups, independently from active cigarette smoking. Intriguingly, AMs from patients with more severe COPD had reduced AM PD-L1 expression compared to patients with mild COPD. Acute CS extract stimulation increased PD-L1 mRNA expression only in never-and not in ever-smoker AMs. Lungs from patients with mild COPD and NSCLC are characterized by a similar strong PD-L1 expression signature in bronchioles and functionally active AMs compared to patients with severe COPD and controls. Active smoking does not affect PD-L1 levels. These observations represent a new resource in understanding the innate immune mechanisms underlying the link between COPD and lung cancer onset and progression and pave the way to future studies focused on the mechanisms by which CS promotes tumorigenesis and COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Polverino
- grid.39382.330000 0001 2160 926XPulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - D. Mirra
- grid.9841.40000 0001 2200 8888University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - C. X. Yang
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - R. Esposito
- grid.9841.40000 0001 2200 8888University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - G. Spaziano
- grid.9841.40000 0001 2200 8888University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - J. Rojas-Quintero
- grid.39382.330000 0001 2160 926XPulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030 USA
| | - M. Sgambato
- grid.9841.40000 0001 2200 8888University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - E. Piegari
- grid.9841.40000 0001 2200 8888University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - A. Cozzolino
- grid.9841.40000 0001 2200 8888University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - E. Cione
- grid.7778.f0000 0004 1937 0319University of Calabria, Rende, Italy
| | - L. Gallelli
- grid.411489.10000 0001 2168 2547University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | | | | | - L. Berrino
- grid.9841.40000 0001 2200 8888University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - J. P. de- Torres
- grid.410356.50000 0004 1936 8331Queen’s University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - T. L. Hackett
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - B. D’Agostino
- grid.9841.40000 0001 2200 8888University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
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8
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Wu H, Chen C, Gu L, Li J, Yue Y, Lyu M, Cui Y, Zhang X, Liu Y, Zhu H, Liao X, Zhang T, Sun F, Hu W. B cell deficiency promotes the initiation and progression of lung cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1006477. [PMID: 36249034 PMCID: PMC9556970 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1006477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently commercialized CAR-T cell therapies targeting CD19 and BCMA show great efficacy to cure B cell malignancies. However, intravenous infusion of these CAR-T cells severely destroys both transformed and normal B cells in most tissues and organs, in particular lung, leading to a critical question that what the impact of normal B cell depletion on pulmonary diseases and lung cancer is. Herein, we find that B cell frequency is remarkably reduced in both smoking carcinogen-treated lung tissues and lung tumors, which is associated with advanced cancer progression and worse patient survival. B cell depletion by anti-CD20 antibody significantly accelerates the initiation and progression of lung tumors, which is mediated by repressed tumor infiltration of T cells and macrophage elimination of tumor cells. These findings unveil the overall antitumor activity of B cells in lung cancer, providing novel insights into both mechanisms underlying lung cancer pathogenesis and clinical prevention post CAR-T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Wu
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Biological Repositories, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lixing Gu
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- College of Science, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiapeng Li
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- College of Science, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunqiang Yue
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengqing Lyu
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yeting Cui
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhang
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Liu
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Haichuan Zhu
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinghua Liao
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tongcun Zhang
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Tongcun Zhang, ; Fan Sun, ; Weidong Hu,
| | - Fan Sun
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Tongcun Zhang, ; Fan Sun, ; Weidong Hu,
| | - Weidong Hu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Tongcun Zhang, ; Fan Sun, ; Weidong Hu,
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9
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Dynamic Expression of EpCAM in Primary and Metastatic Lung Cancer Is Controlled by Both Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14174121. [PMID: 36077658 PMCID: PMC9454530 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14174121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a tumor marker widely used in both basic studies and clinics. However, our study demonstrates that EpCAM expression is strongly upregulated by gene amplification and promoter hypomethylation in primary lung tumors, but severely downregulated by epigenetic repression (including promoter hypermethylation and histone deacetylation), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and TAMs-derived TGFβ in metastatic lung tumors. DNMT inhibitor 5-aza-dC, HDAC inhibitor MS-275, and TGFβ neutralizing antibody are able to restore EpCAM expression in highly metastatic lung cancer cells. These findings disclose that multiple mechanisms contribute to the dynamic expression patterns of EpCAM in primary and metastatic lung tumors, redefining the application of EpCAM as a biomarker in tumor cell identification and isolation in specific cancers and clinical stages. Abstract Although great progress has been achieved in cancer treatment in the past decades, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death, which is partially caused by the fact that most lung cancers are diagnosed at advanced stages. To improve the sensitivity and specificity of lung cancer diagnosis, the underlying mechanisms of current diagnosis methods are in urgent need to be explored. Herein, we find that the expression of EpCAM, the widely used molecular marker for tumor cell characterization and isolation, is strongly upregulated in primary lung tumors, which is caused by both gene amplification and promoter hypomethylation. In contrast, EpCAM expression is severely repressed in metastatic lung tumors, which can be reversed by epigenetic drugs, DNMT inhibitor 5-aza-dC and HDAC inhibitor MS-275. Moreover, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) impede EpCAM expression probably through TGFβ-induced EMT signaling. These findings unveil the dynamic expression patterns of EpCAM and differential roles of epigenetic modification in EpCAM expression in primary and metastatic lung tumors, providing novel insights into tumor cell isolation and lung cancer diagnosis.
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10
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Guo ZS, Qu Z. PDLIM2: Signaling pathways and functions in cancer suppression and host immunity. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1876:188630. [PMID: 34571051 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PDZ and LIM domains-containing proteins play pivotal functions in cell cytoskeleton organization, cell polarization and differentiation. As a key member of the family, PDLIM2 regulates stability and activity of transcription factors such as NF-κB, STATs and β-catenin, and thus exert it functions in inflammation, immunity, and cancer. PDLIM2 functions as a tumor suppressor in multiple tissues and it is often genetically mutated or epigenetically silenced in human cancers derived from lung, breast, ovarian and other histologies. However, in certain types of cancers, PDLIM2 may promote cancer cell proliferation and metastases. Therefore, PDLIM2 is added to a long list of genes that can function as tumor suppressor or oncogenic protein. During tumorigenesis induced by oncogenic viruses, PDLIM2 is a key target. Through promotion of NF-κB/RelA and STAT3 degradation, PDLIM2 enhances expression of proteins involved in antigen presentation and promotes T-cell activation while repressing multidrug resistance genes, thereby rendering mutated cells susceptible to immune surveillance and cytotoxicity mediated by immune cells and chemotherapeutic drugs. Intriguingly, PDLIM2 in alveolar macrophages (AMs) plays key roles in monitoring lung tumorigenesis, as its selective genetic deletion leads to constitutive activation of STAT3, driving monocyte differentiation to AMs with pro-tumorigenic polarization and activation. PDLIM2 has also been explored as a therapeutic target for cancer therapy. At the end of this review, we provide perspectives on this important molecule and discuss the future directions of both basic and translational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zong Sheng Guo
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Zhaoxia Qu
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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