A Novel Lymphangiogenesis-Related Gene Signature can Predict Prognosis and Immunosuppressive Microenvironment in Patients with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

PD1/PD-L1 blockade in clear cell renal cell carcinoma: mechanistic insights, clinical efficacy, and future perspectives

The advent of PD1/PD-L1 inhibitors has significantly transformed the therapeutic landscape for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). This review provides an in-depth analysis of the biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of PD1 and PD-L1 in ccRCC, emphasizing their role in tumor immune evasion. We comprehensively evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety profiles of PD1/PD-L1 inhibitors, such as Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab, through a critical examination of recent clinical trial data. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges posed by resistance mechanisms to these therapies and potential strategies to overcome them. We also explores the synergistic potential of combination therapies, integrating PD1/PD-L1 inhibitors with other immunotherapies, targeted therapies, and conventional modalities such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In addition, we examine emerging predictive biomarkers for response to PD1/PD-L1 blockade and biomarkers indicative of resistance, providing a foundation for personalized therapeutic approaches. Finally, we outline future research directions, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies, deeper mechanistic insights, and the development of individualized treatment regimens. Our work summarizes the latest knowledge and progress in this field, aiming to provide a valuable reference for improving clinical efficacy and guiding future research on the application of PD1/PD-L1 inhibitors in ccRCC.

MicroRNA-431-5p inhibits angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, and lymph node metastasis by affecting TGF-β1/SMAD2/3 signaling via ZEB1 in gastric cancer

Accumulating evidence suggests that lymphangiogenesis plays a crucial role in lymphatic metastasis, leading to tumor immune tolerance. However, the specific mechanism remains unclear. In this study, miR-431-5p was markedly downregulated in both gastric cancer (GC) tissues and plasma exosomes, and its expression were correlated negatively with LN metastasis and poor prognosis. Mechanistically, miR-431-5p weakens the TGF-β1/SMAD2/3 signaling pathway by targeting ZEB1, thereby suppressing the secretion of VEGF-A and ANG2, which in turn hinders angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, and lymph node (LN) metastasis in GC. Experiments using a popliteal LN metastasis model in BALB/c nude mice demonstrated that miR-431-5p significantly reduced popliteal LN metastasis. Additionally, miR-431-5p enhances the efficacy of anti-PD1 treatment, particularly when combined with galunisertib, anti-PD1 treatment showing a synergistic effect in inhibiting GC progression in C57BL/6 mice. Collectively, these findings suggest that miR-431-5p may modulate the TGF-β1/SMAD2/3 pathways by targeting ZEB1 to impede GC progression, angiogenesis, and lymphangiogenesis, making it a promising therapeutic target for GC management.

Identification of a novel lymphangiogenesis signature associated with immune cell infiltration in colorectal cancer based on bioinformatics analysis

BACKGROUND

Lymphangiogenesis plays an important role in tumor progression and is significantly associated with tumor immune infiltration. However, the role and mechanisms of lymphangiogenesis in colorectal cancer (CRC) are still unknown. Thus, the objective is to identify the lymphangiogenesis-related genes associated with immune infiltration and investigation of their prognosis value.

METHODS

mRNA expression profiles and corresponding clinical information of CRC samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. The lymphangiogenesis-related genes (LymRGs) were collected from the Molecular Signatures database (MSigDB). Lymphangiogenesis score (LymScore) and immune cell infiltrating levels were quantified using ssGSEA. LymScore) and immune cell infiltrating levels-related hub genes were identified using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses were performed to identify the prognostic gene signature and construct a risk model. Furthermore, a predictive nomogram was constructed based on the independent risk factor generated from a multivariate Cox model.

RESULTS

A total of 1076 LymScore and immune cell infiltrating levels-related hub genes from three key modules were identified by WGCNA. Lymscore is positively associated with natural killer cells as well as regulator T cells infiltrating. These modular genes were enriched in extracellular matrix and structure, collagen fibril organization, cell-substrate adhesion, etc. NUMBL, TSPAN11, PHF21A, PDGFRA, ZNF385A, and RIMKLB were eventually identified as the prognostic gene signature in CRC. And patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups based on the median risk score, the patients in the high-risk group indicated poor survival and were predisposed to metastasis and advanced stages. NUMBL and PHF21A were upregulated but PDGFRA was downregulated in tumor samples compared with normal samples in the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database.

CONCLUSION

Our finding highlights the critical role of lymphangiogenesis in CRC progression and metastasis and provides a novel gene signature for CRC and novel therapeutic strategies for anti-lymphangiogenic therapies in CRC.