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Tian L, Lu J, Ng IOL. Extracellular vesicles and cancer stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma - is there a link? Front Immunol 2024; 15:1368898. [PMID: 38476233 PMCID: PMC10927723 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1368898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly aggressive malignancy, with high recurrence rates and notorious resistance to conventional chemotherapy. Cancer stemness refers to the stem-cell-like phenotype of cancer cells and has been recognized to play important roles in different aspects of hepatocarcinogenesis. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are small membranous particles secreted by cells that can transfer bioactive molecules, such as nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and metabolites, to neighboring or distant cells. Recent studies have highlighted the role of sEVs in modulating different aspects of the cancer stemness properties of HCC. Furthermore, sEVs derived from diverse cellular sources, such as cancer cells, stromal cells, and immune cells, contribute to the maintenance of the cancer stemness phenotype in HCC. Through cargo transfer, specific signaling pathways are activated within the recipient cells, thus promoting the stemness properties. Additionally, sEVs can govern the secretion of growth factors from non-cancer cells to further maintain their stemness features. Clinically, plasma sEVs may hold promise as potential biomarkers for HCC diagnosis and treatment prediction. Understanding the underlying mechanisms by which sEVs promote cancer stemness in HCC is crucial, as targeting sEV-mediated communication may offer novel strategies in treatment and improve patient outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Tian
- Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jingyi Lu
- Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Irene Oi-Lin Ng
- Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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2
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Timperi E, Romano E. Stromal circuits involving tumor-associated macrophages and cancer-associated fibroblasts. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1194642. [PMID: 37342322 PMCID: PMC10277481 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1194642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor associated macrophages (TAM) represent one of most abundant subpopulations across several solid cancers and their number/frequency is associated with a poor clinical outcome. It has been clearly demonstrated that stromal cells, such as the cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), may orchestrate TAM recruitment, survival and reprogramming. Today, single cell-RNA sequencing (sc-RNA seq) technologies allowed a more granular knowledge about TAMs and CAFs phenotypical and functional programs. In this mini-review we discuss the recent discoveries in the sc-RNA seq field focusing on TAM and CAF identity and their crosstalk in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of solid cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Timperi
- Department of Immunology, INSERM U932, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) Research University, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Emanuela Romano
- Department of Immunology, INSERM U932, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) Research University, Institut Curie, Paris, France
- Department of Medical Oncology, Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Institut Curie, Paris, France
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3
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Clark GC, Hampton JD, Koblinski JE, Quinn B, Mahmoodi S, Metcalf O, Guo C, Peterson E, Fisher PB, Farrell NP, Wang XY, Mikkelsen RB. Radiation induces ESCRT pathway dependent CD44v3 + extracellular vesicle production stimulating pro-tumor fibroblast activity in breast cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:913656. [PMID: 36106109 PMCID: PMC9465418 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.913656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite recent advances in radiotherapeutic strategies, acquired resistance remains a major obstacle, leading to tumor recurrence for many patients. Once thought to be a strictly cancer cell intrinsic property, it is becoming increasingly clear that treatment-resistance is driven in part by complex interactions between cancer cells and non-transformed cells of the tumor microenvironment. Herein, we report that radiotherapy induces the production of extracellular vesicles by breast cancer cells capable of stimulating tumor-supporting fibroblast activity, facilitating tumor survival and promoting cancer stem-like cell expansion. This pro-tumor activity was associated with fibroblast production of the paracrine signaling factor IL-6 and was dependent on the expression of the heparan sulfate proteoglycan CD44v3 on the vesicle surface. Enzymatic removal or pharmaceutical inhibition of its heparan sulfate side chains disrupted this tumor-fibroblast crosstalk. Additionally, we show that the radiation-induced production of CD44v3+ vesicles is effectively silenced by blocking the ESCRT pathway using a soluble pharmacological inhibitor of MDA-9/Syntenin/SDCBP PDZ1 domain activity, PDZ1i. This population of vesicles was also detected in the sera of human patients undergoing radiotherapy, therefore representing a potential biomarker for radiation therapy and providing an opportunity for clinical intervention to improve treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gene Chatman Clark
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,*Correspondence: Gene Chatman Clark,
| | - James David Hampton
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Jennifer E. Koblinski
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Bridget Quinn
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Sitara Mahmoodi
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Olga Metcalf
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Chunqing Guo
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Erica Peterson
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Paul B. Fisher
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Nicholas P. Farrell
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Xiang-Yang Wang
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States,VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Ross B. Mikkelsen
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States,Department of Radiation Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
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Vega PN, Nilsson A, Kumar MP, Niitsu H, Simmons AJ, Ro J, Wang J, Chen Z, Joughin BA, Li W, McKinley ET, Liu Q, Roland JT, Washington MK, Coffey RJ, Lauffenburger DA, Lau KS. Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Squamous Epithelial Cells Constitute a Unique Microenvironment in a Mouse Model of Inflammation-Induced Colon Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:878920. [PMID: 35600339 PMCID: PMC9114773 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.878920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment plays a key role in the pathogenesis of colorectal tumors and contains various cell types including epithelial, immune, and mesenchymal cells. Characterization of the interactions between these cell types is necessary for revealing the complex nature of tumors. In this study, we used single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) to compare the tumor microenvironments between a mouse model of sporadic colorectal adenoma (Lrig1CreERT2/+;Apc2lox14/+) and a mouse model of inflammation-driven colorectal cancer induced by azoxymethane and dextran sodium sulfate (AOM/DSS). While both models develop tumors in the distal colon, we found that the two tumor types have distinct microenvironments. AOM/DSS tumors have an increased abundance of two populations of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) compared with APC tumors, and we revealed their divergent spatial association with tumor cells using multiplex immunofluorescence (MxIF) imaging. We also identified a unique squamous cell population in AOM/DSS tumors, whose origins were distinct from anal squamous epithelial cells. These cells were in higher proportions upon administration of a chemotherapy regimen of 5-Fluorouracil/Irinotecan. We used computational inference algorithms to predict cell-cell communication mediated by ligand-receptor interactions and downstream pathway activation, and identified potential mechanistic connections between CAFs and tumor cells, as well as CAFs and squamous epithelial cells. This study provides important preclinical insight into the microenvironment of two distinct models of colorectal tumors and reveals unique roles for CAFs and squamous epithelial cells in the AOM/DSS model of inflammation-driven cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige N Vega
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Program in Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Avlant Nilsson
- Department of Biological Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Manu P Kumar
- Department of Biological Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Hiroaki Niitsu
- Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.,Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Alan J Simmons
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Program in Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - James Ro
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Program in Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Jiawei Wang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Program in Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Zhengyi Chen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Program in Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Brian A Joughin
- Department of Biological Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Wei Li
- Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.,Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Eliot T McKinley
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Program in Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Quantitative Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Joseph T Roland
- Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.,Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - M Kay Washington
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Robert J Coffey
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Program in Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.,Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Douglas A Lauffenburger
- Department of Biological Engineering and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Ken S Lau
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Program in Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States.,Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.,Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
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5
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Allam A, Yakou M, Pang L, Ernst M, Huynh J. Exploiting the STAT3 Nexus in Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts to Improve Cancer Therapy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:767939. [PMID: 34858425 PMCID: PMC8632218 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.767939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is composed of a heterogenous population of cells that exist alongside the extracellular matrix and soluble components. These components can shape an environment that is conducive to tumor growth and metastatic spread. It is well-established that stromal cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the TME play a pivotal role in creating and maintaining a growth-permissive environment for tumor cells. A growing body of work has uncovered that tumor cells recruit and educate CAFs to remodel the TME, however, the mechanisms by which this occurs remain incompletely understood. Recent studies suggest that the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a key transcription factor that regulates the function of CAFs, and their crosstalk with tumor and immune cells within the TME. CAF-intrinsic STAT3 activity within the TME correlates with tumor progression, immune suppression and eventually the establishment of metastases. In this review, we will focus on the roles of STAT3 in regulating CAF function and their crosstalk with other cells constituting the TME and discuss the utility of targeting STAT3 within the TME for therapeutic benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amr Allam
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and La Trobe University School of Cancer Medicine, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Marina Yakou
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and La Trobe University School of Cancer Medicine, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Lokman Pang
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and La Trobe University School of Cancer Medicine, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Matthias Ernst
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and La Trobe University School of Cancer Medicine, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Jennifer Huynh
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and La Trobe University School of Cancer Medicine, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
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6
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Poltavets V, Kochetkova M, Pitson SM, Samuel MS. The Role of the Extracellular Matrix and Its Molecular and Cellular Regulators in Cancer Cell Plasticity. Front Oncol 2018; 8:431. [PMID: 30356678 PMCID: PMC6189298 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 226] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The microenvironment encompasses all components of a tumor other than the cancer cells themselves. It is highly heterogenous, comprising a cellular component that includes immune cells, fibroblasts, adipocytes, and endothelial cells, and a non-cellular component, which is a meshwork of polymeric proteins and accessory molecules, termed the extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM provides both a biochemical and biomechanical context within which cancer cells exist. Cancer progression is dependent on the ability of cancer cells to traverse the ECM barrier, access the circulation and establish distal metastases. Communication between cancer cells and the microenvironment is therefore an important aspect of tumor progression. Significant progress has been made in identifying the molecular mechanisms that enable cancer cells to subvert the immune component of the microenvironment to facilitate tumor growth and spread. While much less is known about how the tumor cells adapt to changes in the ECM nor indeed how they influence ECM structure and composition, the importance of the ECM to cancer progression is now well established. Plasticity refers to the ability of cancer cells to modify their physiological characteristics, permitting them to survive hostile microenvironments and resist therapy. Examples include the acquisition of stemness characteristics and the epithelial-mesenchymal and mesenchymal-epithelial transitions. There is emerging evidence that the biochemical and biomechanical properties of the ECM influence cancer cell plasticity and vice versa. Outstanding challenges for the field remain the identification of the cellular mechanisms by which cancer cells establish tumor-promoting ECM characteristics and delineating the key molecular mechanisms underlying ECM-induced cancer cell plasticity. Here we summarize the current state of understanding about the relationships between cancer cells and the main stromal cell types of the microenvironment that determine ECM characteristics, and the key molecular pathways that govern this three-way interaction to regulate cancer cell plasticity. We postulate that a comprehensive understanding of this dynamic system will be required to fully exploit opportunities for targeting the ECM regulators of cancer cell plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Poltavets
- Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Marina Kochetkova
- Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Stuart M Pitson
- Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Michael S Samuel
- Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology and University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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