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Wang L, Li P, Gong S, Pang L, Li M, Zhang C, Zhang S, Zhang X, Jiang G, He W. Construction of a novel cuproptosis-related gene signature and integrative analyses in cholangiocarcinoma. Heliyon 2025; 11:e41600. [PMID: 39866451 PMCID: PMC11759551 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e41600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2024] [Revised: 11/18/2024] [Accepted: 12/30/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2025] Open
Abstract
Background Cuproptosis is a unique form of cell death that is dependent on copper, which is fundamentally different from other recognized forms of cell death. However, the molecular and immune characteristics in cuproptosis-defined subgroups of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remain to be further illustrated. Methods We conducted a comprehensive investigation into the genetic and transcriptional variation, prognostic significance, and expression profiles of 16 cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs). To construct a prognostic signature based on differentially expressed genes between molecular subtypes, we employed LASSO and multivariate Cox regression analyses. We then assessed the values of this signature in prognostic prediction, immune infiltration, and therapeutic responses in CCA. The robustness of the signature was further validated in the GEO and IMvigor210 cohorts. Additionally, qRT-PCR and Western blotting (WB) were utilized to confirm the expression of the signature genes across different cell lines. Results A total of 16 CRGs were analyzed revealed differentially expressed, and two CRG-related clusters were identified, which displayed contrasting survival times.Then, a robust cuproptosis-related risk model was established and was an independent prognostic factor for CCA, which was further validated across two external cohorts. Low-risk patients had a better overall survival than high-risk patients. The comprehensive results showed that a low-risk score was correlated with metabolism-related pathways, high infiltration of CD8 T cells, B cells, and M1 macrophages, active immunity and less aggressive phenotypes, high chemotherapeutic sensitivity, and more benefit from immunotherapy. In contrast, a high-risk score was associated with cancer and metastasis-related pathways, high infiltration of M2 macrophages, high expression of immune checkpoint genes, suppressive immunity and more aggressive phenotypes, and less benefit from chemotherapeutic and immunotherapy. In addition, the critical CRGs were further validated through qRT-PCR and WB. Conclusions We developed a novel risk model for CCA patients, which serves as a promising biomarker for distinguishing prognosis as well as molecular and immune characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liye Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Eastern Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Pan Li
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Eastern Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Shuai Gong
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Eastern Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Lina Pang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Eastern Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Mingyu Li
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Eastern Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Eastern Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Shengli Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Eastern Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Xiaoke Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Eastern Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Guozhong Jiang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Eastern Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Wei He
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1 Eastern Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
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Pan Y, Zhou Y, Shen Y, Xu L, Liu H, Zhang N, Huang T, Meng K, Liu Y, Wang L, Bai G, Chen Q, Zhu Y, Zou X, Wang S, Wang Z, Wang L. Hypoxia Stimulates PYGB Enzymatic Activity to Promote Glycogen Metabolism and Cholangiocarcinoma Progression. Cancer Res 2024; 84:3803-3817. [PMID: 39163511 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-24-0088] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) displays enhanced glycolysis, pivotal for fulfilling the heightened energy demands intrinsic to its malignant progression. Recent research has indicated that endogenous glycogen rather than exogenous glucose acts as the major carbon source for glycolysis, highlighting the need to better understand the regulation of glycogen homeostasis in CCA. Here, through comprehensive integrative analysis, we identified that glycogen phosphorylase brain form (PYGB), the main enzyme involved in glycogen homeostasis, was markedly upregulated in CCA tissues, serving as an independent prognostic indicator for human patients with CCA. Moreover, elevated PYGB expression potentiated cholangiocarcinogenesis and augmented CCA cell proliferation in both organoid and xenograft models. Hypoxia stimulated PYGB activity in a phosphoglycerate kinase 1-dependent manner, leading to glycogenolysis and the subsequent release of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) and thereby facilitating aerobic glycolysis. Notably, a virtual screening pinpointed the β-blocker carvedilol as a potent pharmacologic inhibitor of PYGB that could attenuate CCA progression. Collectively, these findings position PYGB as a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for CCA. Significance: Cholangiocarcinoma cells exhibit high glycogen phosphorylase activity under hypoxic conditions that mediates metabolic reprograming to promote glycolysis and support tumor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yani Pan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yonghua Shen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongwen Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Nannan Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Drum Tower Clinical Medical College of China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tianlu Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Kui Meng
- Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lishan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Ge Bai
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Drum Tower Clinical Medical College of China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yun Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoping Zou
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Taikang Xianlin Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Siliang Wang
- Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhangding Wang
- Innovative Institute of Tumor Immunity and Medicine (ITIM), Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, Anhui Provincial Innovation Institute for Pharmaceutical Basic Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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Li W, Chen D, Zhu Y, Ye Q, Hua Y, Jiang P, Xiang Y, Xu Y, Pan Y, Yang H, Ma Y, Xu H, Zhao C, Zheng C, Chen C, Zhu Y, Xu G. Alleviating Pyroptosis of Intestinal Epithelial Cells to Restore Mucosal Integrity in Ulcerative Colitis by Targeting Delivery of 4-Octyl-Itaconate. ACS NANO 2024; 18:16658-16673. [PMID: 38907726 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c01520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
Current therapies primarily targeting inflammation often fail to address the root relationship between intestinal mucosal integrity and the resulting dysregulated cell death and ensuing inflammation in ulcerative colitis (UC). First, UC tissues from human and mice models in this article both emphasize the crucial role of Gasdermin E (GSDME)-mediated pyroptosis in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) as it contributes to colitis by releasing proinflammatory cytokines, thereby compromising the intestinal barrier. Then, 4-octyl-itaconate (4-OI), exhibiting potential for anti-inflammatory activity in inhibiting pyroptosis, was encapsulated by butyrate-modified liposome (4-OI/BLipo) to target delivery for IECs. In brief, 4-OI/BLipo exhibited preferential accumulation in inflamed colonic epithelium, attributed to over 95% of butyrate being produced and absorbed in the colon. As expected, epithelium barriers were restored significantly by alleviating GSDME-mediated pyroptosis in colitis. Accordingly, the permeability of IECs was restored, and the resulting inflammation, mucosal epithelium, and balance of gut flora were reprogrammed, which offers a hopeful approach to the effective management of UC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenying Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 21008, Jiangsu Province,China
| | - Dong Chen
- Clinical Stem Cell Center, the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yanmei Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 21008, Jiangsu Province,China
| | - Qiange Ye
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Jiangsu University, Nanjing 21008, Jiangsu Province,China
| | - Yang Hua
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 21008, Jiangsu Province,China
| | - Ping Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province,China
| | - Ying Xiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 21008, Jiangsu Province,China
| | - Yuejie Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 21008, Jiangsu Province,China
| | - Yinya Pan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province,China
| | - Hua Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 21008, Jiangsu Province,China
| | - Yichun Ma
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 21008, Jiangsu Province,China
| | - Hang Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau SAR 999078, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Cheng Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 21008, Jiangsu Province,China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province,China
| | - Chang Zheng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province,China
| | - Changrong Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yun Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 21008, Jiangsu Province,China
- Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Guifang Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 21008, Jiangsu Province,China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province,China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Jiangsu University, Nanjing 21008, Jiangsu Province,China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Taikang Xianlin Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing 21008, Jiangsu Province,China
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Luo N, Mei Z, Zhang Q, Tang H, Wan R, Deng A, Zou X, Lv C. TMX family genes and their association with prognosis, immune infiltration, and chemotherapy in human pan-cancer. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:15064-15083. [PMID: 38147024 PMCID: PMC10781458 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205332] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The thioredoxin (TMX) system, an important redox system, plays crucial roles in several immune-related diseases. However, there is limited research on the correlation of TMX family gene expression with human pan-cancer prognosis, tumor microenvironment (TME), and immunotherapy. METHODS Based on the integration of several bioinformatics analysis methods, we explored the expression levels and prognostic value of TMX family members in pan-cancer and analyzed their association between TME, immune infiltration, stemness scores, and drug sensitivity. Using KEGG enrichment analysis, we explored the potential signaling pathways of their regulation. Additionally, we conducted a transwell assay to verify the relationship between TMX family gene expression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in liver cancer. RESULTS Expression of the TMX family genes was shown to have an obvious intratumoral heterogeneity. In some cancers, TMX family members expression was also been found to correlate with poor prognosis of patients. Furthermore, TMX family genes may serve important roles in TME. The expression of TMX family genes was found to have a strong correlation with the stromal scores, immune scores, DNAss and RNAss in pan-cancer. Specifically, the expression levels of TMX family genes have been found to be associated with immune subtypes of renal clear cell carcinoma and liver hepatocellular carcinoma. High TMX2 expression promote EMT in liver cancer. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study may elucidate the biological roles of TMX family genes as potential targets for pan-cancer and also offer valuable insights for further investigating how these genes function in the development and spreading of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Luo
- The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhiqiang Mei
- The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiqi Zhang
- Degree Office, The Graduate School of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Hong Tang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Runlan Wan
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Anni Deng
- Department of Pediatrics, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaopan Zou
- Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun 130024, Jilin, China
| | - Chaoxiang Lv
- The Research Center for Preclinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, China
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