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Gryziak M, Kraj L, Stec R. The role of tumor-associated macrophages in hepatocellular carcinoma-from bench to bedside: A review. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024. [PMID: 38651642 DOI: 10.1111/jgh.16564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Despite progress in treatment, recurrence after radical treatment is common, and the prognosis remains poor for patients with advanced disease. Therefore, there is a need to identify prognostic and predictive factors for the response to therapy or more intensive surveillance or treatment. Because the tumor microenvironment plays a crucial role in the development of cancer and metastasis, it is a crucial need to understand processes that are involved in carcinogenesis. Within the microenvironment, several immune cells with different roles are present. One of the most important of these is tumor-associated macrophages. These cells may exert either antitumor or protumor roles. Several studies have suggested that tumor-associated macrophages can be used as prognostic markers. Furthermore, they may be involved in resistance to immunotherapy or systemic treatment. As they play an important role in cancer development, tumor-associated macrophages are also a good target for therapy. In this review, we briefly summarize recent progress on knowledge regarding the basic molecular characteristics, impact on prognosis and potential clinical implications of tumor-associated macrophages in hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Gryziak
- Department of Oncology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Leszek Kraj
- Department of Oncology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Rafał Stec
- Department of Oncology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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2
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Jin D, Qian L, Chen J, Yu Z, Dong J. Prognostic impact of CD68+ tumor-associated macrophages in hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e37834. [PMID: 38640338 PMCID: PMC11029977 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000037834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence from clinical research suggests that the tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) were associated with prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the present meta-analysis was to conduct a qualitative analysis to explore the prognostic value of CD68 + TAMs in HCC. METHODS This study conducted a systematic search in Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Library and China National Knowledge Internet from inception of the databases to November 2023. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated employing fixed-effect or random-effect models depending on the heterogeneity of the included trials. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the risk of prejudice. RESULTS We analyzed 4362 HCC patients. The present research indicated that the expression levels Of CD68 + TAMs were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.30-1.84) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.17-1.78). Subgroup analysis based on cutoff values showed that the "Median" subgroup showed a pooled HR of 1.66 with a 95% CI ranging from 1.32 to 2.08, which was slightly higher than the "Others" subgroup that exhibited a pooled HR of 1.40 and a 95% CI of 1.07 to 1.84. The "PT" subgroup had the highest pooled HR of 1.68 (95% CI: 1.19-2.37), indicating a worse OS compared to the "IT" (pooled HR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.13-2.01) and "Mix" (pooled HR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.03-2.26) subgroups. Moreover, in the sample size-based analysis, studies with more than 100 samples (>100) exhibited a higher pooled HR of 1.57 (95% CI: 1.28 to 1.93) compared to studies with fewer than 100 samples (<100), which had a pooled HR of 1.45 (95% CI: 1.00-2.10). CONCLUSIONS The analysis suggests that CD68 + TAMs were significantly associated with unfavorable OS and DFS in HCC patients, and may be served as a promising prognostic biomarker in HCC. However, more large-scale trials are needed to study the clinical value of TAMs in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danwen Jin
- Pathological Diagnosis Center, Zhoushan Hospital, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Liyong Qian
- Pathological Diagnosis Center, Zhoushan Hospital, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jiayao Chen
- Department of Laboratory, Zhoushan Hospital, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Ze Yu
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Molecular Biology, Zhoushan Hospital, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jinliang Dong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhoushan Hospital, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, China
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3
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Ramirez CFA, Taranto D, Ando-Kuri M, de Groot MHP, Tsouri E, Huang Z, de Groot D, Kluin RJC, Kloosterman DJ, Verheij J, Xu J, Vegna S, Akkari L. Cancer cell genetics shaping of the tumor microenvironment reveals myeloid cell-centric exploitable vulnerabilities in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2581. [PMID: 38519484 PMCID: PMC10959959 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46835-2] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Myeloid cells are abundant and plastic immune cell subsets in the liver, to which pro-tumorigenic, inflammatory and immunosuppressive roles have been assigned in the course of tumorigenesis. Yet several aspects underlying their dynamic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remain elusive, including the impact of distinct genetic mutations in shaping a cancer-permissive tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, in newly generated, clinically-relevant somatic female HCC mouse models, we identify cancer genetics' specific and stage-dependent alterations of the liver TME associated with distinct histopathological and malignant HCC features. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-activated, NrasG12D-driven tumors exhibit a mixed phenotype of prominent inflammation and immunosuppression in a T cell-excluded TME. Mechanistically, we report a NrasG12D cancer cell-driven, MEK-ERK1/2-SP1-dependent GM-CSF secretion enabling the accumulation of immunosuppressive and proinflammatory monocyte-derived Ly6Clow cells. GM-CSF blockade curbs the accumulation of these cells, reduces inflammation, induces cancer cell death and prolongs animal survival. Furthermore, GM-CSF neutralization synergizes with a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor to restrain HCC outgrowth. These findings underscore the profound alterations of the myeloid TME consequential to MAPK pathway activation intensity and the potential of GM-CSF inhibition as a myeloid-centric therapy tailored to subsets of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christel F A Ramirez
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel Taranto
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Masami Ando-Kuri
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marnix H P de Groot
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Efi Tsouri
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Zhijie Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Daniel de Groot
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roelof J C Kluin
- Genomics Core facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daan J Kloosterman
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joanne Verheij
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jing Xu
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Serena Vegna
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Leila Akkari
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Zhang S, Qin O, Wu S, Xu H, Huang W, Hailiang S. A pyrimidine metabolism-related signature for prognostic and immunotherapeutic response prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma by integrating analyses. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:5545-5566. [PMID: 38517376 PMCID: PMC11006494 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205663] [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: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with discouraging morbidity and mortality, ranks as one of the most prevalent tumors worldwide. Pyrimidine metabolism is a critical process that regulates DNA and RNA synthesis in cells. It is imperative to investigate the significance of pyrimidine metabolism in liver cancer. METHODS Transcriptome and clinical data were downloaded from the TCGA database and the GEO database. The genes related to pyrimidine metabolism were sourced from the MSigDB. The pyrimidine metabolism-related signature (PMRS) was constructed through Cox regression and Lasso regression and then verified in the external validation set from the ICGC database. Functional enrichment, immune infiltration analysis, drug sensitivity, and Immunophenoscore (IPS) were further implemented to predict the response to immunotherapy. The role of PMRS in the malignant phenotype of hepatocellular carcinoma was explored by conducting a series of in vitro experiments. RESULTS Our study developed a four-genes PMRS which demonstrates a substantial correlation with the prognosis of HCC patients, serving as an independent predictor in clinical practice. The result of risk-stratified analysis yielded evidence that low-risk patients experienced more favorable clinical outcomes. The nomogram exhibited remarkable prognostic predictive value. The subsequent results revealed that low-risk patients manifested a more promising response to immunotherapy. Moreover, the results of cell experiments demonstrated that the downregulation of DCK markedly inhibited the malignant phenotype of hepatocellular carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS Our pyrimidine metabolism-centered prognostic signature accurately predicts overall survival, immune status, and treatment response in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, offering innovative insights for precise diagnosis, personalized treatment, and improved prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihang Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Dalang Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Ouyang Qin
- Department of General Surgery, Dalang Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Shu Wu
- Affiliated Dongguan Hospital Southern Medical University (Dongguan People’s Hospital) Dongguan Guangdong, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Huanming Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Dalang Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Hepatic-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, P.R. China
| | - Song Hailiang
- Department of General Surgery, Dalang Hospital, Dongguan, Guangdong, P.R. China
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Aida T, Haruki K, Akaoka M, Furukawa K, Onda S, Shirai Y, Shiozaki H, Takahashi K, Oikawa T, Ikegami T. A novel combined C-reactive protein-albumin ratio and modified albumin-bilirubin score can predict long-term outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatic resection. Ann Gastroenterol Surg 2024; 8:143-150. [PMID: 38250682 PMCID: PMC10797842 DOI: 10.1002/ags3.12727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Systemic inflammatory response represented by C-reactive protein and albumin ratio (CAR) and modified albumin-bilirubin (mALBI) grade both have been associated with long-term outcome in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we investigated the prognostic utility of combined score of CAR and mALBI score to predict the prognosis of HCC patients after hepatic resection. Methods This study included 214 patients who had undergone primary hepatic resection for HCC between 2008 and 2018. Systemic inflammatory response and mALBI were evaluated preoperatively and patients were classified into three groups based on the combination of CAR and mALBI score: low CAR and low mALBI grade (score 0), either high CAR or high mALBI grade (score 1), and both high CAR and high mALBI grade ≥2b (score 2). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were conducted to assess disease-free and overall survival. Results In multivariate analysis, sex (p < 0.01), HBsAg positivity (p < 0.01), serum AFP level ≥20 ng/mL (p < 0.01), microvascular invasion (p = 0.02), multiple tumors (p < 0.01), type of resection (p < 0.01), and CAR-mALBI score ≥2 (HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.39-3.44, p < 0.01) were independent prognostic factors of disease-free survival, while sex (p = 0.01), HBsAg positivity (p < 0.01), poor tumor differentiation (p = 0.03), multiple tumors (p < 0.01), CAR-mALBI score ≥2 (HR 2.70, 95% CI 1.51-4.83, p < 0.01) were independent prognostic factors of overall survival. Conclusions CAR-mALBI score is associated with disease-free and overall survival in patients with HCC after hepatic resection, suggesting the importance of evaluating both hepatic functional reserve and host-inflammatory state in the risk assessment of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Aida
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of SurgeryThe Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Koichiro Haruki
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of SurgeryThe Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Munetoshi Akaoka
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of SurgeryThe Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Kenei Furukawa
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of SurgeryThe Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Shinji Onda
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of SurgeryThe Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Yoshihiro Shirai
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of SurgeryThe Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Hironori Shiozaki
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of SurgeryThe Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Keita Takahashi
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of SurgeryThe Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Tsunekazu Oikawa
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal MedicineThe Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
| | - Toru Ikegami
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of SurgeryThe Jikei University School of MedicineTokyoJapan
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Yerukala Sathipati S, Aimalla N, Tsai MJ, Carter T, Jeong S, Wen Z, Shukla SK, Sharma R, Ho SY. Prognostic microRNA signature for estimating survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Carcinogenesis 2023; 44:650-661. [PMID: 37701974 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgad062] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading cancer types with increasing annual incidence and high mortality in the USA. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as valuable prognostic indicators in cancer patients. To identify a miRNA signature predictive of survival in patients with HCC, we developed a machine learning-based HCC survival estimation method, HCCse, using the miRNA expression profiles of 122 patients with HCC. METHODS The HCCse method was designed using an optimal feature selection algorithm incorporated with support vector regression. RESULTS HCCse identified a robust miRNA signature consisting of 32 miRNAs and obtained a mean correlation coefficient (R) and mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.87 ± 0.02 and 0.73 years between the actual and estimated survival times of patients with HCC; and the jackknife test achieved an R and MAE of 0.73 and 0.97 years between actual and estimated survival times, respectively. The identified signature has seven prognostic miRNAs (hsa-miR-146a-3p, hsa-miR-200a-3p, hsa-miR-652-3p, hsa-miR-34a-3p, hsa-miR-132-5p, hsa-miR-1301-3p and hsa-miR-374b-3p) and four diagnostic miRNAs (hsa-miR-1301-3p, hsa-miR-17-5p, hsa-miR-34a-3p and hsa-miR-200a-3p). Notably, three of these miRNAs, hsa-miR-200a-3p, hsa-miR-1301-3p and hsa-miR-17-5p, also displayed association with tumor stage, further emphasizing their clinical relevance. Furthermore, we performed pathway enrichment analysis and found that the target genes of the identified miRNA signature were significantly enriched in the hepatitis B pathway, suggesting its potential involvement in HCC pathogenesis. CONCLUSIONS Our study developed HCCse, a machine learning-based method, to predict survival in HCC patients using miRNA expression profiles. We identified a robust miRNA signature of 32 miRNAs with prognostic and diagnostic value, highlighting their clinical relevance in HCC management and potential involvement in HCC pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nikhila Aimalla
- Department of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, Marshfield Clinic Health System, Marshfield, WI 54449, USA
| | - Ming-Ju Tsai
- Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew Senior Life, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tonia Carter
- Center for Precision Medicine Research, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, WI 54449, USA
| | - Sohyun Jeong
- Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew Senior Life, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhi Wen
- Center for Precision Medicine Research, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, WI 54449, USA
| | - Sanjay K Shukla
- Center for Precision Medicine Research, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, Marshfield, WI 54449, USA
| | - Rohit Sharma
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Marshfield Clinic Health System, Marshfield, WI 54449, USA
| | - Shinn-Ying Ho
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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7
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Manna D, Reghupaty SC, Camarena MDC, Mendoza RG, Subler MA, Koblinski JE, Martin R, Dozmorov MG, Mukhopadhyay ND, Liu J, Qu X, Das SK, Lai Z, Windle JJ, Fisher PB, Sarkar D. Melanoma differentiation associated gene-9/syndecan binding protein promotes hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology 2023; 78:1727-1741. [PMID: 36120720 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The oncogene Melanoma differentiation associated gene-9/syndecan binding protein (MDA-9/SDCBP) is overexpressed in many cancers, promoting aggressive, metastatic disease. However, the role of MDA-9 in regulating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been well studied. APPROACH AND RESULTS To unravel the function of MDA-9 in HCC, we generated and characterized a transgenic mouse with hepatocyte-specific overexpression of MDA-9 (Alb/MDA-9). Compared with wild-type (WT) littermates, Alb/MDA-9 mice demonstrated significantly higher incidence of N-nitrosodiethylamine/phenobarbital-induced HCC, with marked activation and infiltration of macrophages. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in naive WT and Alb/MDA-9 hepatocytes identified activation of signaling pathways associated with invasion, angiogenesis, and inflammation, especially NF-κB and integrin-linked kinase signaling pathways. In nonparenchymal cells purified from naive livers, single-cell RNA-seq showed activation of Kupffer cells and macrophages in Alb/MDA-9 mice versus WT mice. A robust increase in the expression of Secreted phosphoprotein 1 (Spp1/osteopontin) was observed upon overexpression of MDA-9. Inhibition of NF-κB pathway blocked MDA-9-induced Spp1 induction, and knock down of Spp1 resulted in inhibition of MDA-9-induced macrophage migration, as well as angiogenesis. CONCLUSIONS Alb/MDA-9 is a mouse model with MDA-9 overexpression in any tissue type. Our findings unravel an HCC-promoting role of MDA-9 mediated by NF-κB and Spp1 and support the rationale of using MDA-9 inhibitors as a potential treatment for aggressive HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debashri Manna
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Saranya Chidambaranathan Reghupaty
- C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Maria Del Carmen Camarena
- C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Rachel G Mendoza
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Mark A Subler
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Jennifer E Koblinski
- Massey Cancer Center , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
- Department of Pathology , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Rebecca Martin
- Massey Cancer Center , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Mikhail G Dozmorov
- Department of Biostatistics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Nitai D Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Biostatistics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Jinze Liu
- Department of Biostatistics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Xufeng Qu
- Massey Cancer Center , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Swadesh K Das
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
- Massey Cancer Center , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
- Virginia Commonwealth University Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM) , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Zhao Lai
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute , University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio , San Antonio , Texas , USA
| | - Jolene J Windle
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
- Massey Cancer Center , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
- Virginia Commonwealth University Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM) , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Paul B Fisher
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
- Massey Cancer Center , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
- Virginia Commonwealth University Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM) , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
| | - Devanand Sarkar
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
- Massey Cancer Center , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
- Virginia Commonwealth University Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM) , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , Virginia , USA
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Liu W, Zhang F, Quan B, Yao F, Chen R, Ren Z, Yin X. NLRP3/IL-1β induced myeloid-derived suppressor cells recruitment and PD-L1 upregulation promotes oxaliplatin resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e447. [PMID: 38116060 PMCID: PMC10728756 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxaliplatin is commonly used as the first-line chemotherapeutic agent for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Unfortunately, the acquired resistance, limits the effectiveness of oxaliplatin and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Therefore, we explored the role of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)/IL-1β in mediating oxaliplatin resistance in HCC. We observed that NLRP3/IL-1β expression was much higher in oxaliplatin-resistant HCC cells. To further understand its impact on drug resistance, we knocked down NLRP3 and observed that it sensitized HCC cells to the growth-inhibitory effects of oxaliplatin and induced cell apoptosis. NLRP3/IL-1β overexpressing tumor cells also attracted polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Using mouse models, we demonstrated that NLRP3/IL-1β inhibition by short hairpin RNA or MCC950 effectively overcame oxaliplatin resistance. Furthermore, NLRP3/IL-1β inhibition resulted in reduced expression of PD-L1. We also found that PD-L1 antibody combined with NLRP3/IL-1β blockade displayed significant antitumor effect in HCC. Overall, our study provides compelling evidence supporting the essential role of NLRP3/IL-1β in conferring resistance to oxaliplatin and reshaping the immunosuppressive microenvironment in HCC. Targeting NLRP3/IL-1β presents a potential therapeutic target for overcoming oxaliplatin resistance and reshaping microenvironment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Liu
- Department of Hepatic Oncology, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of National Clinical Research Center for Interventional MedicineZhongshan hospital, Fudan universityShanghaiChina
| | - Feng Zhang
- Department of Hepatic Oncology, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of National Clinical Research Center for Interventional MedicineZhongshan hospital, Fudan universityShanghaiChina
| | - Bing Quan
- Department of Hepatic Oncology, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of National Clinical Research Center for Interventional MedicineZhongshan hospital, Fudan universityShanghaiChina
| | - Fan Yao
- Department of Hepatic Oncology, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of National Clinical Research Center for Interventional MedicineZhongshan hospital, Fudan universityShanghaiChina
| | - Rongxin Chen
- Department of Hepatic Oncology, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of National Clinical Research Center for Interventional MedicineZhongshan hospital, Fudan universityShanghaiChina
| | - Zhenggang Ren
- Department of Hepatic Oncology, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of National Clinical Research Center for Interventional MedicineZhongshan hospital, Fudan universityShanghaiChina
| | - Xin Yin
- Department of Hepatic Oncology, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of National Clinical Research Center for Interventional MedicineZhongshan hospital, Fudan universityShanghaiChina
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9
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Liu S, Jia M, Dai R. Deciphering the tumour immune microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Scand J Immunol 2023; 98:e13327. [PMID: 38441331 DOI: 10.1111/sji.13327] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Current treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are less effective and prone to recurrence after surgery, so it's needed to seek new ideas for its therapy. Tumour immune microenvironment (TME) is crucial for the pathogenesis, development and metastasis of HCC. Interactions between immune cells and tumour cells significantly impact responses to immunotherapies and patient prognosis. In recent years, immunotherapies for HCC have shown promising potential, but the response rate is still unsatisfactory. Understanding their cross-talks is helpful for selecting potential therapeutic targets, predicting immunotherapy responses, determining immunotherapy efficacy, identifying prognostic markers and selecting individualized treatment options. In this paper, we reviewed the research advances on the roles of immune cells and multi-omic research associated with HCC pathogenesis and therapy, and future perspectives on TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Department of Pain, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Man Jia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Rongyang Dai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
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10
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Zhou J, Wang H, Shu T, Wang J, Yang W, Li J, Ding L, Liu M, Sun H, Wong J, Lai PBS, Tsang SW, Ward SE, Chow KL, Sung JJY, Sze-Lok Cheng A. Myeloid-intrinsic cell cycle-related kinase drives immunosuppression to promote tumorigenesis. iScience 2023; 26:107626. [PMID: 37731616 PMCID: PMC10507137 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107626] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Massive expansion of immature and suppressive myeloid cells is a common feature of malignant solid tumors. Over-expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 20, also known as cell cycle-related kinase (CCRK), in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) correlates with reduced patient survival and low immunotherapy responsiveness. Beyond tumor-intrinsic oncogenicity, here we demonstrated that CCRK is upregulated in myeloid cells in tumor-bearing mice and in patients with HCC. Intratumoral injection of Ccrk-knockdown myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) increased tumor-infiltrating CD8+T cells and suppressed HCC tumorigenicity. Using an indel mutant transgenic model, we showed that Ccrk inactivation in myeloid cells conferred a mature phenotype with elevated IL-12 production, driving Th1 responses and CD8+T cell cytotoxicity to reduce orthotopic tumor growth and prolong survival. Mechanistically, CCRK activates STAT3/E4BP4 signaling in MDSCs to acquire immunosuppressive activity through transcriptional IL-10 induction and IL-12 suppression. Taken together, our findings unravel mechanistic insights into MDSC-mediated immunosuppression and offer a therapeutic kinase-target for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingying Zhou
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Huanyu Wang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Ting Shu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Jing Wang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Weiqin Yang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Jingqing Li
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Lipeng Ding
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Man Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hanyong Sun
- Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - John Wong
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Paul Bo-san Lai
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Shun-Wa Tsang
- Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Simon E. Ward
- Medicines Discovery Institute, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
| | - King-Lau Chow
- Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Joseph Jao-yiu Sung
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
| | - Alfred Sze-Lok Cheng
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 999077, China
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11
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Li Z, Wang Y, Xing R, Zeng H, Yu XJ, Zhang YJ, Xu J, Zheng L. Cholesterol Efflux Drives the Generation of Immunosuppressive Macrophages to Promote the Progression of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:1400-1413. [PMID: 37467346 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Cholesterol is often enriched in tumor microenvironment (TME); however, its impact on disease progression varies in different tissues and cells. Monocytes/macrophages (Mφ) are major components and regulators of the TME and play pivotal roles in tumor progression and therapeutic responses. We aimed to investigate the profile, effects, and regulatory mechanisms of Mφ cholesterol metabolism in the context of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we found that patients with high serum levels of cholesterol had shorter survival times and lower response rates to anti-PD-1 treatment. However, the cholesterol content in tumor-infiltrating monocytes/Mφ was significantly lower than that in their counterparts in paired nontumor tissues. The expression of the cholesterol efflux transporter, ABCA1, was upregulated in tumor monocytes/Mφ, and ABCA1 upregulation positively associated with decreased cellular cholesterol content and increased serum cholesterol levels. Mechanistically, autocrine cytokines from tumor-treated monocytes increased LXRα and ABCA1 expression, which led to the generation of immature and immunosuppressive Mφ. Although exogenous cholesterol alone had little direct effect on Mφ, it did act synergistically with tumor-derived factors to promote ABCA1 expression in Mφ with more immunosuppressive features. Moreover, high numbers of ABCA1+ Mφ in HCC tumors associated with reduced CD8+ T-cell infiltration and predicted poor clinical outcome for patients. Our results revealed that dysregulated cholesterol homeostasis, due to the collaborative effects of tumors and exogenous cholesterol, drives the generation of immunosuppressive Mφ. The selective modulation of cholesterol metabolism in Mφ may represent a novel strategy for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixiong Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yongchun Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Rui Xing
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Huilan Zeng
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Xing-Juan Yu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yao-Jun Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jing Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Limin Zheng
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
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12
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Papadakos SP, Machairas N, Stergiou IE, Arvanitakis K, Germanidis G, Frampton AE, Theocharis S. Unveiling the Yin-Yang Balance of M1 and M2 Macrophages in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Role of Exosomes in Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Modulation. Cells 2023; 12:2036. [PMID: 37626849 PMCID: PMC10453902 DOI: 10.3390/cells12162036] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver cancer with a high mortality rate and limited treatment options. Recent research has brought attention to the significant importance of intercellular communication in the progression of HCC, wherein exosomes have been identified as critical agents facilitating cell-to-cell signaling. In this article, we investigate the impact of macrophages as both sources and targets of exosomes in HCC, shedding light on the intricate interplay between exosome-mediated communication and macrophage involvement in HCC pathogenesis. It investigates how exosomes derived from HCC cells and other cell types within the tumor microenvironment (TME) can influence macrophage behavior, polarization, and recruitment. Furthermore, the section explores the reciprocal interactions between macrophage-derived exosomes and HCC cells, stromal cells, and other immune cells, elucidating their role in tumor growth, angiogenesis, metastasis, and immune evasion. The findings presented here contribute to a better understanding of the role of macrophage-derived exosomes in HCC progression and offer new avenues for targeted interventions and improved patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stavros P. Papadakos
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece;
| | - Nikolaos Machairas
- Second Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laikon General Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Ioanna E. Stergiou
- Pathophysiology Department, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Konstantinos Arvanitakis
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, First Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, St. Kiriakidi 1, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (K.A.); (G.G.)
- Basic and Translational Research Unit (BTRU), Special Unit for Biomedical Research and Education (BRESU), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Georgios Germanidis
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, First Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, St. Kiriakidi 1, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece; (K.A.); (G.G.)
- Basic and Translational Research Unit (BTRU), Special Unit for Biomedical Research and Education (BRESU), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Adam Enver Frampton
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK
- Oncology Section, Surrey Cancer Research Institute, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, FHMS, University of Surrey, The Leggett Building, Daphne Jackson Road, Guildford GU2 7WG, UK
- HPB Surgical Unit, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Guildford GU2 7XX, UK
| | - Stamatios Theocharis
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece;
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13
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Povero D, Chen Y, Johnson SM, McMahon CE, Pan M, Bao H, Petterson XMT, Blake E, Lauer KP, O'Brien DR, Yu Y, Graham RP, Taner T, Han X, Razidlo GL, Liu J. HILPDA promotes NASH-driven HCC development by restraining intracellular fatty acid flux in hypoxia. J Hepatol 2023; 79:378-393. [PMID: 37061197 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.03.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-driven hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rising rapidly, yet its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we aim to determine the role of hypoxia-inducible lipid droplet associated protein (HILPDA)/hypoxia-inducible gene 2 (HIG2), a selective inhibitor of intracellular lipolysis, in NASH-driven HCC. METHODS The clinical significance of HILPDA was assessed in human NASH-driven HCC specimens by immunohistochemistry and transcriptomics analyses. The oncogenic effect of HILPDA was assessed in human HCC cells and in 3D epithelial spheroids upon exposure to free fatty acids and either normoxia or hypoxia. Lipidomics profiling of wild-type and HILPDA knockout HCC cells was assessed via shotgun and targeted approaches. Wild-type (Hilpdafl/fl) and hepatocyte-specific Hilpda knockout (HilpdaΔHep) mice were fed a Western diet and high sugar in drinking water while receiving carbon tetrachloride to induce NASH-driven HCC. RESULTS In patients with NASH-driven HCC, upregulated HILPDA expression is strongly associated with poor survival. In oxygen-deprived and lipid-loaded culture conditions, HILPDA promotes viability of human hepatoma cells and growth of 3D epithelial spheroids. Lack of HILPDA triggered flux of polyunsaturated fatty acids to membrane phospholipids and of saturated fatty acids to ceramide synthesis, exacerbating lipid peroxidation and apoptosis in hypoxia. The apoptosis induced by HILPDA deficiency was reversed by pharmacological inhibition of ceramide synthesis. In our experimental mouse model of NASH-driven HCC, HilpdaΔHep exhibited reduced hepatic steatosis and tumorigenesis but increased oxidative stress in the liver. Single-cell analysis supports a dual role of hepatic HILPDA in protecting HCC cells and facilitating the establishment of a pro-tumorigenic immune microenvironment in NASH. CONCLUSIONS Hepatic HILPDA is a pivotal oncometabolic factor in the NASH liver microenvironment and represents a potential novel therapeutic target. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, chronic metabolic liver disease caused by buildup of fat, inflammation and damage in the liver) is emerging as the leading risk factor and the fastest growing cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. While curative therapeutic options exist for HCC, it frequently presents at a late stage when such options are no longer effective and only systemic therapies are available. However, systemic therapies are still associated with poor efficacy and some side effects. In addition, no approved drugs are available for NASH. Therefore, understanding the underlying metabolic alterations occurring during NASH-driven HCC is key to identifying new cancer treatments that target the unique metabolic needs of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Povero
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
| | - Yongbin Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Scott M Johnson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Cailin E McMahon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Meixia Pan
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Hanmei Bao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Xuan-Mai T Petterson
- Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 4939 Charles Katz Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Emily Blake
- Metabolomics Core, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Kimberly P Lauer
- Metabolomics Core, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Daniel R O'Brien
- Metabolomics Core, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Yue Yu
- Metabolomics Core, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Rondell P Graham
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Timucin Taner
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Division of Anatomic Pathology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Xianlin Han
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Departments of Surgery and Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Gina L Razidlo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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14
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Zhao N, Chen C, Guo Y, Liu T, Che N, Zhang D, Liang X, Zhang Y, Zhao X. LOXL2 serves as a prognostic biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma by mediating immune infiltration and vasculogenic mimicry. Dig Liver Dis 2023; 55:661-672. [PMID: 36192339 DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2022.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multistep process that is accompanied by progressive changes in the liver microenvironment, including immune evasion and angiogenesis. Lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) has been suggested to contribute to tumour progression and metastasis; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between LOXL2 and immune infiltration and vasculogenic mimicry (VM) and to identify the role of LOXL2 in HCC diagnosis prognosis evaluation. METHODS The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), UALCAN, GEPIA and Kaplan-Meier plotter databases were used to analyse LOXL2 expression and perform survival analysis. The Tumour Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) was used to analyse immune cell infiltration, immune cell biomarkers and immune checkpoints. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) of 201 HCC samples was used to confirm the expression of LOXL2 and its relationship with VM. Coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) and gain- and loss-of-function studies were performed to confirm the molecular mechanism of LOXL2 in VM. RESULTS The expression of LOXL2 in HCC was higher than that in normal tissues at both the mRNA and protein levels. High expression of LOXL2 was associated with a poorer prognosis of HCC. The genetic alteration rate of LOXL2 was 5%. LOXL2 was positively related to immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoints (PD-1 and CTLA-4) in HCC. Co-IP showed that LOXL2 can interact directly with IQGAP1. Both gain- and loss-of-function studies showed that LOXL2 significantly induced cell migration, invasion and VM formation when IQGAP1 was upregulated. CONCLUSIONS LOXL2 is involved in immune cell infiltration and promotes VM by upregulating IQGAP1. LOXL2 can be used as a novel biomarker for HCC diagnosis and prognosis prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Yuhong Guo
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Tieju Liu
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Na Che
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Danfang Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Xiaohui Liang
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Yanhui Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Xiulan Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China; Department of Pathology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300052, China.
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15
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Foglia B, Beltrà M, Sutti S, Cannito S. Metabolic Reprogramming of HCC: A New Microenvironment for Immune Responses. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087463. [PMID: 37108625 PMCID: PMC10138633 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary liver cancer, ranking third among the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide and whose incidence varies according to geographical area and ethnicity. Metabolic rewiring was recently introduced as an emerging hallmark able to affect tumor progression by modulating cancer cell behavior and immune responses. This review focuses on the recent studies examining HCC's metabolic traits, with particular reference to the alterations of glucose, fatty acid and amino acid metabolism, the three major metabolic changes that have gained attention in the field of HCC. After delivering a panoramic picture of the peculiar immune landscape of HCC, this review will also discuss how the metabolic reprogramming of liver cancer cells can affect, directly or indirectly, the microenvironment and the function of the different immune cell populations, eventually favoring the tumor escape from immunosurveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Foglia
- Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Marc Beltrà
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvatore Sutti
- Department of Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Research Center for Autoimmune Diseases, University of East Piedmont, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Stefania Cannito
- Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, 10125 Torino, Italy
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16
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Pan Y, Zhang D, Chen Y, Li H, Wang J, Yuan Z, Sun L, Zhou Z, Chen M, Zhang Y, Hu D. Development and validation of robust metabolism-related gene signature in the prognostic prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Cell Mol Med 2023; 27:1006-1020. [PMID: 36919714 PMCID: PMC10064027 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumours worldwide. Given metabolic reprogramming in tumours was a crucial hallmark, several studies have demonstrated its value in the diagnostics and surveillance of malignant tumours. The present study aimed to identify a cluster of metabolism-related genes to construct a prediction model for the prognosis of HCC. Multiple cohorts of HCC cases (466 cases) from public datasets were included in the present analysis. (GEO cohort) After identifying a list of metabolism-related genes associated with prognosis, a risk score based on metabolism-related genes was formulated via the LASSO-Cox and LASSO-pcvl algorithms. According to the risk score, patients were stratified into low- and high-risk groups, and further analysis and validation were accordingly conducted. The results revealed that high-risk patients had a significantly worse 5-year overall survival (OS) than low-risk patients in the GEO cohort. (30.0% vs. 57.8%; hazard ratio [HR], 0.411; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.302-0.651; p < 0.001) This observation was confirmed in the external TCGA-LIHC cohort. (34.5% vs. 54.4%; HR 0.452; 95% CI, 0.299-0.681; p < 0.001) To promote the predictive ability of the model, risk score, age, gender and tumour stage were integrated into a nomogram. According to the results of receiver operating characteristic curves and decision curves analysis, the nomogram score possessed a superior predictive ability than conventional factors, which indicate that the risk score combined with clinicopathological features was able to achieve a robust prediction for OS and improve the individualized clinical decision making of HCC patients. In conclusion, the metabolic genes related to OS were identified and developed a metabolism-based predictive model for HCC. Through a series of bioinformatics and statistical analyses, the predictive ability of the model was approved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangxun Pan
- Department of Liver Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Deyao Zhang
- Department of Liver Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuheng Chen
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Huake Li
- Department of Oncology, Changning County People's Hospital, Baoshan, China
| | - Jiongliang Wang
- Department of Liver Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ze Yuan
- Department of Liver Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liyang Sun
- Department of Liver Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhongguo Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Minshan Chen
- Department of Liver Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaojun Zhang
- Department of Liver Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dandan Hu
- Department of Liver Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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17
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Du L, Ji Y, Xin B, Zhang J, Lu LC, Glass CK, Feng GS. Shp2 Deficiency in Kupffer Cells and Hepatocytes Aggravates Hepatocarcinogenesis by Recruiting Non-Kupffer Macrophages. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 15:1351-1369. [PMID: 36828281 PMCID: PMC10140795 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2023.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Complex communications between hepatocytes and Kupffer cells (KCs) are known to drive or suppress hepatocarcinogenesis, with controversial data in the literature. In previous experiments that aimed to decipher hepatocyte/KC interactions, we unexpectedly unveiled a tumor-suppressing effect of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid, a widely used inducer of MX dynamin like GTPase 1 (Mx1)-cre expression, which questioned a theory of interleukin 1a/6 cytokine circuit in hepatocyte/KC communication. The goal of this study was to clarify the controversy and decipher unique functions of KCs and non-KC macrophages in liver tumorigenesis. METHODS We used the C-type lectin domain family 4 member F (Clec4f)-cre system to delete Src-homology 2 domain-containing tyrosine phosphatase 2 (Shp2)/protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor 11 (Ptpn11) in KCs, and a combination of Clec4f-cre and adeno-associated virus-cre to delete Shp2 in KCs and hepatocytes to investigate the effects on hepatocellular carcinoma development and immune cell compositions/activities. RESULTS Ablating Shp2 in KCs generated a tumor-promoting niche, which was exacerbated further by concurrent removal of Shp2 in both KCs and hepatocytes. Shp2 deficiency induced KC apoptosis and decreased its numbers, which induced compensatory recruitment of bone marrow-derived monocytes into liver. These newly recruited monocytes differentiated into non-KC macrophages with tumor-associated macrophage function, leading to aggravated tumor progression through down-regulation of CD8 T cells. Tumor-associated macrophage blockade by anti-chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) antibody inhibited hepatocellular carcinoma progression, while depletion of all macrophages had a tumor-promoting effect by increasing myeloid-derived suppressor cells (M-MDSCs) and decreasing CD8 T cells. CONCLUSIONS Shp2 loss in KCs or hepatocytes generated a protumorigenic microenvironment, which was exacerbated by its removal in both cell types. These results show the complexity of intercellular signaling events in liver tumorigenesis and raises caution on the use of specific Shp2 inhibitor in liver cancer therapy. Transcript profiling: RNA sequencing data are available at Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE222594).
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Du
- Department of Pathology, Department of Molecular Biology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California; Department of Gastroenterology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yichun Ji
- Department of Pathology, Department of Molecular Biology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Bing Xin
- Department of Pathology, Department of Molecular Biology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Jiemeng Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Department of Molecular Biology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Li-Chun Lu
- Department of Pathology, Department of Molecular Biology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California; Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Christopher K Glass
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Gen-Sheng Feng
- Department of Pathology, Department of Molecular Biology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.
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18
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Targeting tumor-associated macrophages in hepatocellular carcinoma: biology, strategy, and immunotherapy. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:65. [PMID: 36792608 PMCID: PMC9931715 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01356-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most malignant tumors, is characterized by its stubborn immunosuppressive microenvironment. As one of the main members of the tumor microenvironment (TME) of HCC, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a critical role in its occurrence and development, including stimulating angiogenesis, enhancing immunosuppression, and promoting the drug resistance and cancer metastasis. This review describes the origin as well as phenotypic heterogeneity of TAMs and their potential effects on the occurrence and development of HCC and also discusses about various adjuvant therapy based strategies that can be used for targeting TAMs. In addition, we have highlighted different treatment modalities for TAMs based on immunotherapy, including small molecular inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, antibodies, tumor vaccines, adoptive cellular immunotherapy, and nanocarriers for drug delivery, to explore novel combination therapies and provide feasible therapeutic options for clinically improving the prognosis and quality of life of HCC patients.
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19
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Ait-Ahmed Y, Lafdil F. Novel insights into the impact of liver inflammatory responses on primary liver cancer development. LIVER RESEARCH 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livres.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
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20
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Lominadze Z, Hill K, Shaik MR, Canakis JP, Bourmaf M, Adams-Mardi C, Abutaleb A, Mishra L, Shetty K. Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Setting of Liver Transplantation: A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032358. [PMID: 36768686 PMCID: PMC9917203 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The emerging field of immuno-oncology has brought exciting developments in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It has also raised urgent questions about the role of immunotherapy in the setting of liver transplantation, both before and after transplant. A growing body of evidence points to the safety and efficacy of immunotherapeutic agents as potential adjuncts for successful down-staging of advanced HCCs to allow successful transplant in carefully selected patients. For patients with recurrent HCC post-transplant, immunotherapy has a limited, yet growing role. In this review, we describe optimal regimens in the setting of liver transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zurabi Lominadze
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Kareen Hill
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Mohammed Rifat Shaik
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Justin P. Canakis
- Department of Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Mohammad Bourmaf
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Cyrus Adams-Mardi
- Department of Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Ameer Abutaleb
- Department of Surgery, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037, USA
| | - Lopa Mishra
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY 11030, USA
| | - Kirti Shetty
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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21
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Revamping the innate or innate-like immune cell-based therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: new mechanistic insights and advanced opportunities. MEDICAL ONCOLOGY (NORTHWOOD, LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 40:84. [PMID: 36680649 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-01948-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
A cancerous tumour termed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by inflammation and subsequently followed by end-stage liver disease and necrosis of the liver. The liver's continuous exposure to microorganisms and toxic molecules affects the immune response because normal tissue requires some immune tolerance to be safeguarded from damage. Several innate immune cells are involved in this process of immune system activation which includes dendritic cells, macrophages, and natural killer cells. The liver is an immunologic organ with vast quantities of innate and innate-like immune cells subjected to several antigens (bacteria, fungal or viral) through the gut-liver axis. Tumour-induced immune system engagement may be encouraged or suppressed through innate immunological systems, which are recognized promoters of liver disease development in pre-HCC conditions such as fibrosis or cirrhosis, ultimately resulting in HCC. Immune-based treatments containing several classes of drugs have transformed the treatment of several types of cancers in recent times. The effectiveness of such immunotherapies relies on intricate interactions between lymphocytes, tumour cells, and neighbouring cells. Even though immunotherapy therapy has already reported to possess potential effect to treat HCC, a clear understanding of the crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune cell pathways still need to be clearly understood for better exploitation of the same. The identification of predictive biomarkers, understanding the progression of the disease, and the invention of more efficient combinational treatments are the major challenges in HCC immunotherapy. The functions and therapeutic significance of innate immune cells, which have been widely implicated in HCC, in addition to the interplay between innate and adaptive immune responses during the pathogenesis, have been explored in the current review.
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22
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Haruki K, Taniai T, Yanagaki M, Furukawa K, Tsunematsu M, Onda S, Shirai Y, Matsumoto M, Okui N, Ikegami T. Sustained Systemic Inflammatory Response Predicts Survival in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Hepatic Resection. Ann Surg Oncol 2023; 30:604-613. [PMID: 36059035 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-022-12464-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preoperative systematic inflammatory response, represented by neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), and C-reactive protein-albumin ratio (CAR), has been associated with long-term outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the impact of sustained systematic inflammatory response after resection remains unclear. METHODS This study comprised 210 patients who had undergone primary hepatic resection for HCC between 2008 and 2018. Preoperative and postoperative NLR, LMR, and CAR were evaluated, and patients were then classified into three groups according to the status of each marker: persistently high inflammatory state (elevated group), preoperatively low inflammatory state (normal group), and preoperatively high but postoperatively low inflammatory state (normalized group). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were conducted to assess disease-free and overall survival, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS In multivariate analysis, sex (p = 0.002), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity (p = 0.002), serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) level ≥ 20 ng/mL (p < 0.001), multiple tumors (p < 0.001), microvascular invasion (p = 0.003), type of resection (p = 0.007), and elevated CAR (hazard ratio [HR] 2.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.55-3.73; p < 0.001) were independent and significant predictors of cancer recurrence, while sex (p = 0.05), HBsAg positivity (p = 0.03), serum AFP level ≥20 ng/mL (p = 0.009), multiple tumors (p = 0.03), microvascular invasion (p = 0.006), and elevated CAR (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.13-3.91; p = 0.02) were independent predictors of overall survival. CONCLUSIONS Sustained elevated CAR may be an independent and significant indicator of poor long-term outcomes in patients with HCC after hepatic resection, suggesting the interplay of the host's inflammatory state and tumor recurrence and progression in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichiro Haruki
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Tomohiko Taniai
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Yanagaki
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenei Furukawa
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masashi Tsunematsu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinji Onda
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Shirai
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michinori Matsumoto
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norimitsu Okui
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toru Ikegami
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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23
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He Z, Chen Q, He W, Cao J, Yao S, Huang Q, Zheng Y. Hepatocellular carcinoma subtypes based on metabolic pathways reveals potential therapeutic targets. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1086604. [PMID: 36937389 PMCID: PMC10017446 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1086604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive malignancy with steadily increasing incidence rates worldwide and poor therapeutic outcomes. Studies show that metabolic reprogramming plays a key role in tumor genesis and progression. In this study, we analyzed the metabolic heterogeneity of epithelial cells in the HCC and screened for potential biomarkers. Methods The hepatic single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets of HCC patients and healthy controls were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Based on data intergration and measurement of differences among groups, the metabolic epithelial cell subpopulations were identified. The single-cell metabolic pathway was analyzed and the myeloid subpopulations were identified. Cell-cell interaction analysis and single-cell proliferation analysis were performed. The gene expression profiles of HCC patients were obtained from the GSE14520 dataset of GEO and TCGA-LIHC cohort of the UCSC Xena website. Immune analysis was performed. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and functionally annotated. Tumor tissues from HCC patients were probed with anti-ALDOA, anti-CD68, anti-CD163, anti-CD4 and anti-FOXP3 antibodies. Results We analyzed the scRNA-seq data from 48 HCC patients and 14 healthy controls. The epithelial cells were significantly enriched in HCC patients compared to the controls (p = 0.011). The epithelial cells from HCC patients were classified into two metabolism-related subpopulations (MRSs) - pertaining to amino acid metabolism (MRS1) and glycolysis (MRS2). Depending on the abundance of these metabolic subpopulations, the HCC patients were also classified into the MRS1 and MRS2 subtype distinct prognoses and immune infiltration. The MRS2 group had significantly worse clinical outcomes and more inflamed tumor microenvironment (TME), as well as a stronger crosstalk between MRS2 cells and immune subpopulations that resulted in an immunosuppressive TME. We also detected high expression levels of ALDOA in the MRS2 cells and HCC tissues. In the clinical cohort, HCC patients with higher ALDOA expression showed greater enrichment of immunosuppressive cells including M2 macrophages and T regulatory cells. Discussion The glycolytic subtype of HCC cells with high ALDOA expression is associated with an immunosuppressive TME and predicts worse clinical outcomes, providing new insights into the metabolism and prognosis of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehua He
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Qingfeng Chen
- School of Computer, Electronic and Information, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- *Correspondence: Qingfeng Chen,
| | - Wanrong He
- Department of Gastroenterology, People’s Hospital of Guangxi, Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Junyue Cao
- College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Shunhan Yao
- Medical College, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Qingqiang Huang
- Guigang City Department of Radiology, People’s Hospital, Guigang, Guangxi, China
| | - Yu Zheng
- Department of Computer Science and Information Technology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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24
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Khanam A, Kottilil S. New Therapeutics for HCC: Does Tumor Immune Microenvironment Matter? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010437. [PMID: 36613878 PMCID: PMC9820509 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of liver cancer is continuously rising where hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the most common form of liver cancer accounting for approximately 80-90% of the cases. HCC is strongly prejudiced by the tumor microenvironment and being an inflammation-associated condition, the contribution of various immune mechanisms is critical in its development, progression, and metastasis. The tumor immune microenvironment is initially inflammatory which is subsequently replenished by the immunosuppressive cells contributing to tumor immune escape. Regardless of substantial advancement in systemic therapy, HCC has poor prognosis and outcomes attributed to the drug resistance, recurrence, and its metastatic behavior. Therefore, currently, new immunotherapeutic strategies are extensively targeted in preclinical and clinical settings in order to elicit robust HCC-specific immune responses and appear to be quite effective, extending current treatment alternatives. Understanding the complex interplay between the tumor and the immune cells and its microenvironment will provide new insights into designing novel immunotherapeutics to overcome existing treatment hurdles. In this review, we have provided a recent update on immunological mechanisms associated with HCC and discussed potential advancement in immunotherapies for HCC treatment.
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25
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Jing F, Liu X, Chen X, Wu F, Gao Q. Tailoring biomaterials and applications targeting tumor-associated macrophages in cancers. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1049164. [PMID: 36439188 PMCID: PMC9691967 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1049164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a critical role in supporting tumor growth and metastasis, taming host immunosurveillance, and augmenting therapeutic resistance. As the current treatment paradigms for cancers are generally insufficient to exterminate cancer cells, anti-cancer therapeutic strategies targeting TAMs have been developed. Since TAMs are highly heterogeneous and the pro-tumoral functions are mediated by phenotypes with canonical surface markers, TAM-associated materials exert anti-tumor functions by either inhibiting polarization to the pro-tumoral phenotype or decreasing the abundance of TAMs. Furthermore, TAMs in association with the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and tumor immunity have been extensively exploited in mounting evidence, and could act as carriers or accessory cells of anti-tumor biomaterials. Recently, a variety of TAM-based materials with the capacity to target and eliminate cancer cells have been increasingly developed for basic research and clinical practice. As various TAM-based biomaterials, including antibodies, nanoparticles, RNAs, etc., have been shown to have potential anti-tumor effects reversing the TME, in this review, we systematically summarize the current studies to fully interpret the specific properties and various effects of TAM-related biomaterials, highlighting the potential clinical applications of targeting the crosstalk among TAMs, tumor cells, and immune cells in anti-cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangqi Jing
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaowei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China College of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Chen
- Department of Prosthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fanglong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Frontier Innovation Center for Dental Medicine Plus, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qinghong Gao
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Zhang H, Sheng D, Han Z, Zhang L, Sun G, Yang X, Wang X, Wei L, Lu Y, Hou X, Zhang L. Doxorubicin-liposome combined with clodronate-liposome inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma through the depletion of macrophages and tumor cells. Int J Pharm 2022; 629:122346. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.122346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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23-hydroxybetulinic acid reduces tumorigenesis, metastasis and immunosuppression in a mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma via disruption of the MAPK signaling pathway. Anticancer Drugs 2022; 33:815-825. [PMID: 36136986 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000001325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) shows recurrence and lung metastasis even after treatment. 23-hydroxybetulinic acid (23-HBA), a major active constituent of Pulsatilla chinensis, exhibits potent antitumor activities. We herein investigate the biological effect of 23-HBA on metastasis and immunosuppression in a mouse model of HCC. Microarray-based gene expression profiling was employed to identify the target genes of 23-HBA in the treatment of HCC. The effect of 23-HBA on the progression of HCC was evaluated by in-vitro cell function measurements along with in-vivo xenograft implantation, lung metastasis and CD11b+Gr1+ staining experiments. The potential mechanism involving target signaling pathway was investigated by western blot analysis. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) was a key target gene mediated by 23-HBA in HCC, whereas Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis demonstrated that MMP2 mainly affects the development and metastasis of HCC. 23-HBA significantly reduced cell malignant functions in vitro while delaying the HCC growth and metastasis in vivo. In addition, the number of myeloid-derived suppressor cells was shown to be reduced following administration of 23-HBA in mice. Mechanistic analysis indicated that these effects of 23-HBA during HCC were involved with the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway inactivation and resulted in decreased phosphorylation of both mitogen-activated protein kinases 1/2 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. Our study reveals that 23-HBA acts as a tumor suppressor agent and suppresses HCC tumorigenesis, metastasis and immunosuppression via blockade of the MAPK signaling pathway, suggesting that 23-HBA may serve as a promising drug target to treat HCC.
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28
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The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma-current situation and outlook. Mol Immunol 2022; 151:218-230. [PMID: 36179604 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2022.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most severe malignant tumors that threaten human health, and its incidence is still on the rise recently. In spite of the current emerging treatment strategies, the overall prognosis of liver cancer remains worrying. Currently, immunotherapy has become a new research-active spot. The emergence of immune checkpoints and targeted immune cell therapy can significantly improve the prognosis of HCC. To a large extent, the effect of this immunotherapy depends on the tumor immune microenvironment (TME), an intricate system in which cancer cells and other non-cancer cells display various interactions. Understanding the immunosuppressive situation of these cells, along with the malignant behavior of cancer cells, can assist us to design new therapeutic approaches against tumors. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the TME of HCC for further improvement of clinical treatment. This review discussed the functions of several immunosuppressive cells and exosomes in the latest research progress of HCC, including cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) interacted actively to facilitate tumor progression. It further describes the treatment methods targeting them and the potential that needs to be explored in the future.
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29
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Yang X, Dai J, Yao S, An J, Wen G, Jin H, Zhang L, Zheng L, Chen X, Yi Z, Tuo B. APOBEC3B: Future direction of liver cancer research. Front Oncol 2022; 12:996115. [PMID: 36203448 PMCID: PMC9530283 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.996115] [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: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world, and the rate of liver cancer is high due to the of its illness. The main risk factor for liver cancer is infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), but a considerable number of genetic and epigenetic factors are also directly or indirectly involved in the underlying pathogenesis of liver cancer. In particular, the apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic peptide-like protein (APOBEC) family (DNA or mRNA editor family), which has been the focus of virology research for more than a decade, has been found to play a significant role in the occurrence and development of various cancers, providing a new direction for the research of liver cancer. APOBEC3B is a cytosine deaminase that controls a variety of biological processes, such as protein expression, innate immunity, and embryonic development, by participating in the process of cytidine deamination to uridine in DNA and RNA. In humans, APOBEC3B has long been known as a DNA editor for limiting viral replication and transcription. APOBEC3B is widely expressed at low levels in a variety of normal tissues and organs, but it is significantly upregulated in different types of tumor tissues and tumor lines. Thus, APOBEC3B has received increasing attention in various cancers, but the role of APOBEC3B in the occurrence and development of liver cancer due to infection with HBV remains unclear. This review provides a brief introduction to the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma induced by HBV, and it further explores the latest results of APOBEC3B research in the development of HBV and liver cancer, thereby providing new directions and strategies for the treatment and prevention of liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyue Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Jing Dai
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Shun Yao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Jiaxing An
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Guorong Wen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Hai Jin
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Liming Zheng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Xingyue Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Zhiqiang Yi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Biguang Tuo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- The Collaborative Innovation Center of Tissue Damage Repair and Regenerative Medicine of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- *Correspondence: Biguang Tuo,
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30
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Zhang P, Chen Z, Kuang H, Liu T, Zhu J, Zhou L, Wang Q, Xiong X, Meng Z, Qiu X, Jacks R, Liu L, Li S, Lumeng CN, Li Q, Zhou X, Lin JD. Neuregulin 4 suppresses NASH-HCC development by restraining tumor-prone liver microenvironment. Cell Metab 2022; 34:1359-1376.e7. [PMID: 35973424 PMCID: PMC9458631 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian liver comprises heterogeneous cell types within its tissue microenvironment that undergo pathophysiological reprogramming in disease states, such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Patients with NASH are at an increased risk for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular and cellular nature of liver microenvironment remodeling that links NASH to liver carcinogenesis remains obscure. Here, we show that diet-induced NASH is characterized by the induction of tumor-associated macrophage (TAM)-like macrophages and exhaustion of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in the liver. The adipocyte-derived endocrine factor Neuregulin 4 (NRG4) serves as a hormonal checkpoint that restrains this pathological reprogramming during NASH. NRG4 deficiency exacerbated the induction of tumor-prone liver immune microenvironment and NASH-related HCC, whereas transgenic NRG4 overexpression elicited protective effects in mice. In a therapeutic setting, recombinant NRG4-Fc fusion protein exhibited remarkable potency in suppressing HCC and prolonged survival in the treated mice. These findings pave the way for therapeutic intervention of liver cancer by targeting the NRG4 hormonal checkpoint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Zhimin Chen
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Henry Kuang
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Tongyu Liu
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jiaqiang Zhu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Linkang Zhou
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Qiuyu Wang
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xuelian Xiong
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ziyi Meng
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xiaoxue Qiu
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ramiah Jacks
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Lu Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Siming Li
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Carey N Lumeng
- Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xiang Zhou
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jiandie D Lin
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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Hao X, Zheng Z, Liu H, Zhang Y, Kang J, Kong X, Rong D, Sun G, Sun G, Liu L, Yu H, Tang W, Wang X. Inhibition of APOC1 promotes the transformation of M2 into M1 macrophages via the ferroptosis pathway and enhances anti-PD1 immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma based on single-cell RNA sequencing. Redox Biol 2022; 56:102463. [PMID: 36108528 PMCID: PMC9482117 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2022.102463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) presents better insights into cell behavior in the context of a complex tumor microenvironment by profiling single-cell populations. However, the mechanisms underlying treatment failure in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are poorly understood. In this study, we performed deep scRNA-seq on immune cells under the isolation in peripheral blood, cancer tissues, and nearby common tissues of four HCC cases and two non-cancer controls, and 212,494 cells were included in the analysis. We identified distinct immune cell subtypes, enriched pathways for differential genes, and delineated associated developmentally relevant trajectories. APOC1 was found over-expressed in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) of HCC tissues than in normal tissues. Inhibition of APOC1 reversed the M2 phenotype to the M1 phenotype via the ferroptosis pathway in TAMs from HCC. Tumors in APOC1 −/− C57BL/6 mice demonstrated consistent attenuation compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Mass spectrometry results revealed that the relative proportion of M2 macrophages, B cells, and CD4+ T cells in the APOC1 −/− group exhibited a downward expression compared with the WT group, whereas CD8+ T cells, M1 macrophages, and NK cells exhibited an upward trend. Finally, APOC1 was found to be negatively correlated with the expression of PD1/PD-L1 in human HCC samples. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that inhibiting APOC1 can promote the transformation of M2 macrophages into M1 macrophages via the ferroptosis pathway, thereby reshaping the tumor immune microenvironment and improving the anti-PD1 immunotherapy for HCC, providing a new strategy for improving the therapeutic effect of anti-PD1, and bringing new hope to HCC patients.
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Dios-Barbeito S, González R, Cadenas M, García LF, Victor VM, Padillo FJ, Muntané J. Impact of nitric oxide in liver cancer microenvironment. Nitric Oxide 2022; 128:1-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.niox.2022.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Chen Y, Hu H, Yuan X, Fan X, Zhang C. Advances in Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:896752. [PMID: 35757756 PMCID: PMC9226303 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.896752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is usually diagnosed in an advanced stage and has become the second deadliest type of cancer worldwide. The systemic treatment of advanced HCC has been a challenge, and for decades was limited to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) until the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) became available. Due to drug resistance and unsatisfactory therapeutic effects of monotherapy with TKIs or ICIs, multi-ICIs, or the combination of ICIs with antiangiogenic drugs has become a novel strategy to treat advanced HCC. Antiangiogenic drugs mostly include TKIs (sorafenib, lenvatinib, regorafenib, cabozantinib and so on) and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), such as bevacizumab. Common ICIs include anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), including nivolumab, pembrolizumab, durvalumab, and atezolizumab, and anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4), including tremelimumab and ipilimumab. Combination therapies involving antiangiogenic drugs and ICIs or two ICIs may have a synergistic action and have shown greater efficacy in advanced HCC. In this review, we present an overview of the current knowledge and recent clinical developments in ICI-based combination therapies for advanced HCC and we provide an outlook on future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Chen
- Department of Pathology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Haoyue Hu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Medicine School of University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, China
| | - Xianglei Yuan
- Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xue Fan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Medicine School of University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, China
| | - Chengda Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Third Hospital of Mianyang (Sichuan Mental Health Center), Mianyang, China
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Crosstalk between angiogenesis and immune regulation in the tumor microenvironment. Arch Pharm Res 2022; 45:401-416. [PMID: 35759090 PMCID: PMC9250479 DOI: 10.1007/s12272-022-01389-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cancer creates a complex tumor microenvironment (TME) composed of immune cells, stromal cells, blood vessels, and various other cellular and extracellular elements. It is essential for the development of anti-cancer combination therapies to understand and overcome this high heterogeneity and complexity as well as the dynamic interactions between them within the TME. Recent treatment strategies incorporating immune-checkpoint inhibitors and anti-angiogenic agents have brought many changes and advances in clinical cancer treatment. However, there are still challenges for immune suppressive tumors, which are characterized by a lack of T cell infiltration and treatment resistance. In this review, we will investigate the crosstalk between immunity and angiogenesis in the TME. In addition, we will look at strategies designed to enhance anti-cancer immunity, to convert “immune suppressive tumors” into “immune activating tumors,” and the mechanisms by which these strategies enhance effector immune cell infiltration.
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35
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Zanotti S, Boot GF, Coto-Llerena M, Gallon J, Hess GF, Soysal SD, Kollmar O, Ng CKY, Piscuoglio S. The Role of Chronic Liver Diseases in the Emergence and Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Omics Perspective. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:888850. [PMID: 35814741 PMCID: PMC9263082 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.888850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) typically develops from a background of cirrhosis resulting from chronic inflammation. This inflammation is frequently associated with chronic liver diseases (CLD). The advent of next generation sequencing has enabled extensive analyses of molecular aberrations in HCC. However, less attention has been directed to the chronically inflamed background of the liver, prior to HCC emergence and during recurrence following surgery. Hepatocytes within chronically inflamed liver tissues present highly activated inflammatory signaling pathways and accumulation of a complex mutational landscape. In this altered environment, cells may transform in a stepwise manner toward tumorigenesis. Similarly, the chronically inflamed environment which persists after resection may impact the timing of HCC recurrence. Advances in research are allowing an extensive epigenomic, transcriptomic and proteomic characterization of CLD which define the emergence of HCC or its recurrence. The amount of data generated will enable the understanding of oncogenic mechanisms in HCC from the CLD perspective and provide the possibility to identify robust biomarkers or novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of primary and recurrent HCC. Importantly, biomarkers defined by the analysis of CLD tissue may permit the early detection or prevention of HCC emergence and recurrence. In this review, we compile the current omics based evidence of the contribution of CLD tissues to the emergence and recurrence of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Zanotti
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, IRCCS Humanitas University Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Gina F. Boot
- Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mairene Coto-Llerena
- Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - John Gallon
- Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel F. Hess
- Clarunis, University Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, St. Clara Hospital and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Savas D. Soysal
- Clarunis, University Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, St. Clara Hospital and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Otto Kollmar
- Clarunis, University Center for Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, St. Clara Hospital and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Charlotte K. Y. Ng
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Bern Center for Precision Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Salvatore Piscuoglio
- Visceral Surgery and Precision Medicine Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Salvatore Piscuoglio
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36
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Cheng YH, Ko YC, Ku HJ, Huang CC, Yao YC, Liao YT, Chen YT, Huang SF, Huang LR. Novel Paired Cell Lines for the Study of Lipid Metabolism and Cancer Stemness of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:821224. [PMID: 35721518 PMCID: PMC9204282 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.821224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There are few well-characterized syngeneic murine models for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which limits immunological studies and the development of immunotherapies for HCC. We previously established an oncogene-induced spontaneous HCC mouse model based on transposon-mediated oncogene (AKT and NRASV12) insertion into the genome of hepatocytes to induce tumorigenesis. Two tumor clones with different levels of lipid droplets (LDs) showed similar in vitro growth but distinctive in vivo phenotypes, including divergent proliferative capability and varying induction of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). The two clones showed distinct gene expression related to lipid metabolism, glycolysis, and cancer stemness. Endogenous fatty acid (FA) synthesis and exogenous monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) consumption promoted both tumor proliferation and cancer stemness, and upregulated c-Myc in the HCC cell lines. Moreover, the LDhi HCC cell line expressed a higher level of type II IL-4 receptor, which promoted tumor proliferation through binding IL-4 or IL-13. The chromosomal DNA of two tumor clones, NHRI-8-B4 (LDhi) and NHRI-1-E4 (LDlo) showed five identical AKT insertion sites in chromosomes 9, 10, 13, 16 and 18 and two NRAS integration sites in chromosomes 2 and 3. Herein, we describe two novel HCC cell lines with distinct features of lipid metabolism related to cancer stemness and differential interplay with the immune system, and present this syngeneic HCC mouse model as a practical tool for the study of cancer stemness and discovery of new therapies targeting liver cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Hsin Cheng
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Chieh Ko
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Hsiang-Ju Ku
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Chun Huang
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ching Yao
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Tzu Liao
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Tsong Chen
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.,Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shiu-Feng Huang
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Li-Rung Huang
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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37
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Zhang QY, Ho DWH, Tsui YM, Ng IOL. Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Liver Cancer: Hype or Insights? Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 14:513-525. [PMID: 35577269 PMCID: PMC9294331 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2022.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by its high degrees of both inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity. Its complex tumor microenvironment is also crucial in promoting tumor progression. Recent advances in single-cell RNA sequencing provide an important highway to characterize the underlying pathogenesis and heterogeneity of HCC in an unprecedented degree of resolution. This review discusses the up-to-date discoveries from the latest studies of HCC with respect to the strength of single-cell RNA sequencing. We discuss its use in the dissection of the landscape of the intricate HCC ecosystem and highlight the major features at cellular levels, including the malignant cells, different immune cell types, and the various cell-cell interactions, which are crucial for developing effective immunotherapies. Finally, its translational applications will be discussed. Altogether, these explorations may give us some hints at the tumor growth and progression and drug resistance and recurrence, particularly in this era of personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Yang Zhang
- Department of Pathology and State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Daniel Wai-Hung Ho
- Department of Pathology and State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Yu-Man Tsui
- Department of Pathology and State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Irene Oi-Lin Ng
- Department of Pathology and State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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38
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Bourayou E, Golub R. Signaling Pathways Tuning Innate Lymphoid Cell Response to Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:846923. [PMID: 35281021 PMCID: PMC8904901 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.846923] [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: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide and its incidence continues to rise globally. Various causes can lead to its development such as chronic viral infections causing hepatitis, cirrhosis or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The contribution of immune cells to HCC development and progression has been extensively studied when it comes to adaptive lymphocytes or myeloid populations. However, the role of the innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) is still not well defined. ILCs are a family of lymphocytes comprising five subsets including circulating Natural Killer (NK) cells, ILC1s, ILC2s, ILC3s and lymphocytes tissue-inducer cells (LTi). Mostly located at epithelial surfaces, tissue-resident ILCs and NK cells can rapidly react to environmental changes to mount appropriate immune responses. Here, we provide an overview of their roles and actions in HCC with an emphasis on the importance of diverse signaling pathways (Notch, TGF-β, Wnt/β-catenin…) in the tuning of their response to HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Bourayou
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM U1223, Lymphocyte and Immunity Unit, Paris, France
| | - Rachel Golub
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM U1223, Lymphocyte and Immunity Unit, Paris, France
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She S, Ren L, Chen P, Wang M, Chen D, Wang Y, Chen H. Functional Roles of Chemokine Receptor CCR2 and Its Ligands in Liver Disease. Front Immunol 2022; 13:812431. [PMID: 35281057 PMCID: PMC8913720 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.812431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemokines are a family of cytokines that orchestrate the migration and positioning of immune cells within tissues and are critical for the function of the immune system. CCR2 participates in liver pathology, including acute liver injury, chronic hepatitis, fibrosis/cirrhosis, and tumor progression, by mediating the recruitment of immune cells to inflammation and tumor sites. Although a variety of chemokines have been well studied in various diseases, there is no comprehensive review presenting the roles of all known chemokine ligands of CCR2 (CCL2, CCL7, CCL8, CCL12, CCL13, CCL16, and PSMP) in liver disease, and this review aims to fill this gap. The introduction of each chemokine includes its discovery, its corresponding chemotactic receptors, physiological functions and roles in inflammation and tumors, and its impact on different immune cell subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoping She
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Diseases, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Liying Ren
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Pu Chen
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Diseases, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Mingyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Dongbo Chen
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Diseases, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and NHC Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongsong Chen
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Diseases, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Hongsong Chen,
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40
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Cucarull B, Tutusaus A, Rider P, Hernáez-Alsina T, Cuño C, García de Frutos P, Colell A, Marí M, Morales A. Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Advances. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030621. [PMID: 35158892 PMCID: PMC8833604 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, continues to be a serious medical problem with poor prognosis, without major therapeutic improvement for years and increasing incidence. Fortunately, advances in systemic treatment options are finally arriving for HCC patients. After a decade of sorafenib as a standard therapy for advanced HCC, several tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), antiangiogenic antibodies, and immune checkpoint inhibitors have reached the clinic. Although infections by hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus remain principal factors for HCC development, the rise of non- alcoholic steatohepatitis from diabetes mellitus or metabolic syndrome is impeding HCC decline. Knowledge of specific molecular mechanisms, based on the etiology and the HCC microenvironment that influence tumor growth and immune control, will be crucial for physician decision-making among a variety of drugs to prescribe. In addition, markers of treatment efficacy are needed to speed the movement of patients towards other potentially effective treatments. Consequently, research to provide scientific data for the evidence-based management of liver cancer is guaranteed in the coming years and discussed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Cucarull
- Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (B.C.); (A.T.); (P.R.); (C.C.); (P.G.d.F.); (A.C.)
| | - Anna Tutusaus
- Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (B.C.); (A.T.); (P.R.); (C.C.); (P.G.d.F.); (A.C.)
| | - Patricia Rider
- Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (B.C.); (A.T.); (P.R.); (C.C.); (P.G.d.F.); (A.C.)
| | | | - Carlos Cuño
- Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (B.C.); (A.T.); (P.R.); (C.C.); (P.G.d.F.); (A.C.)
| | - Pablo García de Frutos
- Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (B.C.); (A.T.); (P.R.); (C.C.); (P.G.d.F.); (A.C.)
- Unidad Asociada (IMIM), IIBB-CSIC, CIBERCV, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Colell
- Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (B.C.); (A.T.); (P.R.); (C.C.); (P.G.d.F.); (A.C.)
- Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Montserrat Marí
- Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (B.C.); (A.T.); (P.R.); (C.C.); (P.G.d.F.); (A.C.)
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (A.M.); Tel.: +34-932558314 (M.M. & A.M.)
| | - Albert Morales
- Department of Cell Death and Proliferation, IIBB-CSIC, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; (B.C.); (A.T.); (P.R.); (C.C.); (P.G.d.F.); (A.C.)
- Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Group, Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, CIBEREHD, IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (A.M.); Tel.: +34-932558314 (M.M. & A.M.)
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Wang Y, Li Z, Huang Z, Yu X, Zheng L, Xu J. C-Reactive Protein Is an Indicator of the Immunosuppressive Microenvironment Fostered by Myeloid Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 11:774823. [PMID: 35070979 PMCID: PMC8770831 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.774823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND C-reactive protein (CRP) is a widely used marker of systemic inflammation and predicts poor clinical outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its significance in the local immune response at the tumor site is not clear. METHODS Serum CRP levels of 329 HCC patients were detected before resection. Paired paraffin-embedded tumor samples were used to quantify immune cell populations, such as CD11b+ myeloid cells, CD68+ macrophages (Mφs), CD15+ neutrophils, CD8+ T cells, and CD206+, CD204+, CD163+ and CD169+ Mφs, by immunohistochemistry. Enrichment scores for 34 types of immune cells based on transcriptome data from 24 HCC samples were calculated by xCell. Overall survival of patients was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS Serum CRP levels were correlated with liver functions and tumor stages in patients with HCC. The densities of CD68+ tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and CD15+ tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) were significantly higher in patients with elevated serum CRP levels than in those with low CRP levels (both p < 0.0001). Further analysis of TAM subtypes revealed that serum CRP levels were associated with CD204+ and CD163+ Mφ densities (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0003, respectively). Moreover, transcriptome data showed that CRP expression was associated with the expression of myeloid cell infiltration-related genes in HCC tumors. The combination of serum CRP with TAMs or TANs in both the nontumor and intratumor regions could represent a powerful criterion for predicting patient prognoses. CONCLUSION Serum CRP could serve as an indicator of an immunosuppressive TME in HCC, which could be of potential clinical application for treatment strategies targeting the TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongchun Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhixiong Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhijie Huang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xingjuan Yu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Limin Zheng
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Ministry Of Education (MOE) Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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42
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Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Pathogenesis, Prognosis and Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14010226. [PMID: 35008390 PMCID: PMC8749970 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitutes a major health burden, accounting for >80% of primary liver cancers globally. Inflammation has come into the spotlight as a hallmark of cancer, and it is evident that tumor-associated inflammation drives the involvement of monocytes in tumor growth and metastasis. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) actively participate in tumor-related inflammation, representing the main type of inflammatory cells in the tumor microenvironment, setting the crosstalk between tumor and stromal cells. Infiltrating TAMs exert either anti-tumorigenic (M1) or pro-tumorigenic (M2) functions. In most solid human tumors, increased TAM infiltration has been associated with enhanced tumor growth and metastasis, while other studies showcase that under certain conditions, TAMs exhibit cytotoxic and tumoricidal activity, inhibiting the progression of cancer. In this review, we summarize the current evidence on the role of macrophages in the pathogenesis and progression of HCC and we highlight their potential utilization in HCC prognosis and therapy. Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitutes a major health burden globally, and it is caused by intrinsic genetic mutations acting in concert with a multitude of epigenetic and extrinsic risk factors. Cancer induces myelopoiesis in the bone marrow, as well as the mobilization of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, which reside in the spleen. Monocytes produced in the bone marrow and the spleen further infiltrate tumors, where they differentiate into tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). The relationship between chronic inflammation and hepatocarcinogenesis has been thoroughly investigated over the past decade; however, several aspects of the role of TAMs in HCC development are yet to be determined. In response to certain stimuli and signaling, monocytes differentiate into macrophages with antitumor properties, which are classified as M1-like. On the other hand, under different stimuli and signaling, the polarization of macrophages shifts towards an M2-like phenotype with a tumor promoting capacity. M2-like macrophages drive tumor growth both directly and indirectly, via the suppression of cytotoxic cell populations, including CD8+ T cells and NK cells. The tumor microenvironment affects the response to immunotherapies. Therefore, an enhanced understanding of its immunobiology is essential for the development of next-generation immunotherapies. The utilization of various monocyte-centered anticancer treatment modalities has been under clinical investigation, selectively targeting and modulating the processes of monocyte recruitment, activation and migration. This review summarizes the current evidence on the role of TAMs in HCC pathogenesis and progression, as well as in their potential involvement in tumor therapy, shedding light on emerging anticancer treatment methods targeting monocytes.
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Antoñana-Vildosola A, Zanetti SR, Palazon A. Enabling CAR-T cells for solid tumors: Rage against the suppressive tumor microenvironment. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 370:123-147. [PMID: 35798503 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive T cell therapies based on chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-T) are emerging as genuine therapeutic options for the treatment of hematological malignancies. The observed clinical success has not yet been extended into solid tumor indications as a result of multiple factors including immunosuppressive features of the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this context, an emerging strategy is to design CAR-T cells for the elimination of defined cellular components of the TME, with the objective of re-shaping the tumor immune contexture to control tumor growth. Relevant cell components that are currently under investigation as targets of CAR-T therapies include the tumor vasculature, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and immunosuppressive tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) and myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). In this review, we recapitulate the rapidly expanding field of CAR-T cell therapies that directly target cellular components within the TME with the ultimate objective of promoting immune function, either alone or in combination with other cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asier Antoñana-Vildosola
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Lab, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Samanta Romina Zanetti
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Lab, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Asis Palazon
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Lab, CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia, Spain; Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bizkaia, Spain.
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Karan D. CCL23 in Balancing the Act of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Antitumor Immunity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:727583. [PMID: 34671553 PMCID: PMC8522494 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.727583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a cellular process in response to stress stimuli in protecting functional activities. However, sustained hyperactive ER stress influences tumor growth and development. Hepatocytes are enriched with ER and highly susceptible to ER perturbations and stress, which contribute to immunosuppression and the development of aggressive and drug-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). ER stress-induced inflammation and tumor-derived chemokines influence the immune cell composition at the tumor site. Consequently, a decrease in the CCL23 chemokine in hepatic tumors is associated with poor survival of HCC patients and could be a mechanism hepatic tumor cells use to evade the immune system. This article describes the prospective role of CCL23 in alleviating ER stress and its impact on the HCC tumor microenvironment in promoting antitumor immunity. Moreover, approaches to reactivate CCL23 combined with immune checkpoint blockade or chemotherapy drugs may provide novel opportunities to target hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dev Karan
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
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Li Q, Fan B, Ding J, Xiang X, Zhang J. A novel immune signature to predict the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Medicine (Baltimore) 2021; 100:e26948. [PMID: 34414957 PMCID: PMC8376334 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000026948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant immunity has been associated with the initiation and progression of cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we aim to develop a signature based on immune-related genes (IRGs) to predict the prognosis of HCC patients. The gene expression profiles of 891 HCC samples were derived from 4 publicly accessible datasets. A total of 1534 IRGs from Immunology Database and Analysis Portal website were obtained as candidate genes for prognostic assessment. Using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis, 12 IRGs were selected as prognostic biomarkers and were then aggregated to generate an IRG score for each HCC sample. In the training dataset (n = 365), patients with high IRG scores showed a remarkably poorer overall survival than those with low IRG scores (log-rank P < .001). Similar results were documented in 3 independent testing datasets (n = 226, 221, 79, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression and stratified analyses indicated that the IRG score was an independent and robust signature to predict the overall survival in HCC patients. Patients with high IRG scores tended to be in advanced TNM stages, with increased risks of tumor recurrence and metastasis. More importantly, the IRG score was strongly associated with certain immune cell counts, gene expression of immune checkpoints, estimated immune score, and mutation of critical genes in HCC. In conclusion, the proposed IRG score can predict the prognosis and reflect the tumor immune microenvironment of HCC patients, which may facilitate the individualized treatment and provide potential immunotherapeutic targets.
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Wei T, Zhang XF, Xue F, Bagante F, Ratti F, Marques HP, Silva S, Soubrane O, Lam V, Poultsides GA, Popescu I, Grigorie R, Alexandrescu S, Martel G, Workneh A, Guglielmi A, Hugh T, Aldrighetti L, Endo I, Pawlik TM. Multi-Institutional Development and External Validation of a Nomogram for Prediction of Extrahepatic Recurrence After Curative-Intent Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 2021; 28:7624-7633. [PMID: 34019181 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-021-10142-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS Extrahepatic recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after surgical resection is associated with unfavorable prognosis. The objectives of the current study were to identify the risk factors and develop a nomogram for the prediction of extrahepatic recurrence after initial curative surgery. METHODS A total of 635 patients who underwent curative-intent resection for HCC between 2000 and 2017 were identified from an international multi-institutional database. The clinicopathological characteristics, risk factors, and long-term survival of patients with extrahepatic recurrence were analyzed. A nomogram for the prediction of extrahepatic recurrence was established and validated in 144 patients from an external cohort. RESULTS Among the 635 patients in the derivative cohort, 283 (44.6%) experienced recurrence. Among patients who recurred, 80 (28.3%) patients had extrahepatic ± intrahepatic recurrence, whereas 203 (71.7%) had intrahepatic recurrence only. Extrahepatic recurrence was associated with more advanced initial tumor characteristics, early recurrence, and worse prognosis versus non-extrahepatic recurrence. A nomogram for the prediction of extrahepatic recurrence was developed using the β-coefficients from the identified risk factors, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, multiple lesions, tumor size, and microvascular invasion. The nomogram demonstrated good ability to predict extrahepatic recurrence (c-index: training cohort 0.786; validation cohort: 0.845). The calibration plots demonstrated good agreement between estimated and observed extrahepatic recurrence (p = 0.658). CONCLUSIONS An externally validated nomogram was developed with good accuracy to predict extrahepatic recurrence following curative-intent resection of HCC. This nomogram may help identify patients at high risk of extrahepatic recurrence and guide surveillance protocols as well as adjuvant treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xu-Feng Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Feng Xue
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Institute of Advanced Surgical Technology and Engineering, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fabio Bagante
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner, Columbus, OH, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Hugo P Marques
- Department of Surgery, Curry Cabral Hospital, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Silvia Silva
- Department of Surgery, Curry Cabral Hospital, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Olivier Soubrane
- Department of Hepatobiliopancreatic Surgery, APHP, Beaujon Hospital, Clichy, France
| | - Vincent Lam
- Department of Surgery, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Irinel Popescu
- Department of Surgery, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Razvan Grigorie
- Department of Surgery, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania
| | | | | | - Aklile Workneh
- Department of Surgery, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Tom Hugh
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Itaru Endo
- Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner, Columbus, OH, USA.
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Abosalema H, Mahgoub S, Emara M, Kotb N, Soror S. Interrupted crosstalk between natural killer cells and anti-epidermal growth factor receptor: a possible role in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment failure. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2021; 21:601-607. [PMID: 34011259 DOI: 10.2174/1568009621666210519105203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health problem worldwide. Most patients are diagnosed for the first time at late stages; this leads to a very poor prognosis. It is challenging to discover strategies for treatment at these advanced stages. Recently, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting specific cellular signaling pathways in HCC have been developed. Unfortunately, they still have a low survival rate, and some of them failed clinically to produce effective responses even if they showed very good results against HCC in preclinical studies. This review focuses on and discusses the possible causes for the failure of mAbs, precisely anti-Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mAb and the crosstalk between this mAb and patients' NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadeer Abosalema
- Deputy of Technical Mmanager, Biotechnology Unit, Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), Giza, 12654, Egypt
| | - Shahenda Mahgoub
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Ein-Helwan, Helwan, Cairo,11795, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Emara
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Ein-Helwan, Helwan, Cairo,11795, Egypt
| | - Nahla Kotb
- Manager of Blood Derivative Unite, Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), 12654, Egypt
| | - Sameh Soror
- Department of Biochemistry and molecular biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Ein-Helwan, Helwan, Cairo,11795, Egypt
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He Q, Huang W, Liu D, Zhang T, Wang Y, Ji X, Xie M, Sun M, Tian D, Liu M, Xia L. Homeobox B5 promotes metastasis and poor prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma, via FGFR4 and CXCL1 upregulation. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:5759-5777. [PMID: 33897880 PMCID: PMC8058721 DOI: 10.7150/thno.57659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Since metastasis remains the main reason for HCC-associated death, a better understanding of molecular mechanism underlying HCC metastasis is urgently needed. Here, we elucidated the role of Homeobox B5 (HOXB5), a member of the HOX transcriptional factor family, in promoting HCC metastasis. Method: The expression of HOXB5 and its functional targets fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1) were detected by immunohistochemistry. Luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were performed to measure the transcriptional regulation of target genes by HOXB5. The effects of FGFR4 and CXCL1 on HOXB5-mediated metastasis were analyzed by an orthotopic metastasis model. Results: Elevated expression of HOXB5 had a positive correlation with poor tumour differentiation, higher TNM stage, and indicated unfavorable prognosis. Overexpression of HOXB5 promoted HCC metastasis through transactivating FGFR4 and CXCL1 expression, whereas knockdown of FGFR4 and CXCL1 decreased HOXB5-enhanced HCC metastasis. Moreover, HOXB5 overexpression in HCC cells promoted myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) infiltration through CXCL1/CXCR2 axis. Either depletion of MDSCs by anti-Gr1 or blocking CXCL1-CXCR2 axis by CXCR2 inhibitor impaired HOXB5-mediated HCC metastasis. In addition, fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) contributed to the HOXB5 upregulation through PI3K/AKT/HIF1α pathway. Overexpression of FGF15 (an analog of FGF19 in mouse) promoted HCC metastasis, whereas knockdown of HOXB5 significantly inhibited FGF15-enhanced HCC metastasis in immunocompetent mice. HOXB5 expression was positively associated with CXCL1 expression and intratumoral MDSCs accumulation in human HCC tissues. Patients who co-expressed HOXB5/CXCL1 or HOXB5/CD11b exhibited the worst prognosis. Furthermore, the combination of FGFR4 inhibitor BLU-554 and CXCR2 inhibitor SB265610 dramatically decreased HOXB5-mediated HCC metastasis. Conclusion: HOXB5 was a potential prognostic biomarker in HCC patients and targeting this loop may provide a promising treatment strategy for the inhibition of HOXB5-mediated HCC metastasis.
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Chen J, Chen YJ, Jiang N, Xu JL, Liang ZM, Bai MJ, Xing YF, Liu Z, Wu XY, Li X. Neutrophil-to-Apolipoprotein A1 Ratio Predicted Overall Survival in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Transarterial Chemoembolization. Oncologist 2021; 26:e1434-e1444. [PMID: 33675070 DOI: 10.1002/onco.13743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive capability of neutrophil-to-apolipoprotein A1 ratio (NAR) for predicting overall survival (OS) among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). PATIENTS AND METHODS We investigated the clinical features of 554 patients with HCC receiving TACE and assessed NAR's predictive value for OS with 222 patients (the discovery cohort) and 332 patients (the validation cohort). The association of NAR with circulation lectin-type oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1-positive (LOX-1+ ) polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) was illustrated. RESULTS Multivariate Cox regression revealed that lymphocyte count; Tumor, Node, Metastasis (TNM) stage; and NAR were independent prognostic factors in the discovery cohort. The validation cohort confirmed the independent prognostic value of TNM stage and NAR. Patients with low NAR (<2.7) displayed significantly increased OS in the discovery cohort (59.8 months vs. 21 months), the validation group (38.0 months vs. 23.6 months), and the total cohort (44.1 months vs. 22.0 months). A Cox proportional hazards model was used to combine Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP) score with discretized NAR. C-index illustrated that NAR-integrated CLIP score was the best model compared with NAR and CLIP score. Furthermore, NAR-CLIP presented superior predictive capacity for 10-, 20-, 30-, 40-, 50-, and 60-month survival compared with CLIP score by survival receiver-operator characteristic analysis in the discovery cohort, validation cohort, and total cohort. NAR was significantly associated with LOX-1+ PMN-MDSCs by linear regression. CONCLUSION This study identified NAR as an independent predictor for OS among patients with HCC receiving TACE. NAR reflected circulation LOX-1+ PMN-MDSC level. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE The present study identified neutrophil-to-apolipoprotein A1 ratio (NAR) as an independent predictor for overall survival among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma receiving transarterial chemoembolization. NAR reflected circulation level of lectin-type oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1-positive polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong-Jian Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Department of Transplantation, Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Liang Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zi-Ming Liang
- Department of Liver Transplant Program, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Nephrology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming-Jun Bai
- Interventional Radiology Program, Lin-Nan Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan-Fang Xing
- Department of Nephrology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhuo Liu
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang-Yuan Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xing Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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Gao F, Xie K, Xiang Q, Qin Y, Chen P, Wan H, Deng Y, Huang J, Wu H. The density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and prognosis in resectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a two-phase study. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:9665-9678. [PMID: 33744864 PMCID: PMC8064144 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
AIM Previous studies have focused on the subpopulations of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in tumors. This study focuses only on the concentration of TILs in the tumor irrespective of type and elucidates its prognostic value. METHODS We used 315 HCC patients as the discovery phase and another 343 HCC patients as the validation phase. By following the standardized guideline, density of TILs were categorized into low (TILs < 10%), intermediate (10% ≦ TILs < 50%), and high (TILs ≧ 50%) levels. Associations of TILs with prognostic, immune-related, and genetic variables were examined. RESULTS We observed a dose-response relation of TILs with overall survival (intermediate: HR, 0.58; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.36-0.93; high: HR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.15-0.93) and disease-free survival (intermediate: HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.22-0.58; high: HR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.09-0.58). The prognostic value of TILs was validated in the TCGA set. Mutation burden or the number of neoantigens were not associated with TILs intensity. However, hepatitis B or C virus infection patients had higher TILs intensity in the para-tumor tissue. CONCLUSIONS The TILs intensity was associated with patients' survival. If confirmed, this would suggest that clinical routine assessment of TILs could provide prognostic information in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengwei Gao
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Kunlin Xie
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiwen Xiang
- Operation Room of West China Hospital, West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yan Qin
- Operation Room of West China Hospital, West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Panyu Chen
- Operation Room of West China Hospital, West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Haifeng Wan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yang Deng
- Department of Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiwei Huang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hong Wu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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