High RIG-I expression in ovarian cancer associates with an immune-escape signature and poor clinical outcome

Revitalizing antitumor immunity: Leveraging nucleic acid sensors as therapeutic targets

Nucleic acid sensors play a critical role in recognizing and responding to pathogenic nucleic acids as danger signals. Upon activation, these sensors initiate downstream signaling cascades that lead to the production and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and type I interferons. These immune mediators orchestrate diverse effector responses, including the activation of immune cells and the modulation of the tumor microenvironment. However, careful consideration must be given to balancing the activation of nucleic acid sensors to avoid unwanted autoimmune or inflammatory responses. In this review, we provide an overview of nucleic acid sensors and their role in combating cancer through the perception of various aberrant nucleic acids and activation of the immune system. We discuss the connections between different programmed cell death modes and nucleic acid sensors. Finally, we outline the development of nucleic acid sensor agonists, highlighting how their potential as therapeutic targets opens up new avenues for cancer immunotherapy.

Autosurv: interpretable deep learning framework for cancer survival analysis incorporating clinical and multi-omics data

Accurate prognosis for cancer patients can provide critical information for optimizing treatment plans and improving life quality. Combining omics data and demographic/clinical information can offer a more comprehensive view of cancer prognosis than using omics or clinical data alone and can also reveal the underlying disease mechanisms at the molecular level. In this study, we developed and validated a deep learning framework to extract information from high-dimensional gene expression and miRNA expression data and conduct prognosis prediction for breast cancer and ovarian-cancer patients using multiple independent multi-omics datasets. Our model achieved significantly better prognosis prediction than the current machine learning and deep learning approaches in various settings. Moreover, an interpretation method was applied to tackle the "black-box" nature of deep neural networks and we identified features (i.e., genes, miRNA, demographic/clinical variables) that were important to distinguish predicted high- and low-risk patients. The significance of the identified features was partially supported by previous studies.

MicroRNAs in the Regulation of RIG-I-like Receptor Signaling Pathway: Possible Strategy for Viral Infection and Cancer

The retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs) play a crucial role as pattern-recognition receptors within the innate immune system. These receptors, present in various cell and tissue types, serve as essential sensors for viral infections, enhancing the immune system's capacity to combat infections through the induction of type I interferons (IFN-I) and inflammatory cytokines. RLRs are involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, including viral infections, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. An increasing body of research has examined the possibility of RLRs or microRNAs as therapeutic targets for antiviral infections and malignancies, despite the fact that few studies have focused on the regulatory function of microRNAs on RLR signaling. Consequently, our main emphasis in this review is on elucidating the role of microRNAs in modulating the signaling pathways of RLRs in the context of cancer and viral infections. The aim is to establish a robust knowledge base that can serve as a basis for future comprehensive investigations into the interplay between microRNAs and RIG-I, while also facilitating the advancement of therapeutic drug development.

RIG-I promotes cell proliferation in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by facilitating p21 degradation

Retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I) is considered a key sensor for host recognition of RNA virus infections. Recent studies have shown that RIG-I also regulates carcinogenesis. However, the role of RIG-I in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. We investigated the RIG-I expression in ESCC cells using a public database, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. We evaluated the proliferative activity of ESCC cells using CCK-8, colony formation, and EdU staining assays. Further, we determined the ESCC cell-cycle changes using flow cytometry and the ubiquitination of p21 in the cells using cycloheximide chase and ubiquitination assays. Finally, we verified the in vivo effects of RIG-I on ESCC cells by constructing xenograft models. RIG-I was highly expressed in ESCC cells and significantly promoted their proliferation and cell-cycle. Moreover, RIG-I knockdown inhibited xenograft growth in nude mice. Furthermore, RIG-I accelerated the cell-cycle by promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of p21. Overall, this study revealed that the increased expression of RIG-I due to ESCC accelerated the progression of esophageal cancer by promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of p21, which is related to the prognosis of ESCC. Thus, RIG-I may be a novel therapeutic target for ESCC treatment.

AUTOSURV: INTERPRETABLE DEEP LEARNING FRAMEWORK FOR CANCER SURVIVAL ANALYSIS INCORPORATING CLINICAL AND MULTI-OMICS DATA

Accurate prognosis for cancer patients can provide critical information for optimizing treatment plans and improving life quality. Combining omics data and demographic/clinical information can offer a more comprehensive view of cancer prognosis than using omics or clinical data alone and can reveal the underlying disease mechanisms at the molecular level. In this study, we developed a novel deep learning framework to extract information from high-dimensional gene expression and miRNA expression data and conduct prognosis prediction for breast cancer and ovarian cancer patients. Our model achieved significantly better prognosis prediction than the conventional Cox Proportional Hazard model and other competitive deep learning approaches in various settings. Moreover, an interpretation approach was applied to tackle the "black-box" nature of deep neural networks and we identified features (i.e., genes, miRNA, demographic/clinical variables) that made important contributions to distinguishing predicted high- and low-risk patients. The identified associations were partially supported by previous studies.

hMENA isoforms regulate cancer intrinsic type I IFN signaling and extrinsic mechanisms of resistance to immune checkpoint blockade in NSCLC

BACKGROUND

Understanding how cancer signaling pathways promote an immunosuppressive program which sustains acquired or primary resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is a crucial step in improving immunotherapy efficacy. Among the pathways that can affect ICB response is the interferon (IFN) pathway that may be both detrimental and beneficial. The immune sensor retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) induces IFN activation and secretion and is activated by actin cytoskeleton disturbance. The actin cytoskeleton regulatory protein hMENA, along with its isoforms, is a key signaling hub in different solid tumors, and recently its role as a regulator of transcription of genes encoding immunomodulatory secretory proteins has been proposed. When hMENA is expressed in tumor cells with low levels of the epithelial specific hMENA11a isoform, identifies non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with poor prognosis. Aim was to identify cancer intrinsic and extrinsic pathways regulated by hMENA11a downregulation as determinants of ICB response in NSCLC. Here, we present a potential novel mechanism of ICB resistance driven by hMENA11a downregulation.

METHODS

Effects of hMENA11a downregulation were tested by RNA-Seq, ATAC-Seq, flow cytometry and biochemical assays. ICB-treated patient tumor tissues were profiled by Nanostring IO 360 Panel enriched with hMENA custom probes. OAK and POPLAR datasets were used to validate our discovery cohort.

RESULTS

Transcriptomic and biochemical analyses demonstrated that the depletion of hMENA11a induces IFN pathway activation, the production of different inflammatory mediators including IFNβ via RIG-I, sustains the increase of tumor PD-L1 levels and activates a paracrine loop between tumor cells and a unique macrophage subset favoring an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Notably, when we translated our results in a clinical setting of NSCLC ICB-treated patients, transcriptomic analysis revealed that low expression of hMENA11a, high expression of IFN target genes and high macrophage score identify patients resistant to ICB therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, these data establish a new function for the actin cytoskeleton regulator hMENA11a in modulating cancer cell intrinsic type I IFN signaling and extrinsic mechanisms that promote protumoral macrophages and favor EMT. These data highlight the role of actin cytoskeleton disturbance in activating immune suppressive pathways that may be involved in resistance to ICB in NSCLC.

RIG-I-like receptors: Molecular mechanism of activation and signaling

During RNA viral infection, RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) recognize the intracellular pathogenic RNA species derived from viral replication and activate antiviral innate immune response by stimulating type 1 interferon expression. Three RLR members, namely, RIG-I, MDA5, and LGP2 are homologous and belong to a subgroup of superfamily 2 Helicase/ATPase that is preferably activated by double-stranded RNA. RLRs are significantly different in gene architecture, RNA ligand preference, activation, and molecular functions. As switchable macromolecular sensors, RLRs' activities are tightly regulated by RNA ligands, ATP, posttranslational modifications, and cellular cofactors. We provide a comprehensive review of the structure and function of the RLRs and summarize the molecular understanding of sensing and signaling events during the RLR activation process. The key roles RLR signaling play in both anti-infection and immune disease conditions highlight the therapeutic potential in targeting this important molecular pathway.

RIG-I Promotes Tumorigenesis and Confers Radioresistance of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Regulating DUSP6

We investigated the expression and biological function of retinoic acid inducible gene I (RIG-I) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Materials and methods: An immunohistochemical analysis was performed on 86 pairs of tumor tissue and adjacent normal tissue samples of patients with ESCC. We generated RIG-I-overexpressing ESCC cell lines KYSE70 and KYSE450, and RIG-I- knockdown cell lines KYSE150 and KYSE510. Cell viability, migration and invasion, radioresistance, DNA damage, and cell cycle were evaluated using CCK-8, wound-healing and transwell assay, colony formation, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry and Western blotting, respectively. RNA sequencing was performed to determine the differential gene expression between controls and RIG-I knockdown. Tumor growth and radioresistance were assessed in nude mice using xenograft models. RIG-I expression was higher in ESCC tissues compared with that in matched non-tumor tissues. RIG-I overexpressing cells had a higher proliferation rate than RIG-I knockdown cells. Moreover, the knockdown of RIG-I slowed migration and invasion rates, whereas the overexpression of RIG-I accelerated migration and invasion rates. RIG-I overexpression induced radioresistance and G2/M phase arrest and reduced DNA damage after exposure to ionizing radiations compared with controls; however, it silenced the RIG-I enhanced radiosensitivity and DNA damage, and reduced the G2/M phase arrest. RNA sequencing revealed that the downstream genes DUSP6 and RIG-I had the same biological function; silencing DUSP6 can reduce the radioresistance caused by the overexpression of RIG-I. RIG-I knockdown depleted tumor growth in vivo, and radiation exposure effectively delayed the growth of xenograft tumors compared with the control group. RIG-I enhances the progression and radioresistance of ESCC; therefore, it may be a new potential target for ESCC-targeted therapy.

Genetic Influences in Cancer-Associated Myositis

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) comprise a heterogeneous group of rare immune-mediated disorders that primarily affect muscles but also lead to dysfunction in other organs. Five different clinical subphenotypes of IIM have been distinguished: dermatomyositis, polymyositis, inclusion body myositis, antisynthetase syndrome, and immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy. Excess mortality and morbidity associated with IIM are largely attributed to comorbidities, particularly cancer. The risk of malignancy is not equally distributed among IIM groups and is particularly high among patients with dermatomyositis. The cancer risk peaks around 3 years on either side of the IIM diagnosis and remains elevated even 10 years after the onset of the disease. Lung, colorectal, and ovarian neoplasms typically arise before the onset of IIM, whereas melanoma, cervical, oropharyngeal, and nonmelanoma skin cancers usually develop after IIM diagnosis. Given the close temporal proximity between IIM diagnosis and the emergence of malignancy, it has been proposed that IIM could be a consequence rather than a cause of cancer, a process known as a paramalignant phenomenon. Thus, a separate group of IIMs related to paramalignant phenomenon has been distinguished, known as cancer-associated myositis (CAM). Although the relationship between IIM and cancer is widely recognized, the pathophysiology of CAM remains elusive. Given that genetic factors play a role in the development of IIM, dissection of the molecular mechanisms shared between IIM and cancer presents an opportunity to examine the role of autoimmunity in cancer development and progression. In this review, the evidence supporting the contribution of genetics to CAM will be discussed.

Synthetic lethal interactions of DEAD/H-box helicases as targets for cancer therapy

DEAD/H-box helicases are implicated in virtually every aspect of RNA metabolism, including transcription, pre-mRNA splicing, ribosomes biogenesis, nuclear export, translation initiation, RNA degradation, and mRNA editing. Most of these helicases are upregulated in various cancers and mutations in some of them are associated with several malignancies. Lately, synthetic lethality (SL) and synthetic dosage lethality (SDL) approaches, where genetic interactions of cancer-related genes are exploited as therapeutic targets, are emerging as a leading area of cancer research. Several DEAD/H-box helicases, including DDX3, DDX9 (Dbp9), DDX10 (Dbp4), DDX11 (ChlR1), and DDX41 (Sacy-1), have been subjected to SL analyses in humans and different model organisms. It remains to be explored whether SDL can be utilized to identity druggable targets in DEAD/H-box helicase overexpressing cancers. In this review, we analyze gene expression data of a subset of DEAD/H-box helicases in multiple cancer types and discuss how their SL/SDL interactions can be used for therapeutic purposes. We also summarize the latest developments in clinical applications, apart from discussing some of the challenges in drug discovery in the context of targeting DEAD/H-box helicases.

Compartmentalization of the host microbiome: how tumor microbiota shapes checkpoint immunotherapy outcome and offers therapeutic prospects

The host microbiome is polymorphic, compartmentalized, and composed of distinctive tissue microbiomes. While research in the field of cancer immunotherapy has provided an improved understanding of the interaction with the gastrointestinal microbiome, the significance of the tumor-associated microbiome has only recently been grasped. This article provides a state-of-the-art review about the tumor-associated microbiome and sheds light on how local tumor microbiota shapes anticancer immunity and influences checkpoint immunotherapy outcome. The direct route of interaction between cancer cells, immune cells, and microbiota in the tumor microenvironment is emphasized and advocates a focus on the tumor-associated microbiome in addition to the spatially separated gut compartment. Since the mechanisms underlying checkpoint immunotherapy modulation by tumor-associated microbiota remain largely elusive, future research should dissect the pathways involved and outline strategies to therapeutically modulate microbes and their products within the tumor microenvironment. A more detailed knowledge about the mechanisms governing the composition and functional quality of the tumor microbiome will improve cancer immunotherapy and advance precision medicine for solid tumors.

Innate immune checkpoint inhibitor resistance is associated with melanoma sub-types exhibiting invasive and de-differentiated gene expression signatures

Melanoma is a highly aggressive skin cancer, which, although highly immunogenic, frequently escapes the body’s immune defences. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), such as anti-PD1, anti-PDL1, and anti-CTLA4 antibodies lead to reactivation of immune pathways, promoting rejection of melanoma. However, the benefits of ICI therapy remain limited to a relatively small proportion of patients who do not exhibit ICI resistance. Moreover, the precise mechanisms underlying innate and acquired ICI resistance remain unclear. Here, we have investigated differences in melanoma tissues in responder and non-responder patients to anti-PD1 therapy in terms of tumour and immune cell gene-associated signatures. We performed multi-omics investigations on melanoma tumour tissues, which were collected from patients before starting treatment with anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibitors. Patients were subsequently categorized into responders and non-responders to anti-PD1 therapy based on RECIST criteria. Multi-omics analyses included RNA-Seq and NanoString analysis. From RNA-Seq data we carried out HLA phenotyping as well as gene enrichment analysis, pathway enrichment analysis and immune cell deconvolution studies. Consistent with previous studies, our data showed that responders to anti-PD1 therapy had higher immune scores (median immune score for responders = 0.1335, median immune score for non-responders = 0.05426, p-value = 0.01, Mann-Whitney U two-tailed exact test) compared to the non-responders. Responder melanomas were more highly enriched with a combination of CD8+ T cells, dendritic cells (p-value = 0.03) and an M1 subtype of macrophages (p-value = 0.001). In addition, melanomas from responder patients exhibited a more differentiated gene expression pattern, with high proliferative- and low invasive-associated gene expression signatures, whereas tumours from non-responders exhibited high invasive- and frequently neural crest-like cell type gene expression signatures. Our findings suggest that non-responder melanomas to anti-PD1 therapy exhibit a de-differentiated gene expression signature, associated with poorer immune cell infiltration, which establishes a gene expression pattern characteristic of innate resistance to anti-PD1 therapy. Improved understanding of tumour-intrinsic gene expression patterns associated with response to anti-PD1 therapy will help to identify predictive biomarkers of ICI response and may help to identify new targets for anticancer treatment, especially with a capacity to function as adjuvants to improve ICI outcomes.

High RIG-I and EFTUD2 expression predicts poor survival in endometrial cancer

PURPOSE

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy. The helicase RIG-I, a part of the innate immune system, and EFTUD2, a splicing factor which can upregulate RIG-I expression, are shown to influence tumor growth and disease progression in several malignancies. For endometrial cancer, an immunogenic cancer, data about RIG-I and EFTUD2 are still missing. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of RIG-I and EFTUD2 in endometrial cancer.

METHODS

225 specimen of endometrial cancer were immunohistochemically stained for RIG-I and EFTUD2. The results were correlated to clinicopathological data, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

High RIG-I expression correlated with advanced tumor stages (FIGO: p = 0.027; pT: p = 0.010) and worse survival rates (OS: p = 0.009; PFS: p = 0.022). High EFTUD2 expression correlated to worse survival rates (OS: p = 0.026; PFS: p < 0.001) and was determined to be an independent marker for progression-free survival.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that the expression of RIG-I and EFTUD2 correlates with survival data, which makes both a possible therapeutic target in the future.

Friend or foe: RIG- I like receptors and diseases

Retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors (RLRs), which are pivotal sensors of RNA virus invasions, mediate the transcriptional induction of genes encoding type I interferons (IFNs) and proinflammatory cytokines, successfully establishing host antiviral immune response. A few excellent reviews have elaborated on the structural biology of RLRs and the antiviral mechanisms of RLR activation. In this review, we give a basic understanding of RLR biology and summarize recent findings of how RLR signaling cascade is strictly controlled by host regulatory mechanisms, which include RLR-interacting proteins, post-translational modifications and microRNAs (miRNAs). Furthermore, we pay particular attention to the relationship between RLRs and diseases, especially how RLRs participate in SARS-CoV-2, malaria or bacterial infections, how single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or mutations in RLRs and antibodies against RLRs lead to autoinflammatory diseases and autoimmune diseases, and how RLRs are involved in anti-tumor immunity. These findings will provide insights and guidance for antiviral and immunomodulatory therapies targeting RLRs.

Tumor-associated fibroblasts derived exosomes induce the proliferation and cisplatin resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells through RIG-I/IFN-β signaling

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common type of malignant cancer. There is growing evidence suggesting that exosomes may participate in the cellular communication of tumor-associated fibroblasts (TAFs). However, the cisplatin resistance of TAF-derived exosomes to ESCC cells remains to be further studied. Exosomes were isolated from TAFs and characterized with Western blot and TEM assays. ESCC cell lines (TE-1 and KYSE-150) were incubated with TAFs-derived exosomes. To explore the biological function of TAF-derived exosomes in ESCC cell proliferation, apoptosis, and chemosensitivity, we conducted MTT assays and Flow Cytometry. The effects in vivo were also verified via Xenograft mice models. We found that TAFs-derived exosomes led to enhanced cell proliferation and reduced apoptosis of cells, accompanied by increased expression of RIG-I/IFN-β, and TAFs derived exosomes may affect the chemosensitivity to cisplatin via RIG-I/IFN-β signaling in ESCC. Taken together, ESCC cells could communicate with TAFs cells via TAFs-derived exosomes. Our findings might represent a novel mechanism involved in ESCC and may provide a potential biomarker for ESCC.

Ovarian cancer recurrence: is the definition of platinum resistance modified by PARPi and other intervening treatments? The evolving landscape in the management of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer

Definitions of platinum resistance have been questioned and changed over the last five years, even though no predictive biomarker of resistance exists. These have sculpted how we approach platinum retreatment and, consequently, how we devise new treatment strategies for those patients with tumour progression on platinum therapy. Platinum-non-eligible ovarian cancer is treated with single-agent non-platinum drugs. When bevacizumab can be added to chemotherapy, progression-free survival improves significantly. For patients with a BRCA mutation, PARP inhibitor monotherapy is an option compared to chemotherapy. There is currently no clearly identified role for immune-checkpoint inhibition in this patient population. This review describes some of the challenges in treating patients with platinum resistance and suggests refinements in the selection of patients most likely to benefit from targeting a DNA damage response, angiogenesis or immune modulation. It also describes novel agents of interest and possible mechanisms of the synergy of therapeutic combinations.

Plasma circRNA microarray profiling identifies novel circRNA biomarkers for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer

Background

Circular RNA (circRNA), a class of RNA with a covalent closed circular structure that widely existed in serum and plasma, has been considered an ideal liquid biopsy marker in many diseases. In this study, we employed microarray and qRT-PCR to evaluate the potential circulating circRNAs with diagnostic efficacy in ovarian cancer.

Methods

We used microarray to explore the circRNA expression profile in ovarian cancer patients’ plasma and quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR approach to assessing the candidate circRNA’s expression. Then the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was employed to analyze the diagnostic values of candidate circRNAs. The diagnostic model circCOMBO was a combination of hsa_circ_0003972 and hsa_circ_0007288 built by binary logistic regression. Then bioinformatic tools were used to predict their potential mechanisms.

Results

Hsa_circ_0003972 and hsa_circ_0007288 were downregulated in ovarian cancer patients’ plasma, tissues, and cell lines, comparing with the controls. Hsa_circ_0003972 and hsa_circ_0007288 exhibited diagnostic values with the Area Under Curve (AUC) of 0.724 and 0.790, respectively. circCOMBO showed a better diagnostic utility (AUC: 0.781), while the combination of circCOMBO and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) showed the highest diagnostic value (AUC: 0.923). Furthermore, the higher expression level of hsa_circ_0007288 in both plasma and ovarian cancer tissues was associated with lower lymph node metastasis potential in ovarian cancer.

Conclusions

Our results revealed that hsa_circ_0003972 and hsa_circ_0007288 may serve as novel circulating biomarkers for ovarian cancer diagnosis.

Supplementary information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13048-022-00988-0.

Emerging role of RNA sensors in tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy

RNA sensors detect foreign and endogenous RNAs to protect the host by initiating innate and adaptive immune response. In tumor microenvironment (TME), activation of RNA sensors induces tumor-inhibitory cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses and inhibits the activity of immunosuppressive cells though stimulating type I IFN signaling pathway. These characteristics allow RNA sensors to be prospective targets in tumor immunotherapy. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the roles of RNA sensors in TME could provide new insight into the antitumor immunotherapy. Moreover, RNA sensors could be prominent triggering targets to synergize with immunotherapies. In this review, we highlight the diverse mechanisms of RNA sensors in cancer immunity and their emerging contributions in cancer immunotherapy, including monotherapy with RNA sensor agonists, as well as combination with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immune checkpoint blockade or cancer vaccine.

Robust delivery of RIG-I agonists using extracellular vesicles for anti-cancer immunotherapy

The RIG-I pathway can be activated by RNA containing 5' triphosphate, leading to type I interferon release and immune activation. Hence, RIG-I agonists have been used to induce immune responses against cancer as potential immunotherapy. However, delivery of 5' triphosphorylated RNA molecules as RIG-I agonists to tumour cells in vivo is challenging due to the susceptibility of these molecules to degradation. In this study, we demonstrate the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from red blood cells (RBCs), which are highly amenable for RNA loading and taken up robustly by cancer cells, for RIG-I agonist delivery. We evaluate the anti-cancer activity of two novel RIG-I agonists, the immunomodulatory RNA (immRNA) with a unique secondary structure for efficient RIG-I activation, and a 5' triphosphorylated antisense oligonucleotide with dual function of RIG-I activation and miR-125b inhibition (3p-125b-ASO). We find that RBCEV-delivered immRNA and 3p-125b-ASO trigger the RIG-I pathway, and induce cell death in both mouse and human breast cancer cells. Furthermore, we observe a significant suppression of tumour growth coupled with increased immune cell infiltration mediated by the activation of RIG-I cascade after multiple intratumoral injections of RBCEVs loaded with immRNA or 3p-125b-ASO. Targeted delivery of immRNA using RBCEVs with EGFR-binding nanobody administrated via intrapulmonary delivery facilitates the accumulation of RBCEVs in metastatic cancer cells, leading to potent tumour-specific CD8+ T cells immune response. This contributes to prominent suppression of breast cancer metastasis in the lung. Hence, this study provides a new strategy for efficient RIG-I agonist delivery using RBCEVs for immunotherapy against cancer and cancer metastasis.

RIG-I Promotes Cell Viability, Colony Formation, and Glucose Metabolism and Inhibits Cell Apoptosis in Colorectal Cancer by NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Background

Retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I) has crucial effects on various cancers, while RIG-I's detailed roles and mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC) are uncovered.

Methods

qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of RIG-I in CRC, adjacent nontumor specimens, and five cell lines. CCK-8, colony formation, and flow cytometry assays were conducted to study CRC cell viabilities. Extracellular acidification rates, lactate analysis, and ATP analysis were conducted to study the cell viabilities and glucose metabolism of CRC cells. Western blot is used to determine the proteins of NF-κBp65 in the nucleus and cytoplasm.

Results

This study revealed the upregulation of RIG-I in CRC tissues and cells and that high RIG-I expression was correlated with poor prognosis of CRC patients. In addition, silencing RIG-I inhibited cell viability as well as colony formation and promoted cell apoptosis in CRC cells, while RIG-I knockdown suppressed transplanted tumor growth and facilitated apoptosis in nude mice. Moreover, silencing RIG-I inhibited glucose metabolism by decreasing extracellular acidification rate, lactate production, adenosine triphosphate, and content of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and pyruvate kinase isoform. 2.2-Deoxy-d-glucose, a glycolysis inhibitor, reduced the growth of CRC cells and promoted apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. In addition, RIG-I knockdown decreased NF-κB nuclear translocation. Besides, inhibiting NF-κB effectively eliminated RIG-I overexpression roles in cell viability and glucose metabolism in CRC cells.

Conclusion

In summary, this study revealed that RIG-I mediated CRC cell proliferation, apoptosis, and glucose metabolism at least partly by NF-κB signaling pathway.

Local tumor microbial signatures and response to checkpoint blockade in non-small cell lung cancer

In cancer patients, the clinical response to checkpoint-based immunotherapy is associated with the composition and functional quality of the host microbiome. While the relevance of the gut microbiome for checkpoint immunotherapy outcome has been addressed intensively, data on the role of the local tumor microbiome are missing. Here, we set out to molecularly characterize the local non-small cell lung cancer microbiome using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of bronchoscopic tumor biopsies from patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1-targeted checkpoint inhibitors. Our analyses showed significant diversity of the tumor microbiome with high proportions of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. Correlations with clinical data revealed that high microbial diversity was associated with improved patient survival irrespective of radiology-based treatment response. Moreover, we found that the presence of Gammaproteobacteria correlated with low PD-L1 expression and poor response to checkpoint-based immunotherapy, translating into poor survival. Our study suggests novel microbiome-specific/derived biomarkers for checkpoint immunotherapy response prediction and prognosis in lung cancer. In a broader sense, our data draw attention to the local tumor microbial habitat as an important addition to the spatially separated microbiome of the gut compartment.

Application in Gene Editing in Ovarian Cancer Therapy

The onset and progression of ovarian cancer (OC) are closely related to dysregulated gene expression. Current treatments for OC are mainly limited to surgery and chemotherapy. However, due to low drug sensitivity, the prognosis OC is exceptionally poor and the recurrence rate remains high. Hence, it is vital to develop new treatment strategies. Gene editing for site-specific genomic modification is a powerful novel tool for the treatment of OC. In this article, current gene editing research for the treatment of OC is reviewed to provide a reference for the clinical application of new approaches to improve treatment outcomes and prognosis.

Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal B-Cell Translocation Gene 2 as a Potential Therapeutic Target in Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the most common and aggressive type of tumor of the female reproductive system. Two factors account for this detrimental clinical presentation: (i) the lack of early detection methods and (ii) the inherently aggressive nature of this malignancy. Currently, transcriptomic analyses have become important tools to identify new targets in different cancer types. In this study, by measuring expression levels in ovarian cancer samples and stem cell samples, we identified 24 tumor suppressor genes consistently associated with poor prognosis. Combined results further revealed a potential therapeutic candidate, BTG2, which belongs to the antiproliferative gene family. Our results showed that BTG2 expression regulated ovarian cancer cell proliferation via G1/S phase cell cycle arrest by regulating Cyclin D1, CDK4, p-AKT, and p-ERK expression. BTG2 also inhibited cell migration by modulating MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. Furthermore, xenograft models confirmed a growth inhibitory effect of BTG2 in ovarian cancer in vivo. BTG2 was significantly associated with ovarian cancer FIGO stage and grade in the clinic. Our findings indicated that BTG2 exerts a suppressive impact on ovarian cancer and could be a potential biomarker.

Dr Effects of Adiponectin, Plasma D-Dimer, Inflammation and Tumor Markers on Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of Patients with Ovarian Cancer

 [Abstract] Objective: To investigate the effects of adiponectin (ADPN), plasma D-dimer (D-D), inflammation and tumor markers on clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer. Methods: A total of 80 patients with ovarian cancer treated in our hospital from April 2017 to November 2019 were enrolled as study subjects and evenly divided into observation group (patients with ovarian cancer) and control group (patients with benign ovarian tumor) based on the results of postoperative pathological biopsy. The levels of ADPN, plasma D-D, inflammatory factors and serum tumor markers [carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) and risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm (ROMA)] were compared between the two groups. The diagnostic value of serum tumor markers CA125, HE4 and ROMA in ovarian cancer was explored. The correlations of the changes of ROMA with the changes in the levels of ADPN, plasma D-D, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), CA125 and HE4 were analyzed. Additionally, the related risk factors affecting the development of ovarian cancer were subjected to univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: In comparison with control group, observation group exhibited a lowered ADPN level (p<0.05), notably raised levels of plasma D-D, inflammatory factors hs-CRP and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and serum tumor markers CA125 and HE4 and an evidently increased ROMA (p<0.05). Besides, the detection of serum ROMA showed the highest specificity and sensitivity and low false positive rate and false negative rate. The changes of ROMA were positively correlated with the changes in the levels of plasma D-D, hs-CRP, CA125 and HE4 (p<0.05), and negatively associated with the changes in ADPN level (p<0.05). The results of univariate analysis showed that abnormal ADPN, D-D, hs-CRP, IL-6, CA125 and HE4 levels were related risk factors affecting the development of ovarian cancer. It was found through multivariate logistic regression analysis that decreased ADPN level and increased D-D, hs-CRP, IL-6, CA125 and HE4 levels were independent risk factors affecting the development of ovarian cancer. Conclusion: In the case of ovarian cancer, the ADPN level declines, while the levels of plasma D-D, inflammatory factors, and serum tumor markers CA125, HE4 and ROMA rise obviously. Besides, the ROMA level displays a positive relation to the content of CA125, HE4, plasma D-D and inflammatory factors and a negative association with ADPN level.

Inflammatory cytokines as key players of apoptosis induced by environmental estrogens in the ovary

Natural and synthetic environmental estrogens (EEs), interfering with the physiological functions of the body's estrogens, are widespread and are rising much concern for their possible deleterious effects on human and animal health, in particular on reproduction. In fact, increasing evidence indicate that EEs can be responsible for a variety of disfunctions of the reproductive system especially in females such as premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). Because of their great structural diversity, the modes of action of EEs are controversial. One important way through which EEs exert their effects on reproduction is the induction of apoptosis in the ovary. In general, EEs can exert pro-and anti-apoptotic effects by agonizing or antagonizing numerous estrogen-dependent signaling pathways. In the present work, results concerning apoptotic pathways and diseases induced by representative EEs (such as zearalenone, bisphenol A and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate), in ovaries throughout development are presented into an integrated network. By reviewing and elaborating these studies, we propose inflammatory factors, centered on the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), as a major cause of the induction of apoptosis by EEs in the mammalian ovary. As a consequence, potential strategies to prevent such EE effect are suggested.

NanoString technology distinguishes anti-TIF-1γ+ from anti-Mi-2+ dermatomyositis patients

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a systemic idiopathic inflammatory disease affecting skeletal muscle and skin, clinically characterized by symmetrical proximal muscle weakness and typical skin lesions. Recently, myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSA) became of utmost importance because they strongly correlate with distinct clinical manifestations and prognosis. Antibodies against transcription intermediary factor 1γ (TIF-1γ) are frequently associated with increased risk of malignancy, a specific cutaneous phenotype and limited response to therapy in adult DM patients. Anti-Mi-2 autoantibodies, in contrast, are typically associated with classic DM rashes, prominent skeletal muscle weakness, better therapeutic response and prognosis, and less frequently with cancer. Nevertheless, the sensitivity of autoantibody testing is only moderate, and alternative reliable methods for DM patient stratification and prediction of cancer risk are needed. To further investigate these clinically distinct DM subgroups, we herein analyzed 30 DM patients (n = 15 Mi-2⁺ and n = 15 TIF-1 γ⁺ ) and n = 8 non-disease controls (NDC). We demonstrate that the NanoString technology can be used as a very sensitive method to clearly differentiate these two clinically distinct DM subgroups. Using the nCounter PanCancer Immune Profiling Panel™, we identified a set of significantly dysregulated genes in anti-TIF-1γ⁺ patient muscle biopsies including VEGFA, DDX58, IFNB1, CCL5, IL12RB2, and CD84. Investigation of type I IFN-regulated transcripts revealed a striking type I interferon signature in anti-Mi-2⁺ patient biopsies. Our results help to stratify both subgroups and predict, which DM patients require an intensified diagnostic procedure and might have a poorer outcome. Potentially, this could also have implications for the therapeutic approach.

DNA damage response and PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer has a poor prognosis due to drug resistance, relapse and metastasis. In recent years, immunotherapy has been applied in numerous cancers clinically. However, the effect of immunotherapy monotherapy in ovarian cancer is limited. DNA damage response (DDR) is an essential factor affecting the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy. Defective DNA repair may lead to carcinogenesis and tumor genomic instability, but on the other hand, it may also portend particular vulnerability of tumors and can be used as biomarkers for immunotherapy patient selection. Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway mediates tumor immune escape, which may be a promising target for immunotherapy. Therefore, further understanding of the mechanism of PD-L1 expression after DDR may help guide the development of immunotherapy in ovarian cancer. In this review, we present the DNA damage repair pathway and summarize how DNA damage repair affects the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in cancer cells. And then we look for biomarkers that affect efficacy or prognosis. Finally, we review the progress of PD-1/PD-L1-based immunotherapy in combination with other therapies that may affect the DDR pathway in ovarian cancer.

Epigenetic regulation of RNA sensors: Sentinels of immune response

Living host system possess mechanisms like innate immune system to combat against inflammation, stress singling, and cancer. These mechanisms are initiated by PAMP and DAMP mediated recognition by PRR. PRR is consist of variety of nucleic acid sensors like-RNA sensors. They play crucial role in identifying exogenous and endogenous RNA molecules, which subsequently mediate pro/inflammatory cytokine, IFN and ISGs response in traumatized or tumorigenic conditions. The sensors can sensitize wide range of nucleic acid particle in term of size and structure, while each category sensors belongs subclasses with differentially expressed in cell and distinguished functioning mechanisms. They are also able to make comparison between self and non-self-nucleic acid molecules through specific mechanisms. Besides exhibiting anti-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic responses, RNA sensors cover the broad spectrum of response mechanisms. Transcriptionally RNA sensors undergo with tight epigenetic regulations. In this review study, we will be going to discuss about the details of RNA sensors, their functional mechanisms and epi-transactional regulations.

Combined Use of Immunoreactivities of RIG-I with Efp/TRIM25 for Predicting Prognosis of Patients With Estrogen Receptor-positive Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

We previously identified estrogen-responsive finger protein (Efp) as an estrogen-induced gene, and showed that the positive immunoreactivity of Efp is a poor prognostic factor for patients with breast cancer. We also demonstrated that Efp has distinctive roles in innate immunity by activating pattern recognition receptor retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I). The clinical value of RIG-I protein expression in breast cancer had not been evaluated in relationship with patients' prognosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Tissue samples of estrogen receptor-positive invasive breast cancer were obtained from 145 female patients with breast cancer who underwent surgical treatment. Immunoreactivities of RIG-I and Efp were analyzed with the antibodies generated for the present study.

RESULTS

Positive immunoreactivity of RIG-I was correlated with lower disease-free survival (P = .032) and was an independent poor prognostic factor (P = .043). RIG-I immunoreactivity was positively correlated with that of Efp (P = .0004). Patients with positive immunoreactivities of both RIG-I and Efp proteins were associated with a lower disease-free survival rate (P = .005).

CONCLUSIONS

Positive immunoreactivity of RIG-I has clinical significance as a poor prognostic factor in patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. A positive correlation of RIG-I and Efp immunoreactivities was observed, and the combination of their immunoreactivities can be used to predict patients' prognosis.

Targeting nuclear acid-mediated immunity in cancer immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies

Cancer immunotherapy especially immune checkpoint inhibition has achieved unprecedented successes in cancer treatment. However, there are many patients who failed to benefit from these therapies, highlighting the need for new combinations to increase the clinical efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this review, we summarized the latest discoveries on the combination of nucleic acid-sensing immunity and immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer immunotherapy. Given the critical role of nuclear acid-mediated immunity in maintaining the activation of T cell function, it seems that harnessing the nuclear acid-mediated immunity opens up new strategies to enhance the effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors for tumor control.

Overcoming immunotherapy resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) - novel approaches and future outlook

Immunotherapy (IO) has revolutionized the therapy landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), significantly prolonging the overall survival (OS) of advanced stage patients. Over the recent years IO therapy has been broadly integrated into the first-line setting of non-oncogene driven NSCLC, either in combination with chemotherapy, or in selected patients with PD-L1high expression as monotherapy. Still, a significant proportion of patients suffer from disease progression. A better understanding of resistance mechanisms depicts a central goal to avoid or overcome IO resistance and to improve patient outcome.We here review major cellular and molecular pathways within the tumor microenvironment (TME) that may impact the evolution of IO resistance. We summarize upcoming treatment options after IO resistance including novel IO targets (e.g. RIG-I, STING) as well as interesting combinational approaches such as IO combined with anti-angiogenic agents or metabolic targets (e.g. IDO-1, adenosine signaling, arginase). By discussing the fundamental mode of action of IO within the TME, we aim to understand and manage IO resistance and to seed new ideas for effective therapeutic IO concepts.

Long noncoding RNAs, ENST00000598996 and ENST00000524265, are correlated with favorable prognosis and act as potential tumor suppressors in bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BC) is a serious malignancy worldwide due to its distant metastasis and high recurrence rates. Increasing evidence has indicated that dysregulated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in tumorigenesis and progression in multiple malignancies. However, their clinical significances, biological functions and molecular mechanisms in BC remain poorly understood. Hence, the present study investigated the expression profile of lncRNAs and mRNAs in five BC tissues and the corresponding adjacent normal specimens using high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). A total of 103 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs were identified, including 35 upregulated and 68 downregulated ones in BC tissues. Similarly, a total of 2,756 DE-mRNAs were detected, including 1,467 upregulated and 1,289 downregulated. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses, and lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network analyses suggested that these dysregulated lncRNAs are potentially implicated in the onset and progression of BC. Subsequently, four lncRNAs (upregulated ENST00000433108; downregulated ENST00000598996, ENST00000524265 and ENST00000398461) and two mRNAs (upregulated CCNB1 and CDK1) in 64 pairs of BC and adjacent normal tissues and four BC cell lines were detected using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and these results were consistent with the sequencing data. Additionally, Fisher's exact test, Kaplan-Meier plots, and Cox regression analyses were used for elucidating the clinical values of ENST00000598996 and ENST00000524265. Furthermore, a receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to assess their diagnostic values. The low expression level of ENST00000598996 and ENST00000524265 was correlated with unfavorable clinicopathological parameters, and shorter progression-free and overall survival time, whereas, ENST00000433108 was not associated with either. The in vitro functional experiments also revealed that the overexpression of ENST00000598996 and ENST00000524265 decreased the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of BC cells. Collectively, the results of the present study provide a novel landscape of lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles in BC. In addition, the results also indicated that ENST00000598996 and ENST00000524265 may serve as tumor suppressors, potential diagnostic biomarkers and prognostic predictors for patients with BC.

Overcoming Platinum and PARP-Inhibitor Resistance in Ovarian Cancer

Platinum chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of treatment for epithelial ovarian cancer (OC) and Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) now have an established role as maintenance therapy. The mechanisms of action of these agents is, in many ways, complementary, and crucially reliant on the intracellular DNA Damage Repair (DDR) response. Here, we review mechanisms of primary and acquired resistance to treatment with platinum and PARPi, examining the interplay between both classes of agents. A key resistance mechanism appears to be the restoration of the Homologous Recombination (HR) repair pathway, through BRCA reversion mutations and epigenetic upregulation of BRCA1. Alterations in non-homologous end-joint (NHEJ) repair, replication fork protection, upregulation of cellular drug efflux pumps, reduction in PARP1 activity and alterations to the tumour microenvironment have also been described. These resistance mechanisms reveal molecular vulnerabilities, which may be targeted to re-sensitise OC to platinum or PARPi treatment. Promising therapeutic strategies include ATR inhibition, epigenetic re-sensitisation through DNMT inhibition, cell cycle checkpoint inhibition, combination with anti-angiogenic therapy, BET inhibition and G-quadruplex stabilisation. Translational studies to elucidate mechanisms of treatment resistance should be incorporated into future clinical trials, as understanding these biologic mechanisms is crucial to developing new and effective therapeutic approaches in advanced OC.