Immune-related interaction perturbation networks unravel biological peculiars and clinical significance of glioblastoma

Distinct immunophenotypic profiles and neutrophil heterogeneity in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) exhibits significant molecular and immunological heterogeneity. Neutrophil infiltration patterns play a crucial yet poorly understood role in tumor progression and patient outcomes. This study presents a comprehensive single-cell atlas of the CRC tumor microenvironment (TME), integrating transcriptomic data from 388,511 cells across 98 samples from 63 patients. Employing advanced computational methods, we stratified patients based on their immune cell infiltration profiles, revealing distinct immunophenotypes with potential therapeutic implications. Our analysis focused on tissue-resident neutrophils (TRNs) and uncovered previously uncharacterized subpopulations with diverse functional states. Trajectory inference analysis revealed a dynamic differentiation path from normal-associated neutrophils to tumor-associated neutrophils, highlighting the remarkable plasticity of these cells within the tumor environment. By integrating single-cell data with bulk transcriptomic and clinical information, we identified specific neutrophil-derived gene signatures associated with poor prognosis in CRC, suggesting their potential as novel prognostic biomarkers. This study not only provides unprecedented insights into neutrophil heterogeneity in CRC but also identifies potential targets for immunomodulatory therapies. Our findings lay the groundwork for developing more nuanced, personalized immunotherapeutic strategies for CRC, potentially improving treatment efficacy for patients who currently show a limited response to existing immunotherapies.

Targeting cGAS-STING pathway for reprogramming tumor-associated macrophages to enhance anti-tumor immunotherapy

The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in activating innate and specific immunity in anti-tumor immunotherapy. As the major infiltrating cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) could be polarized into either anti-tumor M1 or pro-tumor M2 types based on various stimuli. Accordingly, targeted reprogramming TAMs to restore immune balance shows promise as an effective anti-tumor strategy. In this review, we aim to target cGAS-STING pathway for reprogramming TAMs to enhance anti-tumor immunotherapy. We investigated the double-edged sword effects of cGAS-STING in regulating TME. The regulative roles of cGAS-STING pathway in TAMs and its impact on the TME were further revealed. More importantly, several strategies of targeting cGAS-STING for reprogramming TAMs were designed for enhancing anti-tumor immunotherapy. Taken together, targeting cGAS-STING pathway for reprogramming TAMs in TME might be a promising strategy to enhance anti-tumor immunotherapy.

Copper Homeostasis Based on Cuproptosis-Related Signature Optimizes Molecular Subtyping and Treatment of Glioma

Copper is essential in living organisms and crucial to various physiological processes. Normal physiological conditions are in a state of copper homeostasis to ensure normal biochemical and metabolic processes. Dysregulation of copper homeostasis has been associated with multiple diseases, especially cancer. Cuproptosis is a copper-dependent cell death mediated by excess copper or homeostasis dysregulation. Elesclomol is a common inducer of cuproptosis, carrying copper into the cell and producing excess copper. Cuproptosis modulates tumor proliferation-related signaling pathways and is closely associated with remodeling the tumor microenvironment. In gliomas, the role of cuproptosis and copper homeostasis needs to be better characterized. This study systematically analyzed cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) and constructed a cuproptosis signature for gliomas. The signature closely links the subtypes and clinical features of glioma patients. The results showed a greater tendency toward dysregulation of copper homeostasis as the malignant grade of glioma patients increased. In addition, CRGs-signature effectively predicted the sensitivity of glioma cells to elesclomol and verified that elesclomol inhibited glioma mainly through inducing cellular cuproptosis. In summary, we found different copper homeostatic features in gliomas and verified the anticancer mechanism of elesclomol, which provides a theoretical basis for developing novel therapeutic strategies for gliomas.

Tracing Immunological Interaction in Trimethylamine N-Oxide Hydrogel-Derived Zwitterionic Microenvironment During Promoted Diabetic Wound Regeneration

The diabetic wound healing is challenging due to the sabotaged delicate balance of immune regulation via an undetermined pathophysiological mechanism, so it is crucial to decipher multicellular signatures underlying diabetic wound healing and seek therapeutic strategies. Here, this work develops a strategy using novel trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO)-derived zwitterionic hydrogel to promote diabetic wound healing, and explore the multi-cellular ecosystem around zwitterionic hydrogel, mapping out an overview of different cells in the zwitterionic microenvironment by single-cell RNA sequencing. The diverse cellular heterogeneity is revealed, highlighting the critical role of macrophage and neutrophils in managing diabetic wound healing. It is found that polyzwitterionic hydrogel can upregulate Ccl3+ macrophages and downregulate S100a9+ neutrophils and facilitate their interactions compared with polyanionic and polycationic hydrogels, validating the underlying effect of zwitterionic microenvironment on the activation of adaptive immune system. Moreover, zwitterionic hydrogel inhibits the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and promotes angiogenesis, thus improving diabetic wound healing. These findings expand the horizons of the sophisticated orchestration of immune systems in zwitterion-directed diabetic wound repair and uncover new strategies of novel immunoregulatory biomaterials.