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Naik A, Lattab B, Qasem H, Decock J. Cancer testis antigens: Emerging therapeutic targets leveraging genomic instability in cancer. MOLECULAR THERAPY. ONCOLOGY 2024; 32:200768. [PMID: 38596293 PMCID: PMC10876628 DOI: 10.1016/j.omton.2024.200768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Cancer care has witnessed remarkable progress in recent decades, with a wide array of targeted therapies and immune-based interventions being added to the traditional treatment options such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. However, despite these advancements, the challenge of achieving high tumor specificity while minimizing adverse side effects continues to dictate the benefit-risk balance of cancer therapy, guiding clinical decision making. As such, the targeting of cancer testis antigens (CTAs) offers exciting new opportunities for therapeutic intervention of cancer since they display highly tumor specific expression patterns, natural immunogenicity and play pivotal roles in various biological processes that are critical for tumor cellular fitness. In this review, we delve deeper into how CTAs contribute to the regulation and maintenance of genomic integrity in cancer, and how these mechanisms can be exploited to specifically target and eradicate tumor cells. We review the current clinical trials targeting aforementioned CTAs, highlight promising pre-clinical data and discuss current challenges and future perspectives for future development of CTA-based strategies that exploit tumor genomic instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adviti Naik
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Boucif Lattab
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hanan Qasem
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
| | - Julie Decock
- Cancer Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Doha, Qatar
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Mirzaei S, Ranjbar B, Tackallou SH, Aref AR. Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in breast cancer: The crosstalk with oncogenic and onco-suppressor factors in regulation of cancer hallmarks. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 248:154676. [PMID: 37454494 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Low oxygen level at tumor microenvironment leads to a condition, known as hypoxia that is implicated in cancer progression. Upon hypoxia, HIF-1α undergoes activation and due to its oncogenic function and interaction with other molecular pathways, promotes tumor progression. The HIF-1α role in regulating breast cancer progression is described, Overall, HIF-1α has upregulation in breast tumor and due to its tumor-promoting function, its upregulation is in favor of breast tumor progression. HIF-1α overexpression prevents apoptosis in breast tumor and it promotes cell cycle progression. Silencing HIF-1α triggers cycle arrest and decreases growth. Migration of breast tumor enhances by HIF-1α signaling and it mainly induces EMT in providing metastasis. HIF-1α upregulation stimulates drug resistance and radio-resistance in breast tumor. Furthermore, HIF-1α signaling induces immune evasion of breast cancer. Berberine and pharmacological intervention suppress HIF-1α signaling in breast tumor and regulation of HIF-1α by non-coding RNAs occurs. Furthermore, HIF-1α is a biomarker in clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Mirzaei
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Bijan Ranjbar
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran 14117-13116, Iran
| | | | - Amir Reza Aref
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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Kazerani R, Salehipour P, Shah Mohammadi M, Amanzadeh Jajin E, Modarressi MH. Identification of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 splicing variants in 5' untranslated region with distinct expression profiles in brain tumor samples. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1075638. [PMID: 36860313 PMCID: PMC9968883 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1075638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Brain tumors (BTs) are perceived as one of the most common malignancies among children. The specific regulation of each gene can play a critical role in cancer progression. The present study aimed to determine the transcripts of the TSGA10 and GGNBP2 genes, considering the alternative 5'UTR region, and investigating the expression of these different transcripts in BTs. Material and methods Public data on brain tumor microarray datasets in GEO were analyzed with R software to evaluate the expression levels of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 genes (the Pheatmap package in R was also used to plot DEGs in a heat map). In addition, to validate our in-silico data analysis, RT-PCR was performed to determine the splicing variants of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 genes in testis and brain tumor samples. The expression levels of splice variants of these genes were analyzed in 30 brain tumor samples and two testicular tissue samples as a positive control. Results In silico results show that the differential expression levels of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 were significant in the GEO datasets of BTs compared to normal samples (with adjusted p-value<0.05 and log fold change > 1). This study's experimental results showed that the TSGA10 gene produces four different transcripts with two distinct promoter regions and splicing exon 4. The relative mRNA expression of transcripts without exon 4 was higher than transcripts with exon 4 in BT samples (p-value<001). In GGNBP2, exon 2 in the 5'UTR region and exon 6 in the coding sequence were spliced. The expression analysis results showed that the relative mRNA expression of transcript variants without exon 2 was higher than other transcript variants with exon 2 in BT samples (p-value<001). Conclusion The decreased expression levels of transcripts with longer 5'UTR in BT samples than in testicular or low-grade brain tumor samples may decrease their translation efficiency. Therefore, decreased amounts of TSGA10 and GGNBP2 as potential tumor suppressor proteins, especially in high-grade brain tumors, may cause cancer development by angiogenesis and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reihane Kazerani
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pouya Salehipour
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammadreza Shah Mohammadi
- Functional Neurosurgery Research Center, Shohada Tajrish Comprehensive Neurosurgical Center of Excellence, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elnaz Amanzadeh Jajin
- Functional Neurosurgery Research Center, Shohada Tajrish Comprehensive Neurosurgical Center of Excellence, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Modarressi
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran,*Correspondence: Mohammad Hossein Modarressi,
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Zhou Z, Zhang Y, Li Y, Jiang C, Wu Y, Shang L, Huang Y, Cheng S. Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy: A case-control study. Front Oncol 2023; 12:1080054. [PMID: 36686748 PMCID: PMC9845900 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1080054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To investigate the impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on pathologic complete response (pCR) and clinical outcomes in breast cancer (BC) patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Methods We analyzed 221 female BC patients at Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital who received NAC and divided them into MetS and non-MetS groups according to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria to investigate the association between MetS and clinicopathological characteristics, pathologic response, and long-term survival and to observe the changes in metabolic parameters after NAC. Results A total of 53 (24.0%) BC patients achieved pCR after NAC in our study. MetS status was an independent predictor of pCR, and pCR was more difficult to obtain in the MetS group than the non-MetS group (P=0.028). All metabolic parameters deteriorated significantly after NAC, especially the blood lipid index (P<0.010). The median follow-up time was 6 years. After adjusting for other prognostic factors, MetS was found to be strongly associated with an increased risk of recurrence (P=0.007) and mortality (P=0.004) in BC patients receiving NAC. Compared to individuals without any MetS component, the risk of death and disease progression increased sharply as the number of MetS components increased. Conclusions In BC patients who received NAC, MetS was associated with poor outcomes, including a lower pCR rate and increased risks of recurrence and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyue Zhou
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Cong Jiang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Yang Wu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Lingmin Shang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Yuanxi Huang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China,*Correspondence: Shaoqiang Cheng, ; Yuanxi Huang,
| | - Shaoqiang Cheng
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China,*Correspondence: Shaoqiang Cheng, ; Yuanxi Huang,
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The Contributions of Cancer-Testis and Developmental Genes to the Pathogenesis of Keratinocyte Carcinomas. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153630. [PMID: 35892887 PMCID: PMC9367444 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153630] [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: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In addition to mutations, ectopically-expressed genes are emerging as important contributors to cancer development. Efforts to characterize the expression patterns in cancers of gamete-restricted cancer-testis antigens and developmentally-restricted genes are underway, revealing these genes to be putative biomarkers and therapeutic targets for various malignancies. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are two highly-prevalent non-melanoma skin cancers that result in considerable burden on patients and our health system. To optimize disease prognostication and treatment, it is necessary to further classify the molecular complexity of these malignancies. This review describes the expression patterns and functions of cancer-testis antigens and developmentally-restricted genes in BCC and cSCC tumors. A large number of cancer-testis antigens and developmental genes exhibit substantial expression levels in BCC and cSCC. These genes have been shown to contribute to several aspects of cancer biology, including tumorigenesis, differentiation, invasion and responses to anti-cancer therapy. Abstract Keratinocyte carcinomas are among the most prevalent malignancies worldwide. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are the two cancers recognized as keratinocyte carcinomas. The standard of care for treating these cancers includes surgery and ablative therapies. However, in recent years, targeted therapies (e.g., cetuximab for cSCC and vismodegib/sonidegib for BCC) have been used to treat advanced disease as well as immunotherapy (e.g., cemiplimab). These treatments are expensive and have significant toxicities with objective response rates approaching ~50–65%. Hence, there is a need to dissect the molecular pathogenesis of these cancers to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets to improve disease management. Several cancer-testis antigens (CTA) and developmental genes (including embryonic stem cell factors and fetal genes) are ectopically expressed in BCC and cSCC. When ectopically expressed in malignant tissues, functions of these genes may be recaptured to promote tumorigenesis. CTAs and developmental genes are emerging as important players in the pathogenesis of BCC and cSCC, positioning themselves as attractive candidate biomarkers and therapeutic targets requiring rigorous testing. Herein, we review the current research and offer perspectives on the contributions of CTAs and developmental genes to the pathogenesis of keratinocyte carcinomas.
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Yang P, Qiao Y, Meng M, Zhou Q. Cancer/Testis Antigens as Biomarker and Target for the Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Therapy of Lung Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:864159. [PMID: 35574342 PMCID: PMC9092596 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.864159] [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: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading type of malignant tumour among cancer-caused death worldwide, and the 5-year survival rate of lung cancer patients is only 18%. Various oncogenes are abnormally overexpressed in lung cancer, including cancer/testis antigens (CTAs), which are restrictively expressed in the male testis but are hardly expressed in other normal tissues, if at all. CTAs are aberrantly overexpressed in various types of cancer, with more than 60 CTAs abnormally overexpressed in lung cancer. Overexpression of oncogenic CTAs drives the initiation, metastasis and progression of lung cancer, and is closely associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients. Several CTAs, such as XAGE, SPAG9 and AKAP4, have been considered as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognostic prediction of lung cancer. More interestingly, due to the high immunogenicity and specificity of CTAs in cancer, several CTAs, including CT45, BCAP31 and ACTL8, have been targeted for developing novel therapeutics against cancer. CTA-based vaccines, chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells (CAR-T) and small molecules have been used in lung cancer treatment in pre-clinical and early clinical trials, with encouraging results being obtained. However, there are still many hurdles to be overcome before these therapeutics can be routinely used in clinical lung cancer therapy. This review summarises the recent rapid progress in oncogenic CTAs, focusing on CTAs as biomarkers for lung cancer diagnosis and prognostic prediction, and as targets for novel anti-cancer drug discovery and lung cancer therapy. We also identify challenges and opportunities in CTA-based cancer diagnosis and treatment. Finally, we provide perspectives on the mechanisms of oncogenic CTAs in lung cancer development, and we also suggest CTAs as a new platform for lung cancer diagnosis, prognostic prediction, and novel anti-cancer drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Yang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yingnan Qiao
- Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Mei Meng
- Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Quansheng Zhou
- Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,2011 Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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Jahani M, Dokaneheifard S, Mansouri K. Hypoxia: A key feature of COVID-19 launching activation of HIF-1 and cytokine storm. JOURNAL OF INFLAMMATION-LONDON 2020; 17:33. [PMID: 33139969 PMCID: PMC7594974 DOI: 10.1186/s12950-020-00263-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19, disease caused by the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, appeared in the end of 2019 and was rapidly spread in most countries. This respiratory virus has different symptoms from moderate to severe, and results in lung pneumonia following acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and patient’s death in severe cases. ARDS is a severe form of acute lung injury that is caused by high inflammatory response of the innate immunity cells. Hypoxia is the common feature in the inflammatory sites with having various impacts on this condition by induction of some factors such as hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). HIF-1α regulates some important cellular processes including cell proliferation, metabolism and angiogenesis. Furthermore, this factor is activated during the immune responses and plays important roles in the inflammation site by inducing pro-inflammatory cytokines production through immune cells. So, in this study the possible effect of the HIF-1α on the COVID-19 pathogenesis with emphasizes on its role on innate immunity response has been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mozhgan Jahani
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Sadat Dokaneheifard
- Department of Human Genetics, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33136 USA
| | - Kamran Mansouri
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.,Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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