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Min Y, Wei X, Xia X, Wei Z, Li R, Jin J, Liu Z, Hu X, Peng X. Hepatitis B virus infection: An insight into the clinical connection and molecular interaction between hepatitis B virus and host extrahepatic cancer risk. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1141956. [PMID: 36936956 PMCID: PMC10014788 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1141956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The evidence for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence is well established. The hepatocyte epithelium carcinogenesis caused by HBV has been investigated and reviewed in depth. Nevertheless, recent findings from preclinical and observational studies suggested that chronic HBV infection is equally important in extrahepatic cancer occurrence and survival, specifically gastrointestinal system-derived cancers. Immune microenvironment changes (immune-suppressive cytokine infiltration), epigenetic modification (N6-methyladenosine), molecular signaling pathways (PI3K-Akt and Wnt), and serum biomarkers such as hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein are potential underlying mechanisms in chronic HBV infection-induced extrahepatic cancers. This narrative review aimed to comprehensively summarize the most recent advances in evaluating the association between chronic HBV infection and extrahepatic cancer risk and explore the potential underlying molecular mechanisms in the carcinogenesis induction of extrahepatic cancers in chronic HBV conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Min
- Department of Biotherapy and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Wei
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China
| | - Xi Xia
- Research and Development Department Shanghai ETERN Biopharma Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Zhigong Wei
- Department of Biotherapy and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China
| | - Ruidan Li
- Department of Biotherapy and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing Jin
- Department of Biotherapy and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China
| | - Zheran Liu
- Department of Biotherapy and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaolin Hu
- West China School of Nursing, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Xingchen Peng, ; Xiaolin Hu,
| | - Xingchen Peng
- Department of Biotherapy and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Xingchen Peng, ; Xiaolin Hu,
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Mehdi AM, Zhou C, Turrell G, Walpole E, Porceddu S, Frazer IH, Chandra J. HPV status represents dominant trait driving delineation of survival-associated gene co-expression networks in head and neck cancer. Cancer Gene Ther 2022; 30:629-640. [PMID: 36575316 PMCID: PMC10104777 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-022-00577-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Integration of high-dimensional tumor gene expression data with clinicopathological data can increase our understanding of disease diversity, enable retrospective patient stratification, and identify new potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Using a systems biology approach, we provide a holistic overview of gene co-expression networks in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis of HNSCC RNA sequencing data from 519 patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was used to determine correlates of 5-year survival, using regression tree-based optimal threshold calculations. Survival-associated gene sets were transformed to gene set scores that were assessed for correlation with clinicopathological data. We identified 8 gene co-expression modules for HNSCC tumors, each of which contained co-expressed genes associated significantly with 5-year survival. Survival-associated co-expression gene signatures correlated dominantly with tumor HPV and p16 status. Network analysis identified that survival was associated with signaling networks of infection, immunity, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), hypoxia, glycolysis, focal adhesion, extracellular matrix, MYC signaling, autophagy and transcriptional regulation. EMT-associated gene signatures were expressed dominantly in fibroblasts, and cancer-associated fibroblasts were inversely correlated with immune activity. Interestingly, a high Immune Suppression Score based on expression of 21 genes associated with immune inhibition and including immune checkpoints, cytokines and regulatory T cell factors, was also associated with increased survival probability, and was significantly higher in HPV+ HNSCC. Networks associated with HNSCC survival were further associated with survival in cervical cancer, melanoma and lung cancer. This study defines 5129 genes associated with HNSCC survival, organized into co-expressed networks, their correlation with clinicopathological data, and with gene expression data from other malignant diseases, and provides a source for the discovery of biomarkers and novel therapies for HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M Mehdi
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.,Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation Ltd, Facility for Advanced Bioinformatics, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Chenhao Zhou
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Gavin Turrell
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Euan Walpole
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.,Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Sandro Porceddu
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.,Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Radiation Oncology, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Ian H Frazer
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Janin Chandra
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.
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Research progress of neoantigens in gynecologic cancers. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 112:109236. [PMID: 36113318 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109236] [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: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The incidence and mortality of gynecological cancers have increased over the past decade. In the absence of effective treatment strategies, many advanced patients develop resistance to conventional therapies and have poor prognosis. Neoantigens have emerged as a novel tumor-specific antigen (TSA) that arises from genomic mutations in tumor cells. With higher immunogenicity than tumor-associated antigens (TAA), they have no risk of developing autoimmune response, leading them an attractive candidate for tumor therapeutic vaccines. With the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, the identification of neoantigens has been gradually improved, and the scope of application of neoantigen vaccines has continued to expand. Combined with other therapies such as immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) or adoptive cell therapy (ACT), the application of neoantigen in gynecological cancers has extended to clinical practice. Here, we reviewed the preclinical and clinical studies of neoantigens in gynecological cancers.
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Qu S, Jin L, Huang H, Lin J, Gao W, Zeng Z. A positive-feedback loop between HBx and ALKBH5 promotes hepatocellular carcinogenesis. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:686. [PMID: 34112124 PMCID: PMC8194239 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08449-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) contributes to liver carcinogenesis via various epigenetic mechanisms. The newly defined epigenetics, epitranscriptomics regulation, has been reported to involve in multiple cancers including Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Our previous study found that HBx, HBV encodes X protein, mediated H3K4me3 modification in WDR5-dependent manner to involve in HBV infection and contribute to oncogene expression. AlkB Homolog 5 (ALKBH5), one of epitranscriptomics enzymes, has been identified to be associated with various cancers. However, whether and how ALKBH5 is dysregulated in HBV-related HCC remains unclear yet. This study aims to investigate ALKBH5 function, clinical significance and mechanism in HBV related HCC (HBV-HCC) patients derived from Chinese people. METHODS The expression pattern of ALKBH5 was evaluated by RT-qPCR, Western blot, data mining and immunohistochemistry in total of 373 HBV-HCC tissues and four HCC cell lines. Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK8) assay, Transwell and nude mouse model were performed to assess ALKBH5 function by both small interference RNAs and lentiviral particles. The regulation mechanism of ALKBH5 was determined in HBx and WDR5 knockdown cells by CHIP-qPCR. The role of ALKBH5 in HBx mRNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification was further evaluated by MeRIP-qPCR and Actinomycin D inhibitor experiment in HBV-driven cells and HBx overexpression cells. RESULT ALKBH5 increased in tumor tissues and predicts a poor prognosis of HBV-HCC. Mechanically, the highly expressed ALKBH5 is induced by HBx-mediated H3K4me3 modification of ALKBH5 gene promoter in a WDR5-dependent manner after HBV infection. The increased ALKBH5 protein catalyzes the m6A demethylation of HBx mRNA, thus stabilizing and favoring a higher HBx expression level. Furthermore, there are positive correlations between HBx and ALKBH5 in HBV-HCC tissues, and depletion of ALKBH5 significantly inhibits HBV-driven tumor cells' growth and migration in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS HBx-ALKBH5 may form a positive-feedback loop to involve in the HBV-induced liver carcinogenesis, and targeting the loop at ALKBH5 may provide a potential way for HBV-HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siming Qu
- Organ Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, 295 Xichang Road, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Li Jin
- Organ Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, 295 Xichang Road, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Hanfei Huang
- Organ Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, 295 Xichang Road, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Jie Lin
- Organ Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, 295 Xichang Road, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Weiwu Gao
- Institute of Immunology, PLA, Third Military Medical University, 30 Gaotanyan St., District Shapingba, Chongqing, 400038, China.
| | - Zhong Zeng
- Organ Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, 295 Xichang Road, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, China.
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