ENTPD1 (CD39) Expression Inhibits UVR-Induced DNA Damage Repair through Purinergic Signaling and Is Associated with Metastasis in Human Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Exploring the metastasis-related biomarker and carcinogenic mechanism in liver cancer based on single cell technology

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a fatal primary malignancy characterized by high invasion and migration. We aimed to explore the underlying metastasis-related mechanism supporting the development of HCC.

Methods

The dataset of single cell RNA-seq (GSE149614) were collected for cell clustering by using the Seurat R package, the FindAllMarkers function was used to find the highly expression and defined the cell cluster. The WebGestaltR package was used for the GO and KEGG function analysis of shared genes, the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSVA) was performed by clusterProfiler R package, the hTFtarget database was used to identify the crucial transcription factors (TFs), the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) database was used for the drug sensitivity analysis. Finally, the overexpression and trans-well assay was used for gene function analysis.

Results

We obtained 9 cell clusters from the scRNA-seq data, including the nature killer (NK)/T cells, Myeloid cells, Hepatocytes, Epithelial cells, Endothelial cells, Plasma B cells, Smooth muscle cells, B cells, Liver bud hepatic cells. Further cell ecological analysis indicated that the Hepatocytes and Endothelial cell cluster were closely related to the cancer metastasis. Subsequently, the NDUFA4L2-Hepatocyte, GTSE1-Hepatocyte, ENTPD1-Endothelial and NDUFA4L2-Endothelial were defined as metastasis-supporting cell clusters, in which the NDUFA4L2-Hepatocyte cells was closely related to angiogenesis, while the NDUFA4L2-Endothelial was related with the inflammatory response and complement response. The overexpression and trans-well assay displayed that NDUFA4L2 exhibited clearly metastasis-promoting role in HCC progression.

Conclusion

We identified and defined 4 metastasis-supporting cell clusters by using the single cell technology, the specify shared gene was observed and played crucial role in promoting cancer progression, our findings were expected to provide new insight in control cancer metastasis.

Current insights and future perspectives of ultraviolet radiation (UV) exposure: Friends and foes to the skin and beyond the skin

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is ubiquitous in the environment, which has been classified as an established human carcinogen. As the largest and outermost organ of the body, direct exposure of skin to sunlight or UV radiation can result in sunburn, inflammation, photo-immunosuppression, photoaging and even skin cancers. To date, there are tactics to protect the skin by preventing UV radiation and reducing the amount of UV radiation to the skin. Nevertheless, deciphering the essential regulatory mechanisms may pave the way for therapeutic interventions against UV-induced skin disorders. Additionally, UV light is considered beneficial for specific skin-related conditions in medical UV therapy. Recent evidence indicates that the biological effects of UV exposure extend beyond the skin and include the treatment of inflammatory diseases, solid tumors and certain abnormal behaviors. This review mainly focuses on the effects of UV on the skin. Moreover, novel findings of the biological effects of UV in other organs and systems are also summarized. Nevertheless, the mechanisms through which UV affects the human organism remain to be fully elucidated to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of its biological effects.

Immunogenic cell death-based prognostic model for predicting the response to immunotherapy and common therapy in lung adenocarcinoma

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a malignant tumor in the respiratory system. The efficacy of current treatment modalities varies greatly, and individualization is evident. Therefore, finding biomarkers for predicting treatment prognosis and providing reference and guidance for formulating treatment options is urgent. Cancer immunotherapy has made distinct progress in the past decades and has a significant effect on LUAD. Immunogenic Cell Death (ICD) can reshape the tumor's immune microenvironment, contributing to immunotherapy. Thus, exploring ICD biomarkers to construct a prognostic model might help individualized treatments. We used a lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) dataset to identify ICD-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Then, these DEGs were clustered and divided into subgroups. We also performed variance analysis in different dimensions. Further, we established and validated a prognostic model by LASSO Cox regression analysis. The risk score in this model was used to evaluate prognostic differences by survival analysis. The treatment prognosis of various therapies were also predicted. LUAD samples were divided into two subgroups. The ICD-high subgroup was related to an immune-hot phenotype more sensitive to immunotherapy. The prognostic model was constructed based on six ICD-related DEGs. We found that high-risk score patients responded better to immunotherapy. The ICD prognostic model was validated as a standalone factor to evaluate the ICD subtype of individual LUAD patients, which might contribute to more effective therapies.

The Function of NK Cells in Tumor Metastasis and NK Cell-Based Immunotherapy

Metastatic tumors cause the most deaths in cancer patients. Treating metastasis remains the primary goal of current cancer research. Although the immune system prevents and kills the tumor cells, the function of the immune system in metastatic cancer has been unappreciated for decades because tumors are able to develop complex signaling pathways to suppress immune responses, leading them to escape detection and elimination. Studies showed NK cell-based therapies have many advantages and promise for fighting metastatic cancers. We here review the function of the immune system in tumor progression, specifically focusing on the ability of NK cells in antimetastasis, how metastatic tumors escape the NK cell attack, as well as the recent development of effective antimetastatic immunotherapies.

Molecular Alterations in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Immunocompetent and Immunosuppressed Hosts-A Systematic Review

The characterization of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) at the molecular level is lacking in the current literature due to the high mutational burden of this disease. Immunosuppressed patients afflicted with cSCC experience considerable morbidity and mortality. In this article, we review the molecular profile of cSCC among the immunosuppressed and immunocompetent populations at the genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, and proteometabolomic levels, as well as describing key differences in the tumor immune microenvironment between these two populations. We feature novel biomarkers from the recent literature which may serve as potential targets for therapy.

CD73 Inhibits cGAS-STING and Cooperates with CD39 to Promote Pancreatic Cancer

The ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73 catalyze extracellular ATP to immunosuppressive adenosine, and as such, represent potential cancer targets. We investigated biological impacts of CD39 and CD73 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) by studying clinical samples and experimental mouse tumors. Stromal CD39 and tumoral CD73 expression significantly associated with worse survival in human PDAC samples and abolished the favorable prognostic impact associated with the presence of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells. In mouse transplanted KPC tumors, both CD39 and CD73 on myeloid cells, as well as CD73 on tumor cells, promoted polarization of infiltrating myeloid cells towards an M2-like phenotype, which enhanced tumor growth. CD39 on tumor-specific CD8+ T cells and pancreatic stellate cells also suppressed IFNγ production by T cells. Although therapeutic inhibition of CD39 or CD73 alone significantly delayed tumor growth in vivo, targeting of both ectonucleotidases exhibited markedly superior antitumor activity. CD73 expression on human and mouse PDAC tumor cells also protected against DNA damage induced by gemcitabine and irradiation. Accordingly, large-scale pharmacogenomic analyses of human PDAC cell lines revealed significant associations between CD73 expression and gemcitabine chemoresistance. Strikingly, increased DNA damage in CD73-deficient tumor cells associated with activation of the cGAS-STING pathway. Moreover, cGAS expression in mouse KPC tumor cells was required for antitumor activity of the CD73 inhibitor AB680 in vivo. Our study, thus, illuminates molecular mechanisms whereby CD73 and CD39 seemingly cooperate to promote PDAC progression.

Proteomes of Residual Tumors in Curcumin-Treated Rats Reveal Changes in Microenvironment/Malignant Cell Crosstalk in a Highly Invasive Model of Mesothelioma

Curcumin exhibits both immunomodulatory properties and anticarcinogenic effects which have been investigated in different experimental tumor models and cancer types. Its interactions with multiple signaling pathways have been documented through proteomic studies on malignant cells in culture; however, in vivo approaches are scarce. In this study, we used a rat model of highly invasive peritoneal mesothelioma to analyze the residual tumor proteomes of curcumin-treated rats in comparison with untreated tumor-bearing rats (G1) and provide insights into the modifications in the tumor microenvironment/malignant cell crosstalk. The cross-comparing analyses of the histological sections of residual tumors from two groups of rats given curcumin twice on days 21 and 26 after the tumor challenge (G2) or four times on days 7, 9, 11 and 14 (G3), in comparison with G1, identified a common increase in caveolin-1 which linked with significant abundance changes affecting 115 other proteins. The comparison of G3 vs. G2 revealed additional features for 65 main proteins, including an increase in histidine-rich glycoprotein and highly significant abundance changes for 22 other proteins regulating the tumor microenvironment, linked with the presence of numerous activated T cells. These results highlight new features in the multiple actions of curcumin on tumor microenvironment components and cancer cell invasiveness.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer: A Genetic Update and Future Perspectives

Simple Summary

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the main type of cancer in the Caucasian population, and the number of cases continues to rise. Research mostly focuses on clinical characteristics analysis, but genetic features are crucial to malignancies’ establishment and advance. We aim to explore the genetic basics of skin cancer, surrounding microenvironment interactions, and regulation mechanisms to provide a broader perspective for new therapies’ development.

Abstract

Skin cancer is one of the main types of cancer worldwide, and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most frequent within this group. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are the most common types. Multifactorial features are well-known for cancer development, and new hallmarks are gaining relevance. Genetics and epigenetic regulation play an essential role in cancer susceptibility and progression, as well as the variety of cells and molecules that interact in the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we provide an update on the genetic features of NMSC, candidate genes, and new therapies, considering diverse perspectives of skin carcinogenesis. The global health situation and the pandemic have been challenging for health care systems, especially in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cancer. We provide innovative approaches to overcome the difficulties in the current clinical dynamics.