Targeted Proteomic Quantitation of NRF2 Signaling and Predictive Biomarkers in HNSCC

Integration of proteomics in the molecular tumor board

Cancer remains one of the most complex and challenging diseases in mankind. To address the need for a personalized treatment approach for particularly complex tumor cases, molecular tumor boards (MTBs) have been initiated. MTBs are interdisciplinary teams that perform in-depth molecular diagnostics to cooperatively and interdisciplinarily advise on the best therapeutic strategy. Current molecular diagnostics are routinely performed on the transcriptomic and genomic levels, aiming to identify tumor-driving mutations. However, these approaches can only partially capture the actual phenotype and the molecular key players of tumor growth and progression. Thus, direct investigation of the expressed proteins and activated signaling pathways provide valuable complementary information on the tumor-driving molecular characteristics of the tissue. Technological advancements in mass spectrometry-based proteomics enable the robust, rapid, and sensitive detection of thousands of proteins in minimal sample amounts, paving the way for clinical proteomics and the probing of oncogenic signaling activity. Therefore, proteomics is currently being integrated into molecular diagnostics within MTBs and holds promising potential in aiding tumor classification and identifying personalized treatment strategies. This review introduces MTBs and describes current clinical proteomics, its potential in precision oncology, and highlights the benefits of multi-omic data integration.

Possible Strategies to Reduce the Tumorigenic Risk of Reprogrammed Normal and Cancer Cells

The reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotent stem cells has immense potential for use in regenerating or redeveloping tissues for transplantation, and the future application of this method is one of the most important research topics in regenerative medicine. These cells are generated from normal cells, adult stem cells, or neoplastic cancer cells. They express embryonic stem cell markers, such as OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG, and can differentiate into all tissue types in adults, both in vitro and in vivo. However, tumorigenicity, immunogenicity, and heterogeneity of cell populations may hamper the use of this method in medical therapeutics. The risk of cancer formation is dependent on mutations of these stemness genes during the transformation of pluripotent stem cells to cancer cells and on the alteration of the microenvironments of stem cell niches at genetic and epigenetic levels. Recent reports have shown that the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from human fibroblasts could be induced using chemicals, which is a safe, easy, and clinical-grade manufacturing strategy for modifying the cell fate of human cells required for regeneration therapies. This strategy is one of the future routes for the clinical application of reprogramming therapy. Therefore, this review highlights the recent progress in research focused on decreasing the tumorigenic risk of iPSCs or iPSC-derived organoids and increasing the safety of iPSC cell preparation and their application for therapeutic benefits.

Elucidating the role of FOS in modulating the immune microenvironment through fibroblast and myeloid cell regulation in locoregional recurrent HNSCC

BACKGROUND

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) presents a significant clinical challenge, particularly due to its high propensity for locoregional recurrence. Current research underscores the need to unravel the complex interactions within the tumor microenvironment. This study addresses the critical gap in understanding how FOS modulates the immune landscape in HNSCC, with a focus on its influence on fibroblast and myeloid cell dynamics.

METHODS

Employing a comprehensive approach, we analyzed tissue samples from HNSCC patients and adjacent non-cancerous tissues using bulk RNA sequencing complemented by in-depth bioinformatics analyses, including gene ontology (GO), Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and immune infiltration assessment. A pivotal aspect of our research involved dissecting single-cell RNA-seq data from GSE234933 to elucidate the cell-type-specific expression of FOS.

RESULTS

We found that FOS expression varies significantly in different cell populations in the HNSCC tumor microenvironment, especially in fibroblasts and myeloid cells. This expression difference may reflect the different roles of these cells in tumor progression and their impact on the tumor microenvironment.

CONCLUSION

Our results uncover a significant correlation between FOS expression and key immune and hypoxia-related pathways, suggesting its integral role in the tumor microenvironment. These findings not only enhance our understanding of HNSCC pathogenesis but also highlight FOS as a potential therapeutic target. This study marks a significant step towards addressing the urgent need for targeted interventions in HNSCC, particularly in the context of locoregional recurrence.

Proximity proteomic analysis of the NRF family reveals the Parkinson's disease protein ZNF746/PARIS as a co-complexed repressor of NRF2

The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) transcription factor activates cytoprotective and metabolic gene expression in response to various electrophilic stressors. Constitutive NRF2 activity promotes cancer progression, whereas decreased NRF2 function contributes to neurodegenerative diseases. We used proximity proteomic analysis to define protein networks for NRF2 and its family members NRF1, NRF3, and the NRF2 heterodimer MAFG. A functional screen of co-complexed proteins revealed previously uncharacterized regulators of NRF2 transcriptional activity. We found that ZNF746 (also known as PARIS), a zinc finger transcription factor implicated in Parkinson's disease, physically associated with NRF2 and MAFG, resulting in suppression of NRF2-driven transcription. ZNF746 overexpression increased oxidative stress and apoptosis in a neuronal cell model of Parkinson's disease, phenotypes that were reversed by chemical and genetic hyperactivation of NRF2. This study presents a functionally annotated proximity network for NRF2 and suggests a link between ZNF746 overexpression in Parkinson's disease and inhibition of NRF2-driven neuroprotection.