1
|
Lefler DS, Manobianco SA, Bashir B. Immunotherapy resistance in solid tumors: mechanisms and potential solutions. Cancer Biol Ther 2024; 25:2315655. [PMID: 38389121 PMCID: PMC10896138 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2024.2315655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
While the emergence of immunotherapies has fundamentally altered the management of solid tumors, cancers exploit many complex biological mechanisms that result in resistance to these agents. These encompass a broad range of cellular activities - from modification of traditional paradigms of immunity via antigen presentation and immunoregulation to metabolic modifications and manipulation of the tumor microenvironment. Intervening on these intricate processes may provide clinical benefit in patients with solid tumors by overcoming resistance to immunotherapies, which is why it has become an area of tremendous research interest with practice-changing implications. This review details the major ways cancers avoid both natural immunity and immunotherapies through primary (innate) and secondary (acquired) mechanisms of resistance, and it considers available and emerging therapeutic approaches to overcoming immunotherapy resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S. Lefler
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Steven A. Manobianco
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Babar Bashir
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cheon I, Lee S, Oh S, Ahn YH. miR-200-mediated inactivation of cancer-associated fibroblasts via targeting of NRP2-VEGFR signaling attenuates lung cancer invasion and metastasis. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102194. [PMID: 38766528 PMCID: PMC11101731 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a substantial role in promoting cancer cell motility, drug resistance, angiogenesis, and metastasis; therefore, extensive research has been conducted to determine their mode of activation. We aimed to identify whether miRNA-200 (miR-200), a widely recognized suppressor of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, prevents CAFs from promoting cancer progression. Overexpression of miR-200 prevented CAFs from promoting lung cancer cell migration, invasion, tumorigenicity, and metastasis. Additionally, miR-200 suppressed the ability of CAFs to recruit and polarize macrophages toward the M2 phenotype, as well as the migration and tube formation of vascular endothelial cells. NRP2, a co-receptor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), was confirmed to be a target of miR-200, which mediates the functional activity of miR-200 in CAFs. NRP2-VEGFR signaling facilitates the secretion of VEGF-D and pleiotrophin from CAFs, leading to the activation of cancer cell migration and invasion. These findings suggest that miR-200 remodels CAFs to impede cancer progression and metastasis and that miR-200 and NRP2 are potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of lung cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inyoung Cheon
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Inflammation-Cancer Microenvironment Research Center, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 07804, Korea
| | - Sieun Lee
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Inflammation-Cancer Microenvironment Research Center, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 07804, Korea
| | - Seonyeong Oh
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Inflammation-Cancer Microenvironment Research Center, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 07804, Korea
| | - Young-Ho Ahn
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Inflammation-Cancer Microenvironment Research Center, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 07804, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kazakova AN, Lukina MM, Anufrieva KS, Bekbaeva IV, Ivanova OM, Shnaider PV, Slonov A, Arapidi GP, Shender VO. Exploring the diversity of cancer-associated fibroblasts: insights into mechanisms of drug resistance. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1403122. [PMID: 38818409 PMCID: PMC11137237 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1403122] [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: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Among the various stromal cell types within the tumor microenvironment, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) emerge as the predominant constituent, exhibiting a diverse array of oncogenic functions not intrinsic to normal fibroblasts. Their involvement spans across all stages of tumorigenesis, encompassing initiation, progression, and metastasis. Current understanding posits the coexistence of distinct subpopulations of CAFs within the tumor microenvironment across a spectrum of solid tumors, showcasing both pro- and antitumor activities. Recent advancements in single-cell transcriptomics have revolutionized our ability to meticulously dissect the heterogeneity inherent to CAF populations. Furthermore, accumulating evidence underscores the pivotal role of CAFs in conferring therapeutic resistance to tumors against various drug modalities. Consequently, efforts are underway to develop pharmacological agents specifically targeting CAFs. Methods: This review embarks on a comprehensive analysis, consolidating data from 36 independent single-cell RNA sequencing investigations spanning 17 distinct human malignant tumor types. Results: Our exploration centers on elucidating CAF population markers, discerning their prognostic relevance, delineating their functional contributions, and elucidating the underlying mechanisms orchestrating chemoresistance. Discussion: Finally, we deliberate on the therapeutic potential of harnessing CAFs as promising targets for intervention strategies in clinical oncology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia N. Kazakova
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria M. Lukina
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Experimental Oncology and Biomedical Technologies, Privolzhsky Research Medical University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Ksenia S. Anufrieva
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - Irina V. Bekbaeva
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Olga M. Ivanova
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Polina V. Shnaider
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey Slonov
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - Georgij P. Arapidi
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Victoria O. Shender
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mochizuki K, Oishi N, Tahara I, Inoue T, Kondo T. Expression of TGF-β1 in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) and the Occurrence of Frequent Desmoplasia. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2024; 32:229-232. [PMID: 38584487 DOI: 10.1097/pai.0000000000001196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are mesenchymal neoplasms with variable behavior characterized by differentiation toward the interstitial cells of Cajal occurring anywhere in the gastrointestinal stromal tract. Frequently, GISTs have fibrous stroma within tumor cell proliferation areas, which is unlike other types of malignant tumors. If this desmoplasia is active, there is a possibility that some sort of transmitter exists between GIST cells and cells related to fibrosis in the tumor cell proliferation areas. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β isoforms, particularly TGF-β1, are critical for fibrosis pathogenesis. TGF-β1 regulation of myofibroblasts and fibroblasts during fibrosis is well described. The induced fibroblast activation resulting in myofibroblast differentiation has been reported as an important source of collagen, glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and matrix metallopeptidases in wound healing and fibrosis. However, there are a few reports on the relationship between TGF-β1 and GISTs. This study aims to clarify TGF-β1 expression in 30 gastric GISTs using immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). For comparison, we also enrolled 30 samples of gastric tubular adenocarcinoma (GTAC). We confirmed TGF-β1 expression (H-score ≥50 points) in 57% of GIST and 13% of GTAC samples, a significant difference between the 2 tumor types ( P =0.001). We examined the TGF-β1 mRNA expression of 3 representative GIST samples, each having their respective immunostained areas detected by RT-PCR. Finding TGF-β1 expression may indicate that this cytokine plays a part in the formation of desmoplasia within GIST cell proliferative areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kunio Mochizuki
- Department of Pathology, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Broz MT, Ko EY, Ishaya K, Xiao J, De Simone M, Hoi XP, Piras R, Gala B, Tessaro FHG, Karlstaedt A, Orsulic S, Lund AW, Chan KS, Guarnerio J. Metabolic targeting of cancer associated fibroblasts overcomes T-cell exclusion and chemoresistance in soft-tissue sarcomas. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2498. [PMID: 38509063 PMCID: PMC10954767 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46504-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
T cell-based immunotherapies have exhibited promising outcomes in tumor control; however, their efficacy is limited in immune-excluded tumors. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a pivotal role in shaping the tumor microenvironment and modulating immune infiltration. Despite the identification of distinct CAF subtypes using single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), their functional impact on hindering T-cell infiltration remains unclear, particularly in soft-tissue sarcomas (STS) characterized by low response rates to T cell-based therapies. In this study, we characterize the STS microenvironment using murine models (in female mice) with distinct immune composition by scRNA-seq, and identify a subset of CAFs we termed glycolytic cancer-associated fibroblasts (glyCAF). GlyCAF rely on GLUT1-dependent expression of CXCL16 to impede cytotoxic T-cell infiltration into the tumor parenchyma. Targeting glycolysis decreases T-cell restrictive glyCAF accumulation at the tumor margin, thereby enhancing T-cell infiltration and augmenting the efficacy of chemotherapy. These findings highlight avenues for combinatorial therapeutic interventions in sarcomas and possibly other solid tumors. Further investigations and clinical trials are needed to validate these potential strategies and translate them into clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marina T Broz
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emily Y Ko
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kristin Ishaya
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jinfen Xiao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marco De Simone
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xen Ping Hoi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Roberta Piras
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Basia Gala
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Fernando H G Tessaro
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anja Karlstaedt
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Cardiology, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen Medical School, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sandra Orsulic
- David Geffen Medical School, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amanda W Lund
- Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Keith Syson Chan
- Department of Urology, Neal Cancer Center, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jlenia Guarnerio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- David Geffen Medical School, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ding Y, Zhou G, Hu W. Epigenetic regulation of TGF-β pathway and its role in radiation response. Int J Radiat Biol 2024; 100:834-848. [PMID: 38506660 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2024.2327395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Transforming growth factor (TGF-β) plays a dual role in tumor progression as well as a pivotal role in radiation response. TGF-β-related epigenetic regulations, including DNA methylation, histone modifications (including methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination), chromatin remodeling and non-coding RNA regulation, have been found to affect the occurrence and development of tumors as well as their radiation response in multiple dimensions. Due to the significance of radiotherapy in tumor treatment and the essential roles of TGF-β signaling in radiation response, it is important to better understand the role of epigenetic regulation mechanisms mediated by TGF-β signaling pathways in radiation-induced targeted and non-targeted effects. CONCLUSIONS By revealing the epigenetic mechanism related to TGF-β-mediated radiation response, summarizing the existing relevant adjuvant strategies for radiotherapy based on TGF-β signaling, and discovering potential therapeutic targets, we hope to provide a new perspective for improving clinical treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yunan Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Guangming Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wentao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Meng F, Yin Z, Lu F, Wang W, Zhang H. Disruption of LPA-LPAR1 pathway results in lung tumor growth inhibition by downregulating B7-H3 expression in fibroblasts. Thorac Cancer 2024; 15:316-326. [PMID: 38124403 PMCID: PMC10834189 DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.15193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs) belong to a class of bioactive lysophospholipids with multiple functions including immunomodulatory roles in tumor microenvironment (TME). LPA exerts its biological effects via its receptors that are highly expressed in fibroblasts among other cell types. As cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a key component of the TME, it is important to understand LPA signaling and regulation of receptors in fibroblasts or CAFs and associated regulatory roles on immunomodulation-related molecules. METHODS Cluster analysis, immunoblotting, real-time quantitative-PCR, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system, immunohistochemical staining, coculture model, and in vivo xenograft model were used to investigate the effects of LPA-LPAR1 on B7-H3 in tumor promotion of CAFs. RESULTS In this study, we found that LPAR1 and CD276 (B7-H3) were generally highly expressed in fibroblasts with good expression correlation. LPA induced B7-H3 up-expression through LPAR1, and stimulated fibroblasts proliferation that could be inhibited by silencing LPAR1 or B7-H3 as well as small molecule LPAR1 antagonist (Ki16425). Using engineered fibroblasts and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines, subsequent investigations demonstrated that CAFs promoted the proliferation of NSCLC in vitro and in vivo, and such effect could be inhibited by knocking out LPAR1 or B7-H3. CONCLUSION The present study provided new insights for roles of LPA in CAFs, which could lead to the development of innovative therapies targeting CAFs in the TME. It is also reasonable to postulate a combinatory approach to treat malignant fibrous tumors (such as NSCLC) with LPAR1 antagonists and B7-H3 targeting therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fanyi Meng
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhiyue Yin
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Feifei Lu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Weipeng Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Hongjian Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lu L, Gao Y, Huang D, Liu H, Yin D, Li M, Zheng J, Wang S, Wu W, Zhao L, Bi D, Zhang Y, Song F, Xie R, Wang J, Qin H, Wei Q. Targeting integrin α5 in fibroblasts potentiates colorectal cancer response to PD-L1 blockade by affecting extracellular-matrix deposition. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007447. [PMID: 38040421 PMCID: PMC10693881 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One reason patients with cancer cannot benefit from immunotherapy is the lack of immune cell infiltration in tumor tissues. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are emerging as central players in immune regulation that shapes tumor microenvironment (TME). Earlier we reported that integrin α5 was enriched in CAFs in colorectal cancer (CRC), however, its role in TME and cancer immunotherapy remains unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the role for integrin α5 in fibroblasts in modulating antitumor immunity and therapeutic efficacy combined with checkpoint blockade in CRC. METHODS We analyzed the CRC single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) database to define the expression of ITGA5 in CRC tumor stroma. Experimentally, we carried out in vivo mouse tumor xenograft models to confirm the targeting efficacy of combined α5β1 inhibition and anti-Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockade and in vitro cell-co-culture assay to investigate the role of α5 in fibroblasts in affecting T-cell activity. Clinically, we analyzed the association between α5 expression and infiltrating T cells and evaluated their correlation with patient survival and immunotherapy prognosis in CRC. RESULTS We revealed that ITGA5 was enriched in FAP-CAFs. Both ITGA5 knockout fibroblasts and therapeutic targeting of α5 improved response to anti-PD-L1 treatment in mouse subcutaneous tumor models. Mechanistically, these treatments led to increased tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, we found that α5 in fibroblasts correlated with extracellular matrix (ECM)-related genes and affected ECM deposition in CRC tumor stroma. Both in vivo analysis and in vitro culture and cell killing experiment showed that ECM proteins and α5 expression in fibroblasts influence T-cell infiltration and activity. Clinically, we confirmed that high α5 expression was associated with fewer CD3+ T and CD8+ T cells, and tissues with low α5 and high CD3+ T levels correlated with better patient survival and immunotherapy response in a CRC cohort with 29 patients. CONCLUSIONS Our study identified a role for integrin α5 in fibroblasts in modulating antitumor immunity by affecting ECM deposition and showed therapeutic efficacy for combined α5β1 inhibition and PD-L1 blockade in CRC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ling Lu
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Yaohui Gao
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Dengfeng Huang
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Hu Liu
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Dingzi Yin
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Man Li
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiayi Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Shufei Wang
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Weijun Wu
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Dexi Bi
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Youhua Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Feifei Song
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruting Xie
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jifeng Wang
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Huanlong Qin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Wei
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zhang H, Wang J, Li F. Modulation of natural killer cell exhaustion in the lungs: the key components from lung microenvironment and lung tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1286986. [PMID: 38022613 PMCID: PMC10657845 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1286986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of tumor-induced death worldwide and remains a primary global health concern. In homeostasis, due to its unique structure and physiological function, the lung microenvironment is in a state of immune tolerance and suppression, which is beneficial to tumor development and metastasis. The lung tumor microenvironment is a more complex system that further enhances the immunosuppressive features in the lungs. NK cells are abundantly located in the lungs and play crucial roles in lung tumor surveillance and antitumor immunity. However, the immunosuppressive microenvironment promotes significant challenges to NK cell features, leading to their hypofunction, exhaustion, and compromised antitumor activity. Thus, understanding the complex interactions among the lung microenvironment, lung tumor microenvironment, and NK cell exhaustion is critical for the development of effective cancer immunotherapeutic strategies. The present review will discuss NK cell hypofunction and exhaustion within the lung microenvironment and lung tumor microenvironment, focusing on lung tissue-specific factors, including key cytokines and unique environmental components, that modulate NK cell activation and function. Understanding the functional mechanisms of key factors would help to design strategies to reverse NK cell exhaustion and restore their antitumor function within the lung tumor microenvironment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongxia Zhang
- Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Fenggqi Li
- Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, Anhui, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
South AP, Laimer M, Gueye M, Sui JY, Eichenfield LF, Mellerio JE, Nyström A. Type VII Collagen Deficiency in the Oncogenesis of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa. J Invest Dermatol 2023; 143:2108-2119. [PMID: 37327859 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is a rare genetic skin disorder caused by COL7A1 sequence variations that result in type VII collagen deficits and cutaneous and extracutaneous manifestations. One serious complication of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, a leading driver of morbidity and mortality, especially among patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Type VII collagen deficits alter TGFβ signaling and evoke multiple other cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma progression-promoting activities within epidermal microenvironments. This review examines cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma pathophysiology in dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa with a focus on known oncogenesis pathways at play and explores the idea that therapeutic type VII collagen replacement may reduce cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P South
- Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Martin Laimer
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology and EB House Austria, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Jennifer Y Sui
- Departments of Dermatology and Pediatrics, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA; Division of Pediatric Dermatology, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Lawrence F Eichenfield
- Departments of Dermatology and Pediatrics, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA; Division of Pediatric Dermatology, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Jemima E Mellerio
- St John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Nyström
- Department of Dermatology, Medical Faculty, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, Freiburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Blanchard R, Adjei I. Engineering the glioblastoma microenvironment with bioactive nanoparticles for effective immunotherapy. RSC Adv 2023; 13:31411-31425. [PMID: 37901257 PMCID: PMC10603567 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra01153d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
While immunotherapies have revolutionized treatment for other cancers, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients have not shown similar positive responses. The limited response to immunotherapies is partly due to the unique challenges associated with the GBM tumor microenvironment (TME), which promotes resistance to immunotherapies, causing many promising therapies to fail. There is, therefore, an urgent need to develop strategies that make the TME immune permissive to promote treatment efficacy. Bioactive nano-delivery systems, in which the nanoparticle, due to its chemical composition, provides the pharmacological function, have recently emerged as an encouraging option for enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapeutics. These systems are designed to overcome immunosuppressive mechanisms in the TME to improve the efficacy of a therapy. This review will discuss different aspects of the TME and how they impede therapy success. Then, we will summarize recent developments in TME-modifying nanotherapeutics and the in vitro models utilized to facilitate these advances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Blanchard
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University TX USA
| | - Isaac Adjei
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University TX USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Raudenska M, Balvan J, Hanelova K, Bugajova M, Masarik M. Cancer-associated fibroblasts: Mediators of head and neck tumor microenvironment remodeling. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188940. [PMID: 37331641 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are involved in critical aspects of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) pathogenesis, such as the formation of a tumor-permissive extracellular matrix structure, angiogenesis, or immune and metabolic reprogramming of the tumor microenvironment (TME), with implications for metastasis and resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The pleiotropic effect of CAFs in TME is likely to reflect the heterogeneity and plasticity of their population, with context-dependent effects on carcinogenesis. The specific properties of CAFs provide many targetable molecules that could play an important role in the future therapy of HNSCC. In this review article, we will focus on the role of CAFs in the TME of HNSCC tumors. We will also discuss clinically relevant agents targeting CAFs, their signals, and signaling pathways, which are activated by CAFs in cancer cells, with the potential for repurposing for HNSCC therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martina Raudenska
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Balvan
- Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Klara Hanelova
- Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Maria Bugajova
- Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Masarik
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Pathophysiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, / U Nemocnice 5, CZ-128 53 Prague, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Guglielmo P, Alongi P, Baratto L, Abenavoli E, Buschiazzo A, Celesti G, Conte M, Filice R, Gorica J, Jonghi-Lavarini L, Lanzafame H, Laudicella R, Librando M, Linguanti F, Mattana F, Miceli A, Olivari L, Piscopo L, Romagnolo C, Santo G, Vento A, Volpe F, Evangelista L. Head-to-Head Comparison of FDG and Radiolabeled FAPI PET: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1821. [PMID: 37763225 PMCID: PMC10533171 DOI: 10.3390/life13091821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
FAPI-based radiopharmaceuticals are a novel class of tracers, mainly used for PET imaging, which have demonstrated several advantages over [18F]FDG, especially in the case of low-grade or well-differentiated tumors. We conducted this systematic review to evaluate all the studies where a head-to-head comparison had been performed to explore the potential utility of FAPI tracers in clinical practice. FAPI-based radiopharmaceuticals have shown promising results globally, in particular in detecting peritoneal carcinomatosis, but studies with wider populations are needed to better understand all the advantages of these new radiopharmaceuticals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Pierpaolo Alongi
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, A.R.N.A.S. Ospedali Civico, Di Cristina e Benfratelli, 90127 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Lucia Baratto
- Department of Radiology, Division of Pediatric Radiology, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA;
| | - Elisabetta Abenavoli
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Ambra Buschiazzo
- Nuclear Medicine Division, Santa Croce and Carle Hospital, 12100 Cuneo, Italy;
| | - Greta Celesti
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morpho-Functional Imaging, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy; (G.C.); (M.L.)
| | - Miriam Conte
- Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Anatomo-Pathology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (J.G.)
| | - Rossella Filice
- Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Biomedical Department of Internal and Specialist Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (R.F.); (R.L.)
| | - Joana Gorica
- Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Anatomo-Pathology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (J.G.)
| | - Lorenzo Jonghi-Lavarini
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy;
| | - Helena Lanzafame
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany;
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Riccardo Laudicella
- Unit of Nuclear Medicine, Biomedical Department of Internal and Specialist Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (R.F.); (R.L.)
| | - Maria Librando
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morpho-Functional Imaging, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy; (G.C.); (M.L.)
| | - Flavia Linguanti
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy;
| | - Francesco Mattana
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, IEO European Institute of Oncology IRCSS, 20141 Milan, Italy;
| | - Alberto Miceli
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, 15121 Alessandria, Italy;
| | - Laura Olivari
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Sacro Cuore Don Calabria, 37024 Negrar, Italy;
| | - Leandra Piscopo
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy; (L.P.); (F.V.)
| | - Cinzia Romagnolo
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, “Ospedali Riuniti” Hospital, 60126 Ancona, Italy;
| | - Giulia Santo
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, “Magna Graecia” University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
| | - Antonio Vento
- Nuclear Medicine Department, ASP 1-P.O. San Giovanni di Dio, 92100 Agrigento, Italy;
| | - Fabio Volpe
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy; (L.P.); (F.V.)
| | - Laura Evangelista
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, 20090 Milan, Italy;
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Hong Z, Xie W, Zhuo H, Wei X, Wang K, Cheng J, Lin L, Hou J, Chen X, Cai J. Crosstalk between Cancer Cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Mediated by TGF-β1-IGFBP7 Signaling Promotes the Progression of Infiltrative Gastric Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3965. [PMID: 37568781 PMCID: PMC10417438 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15153965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with infiltrative-type gastric cancer (GC) (Ming's classification) have a poor prognosis due to more metastasis and recurrence. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in infiltrative-type extracellular matrix (ECM) have specific characteristics compared with those of expansive types with respect to metastasis, but the mechanism is still unclear. Based on our proteomics data, TCGA data analysis, and immunohistochemical staining results, significantly higher expression of IGFBP7 was observed in GC, especially in the infiltrative type, and was associated with a poor prognosis. Combining single-cell transcriptome data from GEO and multiple immunofluorescence staining on tissue showed that the differential expression of IGFBP7 mainly originated from myofibroblastic CAFs, the subgroup with higher expression of PDGFRB and α-SMA. After treating primary normal fibroblasts (NFs) with conditional medium or recombined protein, it was demonstrated that XGC-1-derived TGF-β1 upregulated the expression of IGFBP7 in the cells and its secretion via the P-Smad2/3 pathway and mediated its activation with higher FAP, PDGFRB, and α-SMA expression. Then, either conditional medium from CAFs with IGFBP7 overexpression or recombined IGFBP7 protein promoted the migration, invasion, colony formation, and sphere growth ability of XGC-1 and MGC-803, respectively. Moreover, IGFBP7 induced EMT in XGC-1. Therefore, our study clarified that in the tumor microenvironment, tumor-cell-derived TGF-β1 induces the appearance of the IGFBP7+ CAF subgroup, and its higher IGFBP7 extracellular secretion level accelerates the progression of tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhijun Hong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, China; (Z.H.); (W.X.); (H.Z.); (K.W.); (J.C.); (L.L.); (J.H.)
- Xiamen Municipal Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Xiamen 361004, China
- Institute of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Medical College of Xiamen University, No. 201-209, Hubin South Road, Xiamen 361004, China; (X.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Wen Xie
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, China; (Z.H.); (W.X.); (H.Z.); (K.W.); (J.C.); (L.L.); (J.H.)
- Xiamen Municipal Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Xiamen 361004, China
- Institute of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Medical College of Xiamen University, No. 201-209, Hubin South Road, Xiamen 361004, China; (X.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Huiqin Zhuo
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, China; (Z.H.); (W.X.); (H.Z.); (K.W.); (J.C.); (L.L.); (J.H.)
- Xiamen Municipal Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Xiamen 361004, China
- Institute of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Medical College of Xiamen University, No. 201-209, Hubin South Road, Xiamen 361004, China; (X.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Xujin Wei
- Institute of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Medical College of Xiamen University, No. 201-209, Hubin South Road, Xiamen 361004, China; (X.W.); (X.C.)
- The Graduate School, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350004, China
| | - Kang Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, China; (Z.H.); (W.X.); (H.Z.); (K.W.); (J.C.); (L.L.); (J.H.)
- Xiamen Municipal Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Xiamen 361004, China
- Institute of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Medical College of Xiamen University, No. 201-209, Hubin South Road, Xiamen 361004, China; (X.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Jia Cheng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, China; (Z.H.); (W.X.); (H.Z.); (K.W.); (J.C.); (L.L.); (J.H.)
- Xiamen Municipal Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Xiamen 361004, China
- Institute of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Medical College of Xiamen University, No. 201-209, Hubin South Road, Xiamen 361004, China; (X.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Lingyun Lin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, China; (Z.H.); (W.X.); (H.Z.); (K.W.); (J.C.); (L.L.); (J.H.)
- Xiamen Municipal Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Xiamen 361004, China
- Institute of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Medical College of Xiamen University, No. 201-209, Hubin South Road, Xiamen 361004, China; (X.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Jingjing Hou
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, China; (Z.H.); (W.X.); (H.Z.); (K.W.); (J.C.); (L.L.); (J.H.)
- Xiamen Municipal Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Xiamen 361004, China
- Institute of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Medical College of Xiamen University, No. 201-209, Hubin South Road, Xiamen 361004, China; (X.W.); (X.C.)
| | - Xin Chen
- Institute of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Medical College of Xiamen University, No. 201-209, Hubin South Road, Xiamen 361004, China; (X.W.); (X.C.)
- The Graduate School, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350004, China
| | - Jianchun Cai
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361004, China; (Z.H.); (W.X.); (H.Z.); (K.W.); (J.C.); (L.L.); (J.H.)
- Xiamen Municipal Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Xiamen 361004, China
- Institute of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Medical College of Xiamen University, No. 201-209, Hubin South Road, Xiamen 361004, China; (X.W.); (X.C.)
- The Graduate School, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350004, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Bates ME, Libring S, Reinhart-King CA. Forces exerted and transduced by cancer-associated fibroblasts during cancer progression. Biol Cell 2023; 115:e2200104. [PMID: 37224184 PMCID: PMC10757454 DOI: 10.1111/boc.202200104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Although it is well-known that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a key role in regulating tumor progression, the effects of mechanical tissue changes on CAFs are understudied. Myofibroblastic CAFs (myCAFs), in particular, are known to alter tumor matrix architecture and composition, heavily influencing the mechanical forces in the tumor microenvironment (TME), but much less is known about how these mechanical changes initiate and maintain the myCAF phenotype. Additionally, recent studies have pointed to the existence of CAFs in circulating tumor cell clusters, indicating that CAFs may be subject to mechanical forces beyond the primary TME. Due to their pivotal role in cancer progression, targeting CAF mechanical regulation may provide therapeutic benefit. Here, we will discuss current knowledge and summarize existing gaps in how CAFs regulate and are regulated by matrix mechanics, including through stiffness, solid and fluid stresses, and fluid shear stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madison E Bates
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Sarah Libring
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Marvin DL, Dijkstra J, Zulfiqar RM, Vermeulen M, Ten Dijke P, Ritsma L. TGF-β Type I Receptor Signaling in Melanoma Liver Metastases Increases Metastatic Outgrowth. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108676. [PMID: 37240029 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in treatment for metastatic melanoma patients, patients with liver metastasis have an unfavorable prognosis. A better understanding of the development of liver metastasis is needed. The multifunctional cytokine Transforming Growth Factor β (TGF-β) plays various roles in melanoma tumors and metastasis, affecting both tumor cells and cells from the surrounding tumor microenvironment. To study the role of TGF-β in melanoma liver metastasis, we created a model to activate or repress the TGF-β receptor pathway in vitro and in vivo in an inducible manner. For this, we engineered B16F10 melanoma cells to have inducible ectopic expression of a constitutively active (ca) or kinase-inactive (ki) TGF-β receptor I, also termed activin receptor-like kinase (ALK5). In vitro, stimulation with TGF-β signaling and ectopic caALK5 expression reduced B16F10 cell proliferation and migration. Contrasting results were found in vivo; sustained caALK5 expression in B16F10 cells in vivo increased the metastatic outgrowth in liver. Blocking microenvironmental TGF-β did not affect metastatic liver outgrowth of both control and caALK5 expressing B16F10 cells. Upon characterizing the tumor microenvironment of control and caALk5 expressing B16F10 tumors, we observed reduced (cytotoxic) T cell presence and infiltration, as well as an increase in bone marrow-derived macrophages in caALK5 expressing B16F10 tumors. This suggests that caALK5 expression in B16F10 cells induces changes in the tumor microenvironment. A comparison of newly synthesized secreted proteins upon caALK5 expression by B16F10 cells revealed increased secretion of matrix remodeling proteins. Our results show that TGF-β receptor activation in B16F10 melanoma cells can increase metastatic outgrowth in liver in vivo, possibly through remodeling of the tumor microenvironment leading to altered infiltration of immune cells. These results provide insights in the role of TGF-β signaling in B16F10 liver metastasis and could have implications regarding the use of TGF-β inhibitors for the treatment of melanoma patients with liver metastasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dieuwke L Marvin
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jelmer Dijkstra
- Oncode Institute and Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rabia M Zulfiqar
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michiel Vermeulen
- Oncode Institute and Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Ten Dijke
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Laila Ritsma
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Cheng SH, Chiou HYC, Wang JW, Lin MH. Reciprocal Regulation of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Tumor Microenvironment in Gastrointestinal Cancer: Implications for Cancer Dormancy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15092513. [PMID: 37173977 PMCID: PMC10177044 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remain a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite the progress made in current treatments, patients with GI cancers still have high recurrence rates after initial treatment. Cancer dormancy, which involves the entry and escape of cancer cells from dormancy, is linked to treatment resistance, metastasis, and disease relapse. Recently, the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in disease progression and treatment has received increasing attention. The crosstalk between cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF)-secreted cytokines/chemokines and other TME components, for example, extracellular matrix remodeling and immunomodulatory functions, play crucial roles in tumorigenesis. While there is limited direct evidence of a relationship between CAFs and cancer cell dormancy, this review explores the potential of CAF-secreted cytokines/chemokines to either promote cancer cell dormancy or awaken dormant cancer cells under different conditions, and the therapeutic strategies that may be applicable. By understanding the interactions between cytokines/chemokines released by CAFs and the TME, and their impact on the entry/escape of cancer dormancy, researchers may develop new strategies to reduce the risk of therapeutic relapse in patients with GI cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Hsuan Cheng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Ying Clair Chiou
- Teaching and Research Center, Kaohsiung Municipal Siaogang Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 812, Taiwan
- Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Jiunn-Wei Wang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Hong Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Department of Post Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City 807, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Master of Science Program in Tropical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Li B, Chen H, Yang S, Chen F, Xu L, Li Y, Li M, Zhu C, Shao F, Zhang X, Deng C, Zeng L, He Y, Zhang C. Advances in immunology and immunotherapy for mesenchymal gastrointestinal cancers. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:71. [PMID: 37072770 PMCID: PMC10111719 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01770-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal gastrointestinal cancers are represented by the gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) which occur throughout the whole gastrointestinal tract, and affect human health and economy globally. Curative surgical resections and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the main managements for localized GISTs and recurrent/metastatic GISTs, respectively. Despite multi-lines of TKIs treatments prolonged the survival time of recurrent/metastatic GISTs by delaying the relapse and metastasis of the tumor, drug resistance developed quickly and inevitably, and became the huge obstacle for stopping disease progression. Immunotherapy, which is typically represented by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has achieved great success in several solid tumors by reactivating the host immune system, and been proposed as an alternative choice for GIST treatment. Substantial efforts have been devoted to the research of immunology and immunotherapy for GIST, and great achievements have been made. Generally, the intratumoral immune cell level and the immune-related gene expressions are influenced by metastasis status, anatomical locations, driver gene mutations of the tumor, and modulated by imatinib therapy. Systemic inflammatory biomarkers are regarded as prognostic indicators of GIST and closely associated with its clinicopathological features. The efficacy of immunotherapy strategies for GIST has been widely explored in pre-clinical cell and mouse models and clinical experiments in human, and some patients did benefit from ICIs. This review comprehensively summarizes the up-to-date advancements of immunology, immunotherapy and research models for GIST, and provides new insights and perspectives for future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, Digestive Diseases Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Hui Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Active Substance Screening and Translational Research, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Shaohua Yang
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau University Joint Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, Digestive Diseases Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, Digestive Diseases Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Liangliang Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Drug Addiction and Medication Safety, Department of Ultrasound, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036, China
| | - Yan Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, Digestive Diseases Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Mingzhe Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, Digestive Diseases Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Chengming Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, Digestive Diseases Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Fangyuan Shao
- MOE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Translational Medicine, Cancer Center, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078, China
| | - Xinhua Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Chuxia Deng
- MOE Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Translational Medicine, Cancer Center, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078, China.
| | - Leli Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, Digestive Diseases Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yulong He
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, Digestive Diseases Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China.
| | - Changhua Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, Digestive Diseases Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Zhao Y, Weng Z, Zhou X, Xu Z, Cao B, Wang B, Li J. Mesenchymal stromal cells promote the drug resistance of gastrointestinal stromal tumors by activating the PI3K-AKT pathway via TGF-β2. J Transl Med 2023; 21:219. [PMID: 36966336 PMCID: PMC10040136 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04063-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the prevailing sarcomas of the gastrointestinal tract. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) therapy, exemplified by Imatinib mesylate (IM), constitutes the established adjuvant therapy for GISTs. Nevertheless, post-treatment resistance poses a challenge that all patients must confront. The presence of tumor heterogeneity and secondary mutation mechanisms fail to account for some instances of acquired drug resistance. Certain investigations suggest a strong association between tumor drug resistance and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in the tumor microenvironment, but the underlying mechanism remains obscure. Scarce research has explored the connection between GIST drug resistance and the tumor microenvironment, as well as the corresponding mechanism. METHODS Immunofluorescence and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) methodologies were employed to detect the presence of MSC in GIST samples. The investigation encompassed the examination of MSC migration towards tumor tissue and the impact of MSC on the survival of GIST cells under IM treatment. Through ELISA, western blotting, and flow cytometry analyses, it was confirmed that Transforming Growth Factor Beta 2 (TGF-β2) triggers the activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway by MSC, thereby facilitating drug resistance in GIST. RESULTS Our findings revealed a positive correlation between a high proportion of MSC and both GIST resistance and a poor prognosis. In vitro studies demonstrated the ability of MSC to migrate towards GIST. Additionally, MSC were observed to secrete TGF-β2, consequently activating the PI3K-AKT pathway and augmenting GIST resistance. CONCLUSIONS Our investigation has revealed that MSC within GISTs possess the capacity to augment drug resistance, thereby highlighting their novel mechanism and offering a promising target for intervention in GIST therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhao
- Phase I Clinical Trials Unit, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210000, China
| | - Zuyi Weng
- Phase I Clinical Trials Unit, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210000, China
| | - Xuan Zhou
- Phase I Clinical Trials Unit, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210000, China
| | - Zhi Xu
- Phase I Clinical Trials Unit, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210000, China
| | - Bei Cao
- Phase I Clinical Trials Unit, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210000, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Clinical Stem Cell Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210000, China.
| | - Juan Li
- Phase I Clinical Trials Unit, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Jain S, Rick JW, Joshi RS, Beniwal A, Spatz J, Gill S, Chang ACC, Choudhary N, Nguyen AT, Sudhir S, Chalif EJ, Chen JS, Chandra A, Haddad AF, Wadhwa H, Shah SS, Choi S, Hayes JL, Wang L, Yagnik G, Costello JF, Diaz A, Heiland DH, Aghi MK. Single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics reveal cancer-associated fibroblasts in glioblastoma with protumoral effects. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e147087. [PMID: 36856115 PMCID: PMC9974099 DOI: 10.1172/jci147087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were presumed absent in glioblastoma given the lack of brain fibroblasts. Serial trypsinization of glioblastoma specimens yielded cells with CAF morphology and single-cell transcriptomic profiles based on their lack of copy number variations (CNVs) and elevated individual cell CAF probability scores derived from the expression of 9 CAF markers and absence of 5 markers from non-CAF stromal cells sharing features with CAFs. Cells without CNVs and with high CAF probability scores were identified in single-cell RNA-Seq of 12 patient glioblastomas. Pseudotime reconstruction revealed that immature CAFs evolved into subtypes, with mature CAFs expressing actin alpha 2, smooth muscle (ACTA2). Spatial transcriptomics from 16 patient glioblastomas confirmed CAF proximity to mesenchymal glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), endothelial cells, and M2 macrophages. CAFs were chemotactically attracted to GSCs, and CAFs enriched GSCs. We created a resource of inferred crosstalk by mapping expression of receptors to their cognate ligands, identifying PDGF and TGF-β as mediators of GSC effects on CAFs and osteopontin and HGF as mediators of CAF-induced GSC enrichment. CAFs induced M2 macrophage polarization by producing the extra domain A (EDA) fibronectin variant that binds macrophage TLR4. Supplementing GSC-derived xenografts with CAFs enhanced in vivo tumor growth. These findings are among the first to identify glioblastoma CAFs and their GSC interactions, making them an intriguing target.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saket Jain
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jonathan W. Rick
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Angad Beniwal
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jordan Spatz
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sabraj Gill
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Nikita Choudhary
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alan T. Nguyen
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sweta Sudhir
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Eric J. Chalif
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jia-Shu Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ankush Chandra
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Harsh Wadhwa
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sumedh S. Shah
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Serah Choi
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Josie L. Hayes
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Garima Yagnik
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Aaron Diaz
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Manish K. Aghi
- Department of Neurosurgery, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zhao Z, Zhang Y, Guo E, Zhang Y, Wang Y. Periostin secreted from podoplanin-positive cancer-associated fibroblasts promotes metastasis of gastric cancer by regulating cancer stem cells via AKT and YAP signaling pathway. Mol Carcinog 2023; 62:685-699. [PMID: 36785937 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are heterogeneous stromal cells present in the tumor microenvironment (TME), which play a critical role in gastric cancer (GC) progression. Here, we examined a subset of CAFs with high podoplanin (PDPN) expression, which is correlated with tumor metastasis and poor survival in GC patients. Animal models of gastric cancer liver metastasis monitored by micro-PET/CT confirmed that periostin (POSTN) derived from PDPN(+) CAFs regulated CAFs' pro-migratory ability. Mechanistically, PDPN(+) CAFs secreted POSTN to modulate cancer stem cells (CSCs) through FAK/AKT phosphorylation. Furthermore, POSTN could also activate FAK/YAP signaling in GC cells to produce increased amounts of IL-6, which in turn induced phosphorylation of PI3K/AKT in PDPN(+) CAFs. Prolonged PI3K/AKT pathway activation in PDPN(+) CAFs maintains the production of POSTN and the effect on CSC enrichment and GC cell migration. In conclusion, our study demonstrated a positive feedback loop between PDPN(+) CAFs and CSCs during GC progression and suggested a selective target for GC treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenxiong Zhao
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanqiu Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Ergang Guo
- Department of Oncology, Tongji HospitalTongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanong Wang
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Hong E, Barczak W, Park S, Heo JS, Ooshima A, Munro S, Hong CP, Park J, An H, Park JO, Park SH, La Thangue NB, Kim SJ. Combination treatment of T1-44, a PRMT5 inhibitor with Vactosertib, an inhibitor of TGF-β signaling, inhibits invasion and prolongs survival in a mouse model of pancreatic tumors. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:93. [PMID: 36765032 PMCID: PMC9918730 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05630-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most lethal type of cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death with the lowest 5-year survival rate. Heterogeneity, difficulty in diagnosis, and rapid metastatic progression are the causes of high mortality in pancreatic cancer. Recent studies have shown that Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) is overexpressed in pancreatic cancers, and these patients have a worse prognosis. Recently, PRMT5 as an anti-cancer target has gained considerable interest. In this study, we investigated whether inhibition of PRMT5 activity was synergistic with blockade of TGF-β1 signaling, which plays an important role in the construction of the desmoplastic matrix in pancreatic cancer and induces therapeutic vulnerability. Compared with T1-44, a selective inhibitor of PRMT5 activity, the combination of T1-44 with the TGF-β1 signaling inhibitor Vactosertib significantly reduced tumor size and surrounding tissue invasion and significantly improved long-term survival. RNA sequencing analysis of mouse tumors revealed that the combination of T1-44 and Vactosertib significantly altered the expression of genes involved in cancer progression, such as cell migration, extracellular matrix, and apoptotic processes. In particular, the expression of Btg2, known as a tumor suppressor factor in various cancers, was markedly induced by combination treatment. Ectopic overexpression of Btg2 inhibited the EMT response, blocking cell migration, and promoted cancer cell death. These data demonstrate that the combination therapy of T1-44 with Vactosertib is synergistic for pancreatic cancer, suggesting that this novel combination therapy has value in the treatment strategy of patients with pancreatic cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eunji Hong
- GILO Institute, GILO Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Wojciech Barczak
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Sujin Park
- GILO Institute, GILO Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Sun Heo
- GILO Institute, GILO Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Akira Ooshima
- GILO Institute, GILO Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Shonagh Munro
- Argonaut Therapeutics Ltd, Magdalen Centre, Oxford Science Park, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Jinah Park
- GILO Institute, GILO Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Haein An
- GILO Institute, GILO Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon Oh Park
- Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seok Hee Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Nick B La Thangue
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | - Seong-Jin Kim
- GILO Institute, GILO Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Medpacto Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
LRRC superfamily expression in stromal cells predicts the clinical prognosis and platinum resistance of ovarian cancer. BMC Med Genomics 2023; 16:10. [PMID: 36653841 PMCID: PMC9850808 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-023-01435-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leucine-rich repeat sequence domains are known to mediate protein‒protein interactions. Recently, some studies showed that members of the leucine rich repeat containing (LRRC) protein superfamily may become new targets for the diagnosis and treatment of tumours. However, it is not known whether any of the LRRC superfamily genes is expressed in the stroma of ovarian cancer (OC) and is associated with prognosis. METHODS The clinical data and transcriptional profiles of OC patients from the public databases TCGA (n = 427), GTEx (n = 88) and GEO (GSE40266 and GSE40595) were analysed by R software. A nomogram model was also generated through R. An online public database was used for auxiliary analysis of prognosis, immune infiltration and protein‒protein interaction (PPI) networks. Immunohistochemistry and qPCR were performed to determine the protein and mRNA levels of genes in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) tissues of participants and the MRC-5 cell line induced by TGF-β. RESULTS LRRC15 and LRRC32 were identified as differentially expressed genes from the LRRC superfamily by GEO transcriptome analysis. PPI network analysis suggested that they were most enriched in TGF-β signalling. The TCGA-GTEx analysis results showed that only LRRC15 was highly expressed in both cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and the tumour stroma of OC and was related to clinical prognosis. Based on this, we developed a nomogram model to predict the incidence of adverse outcomes in OC. Moreover, LRRC15 was positively correlated with CAF infiltration and negatively correlated with CD8 + T-cell infiltration. As a single indicator, LRRC15 had the highest accuracy (AUC = 0.920) in predicting the outcome of primary platinum resistance. CONCLUSIONS The LRRC superfamily is related to the TGF-β pathway in the microenvironment of OC. LRRC15, as a stromal biomarker, can predict the clinical prognosis of HGSC and promote the immunosuppressive microenvironment. LRRC15 may be a potential therapeutic target for reversing primary resistance in OC.
Collapse
|
24
|
Ma W, Yan Y, Bai S, Zhou Y, Wang X, Feng Z, Li G, Zhou S, Zhang J, Ren J. SPARC expression in tumor microenvironment induces partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of esophageal adenocarcinoma cells via cooperating with TGF-β signaling. Cell Biol Int 2023; 47:250-259. [PMID: 36229930 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.11927] [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: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) has been characterized as an oncoprotein in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but its involvement in the pathological development of esophageal adenocarcinoma (ESAD) remains poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to explore the sources of SPARC in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and its functional role in ESAD. Bioinformatic analysis was conducted using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-esophageal cancer (ESCA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx). ESAD tumor cell line OE33 and OE19 cells were used as in vitro cell models. Results showed that SPARC upregulation was associated with unfavorable disease-specific survival (DSS) in ESAD. ESAD tumor cells (OE33 and OE19) had no detectable SPARC protein expression. In contrast, IHC staining in ESAD tumor tissues suggested that peritumoral stromal cells (tumor-associated fibroblasts and macrophages) were the dominant SPARC source in TME. Exogenous SPARC induced partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of ESAD cells, reflected by reduced CDH1 and elevated ZEB1/VIM expression at both mRNA and protein levels. Besides, exogenous SPARC enhanced tumor cell invasion. When TGFBR2 expression was inhibited, the activation of TGF-β signaling induced by exogenous SPARC was impaired. However, the activating effects were rescued by overexpressing mutant TGFBR2 resistant to the shRNA sequence. Copresence of exogenous SPARC and TGF-β1 induced higher expression of mesenchymal markers and enhanced the invading capability of ESAD cells than TGF-β1 alone. In conclusion, this study suggests a potential cross-talk between ESAD tumor stromal cells and cancer cells via a SPARC-TGF-β1 paracrine network.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen Ma
- Department of Radiotherapy, Oncology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.,Department of Radiotherapy, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yanli Yan
- Department of Radiotherapy, Oncology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shuheng Bai
- Department of Radiotherapy, Oncology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Radiotherapy, Oncology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xuan Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, Oncology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhaode Feng
- Department of Radiotherapy, Oncology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Guangzu Li
- Department of Radiotherapy, Oncology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shuling Zhou
- Department of Radiotherapy, Oncology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiangzhou Zhang
- Department of Radiotherapy, Oncology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Juan Ren
- Department of Radiotherapy, Oncology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Mechanism of Extracellular Vesicle Secretion Associated with TGF-β-Dependent Inflammatory Response in the Tumor Microenvironment. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315335. [PMID: 36499660 PMCID: PMC9740594 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315335] [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: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) serve as central mediators in communication between tumor and non-tumor cells. These interactions are largely dependent on the function of the endothelial barrier and the set of receptors present on its surface, as endothelial cells (ECs) are a plenteous source of EVs. The molecular basis for EV secretion and action in the tumor microenvironment (TME) has not been fully elucidated to date. Emerging evidence suggests a prominent role of inflammatory pathways in promoting tumor progression and metastasis. Although transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is a cytokine with strong immunomodulatory and protective activity in benign and early-stage cancer cells, it plays a pro-tumorigenic role in advanced cancer cells, which is known as the "TGF-β paradox". Thus, the aim of this review is to describe the correlation between EV release, TGF-β-dependent inflammation, and dysregulation of downstream TGF-β signaling in the context of cancer development.
Collapse
|
26
|
Do Tumor Mechanical Stresses Promote Cancer Immune Escape? Cells 2022; 11:cells11233840. [PMID: 36497097 PMCID: PMC9740277 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune evasion-a well-established cancer hallmark-is a major barrier to immunotherapy efficacy. While the molecular mechanisms and biological consequences underpinning immune evasion are largely known, the role of tissue mechanical stresses in these processes warrants further investigation. The tumor microenvironment (TME) features physical abnormalities (notably, increased fluid and solid pressures applied both inside and outside the TME) that drive cancer mechanopathologies. Strikingly, in response to these mechanical stresses, cancer cells upregulate canonical immune evasion mechanisms, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and autophagy. Consideration and characterization of the origins and consequences of tumor mechanical stresses in the TME may yield novel strategies to combat immunotherapy resistance. In this Perspective, we posit that tumor mechanical stresses-namely fluid shear and solid stresses-induce immune evasion by upregulating EMT and autophagy. In addition to exploring the basis for our hypothesis, we also identify explicit gaps in the field that need to be addressed in order to directly demonstrate the existence and importance of this biophysical relationship. Finally, we propose that reducing or neutralizing fluid shear stress and solid stress-induced cancer immune escape may improve immunotherapy outcomes.
Collapse
|
27
|
Low V, Li Z, Blenis J. Metabolite activation of tumorigenic signaling pathways in the tumor microenvironment. Sci Signal 2022; 15:eabj4220. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abj4220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The role of metabolites exchanged in the tumor microenvironment is largely thought of as fuels to drive the increased biosynthetic and bioenergetic demands of growing tumors. However, this view is shifting as metabolites are increasingly shown to function as signaling molecules that directly regulate oncogenic pathways. Combined with our growing understanding of the essential role of stromal cells, this shift has led to increased interest in how the collective and interconnected metabolome of the tumor microenvironment can drive malignant transformation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, drug resistance, immune evasion, and metastasis. In this review, we discuss how metabolite exchange between tumors and various cell types in the tumor microenvironment—such as fibroblasts, adipocytes, and immune cells—can activate signaling pathways that drive cancer progression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vivien Low
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Zhongchi Li
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - John Blenis
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Manni W, Min W. Signaling pathways in the regulation of cancer stem cells and associated targeted therapy. MedComm (Beijing) 2022; 3:e176. [PMID: 36226253 PMCID: PMC9534377 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are defined as a subpopulation of malignant tumor cells with selective capacities for tumor initiation, self-renewal, metastasis, and unlimited growth into bulks, which are believed as a major cause of progressive tumor phenotypes, including recurrence, metastasis, and treatment failure. A number of signaling pathways are involved in the maintenance of stem cell properties and survival of CSCs, including well-established intrinsic pathways, such as the Notch, Wnt, and Hedgehog signaling, and extrinsic pathways, such as the vascular microenvironment and tumor-associated immune cells. There is also intricate crosstalk between these signal cascades and other oncogenic pathways. Thus, targeting pathway molecules that regulate CSCs provides a new option for the treatment of therapy-resistant or -refractory tumors. These treatments include small molecule inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies that target key signaling in CSCs, as well as CSC-directed immunotherapies that harness the immune systems to target CSCs. This review aims to provide an overview of the regulating networks and their immune interactions involved in CSC development. We also address the update on the development of CSC-directed therapeutics, with a special focus on those with application approval or under clinical evaluation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wang Manni
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduP. R. China
| | - Wu Min
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversity of North DakotaGrand ForksNorth DakotaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Pan S, Li S, Zhan Y, Chen X, Sun M, Liu X, Wu B, Li Z, Liu B. Immune status for monitoring and treatment of bladder cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:963877. [PMID: 36159866 PMCID: PMC9492838 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.963877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The high recurrence rate of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (BC) and poor prognosis of advanced BC are therapeutic challenges that need to be solved. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) perfusion was the pioneer immunotherapy for early BC, and the discovery of immune checkpoint inhibitors has created a new chapter in the treatment of advanced BC. The benefit of immunotherapy is highly anticipated, but its effectiveness still needs to be improved. In this review, we collated and analysed the currently available information and explored the mechaisms by which the internal immune imbalance of BC leads to tumour progression. The relationship between immunity and progression and the prognosis of BC has been explored through tests using body fluids such as blood and urine. These analytical tests have attempted to identify specific immuyne cells and cytokines to predict treatment outcomes and recurrence. The diversity and proportion of immune and matrix cells in BC determine the heterogeneity and immune status of tumours. The role and classification of immune cells have also been redefined, e.g., CD4 cells having recognised cytotoxicity in BC. Type 2 immunity, including that mediated by M2 macrophages, Th2 cells, and interleukin (IL)-13, plays an important role in the recurrence and progression of BC. Pathological fibrosis, activated by type 2 immunity and cancer cells, enhances the rate of cancer progression and irreversibility. Elucidating the immune status of BC and clarifying the mechanisms of action of different cells in the tumour microenvironment is the research direction to be explored in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shen Pan
- Department of Radiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Shijie Li
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yunhong Zhan
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaonan Chen
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Ming Sun
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xuefeng Liu
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Bin Wu
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhenhua Li
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Bitian Liu
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- *Correspondence: Bitian Liu, ;
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Wu C, Zhang X, Zeng Y, Wu R, Ding L, Xia Y, Chen Z, Zhang X, Wang X. [ 18F]FAPI-42 PET/CT versus [ 18F]FDG PET/CT for imaging of recurrent or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2022; 50:194-204. [PMID: 36040490 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-022-05955-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE PET has been important for monitoring recurrence and metastasis of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs) and the selection of therapeutic strategies. A significant portion of GISTs lesions show negative FDG uptake and therefore calls for more tumor-specific imaging biomarkers. This study compared the imaging performance of [18F]FAPI-42 PET/CT and [18F]FDG PET/CT in recurrent or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors (R/M GISTs). METHODS This study retrospectively included 35 patients with R/M GISTs who underwent both FAPI PET/CT and FDG PET/CT. The definite diagnosis was confirmed by pathology or follow-up drug treatment effects. The differences in detection rates and tumor-to-background SUVmax ratio (SUVTBR) of different locations between dual-tracer PET/CT were compared. Factors including tumor size, degree of enhancement, type of gene mutation, and targeted treatment potentially influencing the uptake of both tracers were assessed. The excised lesions (n = 3) underwent immunohistochemical staining to verify FAP expression in the tissue. RESULTS A total of 106 lesions in 35 patients were identified, out of which 38/106 (35.8%) lesions (FAPI + /FDG -) were additionally detected by FAPI PET/CT as compared to that by FDG, including 26 liver metastases, ten peritoneal metastases, one gastrointestinal recurrence, and one bone metastasis. The positive detection rate of FAPI PET/CT for recurrent or metastatic GISTs was higher than that of FDG (80.2% vs. 53.8%, P< 0.001), especially in liver metastases (87.5% vs. 33.3%, P< 0.001). Moreover, the SUVTBR of liver metastases of GISTs in FAPI PET/CT was higher than that in FDG [2.4 (0.3 to 11.2) vs. 0.9 (0.3 to 6.5), P< 0.001]. The longest diameter of tumors in the FDG-positive group was higher than that of the FDG-negative group (P= 0.005); still, it did not differ between the FAPI-positive group and the FAPI-negative group. No difference in the degree of enhancement was observed between both tracers' positive and negative groups. Besides, the SUVTBR of FDG but not FAPI differed significantly among various gene mutations (P< 0.001) as well as the targeted therapy and no targeted therapy groups (P= 0.001). FAP was expressed in R/M GISTs, and the uptake of FAPI corresponded to the level of FAP expression. CONCLUSION In conclusion, FAPI for imaging of R/M GISTs could be superior to FDG, specifically for liver metastases. The uptake of FAPI could reflect the level of FAP expression, and it was independent of tumor size, degree of enhancement, type of gene mutation, and targeted therapy as compared to FDG.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunhui Wu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 58 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xinhua Zhang
- Center of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou , Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yu Zeng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 58 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Renbo Wu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 58 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Li Ding
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou , Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yanzhe Xia
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou , Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zhifeng Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 58 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xiangsong Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 58 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 58 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, China.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Zhang D, He C, Guo Y, Li J, Li B, Zhao Y, Yu L, Chang Z, Pei H, Yang M, Li N, Zhang Q, He Y, Pan Y, Zhao ZJ, Zhang C, Chen Y. Efficacy of SCF drug conjugate targeting c-KIT in gastrointestinal stromal tumor. BMC Med 2022; 20:257. [PMID: 35999600 PMCID: PMC9400206 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02465-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. The majority of GIST cases carry oncogenic forms of KIT, the receptor for stem cell factor (SCF). Small molecule kinase inhibitor imatinib is effective in prolonging the survival of GIST patients by targeting KIT. However, drug resistance often develops during the therapeutic treatment. Here, we produced a SCF-emtansine drug conjugate (SCF-DM1) with favorable drug efficacy towards GIST cells. METHODS Recombinant human SCF (rhSCF) was expressed in E. coli cells and further purified with Ni-NTA Sepharose and Phenyl Sepharose. It was then conjugated with DM1, and the conjugated product SCF-DM1 was evaluated using in vitro cell-based assays and in vivo xenograft mouse model. RESULTS SCF-DM1 was effective in inhibiting imatinib-sensitive and -resistant GIST cell lines and primary tumor cells, with IC50 values of < 30 nM. It induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in GIST cells. In xenograft mouse model, SCF-DM1 showed favorable efficacy and safety profiles. CONCLUSIONS rhSCF is a convenient and effective vector for drug delivery to KIT positive GIST cells. SCF-DM1 is an effective drug candidate to treat imatinib-sensitive and -resistant GIST.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dengyang Zhang
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Chunxiao He
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Yao Guo
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianfeng Li
- Digestive Diseases Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Bo Li
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuming Zhao
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Liuting Yu
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhiguang Chang
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Hanzhong Pei
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Ming Yang
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Na Li
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Yulong He
- Digestive Diseases Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Yihang Pan
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhizhuang Joe Zhao
- Department of Pathology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
| | - Changhua Zhang
- Digestive Diseases Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yun Chen
- Edmond H. Fischer Translational Medical Research Laboratory, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, Guangdong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Papait A, Romoli J, Stefani FR, Chiodelli P, Montresor MC, Agoni L, Silini AR, Parolini O. Fight the Cancer, Hit the CAF! Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153570. [PMID: 35892828 PMCID: PMC9330284 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In the last 20 years, the tumor microenvironment (TME) has raised an increasing interest from the therapeutic point of view. Indeed, different strategies targeting either the endothelial or the immune component have been implemented. Furthermore, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) have attracted even more interest due to their ability to prime the TME in order to favor tumor progression and metastasis. This current review provides a comprehensive overview on the latest discoveries regarding CAF, more specifically on their complex characterization and on preclinical studies and clinical trials that target CAF within the TME. Abstract The tumor microenvironment (TME) is comprised of different cellular components, such as immune and stromal cells, which co-operate in unison to promote tumor progression and metastasis. In the last decade, there has been an increasing focus on one specific component of the TME, the stromal component, often referred to as Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAF). CAF modulate the immune response and alter the composition of the extracellular matrix with a decisive impact on the response to immunotherapies and conventional chemotherapy. The most recent publications based on single-cell analysis have underlined CAF heterogeneity and the unique plasticity that strongly impact the TME. In this review, we focus not only on the characterization of CAF based on the most recent findings, but also on their impact on the immune system. We also discuss clinical trials and preclinical studies where targeting CAF revealed controversial results. Therefore, future efforts should focus on understanding the functional properties of individual subtypes of CAF, taking into consideration the peculiarities of each pathological context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Papait
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.P.); (J.R.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Jacopo Romoli
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.P.); (J.R.)
- Centro di Ricerca E. Menni, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (F.R.S.); (P.C.); (A.R.S.)
| | - Francesca Romana Stefani
- Centro di Ricerca E. Menni, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (F.R.S.); (P.C.); (A.R.S.)
| | - Paola Chiodelli
- Centro di Ricerca E. Menni, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (F.R.S.); (P.C.); (A.R.S.)
| | | | - Lorenzo Agoni
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, 25124 Brescia, Italy;
| | - Antonietta Rosa Silini
- Centro di Ricerca E. Menni, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (F.R.S.); (P.C.); (A.R.S.)
| | - Ornella Parolini
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.P.); (J.R.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0630154464
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Braoudaki M, Ahmad MS, Mustafov D, Seriah S, Siddiqui MN, Siddiqui SS. Chemokines and chemokine receptors in colorectal cancer; multifarious roles and clinical impact. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:436-449. [PMID: 35700938 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is considered the second cause of cancer death worldwide. The early diagnosis plays a key role in patient prognosis and subsequently overall survival. Similar to several types of cancer, colorectal cancer is also characterised by drug resistance and heterogeneity that contribute to its complexity -especially at advanced stages. However, despite the extensive research related to the identification of biomarkers associated to early diagnosis, accurate prognosis and the management of CRC patients, little progress has been made thus far. Therefore, the mortality rates, especially at advanced stages, remain high. A large family of chemoattractant cytokines called chemokines are known for their significant role in inflammation and immunity. Chemokines released by the different tumorous cells play a key role in increasing the complexity of the tumour's microenvironment. The current review investigates the role of chemokines and chemokine receptors in colorectal cancer and their potential as clinical molecular signatures that could be effectively used as a personalised therapeutic approach. We discussed how chemokine and chemokine receptors regulate the microenvironment and lead to heterogeneity in CRC. An important aspect of chemokines is their role in drug resistance which has been extensively discussed. This review also provides an overview of the current advances in the search for chemokines and chemokine receptors in CRC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Braoudaki
- Dept of Clinical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Mohammed Saqif Ahmad
- Dept of Clinical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Denis Mustafov
- Dept of Clinical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Sara Seriah
- Dept of Clinical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Mohammad Naseem Siddiqui
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Shoib Sarwar Siddiqui
- Dept of Clinical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Jena BC, Das CK, Banerjee I, Bharadwaj D, Majumder R, Das S, Biswas A, Kundu M, Roy PK, Kundu CN, Mandal M. TGF-β1 induced autophagy in cancer associated fibroblasts during hypoxia contributes EMT and glycolysis via MCT4 upregulation. Exp Cell Res 2022; 417:113195. [PMID: 35561786 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2022.113195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The Transforming growth factor-β1(TGF- β1) in the tumor microenvironment(TME) is the major cytokine that acts as a mediator of tumor-stroma crosstalk, which in fact has a dual role in either promoting or suppressing tumor development. The cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the major cell types in the TME, and the interaction with most of the epithelial cancers is the prime reason for cancer survival. However, the molecular mechanisms, associated with the TGF- β1 induced tumor promotion through tumor-CAF crosstalk are not well understood. In the Reverse Warburg effect, CAFs feed the adjacent cancer cells by lactate produced during the aerobic glycolysis. We hypothesized that the monocarboxylate transporter, MCT4 which is implicated in lactate efflux from the CAFs, must be overexpressed in the CAFs. Contextually, to explore the role of TGF- β1 in the hypoxia-induced autophagy in CAFs, we treated CoCl2 and external TGF- β1 to the human dermal fibroblasts and L929 murine fibroblasts. We demonstrated that hypoxia accelerated the TGF- β1 signaling and subsequent transformation of normal fibroblasts to CAFs. Moreover, we elucidated that synergistic induction of autophagy by hypoxia and TGF- β1 upregulate the aerobic glycolysis and MCT4 expression in CAFs. Furthermore, we showed a positive correlation between glucose consumption and MCT4 expression in the CAFs. Autophagy was also found to be involved in the EMT in hypoxic CAFs. Collectively, these findings reveal the unappreciated role of autophagy in TME, which enhances the CAF transformation and that promotes tumor migration and metastasis via the reverse Warburg effect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bikash Chandra Jena
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Chandan Kanta Das
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Indranil Banerjee
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Deblina Bharadwaj
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Ranabir Majumder
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Subhayan Das
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Angana Biswas
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Moumita Kundu
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Pritam Kumar Roy
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Chanakya Nath Kundu
- Cancer Biology Division, School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Mahitosh Mandal
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Dhainaut M, Rose SA, Akturk G, Wroblewska A, Nielsen SR, Park ES, Buckup M, Roudko V, Pia L, Sweeney R, Le Berichel J, Wilk CM, Bektesevic A, Lee BH, Bhardwaj N, Rahman AH, Baccarini A, Gnjatic S, Pe'er D, Merad M, Brown BD. Spatial CRISPR genomics identifies regulators of the tumor microenvironment. Cell 2022; 185:1223-1239.e20. [PMID: 35290801 PMCID: PMC8992964 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
While CRISPR screens are helping uncover genes regulating many cell-intrinsic processes, existing approaches are suboptimal for identifying extracellular gene functions, particularly in the tissue context. Here, we developed an approach for spatial functional genomics called Perturb-map. We applied Perturb-map to knock out dozens of genes in parallel in a mouse model of lung cancer and simultaneously assessed how each knockout influenced tumor growth, histopathology, and immune composition. Moreover, we paired Perturb-map and spatial transcriptomics for unbiased analysis of CRISPR-edited tumors. We found that in Tgfbr2 knockout tumors, the tumor microenvironment (TME) was converted to a fibro-mucinous state, and T cells excluded, concomitant with upregulated TGFβ and TGFβ-mediated fibroblast activation, indicating that TGFβ-receptor loss on cancer cells increased TGFβ bioavailability and its immunosuppressive effects on the TME. These studies establish Perturb-map for functional genomics within the tissue at single-cell resolution with spatial architecture preserved and provide insight into how TGFβ responsiveness of cancer cells can affect the TME.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Dhainaut
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samuel A Rose
- Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Computational and Systems Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guray Akturk
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aleksandra Wroblewska
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sebastian R Nielsen
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eun Sook Park
- Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mark Buckup
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vladimir Roudko
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Luisanna Pia
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert Sweeney
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jessica Le Berichel
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - C Matthias Wilk
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anela Bektesevic
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brian H Lee
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nina Bhardwaj
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adeeb H Rahman
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alessia Baccarini
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sacha Gnjatic
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dana Pe'er
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Miriam Merad
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Center of Excellence for Thoracic Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brian D Brown
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Ray U, Pathoulas CL, Thirusangu P, Purcell JW, Kannan N, Shridhar V. Exploiting LRRC15 as a novel therapeutic target in cancer. Cancer Res 2022; 82:1675-1681. [PMID: 35260879 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-3734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abundant fibrotic stroma is a typical feature of most solid tumors, and stromal activation promotes oncogenesis, therapy resistance, and metastatic dissemination of cancer cells. Therefore, targeting the tumor stroma in combination with standard-of-care therapies has become a promising therapeutic strategy in recent years. The leucine-rich repeat-containing protein (LRRC15) is involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and came into focus as a promising anti-cancer target owing to its overexpression in mesenchymal-derived tumors such as sarcoma, glioblastoma, and melanoma and in cancer-associated fibroblasts in the microenvironment of breast, head and neck, lung, and pancreatic tumors. Effective targeting of LRRC15 using specific antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) has the potential to improve the outcome of patients with LRRC15-positive cancers of mesenchymal origin or stromal desmoplasia. Moreover, LRRC15 expression may serve as a predictive biomarker that could be utilized in the preclinical assessment of cancer patients to support personalized clinical outcomes. This review focuses on the role of LRRC15 in cancer, including clinical trials involving LRRC15-targeted therapies, such as the ABBV-085 ADC for patients with LRRC15-positive tumors. This review spans perceived knowledge gaps and highlights the clinical avenues that need to be explored to provide better therapeutic outcomes in patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - James W Purcell
- AbbVie (United States), South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Geleta B, Tout FS, Lim SC, Sahni S, Jansson PJ, Apte MV, Richardson DR, Kovačević Ž. Targeting Wnt/tenascin C-mediated cross talk between pancreatic cancer cells and stellate cells via activation of the metastasis suppressor NDRG1. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101608. [PMID: 35065073 PMCID: PMC8881656 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A major barrier to successful pancreatic cancer (PC) treatment is the surrounding stroma, which secretes growth factors/cytokines that promote PC progression. Wnt and tenascin C (TnC) are key ligands secreted by stromal pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) that then act on PC cells in a paracrine manner to activate the oncogenic β-catenin and YAP/TAZ signaling pathways. Therefore, therapies targeting oncogenic Wnt/TnC cross talk between PC cells and PSCs constitute a promising new therapeutic approach for PC treatment. The metastasis suppressor N-myc downstream-regulated gene-1 (NDRG1) inhibits tumor progression and metastasis in numerous cancers, including PC. We demonstrate herein that targeting NDRG1 using the clinically trialed anticancer agent di-2-pyridylketone-4-cyclohexyl-4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (DpC) inhibited Wnt/TnC-mediated interactions between PC cells and the surrounding PSCs. Mechanistically, NDRG1 and DpC markedly inhibit secretion of Wnt3a and TnC by PSCs, while also attenuating Wnt/β-catenin and YAP/TAZ activation and downstream signaling in PC cells. This antioncogenic activity was mediated by direct inhibition of β-catenin and YAP/TAZ nuclear localization and by increasing the Wnt inhibitor, DKK1. Expression of NDRG1 also inhibited transforming growth factor (TGF)-β secretion by PC cells, a key mechanism by which PC cells activate PSCs. Using an in vivo orthotopic PC mouse model, we show DpC downregulated β-catenin, TnC, and YAP/TAZ, while potently increasing NDRG1 expression in PC tumors. We conclude that NDRG1 and DpC inhibit Wnt/TnC-mediated interactions between PC cells and PSCs. These results further illuminate the antioncogenic mechanism of NDRG1 and the potential of targeting this metastasis suppressor to overcome the oncogenic effects of the PC-PSC interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bekesho Geleta
- Cancer Metastasis and Tumor Microenvironment Program, Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology Program, Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Faten S Tout
- Cancer Metastasis and Tumor Microenvironment Program, Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology Program, Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Syer Choon Lim
- Cancer Metastasis and Tumor Microenvironment Program, Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology Program, Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sumit Sahni
- Bill Walsh Translational Cancer Research Laboratory, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Patric J Jansson
- Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology Program, Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Bill Walsh Translational Cancer Research Laboratory, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Cancer Drug Resistance & Stem Cell Program, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Minoti V Apte
- Pancreatic Research Group, South Western Sydney Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Pancreatic Research Group, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Des R Richardson
- Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology Program, Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Žaklina Kovačević
- Cancer Metastasis and Tumor Microenvironment Program, Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology Program, Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Lin C, Chen Y, Zhang F, Liu B, Xie C, Song Y. Encoding gene RAB3B exists in linear chromosomal and circular extrachromosomal DNA and contributes to cisplatin resistance of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma via inducing autophagy. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:171. [PMID: 35194030 PMCID: PMC8863882 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04627-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cisplatin (DDP) resistance is an important factor that decreases the effect of chemotherapy, thus leading to local recurrence and lymph node metastasis of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC). We aimed to explore the role and mechanism of extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) in the DDP resistance of HSCC. In our research, the HSCC cell line FaDu and the DDP-resistant cell line FaDu/DDP were used as subjects. eccDNA sequencing and whole transcriptome sequencing were conducted, followed by a combined analysis of the two sequencing profiles. Outward PCR, inward PCR and Sanger sequencing were used to verify sequences of the eccDNAs. Bioinformatics analysis based on TCGA/GEO was performed in addition to plasmid transfection, RNA interference, qRT-PCR and Western blot experiments to verify the expression level of RAB3B amplified from eccDNA. mRFP-GFP-LC3 adenoviral particle transfection and transmission electron microscopy were used to detect autophagic flux. Finally, we evaluated the role of RAB3B in FaDu/DDP cells and patient-derived organoids. Our results showed that we purified and sequenced more than 10 thousand eccDNAs from the two cell lines, and the size of the eccDNAs was distributed from 0.01 kb to 1000 kb. The combined analysis between eccDNA and transcript sequencing indicated that there were some highly expressed genes that were completely or partially transcribed from related sequences of eccDNAs and not from genome linear DNA. We further screened and verified the encoding gene RAB3B using full-length sequences that might be amplified from eccDNA [chr1circle 46219-52682 kb]. Finally, we confirmed that RAB3B could promote DDP resistance in HSCC by inducing autophagy. The eccDNA might play significant roles in DDP resistance in HSCC by amplifying related functional genes. Further study is needed to explore the novel mechanisms of eccDNA in the drug resistance of HSCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Changwei Lin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan Province, China.,School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yifei Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head Neck Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Changsha (The Changsha Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University), Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410006, Hunan Province, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan Province, China
| | - Baiying Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan Province, China
| | - Canbin Xie
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yexun Song
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head Neck Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan Province, China. .,Department of Otolaryngology-Head Neck Surgery, The Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan Province, China.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
de los Reyes AA, Kim Y. Optimal regulation of tumour-associated neutrophils in cancer progression. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:210705. [PMID: 35127110 PMCID: PMC8808100 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In a tumour microenvironment, tumour-associated neutrophils could display two opposing differential phenotypes: anti-tumour (N1) and pro-tumour (N2) effector cells. Converting N2 to N1 neutrophils provides innovative therapies for cancer treatment. In this study, a mathematical model for N1-N2 dynamics describing the cancer survival and immune inhibition in response to TGF-β and IFN-β is considered. The effects of exogenous intervention of TGF-β inhibitor and IFN-β are examined in order to enhance N1 recruitment to combat tumour progression. Our approach employs optimal control theory to determine drug infusion protocols that could minimize tumour volume with least administration cost possible. Four optimal control scenarios corresponding to different therapeutic strategies are explored, namely, TGF-β inhibitor control only, IFN-β control only, concomitant TGF-β inhibitor and IFN-β controls, and alternating TGF-β inhibitor and IFN-β controls. For each scheme, different initial conditions are varied to depict different pathophysiological condition of a cancer patient, leading to adaptive treatment schedule. TGF-β inhibitor and IFN-β drug dosages, total drug amount, infusion times and relative cost of drug administrations are obtained under various circumstances. The control strategies achieved could guide in designing individualized therapeutic protocols.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aurelio A. de los Reyes
- Biomedical Mathematics Group, Pioneer Research Center for Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon 34126, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Mathematics, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines
| | - Yangjin Kim
- Department of Mathematics, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
- Mathematical Biosciences Institute, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Pasdaran A, Azarpira N, Heidari R, Nourinejad S, Zare M, Hamedi A. Effects of some cosmetic dyes and pigments on the proliferation of human foreskin fibroblasts and cellular oxidative stress; potential cytotoxicity of chlorophyllin and indigo carmine on fibroblasts. J Cosmet Dermatol 2022; 21:3979-3985. [DOI: 10.1111/jocd.14695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ardalan Pasdaran
- Medicinal Plants Processing Research Center Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz Iran
| | - Negar Azarpira
- Transplant Research Center Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz Iran
| | - Reza Heidari
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz Iran
| | - Simin Nourinejad
- Student research committee, School of Pharmacy Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz Iran
| | - Maryam Zare
- Department of Pharmacognosy School of Pharmacy Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz Iran
| | - Azadeh Hamedi
- Medicinal Plants Processing Research Center Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz Iran
- Department of Pharmacognosy School of Pharmacy Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz Iran
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Multifaceted Interplay between Hormones, Growth Factors and Hypoxia in the Tumor Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030539. [PMID: 35158804 PMCID: PMC8833523 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Hormones and growth factors impact many processes in the cell. Moreover, these molecules influence tumor growth, as does a lack of oxygen (hypoxia) that characterizes cancer progression. Proteins that are stabilized by low oxygen tension, known as hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), help tumor cells to adapt to their environment. Of note, hormones and growth factors regulate the activity of HIFs toward malignant aggressiveness, including the resistance to therapy. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the role of hormones and growth factors in cancer development with a particular focus on their interplay with hypoxia and HIFs and comment on how these factors influence the response to cancer immunotherapy. Abstract Hormones and growth factors (GFs) are signaling molecules implicated in the regulation of a variety of cellular processes. They play important roles in both healthy and tumor cells, where they function by binding to specific receptors on target cells and activating downstream signaling cascades. The stages of tumor progression are influenced by hormones and GF signaling. Hypoxia, a hallmark of cancer progression, contributes to tumor plasticity and heterogeneity. Most solid tumors contain a hypoxic core due to rapid cellular proliferation that outgrows the blood supply. In these circumstances, hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) play a central role in the adaptation of tumor cells to their new environment, dramatically reshaping their transcriptional profile. HIF signaling is modulated by a variety of factors including hormones and GFs, which activate signaling pathways that enhance tumor growth and metastatic potential and impair responses to therapy. In this review, we summarize the role of hormones and GFs during cancer onset and progression with a particular focus on hypoxia and the interplay with HIF proteins. We also discuss how hypoxia influences the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, considering that a hypoxic environment may act as a determinant of the immune-excluded phenotype and a major hindrance to the success of adoptive cell therapies.
Collapse
|
42
|
Zhang C, Wang XY, Zhang P, He TC, Han JH, Zhang R, Lin J, Fan J, Lu L, Zhu WW, Jia HL, Zhang JB, Chen JH. Cancer-derived exosomal HSPC111 promotes colorectal cancer liver metastasis by reprogramming lipid metabolism in cancer-associated fibroblasts. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:57. [PMID: 35027547 PMCID: PMC8758774 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04506-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tumor metastasis is a hallmark of cancer. The communication between cancer-derived exosomes and stroma plays an irreplaceable role in facilitating pre-metastatic niche formation and cancer metastasis. However, the mechanisms underlying exosome-mediated pre-metastatic niche formation during colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastasis remain incompletely understood. Here we identified HSPC111 was the leading upregulated gene in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) incubated with CRC cell-derived exosomes. In xenograft mouse model, CRC cell-derived exosomal HSPC111 facilitated pre-metastatic niche formation and CRC liver metastases (CRLM). Consistently, CRC patients with liver metastasis had higher level of HSPC111 in serum exosomes, primary tumors and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in liver metastasis than those without. Mechanistically, HSPC111 altered lipid metabolism of CAFs by phosphorylating ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY), which upregulated the level of acetyl-CoA. The accumulation of acetyl-CoA further promoted CXCL5 expression and secretion by increasing H3K27 acetylation in CAFs. Moreover, CXCL5-CXCR2 axis reinforced exosomal HSPC111 excretion from CRC cells and promoted liver metastasis. These results uncovered that CRC cell-derived exosomal HSPC111 promotes pre-metastatic niche formation and CRLM via reprogramming lipid metabolism in CAFs, and implicate HSPC111 may be a potential therapeutic target for preventing CRLM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chong Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China.,Institute of Cancer Metastasis, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiang-Yu Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China.,Institute of Cancer Metastasis, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China.,Institute of Cancer Metastasis, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao-Chen He
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China.,Institute of Cancer Metastasis, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia-Hao Han
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China.,Institute of Cancer Metastasis, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China.,Institute of Cancer Metastasis, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Lin
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China.,Institute of Cancer Metastasis, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Fan
- Department of Pathology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China.,Institute of Cancer Metastasis, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen-Wei Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China.,Institute of Cancer Metastasis, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hu-Liang Jia
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China.,Institute of Cancer Metastasis, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ju-Bo Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Jin-Hong Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Wulumuqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China. .,Institute of Cancer Metastasis, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Yang R, Wang D, Han S, Gu Y, Li Z, Deng L, Yin A, Gao Y, Li X, Yu Y, Wang X. MiR-206 suppresses the deterioration of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and promotes sensitivity to chemotherapy by inhibiting interactions with stromal CAFs. Int J Biol Sci 2022; 18:43-64. [PMID: 34975317 PMCID: PMC8692143 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.62602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a highly malignant subtype of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) with poor prognosis. In iCCA, the interplay between the stroma and tumor cells results in resistance to adjuvant chemotherapy. Increasing evidence indicates that miR-206 participates in tumor progression, but its role in iCCA is still unclear. The aim of this study was to identify dysregulated miR-206 expression in iCCA and to further explore the underlying mechanism. Methods: MiR-206 expression was proven to be downregulated in iCCA tissues by qPCR, and its correlation with clinical characteristics and prognosis was investigated. iCCA-derived cancer-associated fibroblast cells (CAFs) and normal fibroblast cells (NFs) were isolated and identified. MiR-206 was knocked in or down in CAFs and CCA cells, respectively, to explore the role of miR-206, and coculture of these treated CCAs and CAFs was conducted to explore the effects of miR-206 on their mutual promoting effects. Exosomes carrying miR-206 and an orthotopic mouse model were used to determine the inhibitory effects of miR-206 on iCCA deterioration in vivo. Results: We confirmed that miR-206 is a suppressor of iCCA. Overexpressing miR-206 in CCA cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion. When cocultured with CCA cells, NFs downregulated miR-206 expression, and NFs were susceptible to transforming into CAFs. Moreover, CAFs promoted CCA cell malignant behaviors and gemcitabine resistance. Overexpressing miR-206 in CAFs or CCA cells inhibited this mutual promoting effect. Additionally, when delivered by exosomes, miR-206 suppressed tumor deterioration. And combined with gemcitabine, this treatment resulted in a longer survival time. Conclusion: Our study explained that the interaction between CCA cells and CAFs promoted iCCA deterioration. As a suppressive factor, miR-206 inhibited aggressive characteristics and gemcitabine resistance by interfering with this mutual promoting effect. This research elucidated the molecular mechanism underlying the unfavorable chemotherapeutic response of patients with iCCA, which provided a promising target for iCCA treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renjie Yang
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.,Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Shen Han
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yichao Gu
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhi Li
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Lei Deng
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Aihong Yin
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yun Gao
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiangcheng Li
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yue Yu
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xuehao Wang
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.,Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Quadri Z, Elsherbini A, Bieberich E. Extracellular vesicles in pharmacology: Novel approaches in diagnostics and therapy. Pharmacol Res 2022; 175:105980. [PMID: 34863822 PMCID: PMC8760625 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Exosomes are nano-sized lipid vesicles that are produced by all eukaryotic cells, and they typically range in size from 30 to 150 nm. Exosomes were discovered almost 40 years ago; however, the last two decades have attracted considerable attention due to exosomes' inherent abilities to shuttle nucleic acids, lipids and proteins between cells, along with their natural affinity to exosome target cells. From a pharmaceutical perspective, exosomes are regarded as naturally produced nanoparticle drug delivery vehicles. The application of exosomes as a means of drug delivery offers critical advantages compared to other nanoparticulate drug delivery systems, such as liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles. These advantages are due to the exosomes' intrinsic features, such as low immunogenicity, biocompatibility, stability, and their ability to overcome biological barriers. Herein, we outline the structure and origin of exosomes, as well as their biological functions. We also touch upon recent advances in exosome labeling, imaging and drug loading. Finally, we discuss exosomes in targeted drug delivery and clinical trial development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zainuddin Quadri
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, United States; Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lexington, KY 40502, United States
| | - Ahmed Elsherbini
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lexington, KY 40502, United States
| | - Erhard Bieberich
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536, United States; Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lexington, KY 40502, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Delinassios JG, Hoffman RM. The cancer-inhibitory effects of proliferating tumor-residing fibroblasts. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2021; 1877:188673. [PMID: 34953931 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Initiation, local progression, and metastasis of cancer are associated with specific morphological, molecular, and functional changes in the extracellular matrix and the fibroblasts within the tumor microenvironment (TME). In the early stages of tumor development, fibroblasts are an obstacle that cancer cells must surpass or nullify to progress. Thus, in early tumor progression, specific signaling from cancer cells activates bio-pathways, which abolish the innate anticancer properties of fibroblasts and convert a high proportion of them to tumor-promoting cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Following this initial event, a wide spectrum of gene expression changes gradually leads to the development of a stromal fibroblast population with complex heterogeneity, creating fibroblast subtypes with characteristic profiles, which may alternate between being tumor-promotive and tumor-suppressive, topologically and chronologically in the TME. These fibroblast subtypes form the tumor's histological landscape including areas of cancer growth, inflammation, angiogenesis, invasion fronts, proliferating and non-proliferating fibroblasts, cancer-cell apoptosis, fibroblast apoptosis, and necrosis. These features reflect general deregulation of tissue homeostasis within the TME. This review discusses fundamental and current knowledge that has established the existence of anticancer fibroblasts within the various interacting elements of the TME. It is proposed that the maintenance of fibroblast proliferation is an essential parameter for the activation of their anticancer capacity, similar to that by which normal fibroblasts would be activated in wound repair, thus maintaining tissue homeostasis. Encouragement of research in this direction may render new means of cancer therapy and a greater understanding of tumor progression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John G Delinassios
- International Institute of Anticancer Research, 1(st) km Kapandritiou-Kalamou Rd., Kapandriti, 19014 Attica, Greece.
| | - Robert M Hoffman
- Department of Surgery, University of California, 9300 Campus Point Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; AntiCancer Inc., 7917 Ostrow St, San Diego, CA 92111, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Atorvastatin facilitates chemotherapy effects in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Br J Cancer 2021; 125:1285-1298. [PMID: 34462586 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01529-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) is treated mainly with chemotherapy. However, resistance frequently occurs as tumours enter dormancy. Statins have been suggested as effective against cancer but as they prolong and promote dormancy, it is an open question of whether the concomitant use would interfere with chemotherapy in primary and mTNBC. We examined this question in animal models and clinical correlations. METHODS We used a xenograft model of spontaneous metastasis to the liver from an ectopic tumour employing a mTNBC cell line. Atorvastatin was provided to sensitise metastatic cells, followed by chemotherapy. The effects of statin usage on outcomes in women with metastatic breast cancer was assessed respectively by querying a database of those diagnosed from 1999 to 2019. RESULTS Atorvastatin had limited influence on tumour growth or chemotherapy effects in ectopic primary tumours. Interestingly, atorvastatin was additive with doxorubicin (but not paclitaxel) when targeting liver metastases. E-cadherin-expressing, dormant, breast cancer cells were resistant to the use of either statins or chemotherapy as compared to wild-type cells; however, the combination of both did lead to increased cell death. Although prospective randomised studies are needed for validation, our retrospective clinical analysis suggested that patients on statin treatment could experience prolonged dormancy and overall survival; still once the tumour recurred progression was not affected by statin use. CONCLUSION Atorvastatin could be used during adjuvant chemotherapy and also in conjunction with metastatic chemotherapy to reduce mTNBC cancer progression. These preclinical data establish a rationale for the development of randomised studies.
Collapse
|
47
|
Sabbadini F, Bertolini M, De Matteis S, Mangiameli D, Contarelli S, Pietrobono S, Melisi D. The Multifaceted Role of TGF-β in Gastrointestinal Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13163960. [PMID: 34439114 PMCID: PMC8391793 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13163960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The transforming growth factor β signaling pathway elicits a broad range of physiological re-sponses, and its misregulation has been related to cancer. The secreted cytokine TGFβ exerts a tumor-suppressive effect that counteracts malignant transformation. However, once tumor has developed, TGFβ can support tumor progression regulating epithelial to mesenchymal transition, invasion and metastasis, stimulating fibrosis, angiogenesis and immune suppression. Here we review the dichotomous role of TGF-β in the progression of gastrointestinal tumors, as well as its intricate crosstalk with other signaling pathways. We also discuss about the therapeutic strate-gies that are currently explored in clinical trials to counteract TGF-β functions. Abstract Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is a secreted cytokine that signals via serine/threonine kinase receptors and SMAD effectors. Although TGF-β acts as a tumor suppressor during the early stages of tumorigenesis, it supports tumor progression in advanced stages. Indeed, TGF-β can modulate the tumor microenvironment by modifying the extracellular matrix and by sustaining a paracrine interaction between neighboring cells. Due to its critical role in cancer development and progression, a wide range of molecules targeting the TGF-β signaling pathway are currently under active clinical development in different diseases. Here, we focused on the role of TGF-β in modulating different pathological processes with a particular emphasis on gastrointestinal tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Sabbadini
- Digestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (F.S.); (M.B.); (S.D.M.); (D.M.); (S.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Monica Bertolini
- Digestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (F.S.); (M.B.); (S.D.M.); (D.M.); (S.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Serena De Matteis
- Digestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (F.S.); (M.B.); (S.D.M.); (D.M.); (S.C.); (S.P.)
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, AlmaMater Studiorum, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Domenico Mangiameli
- Digestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (F.S.); (M.B.); (S.D.M.); (D.M.); (S.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Serena Contarelli
- Digestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (F.S.); (M.B.); (S.D.M.); (D.M.); (S.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Silvia Pietrobono
- Digestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (F.S.); (M.B.); (S.D.M.); (D.M.); (S.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Davide Melisi
- Digestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (F.S.); (M.B.); (S.D.M.); (D.M.); (S.C.); (S.P.)
- Experimental Cancer Medicine Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata di Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Chen PY, Wei WF, Wu HZ, Fan LS, Wang W. Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Heterogeneity: A Factor That Cannot Be Ignored in Immune Microenvironment Remodeling. Front Immunol 2021; 12:671595. [PMID: 34305902 PMCID: PMC8297463 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.671595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are important, highly heterogeneous components of the tumor extracellular matrix that have different origins and express a diverse set of biomarkers. Different subtypes of CAFs participate in the immune regulation of the tumor microenvironment (TME). In addition to their role in supporting stromal cells, CAFs have multiple immunosuppressive functions, via membrane and secretory patterns, against anti-tumor immunity. The inhibition of CAFs function and anti-TME therapy targeting CAFs provides new adjuvant means for immunotherapy. In this review, we outline the emerging understanding of CAFs with a particular emphasis on their origin and heterogeneity, different mechanisms of their regulation, as well as their direct or indirect effect on immune cells that leads to immunosuppression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Yu Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Fei Wei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hong-Zhen Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang-Sheng Fan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Mortezaee K. Normalization in tumor ecosystem: Opportunities and challenges. Cell Biol Int 2021; 45:2017-2030. [PMID: 34189798 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.11655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Current research in cancer therapy aims to exploit efficient strategies to have long-lasting effects on tumors and to reduce or even revoke the chance of recurrence. Within the tumor stroma, O2 and nutrients are abnormally distributed between various cells (preferentially for supplying cancer cells), the immune contexture is abnormally positioned (permissive essentially for cells exhibiting tumor-promoting capacity), the fibroblast and fibrotic content is abnormally distributed (presence of both extracellular matrix [ECM] stiffening and ECM-degrading factors both for tumor-promoting purposes), and the tumor vasculature is abnormally orchestrated (for hindering drug delivery and increasing the chance of tumor metastasis). Resistance is actually an adaptive response to an imbalance in the tumor ecosystem; thus, the key consideration for effective cancer therapy is to bring back the normal status in this ecosystem so as to reach the desired durable outcome. Vascular normalization, metabolic modulation (glucose delivery in particular), balancing cellular dispersion, and balancing the pH rate and O2 delivery within the tumor microenvironment are suggested strategies to reverse abnormality within the tumor stroma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keywan Mortezaee
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| |
Collapse
|