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Li CC, Liu M, Lee HP, Wu W, Ma L. Heterogeneity in Liver Cancer Immune Microenvironment: Emerging Single-Cell and Spatial Perspectives. Semin Liver Dis 2024. [PMID: 38788780 DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1787152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Primary liver cancer is a solid malignancy with a high mortality rate. The success of immunotherapy has shown great promise in improving patient care and highlights a crucial need to understand the complexity of the liver tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Recent advances in single-cell and spatial omics technologies, coupled with the development of systems biology approaches, are rapidly transforming the landscape of tumor immunology. Here we review the cellular landscape of liver TIME from single-cell and spatial perspectives. We also discuss the cellular interaction networks within the tumor cell community in regulating immune responses. We further highlight the challenges and opportunities with implications for biomarker discovery, patient stratification, and combination immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caiyi Cherry Li
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Meng Liu
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Hsin-Pei Lee
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Wenqi Wu
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lichun Ma
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
- Liver Cancer Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
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2
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Song M, Zhang C, Cheng S, Ouyang D, Ping Y, Yang J, Zhang Y, Tang Y, Chen H, Wang QJ, Li YQ, He J, Xiang T, Zhang Y, Xia JC. DNA of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Binds TMCO6 to Impair CD8+ T-cell Immunity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancer Res 2024; 84:1613-1629. [PMID: 38381538 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-2986] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NET), formed by the extracellular release of decondensed chromatin and granules, have been shown to promote tumor progression and metastasis. Tumor-associated neutrophils in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are prone to NET formation, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of action of NETs in liver cancer. Here, we showed that DNA of NETs (NET-DNA) binds transmembrane and coiled-coil domains 6 (TMCO6) on CD8+ T cells to impair antitumor immunity and thereby promote HCC progression. TGFβ1 induced NET formation, which recruited CD8+ T cells. Binding to NET-DNA inhibited CD8+ T cells function while increasing apoptosis and TGFβ1 secretion, forming a positive feedback loop to further stimulate NET formation and immunosuppression. Mechanistically, the N-terminus of TMCO6 interacted with NET-DNA and suppressed T-cell receptor signaling and NFκB p65 nuclear translocation. Blocking NET formation by inhibiting PAD4 induced potent antitumor effects in wild-type mice but not TMCO6-/- mice. In clinical samples, CD8+ T cells expressing TMCO6 had an exhausted phenotype. TGFβ1 signaling inhibition or TMCO6 deficiency combined with anti-PD-1 abolished NET-driven HCC progression in vivo. Collectively, this study unveils the role of NET-DNA in impairing CD8+ T-cell immunity by binding TMCO6 and identifies targeting this axis as an immunotherapeutic strategy for blocking HCC progression. SIGNIFICANCE TMCO6 is a receptor for DNA of NETs that mediates CD8+ T-cell dysfunction in HCC, indicating that the NET-TMCO6 axis is a promising target for overcoming immunosuppression in liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjia Song
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Chaoqi Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Shaoyan Cheng
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, P.R. China
| | - Dijun Ouyang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Biotherapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yu Ping
- Department of Biotherapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jieying Yang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Biotherapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - YaoJun Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yan Tang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Biotherapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Hao Chen
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Biotherapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Qi-Jing Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Biotherapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yong-Qiang Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Biotherapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jia He
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Biotherapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Tong Xiang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Biotherapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yizhuo Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jian-Chuan Xia
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Biotherapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
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3
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Jing ZQ, Luo ZQ, Chen SR, Sun ZJ. Heterogeneity of myeloid cells in common cancers: Single cell insights and targeting strategies. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 134:112253. [PMID: 38735257 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112253] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Tumor microenvironment (TME), is characterized by a complex and heterogenous composition involving a substantial population of immune cells. Myeloid cells comprising over half of the solid tumor mass, are undoubtedly one of the most prominent cell populations associated with tumors. Studies have unambiguously established that myeloid cells play a key role in tumor development, including immune suppression, pro-inflammation, promote tumor metastasis and angiogenesis, for example, tumor-associated macrophages promote tumor progression in a variety of common tumors, including lung cancer, through direct or indirect interactions with the TME. However, due to previous technological constraints, research on myeloid cells often tended to be conducted as studies with low throughput and limited resolution. For example, the conventional categorization of macrophages into M1-like and M2-like subsets based solely on their anti-tumor and pro-tumor roles has disregarded their continuum of states, resulting in an inadequate analysis of the high heterogeneity characterizing myeloid cells. The widespread adoption of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in tumor immunology has propelled researchers into a new realm of understanding, leading to the establishment of novel subsets and targets. In this review, the origin of myeloid cells in high-incidence cancers, the functions of myeloid cell subsets examined through traditional and single-cell perspectives, as well as specific targeting strategies, are comprehensively outlined. As a result of this endeavor, we will gain a better understanding of myeloid cell heterogeneity, as well as contribute to the development of new therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Qian Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Zhi-Qi Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Si-Rui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China.
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4
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Zhu X, Heng Y, Zhang D, Tang D, Zhou J, Lin H, Ma J, Ding X, Tao L, Lu L. Prognostic significance and immune escape implication of tumor-infiltrating neutrophil plasticity in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Hum Cell 2024; 37:714-728. [PMID: 38358636 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-024-01024-7] [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: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating neutrophils play a crucial role in the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Here, we aimed to statistically quantify the plasticity of HNSCC-infiltrating N2/N1 neutrophils and examine its impacts on survival and immune infiltration landscape. A retrospective study of 80 patients who underwent curative surgical resection for HNSCC between 2014 and 2017 was conducted in this study. HNSCC-infiltrating neutrophil phenotypes were classified using immunofluorescence staining, and the N2/N1 neutrophil plasticity was evaluated via the ratio of N2/N1 neutrophils. We then assessed the correlations between N2/N1 neutrophil plasticity, clinicopathological characteristics, and immune infiltration landscape using rigorous statistical methods. Infiltration variations of N1 and N2 neutrophils were observed between the tumor nest (TN) and tumor stroma (TS), with TN exhibiting higher N2 neutrophil infiltration and lower N1 neutrophil infiltration. High ratios of N2/N1 neutrophils were correlated with advanced TNM stage, large tumor size and invasion of adjacent tissue. High infiltration of N2 neutrophils was associated with decreased overall and relapse-free survival, which were opposite for N1 neutrophils. The independent prognostic role of N2/N1 neutrophil plasticity, particularly within the TN region, was confirmed by multivariate analyses. Moreover, the ratio of N2/N1 neutrophils within the TN region showed correlations with high CD8+ T cells infiltration and low FOXP3+ Tregs infiltration. We identify HNSCC-infiltrating N2/N1 neutrophil plasticity as a crucial prognostic indictor which potentially reflects the tumor microenvironment (TME) and immune escape landscape within HNSCC tissues. Further investigations and validations may provide novel therapeutic strategies for personalized immunomodulation in HNSCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoke Zhu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Heng
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Duo Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Di Tang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Hanqing Lin
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyu Ma
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuping Ding
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Tao
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China.
| | - Liming Lu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China.
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Sun H, Li S, Wang Q, Luo C, Zhong L, Wan G, Li Z, Zhao G, Bu X, Zeng M, Feng G. Formyl peptide enhances cancer immunotherapy by activating antitumoral neutrophils, and T cells. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 175:116670. [PMID: 38692065 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116670] [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: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are heterogeneous and plastic, with the ability to polarize from antitumour to protumour phenotype and modulate tumour microenvironment components. While some advances have been made, the neutrophil-targeting therapy remains underexplored. Activation of formyl peptide receptors (FPRs) by formylated peptides is needed for local control of infection through the recruitment of activated neutrophils while the potential contribution of antitumour activity remains underexplored. Here, we demonstrate that neutrophils can be harnessed to suppress tumour growth through the action of the formyl peptide (FP) on the formyl peptide receptor (FPR). Mechanistically, FP efficiently recruits neutrophils to produce reactive oxygen species production (ROS), resulting in the direct killing of tumours. Antitumour functions disappeared when neutrophils were depleted by anti-Ly6G antibodies. Interestingly, extensive T-cell activation was observed in mouse tumours treated with FP, showing the potential to alter the immune suppressed tumour microenvironment (TME) and further sensitize mice to anti-PD1 therapy. Transcriptomic and flow cytometry analyses revealed the mechanisms of FP-sensitized anti-PD1 therapy, mainly including stimulated neutrophils and an altered immune-suppressed tumour microenvironment. Collectively, these data establish FP as an effective combination partner for sensitizing anti-PD1 therapy by stimulating tumour-infiltrated neutrophils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixia Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Department of Experimental Research, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou,Guangdong 510060, China; Department of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province 518112, China
| | - Shuxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Department of Experimental Research, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou,Guangdong 510060, China
| | - Qiaoli Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Department of Experimental Research, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou,Guangdong 510060, China
| | - Chunxiang Luo
- Guangxi Hospital Division of The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Nanning 530022, China
| | - Lanyi Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Department of Experimental Research, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou,Guangdong 510060, China
| | - Guohui Wan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ziqian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Department of Experimental Research, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou,Guangdong 510060, China
| | - Gexin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Department of Experimental Research, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou,Guangdong 510060, China
| | - Xianzhang Bu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Musheng Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Department of Experimental Research, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou,Guangdong 510060, China
| | - Guokai Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Department of Experimental Research, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou,Guangdong 510060, China.
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Shen KY, Zhu Y, Xie SZ, Qin LX. Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: current status and prospectives. J Hematol Oncol 2024; 17:25. [PMID: 38679698 PMCID: PMC11057182 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-024-01549-2] [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: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health concern worldwide, with limited therapeutic options and poor prognosis. In recent years, immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have made great progress in the systemic treatment of HCC. The combination treatments based on ICIs have been the major trend in this area. Recently, dual immune checkpoint blockade with durvalumab plus tremelimumab has also emerged as an effective treatment for advanced HCC. However, the majority of HCC patients obtain limited benefits. Understanding the immunological rationale and exploring novel ways to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy has drawn much attention. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in this area, the ongoing clinical trials of immune-based combination therapies, as well as novel immunotherapy strategies such as chimeric antigen receptor T cells, personalized neoantigen vaccines, oncolytic viruses, and bispecific antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Yu Shen
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Sun-Zhe Xie
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lun-Xiu Qin
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China.
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Jeong EA, Lee MH, Bae AN, Kim J, Park JH, Lee JH. A Comprehensive Analysis of HOXB13 Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2024; 60:716. [PMID: 38792899 PMCID: PMC11123440 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60050716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Background and objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and is caused by multiple factors. To explore novel targets for HCC treatment, we comprehensively analyzed the expression of HomeoboxB13 (HOXB13) and its role in HCC. Materials and Methods: The clinical significance of HCC was investigated using open gene expression databases, such as TIMER, UALCAN, KM, OSlihc, and LinkedOmics, and immunohistochemistry analysis. We also analyzed cell invasion and migration in HCC cell lines transfected with HOXB13-siRNA and their association with MMP9, E2F1, and MEIS1. Results: HOXB13 expression was higher in fibrolamellar carcinoma than in other histological subtypes. Its expression was associated with lymph node metastasis, histological stage, and tumor grade. It was positively correlated with immune cell infiltration of B cells (R = 0.246), macrophages (R = 0.182), myeloid dendritic cells (R = 0.247), neutrophils (R = 0.117), and CD4+ T cells (R = 0.258) and negatively correlated with immune cell infiltration of CD8+ T cells (R = -0.107). A positive correlation was observed between HOXB13, MMP9 (R = 0.176), E2F1 (R = 0.241), and MEIS1 (R = 0.189) expression (p < 0.001). The expression level of HOXB13 was significantly downregulated in both HepG2 and PLC/PFR/5 cell lines transfected with HOXB13-siRNA compared to that in cells transfected with NC siRNA (p < 0.05). Additionally, HOXB13 significantly affected cell viability and wound healing. Conclusions: HOXB13 overexpression may lead to poor prognosis in patients with HCC. Additional in vivo studies are required to improve our understanding of the biological role and the exact mechanism of action of HOXB13 in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-A Jeong
- Department of Anatomy, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea; (E.-A.J.); (A.-N.B.); (J.-H.P.)
| | - Moo-Hyun Lee
- Department of Surgery, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea;
| | - An-Na Bae
- Department of Anatomy, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea; (E.-A.J.); (A.-N.B.); (J.-H.P.)
| | - Jongwan Kim
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, 54 Yangji-ro, Busan 47230, Republic of Korea;
| | - Jong-Ho Park
- Department of Anatomy, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea; (E.-A.J.); (A.-N.B.); (J.-H.P.)
| | - Jae-Ho Lee
- Department of Anatomy, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea; (E.-A.J.); (A.-N.B.); (J.-H.P.)
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8
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Ji Z, Zhang C, Yuan J, He Q, Zhang X, Yang D, Xu N, Chu J. Predicting the immunity landscape and prognosis with an NCLs signature in liver hepatocellular carcinoma. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298775. [PMID: 38662757 PMCID: PMC11045082 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Activated neutrophils release depolymerized chromatin and protein particles into the extracellular space, forming reticular Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs). This process is accompanied by programmed inflammatory cell death of neutrophils, known as NETosis. Previous reports have demonstrated that NETosis plays a significant role in immune resistance and microenvironmental regulation in cancer. This study sought to characterize the function and molecular mechanism of NETosis-correlated long non-coding RNAs (NCLs) in the prognostic treatment of liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). METHODS We obtained the transcriptomic and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and evaluated the expression of NCLs in LIHC. A prognostic signature of NCLs was constructed using Cox and Last Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (Lasso) regression, while the accuracy of model was validated by the ROC curves and nomogram, etc. In addition, we analyzed the associations between NCLs and oncogenic mutation, immune infiltration and evasion. Finally, LIHC patients were classified into four subgroups based on consensus cluster analysis, and drug sensitivity was predicted. RESULTS After screening, we established a risk model combining 5 hub-NCLs and demonstrated its reliability. Independence checks suggest that the model may serve as an independent predictor of LIHC prognosis. Enrichment analysis revealed a concentration of immune-related pathways in the high-risk group. Immune infiltration indicates that immunotherapy could be more effective in the low-risk group. Upon consistent cluster analysis, cluster subgroup 4 presented a better prognosis. Sensitivity tests showed the distinctions in therapeutic effectiveness among various drugs in different subgroups. CONCLUSION Overall, we have developed a prognostic signature that can discriminate different LIHC subgroups through the 5 selected NCLs, with the objective of providing LIHC patients a more precise, personalized treatment regimen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangxin Ji
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
- School of Graduate, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
| | - Chenxu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
- School of Graduate, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
| | - Jingjing Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
- Research and Technology Center, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
| | - Qing He
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
- School of Graduate, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
- School of Graduate, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
| | - Dongmei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
- School of Graduate, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
| | - Na Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea & Food Science and International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects of Ministry of Education, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
| | - Jun Chu
- Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
- Research and Technology Center, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
- Institute of Surgery, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, PR China
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9
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Li Q, Li F, Song X, Lu N, Jing X, Wen H, Ma P, Zhang H, Yao W, Wang X, Zhang M. Pan-cancer analysis of ARFs family and ARF5 promoted the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29099. [PMID: 38617932 PMCID: PMC11015141 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29099] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background ARF family proteins are a kind of small GTPases, which are involved in regulating a variety of basic functions of cells. In recent years, the role and molecular regulatory mechanisms of ARFs in tumor progression have received increasing attention, and research reports on most of their family members are increasing. However, research on the clinical and pathological relevance of ARF5 in cancer, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma, still needs to be improved. Methods RNA-seq data in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and genome tissue expression (GTEx) databases were used to analyze the expression and pathological data of ARFs family in Pan-cancer. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression were used for prognostic analysis of ARF5 and Pan-cancer. Combined with ImmuCellAI database and TIMER2 database, the relationship between ARF5 expression and immune cell tumor infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was analyzed. WGCNA is used to construct the co-expression gene network related to ARF5 expression in HCC and screen important modules and central genes. GO and KEGG path enrichment analysis were carried out for the genes in the modules with clinical significance. GSEA analysis was performed to take into account the role of genes with small differences. Finally, ceRNA network analysis was used to explore the molecular mechanism of miRNAs and lncRNAs regulating ARF5 expression. Results ARFs family (ARF1, ARF3, ARF4, ARF5, ARF6) are generally highly expressed in Pan-cancer. ARF5 is significantly highly expressed in 29 cancers, and the high expression of ARF5 in HCC patients is significantly negatively correlated with OS, DFI, PFI and DSS, which may lead to cancer deterioration by participating in tumor immune infiltration of HCC. Through WGCNA analysis, the expression of ARF5 in HCC may be involved in many cellular processes that consume a lot of energy, such as ribosome formation, RNA and protein synthesis and lipids, as well as COVID-19, nonalcoholic fatty liver, neurodegenerative diseases and other disease pathways. Conclusion ARFs, especially ARF5, are overexpressed in many human tumors. This study shows for the first time that ARF5 is significantly correlated with the poor prognosis of HCC patients, which may play a role as an oncogene, suggesting that ARF5 has the potential as a biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, 710077, Shaanxi, China
| | - Fang Li
- Institute of Genetics and Development Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xinqiu Song
- Medical College of Yan'an University, Yan'an, 716000, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ning Lu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, 710077, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xintao Jing
- Institute of Genetics and Development Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hua Wen
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, 710077, Shaanxi, China
| | - Peihan Ma
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, 710077, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, 710077, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wenzhu Yao
- Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, 710021, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- Biomedical Experimental Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Mingxin Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, 710077, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, 712046, Shaanxi, China
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10
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Llovet JM, Pinyol R, Yarchoan M, Singal AG, Marron TU, Schwartz M, Pikarsky E, Kudo M, Finn RS. Adjuvant and neoadjuvant immunotherapies in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2024; 21:294-311. [PMID: 38424197 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00868-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Liver cancer, specifically hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. The development of effective systemic therapies, particularly those involving immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has substantially improved the outcomes of patients with advanced-stage HCC. Approximately 30% of patients are diagnosed with early stage disease and currently receive potentially curative therapies, such as resection, liver transplantation or local ablation, which result in median overall survival durations beyond 60 months. Nonetheless, up to 70% of these patients will have disease recurrence within 5 years of resection or local ablation. To date, the results of randomized clinical trials testing adjuvant therapy in patients with HCC have been negative. This major unmet need has been addressed with the IMbrave 050 trial, demonstrating a recurrence-free survival benefit in patients with a high risk of relapse after resection or local ablation who received adjuvant atezolizumab plus bevacizumab. In parallel, studies testing neoadjuvant ICIs alone or in combination in patients with early stage disease have also reported efficacy. In this Review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current approaches to manage patients with early stage HCC. We also describe the tumour immune microenvironment and the mechanisms of action of ICIs and cancer vaccines in this setting. Finally, we summarize the available evidence from phase II/III trials of neoadjuvant and adjuvant approaches and discuss emerging clinical trials, identification of biomarkers and clinical trial design considerations for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josep M Llovet
- Liver Cancer Translational Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Divisions of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Roser Pinyol
- Liver Cancer Translational Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mark Yarchoan
- Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Amit G Singal
- Department of Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Thomas U Marron
- Mount Sinai Liver Cancer Program, Divisions of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Myron Schwartz
- Department of Liver Surgery, Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eli Pikarsky
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Masatoshi Kudo
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Richard S Finn
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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11
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Pan X, Ni S, Hu K. Nanomedicines for reversing immunosuppressive microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Biomaterials 2024; 306:122481. [PMID: 38286109 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.122481] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Although immunotherapeutic strategies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have gained promising advances, their limited efficacy and significant toxicity remain great challenges for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) immunotherapy. The tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment (TIME) with insufficient T-cell infiltration and low immunogenicity accounts for most HCC patients' poor response to ICIs. Worse still, the current immunotherapeutics without precise delivery may elicit enormous autoimmune side effects and systemic toxicity in the clinic. With a better understanding of the TIME in HCC, nanomedicines have emerged as an efficient strategy to achieve remodeling of the TIME and superadditive antitumor effects via targeted delivery of immunotherapeutics or multimodal synergistic therapy. Based on the typical characteristics of the TIME in HCC, this review summarizes the recent advancements in nanomedicine-based strategies for TIME-reversing HCC treatment. Additionally, perspectives on the awaiting challenges and opportunities of nanomedicines in modulating the TIME of HCC are presented. Acquisition of knowledge of nanomedicine-mediated TIME reversal will provide researchers with a better opportunity for clinical translation of HCC immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xier Pan
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Shuting Ni
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Kaili Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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12
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Wang J, Wang X, Peng H, Dong Z, Liangpunsakul S, Zuo L, Wang H. Platelets in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease: Interaction With Neutrophils. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 18:41-52. [PMID: 38461963 PMCID: PMC11127035 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2024.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a major contributor to liver-related mortality globally. An increasing body of evidence underscores the pivotal role of platelets throughout the spectrum of liver injury and recovery, offering unique insights into liver homeostasis and pathobiology. Alcoholic-associated steatohepatitis is characterized by the infiltration of hepatic neutrophils. Recent studies have highlighted the extensive distance neutrophils travel through sinusoids to reach the liver injury site, relying on a platelet-paved endothelium for efficient crawling. The adherence of platelets to neutrophils is crucial for accurate migration from circulation to the inflammatory site. A gradual decline in platelet levels leads to diminished neutrophil recruitment. Platelets exhibit the ability to activate neutrophils. Platelet activation is heightened upon the release of platelet granule contents, which synergistically activate neutrophils through their respective receptors. The sequence culminates in the formation of platelet-neutrophil complexes and the release of neutrophil extracellular traps intensifies liver damage, fosters inflammatory immune responses, and triggers hepatotoxic processes. Neutrophil infiltration is a hallmark of alcohol-associated steatohepatitis, and the roles of neutrophils in ALD pathogenesis have been studied extensively, however, the involvement of platelets in ALD has received little attention. The current review consolidates recent findings on the intricate and diverse roles of platelets and neutrophils in liver pathophysiology and in ALD. Potential therapeutic strategies are highlighted, focusing on targeting platelet-neutrophil interactions and activation in ALD. The anticipation is that innovative methods for manipulating platelet and neutrophil functions will open promising avenues for future ALD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Innovation and Entrepreneurship Laboratory for College Students, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune-Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xianda Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Innovation and Entrepreneurship Laboratory for College Students, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune-Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Haodong Peng
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship Laboratory for College Students, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Zijian Dong
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Innovation and Entrepreneurship Laboratory for College Students, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune-Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Suthat Liangpunsakul
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Li Zuo
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship Laboratory for College Students, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Innovation and Entrepreneurship Laboratory for College Students, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune-Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
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13
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Yu Z, Huang L, Guo J. Anti-stromal nanotherapeutics for hepatocellular carcinoma. J Control Release 2024; 367:500-514. [PMID: 38278367 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.050] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most commonly diagnosed primary liver cancer, has become a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Accumulating evidence confirms that the stromal constituents within the tumor microenvironment (TME) exacerbate HCC malignancy and set the barriers to current anti-HCC treatments. Recent developments of nano drug delivery system (NDDS) have facilitated the application of stroma-targeting therapeutics, disrupting the stromal TME in HCC. This review discusses the stromal activities in HCC development and therapy resistance. In addition, it addresses the delivery challenges of NDDS for stroma-targeting therapeutics (termed anti-stromal nanotherapeutics in this review), and provides recent advances in anti-stromal nanotherapeutics for safe, effective, and specific HCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Yu
- Department of Hepatopathy, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Leaf Huang
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jianfeng Guo
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.
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14
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Yang S, Jia J, Wang F, Wang Y, Fang Y, Yang Y, Zhou Q, Yuan W, Bian Z. Targeting neutrophils: Mechanism and advances in cancer therapy. Clin Transl Med 2024; 14:e1599. [PMID: 38450975 PMCID: PMC10918741 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1599] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer is a thorny problem which cannot be conquered by mankind at present and recent researchers have put their focus on tumor microenviroment. Neutrophils, the prominent leukocytes in peripheral blood that accumulate in tumours, serves as frontline cells in response to tumour progression owing to the rapid development of micro biotechnology. Hence, targeted therapy with these neutrophils has made targeting treatment a promising field in cancer therapy. MAIN BODY We broadly summarise some studies on the phenotypes and functions of tumour-associated neutrophils as well as the unique web-like products of neutrophils that play a role in cancer progression-neutrophil extracellular traps-and the interactions between neutrophils and the tumour microenvironment. Moreover, several targeted neutrophils therapeutic studies have made some progress and provided potential strategies for the treatment of cancer. CONCLUSION This review aims to offer a holistic perspective on therapeutic interventions targeting neutrophils to further inspire more researches on cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaixi Yang
- Department of Colorectal SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Jiachi Jia
- Department of Colorectal SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Fuqi Wang
- Department of Colorectal SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Yuhang Wang
- Department of Colorectal SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Yingshuai Fang
- Department of Colorectal SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Yabing Yang
- Department of Colorectal SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Quanbo Zhou
- Department of Colorectal SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Weitang Yuan
- Department of Colorectal SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Zhilei Bian
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
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15
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Narmada BC, Khakpoor A, Shirgaonkar N, Narayanan S, Kim Aw PP, Singh M, Ong KH, Owino CO, Ting Ng JW, Yew HC, Binte Mohamed Nasir NS, Au VB, Sng R, Kaliaperumal N, Toe Wai Khine HH, Casuscelli di Tocco F, Masayuki O, Naikar S, Ng HX, Chia SL, Yi Seah CX, Alnawaz MH, Lee Yoon Wai C, Ling Tay AY, Singh MK, Chew V, Yu W, Connolly JE, Periyasamy G, Plissonnier ML, Levrero M, Lim SG, DasGupta R. Single cell landscape of functionally cured chronic hepatitis B patients reveals activation of innate and altered CD4-CTL-driven adaptive immunity. J Hepatol 2024:S0168-8278(24)00137-5. [PMID: 38423478 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss or functional cure (FC), is considered the desirable therapeutic outcome for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. However, the immune-pathological biomarkers and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study we comprehensively interrogate disease-associated cell states (DACS) identified within intra-hepatic tissue and matched PBMCs from either CHB or FC patients, at the resolution of single cells, to provide novel insights into putative mechanisms underlying FC. METHODS We combined single cell transcriptomics (scRNA-seq) with multiparametric flow cytometry-based immune phenotyping, and multiplexed immunofluorescence to elucidate the immunopathological cell states associated with CHB vs FC. RESULTS We find that the intra-hepatic environment of CHB and FC patients displays specific cell identities and molecular signatures that are distinct from those found in matched PBMCs. FC is associated with emergence of an altered adaptive immune response marked by CD4 cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD4-CTLs), and an activated innate response represented by liver-resident natural killer (LR-NK) cells, specific Kupffer cell (KC) subtypes and marginated neutrophils. Surprisingly, we find that FC patients are also characterized by the presence of MHC class II-expressing hepatocytes and low but persistent levels of cccDNA and pgRNA, which may play an important role in achieving functional cure in HBV patients. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides conceptually novel insights into the immuno-pathological control of HBV cure, and opens exciting new avenues for clinical management, biomarker discovery and therapeutic interventions. We believe that the discoveries from this study, as it relates to the activation of an innate and altered immune response that may facilitate sustained, low-grade inflammation, may have broader implications in the resolution of chronic viral hepatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balakrishnan Chakrapani Narmada
- Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Cancer Evolution, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis St., #02-01 Genome, Singapore 138672; Experimental Drug Development Centre, A*STAR, 10 Biopolis Way, Chromos, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Atefeh Khakpoor
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Niranjan Shirgaonkar
- Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Cancer Evolution, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis St., #02-01 Genome, Singapore 138672
| | - Sriram Narayanan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Pauline Poh Kim Aw
- Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Cancer Evolution, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis St., #02-01 Genome, Singapore 138672
| | - Malay Singh
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix, Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - Kok Haur Ong
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix, Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - Collins Oduor Owino
- Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Cancer Evolution, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis St., #02-01 Genome, Singapore 138672; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jane Wei Ting Ng
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hui Chuing Yew
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Veonice Bijin Au
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Reina Sng
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Nivashini Kaliaperumal
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Htet Htet Toe Wai Khine
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Otsuka Masayuki
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | - Shamita Naikar
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | - Hui Xin Ng
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Su Li Chia
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Myra Hj Alnawaz
- Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore
| | - Chris Lee Yoon Wai
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Amy Yuh Ling Tay
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mangat Kamarjit Singh
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Valerie Chew
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | - Weimiao Yu
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore; Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix, Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - John Edward Connolly
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Institute of Biomedical Studies, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Giridharan Periyasamy
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, A*STAR, 10 Biopolis Way, Chromos, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | | | - Massimo Levrero
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Lyon, France; Department of Hepatology, Hôpital Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France; University of Lyon Claude Bernard 1 (UCLB1), Lyon, France; Department of Medicine SCIAC and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) Center for Life Nanosciences (CLNS), University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Seng Gee Lim
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore; Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Ramanuj DasGupta
- Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Cancer Evolution, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis St., #02-01 Genome, Singapore 138672.
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16
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He M, Liu Y, Chen S, Deng H, Feng C, Qiao S, Chen Q, Hu Y, Chen H, Wang X, Jiang X, Xia X, Zhao M, Lyu N. Serum amyloid A promotes glycolysis of neutrophils during PD-1 blockade resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1754. [PMID: 38409200 PMCID: PMC10897330 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46118-w] [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: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The response to programmed death-1 (PD-1) blockade varies in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We utilize a panel of 16 serum factors to show that a circulating level of serum amyloid A (SAA) > 20.0 mg/L has the highest accuracy in predicting anti-PD-1 resistance in HCC. Further experiments show a correlation between peritumoral SAA expression and circulating SAA levels in patients with progressive disease after PD-1 inhibition. In vitro experiments demonstrate that SAA induces neutrophils to express PD-L1 through glycolytic activation via an LDHA/STAT3 pathway and to release oncostatin M, thereby attenuating cytotoxic T cell function. In vivo, genetic or pharmacological inhibition of STAT3 or SAA eliminates neutrophil-mediated immunosuppression and enhances antitumor efficacy of anti-PD-1 treatment. This study indicates that SAA may be a critical inflammatory cytokine implicated in anti-PD-1 resistance in HCC. Targeting SAA-induced PD-L1+ neutrophils through STAT3 or SAA inhibition may present a potential approach for overcoming anti-PD1 resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng He
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yongxiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Song Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Haijing Deng
- Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Cheng Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shuang Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qifeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yue Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Huiming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiongying Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaojun Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ming Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Ning Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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17
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Xie P, Yu M, Zhang B, Yu Q, Zhao Y, Wu M, Jin L, Yan J, Zhou B, Liu S, Li X, Zhou C, Zhu X, Huang C, Xu Y, Xiao Y, Zhou J, Fan J, Hung MC, Ye Q, Guo L, Li H. CRKL dictates anti-PD-1 resistance by mediating tumor-associated neutrophil infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol 2024:S0168-8278(24)00129-6. [PMID: 38403027 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited by treatment resistance. However, the mechanisms underlying immunotherapy resistance remain elusive. We aimed to identify the role of CT10 regulator of kinase-like (CRKL) in resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy in HCC. METHODS Gene expression in HCC specimens from 10 patients receiving anti-PD-1 therapy was identified by RNA-sequencing. A total of 404 HCC samples from tissue microarrays were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Transgenic mice (Alb-Cre/Trp53fl/fl) received hydrodynamic tail vein injections of a CRKL-overexpressing vector. Mass cytometry by time of flight was used to profile the proportion and status of different immune cell lineages in the mouse tumor tissues. RESULTS CRKL was identified as a candidate anti-PD-1-resistance gene using a pooled genetic screen. CRKL overexpression nullifies anti-PD-1 treatment efficacy by mobilizing tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), which block the infiltration and function of CD8+ T cells. PD-L1+ TANs were found to be an essential subset of TANs that were regulated by CRKL expression and display an immunosuppressive phenotype. Mechanistically, CRKL inhibits APC (adenomatous polyposis coli)-mediated proteasomal degradation of β-catenin by competitively decreasing Axin1 binding, and thus promotes VEGFα and CXCL1 expression. Using human HCC samples, we verified the positive correlations of CRKL/β-catenin/VEGFα and CXCL1. Targeting CRKL using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing (CRKL knockout) or its downstream regulators effectively restored the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy in an orthotopic mouse model and a patient-derived organotypic tumor spheroid model. CONCLUSIONS Activation of the CRKL/β-catenin/VEGFα and CXCL1 axis is a critical obstacle to successful anti-PD-1 therapy. Therefore, CRKL inhibitors combined with anti-PD-1 could be useful for the treatment of HCC. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Here, we found that CRKL was overexpressed in anti-PD-1-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and that CRKL upregulation promotes anti-PD-1 resistance in HCC. We identified that upregulation of the CRKL/β-catenin/VEGFα and CXCL1 axis contributes to anti-PD-1 tolerance by promoting infiltration of tumor-associated neutrophils. These findings support the strategy of bevacizumab-based immune checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy, and CRKL inhibitors combined with anti-PD-1 therapy may be developed for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiyi Xie
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Mincheng Yu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Qiang Yu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China.
| | - Yufei Zhao
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Mengyuan Wu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Lei Jin
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Jiuliang Yan
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, P.R. China
| | - Binghai Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, P.R. China
| | - Shuang Liu
- Neurosurgery Department of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoqiang Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 51800, P.R. China
| | - Chenhao Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Xiaodong Zhu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Cheng Huang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Yongfeng Xu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Yongsheng Xiao
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Jia Fan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China
| | - Mien-Chie Hung
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Research Center for Cancer Biology, and Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan.
| | - Qinghai Ye
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China.
| | - Lei Guo
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China.
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200032, P.R. China; Shanghai Medical College and Zhongshan Hospital Immunotherapy Technology Translational Research Center, Shanghai, 200031, P.R. China.
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18
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Pu L, Sun Y, Pu C, Zhang X, Wang D, Liu X, Guo P, Wang B, Xue L, Sun P. Machine learning-based disulfidptosis-related lncRNA signature predicts prognosis, immune infiltration and drug sensitivity in hepatocellular carcinoma. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4354. [PMID: 38388539 PMCID: PMC10883983 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54115-8] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Disulfidptosis a new cell death mode, which can cause the death of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, the significance of disulfidptosis-related Long non-coding RNAs (DRLs) in the prognosis and immunotherapy of HCC remains unclear. Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we used Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Cox regression model to construct DRL Prognostic Signature (DRLPS)-based risk scores and performed Gene Expression Omnibus outside validation. Survival analysis was performed and a nomogram was constructed. Moreover, we performed functional enrichment annotation, immune infiltration and drug sensitivity analyses. Five DRLs (AL590705.3, AC072054.1, AC069307.1, AC107959.3 and ZNF232-AS1) were identified to construct prognostic signature. DRLPS-based risk scores exhibited better predictive efficacy of survival than conventional clinical features. The nomogram showed high congruence between the predicted survival and observed survival. Gene set were mainly enriched in cell proliferation, differentiation and growth function related pathways. Immune cell infiltration in the low-risk group was significantly higher than that in the high-risk group. Additionally, the high-risk group exhibited higher sensitivity to Afatinib, Fulvestrant, Gefitinib, Osimertinib, Sapitinib, and Taselisib. In conclusion, our study highlighted the potential utility of the constructed DRLPS in the prognosis prediction of HCC patients, which demonstrated promising clinical application value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Pu
- The Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of the Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Vocational Animal Science and Veterinary College, Weifang, 261071, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Pu
- School of Martial Arts, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of the Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Wang
- Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Architectural Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingning Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of the Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Pin Guo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Vocational Animal Science and Veterinary College, Weifang, 261071, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing Wang
- Department of Oncological Surgery, Minhang Branch of Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China.
| | - Liang Xue
- Zhejiang Institute of Sports Science, Hangzhou, 310004, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
| | - Peng Sun
- The Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of the Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China.
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Liu C, Zhou C, Xia W, Zhou Y, Qiu Y, Weng J, Zhou Q, Chen W, Wang YN, Lee HH, Wang SC, Kuang M, Yu D, Ren N, Hung MC. Targeting ALK averts ribonuclease 1-induced immunosuppression and enhances antitumor immunity in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1009. [PMID: 38307859 PMCID: PMC10837126 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45215-0] [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: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor-secreted factors contribute to the development of a microenvironment that facilitates the escape of cancer cells from immunotherapy. In this study, we conduct a retrospective comparison of the proteins secreted by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells in responders and non-responders among a cohort of ten patients who received Nivolumab (anti-PD-1 antibody). Our findings indicate that non-responders have a high abundance of secreted RNase1, which is associated with a poor prognosis in various cancer types. Furthermore, mice implanted with HCC cells that overexpress RNase1 exhibit immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments and diminished response to anti-PD-1 therapy. RNase1 induces the polarization of macrophages towards a tumor growth-promoting phenotype through activation of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) signaling pathway. Targeting the RNase1/ALK axis reprograms the macrophage polarization, with increased CD8+ T- and Th1- cell recruitment. Moreover, simultaneous targeting of the checkpoint protein PD-1 unleashes cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell responses. Treatment utilizing both an ALK inhibitor and an anti-PD-1 antibody exhibits enhanced tumor regression and facilitates long-term immunity. Our study elucidates the role of RNase1 in mediating tumor resistance to immunotherapy and reveals an RNase1-mediated immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, highlighting the potential of targeting RNase1 as a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxiao Liu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Center of Hepato-Pancreato-biliary Surgery, Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Chenhao Zhou
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiya Xia
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Research Center for Cancer Biology, Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center, and Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, 406, Taiwan
| | - Yifan Zhou
- Department of laboratory medicine, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yufan Qiu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jialei Weng
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wanyong Chen
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying-Nai Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Heng-Huan Lee
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shao-Chun Wang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Research Center for Cancer Biology, Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center, and Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, 406, Taiwan
| | - Ming Kuang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Center of Hepato-Pancreato-biliary Surgery, Institute of Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Dihua Yu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ning Ren
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Mien-Chie Hung
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Research Center for Cancer Biology, Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center, and Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, 406, Taiwan.
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Mo Z, Lv L, Mai Q, Li Q, He J, Zhang T, Xu J, Fang J, Shi N, Gou Q, Chen X, Zhang J, Zhuang W, Jin H. Prognostic model for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma treated with dual PD-1 and angiogenesis blockade therapy. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008191. [PMID: 38290767 PMCID: PMC10828840 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008191] [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] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Dual programmed death 1 (PD-1) and angiogenesis blockade therapy is a frontline treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). An accepted model for survival prediction and risk stratification in individual patients receiving this treatment is lacking. Aimed to develop a simple prognostic model specific to these patients. APPROACH AND RESULTS Patients with unresectable HCC undergoing dual PD-1 and angiogenesis blockade therapy were included in training cohort (n=168) and validation cohort (n=72). We investigated the prognostic value of clinical variables on overall survival using a Cox model in the training set. A prognostic score model was then developed and validated. Predictive performance and discrimination were also evaluated. Largest tumor size and Alpha-fetoprotein concentration at baseline and Neutrophil count and Spleen volume change after 6 weeks of treatment were identified as independent predictors of overall survival in multivariable analysis and used to develop LANS score. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis, calibration curves, and C-index showed LANS score had favorable performance in survival prediction. Patients were divided into three risk categories based on LANS score. Median survival for patients with low, intermediate, and high LANS scores was 31.7, 23.5, and 11.5 months, respectively (p<0.0001). The disease control rates were 96.4%, 64.3%, and 32.1%, respectively (p<0.0001). The predictive performance and risk stratification ability of the LANS score were confirmed in validation and entire cohorts. CONCLUSION The LANS score model can provide individualized survival prediction and risk stratification in patients with unresectable HCC undergoing dual PD-1 and angiogenesis blockade therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Mo
- Department of Minimally Invasive Intervention, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling Lv
- Department of Minimally Invasive Intervention, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Radiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Major Obstetric Discases; Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for 0bstetricsc and Gynecology;The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qicong Mai
- Department of Minimally Invasive Intervention, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiao Li
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital(Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian He
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Guangzhou Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jingwu Xu
- Department of Oncology and Peripheral Interventional Radiology, People's Hospital of Huazhou, Maoming, China
| | - Jiayan Fang
- Department of Internal Medicine-Oncology, Dongguan Songshan Lake Central Hospital, Dongguan, China
| | - Ning Shi
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital(Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing Gou
- Department of Minimally Invasive Intervention, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoming Chen
- Department of Minimally Invasive Intervention, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Minimally Invasive Intervention, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenhang Zhuang
- Department of Minimally Invasive Intervention, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haosheng Jin
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital(Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Ali E, Červenková L, Pálek R, Ambrozkiewicz F, Hošek P, Daum O, Liška V, Hemminki K, Trailin A. Prognostic role of macrophages and mast cells in the microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma after resection. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:142. [PMID: 38287290 PMCID: PMC10823625 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-11904-8] [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: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prognostic significance of mast cells and different phenotypes of macrophages in the microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following resection is unclear. We aimed in this study to assess the local distribution of infiltrating macrophages and mast cells of specific phenotypes in tissues of HCC and to evaluate their prognostic values for survival of post-surgical patients. METHODS The clinicopathological and follow-up data of 70 patients with HCC, who underwent curative resection of tumor from 1997 to 2019, were collected. The infiltration of CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages and CD117+ mast cells was assessed immunohistochemically in representative resected specimens of HCC and adjacent tissues. The area fraction (AF) of positively stained cells was estimated automatically using QuPath image analysis software in several regions, such as tumor center (TC), inner margin (IM), outer margin (OM), and peritumor (PT) area. The prognostic significance of immune cells, individually and in associations, for time to recurrence (TTR), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. RESULTS High AF of CD68+ macrophages in TC and IM and high AF of mast cells in IM and PT area were associated with a longer DFS. High AF of CD163+ macrophages in PT area correlated with a shorter DFS. Patients from CD163TChigh & CD68TClow group had a shorter DFS compared to all the rest of the groups, and cases with CD163IMlow & CD68IMhigh demonstrated significantly longer DFS compared to low AF of both markers. Patients from CD68IMhigh & CD163PTlow group, CD117IMhigh & CD163PTlow group, and CD117PThigh & CD163PTlow group had a significantly longer DFS compared to all other combinations of respective cells. CONCLUSIONS The individual prognostic impact of CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages and mast cells in the microenvironment of HCC after resection depends on their abundance and location, whereas the cumulative impact is built upon combination of different cell phenotypes within and between regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esraa Ali
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1655/76, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Červenková
- Laboratory of Cancer Treatment and Tissue Regeneration, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1655/76, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic
- Department of Pathology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, Prague, 10000, Czech Republic
| | - Richard Pálek
- Laboratory of Cancer Treatment and Tissue Regeneration, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1655/76, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic
- Department of Surgery and Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 80, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Ambrozkiewicz
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1655/76, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Hošek
- Laboratory of Cancer Treatment and Tissue Regeneration, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1655/76, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Daum
- Sikl's Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Teaching Hospital in Plzen, Charles University, Edvarda Beneše 13, Pilsen, 30599, Czech Republic
- Bioptická Laboratoř s.r.o, Mikulášské Nám. 4, Pilsen, 32600, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Liška
- Laboratory of Cancer Treatment and Tissue Regeneration, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1655/76, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic
- Department of Surgery and Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 80, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic
| | - Kari Hemminki
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1655/76, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andriy Trailin
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1655/76, Pilsen, 32300, Czech Republic.
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22
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Mai Y, Meng L, Deng G, Qin Y. The Role of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus-Related Risk Factors and Drugs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2024; 11:159-171. [PMID: 38268569 PMCID: PMC10806369 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s441672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
With changes in modern lifestyles, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become a global epidemic metabolic disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. T2DM is a complex metabolic disorder and has been considered an independent risk factor for HCC. Growing evidence supports that T2DM-related risk factors facilitate hepatocarcinogenesis via abundant mechanisms. With the wide implementation of microbiomics, transcriptomics, and immunotherapy, the understanding of the complex mechanisms of intestinal flora and immune cell subsets have advanced tremendously in T2DM-related HCC, uncovering new findings in T2DM-related HCC patients. In addition, reports have indicated the different effects of anti-DM drugs on the progression of HCC. In this review, we summarize the effects of major T2DM-related risk factors (including hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin, chronic inflammation, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, gut microbiota and immunomodulation), and anti-DM drugs on the carcinogensis and progression of HCC, as well as their potential molecular mechanisms. In addition, other factors (miRNAs, genes, and lifestyle) related to T2DM-related HCC are discussed. We propose a refined concept by which T2DM-related risk factors and anti-DM drugs contribute to HCC and discuss research directions prompted by such evidence worth pursuing in the coming years. Finally, we put forward novel therapeutic approaches to improve the prognosis of T2DM-related HCC, including exploiting novel diagnostic biomarkers, combination therapy with immunocheckpoint inhibitors, and enhancement of the standardized management of T2DM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhua Mai
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of GuangXi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer (Guangxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liheng Meng
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of GuangXi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ganlu Deng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer (Guangxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yingfen Qin
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of GuangXi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
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23
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Lin Y, Li Q, Liang G, Xiao N, Yang J, Yang X, Zhang H, Zhang C, Liu A. Overview of Innate Immune Cell Landscape in Liver Aging. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:181. [PMID: 38203352 PMCID: PMC10778796 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010181] [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: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Aging is a biological process with a gradual decline in functional capacity, and this process often enhances the risk of chronic disease morbidity and mortality. With advanced age, the immune system undergoes a process of remodeling that can lead to a chronic inflammatory state, termed immunosenescence and inflammaging, respectively. Immunosenescence is accompanied by changes in the number, proportion, and functional capacity of the innate immune cells. The accumulation of dysfunctional immune cells and the presence of low-grade inflammation can lead to organ damage and expedite the aging process. The liver, crucial in regulating the body's metabolism and immune function, is not exempt from these effects. Age-related modifications affect its immune function and regenerative abilities, potentially increasing the prevalence of age-related liver diseases. While aging's impact on the liver is relatively less severe compared to other organ systems, it still experiences an infiltration of innate immune cells and heightened inflammation levels. This review will elaborate on how aging affects the liver's innate immune cells, such as neutrophils, macrophages, dendritic cells, mast cells, and innate lymphoid cells. It will also explore potential strategies for delaying immunosenescence to alleviate these age-related changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Lin
- Experimental Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging, Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Qiao Li
- Experimental Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging, Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Guangyu Liang
- Experimental Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging, Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Nanyin Xiao
- Experimental Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging, Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Jiankun Yang
- Experimental Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging, Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xiao Yang
- Experimental Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging, Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Heng Zhang
- Experimental Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging, Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Cuntai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging, Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
- Department of Geriatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Anding Liu
- Experimental Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
- Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging, Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
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Zhu W, Fan C, Dong S, Li X, Chen H, Zhou W. Neutrophil extracellular traps regulating tumorimmunity in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1253964. [PMID: 38173719 PMCID: PMC10764195 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1253964] [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: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
As a component of the innate immune system, there is emerging evidence to suggest that neutrophils may play a critical role in the initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are web-like chromatin structures that protrude from the membranes during neutrophil activation. Recent research has shown that NETs, which are at the forefront of the renewed interest in neutrophil studies, are increasingly intertwined with HCC. By exploring the mechanisms of NETs in HCC, we aim to improve our understanding of the role of NETs and gain deeper insights into neutrophil biology. Therefore, this article provides a summary of key findings and discusses the emerging field of NETs in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixiong Zhu
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chuanlei Fan
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shi Dong
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xin Li
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Haofei Chen
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wence Zhou
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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Shafqat A, Khan JA, Alkachem AY, Sabur H, Alkattan K, Yaqinuddin A, Sing GK. How Neutrophils Shape the Immune Response: Reassessing Their Multifaceted Role in Health and Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17583. [PMID: 38139412 PMCID: PMC10744338 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417583] [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: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are the most abundant of the circulating immune cells and are the first to be recruited to sites of inflammation. Neutrophils are a heterogeneous group of immune cells from which are derived extracellular traps (NETs), reactive oxygen species, cytokines, chemokines, immunomodulatory factors, and alarmins that regulate the recruitment and phenotypes of neutrophils, macrophages, dendritic cells, T cells, and B cells. In addition, cytokine-stimulated neutrophils can express class II major histocompatibility complex and the internal machinery necessary for successful antigen presentation to memory CD4+ T cells. This may be relevant in the context of vaccine memory. Neutrophils thus emerge as orchestrators of immune responses that play a key role in determining the outcome of infections, vaccine efficacy, and chronic diseases like autoimmunity and cancer. This review aims to provide a synthesis of current evidence as regards the role of these functions of neutrophils in homeostasis and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areez Shafqat
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia (K.A.); (A.Y.); (G.K.S.)
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Wang K, Chen XY, Zhang B, Yue Y, Wen XL, Yang Y, Yang YS, Zhu HL, Liu HJ, Zhang AG. Near-infrared imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma and its medicinal treatment with a γ-glutamyl transpeptidase-monitoring fluorescence probe. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 241:115721. [PMID: 37788579 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115721] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Herein, the Near-infrared imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its medicinal treatment was achieved with a γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)-monitoring fluorescence probe KYZ-GGT which consisted of the typical recognition group γ-glutamyl and the structurally modified signal reporting group hemicyanine-thioxanthene. Compared with the recently reported probes, KYZ-GGT suggested practical and steady capability for monitoring the GGT level in the cellular, xenograft, induced as well as medicinal treatment HCC models. It realized the mitochondrial targeting intracellular imaging to reflect the GGT dynamics in the induction or medicinal treatment of HCC. In the xenograft and induced model mice with multiple factors, KYZ-GGT showed stable performance for visualizing the HCC status. In the medicinal treatment of the long-period-induced HCC model mice verified by the serum indexes and histopathological analysis, KYZ-GGT successfully imaged the medicinal treatment process of HCC with two marketed drugs (Sorafenib and Lenvatinib) respectively, with an applicative penetration depth. The information here was meaningful for investigating effective medicinal strategies for overcoming HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wang
- Affiliated Children's Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214023, China; State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xu-Yang Chen
- Affiliated Children's Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214023, China; State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China; School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, China
| | - Ying Yue
- Affiliated Children's Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214023, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Wen
- Affiliated Children's Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214023, China
| | - Yang Yang
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Yu-Shun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Hai-Liang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Hong-Ji Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China.
| | - Ai-Guo Zhang
- Affiliated Children's Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214023, China.
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Li Q, Zhang J, Xiao S, Hu M, Cheng J, Yao C, Zhuang Q. The impact of liver fibrosis on the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma via a hypoxia-immune-integrated prognostic model. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 125:111136. [PMID: 37935090 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111136] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
The impact of liver fibrosis on the deterioration of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. We hope to explore this issue through establishing a fibrosis-hypoxia-glycolysis-immune related prognostic model. Liver fibrosis-related genes from Molecular Signatures Database were used to evaluate the degree of fibrosis in HCC patients from the TCGA database. The patients were divided into two groups using the fibrosis-related expression matrix based on the algorithm uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) and evaluated for fibrosis by UMAP cluster and gene enrichment analysis. Prognostic model was constructed by differential analysis, LASSO, and multivariate regression analysis. Immune-infiltration analysis was performed by CIBERSORT. Quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry were performed to measure the gene expression levels in HCC patients from our hospital. In 365 HCC patients from the TCGA database, 111 HCC patients with high fibrosis score have a worse prognosis than those with low fibrosis based on 129 genes related to liver fibrosis, which may be caused by the interaction between fibrosis, angiogenesis, hypoxia, glycolysis, inflammatory response, and high immune infiltration. We constructed a Fibrosis-Hypoxia-Glycolysis-Immune Prognostic Model (FHGISig), which could significantly predict disease progression in HCC patients. Furthermore, we revealed a close correlation between FHGISig and immune cell infiltration level as well as immune checkpoints. Finally, PCR results found TFF3 mRNA was significantly lower in cirrhotic HCC patients compared with non-cirrhotic ones. Liver fibrosis is a poor-prognostic factor for HCC, and our FHGISig could significantly predict disease progression, which could also be a potential predictive marker for immunotherapy in HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyuan Li
- Department of Hematology, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Junbo Zhang
- Transplantation Center, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Sheng Xiao
- Department of Pathology, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Min Hu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570105, China
| | - Jie Cheng
- Department of Hematology, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Chenjiao Yao
- Department of General Medicine, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
| | - Quan Zhuang
- Transplantation Center, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China; Research Center of National Health Ministry on Transplantation Medicine, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
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Yang D, Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Su Y, Shen J, Yu B, Zhao K, Ding Y. Comprehensive analysis of scRNA-Seq and bulk RNA-Seq data reveals dynamic changes in tumor-associated neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma and leads to the establishment of a neutrophil-related prognostic model. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023; 72:4323-4335. [PMID: 38006433 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03567-4] [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: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) single-cell sequencing data was conducted to explore the role of tumor-associated neutrophils in the tumor microenvironment. METHODS Analysis of single-cell sequencing data from 12 HCC tumor cores and five HCC paracancerous tissues identified cellular subpopulations and cellular marker genes. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases were used to establish and validate prognostic models. xCELL, TIMER, QUANTISEQ, CIBERSORT, and CIBERSORT-abs analyses were performed to explore immune cell infiltration. Finally, the pattern of tumor-associated neutrophil roles in tumor microenvironmental components was explored. RESULTS A total of 271 marker genes for tumor-associated neutrophils were identified based on single-cell sequencing data. Prognostic models incorporating eight genes were established based on TCGA data. Immune cell infiltration differed between the high- and low-risk groups. The low-risk group benefited more from immunotherapy. Single-cell analysis indicated that tumor-associated neutrophils were able to influence macrophage, NK cell, and T-cell functions through the IL16, IFN-II, and SPP1 signaling pathways. CONCLUSION Tumor-associated neutrophils regulate immune functions by influencing macrophages and NK cells. Models incorporating tumor-associated neutrophil-related genes can be used to predict patient prognosis and immunotherapy responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dashuai Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 99 Zhangzhidong Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 99 Zhangzhidong Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Yanbing Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 99 Zhangzhidong Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Yang Su
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College in Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430060, Hubei, China
| | - Jie Shen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 99 Zhangzhidong Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Bin Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 99 Zhangzhidong Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Kailiang Zhao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 99 Zhangzhidong Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430060, China.
| | - Youming Ding
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, No. 99 Zhangzhidong Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan, 430060, China.
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Xiao Y, Zhu G, Xie J, Luo L, Deng W, Lin L, Tao J, Hu Z, Shan R. Pretreatment Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio as Prognostic Biomarkers in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy Combined with Lenvatinib and Camrelizumab. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2023; 10:2049-2058. [PMID: 37965074 PMCID: PMC10642375 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s432134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aimed to assess the prognostic significance of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC) treated with hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab. Patients and Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving patients diagnosed with u-HCC who underwent HAIC combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab. Patients were stratified into two cohorts using the median NLR as the cutoff point. We then assessed treatment response, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse events in these patient groups. Results Between October 2020 and April 2022, a total of 88 patients were enrolled in the study. The overall cohort exhibited a median PFS of 7.9 months, while the median OS was not reached, and a median NLR of 3.46. Notably, the group with NLR<3.46 demonstrated significantly superior OS (not reached vs 9.6 months, p = 0.017) and PFS (18.3 vs 5.3 months, p = 0.0015) compared to the NLR≥3.46 group. Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed that an alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) ≥ 400 ng/mL [hazard ratio (HR), 2.133; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.102-4.126; p = 0.024], Barcelona Clinical Hepatocellular Carcinoma (BCLC) stage C (HR, 2.319; 95% CI, 1.128-4.764; p = 0.022), and NLR ≥3.46 (HR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.239-4.494; p = 0.009) were identified as independent risk factors for OS. Additionally, multivariate analysis demonstrated that AFP ≥ 400 ng/mL, BCLC stage C, and NLR ≥ 3.46 were independent negative factors of PFS. Conclusion NLR can be associated with outcomes in patients with u-HCC treated with HAIC combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqiang Xiao
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guoqing Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jin Xie
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Laihui Luo
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Deng
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liucong Lin
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiahao Tao
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhigao Hu
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Renfeng Shan
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China
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Liu S, Jia M, Dai R. Deciphering the tumour immune microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Scand J Immunol 2023; 98:e13327. [PMID: 38441331 DOI: 10.1111/sji.13327] [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: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Current treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are less effective and prone to recurrence after surgery, so it's needed to seek new ideas for its therapy. Tumour immune microenvironment (TME) is crucial for the pathogenesis, development and metastasis of HCC. Interactions between immune cells and tumour cells significantly impact responses to immunotherapies and patient prognosis. In recent years, immunotherapies for HCC have shown promising potential, but the response rate is still unsatisfactory. Understanding their cross-talks is helpful for selecting potential therapeutic targets, predicting immunotherapy responses, determining immunotherapy efficacy, identifying prognostic markers and selecting individualized treatment options. In this paper, we reviewed the research advances on the roles of immune cells and multi-omic research associated with HCC pathogenesis and therapy, and future perspectives on TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Department of Pain, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Man Jia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Rongyang Dai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
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Greten TF, Villanueva A, Korangy F, Ruf B, Yarchoan M, Ma L, Ruppin E, Wang XW. Biomarkers for immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2023; 20:780-798. [PMID: 37726418 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-023-00816-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are now widely used for the treatment of patients with advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Two different ICI-containing regimens, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and tremelimumab plus durvalumab, are now approved standard-of-care first-line therapies in this setting. However, and despite substantial improvements in survival outcomes relative to sorafenib, most patients with advanced-stage HCC do not derive durable benefit from these regimens. Advances in genome sequencing including the use of single-cell RNA sequencing (both of tumour material and blood samples), as well as immune cell identification strategies and other techniques such as radiomics and analysis of the microbiota, have created considerable potential for the identification of novel predictive biomarkers enabling the accurate selection of patients who are most likely to derive benefit from ICIs. In this Review, we summarize data on the immunology of HCC and the outcomes in patients receiving ICIs for the treatment of this disease. We then provide an overview of current biomarker use and developments in the past 5 years, including gene signatures, circulating tumour cells, high-dimensional flow cytometry, single-cell RNA sequencing as well as approaches involving the microbiome, radiomics and clinical markers. Novel concepts for further biomarker development in HCC are then discussed including biomarker-driven trials, spatial transcriptomics and integrated 'big data' analysis approaches. These concepts all have the potential to better identify patients who are most likely to benefit from ICIs and to promote the development of new treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim F Greten
- Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Liver Cancer Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Divisions of Liver Disease and Hematology/Medical Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Firouzeh Korangy
- Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin Ruf
- Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mark Yarchoan
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lichun Ma
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eytan Ruppin
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Xin W Wang
- Liver Cancer Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Liver Carcinogenesis Section, Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Xie Z, Huang J, Li Y, Zhu Q, Huang X, Chen J, Wei C, Luo S, Yang S, Gao J. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed potential targets for immunotherapy studies in hepatocellular carcinoma. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18799. [PMID: 37914817 PMCID: PMC10620237 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46132-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a solid tumor prone to chemotherapy resistance, and combined immunotherapy is expected to bring a breakthrough in HCC treatment. However, the tumor and tumor microenvironment (TME) of HCC is highly complex and heterogeneous, and there are still many unknowns regarding tumor cell stemness and metabolic reprogramming in HCC. In this study, we combined single-cell RNA sequencing data from 27 HCC tumor tissues and 4 adjacent non-tumor tissues, and bulk RNA sequencing data from 374 of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) samples to construct a global single-cell landscape atlas of HCC. We analyzed the enrichment of signaling pathways of different cells in HCC, and identified the developmental trajectories of cell subpopulations in the TME using pseudotime analysis. Subsequently, we performed transcription factors regulating different subpopulations and gene regulatory network analysis, respectively. In addition, we estimated the stemness index of tumor cells and analyzed the intercellular communication between tumors and key TME cell clusters. We identified novel HCC cell clusters that specifically express HP (HCC_HP), which may lead to higher tumor differentiation and tumor heterogeneity. In addition, we found that the HP gene expression-positive neutrophil cluster (Neu_AIF1) had extensive and strong intercellular communication with HCC cells, tumor endothelial cells (TEC) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), suggesting that clearance of this new cluster may inhibit HCC progression. Furthermore, ErbB signaling pathway and GnRH signaling pathway were found to be upregulated in almost all HCC tumor-associated stromal cells and immune cells, except NKT cells. Moreover, the high intercellular communication between HCC and HSPA1-positive TME cells suggests that the immune microenvironment may be reprogrammed. In summary, our present study depicted the single-cell landscape heterogeneity of human HCC, identified new cell clusters in tumor cells and neutrophils with potential implications for immunotherapy research, discovered complex intercellular communication between tumor cells and TME cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhouhua Xie
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
- Department of Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, China
| | - Jinping Huang
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
- Department of Infectious Diseases, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, China
| | - Yanjun Li
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
- Department of Infectious Diseases, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, China
| | - Qingdong Zhu
- Department of Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, China
| | - Xianzhen Huang
- Department of Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, China
| | - Jieling Chen
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
| | - Cailing Wei
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
| | - Shunda Luo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, China
| | - Shixiong Yang
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
- Administrative Office, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, China.
| | - Jiamin Gao
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
- Department of Infectious Diseases, HIV/AIDS Clinical Treatment Center of Guangxi (Nanning) and The Fourth People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, 530023, China.
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Kwantwi LB. Overcoming anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade resistance: the role of macrophage, neutrophils and mast cells in the tumor microenvironment. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:3077-3091. [PMID: 37022584 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-023-01059-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the anti-PD-1/PD-L1 blockade has become a game changer in cancer treatment following the unprecedented response rate. Regardless of the substantial therapy efficacy across various cancer types, some patients do not still respond to these therapies, indicating that a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 resistance is highly important. To overcome such resistance, the tumor-induced immunosuppressive mechanisms have been focused and several suppressor cell populations in the tumor microenvironment have been identified. Among these cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and mast cells are known to play key roles in anti-PD-1/PD-L1 resistance. Hence, gaining control over these innate immune cells can open opportunities for breaking tumor resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Herein, a summary of the role of macrophages, neutrophils, and mast cells in anti-PD-1/PD-L1 resistance has been described. Also, strategies to overcome their therapeutic resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Boafo Kwantwi
- Department of Medical Imaging Sciences, Klintaps College of Health and Allied Sciences, Accra, DTD. TDC, 30A Klagon, Com. 19, Tema, Ghana.
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Fang G, Xu D, Zhang T, Qiu L, Gao X, Wang G, Miao Y. Effects of hsa_circ_0074854 on colorectal cancer progression, construction of a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network, and analysis of immune infiltration. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:15439-15456. [PMID: 37644235 PMCID: PMC10620273 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05315-8] [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: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Circular RNAs have been demonstrated to be closely associated with the onset and metastasis of colorectal cancer. However, the roles and clinical diagnostic value of most circRNAs in colorectal cancer remain unclear. METHODS We detected the differential expression of circRNAs in CRC tissues and cells and investigated their relationship in conjunction with clinical pathological features. Additionally, we performed cellular functional experiments in CRC cell lines to explore the functions of circRNAs. To further validate the potential ceRNA network, qPCR was performed to assess the expression of miRNA and mRNA in CRC cells after differential expression of circRNAs knockdown. Furthermore, database analysis was utilized to explore the relationship between the predicted mRNAs and immune infiltration in CRC. RESULTS Our research findings indicate a positive correlation between hsa_circ_0074854 expression and advanced clinical pathological features, as well as an unfavorable prognosis. Knockdown of hsa_circ_0074854 was observed to inhibit proliferation and migration capabilities of colorectal cancer cells, affecting the cell cycle progression, and simultaneously promoting apoptosis. A competing endogenous RNA mechanism may exist among circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs. Furthermore, the expression of target genes displayed correlations with the abundance of certain immune cells. CONCLUSION We propose a novel ceRNA network and evaluate the interplay between target genes and immune cells, providing novel insights for the diagnosis and targeted therapy of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guida Fang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Clinical College of Lianyungang Second People's Hospital, Bengbu Medical College, Lianyungang, 222002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dalai Xu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Clinical College of Lianyungang Second People's Hospital, Bengbu Medical College, Lianyungang, 222002, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang City, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Clinical College of Lianyungang Second People's Hospital, Bengbu Medical College, Lianyungang, 222002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lei Qiu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Clinical College of Lianyungang Second People's Hospital, Bengbu Medical College, Lianyungang, 222002, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang City, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xuzhu Gao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang City, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222002, Jiangsu, China
- Institute of Clinical Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang City (Cancer Hospital of Lianyungang), Lianyungang, 222002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Gang Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Clinical College of Lianyungang Second People's Hospital, Bengbu Medical College, Lianyungang, 222002, Jiangsu, China.
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang City, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222002, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yongchang Miao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Clinical College of Lianyungang Second People's Hospital, Bengbu Medical College, Lianyungang, 222002, Jiangsu, China.
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang City, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222002, Jiangsu, China.
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Fu Y, Mackowiak B, Feng D, Lu H, Guan Y, Lehner T, Pan H, Wang XW, He Y, Gao B. MicroRNA-223 attenuates hepatocarcinogenesis by blocking hypoxia-driven angiogenesis and immunosuppression. Gut 2023; 72:1942-1958. [PMID: 36593103 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2022-327924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The current treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to block angiogenesis and immunosuppression provides some benefits only for a subset of patients with HCC, thus optimised therapeutic regimens are unmet needs, which require a thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which tumour cells orchestrate an inflamed tumour microenvironment with significant myeloid cell infiltration. MicroRNA-223 (miR-223) is highly expressed in myeloid cells but its role in regulating tumour microenvironment remains unknown. DESIGN Wild-type and miR-223 knockout mice were subjected to two mouse models of inflammation-associated HCC induced by injection of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) or orthotopic HCC cell implantation in chronic carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-treated mice. RESULTS Genetic deletion of miR-223 markedly exacerbated tumourigenesis in inflammation-associated HCC. Compared with wild-type mice, miR-223 knockout mice had more infiltrated programmed cell death 1 (PD-1+) T cells and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1+) macrophages after DEN+CCl4 administration. Bioinformatic analyses of RNA sequencing data revealed a strong correlation between miR-223 levels and tumour hypoxia, a condition that is well-documented to regulate PD-1/PD-L1. In vivo and in vitro mechanistic studies demonstrated that miR-223 did not directly target PD-1 and PD-L1 in immune cells rather than indirectly downregulated them by modulating tumour microenvironment via the suppression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α-driven CD39/CD73-adenosine pathway in HCC. Moreover, gene delivery of miR-223 via adenovirus inhibited angiogenesis and hypoxia-mediated PD-1/PD-L1 activation in both HCC models, thereby hindering HCC progression. CONCLUSION The miR-223 plays a critical role in modulating hypoxia-induced tumour immunosuppression and angiogenesis, which may serve as a novel therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaojie Fu
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Bryan Mackowiak
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Dechun Feng
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Hongkun Lu
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yukun Guan
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Taylor Lehner
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Hongna Pan
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Xin Wei Wang
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Liver Cancer Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yong He
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Bin Gao
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Avila MA. MicroRNA-223: a key regulator of liver tumour microenvironment. Gut 2023; 72:1811-1812. [PMID: 36792357 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2022-329322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matias A Avila
- Hepatology Program, Cima. University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red. Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Cancer Center Clinica Universidad de Navarra (CCUN), Pamplona, Spain
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Ramon-Gil E, Geh D, Leslie J. Harnessing neutrophil plasticity for HCC immunotherapy. Essays Biochem 2023; 67:941-955. [PMID: 37534829 PMCID: PMC10539947 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220245] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Neutrophils, until recently, have typically been considered a homogeneous population of terminally differentiated cells with highly conserved functions in homeostasis and disease. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), tumour-associated neutrophils (TANs) are predominantly thought to play a pro-tumour role, promoting all aspects of HCC development and progression. Recent developments in single-cell technologies are now providing a greater insight and appreciation for the level of cellular heterogeneity displayed by TANs in the HCC tumour microenvironment, which we have been able to correlate with other TAN signatures in datasets for gastric cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). TANs with classical pro-tumour signatures have been identified as well as neutrophils primed for anti-tumour functions that, if activated and expanded, could become a potential therapeutic approach. In recent years, therapeutic targeting of neutrophils in HCC has been typically focused on impairing the recruitment of pro-tumour neutrophils. This has now been coupled with immune checkpoint blockade with the aim to stimulate lymphocyte-mediated anti-tumour immunity whilst impairing neutrophil-mediated immunosuppression. As a result, neutrophil-directed therapies are now entering clinical trials for HCC. Pharmacological targeting along with ex vivo reprogramming of neutrophils in HCC patients is, however, in its infancy and a greater understanding of neutrophil heterogeneity, with a view to exploit it, may pave the way for improved immunotherapy outcomes. This review will cover the recent developments in our understanding of neutrophil heterogeneity in HCC and how neutrophils can be harnessed to improve HCC immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Ramon-Gil
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K
- The Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K
| | - Daniel Geh
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K
- The Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K
| | - Jack Leslie
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K
- The Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K
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Xu C, Wu F, Du L, Dong Y, Lin S. Significant association between high neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1211399. [PMID: 37809083 PMCID: PMC10551132 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1211399] [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: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Whether neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an applicative predictor of poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. In response to the current conflicting data, this meta-analysis was conducted to gain a comprehensive and systematic understanding of prognostic value of NLR in HCC. Methods Several English databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, with an update date of February 25, 2023, were systematically searched. We set the inclusion criteria to include randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies that reported the prognostic value of serum NLR levels in patients with HCC receiving treatment. Both the combined ratio (OR) and the diagnosis ratio (DOR) were used to assess the prognostic performance of NLR. Additionally, we completed the risk of bias assessment by Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. Results This meta-analysis ultimately included 16 studies with a total of 4654 patients with HCC. The results showed that high baseline NLR was significantly associated with poor prognosis or recurrence of HCC. The sensitivity of 0.67 (95% confidence interval [CI]. 0.59-0.73); specificity of 0.723 (95% CI: 0.64-0.78) and DOR of 5.0 (95% CI: 4.0-7.0) were pooled estimated from patient-based analyses. Subsequently, the combined positive likelihood ratio (PLR) and negative likelihood ratio (NLHR) were calculated with the results of 2.4 (95% CI: 1.9-3.0) and 0.46 (95% CI: 0.39-0.56), respectively. In addition, area under the curve (AUC) of the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) reflecting prognostic accuracy was calculated to be 0.75 (95% CI: 0.71-0.78). The results of subgroup analysis suggested that high NLR was an effective predictive factor of poor prognosis in HCC in mainland China as well as in the northern region. Conclusion Our findings suggest that high baseline NLR is an excellent predictor of poor prognosis or relapse in patients with HCC, especially those from high-incidence East Asian populations. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#recordDetails, identifier CRD42023440640.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhua Xu
- Shulan International Medical School, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fenfang Wu
- Department of Central Laboratory, Shenzhen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Lailing Du
- Shulan International Medical School, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yeping Dong
- Shulan International Medical School, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shan Lin
- Department of Central Laboratory, Shenzhen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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Teng Y, Chen Y, Tang X, Wang S, Yin K. PAD2: A potential target for tumor therapy. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188931. [PMID: 37315720 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Peptide arginine deiminase 2(PAD2) catalyzes the conversion of arginine residues on target proteins to citrulline residues in the presence of calcium ions. This particular posttranslational modification is called citrullination. PAD2 can regulate the transcriptional activity of genes through histone citrullination and nonhistone citrullination. In this review, we summarize the evidence from recent decades and systematically illustrate the role of PAD2-mediated citrullination in tumor pathology and the regulation of tumor-associated immune cells such as neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages and T cells. Several PAD2-specific inhibitors are also presented to discuss the feasibility of anti-PAD2 therapy to treat tumors and the urgent problems to be solved. Finally, we review some recent developments in the development of PAD2 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Teng
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Yuhang Chen
- Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Xinyi Tang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Shengjun Wang
- Department of Immunology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Affiliated People's Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
| | - Kai Yin
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
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Wang Z, Chen X, Zhang J, Chen X, Peng J, Huang W. Based on disulfidptosis-related glycolytic genes to construct a signature for predicting prognosis and immune infiltration analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1204338. [PMID: 37680641 PMCID: PMC10482091 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1204338] [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: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) comprises several distinct molecular subtypes with varying prognostic implications. However, a comprehensive analysis of a prognostic signature for HCC based on molecular subtypes related to disulfidptosis and glycolysis, as well as associated metabolomics and the immune microenvironment, is yet to be fully explored. Methods Based on the differences in the expression of disulfide-related glycolytic genes (DRGGs), patients with HCC were divided into different subtypes by consensus clustering. Establish and verify a risk prognosis signature. Finally, the expression level of the key gene SLCO1B1 in the signature was evaluated using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in HCC. The association between this gene and immune cells was explored using multiplex immunofluorescence. The biological functions of the cell counting kit-8, wound healing, and colony formation assays were studied. Results Different subtypes of patients have specific clinicopathological features, prognosis and immune microenvironment. We identified seven valuable genes and constructed a risk-prognosis signature. Analysis of the risk score revealed that compared to the high-risk group, the low-risk group had a better prognosis, higher immune scores, and more abundant immune-related pathways, consistent with the tumor subtypes. Furthermore, IHC and qRT-PCR analyses showed decreased expression of SLCO1B1 in HCC tissues. Functional experiments revealed that SLCO1B1 overexpression inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. Conclusion We developed a prognostic signature that can assist clinicians in predicting the overall survival of patients with HCC and provides a reference value for targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijian Wang
- Department of General Practice, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xuenuo Chen
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jia Zhang
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xuanxin Chen
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiayi Peng
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wenxiang Huang
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Chen X, Wang Z, Wu Y, Lan Y, Li Y. Typing and modeling of hepatocellular carcinoma based on disulfidptosis-related amino acid metabolism genes for predicting prognosis and guiding individualized treatment. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1204335. [PMID: 37637055 PMCID: PMC10454915 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1204335] [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: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of cancer worldwide and is a major public health problem in the 21st century. Disulfidopathy, a novel cystine-associated programmed cell death, plays complex roles in various tumors. However, the relationship between disulfidoptosis and prognosis in patients with HCC remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the relationship between disulfideptosis and the prognosis of liver cancer and to develop a prognostic model based on amino acid metabolism and disulfideptosis genes. Methods We downloaded the clinicopathological information and gene expression data of patients with HCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases and classified them into different molecular subtypes based on the expression patterns of disulfidoptosis-associated amino acid metabolism genes (DRAGs). Patients were then classified into different gene subtypes using the differential genes between the molecular subtypes, and the predictive value of staging was assessed using survival and clinicopathological analyses. Subsequently, risk prognosis models were constructed based on Cox regression analysis to assess patient prognosis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, somatic mutations, microsatellite instability, tumor microenvironment, and sensitivity to antitumor therapeutic agents. Results Patients were classified into two subtypes based on differential DRAGs gene expression, with cluster B having a better survival outcome than cluster A. Three gene subtypes were identified based on the differential genes between the two DRAGs molecular subtypes. The patients in cluster B had the best prognosis, whereas those in cluster C had the worst prognosis. The heat map showed better consistency in the patient subtypes obtained using both typing methods. We screened six valuable genes and constructed a prognostic signature. By scoring, we found that patients in the low-risk group had a better prognosis, higher immune scores, and more abundant immune-related pathways compared to the high-risk group, which was consistent with the tumor subtype results. Discussion In conclusion, we developed a prognostic signature of disulfidptosis-related amino acid metabolism genes to assist clinicians in predicting the survival of patients with HCC and provide a reference value for targeted therapy and immunotherapy for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuenuo Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhijian Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yilin Wu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yinghua Lan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yongguo Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Ye Y, Yu B, Wang H, Yi F. Glutamine metabolic reprogramming in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1242059. [PMID: 37635935 PMCID: PMC10452011 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1242059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal disease with limited management strategies and poor prognosis. Metabolism alternations have been frequently unveiled in HCC, including glutamine metabolic reprogramming. The components of glutamine metabolism, such as glutamine synthetase, glutamate dehydrogenase, glutaminase, metabolites, and metabolite transporters, are validated to be potential biomarkers of HCC. Increased glutamine consumption is confirmed in HCC, which fuels proliferation by elevated glutamate dehydrogenase or upstream signals. Glutamine metabolism also serves as a nitrogen source for amino acid or nucleotide anabolism. In addition, more glutamine converts to glutathione as an antioxidant in HCC to protect HCC cells from oxidative stress. Moreover, glutamine metabolic reprogramming activates the mTORC signaling pathway to support tumor cell proliferation. Glutamine metabolism targeting therapy includes glutamine deprivation, related enzyme inhibitors, and transporters inhibitors. Together, glutamine metabolic reprogramming plays a pivotal role in HCC identification, proliferation, and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Ye
- Department of Ultrasound, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Bodong Yu
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Nanchang University, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Cancer Research, Nanchang, China
| | - Fengming Yi
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Cancer Research, Nanchang, China
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Zhou W, Cao X, Xu Q, Qu J, Sun Y. The double-edged role of neutrophil heterogeneity in inflammatory diseases and cancers. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e325. [PMID: 37492784 PMCID: PMC10363828 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are important immune cells act as the body's first line of defense against infection and respond to diverse inflammatory cues. Many studies have demonstrated that neutrophils display plasticity in inflammatory diseases and cancers. Clarifying the role of neutrophil heterogeneity in inflammatory diseases and cancers will contribute to the development of novel treatment strategies. In this review, we have presented a review on the development of the understanding on neutrophil heterogeneity from the traditional perspective and a high-resolution viewpoint. A growing body of evidence has confirmed the double-edged role of neutrophils in inflammatory diseases and tumors. This may be due to a lack of precise understanding of the role of specific neutrophil subsets in the disease. Thus, elucidating specific neutrophil subsets involved in diseases would benefit the development of precision medicine. Thusly, we have summarized the relevance and actions of neutrophil heterogeneity in inflammatory diseases and cancers comprehensively. Meanwhile, we also discussed the potential intervention strategy for neutrophils. This review is intended to deepen our understanding of neutrophil heterogeneity in inflammatory diseases and cancers, while hold promise for precise treatment of neutrophil-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wencheng Zhou
- Department of PharmacyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine)HangzhouChina
| | - Xinran Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical BiotechnologyDepartment of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical SciencesSchool of Life ScienceNanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Qiang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical BiotechnologyDepartment of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical SciencesSchool of Life ScienceNanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Jiao Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical BiotechnologyDepartment of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical SciencesSchool of Life ScienceNanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Yang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical BiotechnologyDepartment of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical SciencesSchool of Life ScienceNanjing UniversityNanjingChina
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Wenpei G, Yuan L, Liangbo L, Jingjun M, Bo W, Zhiqiang N, Yijie N, Lixin L. Predictive value of preoperative inflammatory indexes for postoperative early recurrence of hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1142168. [PMID: 37519805 PMCID: PMC10373589 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1142168] [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: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate the predictive value of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and systemic immune inflammation index (SII) for early recurrence after liver resection in patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 162 patients who underwent hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) resection between January 2013 and April 2016. The Youden index was utilized to calculate the optimal cut-off value. The Pearson Chi-square test was applied to analyze the relationship between inflammatory indexes and common clinical and pathological features. The Kaplan-Meier method and Log-Rank test were implemented to compare the recurrence-free survival rate within 2 years of the population. The Cox regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for early postoperative recurrence. Results The best cut-off values of SIRI, PLR, NLR and SII were 0.785, 86.421, 2.231 and 353.64, respectively. Tumor diameter, degree of tumor differentiation, vascular invasion, SIRI>0.785, PLR>86.421, NLR>2.231 and SII>353.64 were risk factors for early recurrence. Combining the above seven risk factors to construct a joint index, the AUC of the joint prediction model was 0.804. The areas under the ROC curves of SIRI, PLR, NLR, and SII were 0.659, 0.725, 0.680, and 0.723, respectively. There was no significant difference in the predictive ability between the single inflammatory index models, but the predictive performance of the joint prediction model was significantly higher than that of the single inflammatory index models. The patients with lower SIRI, PLR, NLR, SII and joint index value had longer recurrence-free survival within 2 years. Conclusion The joint index CIP, constructed by combining preoperative SIRI, PLR, NLP and SII with pathological features, can better predict the early recurrence of HBV-related HCC patients after surgery, which is beneficial in identifying high-risk patients and assisting clinicians to make better clinical choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo Wenpei
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Li Yuan
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital, Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Li Liangbo
- Department of Stomatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Mu Jingjun
- Department of Urinary Surgery, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital, Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Wang Bo
- Department of Pathology, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Niu Zhiqiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Ning Yijie
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Liu Lixin
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Experimental Center of Science and Research, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Institute of Liver Diseases and Organ Transplantation, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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Kumar V, Bauer C, Stewart JH. TIME Is Ticking for Cervical Cancer. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:941. [PMID: 37508372 PMCID: PMC10376148 DOI: 10.3390/biology12070941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Cervical cancer (CC) is a major health problem among reproductive-age females and comprises a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the major risk factor associated with CC incidence. However, lifestyle is also a critical factor in CC pathogenesis. Despite HPV vaccination introduction, the incidence of CC is increasing worldwide. Therefore, it becomes critical to understand the CC tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) to develop immune cell-based vaccination and immunotherapeutic approaches. The current article discusses the immune environment in the normal cervix of adult females and its role in HPV infection. The subsequent sections discuss the alteration of different immune cells comprising CC TIME and their targeting as future therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Kumar
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSUHSC), 1700 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70012, USA
| | - Caitlin Bauer
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSUHSC), 1700 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70012, USA
| | - John H Stewart
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSUHSC), 1700 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70012, USA
- Louisiana Children's Medical Center Cancer Center, Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSUHSC), 1700 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70012, USA
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Zhang F, Jiang J, Qian H, Yan Y, Xu W. Exosomal circRNA: emerging insights into cancer progression and clinical application potential. J Hematol Oncol 2023; 16:67. [PMID: 37365670 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01452-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Exosomal circRNA serves a novel genetic information molecule, facilitating communication between tumor cells and microenvironmental cells, such as immune cells, fibroblasts, and other components, thereby regulating critical aspects of cancer progression including immune escape, tumor angiogenesis, metabolism, drug resistance, proliferation and metastasis. Interestingly, microenvironment cells have new findings in influencing tumor progression and immune escape mediated by the release of exosomal circRNA. Given the intrinsic stability, abundance, and broad distribution of exosomal circRNAs, they represent excellent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for liquid biopsy. Moreover, artificially synthesized circRNAs may open up new possibilities for cancer therapy, potentially bolstered by nanoparticles or plant exosome delivery strategies. In this review, we summarize the functions and underlying mechanisms of tumor cell and non-tumor cell-derived exosomal circRNAs in cancer progression, with a special focus on their roles in tumor immunity and metabolism. Finally, we examine the potential application of exosomal circRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets, highlighting their promise for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Aoyang Institute of Cancer, Affiliated Aoyang Hospital of Jiangsu University, 279 Jingang Road, Zhangjiagang, Suzhou, 215600, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
- Zhenjiang Key Laboratory of High Technology Research on sEVs Foundation and Transformation Application, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiajia Jiang
- Aoyang Institute of Cancer, Affiliated Aoyang Hospital of Jiangsu University, 279 Jingang Road, Zhangjiagang, Suzhou, 215600, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
- Zhenjiang Key Laboratory of High Technology Research on sEVs Foundation and Transformation Application, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Qian
- Zhenjiang Key Laboratory of High Technology Research on sEVs Foundation and Transformation Application, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongmin Yan
- Aoyang Institute of Cancer, Affiliated Aoyang Hospital of Jiangsu University, 279 Jingang Road, Zhangjiagang, Suzhou, 215600, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Wujin Hospital Affiliated with Jiangsu University, No. 2 North Yongning Road, Changzhou, 213017, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wenrong Xu
- Aoyang Institute of Cancer, Affiliated Aoyang Hospital of Jiangsu University, 279 Jingang Road, Zhangjiagang, Suzhou, 215600, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
- Zhenjiang Key Laboratory of High Technology Research on sEVs Foundation and Transformation Application, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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Gibellini L, Borella R, Santacroce E, Serattini E, Boraldi F, Quaglino D, Aramini B, De Biasi S, Cossarizza A. Circulating and Tumor-Associated Neutrophils in the Era of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Dynamics, Phenotypes, Metabolism, and Functions. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3327. [PMID: 37444436 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15133327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are the most abundant myeloid cells in the blood and are a considerable immunological component of the tumor microenvironment. However, their functional importance has often been ignored, as they have always been considered a mono-dimensional population of terminally differentiated, short-living cells. During the last decade, the use of cutting-edge, single-cell technologies has revolutionized the classical view of these cells, unmasking their phenotypic and functional heterogeneity. In this review, we summarize the emerging concepts in the field of neutrophils in cancer, by reviewing the recent literature on the heterogeneity of both circulating neutrophils and tumor-associated neutrophils, as well as their possible significance in tumor prognosis and resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Gibellini
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | - Rebecca Borella
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | - Elena Santacroce
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | - Eugenia Serattini
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | - Federica Boraldi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Daniela Quaglino
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Beatrice Aramini
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University Hospital GB Morgagni-L Pierantoni, 47121 Forlì, Italy
| | - Sara De Biasi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | - Andrea Cossarizza
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
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Zhang S, Pei Y, Zhu F. Multi-omic analysis of glycolytic signatures: exploring the predictive significance of heterogeneity and stemness in immunotherapy response and outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1210111. [PMID: 37351550 PMCID: PMC10282758 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1210111] [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: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global health challenge with complex pathophysiology, characterized by high mortality rates and poor early detection due to significant tumor heterogeneity. Stemness significantly contributes to the heterogeneity of HCC tumors, and glycolysis is crucial for maintaining stemness. However, the predictive significance of glycolysis-related metabolic genes (GMGs) in HCC remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to identify critical GMGs and establish a reliable model for HCC prognosis. Methods: GMGs associated with prognosis were identified by evaluating genes with notable expression changes between HCC and normal tissues retrieved from the MsigDB database. Prognostic gene characteristics were established using univariate and multivariate Cox regression studies for prognosis prediction and risk stratification. The "CIBERSORT" and "pRRophetic" R packages were respectively used to evaluate the immunological environment and predict treatment response in HCC subtypes. The HCC stemness score was obtained using the OCLR technique. The precision of drug sensitivity prediction was evaluated using CCK-8 experiments performed on HCC cells. The miagration and invasion ability of HCC cell lines with different riskscores were assessed using Transwell and wound healing assays. Results: The risk model based on 10 gene characteristics showed high prediction accuracy as indicated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Moreover, the two GMG-related subgroups showed considerable variation in the risk of HCC with respect to tumor stemness, immune landscape, and prognostic stratification. The in vitro validation of the model's ability to predict medication response further demonstrated its reliability. Conclusion: Our study highlights the importance of stemness variability and inter-individual variation in determining the HCC risk landscape. The risk model we developed provides HCC patients with a novel method for precision medicine that enables clinical doctors to customize treatment plans based on unique patient characteristics. Our findings have significant implications for tailored immunotherapy and chemotherapy methods, and may pave the way for more personalized and effective treatment strategies for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Zhang
- Department of Emergency, Jincheng People’s Hospital, Affiliated Jincheng Hospital of Changzhi Medical College, Jincheng, China
| | - Yangting Pei
- Department of Medical Record, Jincheng People’s Hospital, Affiliated Jincheng Hospital of Changzhi Medical College, Jincheng, China
| | - Feng Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Jincheng People’s Hospital, Affiliated Jincheng Hospital of Changzhi Medical College, Jincheng, China
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Ma R, Liu W, Sun T, Dang C, Li K. Clinical significance of FBXO43 in hepatocellular carcinoma and its impact on tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15373. [PMID: 37250703 PMCID: PMC10211365 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15373] [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: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The effects of FBXO43 on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its clinical significance have not yet been determined. This study aims to determine the clinical significance of FBXO43 in HCC and its impact on the biological functions of HCC cells. Methods Data from TCGA database were downloaded to investigate the expression of FBXO43 in HCC and its correlation with prognosis and immune infiltration. Immunohistochemical staining images of FBXO43 in HCC were acquired from the HPA website. HCC cells (BEL-7404 and SMMC-7721) were transfected with the lentivirus targeting FBXO43 to decrease FBXO43 expression in HCC cells. Western blotting assay was conducted to evaluate the expression level of FBXO43 protein. MTT assay was used to detect the proliferation of HCC cells. The migration and invasion of HCC cells were investigated by performing scratch wound-healing and Transwell invasion assays, respectively. Results In comparison to normal tissues, FBXO43 is overexpressed in HCC tissue, and high FBXO43 expression is linked to late T stage, TNM stage and tumor grade. Elevated FBXO43 expression is a risk factor for HCC. In patients with high FBXO43 expression, the overall survival, disease-specific survival, progression-free survival and disease-free survival are poorer. The proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells are significantly attenuated in FBXO43 knockdown cells. Also, TCGA data analysis reveals that FBXO43 exhibits a positive correlation with immunosuppression of HCC. Conclusion FBXO43 is overexpressed in HCC, and is linked to late tumor stage, worse prognosis and tumor immunosuppression. FBXO43 knockdown restrains the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rulan Ma
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wenbo Liu
- Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Maxillofacial Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shannxi, China
| | - Tuanhe Sun
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chengxue Dang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Kang Li
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
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Guo S, Yao Y, Tang Y, Xin Z, Wu D, Ni C, Huang J, Wei Q, Zhang T. Radiation-induced tumor immune microenvironments and potential targets for combination therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:205. [PMID: 37208386 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01462-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
As one of the four major means of cancer treatment including surgery, radiotherapy (RT), chemotherapy, immunotherapy, RT can be applied to various cancers as both a radical cancer treatment and an adjuvant treatment before or after surgery. Although RT is an important modality for cancer treatment, the consequential changes caused by RT in the tumor microenvironment (TME) have not yet been fully elucidated. RT-induced damage to cancer cells leads to different outcomes, such as survival, senescence, or death. During RT, alterations in signaling pathways result in changes in the local immune microenvironment. However, some immune cells are immunosuppressive or transform into immunosuppressive phenotypes under specific conditions, leading to the development of radioresistance. Patients who are radioresistant respond poorly to RT and may experience cancer progression. Given that the emergence of radioresistance is inevitable, new radiosensitization treatments are urgently needed. In this review, we discuss the changes in irradiated cancer cells and immune cells in the TME under different RT regimens and describe existing and potential molecules that could be targeted to improve the therapeutic effects of RT. Overall, this review highlights the possibilities of synergistic therapy by building on existing research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Guo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, National Ministry of Education), Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yihan Yao
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, National Ministry of Education), Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yang Tang
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, National Ministry of Education), Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zengfeng Xin
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dang Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, National Ministry of Education), Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chao Ni
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, National Ministry of Education), Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Breast Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jian Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, National Ministry of Education), Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Department of Breast Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Qichun Wei
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, National Ministry of Education), Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Ting Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, National Ministry of Education), Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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