1
|
Venkateswaran N, Garcia R, Lafita-Navarro MC, Hao YH, Perez-Castro L, Nogueira PAS, Solmonson A, Mender I, Kilgore JA, Fang S, Brown IN, Li L, Parks E, Lopes Dos Santos I, Bhaskar M, Kim J, Jia Y, Lemoff A, Grishin NV, Kinch L, Xu L, Williams NS, Shay JW, DeBerardinis RJ, Zhu H, Conacci-Sorrell M. Tryptophan fuels MYC-dependent liver tumorigenesis through indole 3-pyruvate synthesis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4266. [PMID: 38769298 PMCID: PMC11106337 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47868-3] [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: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells exhibit distinct metabolic activities and nutritional dependencies compared to normal cells. Thus, characterization of nutrient demands by individual tumor types may identify specific vulnerabilities that can be manipulated to target the destruction of cancer cells. We find that MYC-driven liver tumors rely on augmented tryptophan (Trp) uptake, yet Trp utilization to generate metabolites in the kynurenine (Kyn) pathway is reduced. Depriving MYC-driven tumors of Trp through a No-Trp diet not only prevents tumor growth but also restores the transcriptional profile of normal liver cells. Despite Trp starvation, protein synthesis remains unhindered in liver cancer cells. We define a crucial role for the Trp-derived metabolite indole 3-pyruvate (I3P) in liver tumor growth. I3P supplementation effectively restores the growth of liver cancer cells starved of Trp. These findings suggest that I3P is a potential therapeutic target in MYC-driven cancers. Developing methods to target this metabolite represents a potential avenue for liver cancer treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Niranjan Venkateswaran
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Roy Garcia
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - M Carmen Lafita-Navarro
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Yi-Heng Hao
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Lizbeth Perez-Castro
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Pedro A S Nogueira
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Ashley Solmonson
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Ilgen Mender
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Jessica A Kilgore
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Shun Fang
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Isabella N Brown
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Li Li
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Emily Parks
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Igor Lopes Dos Santos
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Mahima Bhaskar
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Jiwoong Kim
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Yuemeng Jia
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Andrew Lemoff
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Nick V Grishin
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Lisa Kinch
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Lin Xu
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Noelle S Williams
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Jerry W Shay
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Ralph J DeBerardinis
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Hao Zhu
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
- Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Maralice Conacci-Sorrell
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
- Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mao Y, Wu C, Wang X, Zhang F, Qi X, Li X, Li P, Tang B. Fluorescence imaging sheds light on the immune evasion mechanisms of hepatic stellate cells mediated by superoxide anion. Commun Biol 2024; 7:558. [PMID: 38730013 PMCID: PMC11087649 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06245-y] [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: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Whether and how the reactive oxygen species generated by hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) promote immune evasion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains mysterious. Therefore, investigating the function of superoxide anion (O2•-), the firstly generated reactive oxygen species, during the immune evasion become necessary. In this work, we establish a novel in situ imaging method for visualization of O2•- changes in HSCs based on a new two-photon fluorescence probe TPH. TPH comprises recognition group for O2•- and HSCs targeting peptides. We observe that O2•- in HSCs gradually rose, impairing the infiltration of CD8+ T cells in HCC mice. Further studies reveal that the cyclin-dependent kinase 4 is deactivated by O2•-, and then cause the up-regulation of PD-L1. Our work provides molecular insights into HSC-mediated immune evasion of HCC, which may represent potential targets for HCC immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuantao Mao
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Chuanchen Wu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Xin Wang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China.
| | - Fanghui Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Xinru Qi
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Xia Li
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
| | - Ping Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China.
| | - Bo Tang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Functionalized Probes for Chemical Imaging in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Nano Probes, Ministry of Education, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China.
- Laoshan Laboratory, 168 Wenhai Middle Rd, Aoshanwei Jimo, Qingdao, 266237, Shandong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang C, Dong R, Yang F, Zheng L, Liu Y, Yan Y, Zhang M, Ni B, Li J. LARP4B promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression and impairs sorafenib efficacy by activating SPINK1-mediated EGFR pathway. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:208. [PMID: 38693111 PMCID: PMC11063073 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-01985-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
La-related proteins (LARPs) regulate gene expression by binding to RNAs and exhibit critical effects on disease progression, including tumors. However, the role of LARP4B and its underlying mechanisms in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unclear. In this study, we found that LARP4B expression is upregulated and correlates with poor prognosis in patients with HCC. Gain- and loss-of-function assays showed that LARP4B promotes stemness, proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, LARP4B inhibition enhances the antitumor effects of sorafenib and blocks the metastasis-enhancing effects of low sorafenib concentrations in HCC. Mechanistically, LARP4B expression is upregulated by METTL3-mediated N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-IGF2BP3-dependent modification in HCC. RNA- and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP)- sequencing uncovered that LARP4B upregulates SPINK1 by binding to SPINK1 mRNA via the La motif and maintaining mRNA stability. LARP4B activates the SPINK1-mediated EGFR signaling pathway, which supports stemness, progression and sorafenib resistance in HCC. Additionally, a positive feedback loop with the LARP4B/SPINK1/p-AKT/C/EBP-β axis is responsible for the sorafenib-therapeutic benefit of LARP4B depletion. Overall, this study demonstrated that LARP4B facilitates HCC progression, and LARP4B inhibition provides benefits to sorafenib treatment in HCC, suggesting that LARP4B might be a potential therapeutic target for HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chuanxu Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Rui Dong
- Department of Pathophysiology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
- Chongqing International Institute for Immunology, Chongqing, China
| | - Feicheng Yang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University (Hunan Provincial People's Hospital), Changsha, China
| | - Lu Zheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Yingling Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Yue Yan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Mengjie Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Bing Ni
- Department of Pathophysiology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Murphy KC, Ruscetti M. Advances in Making Cancer Mouse Models More Accessible and Informative through Non-Germline Genetic Engineering. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2024; 14:a041348. [PMID: 37277206 PMCID: PMC10982712 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) allow for modeling of spontaneous tumorigenesis within its native microenvironment in mice and have provided invaluable insights into mechanisms of tumorigenesis and therapeutic strategies to treat human disease. However, as their generation requires germline manipulation and extensive animal breeding that is time-, labor-, and cost-intensive, traditional GEMMs are not accessible to most researchers, and fail to model the full breadth of cancer-associated genetic alterations and therapeutic targets. Recent advances in genome-editing technologies and their implementation in somatic tissues of mice have ushered in a new class of mouse models: non-germline GEMMs (nGEMMs). nGEMM approaches can be leveraged to generate somatic tumors de novo harboring virtually any individual or group of genetic alterations found in human cancer in a mouse through simple procedures that do not require breeding, greatly increasing the accessibility and speed and scale on which GEMMs can be produced. Here we describe the technologies and delivery systems used to create nGEMMs and highlight new biological insights derived from these models that have rapidly informed functional cancer genomics, precision medicine, and immune oncology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine C Murphy
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Marcus Ruscetti
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA;
- Immunology and Microbiology Program, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
- Cancer Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ramirez CFA, Taranto D, Ando-Kuri M, de Groot MHP, Tsouri E, Huang Z, de Groot D, Kluin RJC, Kloosterman DJ, Verheij J, Xu J, Vegna S, Akkari L. Cancer cell genetics shaping of the tumor microenvironment reveals myeloid cell-centric exploitable vulnerabilities in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2581. [PMID: 38519484 PMCID: PMC10959959 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46835-2] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Myeloid cells are abundant and plastic immune cell subsets in the liver, to which pro-tumorigenic, inflammatory and immunosuppressive roles have been assigned in the course of tumorigenesis. Yet several aspects underlying their dynamic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remain elusive, including the impact of distinct genetic mutations in shaping a cancer-permissive tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, in newly generated, clinically-relevant somatic female HCC mouse models, we identify cancer genetics' specific and stage-dependent alterations of the liver TME associated with distinct histopathological and malignant HCC features. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-activated, NrasG12D-driven tumors exhibit a mixed phenotype of prominent inflammation and immunosuppression in a T cell-excluded TME. Mechanistically, we report a NrasG12D cancer cell-driven, MEK-ERK1/2-SP1-dependent GM-CSF secretion enabling the accumulation of immunosuppressive and proinflammatory monocyte-derived Ly6Clow cells. GM-CSF blockade curbs the accumulation of these cells, reduces inflammation, induces cancer cell death and prolongs animal survival. Furthermore, GM-CSF neutralization synergizes with a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor to restrain HCC outgrowth. These findings underscore the profound alterations of the myeloid TME consequential to MAPK pathway activation intensity and the potential of GM-CSF inhibition as a myeloid-centric therapy tailored to subsets of HCC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christel F A Ramirez
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel Taranto
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Masami Ando-Kuri
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marnix H P de Groot
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Efi Tsouri
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Zhijie Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Daniel de Groot
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roelof J C Kluin
- Genomics Core facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daan J Kloosterman
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joanne Verheij
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jing Xu
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Serena Vegna
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Leila Akkari
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Repáraz D, Casares N, Fuentes A, Navarro F. Establishment of a murine hepatocellular carcinoma model by hydrodynamic injection and characterization of the immune tumor microenvironment. Methods Cell Biol 2024; 185:79-97. [PMID: 38556453 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2024.02.006] [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] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignant neoplasms. Current treatments for HCC, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors, have limited efficacy, highlighting the urgent need for better therapies. Immunotherapies, including anti-programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) and anti-Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), and more recently, the combination of anti-PD-L1 and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monoclonal antibodies, have shown efficacy against HCC, resulting in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. However, these immunotherapies only show efficiency in a small proportion of patients, meaning there is a great need to improve and optimize treatments against HCC. Accurate animal models that mimic human HCC are necessary to help better understand the nature of these tumors, which in turn will allow the development and testing of new treatments. Existing pre-clinical HCC models can be divided into non-genetic and genetic models. Non-genetic models involve implanting human or murine HCC cell lines or inducing tumors using chemical compounds or dietary modifications. These models have limitations, including slow tumor development and a lack of resemblance to human HCC. Genetic models, on the other hand, manipulate gene expression to induce HCC in mice and provide a better understanding of the effects of specific genes on tumor development. One method commonly used to generate HCC is hydrodynamic tail vein injection (HTVI), which consists of the delivery of oncogenes directly to the liver, resulting in expression and subsequent hepatocyte transformation. Usually, Sleeping Beauty transposase-containing plasmids are used to achieve stable and long-term gene expression. Once the HCC tumor is generated, and a proper tumor microenvironment (TME) is established, it is important to study the immune compartment of the TME, which plays a crucial role in HCC development and response to treatment. Techniques like flow cytometry can be used to analyze the immune cell populations in HCC tumors and assess their impact on tumor development and survival in mice. In this article, we thoroughly describe an example of the methodology to successfully generate HCC murine models via HTVI, and we propose a way to characterize the immune TME by flow cytometry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Repáraz
- Radio-Oncology Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Noelia Casares
- Programa de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Navarra, Spain
| | - Andrea Fuentes
- Programa de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Navarra, Spain
| | - Flor Navarro
- Programa de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Navarra, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ghasemi A, Martinez-Usatorre A, Li L, Hicham M, Guichard A, Marcone R, Fournier N, Torchia B, Martinez Bedoya D, Davanture S, Fernández-Vaquero M, Fan C, Janzen J, Mohammadzadeh Y, Genolet R, Mansouri N, Wenes M, Migliorini D, Heikenwalder M, De Palma M. Cytokine-armed dendritic cell progenitors for antigen-agnostic cancer immunotherapy. NATURE CANCER 2024; 5:240-261. [PMID: 37996514 PMCID: PMC10899110 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00668-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting myeloid cells that regulate T cell activation, trafficking and function. Monocyte-derived DCs pulsed with tumor antigens have been tested extensively for therapeutic vaccination in cancer, with mixed clinical results. Here, we present a cell-therapy platform based on mouse or human DC progenitors (DCPs) engineered to produce two immunostimulatory cytokines, IL-12 and FLT3L. Cytokine-armed DCPs differentiated into conventional type-I DCs (cDC1) and suppressed tumor growth, including melanoma and autochthonous liver models, without the need for antigen loading or myeloablative host conditioning. Tumor response involved synergy between IL-12 and FLT3L and was associated with natural killer and T cell infiltration and activation, M1-like macrophage programming and ischemic tumor necrosis. Antitumor immunity was dependent on endogenous cDC1 expansion and interferon-γ signaling but did not require CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity. Cytokine-armed DCPs synergized effectively with anti-GD2 chimeric-antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in eradicating intracranial gliomas in mice, illustrating their potential in combination therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ghasemi
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Amaia Martinez-Usatorre
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Luqing Li
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mehdi Hicham
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alan Guichard
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rachel Marcone
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Translational Data Science (TDS) Facility, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nadine Fournier
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Translational Data Science (TDS) Facility, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Torchia
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Darel Martinez Bedoya
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Translational Research in Onco-Hematology, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Suzel Davanture
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Translational Research in Onco-Hematology, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mirian Fernández-Vaquero
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Chaofan Fan
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jakob Janzen
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yahya Mohammadzadeh
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Raphael Genolet
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nahal Mansouri
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Wenes
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Translational Research in Onco-Hematology, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Denis Migliorini
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Translational Research in Onco-Hematology, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology, Geneva University Hospital (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Heikenwalder
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- The M3 Research Center, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180), Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michele De Palma
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ursic-Bedoya J, Desandré G, Chavey C, Marie P, Polizzi A, Rivière B, Guillou H, Assenat E, Hibner U, Gregoire D. FGF19 and its analog Aldafermin cooperate with MYC to induce aggressive hepatocarcinogenesis. EMBO Mol Med 2024; 16:238-250. [PMID: 38228803 PMCID: PMC10897482 DOI: 10.1038/s44321-023-00021-x] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
FGF19 hormone has pleiotropic metabolic functions, including the modulation of insulin sensitivity, glucose/lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis. On top of its physiological metabolic role, FGF19 has been identified as a potentially targetable oncogenic driver, notably in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nevertheless, FGF19 remained an attractive candidate for treatment of metabolic disease, prompting the development of analogs uncoupling its metabolic and tumor-promoting activities. Using pre-clinical mice models of somatic mutation driven HCC, we assessed the oncogenicity of FGF19 in combination with frequent HCC tumorigenic alterations: p53 inactivation, CTNNB1 mutation, CCND1 or MYC overexpression. Our data revealed a strong oncogenic cooperation between FGF19 and MYC. Most importantly, we show that this oncogenic synergy is conserved with a FGF19-analog Aldafermin (NGM282), designed to solely mimic the hormone's metabolic functions. In particular, even a short systemic treatment with recombinant proteins triggered rapid appearance of proliferative foci of MYC-expressing hepatocytes. The fact that FGF19 analog Aldafermin is not fully devoid of the hormone's oncogenic properties raises concerns in the context of its potential use for patients with damaged, mutation-prone liver.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Ursic-Bedoya
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
- Department of Hepatogastroenterology, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation Unit, Saint Eloi Hospital, CHU Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Guillaume Desandré
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Carine Chavey
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Pauline Marie
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Arnaud Polizzi
- Toxalim (Research Center in Food Toxicology), INRAE, ENVT, INP- PURPAN, UMR 1331, UPS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Benjamin Rivière
- Department of Pathology, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, CHU Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Hervé Guillou
- Toxalim (Research Center in Food Toxicology), INRAE, ENVT, INP- PURPAN, UMR 1331, UPS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Eric Assenat
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
- Department of Hepatogastroenterology, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation Unit, Saint Eloi Hospital, CHU Montpellier, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Urszula Hibner
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Damien Gregoire
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Ursic-Bedoya J, Gregoire D. Hydrodynamic Transfection of Hepatocytes for the Study of Hepatocellular Carcinogenesis. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2769:77-85. [PMID: 38315390 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3694-7_6] [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] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Hydrodynamic tail vein injection (HTVi), also called hydrodynamic gene transfer (HGT), is attracting increasing interest for modeling hepatic carcinogenesis. This highly versatile approach reproducibly provides efficient in vivo transfection of hepatocytes with naked DNA. Here, we give an in-depth description of the injection procedure, which is key for the success of the method. HTVi requires the injection of a large volume of a solution containing plasmids into the tail vein of the mouse. The transient right heart overload created by the injection forces the blood to flow back into the hepatic veins, enlarging the endothelial fenestrae and permeabilizing a fraction of hepatocytes for a few seconds. This results in the uptake of plasmids by the permeabilized hepatocytes, giving rise to their in vivo transfection. Including the Sleeping Beauty transposon system among the injected plasmids leads to the stable transfection of a subset of hepatocytes. HTVi is a powerful technique which enables numerous applications in liver cancer biology, such as a study of oncogene cooperation, of tumor heterogeneity, and interaction with the tumor microenvironment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Ursic-Bedoya
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
- Department of Hepatogastroenterology, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation Unit, Saint Eloi Hospital, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Damien Gregoire
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Adlat S, Vázquez Salgado AM, Lee M, Yin D, Wangensteen KJ. Emerging and potential use of CRISPR in human liver disease. Hepatology 2023:01515467-990000000-00538. [PMID: 37607734 PMCID: PMC10881897 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR is a gene editing tool adapted from naturally occurring defense systems from bacteria. It is a technology that is revolutionizing the interrogation of gene functions in driving liver disease, especially through genetic screens and by facilitating animal knockout and knockin models. It is being used in models of liver disease to identify which genes are critical for liver pathology, especially in genetic liver disease, hepatitis, and in cancer initiation and progression. It holds tremendous promise in treating human diseases directly by editing DNA. It could disable gene function in the case of expression of a maladaptive protein, such as blocking transthyretin as a therapy for amyloidosis, or to correct gene defects, such as restoring the normal functions of liver enzymes fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase or alpha-1 antitrypsin. It is also being studied for treatment of hepatitis B infection. CRISPR is an exciting, evolving technology that is facilitating gene characterization and discovery in liver disease and holds the potential to treat liver diseases safely and permanently.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Salah Adlat
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Ruf B, Bruhns M, Babaei S, Kedei N, Ma L, Revsine M, Benmebarek MR, Ma C, Heinrich B, Subramanyam V, Qi J, Wabitsch S, Green BL, Bauer KC, Myojin Y, Greten LT, McCallen JD, Huang P, Trehan R, Wang X, Nur A, Murphy Soika DQ, Pouzolles M, Evans CN, Chari R, Kleiner DE, Telford W, Dadkhah K, Ruchinskas A, Stovroff MK, Kang J, Oza K, Ruchirawat M, Kroemer A, Wang XW, Claassen M, Korangy F, Greten TF. Tumor-associated macrophages trigger MAIT cell dysfunction at the HCC invasive margin. Cell 2023; 186:3686-3705.e32. [PMID: 37595566 PMCID: PMC10461130 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells represent an abundant innate-like T cell subtype in the human liver. MAIT cells are assigned crucial roles in regulating immunity and inflammation, yet their role in liver cancer remains elusive. Here, we present a MAIT cell-centered profiling of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using scRNA-seq, flow cytometry, and co-detection by indexing (CODEX) imaging of paired patient samples. These analyses highlight the heterogeneity and dysfunctionality of MAIT cells in HCC and their defective capacity to infiltrate liver tumors. Machine-learning tools were used to dissect the spatial cellular interaction network within the MAIT cell neighborhood. Co-localization in the adjacent liver and interaction between niche-occupying CSF1R+PD-L1+ tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and MAIT cells was identified as a key regulatory element of MAIT cell dysfunction. Perturbation of this cell-cell interaction in ex vivo co-culture studies using patient samples and murine models reinvigorated MAIT cell cytotoxicity. These studies suggest that aPD-1/aPD-L1 therapies target MAIT cells in HCC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Ruf
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Matthias Bruhns
- Department of Internal Medicine I (Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Geriatrics), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Computer Science, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; University of Tübingen, Interfaculty Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBMI), Tübingen, Germany; M3 Research Center, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sepideh Babaei
- Department of Internal Medicine I (Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Geriatrics), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; University of Tübingen, Interfaculty Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBMI), Tübingen, Germany; M3 Research Center, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Noemi Kedei
- Collaborative Protein Technology Resource, OSTR, Office of the Director, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lichun Ma
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mahler Revsine
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mohamed-Reda Benmebarek
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Chi Ma
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bernd Heinrich
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Varun Subramanyam
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan Qi
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Simon Wabitsch
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin L Green
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kylynda C Bauer
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yuta Myojin
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Layla T Greten
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Justin D McCallen
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Patrick Huang
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rajiv Trehan
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Amran Nur
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dana Qiang Murphy Soika
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marie Pouzolles
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christine N Evans
- Genome Modification Core, Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Raj Chari
- Genome Modification Core, Frederick National Lab for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - David E Kleiner
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - William Telford
- Experimental Transplantation and Immunotherapy Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kimia Dadkhah
- Single Cell Analysis Facility, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Allison Ruchinskas
- Single Cell Analysis Facility, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Merrill K Stovroff
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Center for Translational Transplant Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jiman Kang
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Center for Translational Transplant Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kesha Oza
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Center for Translational Transplant Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Mathuros Ruchirawat
- Laboratory of Chemical Carcinogenesis, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand; Center of Excellence on Environmental Health and Toxicology, Office of the Higher Education Commission, Ministry of Education, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Alexander Kroemer
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Center for Translational Transplant Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Xin Wei Wang
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA; NCI CCR Liver Cancer Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Manfred Claassen
- Department of Internal Medicine I (Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Geriatrics), University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Computer Science, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; University of Tübingen, Interfaculty Institute for Biomedical Informatics (IBMI), Tübingen, Germany; M3 Research Center, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Firouzeh Korangy
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tim F Greten
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; NCI CCR Liver Cancer Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Rialdi A, Duffy M, Scopton AP, Fonseca F, Zhao JN, Schwarz M, Molina-Sanchez P, Mzoughi S, Arceci E, Abril-Fornaguera J, Meadows A, Ruiz de Galarreta M, Torre D, Reyes K, Lim YT, Rosemann F, Khan ZM, Mohammed K, Wang X, Yu X, Lakshmanan M, Rajarethinam R, Tan SY, Jin J, Villanueva A, Michailidis E, De Jong YP, Rice CM, Marazzi I, Hasson D, Llovet JM, Sobota RM, Lujambio A, Guccione E, Dar AC. WNTinib is a multi-kinase inhibitor with specificity against β-catenin mutant hepatocellular carcinoma. NATURE CANCER 2023; 4:1157-1175. [PMID: 37537299 PMCID: PMC10948969 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00609-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. β-Catenin (CTNNB1)-mutated HCC represents 30% of cases of the disease with no precision therapeutics available. Using chemical libraries derived from clinical multi-kinase inhibitor (KI) scaffolds, we screened HCC organoids to identify WNTinib, a KI with exquisite selectivity in CTNNB1-mutated human and murine models, including patient samples. Multiomic and target engagement analyses, combined with rescue experiments and in vitro and in vivo efficacy studies, revealed that WNTinib is superior to clinical KIs and inhibits KIT/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling at multiple nodes. Moreover, we demonstrate that reduced engagement on BRAF and p38α kinases by WNTinib relative to several multi-KIs is necessary to avoid compensatory feedback signaling-providing a durable and selective transcriptional repression of mutant β-catenin/Wnt targets through nuclear translocation of the EZH2 transcriptional repressor. Our studies uncover a previously unknown mechanism to harness the KIT/MAPK/EZH2 pathway to potently and selectively antagonize CTNNB1-mutant HCC with an unprecedented wide therapeutic index.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex Rialdi
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mary Duffy
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alex P Scopton
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Frank Fonseca
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julia Nanyi Zhao
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Megan Schwarz
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pedro Molina-Sanchez
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- The Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Slim Mzoughi
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elisa Arceci
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jordi Abril-Fornaguera
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Austin Meadows
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marina Ruiz de Galarreta
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- The Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Denis Torre
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kyna Reyes
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yan Ting Lim
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Felix Rosemann
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zaigham M Khan
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin Mohammed
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Xuedi Wang
- Bioinformatics for Next Generation Sequencing Shared Resource Facility, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xufen Yu
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Manikandan Lakshmanan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ravisankar Rajarethinam
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Soo Yong Tan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jian Jin
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eleftherios Michailidis
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ype P De Jong
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Charles M Rice
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ivan Marazzi
- Department of Biological Cancer, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Dan Hasson
- Bioinformatics for Next Generation Sequencing Shared Resource Facility, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Josep M Llovet
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Translational Research in Hepatic Oncology, Liver Unit, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Radoslaw M Sobota
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Amaia Lujambio
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- The Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Ernesto Guccione
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for OncoGenomics and Innovative Therapeutics, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- The Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Bioinformatics for Next Generation Sequencing Shared Resource Facility, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Arvin C Dar
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Program in Chemical Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Li Z, Zhang H, Li Q, Feng W, Jia X, Zhou R, Huang Y, Li Y, Hu Z, Hu X, Zhu X, Huang S. GepLiver: an integrative liver expression atlas spanning developmental stages and liver disease phases. Sci Data 2023; 10:376. [PMID: 37301898 PMCID: PMC10257690 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02257-1] [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: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic liver diseases usually developed through stepwise pathological transitions under the persistent risk factors. The molecular changes during liver transitions are pivotal to improve liver diagnostics and therapeutics yet still remain elusive. Cumulative large-scale liver transcriptomic studies have been revealing molecular landscape of various liver conditions at bulk and single-cell resolution, however, neither single experiment nor databases enabled thorough investigations of transcriptomic dynamics along the progression of liver diseases. Here we establish GepLiver, a longitudinal and multidimensional liver expression atlas integrating expression profiles of 2469 human bulk tissues, 492 mouse samples, 409,775 single cells from 347 human samples and 27 liver cell lines spanning 16 liver phenotypes with uniformed processing and annotating methods. Using GepLiver, we have demonstrated dynamic changes of gene expression, cell abundance and crosstalk harboring meaningful biological associations. GepLiver can be applied to explore the evolving expression patterns and transcriptomic features for genes and cell types respectively among liver phenotypes, assisting the investigation of liver transcriptomic dynamics and informing biomarkers and targets for liver diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ziteng Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hena Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qin Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wanjing Feng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiya Jia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Runye Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhixiang Hu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xichun Hu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaodong Zhu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Shenglin Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Guo H, Lu F, Lu R, Huang M, Li X, Yuan J, Wang F. A novel tumor 4-driver gene signature for the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17054. [PMID: 37484410 PMCID: PMC10361245 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the main type of liver cancer, is the second most lethal tumor worldwide, with a 5-year survival rate of only 18%. Driver genes facilitate cancer cell growth and spread in the tumor microenvironment. Here, a comprehensive driver gene signature for the prognosis of HCC was developed. Methods HCC driver genes were analyzed comprehensively to develop a better prognostic signature. The dataset of HCC patients included mRNA sequencing data and clinical information from the TCGA, the ICGC, and the Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital cohorts. First, LASSO was performed to develop a prognostic signature for differentially expressed driver genes in the TCGA cohort. Then, the robustness of the signature was assessed using survival and time-dependent ROC curves. Furthermore, independent predictors were determined using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Stepwise multi-Cox regression analysis was employed to identify significant variables for the construction of a nomogram that predicts survival rates. Functional analysis by Spearman correlation analysis, enrichment analysis (GO, KEGG, and GSEA), and immunoassay (ssGSEA and xCell) were performed. Result A 4-driver gene signature (CLTC, DNMT3A, GMPS, and NRAS) was successfully constructed and showed excellent predictive efficiency in three cohorts. The nomogram indicated high predictive accuracy for the 1-, 3-, and 5-year prognoses of HCC patients, which included clinical information and risk score. Enrichment analysis revealed that driver genes were involved in regulating oncogenic processes, including the cell cycle and metabolic pathways, which were associated with the progression of HCC. ssGSEA and xCell showed differences in immune infiltration and the immune microenvironment between the two risk groups. Conclusion The 4-driver gene signature is closely associated with the survival prediction of HCC and is expected to provide new insights into targeted therapy for HCC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Houtian Guo
- First Clinical College of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Fei Lu
- First Clinical College of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Rongqi Lu
- First Clinical College of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Meiqi Huang
- First Clinical College of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xuejing Li
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jianhui Yuan
- Department of Physics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Key Laboratory of Biological Molecular Medicine Research, Guangxi Medical University, Education Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Ochoa MC, Sanchez-Gregorio S, de Andrea CE, Garasa S, Alvarez M, Olivera I, Glez-Vaz J, Luri-Rey C, Etxeberria I, Cirella A, Azpilikueta A, Berraondo P, Argemi J, Sangro B, Teijeira A, Melero I. Synergistic effects of combined immunotherapy strategies in a model of multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101009. [PMID: 37040772 PMCID: PMC10140615 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101009] [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: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint-inhibitor combinations are the best therapeutic option for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, but improvements in efficacy are needed to improve response rates. We develop a multifocal HCC model to test immunotherapies by introducing c-myc using hydrodynamic gene transfer along with CRISPR-Cas9-mediated disruption of p53 in mouse hepatocytes. Additionally, induced co-expression of luciferase, EGFP, and the melanosomal antigen gp100 facilitates studies on the underlying immunological mechanisms. We show that treatment of the mice with a combination of anti-CTLA-4 + anti-PD1 mAbs results in partial clearance of the tumor with an improvement in survival. However, the addition of either recombinant IL-2 or an anti-CD137 mAb markedly improves both outcomes in these mice. Combining tumor-specific adoptive T cell therapy to the aCTLA-4/aPD1/rIL2 or aCTLA-4/aPD1/aCD137 regimens enhances efficacy in a synergistic manner. As shown by multiplex tissue immunofluorescence and intravital microscopy, combined immunotherapy treatments enhance T cell infiltration and the intratumoral performance of T lymphocytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carmen Ochoa
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain; Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Sanchez-Gregorio
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain; Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Carlos E de Andrea
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain; Department of Pathology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Saray Garasa
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maite Alvarez
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Irene Olivera
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Javier Glez-Vaz
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Carlos Luri-Rey
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Iñaki Etxeberria
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Assunta Cirella
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Arantza Azpilikueta
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Pedro Berraondo
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Josepmaria Argemi
- Liver Unit and HPB Oncology Area, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBEREHD), Madrid, Spain
| | - Bruno Sangro
- Liver Unit and HPB Oncology Area, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBEREHD), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alvaro Teijeira
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain; Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Melero
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Pamplona, Spain; Navarra Institute for Health Research (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain; Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain; Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Goncharova IA, Zarubin AA, Babushkina NP, Koroleva IA, Nazarenko MS. Changes in DNA methylation profile in liver tissue during progression of HCV-induced fibrosis to hepatocellular carcinoma. Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii 2023; 27:72-82. [PMID: 36923478 PMCID: PMC10009477 DOI: 10.18699/vjgb-23-10] [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: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study we compared methylation levels of 27,578 CpG sites between paired samples of the tumor and surrounding liver tissues with various degrees of damage (fibrosis, cirrhosis) in HCV-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, as well as between tumor and normal tissue in non-viral HCC patients, using GSE73003 and GSE37988 data from GEODataSets (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/). A significantly lower number of differentially methylated sites (DMS) were found between HCC of non-viral etiology and normal liver tissue, as well as between HCC and fibrosis (32 and 40), than between HCC and cirrhosis (2450 and 2304, respectively, according to GSE73003 and GSE37988 datasets). As the pathological changes in the tissue surrounding the tumor progress, the ratio of hyper-/hypomethylated DMSs in the tumor decreases. Thus, in tumor tissues compared with normal/fibrosis/cirrhosis of the liver, 75/62.5/47.7 % (GSE73003) and 16 % (GSE37988) of CpG sites are hypermethylated, respectively. Persistent hypermethylation of the ZNF154 and ZNF540 genes, as well as CCL20 hypomethylation, were registered in tumor tissue in relation to both liver fibrosis and liver cirrhosis. Protein products of the EDG4, CCL20, GPR109A, and GRM8 genes, whose CpG sites are characterized by changes in DNA methylation level in tumor tissue in the setting of cirrhosis and fibrosis, belong to "Signaling by G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)" category. However, changes in the methylation level of the "driver" genes for oncopathology (АРС, CDKN2B, GSTP1, ELF4, TERT, WT1) are registered in tumor tissue in the setting of liver cirrhosis but not fibrosis. Among the genes hypermethylated in tumor tissue in the setting of liver cirrhosis, the most represented biological pathways are developmental processes, cell-cell signaling, transcription regulation, Wnt-protein binding. Genes hypomethylated in liver tumor tissue in the setting of liver cirrhosis are related to olfactory signal transduction, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, keratinization, immune response, inhibition of serine proteases, and zinc metabolism. The genes hypermethylated in the tumor are located at the 7p15.2 locus in the HOXA cluster region, and the hypomethylated CpG sites occupy extended regions of the genome in the gene clusters of olfactory receptors (11p15.4), keratin and keratin-associated proteins (12q13.13, 17q21.2, and 21q22.11), epidermal differentiation complex (1q21.3), and immune system function loci 9p21.3 (IFNA, IFNB1, IFNW1 cluster) and 19q13.41-19q13.42 (KLK, SIGLEC, LILR, KIR clusters). Among the genes of fibrogenesis or DNA repair, cg14143055 (ADAMDEC1) is located in the binding region of the HOX gene family transcription factors (TFs), while cg05921699 (CD79A), cg06196379 (TREM1) and cg10990993 (MLH1) are located in the binding region of the ZNF protein family transcription factor (TF). Thus, the DNA methylation profile in the liver in HCV-induced HCC is unique and differs depending on the degree of surrounding tissue lesion - liver fibrosis or liver cirrhosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- I A Goncharova
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| | - A A Zarubin
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| | - N P Babushkina
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| | - I A Koroleva
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| | - M S Nazarenko
- Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Decreased propionyl-CoA metabolism facilitates metabolic reprogramming and promotes hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol 2023; 78:627-642. [PMID: 36462680 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2022.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Alterations of multiple metabolites characterize distinct features of metabolic reprograming in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the role of most metabolites, including propionyl-CoA (Pro-CoA), in metabolic reprogramming and hepatocarcinogenesis remains elusive. In this study, we aimed to dissect how Pro-CoA metabolism affects these processes. METHODS TCGA data and HCC samples were used to analyze ALDH6A1-mediated Pro-CoA metabolism and its correlation with HCC. Multiple metabolites were assayed by targeted mass spectrometry. The role of ALDH6A1-generated Pro-CoA in HCC was evaluated in HCC cell lines as well as xenograft nude mouse models and primary liver cancer mouse models. Non-targeted metabolomic and targeted energy metabolomic analyses, as well as multiple biochemical assays, were performed. RESULTS Decreases in Pro-CoA and its derivative propionyl-L-carnitine due to ALDH6A1 downregulation were tightly associated with HCC. Functionally, ALDH6A1-mediated Pro-CoA metabolism suppressed HCC proliferation in vitro and impaired hepatocarcinogenesis in mice. The aldehyde dehydrogenase activity was indispensable for this function of ALDH6A1, while Pro-CoA carboxylases antagonized ALDH6A1 function by eliminating Pro-CoA. Mechanistically, ALDH6A1 caused a signature enrichment of central carbon metabolism in cancer and impaired energy metabolism: ALDH6A1-generated Pro-CoA suppressed citrate synthase activity, which subsequently reduced tricarboxylic acid cycle flux, impaired mitochondrial respiration and membrane potential, and decreased ATP production. Moreover, Pro-CoA metabolism generated 2-methylcitric acid, which mimicked the inhibitory effect of Pro-CoA on citrate synthase and dampened mitochondrial respiration and HCC proliferation. CONCLUSIONS The decline of ALDH6A1-mediated Pro-CoA metabolism contributes to metabolic remodeling and facilitates hepatocarcinogenesis. Pro-CoA, propionyl-L-carnitine and 2-methylcitric acid may serve as novel metabolic biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC. Pro-CoA metabolism may provide potential targets for development of novel strategies against HCC. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Our study presents new insights on the role of propionyl-CoA metabolism in metabolic reprogramming and hepatocarcinogenesis. This work has uncovered potential diagnostic and predictive biomarkers, which could be used by physicians to improve clinical practice and may also serve as targets for the development of therapeutic strategies against HCC.
Collapse
|
18
|
Wu B, Shi X, Jiang M, Liu H. Cross-talk between cancer stem cells and immune cells: potential therapeutic targets in the tumor immune microenvironment. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:38. [PMID: 36810098 PMCID: PMC9942413 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01748-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Ongoing research has revealed that the existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is one of the biggest obstacles in the current cancer therapy. CSCs make an influential function in tumor progression, recurrence and chemoresistance due to their typical stemness characteristics. CSCs are preferentially distributed in niches, and those niche sites exhibit characteristics typical of the tumor microenvironment (TME). The complex interactions between CSCs and TME illustrate these synergistic effects. The phenotypic heterogeneity within CSCs and the spatial interactions with the surrounding tumor microenvironment led to increased therapeutic challenges. CSCs interact with immune cells to protect themselves against immune clearance by exploiting the immunosuppressive function of multiple immune checkpoint molecules. CSCs also can protect themselves against immune surveillance by excreting extracellular vesicles (EVs), growth factors, metabolites and cytokines into the TME, thereby modulating the composition of the TME. Therefore, these interactions are also being considered for the therapeutic development of anti-tumor agents. We discuss here the immune molecular mechanisms of CSCs and comprehensively review the interplay between CSCs and the immune system. Thus, studies on this topic seem to provide novel ideas for reinvigorating therapeutic approaches to cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wu
- grid.459742.90000 0004 1798 5889Department of General Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042 China
| | - Xiang Shi
- grid.459742.90000 0004 1798 5889Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042 China
| | - Meixi Jiang
- grid.412644.10000 0004 5909 0696Department of Neurology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110032 China
| | - Hongxu Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042, China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Androgen receptor variant 7 exacerbates hepatocarcinogenesis in a c-MYC-driven mouse HCC model. Oncogenesis 2023; 12:4. [PMID: 36746917 PMCID: PMC9902460 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-023-00449-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Androgen receptor variant 7 (AR-V7), an AR isoform with a truncated ligand-binding domain, functions as a transcription factor in an androgen-independent manner. AR-V7 is expressed in a subpopulation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, its role(s) in this cancer is undefined. In this study, we investigated the potential roles of AR-V7 in hepatocarcinogenesis in vivo in a c-MYC-driven mouse HCC model generated by the hydrodynamic tail-vein injection system. The impacts of AR-V7 on gene expression in mouse HCC were elucidated by RNA-seq transcriptome and ontology analyses. The results showed that AR-V7 significantly exacerbated the c-MYC-mediated oncogenesis in the livers of both sexes. The transcriptome and bioinformatics analyses revealed that AR-V7 and c-MYC synergistically altered the gene sets involved in various cancer-related biological processes, particularly in lipid and steroid/sterol metabolisms. Importantly, AR-V7 suppressed a tumor suppressor Claudin 7 expression, upregulated by c-MYC overexpression via the p53 signaling pathway. Claudin 7 overexpression significantly suppressed the c-MYC-driven HCC development under p53-deficient conditions. Our results suggest that the AR-V7 exacerbates the c-MYC-driven hepatocarcinogenesis by potentiating the oncogenic roles and minimizing the anti-oncogenic functions of c-MYC. Since AR-V7 is expressed in a subpopulation of HCC cases, it could contribute to the inter- and intra-heterogeneity of HCC.
Collapse
|
20
|
Yuen VWH, Chiu DKC, Law CT, Cheu JWS, Chan CYK, Wong BPY, Goh CC, Zhang MS, Xue HDG, Tse APW, Zhang Y, Lau HYH, Lee D, Au-Yeung RKH, Wong CM, Wong CCL. Using mouse liver cancer models based on somatic genome editing to predict immune checkpoint inhibitor responses. J Hepatol 2023; 78:376-389. [PMID: 36455783 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2022.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are the only two classes of FDA-approved drugs for individuals with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While TKIs confer only modest survival benefits, ICIs have been associated with remarkable outcomes but only in the minority of patients who respond. Understanding the mechanisms that determine the efficacy of ICIs in HCC will help to stratify patients likely to respond to ICIs. This study aims to elucidate how genetic composition and specific oncogenic pathways regulate the immune composition of HCC, which directly affects response to ICIs. METHODS A collection of mouse HCCs with genotypes that closely simulate the genetic composition found in human HCCs were established using genome-editing approaches involving the delivery of transposon and CRISPR-Cas9 systems by hydrodynamic tail vein injection. Mouse HCC tumors were analyzed by RNA-sequencing while tumor-infiltrating T cells were analyzed by flow cytometry and single-cell RNA-sequencing. RESULTS Based on the CD8+ T cell-infiltration level, we characterized tumors with different genotypes into cold and hot tumors. Anti-PD-1 treatment had no effect in cold tumors but was greatly effective in hot tumors. As proof-of-concept, a cold tumor (Trp53KO/MYCOE) and a hot tumor (Keap1KO/MYCOE) were further characterized. Tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells from Keap1KO/MYCOE HCCs expressed higher levels of proinflammatory chemokines and exhibited enrichment of a progenitor exhausted CD8+ T-cell phenotype compared to those in Trp53KO/MYCOE HCCs. The TKI sorafenib sensitized Trp53KO/MYCOE HCCs to anti-PD-1 treatment. CONCLUSION Single anti-PD-1 treatment appears to be effective in HCCs with genetic mutations driving hot tumors, while combined anti-PD-1 and sorafenib treatment may be more appropriate in HCCs with genetic mutations driving cold tumors. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Genetic alterations of different driver genes in mouse liver cancers are associated with tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells and anti-PD-1 response. Mouse HCCs with different genetic compositions can be grouped into hot and cold tumors based on the level of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells. This study provides proof-of-concept evidence to show that hot tumors are responsive to anti-PD-1 treatment while cold tumors are more suitable for combined treatment with anti-PD-1 and sorafenib. Our study might help to guide the design of patient stratification systems for single or combined treatments involving anti-PD-1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Wai-Hin Yuen
- Department of Pathology; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | | | | | - Jacinth Wing-Sum Cheu
- Department of Pathology; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Cerise Yuen-Ki Chan
- Department of Pathology; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Bowie Po-Yee Wong
- Department of Pathology; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | | | - Misty Shuo Zhang
- Department of Pathology; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Helen Do-Gai Xue
- Department of Pathology; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Aki Pui-Wah Tse
- Department of Pathology; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Pathology; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | | | - Derek Lee
- Department of Pathology; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Rex K H Au-Yeung
- Department of Pathology; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chun-Ming Wong
- Department of Pathology; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Carmen Chak-Lui Wong
- Department of Pathology; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lozano A, Souche FR, Chavey C, Dardalhon V, Ramirez C, Vegna S, Desandre G, Riviere A, Zine El Aabidine A, Fort P, Akkari L, Hibner U, Grégoire D. Ras/MAPK signalling intensity defines subclonal fitness in a mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma. eLife 2023; 12:76294. [PMID: 36656749 PMCID: PMC9891719 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76294] [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: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantitative differences in signal transduction are to date an understudied feature of tumour heterogeneity. The MAPK Erk pathway, which is activated in a large proportion of human tumours, is a prototypic example of distinct cell fates being driven by signal intensity. We have used primary hepatocyte precursors transformed with different dosages of an oncogenic form of Ras to model subclonal variations in MAPK signalling. Orthotopic allografts of Ras-transformed cells in immunocompromised mice gave rise to fast-growing aggressive tumours, both at the primary location and in the peritoneal cavity. Fluorescent labelling of cells expressing different oncogene levels, and consequently varying levels of MAPK Erk activation, highlighted the selection processes operating at the two sites of tumour growth. Indeed, significantly higher Ras expression was observed in primary as compared to secondary, metastatic sites, despite the apparent evolutionary trade-off of increased apoptotic death in the liver that correlated with high Ras dosage. Analysis of the immune tumour microenvironment at the two locations suggests that fast peritoneal tumour growth in the immunocompromised setting is abrogated in immunocompetent animals due to efficient antigen presentation by peritoneal dendritic cells. Furthermore, our data indicate that, in contrast to the metastatic-like outgrowth, strong MAPK signalling is required in the primary liver tumours to resist elimination by NK (natural killer) cells. Overall, this study describes a quantitative aspect of tumour heterogeneity and points to a potential vulnerability of a subtype of hepatocellular carcinoma as a function of MAPK Erk signalling intensity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Lozano
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Francois-Régis Souche
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- Department of surgery and liver transplantation, Hopital Saint Eloi Hopitaux universitaires de MontpelierMontpellierFrance
| | - Carine Chavey
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Valérie Dardalhon
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Christel Ramirez
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Oncode InstituteAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Serena Vegna
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Oncode InstituteAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Guillaume Desandre
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Anaïs Riviere
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Amal Zine El Aabidine
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Philippe Fort
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie Cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), University of Montpellier, CNRSMontpellierFrance
| | - Leila Akkari
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Oncode InstituteAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Urszula Hibner
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Damien Grégoire
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Tsai CH, Chuang YM, Li X, Yu YR, Tzeng SF, Teoh ST, Lindblad KE, Di Matteo M, Cheng WC, Hsueh PC, Kao KC, Imrichova H, Duan L, Gallart-Ayala H, Hsiao PW, Mazzone M, Ivanesevic J, Liu X, de Visser KE, Lujambio A, Lunt SY, Kaech SM, Ho PC. Immunoediting instructs tumor metabolic reprogramming to support immune evasion. Cell Metab 2023; 35:118-133.e7. [PMID: 36599297 PMCID: PMC10375941 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Immunoediting sculpts immunogenicity and thwarts host anti-tumor responses in tumor cells during tumorigenesis; however, it remains unknown whether metabolic programming of tumor cells can be guided by immunosurveillance. Here, we report that T cell-mediated immunosurveillance in early-stage tumorigenesis instructs c-Myc upregulation and metabolic reprogramming in tumor cells. This previously unexplored tumor-immune interaction is controlled by non-canonical interferon gamma (IFNγ)-STAT3 signaling and supports tumor immune evasion. Our findings uncover that immunoediting instructs deregulated bioenergetic programs in tumor cells to empower them to disarm the T cell-mediated immunosurveillance by imposing metabolic tug-of-war between tumor and infiltrating T cells and forming the suppressive tumor microenvironment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chin-Hsien Tsai
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ming Chuang
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Xiaoyun Li
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yi-Ru Yu
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sheue-Fen Tzeng
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Shao Thing Teoh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Katherine E Lindblad
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; The Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mario Di Matteo
- Laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and angiogenesis, Vesalius Research Center, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and angiogenesis, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wan-Chen Cheng
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pei-Chun Hsueh
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kung-Chi Kao
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hana Imrichova
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Wien, Austria
| | - Likun Duan
- Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Hector Gallart-Ayala
- Metabolomics Platform, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pei-Wen Hsiao
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Massimiliano Mazzone
- Laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and angiogenesis, Vesalius Research Center, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory of Tumor Inflammation and angiogenesis, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Julijana Ivanesevic
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Wien, Austria
| | - Xiaojing Liu
- Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Karin E de Visser
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Amaia Lujambio
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; The Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sophia Y Lunt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Susan M Kaech
- NOMIS Center for Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ping-Chih Ho
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Yeh SH, Li CL, Lin YY, Ho MC, Wang YC, Tseng ST, Chen PJ. Hepatitis B Virus DNA Integration Drives Carcinogenesis and Provides a New Biomarker for HBV-related HCC. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 15:921-929. [PMID: 36690297 PMCID: PMC9972564 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA integration is an incidental event in the virus replication cycle and occurs in less than 1% of infected hepatocytes during viral infection. However, HBV DNA is present in the genome of approximately 90% of HBV-related HCCs and is the most common somatic mutation. Whole genome sequencing of liver tissues from chronic hepatitis B patients showed integration occurring at random positions in human chromosomes; however, in the genomes of HBV-related HCC patients, there are integration hotspots. Both the enrichment of the HBV-integration proportion in HCC and the emergence of integration hotspots suggested a strong positive selection of HBV-integrated hepatocytes to progress to HCC. The activation of HBV integration hotspot genes, such as telomerase (TERT) or histone methyltransferase (MLL4/KMT2B), resembles insertional mutagenesis by oncogenic animal retroviruses. These candidate oncogenic genes might shed new light on HBV-related HCC biology and become targets for new cancer therapies. Finally, the HBV integrations in individual HCC contain unique sequences at the junctions, such as virus-host chimera DNA (vh-DNA) presumably being a signature molecule for individual HCC. HBV integration may thus provide a new cell-free tumor DNA biomarker to monitor residual HCC after curative therapies or to track the development of de novo HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shiou-Hwei Yeh
- Graduate Institute of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; National Taiwan University Center for Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chiao-Ling Li
- Graduate Institute of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - You-Yu Lin
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University College of Life Science, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chih Ho
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Pei-Jer Chen
- National Taiwan University Center for Genomic Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Rouzbahani E, Majidpoor J, Najafi S, Mortezaee K. Cancer stem cells in immunoregulation and bypassing anti-checkpoint therapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 156:113906. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
|
25
|
Sequera C, Grattarola M, Holczbauer A, Dono R, Pizzimenti S, Barrera G, Wangensteen KJ, Maina F. MYC and MET cooperatively drive hepatocellular carcinoma with distinct molecular traits and vulnerabilities. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:994. [PMID: 36433941 PMCID: PMC9700715 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05411-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Enhanced activation of the transcription factor MYC and of the receptor tyrosine kinase MET are among the events frequently occurring in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Both genes individually act as drivers of liver cancer initiation and progression. However, their concomitant alteration in HCC has not been explored, nor functionally documented. Here, we analysed databases of five independent human HCC cohorts and found a subset of patients with high levels of MYC and MET (MYChigh/METhigh) characterised by poor prognosis. This clinical observation drove us to explore the functionality of MYC and MET co-occurrence in vivo, combining hydrodynamic tail vein injection for MYC expression in the R26stopMet genetic setting, in which wild-type MET levels are enhanced following the genetic deletion of a stop cassette. Results showed that increased MYC and MET expression in hepatocytes is sufficient to induce liver tumorigenesis even in the absence of pre-existing injuries associated with a chronic disease state. Intriguingly, ectopic MYC in MET tumours increases expression of the Mki67 proliferation marker, and switches them into loss of Afp, Spp1, Gpc3, Epcam accompanied by an increase in Hgma1, Vim, and Hep-Par1 levels. We additionally found a switch in the expression of specific immune checkpoints, with an increase in the Ctla-4 and Lag3 lymphocyte co-inhibitory responses, and in the Icosl co-stimulatory responses of tumour cells. We provide in vitro evidence on the vulnerability of some human HCC cell lines to combined MYC and MET targeting, which are otherwise resistant to single inhibition. Mechanistically, combined blockage of MYC and MET converts a partial cytostatic effect, triggered by individual blockage of MYC or MET, into a cytotoxic effect. Together, these findings highlight a subgroup of HCC characterised by MYChigh/METhigh, and document functional cooperativity between MYC and MET in liver tumorigenesis. Thus, the MYC-R26Met model is a relevant setting for HCC biology, patient classification and treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Celia Sequera
- grid.462081.90000 0004 0598 4854Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Developmental Biology Institute of Marseille (IBDM), Turing Center for Living Systems, Parc Scientifique de Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Margherita Grattarola
- grid.462081.90000 0004 0598 4854Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Developmental Biology Institute of Marseille (IBDM), Turing Center for Living Systems, Parc Scientifique de Luminy, Marseille, France ,grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Department of Clinical and Biological Science, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy
| | - Agnes Holczbauer
- grid.66875.3a0000 0004 0459 167XDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, NY USA
| | - Rosanna Dono
- grid.462081.90000 0004 0598 4854Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Developmental Biology Institute of Marseille (IBDM), Turing Center for Living Systems, Parc Scientifique de Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Stefania Pizzimenti
- grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Department of Clinical and Biological Science, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Barrera
- grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Department of Clinical and Biological Science, University of Turin, 10125 Turin, Italy
| | - Kirk J. Wangensteen
- grid.66875.3a0000 0004 0459 167XDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, NY USA
| | - Flavio Maina
- grid.462081.90000 0004 0598 4854Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Developmental Biology Institute of Marseille (IBDM), Turing Center for Living Systems, Parc Scientifique de Luminy, Marseille, France
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Tarnow G, Matrenec R, Oropeza CE, Maienschein-Cline M, McLachlan A. Distinct phenotypic spectra of hepatocellular carcinoma in liver-specific tumor suppressor-deficient hepatitis B virus transgenic mice. Virology 2022; 574:84-95. [PMID: 35961146 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2022.08.002] [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: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) transgenic mouse model was used to interrogate the origins of HCC heterogeneity. HBV biosynthesis was used as a marker of liver tumor heterogeneity. Principal component and correlation analysis of HBV and cellular transcript levels demonstrated major differences within and between the gene expression profiles of Apc-deficient, Apc-deficient Pten-deficient, and Pten-deficient HCC. Hence, both oncogenic stimuli and zonal hepatocyte properties determine heterogeneous HCC phenotypes. Additionally, Apc-deficient HCC display decreased expression of Apob, Otc and Tet2 relative to Pten-deficient HCC and control liver tissue suggesting their gene products may represent markers of Apc-deficient HCC. A subset of human HCC with mutations in the β-catenin gene (CTNNB1) displayed a gene expression profile similar to that observed in the mouse Apc-deficient HCC indicating this model of liver cancer may be useful for interrogating the molecular properties of these tumors and their potential therapeutic vulnerabilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grant Tarnow
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 909 South Wolcott Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Rachel Matrenec
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 909 South Wolcott Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Claudia E Oropeza
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 909 South Wolcott Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Mark Maienschein-Cline
- Research Resources Center, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 South Wolcott Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Alan McLachlan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 909 South Wolcott Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Tang M, Zhao Y, Zhao J, Wei S, Liu M, Zheng N, Geng D, Han S, Zhang Y, Zhong G, Li S, Zhang X, Wang C, Yan H, Cao X, Li L, Bai X, Ji J, Feng XH, Qin J, Liang T, Zhao B. Liver cancer heterogeneity modeled by in situ genome editing of hepatocytes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn5683. [PMID: 35731873 PMCID: PMC9216519 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn5683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Mechanistic study and precision treatment of primary liver cancer (PLC) are hindered by marked heterogeneity, which is challenging to recapitulate in any given liver cancer mouse model. Here, we report the generation of 25 mouse models of PLC by in situ genome editing of hepatocytes recapitulating 25 single or combinations of human cancer driver genes. These mouse tumors represent major histopathological types of human PLCs and could be divided into three human-matched molecular subtypes based on transcriptomic and proteomic profiles. Phenotypical characterization identified subtype- or genotype-specific alterations in immune microenvironment, metabolic reprogramming, cell proliferation, and expression of drug targets. Furthermore, single-cell analysis and expression tracing revealed spatial and temporal dynamics in expression of pyruvate kinase M2 (Pkm2). Tumor-specific knockdown of Pkm2 by multiplexed genome editing reversed the Warburg effect and suppressed tumorigenesis in a genotype-specific manner. Our study provides mouse PLC models with defined genetic drivers and characterized phenotypical heterogeneity suitable for mechanistic investigation and preclinical testing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mei Tang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jianhui Zhao
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shumei Wei
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Mingwei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Nairen Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Didi Geng
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shixun Han
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yuchao Zhang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Guoxuan Zhong
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shuaifeng Li
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiuming Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Chenliang Wang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Huan Yan
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaolei Cao
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Li Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Xueli Bai
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Junfang Ji
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xin-Hua Feng
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jun Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Tingbo Liang
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Corresponding author. (T.L.); (B.Z.)
| | - Bin Zhao
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, and Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Shaoxing Institute, Zhejiang University, Shaoxing 321000, China
- Corresponding author. (T.L.); (B.Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Li CL, Yeh SH, Chen PJ. Circulating Virus–Host Chimera DNAs in the Clinical Monitoring of Virus-Related Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14102531. [PMID: 35626135 PMCID: PMC9139492 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14102531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA), the DNA released into circulation from tumors, is a promising tumor marker with versatile applications. The associations of the amount, somatic mutation frequency, and epigenetic modifications of ctDNA with the tumor burden, tumor behavior, and prognosis have been widely investigated in different types of tumors. However, there are still some challenging issues to be resolved before ctDNA can complement or even replace current serum tumor markers. We propose employing exogenous viral DNA integration that produces unique virus–host chimera DNA (vh-DNA) at junction sites. Cell-free vh-DNA may become a new biomarker because it overcomes background interference detection problems, takes advantage of virus tropism to localize the tumor, and acts as a universal marker for monitoring clonal expansion or tumor loads in tumors related to oncogenic viruses. Abstract The idea of using tumor-specific cell-free DNA (ctDNA) as a tumor biomarker has been widely tested and validated in various types of human cancers and different clinical settings. ctDNA can reflect the presence or size of tumors in a real-time manner and can enable longitudinal monitoring with minimal invasiveness, allowing it to be applied in treatment response assessment and recurrence monitoring for cancer therapies. However, tumor detection by ctDNA remains a great challenge due to the difficulty in enriching ctDNA from a large amount of homologous non-tumor cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Only ctDNA with nonhuman sequences (or rearrangements) can be selected from the background of cfDNA from nontumor DNAs. This is possible for several virus-related cancers, such as hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC or human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cervical or head and neck cancers, which frequently harbor randomly integrated viral DNA. The junction fragments of the integrations, namely virus–host chimera DNA (vh-DNA), can represent the signatures of individual tumors and are released into the blood. Such ctDNA can be enriched by capture with virus-specific probes and therefore exploited as a circulating biomarker to track virus-related cancers in clinical settings. Here, we review virus integrations in virus-related cancers to evaluate the feasibility of vh-DNA as a cell-free tumor marker and update studies on the development of detection and applications. vh-DNA may be a solution to the development of specific markers to manage virus-related cancers in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiao-Ling Li
- Graduate Institute of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan;
| | - Shiou-Hwei Yeh
- Graduate Institute of Microbiology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan;
- Center for Genomic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (S.-H.Y.); (P.-J.C.)
| | - Pei-Jer Chen
- Center for Genomic Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (S.-H.Y.); (P.-J.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Ma L, Wang XW. Dissecting liver tumor heterogeneity to improve health equity. Trends Cancer 2022; 8:286-290. [PMID: 35012904 PMCID: PMC9058969 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2021.12.001] [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: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Liver cancer burden varies greatly among populations. This disparity stems from the presence of complex etiology, sex, race/ethnicity, and extensive tumor molecular heterogeneity. Our ability to dissect tumor heterogeneity and to identify shared common features of liver cancer in diverse populations may improve precision medicine, thereby reducing disease burden.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lichun Ma
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Xin Wei Wang
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Liver Cancer Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Elmas A, Lujambio A, Huang KL. Proteomic Analyses Identify Therapeutic Targets in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:814120. [PMID: 35433463 PMCID: PMC9006883 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.814120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. While many targeted therapies have been developed, the majority of HCC tumors do not harbor clinically actionable mutations. Protein-level aberrations, especially those not evident at the genomic level, present therapeutic opportunities but have rarely been systematically characterized in HCC. In this study, we performed proteogenomic analyses of 260 primary tumors from two HBV-related HCC patient cohorts with global mass-spectrometry (MS) proteomics data. Combining tumor-normal and inter-tumor analyses, we identified overexpressed targets including PDGFRB, FGFR4, ERBB2/3, CDK6 kinases and MFAP5, HMCN1, and Hsp proteins in HCC, many of which showed low frequencies of genomic and/or transcriptomic aberrations. Protein expression of FGFR4 kinase and Hsp proteins were significantly associated with response to their corresponding inhibitors. Our results provide a catalog of protein targets in HCC and demonstrate the potential of proteomics approaches in advancing precision medicine in cancer types lacking druggable mutations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdulkadir Elmas
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Amaia Lujambio
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
| | - Kuan-lin Huang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Yu JH, Ma S. Organoids as research models for hepatocellular carcinoma. Exp Cell Res 2021; 411:112987. [PMID: 34942189 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2021.112987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Organoid culture is an emerging research tool that has proved tremendously useful in a multitude of aspects, one of which is cancer research. They largely overcome the limitations of previous cancer models by their faithful recapitulation of the in vivo biology, while still remaining amenable to perturbations. Using a cocktail of biologicals that mimic the stem cell niche signaling, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) organoids could be generated from tissue samples of both human and murine origin. Existing reports show that HCC organoids retain key characteristics of their parental tumor tissue, including the histological architecture, genomic landscape, expression profile and intra-tumor heterogeneity. There is ongoing effort to establish living biobanks of patient-derived cancer organoids, annotated with multi-omics data and clinical data, and they can be particularly valuable in stratification of HCC subtypes, pre-clinical drug discovery and personalized medicine. In the future, efforts in the standardization of procedures and nomenclature, refinement of protocols, as well as engineering of the culture systems will enable scientists to unleash the full potential of organoid technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin Hy Yu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Stephanie Ma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Romualdo GR, Leroy K, Costa CJS, Prata GB, Vanderborght B, da Silva TC, Barbisan LF, Andraus W, Devisscher L, Câmara NOS, Vinken M, Cogliati B. In Vivo and In Vitro Models of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Strategies for Translational Modeling. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5583. [PMID: 34771745 PMCID: PMC8582701 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer-related death globally. HCC is a complex multistep disease and usually emerges in the setting of chronic liver diseases. The molecular pathogenesis of HCC varies according to the etiology, mainly caused by chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections, chronic alcohol consumption, aflatoxin-contaminated food, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease associated with metabolic syndrome or diabetes mellitus. The establishment of HCC models has become essential for both basic and translational research to improve our understanding of the pathophysiology and unravel new molecular drivers of this disease. The ideal model should recapitulate key events observed during hepatocarcinogenesis and HCC progression in view of establishing effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to be translated into clinical practice. Despite considerable efforts currently devoted to liver cancer research, only a few anti-HCC drugs are available, and patient prognosis and survival are still poor. The present paper provides a state-of-the-art overview of in vivo and in vitro models used for translational modeling of HCC with a specific focus on their key molecular hallmarks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Ribeiro Romualdo
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-270, Brazil; (G.R.R.); (C.J.S.C.); (T.C.d.S.)
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, Brazil; (G.B.P.); (L.F.B.)
- Department of Pathology, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-687, Brazil
| | - Kaat Leroy
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (K.L.); (M.V.)
| | - Cícero Júlio Silva Costa
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-270, Brazil; (G.R.R.); (C.J.S.C.); (T.C.d.S.)
| | - Gabriel Bacil Prata
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, Brazil; (G.B.P.); (L.F.B.)
- Department of Pathology, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-687, Brazil
| | - Bart Vanderborght
- Gut-Liver Immunopharmacology Unit, Basic and Applied Medical Sciences, Liver Research Center Ghent, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
- Hepatology Research Unit, Internal Medicine and Paediatrics, Liver Research Center Ghent, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Tereza Cristina da Silva
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-270, Brazil; (G.R.R.); (C.J.S.C.); (T.C.d.S.)
| | - Luís Fernando Barbisan
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618-689, Brazil; (G.B.P.); (L.F.B.)
| | - Wellington Andraus
- Department of Gastroenterology, Clinics Hospital, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo (HC-FMUSP), São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil;
| | - Lindsey Devisscher
- Hepatology Research Unit, Internal Medicine and Paediatrics, Liver Research Center Ghent, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | - Niels Olsen Saraiva Câmara
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences IV, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil;
| | - Mathieu Vinken
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (K.L.); (M.V.)
| | - Bruno Cogliati
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-270, Brazil; (G.R.R.); (C.J.S.C.); (T.C.d.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Desert R, Ge X, Song Z, Han H, Lantvit D, Chen W, Das S, Athavale D, Abraham-Enachescu I, Blajszczak C, Chen Y, Musso O, Guzman G, Hoshida Y, Nieto N. Role of Hepatocyte-Derived Osteopontin in Liver Carcinogenesis. Hepatol Commun 2021; 6:692-709. [PMID: 34730871 PMCID: PMC8948552 DOI: 10.1002/hep4.1845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteopontin (OPN) expression correlates with tumor progression in many cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its role in the onset of HCC remains unclear. We hypothesized that increased hepatocyte‐derived OPN is a driver of hepatocarcinogenesis. Analysis of a tissue microarray of 366 human samples revealed a continuous increase in OPN expression during hepatocarcinogenesis. In patients with cirrhosis, a transcriptome‐based OPN correlation network was associated with HCC incidence along 10 years of follow‐up, together with messenger RNA (mRNA) signatures of carcinogenesis. After diethylnitrosamine (DEN) injection, mice with conditional overexpression of Opn in hepatocytes (OpnHep transgenic [Tg]) showed increased tumor burden. Surprisingly, mice with conditional ablation of Opn in hepatocytes (OpnΔHep) expressed a similar phenotype. The acute response to DEN was reduced in OpnΔHep, which also showed more cancer stem/progenitor cells (CSCs, CD44+AFP+) at 5 months. CSCs from OpnHep Tg mice expressed several mRNA signatures known to promote carcinogenesis, and mRNA signatures from OpnHep Tg mice were associated with poor outcome in human HCC patients. Treatment with rOPN had little effect on CSCs, and their progression to HCC was similar in Opn−/− compared with wild‐type mice. Finally, ablation of Cd44, an OPN receptor, did not reduce tumor burden in Cd44−/−OpnHep Tg mice. Conclusions: Hepatocyte‐derived OPN acts as a tumor suppressor at physiological levels by controlling the acute response to DEN and the presence of CSCs, while induction of OPN is pro‐tumorigenic. This is primarily due to intracellular events rather that by the secretion of the protein and receptor activation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romain Desert
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Xiaodong Ge
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhuolun Song
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hui Han
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Daniel Lantvit
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sukanta Das
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Dipti Athavale
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ioana Abraham-Enachescu
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chuck Blajszczak
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Orlando Musso
- INSERM, University of Rennes, INRA, Institut NuMeCAN (Nutrition Metabolisms and Cancer), Rennes, France
| | - Grace Guzman
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Liver Tumor Translational Research Program, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Natalia Nieto
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Cai Y, Chen T, Liu J, Peng S, Liu H, Lv M, Ding Z, Zhou Z, Li L, Zeng S, Xiao E. Orthotopic Versus Allotopic Implantation: Comparison of Radiological and Pathological Characteristics. J Magn Reson Imaging 2021; 55:1133-1140. [PMID: 34611963 PMCID: PMC9291575 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.27940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In experimental animal models, implantation location might influence the heterogeneity and overall development of the tumor, leading to an interpretation bias. Purpose To investigate the effects of implantation location in experimental tumor model using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pathological findings. Study Type Prospective. Subjects Forty‐five breast cancer‐bearing mice underwent orthotopic (N = 15) and heterotopic (intrahepatic [N = 15] and subcutaneous [N = 15]) implantation. Field Strength/Sequence Sequences including: T1‐weighted turbo spin echo sequence, T2‐weighted blade sequence, diffusion‐weighted imaging, pre‐ and post‐contrast T1 mapping, multi‐echo T2 mapping at 3.0 T. Assessment MRI was performed at 7, 14, and 21 days after implantation. Native T1, post‐contrast T1, T2, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of tumors, the tumor volume and necrosis volume within tumor were obtained. Lymphocyte cells from H&E staining, Ki67‐positive, and CD31‐positive cells from immunohistochemistry were determined. Statistical Tests One‐way analysis of variance and Spearman's rank correlation were performed. P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The tumor volume (intrahepatic vs. orthotopic vs. subcutaneous: 587.50 ± 77.62 mm3 vs. 814.00 ± 43.85 mm3 vs. 956.13 ± 119.22 mm3), necrosis volume within tumor (89.10 ± 26.60 mm3 vs. 292.41 ± 57.92 mm3 vs. 179.91 ± 31.73 mm3, respectively), ADC at day 21 (543.41 ± 42.28 vs. 542.92 ± 99.67 vs. 369.83 ± 42.90, respectively), and post‐contrast T1 at all timepoints (day 7: 442.00 ± 11.52 vs. 435.00 ± 22.90 vs. 394.33 ± 29.95; day 14: 459.00 ± 26.11 vs. 436.83 ± 26.01 vs. 377.00 ± 27.83; day 21: 463.50 ± 23.49 vs. 458.00 ± 34.28 vs. 375.00 ± 30.55) were significantly different between three groups. Necrosis volumes of subcutaneous and intrahepatic tumors were significantly lower than those of orthotopic tumors. The CD31‐positive rate in the intrahepatic implantation was significantly higher than in orthotopic and subcutaneous groups. Necrosis volume (r = −0.71), ADC (r = −0.85), and post‐contrast T1 (r = −0.75) were strongly correlated with vascular invasion index. Data Conclusion Orthotopic and heterotopic tumors have their unique growth kinetics, necrosis volume, and vascular invasion. Non‐invasive MR quantitative parameters, including ADC and post‐contrast T1, may reflect vascular invasion in mice. Level of Evidence 1 Technical Efficacy Stage 3
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- YeYu Cai
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - TaiLi Chen
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - JiaYi Liu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - ShuHui Peng
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Huan Liu
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Min Lv
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - ZhuYuan Ding
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - ZiYi Zhou
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lan Li
- Department of Pathology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shan Zeng
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - EnHua Xiao
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Molecular Imaging Research Center, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Clinical Research Center for Medical Imaging in Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Parsons MJ, Tammela T, Dow LE. WNT as a Driver and Dependency in Cancer. Cancer Discov 2021; 11:2413-2429. [PMID: 34518209 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-21-0190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The WNT signaling pathway is a critical regulator of development and adult tissue homeostasis and becomes dysregulated in many cancer types. Although hyperactivation of WNT signaling is common, the type and frequency of genetic WNT pathway alterations can vary dramatically between different cancers, highlighting possible cancer-specific mechanisms for WNT-driven disease. In this review, we discuss how WNT pathway disruption contributes to tumorigenesis in different organs and how WNT affects the tumor cell and immune microenvironment. Finally, we describe recent and ongoing efforts to target oncogenic WNT signaling as a therapeutic strategy. SIGNIFICANCE: WNT signaling is a fundamental regulator of tissue homeostasis and oncogenic driver in many cancer types. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of WNT signaling in cancer, particularly the complexities of WNT activation in distinct cancer types, its role in immune evasion, and the challenge of targeting the WNT pathway as a therapeutic strategy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie J Parsons
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Tuomas Tammela
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Lukas E Dow
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York. .,Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Kotiyal S, Evason KJ. Exploring the Interplay of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase and β-Catenin in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13164202. [PMID: 34439356 PMCID: PMC8393605 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13164202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Liver cancer is one of the deadliest human cancers. Two of the most common molecular aberrations in liver cancer are: (1) activating mutations in the gene encoding β-catenin (CTNNB1); and (2) promoter mutations in telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). Here, we review recent findings regarding the interplay between TERT and β-catenin in order to better understand their role in liver cancer. Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest human cancers. Activating mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter (TERTp) and CTNNB1 gene encoding β-catenin are widespread in HCC (~50% and ~30%, respectively). TERTp mutations are predicted to increase TERT transcription and telomerase activity. This review focuses on exploring the role of TERT and β-catenin in HCC and the current findings regarding their interplay. TERT can have contradictory effects on tumorigenesis via both its canonical and non-canonical functions. As a critical regulator of proliferation and differentiation in progenitor and stem cells, activated β-catenin drives HCC; however, inhibiting endogenous β-catenin can also have pro-tumor effects. Clinical studies revealed a significant concordance between TERTp and CTNNB1 mutations in HCC. In stem cells, TERT acts as a co-factor in β-catenin transcriptional complexes driving the expression of WNT/β-catenin target genes, and β-catenin can bind to the TERTp to drive its transcription. A few studies have examined potential interactions between TERT and β-catenin in HCC in vivo, and their results suggest that the coexpression of these two genes promotes hepatocarcinogenesis. Further studies are required with vertebrate models to better understand how TERT and β-catenin influence hepatocarcinogenesis.
Collapse
|
37
|
B cell heterogeneity, plasticity, and functional diversity in cancer microenvironments. Oncogene 2021; 40:4737-4745. [PMID: 34188249 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01918-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
B cells constitute a major component of tumor-infiltrating leukocytes. However, the influence of these cells on malignancy is currently under debate, reflecting the heterogeneity of B cell subsets in tumors. With recent advances, it becomes apparent that this debate includes not only the evaluation of B cells themselves, but also the underlying immune microenvironment network, which scripts the highly heterogeneous B cell populations in tumors and directs the roles of those sub-populations in disease progression and clinical treatment. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the heterogeneous subset composition of B cells in both human and mouse tumor models and their different impacts on disease progression. We further describe the multidimensional interplays between B cells and other immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, which account for the regulation of B cell differentiation and function in situ. We also assess the potential influences of distinct sub-tumor locations on B cell function in primary tumors during development and those under immunotherapy treatment. Illuminating the heterogeneous nature of B cell subset composition, generation, localization, and related immune network in tumor is of immense significance for comprehensively understanding B cell response in tumor and designing more efficacious cancer immunotherapies.
Collapse
|
38
|
Taranto D, Ramirez CFA, Vegna S, de Groot MHP, de Wit N, Van Baalen M, Klarenbeek S, Akkari L. Multiparametric Analyses of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Somatic Mouse Models and Their Associated Tumor Microenvironment. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e147. [PMID: 34101385 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The rising incidence and increasing mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), combined with its high tumor heterogeneity, lack of druggable targets, and tendency to develop resistance to chemotherapeutics, make the development of better models for this cancer an urgent challenge. To better mimic the high diversity within the HCC genetic landscape, versatile somatic murine models have recently been developed using the hydrodynamic tail vein injection (HDTVi) system. These represent novel in vivo tools to interrogate HCC phenotype and response to therapy, and importantly, allow further analyses of the associated tumor microenvironment (TME) shaped by distinct genetic backgrounds. Here, we describe several optimized protocols to generate, collect, and experimentally utilize various samples obtained from HCC somatic mouse models generated by HDTVi. More specifically, we focus on techniques relevant to ex vivo analyses of the complex liver TME using multiparameter flow cytometric analyses of over 21 markers, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and histochemistry. We describe the transcriptional assessment of whole tissue, or of isolated immune subsets by flow-cytometry-based cell sorting, and other protein-oriented analyses. Together, these streamlined protocols allow the optimal use of each HCC murine model of interest and will assist researchers in deciphering the relations between cancer cell genetics and systemic and local changes in immune cell landscapes in the context of HCC progression. © 2021 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Generation of HCC mouse models by hydrodynamic tail vein injection Basic Protocol 2: Assessment of HCC tumor progression by magnetic resonance imaging Basic Protocol 3: Mouse sacrifice and sample collection in HCC mouse models Support Protocol 1: Preparation of serum or plasma from blood Basic Protocol 4: Single-cell preparation and HCC immune landscape phenotyping by flow cytometry Alternate Protocol 1: Flow cytometric analysis of circulating immune cells Support Protocol 2: Generation, maintenance, and characterization of HCC cell lines Support Protocol 3: Fluorescence-activated cell sorting of liver single-cell preparation Basic Protocol 5: Preparation and immunohistochemical analysis of tumor tissues from HCC-bearing liver Alternate Protocol 2: Preparation and analyses for immunofluorescence staining of HCC-bearing liver Support Protocol 4: Liver-specific phenotypic analyses of liver sections Support Protocol 5: Immunohistochemical quantification in liver sections Basic Protocol 6: Preparation of snap-frozen tumor tissue from extracted liver and transcriptional analyses of bulk tumor or sorted cells Alternate Protocol 3: Protein analyses from HCC samples and serum or plasma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Taranto
- Division of Tumour Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christel F A Ramirez
- Division of Tumour Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Serena Vegna
- Division of Tumour Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marnix H P de Groot
- Division of Tumour Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Niels de Wit
- Mouse Clinic for Cancer and Aging (MCCA), Imaging Unit, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn Van Baalen
- Flow Cytometry Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd Klarenbeek
- Experimental Animal Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Leila Akkari
- Division of Tumour Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Barcena-Varela M, Lujambio A. The Endless Sources of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Heterogeneity. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13112621. [PMID: 34073538 PMCID: PMC8198457 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13112621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Tumor heterogeneity in liver cancer is a major contributor to the high lethality rate found in patients suffering from this disease. The therapeutic outcomes are drastically affected by this heterogeneity, which complicates patient stratification and response prediction. Better understanding of all the factors that can contribute to this heterogeneity will be critical to improve our understanding of liver cancer, in order to optimize the outcome of patients. Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a global health problem. The incidence keeps increasing and current therapeutic options confer limited benefits to the patients. Tumor heterogeneity plays a central role in this context, limiting the availability of predictive biomarkers and complicating the criteria used to choose the most suitable therapeutic option. HCC heterogeneity occurs at different levels: within the population (inter-patient heterogeneity) and within tumors from the same patient (intra-patient and intra-tumor heterogeneity). Experts in the field have made many efforts to classify the patients based on clinicopathological characteristics and molecular signatures; however, there is still much work ahead to be able to integrate the extra-tumor heterogeneity that emerges from the complexity of the tumor microenvironment, which plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of the disease and therapy responses. In this review, we summarize tumor intrinsic and extrinsic sources of heterogeneity of the most common etiologies of HCC and summarize the most recent discoveries regarding the evolutionary trajectory of liver cancer cells and the influence of tumor-extrinsic factors such as the microbiome and the host immune system. We further highlight the potential of novel high-throughput methodologies to contribute to a better understanding of this devastating disease and to the improvement of the clinical management of patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Barcena-Varela
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA;
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- The Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Amaia Lujambio
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA;
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- The Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +1-212-824-9338
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Corley DA, Peek RM, Simpson BA. Paradigm-Shifting Research in Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition: A Top 20 List of Articles Published in 2020. Gastroenterology 2021; 160:979-981. [PMID: 33548197 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2021.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
|