HMGB1 released from dead tumor cells after insufficient radiofrequency ablation promotes progression of HCC residual tumor via ERK1/2 pathway

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation combined with anti-PD-1 for the treatment of prostate cancer: an experimental study

Background

This study seeks to investigate the potential synergistic effects of combining ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation with anti-PD-1 therapy on prostate cancer, utilizing animal models.

Methods

A mouse model of prostate cancer was established by subcutaneous injection of 1 × 106 Myc-Cap cells on the right side of FVB mice. When the volume of the tumors reached about 400mm3, the mice were randomly divided into four groups and received corresponding intervention treatments. Among them, Group 1 was the blank control group, Group 2 was the simple anti-PD-1 treatment group, Group 3 was the simple radiofrequency ablation group, and Group 4 is the group that received percutaneous radiofrequency ablation combined with anti-PD-1 therapy under ultrasound guidance. The growth of the tumors was observed in mice after treatment in each group, tumor tissues were collected, and the immune status of the mice was analyzed through flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and other methods.

Results

Compared with other treatment groups, ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation combined with anti-PD-1 therapy significantly reduced the weight and volume of the tumors, demonstrating more effective tumor suppression. At the same time, combination therapy can promote the aggregation of T-cells within the tumor and increase the proportion of cytotoxic T-cells, increase the proportion of M1 macrophages and iNOS expression, and decrease the proportion of M2 macrophages and Arg expression in the local area of the tumors.

Conclusion

Local ablation can improve the therapeutic effect of PD-1 monoclonal antibody. Our preliminary results suggest that ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation, in combination with anti-PD-1 treatment, produces synergistic effects. These effects may be driven by changes in immune cell populations within the tumor's immunosuppressive microenvironment.

Combining serum biomarkers and MRI radiomics to predict treatment outcome after thermal ablation in hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the predictive value of serum alpha - fetoprotein (AFP), lectin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3), and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics in forecasting therapeutic efficacy and prognosis following radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on HCC patients who underwent RFA between January 2019 and December 2023. Clinical and radiologic features of HCC were analyzed. A predictive model was developed using clinical data and radiomic features collected before surgery, with the goal of predicting prognosis after RFA. The predictive performance of the model was evaluated using AUC values in both training and validation cohorts.

RESULTS

A total of 298 HCC patients were included in the study, divided into a good prognosis group (n=145) and a poor prognosis group (n=153). Serum AFP and AFP-L3 levels were significantly higher in the poor prognosis group (P=0.007 and P=0.02, respectively). Independent predictive factors included: AFP-L3 (95% CI -1.228, -1.1.61; P<0.001), AFP (95% CI 0.017, 0.036; P<0.001), intratumoral hemorrhage (95% CI 0.380, 0.581; P<0.001), peritumoral arterial tumor enhancement (95% CI 0.193, 0.534; P<0.001) and low signal intensity around liver and gallbladder tumors (95% CI 0.267, 0.489; P<0.001). The combined clinical-radiological-radiomics model demonstrated superior predictive performance, with AUC value of 0.897 in the training set and 0.841 in the validation set, outperforming individual models and sequences.

CONCLUSION

The integrated clinical-radiological-radiomics model showed excellent predictive performance for the prognosis of HCC patients undergoing RFA, surpassing individual models. Key predictors included serum AFP, AFP-L3 levels, intratumoral hemorrhage, and peritumoral low signal intensity. This multimodal approach offers a promising tool for individualized prognostic assessment and improved clinical decision-making.

Incomplete Thermal Ablation-Induced FOXP4-Mediated Promotion of Malignant Progression in Liver Cancer via NDST2

Purpose

The explosive progression of residual hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following incomplete thermal ablation is challenging, and the underlying mechanisms require further exploration. We investigated the mechanism by which Forkhead box P4 (FOXP4) promotes the malignant transformation of residual HCC cells through N-deacetylase and N-sulfotransferase 2 (NDST2) after incomplete thermal ablation.

Methods

The clinical significance of FOXP4 and NDST2 in HCC was evaluated using big data analysis. FOXP4 expression was detected in clinical samples of HCC. The gene expression levels in an in vitro heat-stressed HCC cell model were determined using quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting. The effects of the genes on heat-stressed HCC cells were investigated using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), scratch, Transwell migration, and invasion assays. Additionally, the regulatory relationship between FOXP4 and NDST2 was validated using the Cleavage Under Targets and Tagmentation (CUT&Tag) experiments and phenotypic assays.

Results

High FOXP4 expression was correlated with liver cancer occurrence and development. In the heat-stressed HCC cell model, downregulating FOXP4 inhibited cancer cell progression. Besides, there was a positive association between FOXP4 and NDST2 in liver cancer. Suppressing FOXP4 reduced NDST2 expression in the heat-stressed HCC cells. Furthermore, reducing NDST2 expression weakened the biological behavior of heat-stressed HCC cells.

Conclusion

FOXP4 and NDST2 are crucial in the incomplete thermal ablation of residual cancer. FOXP4 might regulate the biological progression of residual HCC after incomplete thermal ablation through NDST2.

Burning down the house: Pyroptosis in the tumor microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma

A high mortality rate makes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) a difficult cancer to treat. When surgery is not possible, liver cancer patients are treated with chemotherapy. However, HCC management and treatment are difficult. Sorafenib, which is a first-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma, initially slows disease progression. However, sorafenib resistance limits patient survival. Recent studies have linked HCC to programmed cell death, which has increased researcher interest in therapies targeting cell death. Pyroptosis, which is an inflammatory mode of programmed cell death, may be targeted to treat HCC. Pyroptosis pathways, executors, and effects are examined in this paper. This review summarizes how pyroptosis affects the tumor microenvironment (TME) in HCC, including the role of cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-18 in regulating immune responses. The use of chemotherapies and their ability to induce cancer cell pyroptosis as alternative treatments and combining them with other drugs to reduce side effects is also discussed. In conclusion, we highlight the potential of inducing pyroptosis to treat HCC and suggest ways to improve patient outcomes. Studies on cancer cell pyroptosis may lead to new HCC treatments.

GSDME has prognostic and immunotherapeutic significance in residual hepatocellular carcinoma after insufficient radiofrequency ablation

BACKGROUND

Heat stress can induce programmed cell death (PCD). Pyroptosis is a gasdermin-mediated PCD. This study hypothesized that insufficient radiofrequency ablation (IRFA) induced pyroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and investigated its underlying mechanism and clinical significance.

METHODS

Thermostatic water bath was used to stimulate IRFA in vitro. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay. IL-1β and HMGB1 were measured by ELISA assay. LDH level was measured by LDH cytotoxicity detection kit. Permeability of cell membrane was assessed by Hoechst33342/PI fluorescence staining. RNA expression was evaluated by qRT-PCR, and protein was assessed by Western Blotting or immunofluorescence or immunohistochemistry. Gene expression with clinicopathological characteristics from HCC patients treated by RFA were analyzed for associations between GSDME expression and prognosis.

RESULTS

Our study revealed that IRFA induced pyroptosis in HCCLM3 and HepG2 cells. GSDME, rather than GSDMD, was cleaved in heat stress-induced pyroptosis in HCCLM3 and HepG2 cells due to caspase-3 activation. However, GSDME overexpression promoted HCC growth in vivo and predicted poor PFS and OS in HCC patients treated by RFA. Heat stress modulated gene expression related to PD-L1 signaling and caspase inhibitors inhibited heat-induced PD-L1 expression in residual HCC after IRFA. Gsdme overexpression caused resistance to PD-L1 inhibitor in residual HCC after IRFA by increasing infiltrating of CD3+PD-1+ or CD3+CTLA-4+ exhausted T cells.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicated that GSDME could serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and help to prescribe personalized sequential immunotherapy for HCC patients receiving RFA.

Photothermal Conversion of Hydrogel-Based Biomaterial

Traditional energy from fossil fuels like petroleum and coal is limited and contributes to global environmental pollution and climate change. Developing sustainable and eco-friendly energy is crucial for addressing significant challenges such as climate change, energy dilemma and achieving the long-term development of human society. Biomass hydrogels, which are easily synthesized and modified, have diverse sources and can be designed for different applications. They are being extensively researched for their applications in artificial intelligence, flexible sensing, biomedicine, and food packaging. The article summarizes recent advances in the preparation and applications of biomass-based photothermal conversion hydrogels, discussing the light source, photothermal agents, matrix, and preparation methods in detail. It also explores the use of these hydrogels in seawater desalination, photothermal therapy, antibacterial agents, and light-activated materials, offering new ideas for developing sustainable, efficient, and advanced photothermal conversion biomass hydrogel materials. The article concludes with suggestions for future research, highlighting the challenges and prospects in this field and paving the way for developing of long-lasting, efficient energy materials.

Mechanisms and therapeutic strategies to combat the recurrence and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma after thermal ablation

Thermal ablation (TA), including radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA), has become the main treatment for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to advantages such as safety and minimal invasiveness. However, HCC is prone to local recurrence, with more aggressive malignancies after TA closely related to TA-induced changes in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and remodeling of the tumor microenvironment (TME). According to many studies, various components of the TME undergo complex changes after TA, such as the recruitment of innate and adaptive immune cells, the release of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and various cytokines, the formation of a hypoxic microenvironment, and tumor angiogenesis. Changes in the TME after TA can partly enhance the anti-tumor immune response; however, this response is weak to kill the tumor completely. Certain components of the TME can induce an immunosuppressive microenvironment through complex interactions, leading to tumor recurrence and progression. How the TME is remodeled after TA and the mechanism by which the TME promotes HCC recurrence and progression are unclear. Thus, in this review, we focused on these issues to highlight potentially effective strategies for reducing and preventing the recurrence and progression of HCC after TA.

Autocrine regulation of tumor cell repopulation by Hsp70-HMGB1 alarmin complex

BACKGROUND

Cancer recurrence is regulated by a variety of factors, among which is the material of dying tumor cells; it is suggested that remaining after anti-cancer therapy tumor cells receive a signal from proteins called damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), one of which is heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70).

METHODS

Two models of tumor repopulation were employed, based on minimal population of cancer cells and application of conditioned medium (CM). To deplete the CMs of Hsp70 affinity chromatography on ATP-agarose and immunoprecipitation were used. Cell proliferation and the dynamics of cell growth were measured using MTT assay and xCELLigence technology; cell growth markers were estimated using qPCR and with the aid of ELISA for prostaglandin E detection. Immunoprecipitation followed by mass-spectrometry was employed to identify Hsp70-binding proteins and protein-protein interaction assays were developed to reveal the above protein complexes.

RESULTS

It was found that CM of dying tumor cells contains tumor regrowth-initiating factors and the removal of one of them, Hsp70, caused a reduction in the relapse-activating capacity. The pull out of Hsp70 alone using ATP-agarose had no effect on repopulation, while the immunodepletion of Hsp70 dramatically reduced its repopulation activity. Using proteomic and immunochemical approaches, we showed that Hsp70 in conditioned medium binds and binds another abundant alarmin, the High Mobility Group B1 (HMGB1) protein; the complex is formed in tumor cells treated with anti-cancer drugs, persists in the cytosol and is further released from dying tumor cells. Recurrence-activating power of Hsp70-HMGB1 complex was proved by the enhanced expression of proliferation markers, Ki67, Aurka and MCM-10 as well as by increase of prostaglandin E production and autophagy activation. Accordingly, dissociating the complex with Hsp70 chaperone inhibitors significantly inhibited the pro-growth effects of the above complex, in both in vitro and in vivo tumor relapse models.

CONCLUSIONS

These data led us to suggest that the abundance of the Hsp70-HMGB1 complex in the extracellular matrix may serve as a novel marker of relapse state in cancer patients, while specific targeting of the complex may be promising in the treatment of cancers with a high risk of recurrence.