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Kim T, Lim H, Jun S, Park J, Lee D, Lee JH, Lee JY, Bang D. Globally shared TCR repertoires within the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes of patients with metastatic gynecologic cancer. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20485. [PMID: 37993659 PMCID: PMC10665396 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47740-2] [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: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Gynecologic cancer, including ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer, is characterized by morphological and molecular heterogeneity. Germline and somatic testing are available for patients to screen for pathogenic variants in genes such as BRCA1/2. Tissue expression levels of immunogenomic markers such as PD-L1 are also being used in clinical research. The basic therapeutic approach to gynecologic cancer combines surgery with chemotherapy. Immunotherapy, while not yet a mainstream treatment for gynecologic cancers, is advancing, with Dostarlimab recently receiving approval as a treatment for endometrial cancer. The goal remains to harness stimulated immune cells in the bloodstream to eradicate multiple metastases, a feat currently deemed challenging in a typical clinical setting. For the discovery of novel immunotherapy-based tumor targets, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) give a key insight on tumor-related immune activities by providing T cell receptor (TCR) sequences. Understanding the TCR repertoires of TILs in metastatic tissues and the circulation is important from an immunotherapy standpoint, as a subset of T cells in the blood have the potential to help kill tumor cells. To explore the relationship between distant tissue biopsy regions and blood circulation, we investigated the TCR beta chain (TCRβ) in bulk tumor and matched blood samples from 39 patients with gynecologic cancer. We found that the TCR clones of TILs at different tumor sites were globally shared within patients and had high overlap with the TCR clones in peripheral blood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taehoon Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Korea
| | - Hyeonseob Lim
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Korea
| | - Soyeong Jun
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Korea
| | - Junsik Park
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Korea
| | - Dongin Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Korea
| | - Ji Hyun Lee
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 02447, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Kyung Hee Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 02447, Korea
| | - Jung-Yun Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Korea.
| | - Duhee Bang
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Korea.
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2
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Raza A. Metabolomics: a systems biology approach for enhancing heat stress tolerance in plants. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2022; 41:741-763. [PMID: 33251564 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-020-02635-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Comprehensive metabolomic investigations provide a large set of stress-related metabolites and metabolic pathways, advancing crops under heat stress conditions. Metabolomics-assisted breeding, including mQTL and mGWAS boosted our understanding of improving numerous quantitative traits under heat stress. During the past decade, metabolomics has emerged as a fascinating scientific field that includes documentation, evaluation of metabolites, and chemical methods for cell monitoring programs in numerous plant species. A comprehensive metabolome profiling allowed the investigator to handle the comprehensive data groups of metabolites and the equivalent metabolic pathways in an extraordinary manner. Metabolomics, together with transcriptomics, plays an influential role in discovering connections between stress and genes/metabolite, phenotyping, and biomarkers documentation. Further, it helps to decode several metabolic systems connected with heat stress (HS) tolerance in plants. Heat stress is a critical environmental factor that is globally affecting the growth and productivity of plants. Thus, there is an urgent need to exploit modern breeding and biotechnological tools like metabolomics to develop cultivars with improved HS tolerance. Several studies have reported that amino acids, carbohydrates, nitrogen metabolisms, etc. and metabolites involved in the biosynthesis and catalyzing actions play a game-changing role in HS response and help plants to cope with the HS. The use of metabolomics-assisted breeding (MAB) allows a well-organized transmission of higher yield and HS tolerance at the metabolome level with specific properties. Progressive metabolomics systematic techniques have accelerated metabolic profiling. Nonetheless, continuous developments in bioinformatics, statistical tools, and databases are allowing us to produce ever-progressing, comprehensive insights into the biochemical configuration of plants and by what means this is inclined by genetic and environmental cues. Currently, assimilating metabolomics with post-genomic platforms has allowed a significant division of genetic-phenotypic connotation in several plant species. This review highlights the potential of a state-of-the-art plant metabolomics approach for the improvement of crops under HS. The development of plants with specific properties using integrated omics (metabolomics and transcriptomics) and MAB can provide new directions for future research to enhance HS tolerance in plants to achieve a goal of "zero hunger".
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Raza
- Key Lab of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Wuhan, 430062, China.
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3
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Assidi M, Jafri MA, Abu-Elmagd M, N Pushparaj P, Saddick S, Messaoudi S, Alkhatabi H, Al-Maghrabi J, Anfinan N, Sait M, El Omri A, Sait H, Basalamah H, Buhmeida A, Sait K. Prognostic value of E-Cadherin and its tumor suppressor role in Saudi women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. Libyan J Med 2021; 16:1994741. [PMID: 34720069 PMCID: PMC8567888 DOI: 10.1080/19932820.2021.1994741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) disruption and cytoskeleton reorganization are crucial events in tumor proliferation and invasion. E-Cadherin (E-CAD) is a member of cell adhesion molecules involved in cell-cell junctions and ECM stability. The loss of E-CAD expression is associated with cancer progression and metastasis. This retrospective study aimed to assess E-CAD protein expression in ovarian cancer (OC) tissues and to evaluate its prognostic value. Patients and Methods: 143 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks of primary advanced stages OC were retrieved and used to construct Tissue microarrays. Automated immunohistochemistry technique was performed to evaluate E-CAD protein expression patterns in OC. Results: E-CAD protein expression was significantly correlated with OC histological subtype (p < 0.0001), while borderline significant correlations were observed with both tumor grade (p = 0.06) and stage (p = 0.07). Interestingly, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that OC patients with membranous E-CAD expression survived longer than those with no E-CAD expression mainly those at advanced stages (p < 0.009). Further in silico analysis confirms the key roles of E-CAD in OC molecular functions. Conclusion: we reported a prognosis value of membranous E-CAD in advanced stage OC patients. Further validation using larger cohorts is recommended to extract clinically relevant outcomes towards better OC management and individualized oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mourad Assidi
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.,Medical Laboratory Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Alam Jafri
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.,Medical Laboratory Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Abu-Elmagd
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.,Medical Laboratory Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Peter N Pushparaj
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.,Medical Laboratory Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Salina Saddick
- Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Safia Messaoudi
- Forensic Biology Department, Naïf Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Heba Alkhatabi
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.,Medical Laboratory Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jaudah Al-Maghrabi
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nisreen Anfinan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maram Sait
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdelfatteh El Omri
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Hesham Sait
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hussain Basalamah
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdelbaset Buhmeida
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Sait
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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4
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Luu GT, Sanchez LM. Toward improvement of screening through mass spectrometry-based proteomics: ovarian cancer as a case study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY 2021; 469:116679. [PMID: 34744497 PMCID: PMC8570641 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijms.2021.116679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths affecting United States women. Early-stage detection of ovarian cancer has been linked to increased survival, however, current screening methods, such as biomarker testing, have proven to be ineffective in doing so. Therefore, further developments are necessary to be able to achieve positive patient prognosis. Ongoing efforts are being made in biomarker discovery towards clinical applications in screening for early-stage ovarian cancer. In this perspective, we discuss and provide examples for several workflows employing mass spectrometry-based proteomics towards protein biomarker discovery and characterization in the context of ovarian cancer; workflows include protein identification and characterization as well as intact protein profiling. We also discuss the opportunities to merge these workflows for a multiplexed approach for biomarkers. Lastly, we provide our insight as to future developments that may serve to enhance biomarker discovery workflows while also considering translational potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon T Luu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High St. Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
| | - Laura M Sanchez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High St. Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
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5
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Watanabe K, Nishikawa H. Engineering strategies for broad application of TCR-T and CAR-T cell therapies. Int Immunol 2021; 33:551-562. [PMID: 34374779 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy, including the transfer of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes after in vitro expansion or T cells redirected to tumor antigens using antigen-specific transgenic T cell receptor T cells (TCR-T cells) or chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells), has shown a significant clinical impact. Particularly, several types of CAR-T cell therapies have been approved for the treatment of hematological malignancies. The striking success of CAR-T cell therapies in hematological malignancies motivates their further expansion to a wide range of solid tumors, yet multiple obstacles, including the lack of proper target antigens exhibiting a tumor-specific expression pattern and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) impairing the effector functions of adoptively transferred T cells, have prevented clinical application. Gene engineering technologies such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system have enabled flexible reprograming of TCR/CAR-T cell signaling or loading genes that are targets of the tumor immunosuppression as a payload to overcome the difficulties. Here, we discuss recent advances in TCR/CAR-T cell engineering: various promising approaches to enhance the antitumor activity of adoptively transferred T cells in the TME for maximizing the efficacy and the safety of adoptive cell therapy are now being tested in the clinic, especially targeting solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Watanabe
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.,Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
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6
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A Novel Two-Lipid Signature Is a Strong and Independent Prognostic Factor in Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13081764. [PMID: 33917079 PMCID: PMC8067677 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Most ovarian cancer patients initially show a response to primary treatments, but the development of refractory disease is a major problem. Currently, there are no blood-based prognostic biomarkers, and the prognosis of a patient is determined by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and residual disease after cytoreductive surgery. In this study, we developed and validated a novel test based on the ratio of two circulatory lipids that enables the prognostic stratification of ovarian cancer patients at the time of diagnosis, prior to any oncological treatments. The translational relevance of this test is to find those patients with poor prognosis early on, and to identify patients that are at high risk of recurrence despite complete cytoreduction. Thus, the test enables the early direction of novel targeted therapies to those ovarian cancer patients at greatest risk of recurrence and death. Abstract Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) generally responds well to oncological treatments, but the eventual development of a refractory disease is a major clinical problem. Presently, there are no prognostic blood-based biomarkers for the stratification of EOC patients at the time of diagnosis. We set out to assess and validate the prognostic utility of a novel two-lipid signature, as the lipidome is known to be markedly aberrant in EOC patients. The study consisted of 499 women with histologically confirmed EOC that were prospectively recruited at the university hospitals in Turku (Finland) and Charité (Berlin, Germany). Lipidomic screening by tandem liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was performed for all baseline serum samples of these patients, and additionally for 20 patients of the Turku cohort at various timepoints. A two-lipid signature, based on the ratio of the ceramide Cer(d18:1/18:0) and phosphatidylcholine PC(O-38:4), showed consistent prognostic performance in all investigated study cohorts. In the Turku cohort, the unadjusted hazard ratios (HRs) per standard deviation (SD) (95% confidence interval) were 1.79 (1.40, 2.29) for overall and 1.40 (1.14, 1.71) for progression-free survival. In a Charité cohort incorporating only stage III completely resected patients, the corresponding HRs were 1.59 (1.08, 2.35) and 1.53 (1.02, 2.30). In linear-mixed models predicting progression of the disease, the two-lipid signature showed higher performance (beta per SD increase 1.99 (1.38, 2.97)) than cancer antigen 125 (CA-125, 1.78 (1.13, 2.87)). The two-lipid signature was able to identify EOC patients with an especially poor prognosis at the time of diagnosis, and also showed promise for the detection of disease relapse.
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7
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Topno R, Singh I, Kumar M, Agarwal P. Integrated bioinformatic analysis identifies UBE2Q1 as a potential prognostic marker for high grade serous ovarian cancer. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:220. [PMID: 33663405 PMCID: PMC7934452 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-07928-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) accounts for nearly 60% of total cases of epithelial ovarian cancer. It is the most aggressive subtype, which shows poor prognosis and low patient survival. For better management of HGSOC patients, new prognostic biomarkers are required to facilitate improved treatment strategies and ensure suitable healthcare decisions. Methods We performed genome wide expression analysis of HGSOC patient samples to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using R based Limma package, Clust and other statistical tools. The identified DEGs were subjected to weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify co-expression patterns of relevant genes. Module trait and gene ontology analyses were performed to establish important gene co-expression networks and their biological functions. Overlapping the most relevant DEG cluster 4 with prominent WGCNA cyan module identified strongest correlation of UBE2Q1 with ovarian cancer and its prognostic significance on survival probability of ovarian cancer patients was investigated. The predictive value of UBE2Q1 as a potential biomarker was analysed by correlating its expression with 12-months relapse free survival of patients in response to platin/taxane, the standard first-line chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, and analysing area under the ROC curve. Results An integrated gene expression analysis and WGCNA, identified UBE2Q1 as a potential prognostic marker associated with poor relapse-free survival and response outcome to platin/taxane treatment of patients with high grade serous ovarian cancer. Conclusions Our study identifies a potential UBE2Q1 – B4GALT3 functional axis in ovarian cancer, where only the E2 conjugating enzyme showed a poor prognostic impact on the disease. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-07928-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Topno
- Amity Food and Agriculture Foundation, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector 125, Noida, 201313, India.,Present Address: Institut de Génétique Humaine, Montpellier, France
| | - Ibha Singh
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector 125, Noida, 201313, India
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Amity Food and Agriculture Foundation, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector 125, Noida, 201313, India.
| | - Pallavi Agarwal
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector 125, Noida, 201313, India.
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8
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Yang H, Gao L, Zhang M, Ning N, Wang Y, Wu D, Li X. Identification and Analysis of An Epigenetically Regulated Five-lncRNA Signature Associated With Outcome and Chemotherapy Response in Ovarian Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:644940. [PMID: 33708773 PMCID: PMC7940383 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.644940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The deregulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) by epigenetic alterations has been implicated in cancer initiation and progression. However, the epigenetically regulated lncRNAs and their association with clinical outcome and therapeutic response in ovarian cancer (OV) remain poorly investigated. This study performed an integrative analysis of DNA methylation data and transcriptome data and identified 419 lncRNAs as potential epigenetically regulated lncRNAs. Using machine-learning and multivariate Cox regression analysis methods, we identified and developed an epigenetically regulated lncRNA expression signature (EpiLncRNASig) consisting of five lncRNAs from the list of 17 epigenetically regulated lncRNAs significantly associated with outcome. The EpiLncRNASig could stratify patients into high-risk groups and low-risk groups with significantly different survival and chemotherapy response in different patient cohorts. Multivariate Cox regression analyses, after adjusted by other clinical features and treatment response, demonstrated the independence of the DEpiLncSig in predicting survival. Functional analysis for relevant protein-coding genes of the DEpiLncSig indicated enrichment of known immune-related or cancer-related biological pathways. Taken together, our study not only provides a promising prognostic biomarker for predicting outcome and chemotherapy response but also will improve our understanding of lncRNA epigenetic regulation mechanisms in OV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Inner Mongolia Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated People's Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Lin Gao
- Institute for Endemic Fluorosis Control, Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Meiling Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Ning Ning
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaomei Li
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
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9
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Di Fiore R, Suleiman S, Ellul B, O’Toole SA, Savona-Ventura C, Felix A, Napolioni V, Conlon NT, Kahramanoglu I, Azzopardi MJ, Dalmas M, Calleja N, Brincat MR, Muscat-Baron Y, Sabol M, Dimitrievska V, Yordanov A, Vasileva-Slaveva M, von Brockdorff K, Micallef RA, Kubelac P, Achimas-Cadariu P, Vlad C, Tzortzatou O, Poka R, Giordano A, Felice A, Reed N, Herrington CS, Faraggi D, Calleja-Agius J. GYNOCARE Update: Modern Strategies to Improve Diagnosis and Treatment of Rare Gynecologic Tumors—Current Challenges and Future Directions. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030493. [PMID: 33514073 PMCID: PMC7865420 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary More than 50% of all the tumors affecting the female genital tract can be classified as rare and usually have a poor prognosis owing to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Currently, gynecologic cancer research, due to distinct scientific and technological challenges, is lagging behind. Moreover, the overall efforts for addressing these challenges are fragmented across different countries. The European Network for Gynecological Rare Cancer Research: GYNOCARE aims to address these challenges by creating a unique network between key stakeholders covering distinct domains from basic research to cure. GYNOCARE is part of a European Collaboration in Science and Technology (COST) with the aim to focus on the development of new approaches to improve the diagnosis and treatment of rare gynecological tumors. Here, we provide a brief overview describing the goals of this COST Action and its future challenges with the aim to continue fighting against this rare cancer. Abstract More than 50% of all gynecologic tumors can be classified as rare (defined as an incidence of ≤6 per 100,000 women) and usually have a poor prognosis owing to delayed diagnosis and treatment. In contrast to almost all other common solid tumors, the treatment of rare gynecologic tumors (RGT) is often based on expert opinion, retrospective studies, or extrapolation from other tumor sites with similar histology, leading to difficulty in developing guidelines for clinical practice. Currently, gynecologic cancer research, due to distinct scientific and technological challenges, is lagging behind. Moreover, the overall efforts for addressing these challenges are fragmented across different European countries and indeed, worldwide. The GYNOCARE, COST Action CA18117 (European Network for Gynecological Rare Cancer Research) programme aims to address these challenges through the creation of a unique network between key stakeholders covering distinct domains from concept to cure: basic research on RGT, biobanking, bridging with industry, and setting up the legal and regulatory requirements for international innovative clinical trials. On this basis, members of this COST Action, (Working Group 1, “Basic and Translational Research on Rare Gynecological Cancer”) have decided to focus their future efforts on the development of new approaches to improve the diagnosis and treatment of RGT. Here, we provide a brief overview of the current state-of-the-art and describe the goals of this COST Action and its future challenges with the aim to stimulate discussion and promote synergy across scientists engaged in the fight against this rare cancer worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Di Fiore
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta; (R.D.F.); (S.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology, Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA;
| | - Sherif Suleiman
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta; (R.D.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Bridget Ellul
- Centre for Molecular Medicine & Biobanking, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta;
| | - Sharon A. O’Toole
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Histopathology, Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 8, Ireland;
| | - Charles Savona-Ventura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta;
| | - Ana Felix
- Department of Pathology, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, Instituto Portugues de Oncologia de Lisboa, NOVA Medical School, UNL, 130, 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal;
| | - Valerio Napolioni
- Genomic And Molecular Epidemiology (GAME) Lab., School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy;
| | - Neil T. Conlon
- National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, 9 Dublin, Ireland;
| | - Ilker Kahramanoglu
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Emsey Hospital, Istanbul 3400, Turkey;
| | - Miriam J. Azzopardi
- Directorate for Health Information and Research, PTA 1313 G’Mangia, Malta; (M.J.A.); (N.C.)
| | - Miriam Dalmas
- Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Department of Policy in Health, Ministry for Health, 15 Merchants Street, VLT 1171 Valletta, Malta;
| | - Neville Calleja
- Directorate for Health Information and Research, PTA 1313 G’Mangia, Malta; (M.J.A.); (N.C.)
| | - Mark R. Brincat
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mater Dei Hospital, Triq Dun Karm, MSD 2090 Msida, Malta; (M.R.B.); (Y.M.-B.)
| | - Yves Muscat-Baron
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mater Dei Hospital, Triq Dun Karm, MSD 2090 Msida, Malta; (M.R.B.); (Y.M.-B.)
| | - Maja Sabol
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | | | - Angel Yordanov
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Medical University Pleven, 5800 Pleven, Bulgaria;
| | | | - Kristelle von Brockdorff
- Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre, Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Mater Dei Hospital, MSD 2090 Msida, Malta; (K.v.B.); (R.A.M.)
| | - Rachel A. Micallef
- Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre, Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Mater Dei Hospital, MSD 2090 Msida, Malta; (K.v.B.); (R.A.M.)
| | - Paul Kubelac
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuţă”. 34–36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Department of Oncology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (P.A.-C.); (C.V.)
| | - Patriciu Achimas-Cadariu
- Department of Oncology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (P.A.-C.); (C.V.)
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Catalin Vlad
- Department of Oncology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (P.A.-C.); (C.V.)
- Department of Surgery, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Olga Tzortzatou
- Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Soranou Efesiou 4 str., 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Robert Poka
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt. 98, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Center for Biotechnology, Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA;
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Alex Felice
- Centre of Molecular Medicine and BioBanking, Department of Physiology & Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine & Surgery, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta;
| | - Nicholas Reed
- Beatson Oncology Centre, Gartnavel General Hospital, 1053 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 0YN, UK;
| | - C. Simon Herrington
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK;
| | - David Faraggi
- Department of Statistics, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel;
| | - Jean Calleja-Agius
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta; (R.D.F.); (S.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +356-2340-1892
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10
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Li H, Zang Y, Wang C, Li H, Fan A, Han C, Xue F. The Interaction Between Microorganisms, Metabolites, and Immune System in the Female Genital Tract Microenvironment. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:609488. [PMID: 33425785 PMCID: PMC7785791 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.609488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The female reproductive tract microenvironment includes microorganisms, metabolites, and immune components, and the balance of the interactions among them plays an important role in maintaining female reproductive tract homeostasis and health. When any one of the reproductive tract microorganisms, metabolites, or immunity is out of balance, it will affect the other two, leading to the occurrence and development of diseases and the appearance of corresponding symptoms and signs, such as infertility, miscarriage, premature delivery, and gynecological tumors caused by infectious diseases of the reproductive tract. Nutrients in the female reproductive tract provide symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms with a source of nutrients for their own reproduction and utilization. At the same time, this interaction with the host forms a variety of metabolites. Changes in metabolites in the host reproductive tract are related not only to the interaction between the host and microbiota under dysbiosis but also to changes in host immunity or the environment, all of which will participate in the pathogenesis of diseases and lead to disease-related phenotypes. Microorganisms and their metabolites can also interact with host immunity, activate host immunity, and change the host immune status and are closely related to persistent genital pathogen infections, aggravation of infectious diseases, severe pregnancy outcomes, and even gynecological cancers. Therefore, studying the interaction between microorganisms, metabolites, and immunity in the reproductive tract cannot only reveal the pathogenic mechanisms that lead to inflammation of the reproductive tract, adverse pregnancy outcomes and tumorigenesis but also provide a basis for further research on the diagnosis and treatment of targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanrong Li
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenic, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuqin Zang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenic, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenic, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Huiyang Li
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenic, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Aiping Fan
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenic, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Cha Han
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenic, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Fengxia Xue
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.,Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenic, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
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11
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Tsonis O, Gkrozou F, Vlachos K, Paschopoulos M, Mitsis MC, Zakynthinakis-Kyriakou N, Boussios S, Pappas-Gogos G. Upfront debulking surgery for high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma: current evidence. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2020; 8:1707. [PMID: 33490219 PMCID: PMC7812243 DOI: 10.21037/atm-20-1620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is a leading cause of mortality among women worldwide. Currently, there is no clear consensus over the regime these patients should receive. The main two options are upfront debulking surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy or neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery (IDS). The former approach is proposed to be accompanied by lower chemoresistance rates but could lead to severe surgical comorbidities and lower quality of life (QoL). Optimizing patient’s selection for upfront debulking surgery might offer higher progression-free and overall survival rates. Further studies need to be conducted in order to elucidate the predictive factors, which are favorable for patients undergoing upfront debulking surgery in cases of high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orestis Tsonis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Fani Gkrozou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Konstantinos Vlachos
- Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Minas Paschopoulos
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Michail C Mitsis
- Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | | | - Stergios Boussios
- Department of Medical Oncology, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Gillingham, Kent, UK.,AELIA Organization, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - George Pappas-Gogos
- Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
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12
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Boussios S, Pavlidis N. Ovarian cancer: state of the art and perspectives of clinical research. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2020; 8:1702. [PMID: 33490214 PMCID: PMC7812238 DOI: 10.21037/atm-2020-oc-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stergios Boussios
- Department of Medical Oncology, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Windmill Road, ME7 5NY, Gillingham, Kent, UK.,AELIA Organization, 9th Km Thessaloniki - Thermi, 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Nicholas Pavlidis
- Medical School, University of Ioannina, Stavros Niarchou Avenue, 45110, Ioannina, Greece
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13
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Huang M, Qin X, Wang Y, Mao F. Identification of AK4 as a novel therapeutic target for serous ovarian cancer. Oncol Lett 2020; 20:346. [PMID: 33123257 PMCID: PMC7583734 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.12209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to assess the expression level of adenylate kinase 4 (AK4) in human serous ovarian cancer (SOC) tissues and investigate the possible involvement of AK4 in SOC progression. Bioinformatics analysis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and immunohistochemical (IHC) assays were performed to assess the expression level of AK4 in human SOC tissues. Clinical pathological features of patients with SOC were also evaluated. Colony formation, MTT, wound healing and Transwell assays were conducted to investigate the effects of AK4 on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SOC cells in vitro. Mouse xenograft and lung metastasis models were developed to evaluate the effects of AK4 on tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. High expression levels of AK4 were identified in human SOC tissues compared with in normal tissues according to TCGA database and the results of IHC assays. A contribution of AK4 to tumor growth and metastasis of SOC cells in vivo was also shown. The present study confirmed the involvement of AK4 in the progression of SOC, and the results indicated that AK4 could serve as a novel therapeutic target for SOC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minmin Huang
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222023, P.R. China
| | - Xinlei Qin
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222023, P.R. China
| | - Yuwei Wang
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222023, P.R. China
| | - Furong Mao
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222023, P.R. China
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14
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Tong L, Wang Y, Ao Y, Sun X. CREB1 induced lncRNA HAS2-AS1 promotes epithelial ovarian cancer proliferation and invasion via the miR-466/RUNX2 axis. Biomed Pharmacother 2019; 115:108891. [PMID: 31082772 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2019.108891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has indicated the vital roles of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in the epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). However, the function of lncRNA HAS2-AS1 in EOC is still unclear. This study aims to investigate the expression and role of HAS2-AS1 in EOC. In the cells and tissue of EOC, HAS2-AS1 expression was markedly up-regulated. Besides, the overexpression of HAS2-AS1 indicated the poor clinical outcome of EOC patients. Transcription factor CREB1 could bind with the promoter of HAS2-AS1 and activate its transcriptional expression. Functionally, HAS2-AS1 knockdown suppressed the proliferation, invasion and tumor growth of EOC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanical investigation found that HAS2-AS1 could relive the RUNX2 protein expression via sponging the miR-466, acting as miRNA sponge. In conclusion, this finding suggests the CREB1/HAS2-AS1/miR-466/RUNX2 axis in the in the EOC tumorigenesis, providing the novel insight for the molecular mechanism of EOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Tong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Yunyun Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Yu Ao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Xiaochun Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
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15
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Cho Y, Milane L, Amiji MM. Genetic and epigenetic strategies for advancing ovarian cancer immunotherapy. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2019; 19:547-560. [DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2019.1602605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Youngwoo Cho
- School of Pharmacy, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lara Milane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mansoor M. Amiji
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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