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Yuan Y, Wu D, Hou Y, Zhang Y, Tan C, Nie X, Zhao Z, Hou J. Wnt signaling: Modulating tumor-associated macrophages and related immunotherapeutic insights. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 223:116154. [PMID: 38513742 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Wnt signaling pathways are highly conserved cascades that mediate multiple biological processes through canonical or noncanonical pathways, from embryonic development to tissue maintenance, but they also contribute to the pathogenesis of numerous cancers. Recent studies have revealed that Wnt signaling pathways critically control the interplay between cancer cells and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and potentially impact the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we summarize the evidence that Wnt signaling pathways boost the maturation and infiltration of macrophages for immune surveillance in the steady state but also polarize TAMs toward immunosuppressive M2-like phenotypes for immune escape in the TME. Both cancer cells and TAMs utilize Wnt signaling to transmit signals, and this interaction is crucial for the carcinogenesis and progression of common solid cancers, such as colorectal, gastric, hepatocellular, breast, thyroid, prostate, kidney, and lung cancers; osteosarcoma; and glioma. Specifically, compared with those in solid cancers, Wnt signaling pathways play a distinct role in the pathogenesis of leukemia. Efforts to develop Wnt-based drugs for cancer treatment are still ongoing, and some indeed enhance the anticancer immune response. We believe that the combination of Wnt signaling-based therapy with conventional or immune therapies is a promising therapeutic approach and can facilitate personalized treatment for most cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimeng Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Receptors-Mediated Gene Regulation and Drug Discovery, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Dapeng Wu
- Key Laboratory of Receptors-Mediated Gene Regulation and Drug Discovery, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Yifan Hou
- Key Laboratory of Receptors-Mediated Gene Regulation and Drug Discovery, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Receptors-Mediated Gene Regulation and Drug Discovery, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Cong Tan
- Key Laboratory of Receptors-Mediated Gene Regulation and Drug Discovery, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Xiaobo Nie
- Key Laboratory of Receptors-Mediated Gene Regulation and Drug Discovery, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China; Henan Provincial Research Center for the Prevention and Diagnosis of Prostate Diseases, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
| | - Zhenhua Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Receptors-Mediated Gene Regulation and Drug Discovery, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Urinary Surgery, Huaihe Hospital, Henan University, Kaifeng, China; Henan Provincial Research Center for the Prevention and Diagnosis of Prostate Diseases, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
| | - Junqing Hou
- Kaifeng 155 Hospital, China RongTong Medical Healthcare Group Co. Ltd., Kaifeng, China; Henan Provincial Research Center for the Prevention and Diagnosis of Prostate Diseases, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
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Sung EA, Song S, Park MH, Kelly L, Harada H, Chae WJ. Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 ablation in macrophages differentially inhibits lung injury-mediated inflammation and metastasis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 695:149441. [PMID: 38176174 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.149441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) is a receptor protein for Wnt ligands. Yet, their role in immune cell regulation remains elusive. Here we demonstrated that genetic deletion of LRP6 in macrophages using LysM-cre Lrp6fl/fl (Lrp6MKO) mice showed differential inhibition of inflammation in the bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung injury model and B16F10 melanoma lung metastasis model. Lrp6MKO mice showed normal immune cell populations in the lung and circulating blood in homeostatic conditions. In the BLM-induced lung injury model, Lrp6MKO mice showed a decreased number of monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages, reduced collagen deposition and alpha-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) protein levels in the lung. In B16F10 lung metastasis model, Lrp6MKO mice reduced lung tumor foci. Monocytic and granulocytic-derived myeloid-derived suppressor cells (M-MDSCs and G-MDSCs) were increased in the lung. In G-MDSCs, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α)+ PDL1+ population was markedly decreased but not in M-MDSCs. Taken together, our results show that the role of LRP6 in macrophages is differential depending on the inflammation microenvironment in the lung.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Ah Sung
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - SuJeong Song
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Min Hee Park
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Lucianna Kelly
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Hisashi Harada
- Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States; Phillips Institute for Oral Health Research, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Wook-Jin Chae
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States; Phillips Institute for Oral Health Research, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, Richmond, VA, United States.
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LU R, LI Y, XIEYIDAI A, YU T, FENG Y. [Exploring the Role of DKK1 in the Occurrence of Lung Adenocarcinoma Based on the Analysis of Bioinformatics]. ZHONGGUO FEI AI ZA ZHI = CHINESE JOURNAL OF LUNG CANCER 2023; 26:579-590. [PMID: 37752538 PMCID: PMC10558759 DOI: 10.3779/j.issn.1009-3419.2023.101.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lung cancer is the most common malignant tumor in China, lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the main type of lung cancer, which is a serious threat to people's life and health. At present, there are fewer studies on the role of Dikkopf1 (DKK1) in lung adenocarcinoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the role and potential prognostic value of DKK1 in the development of lung adenocarcinoma by bioinformatics methods. METHODS Several databases, such as genotype-tissue expression (GTEx), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and tumor-immune system interactions database (TISIDB), were used to analyze the expression, clinicopathological features, immune cell infiltration, prognosis and methylation of DKK1 in lung adenocarcinoma. Then, linked immune cell infiltration Omics database was used to analyze the co-expressed genes of DKK1 and their functional enrichment. Finally, 59 pathological samples of paraffin-embedded lung adenocarcinoma patients who underwent surgery at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University between 2016 and 2017 were collected for the validation of the prognostic value of expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) test. RESULTS The results of bioconfidence analysis showed that the expression level of DKK1 in lung adenocarcinoma tissues was higher than that in normal tissues, the expression in advanced cancers was higher than that in early stages, and the experimental validation revealed that among 59 cases of lung adenocarcinoma, there were 15 cases of negative expression (25.4%), 18 cases of weakly positive expression (30.5%), and 26 cases of strongly positive expression (44.1%). The different expression of DKK1 is related to methylation, prognosis and the activities of various immune cells. Functional enrichment shows that DKK1 may be involved in skin development and cell-substrate junction, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis shows that DKK1 is related to ABC transporters. Bioinformatics analysis and clinical case specimens showed that high DKK1 expression was associated with poorer prognosis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS High expression of DKK1 in lung adenocarcinoma is associated with poor prognosis. DKK1 is closely associated with tumor immune cell infiltration and pathways. DKK1 can be considered as a potential prognostic marker and a novel target for immunotherapy of lung adenocarcinoma.
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Lozano E, Sanchon-Sanchez P, Morente-Carrasco A, Chinchilla-Tábora LM, Mauriz JL, Fernández-Palanca P, Marin JJG, Macias RIR. Impact of Aberrant β-Catenin Pathway on Cholangiocarcinoma Heterogeneity. Cells 2023; 12:cells12081141. [PMID: 37190050 DOI: 10.3390/cells12081141] [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: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The poor prognosis of most cases of advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) constitutes a severe problem in modern oncology, which is aggravated by the fact that the incidence of this liver cancer is increasing worldwide and is often diagnosed late, when surgical removal is not feasible. The difficulty of dealing with this deadly tumor is augmented by the heterogeneity of CCA subtypes and the complexity of mechanisms involved in enhanced proliferation, apoptosis avoidance, chemoresistance, invasiveness, and metastasis that characterize CCA. Among the regulatory processes implicated in developing these malignant traits, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays a pivotal role. Alteration of β-catenin expression and subcellular localization has been associated with worse outcomes in some CCA subtypes. This heterogeneity, which also affects cellular and in vivo models commonly used to study CCA biology and anticancer drug development, must be taken into account for CCA investigation to more accurately extrapolate basic laboratory research to the clinical situation. A better understanding of the altered Wnt/β-catenin pathway in relationship with the heterogeneous forms of CCA is mandatory for developing novel diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies for patients suffering from this lethal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Lozano
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Sanchon-Sanchez
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Morente-Carrasco
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Area of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Rey Juan Carlos, 28032 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - José L Mauriz
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Paula Fernández-Palanca
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Jose J G Marin
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocio I R Macias
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Doucet D, Brubaker C, Turner D, Gregory CA. Factors affecting the role of canonical Wnt inhibitor Dickkopf-1 in cancer progression. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1114822. [PMID: 37007131 PMCID: PMC10050559 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1114822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe canonical Wnt inhibitor Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) has the capacity to modulate homeostasis between canonical and non-canonical Wnt pathways and also signal independently of Wnt. The specific effects of Dkk-1 activity on tumor physiology are therefore unpredictable with examples of Dkk-1 serving as either a driver or suppressor of malignancy. Given that Dkk-1 blockade may serve as a potential treatment for some types of cancer, we questioned whether it is possible to predict the role of Dkk-1 on tumor progression based on the tissue origin of the tumor.MethodsOriginal research articles that described Dkk-1 in terms a tumor suppressor or driver of cancer growth were identified. To determine the association between tumor developmental origin and the role of Dkk-1, a logistic regression was performed. The Cancer Genome Atlas database was interrogated for survival statistics based on tumor Dkk-1 expression.ResultsWe report that Dkk-1 is statistically more likely to serve as a suppressor in tumors arising from the ectoderm (p = 0.0198) or endoderm (p = 0.0334) but more likely to serve as a disease driver in tumors of mesodermal origin (p = 0.0155). Survival analyses indicated that in cases where Dkk-1 expression could be stratified, high Dkk-1 expression is usually associated with poor prognosis. This in part may be due to pro-tumorigenic role Dkk-1 plays on tumor cells but also through its influence on immunomodulatory and angiogenic processes in the tumor stroma.ConclusionDkk-1 has a context-specific dual role as a tumor suppressor or driver. Dkk-1 is significantly more likely to serve as a tumor suppressor in tumors arising from ectoderm and endoderm while the converse is true for mesodermal tumors. Patient survival data indicated high Dkk-1 expression is generally a poor prognostic indicator. These findings provide further support for the importance of Dkk-1 as a therapeutic cancer target in some cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dakota Doucet
- Medical Sciences Program, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Connor Brubaker
- Department of Statistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Donald Turner
- Department of Statistics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Carl A. Gregory
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX, United States
- *Correspondence: Carl A. Gregory,
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