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Holkom M, Yang X, Li R, Chen Y, Zhao H, Shang Z. Fibroblast regulates angiogenesis in assembled oral cancer organoid: A possible role of NNMT. Oral Dis 2024. [PMID: 38566601 DOI: 10.1111/odi.14945] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Tumour angiogenesis is affected by various cell types in the tumour microenvironment (TME), including cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Here, an assembled organoid model was generated to investigate the mechanism by which the TME regulates angiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS Secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) was analysed to compare the proangiogenic properties of OSCC cells and corresponding CAFs. Cell aggregates consisting of endothelial cells (ECs), CAFs and cancer cells were generated to construct assembled organoids. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) was pharmacologically or genetically inhibited to block the activation of CAFs. ATAC-seq was employed to test the transcriptional network of fibroblasts overexpressing NNMT. RESULTS Compared with cancer cells, CAFs secreted more VEGFA. Coculture with CAFs more effectively promoted the sprouting of ECs. Blockade of CAF activation via inhibition of NNMT drastically reduced the expression of CD31 in the assembled organoids. Overexpression of NNMT enhanced the transcription of genes related to angiogenesis in fibroblasts. Specifically, NNMT orchestrated the enrichment of the transcription factor JUNB at the promoter of VEGFA. CONCLUSIONS We clarify that stromal NNMT enables the steady reproduction of angiogenesis in assembled oral cancer organoids, providing a novel target for exploiting antiangiogenic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Holkom
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, School of Stomatology-Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhengjun Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, School of Stomatology-Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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Yang X, Zhao H, Li R, Chen Y, Xu Z, Shang Z. Stromal thrombospondin 1 suppresses angiogenesis in oral submucous fibrosis. Int J Oral Sci 2024; 16:17. [PMID: 38403794 PMCID: PMC10894862 DOI: 10.1038/s41368-024-00286-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
A decline in mucosal vascularity is a histological hallmark of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), a premalignant disease that is largely induced by betel quid chewing. However, the lack of available models has challenged studies of angiogenesis in OSF. Here, we found that the expression of thrombospondin 1 (THBS1), an endogenous angiostatic protein, was elevated in the stroma of tissues with OSF. Using a fibroblast-attached organoid (FAO) model, the overexpression of THBS1 in OSF was stably recapitulated in vitro. In the FAO model, treatment with arecoline, a major pathogenic component in areca nuts, enhanced the secretion of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 by epithelial cells, which then promoted the expression of THBS1 in fibroblasts. Furthermore, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were incorporated into the FAO to mimic the vascularized component. Overexpression of THBS1 in fibroblasts drastically suppressed the sprouting ability of endothelial cells in vascularized FAOs (vFAOs). Consistently, treatment with arecoline reduced the expression of CD31 in vFAOs, and this effect was attenuated when the endothelial cells were preincubated with neutralizing antibody of CD36, a receptor of THBS1. Finally, in an arecoline-induced rat OSF model, THBS1 inhibition alleviated collagen deposition and the decline in vascularity in vivo. Overall, we exploited an assembled organoid model to study OSF pathogenesis and provide a rationale for targeting THBS1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, School of Stomatology-Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhi Xu
- Department of Stomatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Zhengjun Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, School of Stomatology-Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
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Tsukamoto Y, Hirashita Y, Shibata T, Fumoto S, Kurogi S, Nakada C, Kinoshita K, Fuchino T, Murakami K, Inomata M, Moriyama M, Hijiya N. Patient-Derived Ex Vivo Cultures and Endpoint Assays with Surrogate Biomarkers in Functional Testing for Prediction of Therapeutic Response. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4104. [PMID: 37627132 PMCID: PMC10452496 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15164104] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Prediction of therapeutic outcomes is important for cancer patients in order to reduce side effects and improve the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs. Currently, the most widely accepted method for predicting the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs is gene panel testing based on next-generation sequencing. However, gene panel testing has several limitations. For example, only 10% of cancer patients are estimated to have druggable mutations, even if whole-exome sequencing is applied. Additionally, even if optimal drugs are selected, a significant proportion of patients derive no benefit from the indicated drug treatment. Furthermore, most of the anti-cancer drugs selected by gene panel testing are molecularly targeted drugs, and the efficacies of cytotoxic drugs remain difficult to predict. Apart from gene panel testing, attempts to predict chemotherapeutic efficacy using ex vivo cultures from cancer patients have been increasing. Several groups have retrospectively demonstrated correlations between ex vivo drug sensitivity and clinical outcome. For ex vivo culture, surgically resected tumor tissue is the most abundant source. However, patients with recurrent or metastatic tumors do not usually undergo surgery, and chemotherapy may be the only option for those with inoperable tumors. Therefore, predictive methods using small amounts of cancer tissue from diagnostic materials such as endoscopic, fine-needle aspirates, needle cores and liquid biopsies are needed. To achieve this, various types of ex vivo culture and endpoint assays using effective surrogate biomarkers of drug sensitivity have recently been developed. Here, we review the variety of ex vivo cultures and endpoint assays currently available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiyuki Tsukamoto
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Hasama-machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Yuka Hirashita
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Hasama-machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Tomotaka Shibata
- Department of Gastroenterological and Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Shoichi Fumoto
- Department of Surgery, Oita Nakamura Hospital, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Shusaku Kurogi
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Hasama-machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Chisato Nakada
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Keisuke Kinoshita
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Hasama-machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Takafumi Fuchino
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Hasama-machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Kazunari Murakami
- Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Masafumi Inomata
- Department of Gastroenterological and Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Masatsugu Moriyama
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Hasama-machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Naoki Hijiya
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Hasama-machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan
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Qi H, Tan X, Zhang W, Zhou Y, Chen S, Zha D, Wang S, Wen J. The applications and techniques of organoids in head and neck cancer therapy. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1191614. [PMID: 37427120 PMCID: PMC10328716 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1191614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancer (HNC) is one of the most common cancers on the planet, with approximately 600,000 new cases diagnosed and 300,000 deaths every year. Research into the biological basis of HNC has advanced slowly over the past decades, which has made it difficult to develop new, more effective treatments. The patient-derived organoids (PDOs) are made from patient tumor cells, resembling the features of their tumors, which are high-fidelity models for studying cancer biology and designing new precision medicine therapies. In recent years, considerable effort has been focused on improving "organoids" technologies and identifying tumor-specific medicine using head and neck samples and a variety of organoids. A review of improved techniques and conclusions reported in publications describing the application of these techniques to HNC organoids is presented here. Additionally, we discuss the potential application of organoids in head and neck cancer research as well as the limitations associated with these models. As a result of the integration of organoid models into future precision medicine research and therapeutic profiling programs, the use of organoids will be extremely significant in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Qi
- The Cancer Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Xiaolin Tan
- The Cancer Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Wenshuo Zhang
- Department of Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yihong Zhou
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Shaoyi Chen
- The Cancer Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Dasong Zha
- The Cancer Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Siyang Wang
- The Cancer Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Jinming Wen
- The Cancer Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
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Yang R, Yu Y. Patient-derived organoids in translational oncology and drug screening. Cancer Lett 2023; 562:216180. [PMID: 37061121 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Patient-derived organoids (PDO) are a new biomedical research model that can reconstruct phenotypic and genetic characteristics of the original tissue and are useful for research on pathogenesis and drug screening. To introduce the progression in this field, we review the key factors of constructing organoids derived from epithelial tissues and cancers, covering culture medium and matrix, morphological characteristics, genetic profiles, high-throughput drug screening, and application potential. We also discuss the co-culture system of cancer organoids with tumor microenvironment (TME) associated cells. The co-culture system is widely used in evaluating crosstalk of cancer cells with TME components, such as fibroblasts, endothelial cells, immune cells, and microorganisms. The article provides a prospective for standardized cultivation mode, automatic morphological evaluation, and drug sensitivity screening using high-throughput methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixin Yang
- Department of General Surgery of Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, and Shanghai Key Laboratory for Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Yingyan Yu
- Department of General Surgery of Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, and Shanghai Key Laboratory for Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
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Stromal nicotinamide N-methyltransferase orchestrates the crosstalk between fibroblasts and tumour cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma: evidence from patient-derived assembled organoids. Oncogene 2023; 42:1166-1180. [PMID: 36823377 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02642-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) has been reported to be linked to methylation reprogramming in cancer cells. However, the role of NNMT in the tumour microenvironment (TME) remains elusive. Here, we found that the expression of NNMT was elevated in the stroma of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Using a fibroblast-attached organoids (FAOs) model, we confirmed that stromal NNMT expression contributed to the generation of assembled tumour organoids. In a tumour regeneration assay with co-implanted OSCC cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the tumour-initiating activity was reduced when NNMT was silenced in CAFs. In contrast, overexpression of NNMT in paracancerous fibroblasts (PFs) accelerated tumour growth in co-inoculation experiments. Notably, fibroblast-specific NNMT can regulate type I collagen deposition in both FAOs and xenografts. Further investigations confirmed that the stromal NNMT-aggravated oncogenic activities were attenuated by treatment with inhibitors of either collagen synthesis (e.g. losartan, tranilast, and halofuginone) in fibroblasts, or the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signal (i.e. defactinib) in cancer cells. Mechanistically, overexpression of NNMT reduced the enrichment of H3K27me3 at the promoter of the gene encoding lysyl oxidase (LOX), a key enzyme that regulates the cross-linking of collagen I. Overall, we propose that the NNMT-LOX-FAK cascade contributes to the crosstalk between cancer cells and fibroblasts during OSCC development, and that NNMT-centric extracellular matrix remodelling is a novel therapeutic target for patients with OSCC.
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Yuan J, Li X, Yu S. Cancer organoid co-culture model system: Novel approach to guide precision medicine. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1061388. [PMID: 36713421 PMCID: PMC9877297 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1061388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional cancer organoids derived from self-organizing cancer stems are ex vivo miniatures of tumors that faithfully recapitulate their structure, distinctive cancer features, and genetic signatures. As novel tools, current cancer organoids have been well established and rapidly applied in drug testing, genome editing, and transplantation, with the ultimate aim of entering clinical practice for guiding personalized therapy. However, given that the lack of a tumor microenvironment, including immune cells and fibrous cells, is a major limitation of this emerging methodology, co-culture models inspire high hope for further application of this technology in cancer research. Co-culture of cancer organoids and immune cells or fibroblasts is available to investigate the tumor microenvironment, molecular interactions, and chimeric antigen receptor-engineered lymphocytes in cancer treatment. In light of the recent progress in cancer organoid co-culture models, it is only possible to recognize the advantages and drawbacks of this novel model to exploit its full potential. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the application of cancer organoids and co-culture models and how they could be improved in the future to benefit cancer research, especially precision medicine.
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Seliger B, Al-Samadi A, Yang B, Salo T, Wickenhauser C. In vitro models as tools for screening treatment options of head and neck cancer. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:971726. [PMID: 36160162 PMCID: PMC9489836 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.971726] [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: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Various in vitro models using primary and established 2- and 3-dimensional cultures, multicellular tumor spheroids, standardized tumor slice cultures, tumor organoids, and microfluidic systems obtained from tumor lesions/biopsies of head and neck cancer (HNC) have been employed for exploring and monitoring treatment options. All of these in vitro models are to a different degree able to capture the diversity of tumors, recapitulate the disease genetically, histologically, and functionally and retain their tumorigenic potential upon xenotransplantation. The models were used for the characterization of the malignant features of the tumors and for in vitro screens of drugs approved for the treatment of HNC, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well as recently developed targeted therapies and immunotherapies, or for novel treatments not yet licensed for these tumor entities. The implementation of the best suitable model will enlarge our knowledge of the oncogenic properties of HNC, expand the drug repertoire and help to develop individually tailored treatment strategies resulting in the translation of these findings into the clinic. This review summarizes the different approaches using preclinical in vitro systems with their advantages and disadvantages and their implementation as preclinical platforms to predict disease course, evaluate biomarkers and test therapy efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
- *Correspondence: Barbara Seliger,
| | - Ahmed Al-Samadi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Translational Immunology Research Program, Research Program Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bo Yang
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Tuula Salo
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Clinicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Translational Immunology Research Program, Research Program Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Cancer Research and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Claudia Wickenhauser
- Institute of Pathology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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