1
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Hua R, Yao HF, Song ZY, Yu F, Che ZY, Gao XF, Huo YM, Liu W, Sun YW, Yang MW, Yang JY, Zhang S, Zhang JF. Evaluation of a new scoring system for assessing nerve invasion in resected pancreatic cancer: A single-center retrospective analysis. Cancer Lett 2024; 603:217213. [PMID: 39244006 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.217213] [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: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 08/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Nerve invasion (NI) is a characteristic feature of pancreatic cancer. Traditional dichotomous statements on the presence of NI are unreasonable because almost all cases exhibit NI when sufficient pathological sections are examined. The critical implications of NI in pancreatic cancer highlight the need for a more effective criterion. This study included 511 patients, who were categorized into a training group and a testing group at a ratio of 7:3. According to the traditional definition, NI was observed in 91.2 % of patients using five pathological slides in our study. The prevalence of NI increased as more pathological slides were used. The criterion of 'two points of intraneural (endoneural) invasion in the case of four pathological slides' has the highest receiver operating characteristic (ROC) score. Based on this new criterion, NI was proved to be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) and was also correlated with tumor recurrence (P = 0.004). Interestingly, gemcitabine-based chemotherapy regimen is an independent favorable factor for patients with high NI. In the high NI group, patients who received a gemcitabine-based regimen exhibited a better prognosis than those who did not receive the gemcitabine-based regimen for OS (P = 0.000) and DFS (P = 0.001). In conclusion, this study establishes assessment criteria to evaluate the severity of NI in order to predict patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Hua
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, PR China
| | - Hong-Fei Yao
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, General Surgery, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, PR China
| | - Zi-Yu Song
- Department of Pathology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, PR China
| | - Feng Yu
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, PR China
| | - Zhao-Yu Che
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, PR China
| | - Xiao-Fang Gao
- Department of Pathology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, PR China
| | - Yan-Miao Huo
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, PR China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, PR China
| | - Yong-Wei Sun
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, PR China
| | - Min-Wei Yang
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, PR China.
| | - Jian-Yu Yang
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, PR China.
| | - Shan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, PR China.
| | - Jun-Feng Zhang
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, PR China; Shanghai Key Laboratory for Cancer Systems Regulation and Clinical Translation, Department of General Surgery, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201800, PR China.
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2
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Rangel-Sosa MM, Mann F, Chauvet S. Pancreatic Schwann cell reprogramming supports cancer-associated neuronal remodeling. Glia 2024; 72:1840-1861. [PMID: 38961612 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
The peripheral nervous system is a key regulator of cancer progression. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system inhibits cancer development. This inhibition is associated with extensive sympathetic nerve sprouting in early pancreatic cancer precursor lesions. However, the underlying mechanisms behind this process remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the roles of pancreatic Schwann cells in the structural plasticity of sympathetic neurons. We examined the changes in the number and distribution of Schwann cells in a transgenic mouse model of PDAC and in a model of metaplastic pancreatic lesions induced by chronic inflammation. Schwann cells proliferated and expanded simultaneously with new sympathetic nerve sprouts in metaplastic/neoplastic pancreatic lesions. Sparse genetic labeling showed that individual Schwann cells in these lesions had a more elongated and branched structure than those under physiological conditions. Schwann cells overexpressed neurotrophic factors, including glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). Sympathetic neurons upregulated the GDNF receptors and exhibited enhanced neurite growth in response to GDNF in vitro. Selective genetic deletion of Gdnf in Schwann cells completely blocked sympathetic nerve sprouting in metaplastic pancreatic lesions in vivo. This study demonstrated that pancreatic Schwann cells underwent adaptive reprogramming during early cancer development, supporting a protective antitumor neuronal response. These finding could help to develop new strategies to modulate cancer associated neural plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fanny Mann
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Marseille, France
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3
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He K, Wang H, Huo R, Jiang SH, Xue J. Schwann cells and enteric glial cells: Emerging stars in colorectal cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189160. [PMID: 39059672 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189160] [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: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Cancer neuroscience, a promising field dedicated to exploring interactions between cancer and the nervous system, has attracted growing attention. The gastrointestinal tracts exhibit extensive innervation, notably characterized by intrinsic innervation. The gut harbors a substantial population of glial cells, including Schwann cells wrapping axons of neurons in the peripheral nervous system and enteric glial cells intricately associated with intrinsic innervation. Glial cells play a crucial role in maintaining the physiological functions of the intestine, encompassing nutrient absorption, barrier integrity, and immune modulation. Nevertheless, it has only been in recent times that the significance of glial cells within colorectal cancer (CRC) has begun to receive considerable attention. Emerging data suggests that glial cells in the gut contribute to the progression and metastasis of CRC, by interacting with cancer cells, influencing inflammation, and modulating the tumor microenvironment. Here, we summarize the significant roles of glial cells in the development and progression of CRC and discuss the latest technologies that can be integrated into this field for in-depth exploration, as well as potential specific targeted strategies for future exploration to benefit patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin He
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Ruixue Huo
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China
| | - Shu-Heng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, PR China.
| | - Junli Xue
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, PR China.
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4
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van Baarle L, De Simone V, Schneider L, Santhosh S, Abdurahiman S, Biscu F, Schneider R, Zanoletti L, Siqueira de Mello R, Verbandt S, Hu Z, Stakenborg M, Ke BJ, Stakenborg N, Salvador Laureano R, García-Reyes B, Henn J, Toma M, Vanmechelen M, Boeckxstaens G, De Smet F, Garg AD, Ibiza S, Tejpar S, Wehner S, Matteoli G. IL-1R signaling drives enteric glia-macrophage interactions in colorectal cancer. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6079. [PMID: 39030280 PMCID: PMC11271635 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50438-2] [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: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Enteric glia have been recently recognized as key components of the colonic tumor microenvironment indicating their potential role in colorectal cancer pathogenesis. Although enteric glia modulate immune responses in other intestinal diseases, their interaction with the colorectal cancer immune cell compartment remains unclear. Through a combination of single-cell and bulk RNA-sequencing, both in murine models and patients, here we find that enteric glia acquire an immunomodulatory phenotype by bi-directional communication with tumor-infiltrating monocytes. The latter direct a reactive enteric glial cell phenotypic and functional switch via glial IL-1R signaling. In turn, tumor glia promote monocyte differentiation towards pro-tumorigenic SPP1+ tumor-associated macrophages by IL-6 release. Enteric glia cell abundancy correlates with worse disease outcomes in preclinical models and colorectal cancer patients. Thereby, our study reveals a neuroimmune interaction between enteric glia and tumor-associated macrophages in the colorectal tumor microenvironment, providing insights into colorectal cancer pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lies van Baarle
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Veronica De Simone
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Linda Schneider
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sneha Santhosh
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Saeed Abdurahiman
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Francesca Biscu
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Reiner Schneider
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lisa Zanoletti
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Renata Siqueira de Mello
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sara Verbandt
- Digestive Oncology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Zedong Hu
- Digestive Oncology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michelle Stakenborg
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bo-Jun Ke
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Stakenborg
- Laboratory for Intestinal Neuro-Immune Interaction, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Raquel Salvador Laureano
- Cell Stress and Immunity (CSI) Lab, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Balbina García-Reyes
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany
- Mildred Scheel School of Oncology, Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (MSSO ABCD), University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jonas Henn
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marieta Toma
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany
| | - Maxime Vanmechelen
- Translational Cell and Tissue Research Unit, Department of Imaging & Pathology, Laboratory for Precision Cancer Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Institute for Single-Cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guy Boeckxstaens
- Laboratory for Intestinal Neuro-Immune Interaction, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frederik De Smet
- Translational Cell and Tissue Research Unit, Department of Imaging & Pathology, Laboratory for Precision Cancer Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Institute for Single-Cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Abhishek D Garg
- Cell Stress and Immunity (CSI) Lab, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sales Ibiza
- Laboratory of Cell Biology & Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sabine Tejpar
- Digestive Oncology, Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sven Wehner
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Gianluca Matteoli
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Institute for Single-Cell Omics (LISCO), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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5
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Chen G, Sun H, Chen Y, Wang L, Song O, Zhang J, Li D, Liu X, Feng L. Perineural Invasion in Cervical Cancer: A Hidden Trail for Metastasis. Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:1517. [PMID: 39061654 PMCID: PMC11275432 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14141517] [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: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Perineural invasion (PNI), the neoplastic invasion of nerves, is an often overlooked pathological phenomenon in cervical cancer that is associated with poor clinical outcomes. The occurrence of PNI in cervical cancer patients has limited the promotion of Type C1 surgery. Preoperative prediction of the PNI can help identify suitable patients for Type C1 surgery. However, there is a lack of appropriate preoperative diagnostic methods for PNI, and its pathogenesis remains largely unknown. Here, we dissect the neural innervation of the cervix, analyze the molecular mechanisms underlying the occurrence of PNI, and explore suitable preoperative diagnostic methods for PNI to advance the identification and treatment of this ominous cancer phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqiang Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
- Department of Gynecology, The People’s Hospital of Baoan Shenzhen, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518101, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Yunxia Chen
- Department of Gynecology, The People’s Hospital of Baoan Shenzhen, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518101, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Gynecology, The People’s Hospital of Baoan Shenzhen, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518101, China
| | - Ouyi Song
- Department of Gynecology, The People’s Hospital of Baoan Shenzhen, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518101, China
| | - Jili Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, The People’s Hospital of Baoan Shenzhen, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518101, China
| | - Dazhi Li
- Department of Gynecology, The People’s Hospital of Baoan Shenzhen, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518101, China
| | - Xiaojun Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Lixia Feng
- Department of Gynecology, The People’s Hospital of Baoan Shenzhen, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518101, China
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6
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Zhang Z, Lv ZG, Lu M, Li H, Zhou J. Nerve-tumor crosstalk in tumor microenvironment: From tumor initiation and progression to clinical implications. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189121. [PMID: 38796026 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189121] [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: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
The autonomic nerve system (ANS) innervates organs and tissues throughout the body and maintains functional balance among various systems. Further investigations have shown that excessive activation of ANS not only causes disruption of homeostasis, but also may promote tumor formation. In addition, the dynamic interaction between nerve and tumor cells in the tumor microenvironment also regulate tumor progression. On the one hand, nerves are passively invaded by tumor cells, that is, perineural invasion (PNI). On the other hand, compared with normal tissues, tumor tissues are subject to more abundant innervation, and nerves can influence tumor progression through regulating tumor proliferation, metastasis and drug resistance. A large number of studies have shown that nerve-tumor crosstalk, including PNI and innervation, is closely related to the prognosis of patients, and contributes to the formation of cancer pain, which significantly deteriorates the quality of life for patients. These findings suggest that nerve-tumor crosstalk represents a potential target for anti-tumor therapies and the management of cancer pain in the future. In this review, we systematically describe the mechanism by which nerve-tumor crosstalk regulates tumorigenesis and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhang
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhen Gang Lv
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Miao Lu
- Department of Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Surgery, Zhongda Hospital Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Haifeng Li
- Department of Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Surgery, Zhongda Hospital Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jiahua Zhou
- Department of Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Surgery, Zhongda Hospital Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu Province, China.
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7
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Shurin MR, Wheeler SE, Shurin GV, Zhong H, Zhou Y. Schwann cells in the normal and pathological lung microenvironment. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1365760. [PMID: 38638689 PMCID: PMC11024312 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1365760] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The lungs are a key organ in the respiratory system. They are regulated by a complex network of nerves that control their development, structure, function, and response to various pathological stimuli. Accumulating evidence suggests the involvement of a neural mechanism in different pathophysiological conditions in the lungs and the development and progression of common respiratory diseases. Lung diseases are the chief source of death globally. For instance, lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed malignancy, after prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women, and is the most lethal cancer worldwide. However, although airway nerves are accepted as a mechanistically and therapeutically important feature that demands appropriate emphasizing in the context of many respiratory diseases, significantly less is known about the role of the neuroglial cells in lung physiology and pathophysiology, including lung cancer. New data have uncovered some cellular and molecular mechanisms of how Schwann cells, as fundamental components of the peripheral nervous system, may regulate lung cancer cells' survival, spreading, and invasiveness in vitro and in vivo. Schwann cells control the formation and maintenance of the lung cancer microenvironment and support metastasis formation. It was also reported that the number of lung cancer-associated Schwann cells correlates with patients' survival. Different factors secreted by Schwann cells, including microRNA, are known to sharpen the lung cancer environment by regulating the tumor-neuro-immune axis. Further clinical and experimental studies are required to elucidate the detailed role of Schwann cells in creating and maintaining pulmonary tumor-neuro-immune axis, which will advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of lung cancer and may inform therapeutic hypotheses aiming neoplasms and metastases in the lung.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R. Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Sarah E. Wheeler
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Galina V. Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Hua Zhong
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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8
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Singh G, Mehra A, Arora S, Gugulothu D, Vora LK, Prasad R, Khatri DK. Exosome-mediated delivery and regulation in neurological disease progression. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 264:130728. [PMID: 38467209 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130728] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Exosomes (EXOs), membranous structures originating from diverse biological sources, have recently seized the attention of researchers due to their theranostic potential for neurological diseases. Released actively by various cells, including stem cells, adipose tissue, and immune cells, EXOs wield substantial regulatory influence over the intricate landscape of neurological complications, exhibiting both positive and negative modulatory effects. In AD, EXOs play a pivotal role in disseminating and breaking down amyloid-β protein. Moreover, EXOs derived from mesenchymal stem cells showcase a remarkable capacity to mitigate pro-inflammatory phenotypes by regulating miRNAs in neurodegenerative diseases. These vesicles possess the unique ability to traverse the blood-brain barrier, governing the aggregation of mutant huntingtin protein. Understanding the exosomal functions within the CNS holds significant promise for enhancing treatment efficacy in neurological diseases. This review intricately examines the regulatory mechanisms involving EXOs in neurological disease development, highlighting therapeutic prospects and exploring their utility in exosome-based nanomedicine for various neurological complications. Additionally, the review highlights the challenges associated with drug delivery to the brain, emphasizing the complexities inherent in this critical aspect of neurotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurpreet Singh
- Molecular and cellular neuroscience lab, Department of pharmacology and toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)-Hyderabad, India
| | - Ankit Mehra
- Molecular and cellular neuroscience lab, Department of pharmacology and toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)-Hyderabad, India
| | - Sanchit Arora
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research (DIPSAR), Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), M.B. Road, Pushp Vihar, Sector-3, New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Dalapathi Gugulothu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research (DIPSAR), Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), M.B. Road, Pushp Vihar, Sector-3, New Delhi 110017, India.
| | - Lalitkumar K Vora
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, BT9 7BL, UK.
| | - Renuka Prasad
- Department of Anatomy, Korea University College of Medicine, Moonsuk Medical Research Building, 516, 5th floor, 73 Inchon-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Dharmendra Kumar Khatri
- Molecular and cellular neuroscience lab, Department of pharmacology and toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)-Hyderabad, India; Department of Pharmacology, Shobhaben Pratapbai Patel School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) Deemed-to-University, Mumbai 400056, India.
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9
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Wang Y, Liu Z, Tian Y, Zhao H, Fu X. Periampullary cancer and neurological interactions: current understanding and future research directions. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1370111. [PMID: 38567163 PMCID: PMC10985190 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1370111] [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: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Periampullary cancer is a malignant tumor occurring around the ampullary region of the liver and pancreas, encompassing a variety of tissue types and sharing numerous biological characteristics, including interactions with the nervous system. The nervous system plays a crucial role in regulating organ development, maintaining physiological equilibrium, and ensuring life process plasticity, a role that is equally pivotal in oncology. Investigations into nerve-tumor interactions have unveiled their key part in controlling cancer progression, inhibiting anti-tumor immune responses, facilitating invasion and metastasis, and triggering neuropathic pain. Despite many mechanisms by which nerve fibers contribute to cancer advancement still being incompletely understood, the growing emphasis on the significance of nerves within the tumor microenvironment in recent years has set the stage for the development of groundbreaking therapies. This includes combining current neuroactive medications with established therapeutic protocols. This review centers on the mechanisms of Periampullary cancer's interactions with nerves, the influence of various types of nerve innervation on cancer evolution, and outlines the horizons for ongoing and forthcoming research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Wang
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, China
| | - Zi’ang Liu
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yanzhang Tian
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, China
- General Surgery Department , Shanxi Bethune Hospital/General Surgery Department, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Haoliang Zhao
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, China
- General Surgery Department , Shanxi Bethune Hospital/General Surgery Department, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xifeng Fu
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, China
- General Surgery Department , Shanxi Bethune Hospital/General Surgery Department, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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10
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Zhang B, Guo X, Huang L, Zhang Y, Li Z, Su D, Lin L, Zhou P, Ye H, Lu Y, Zhou Q. Tumour-associated macrophages and Schwann cells promote perineural invasion via paracrine loop in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:542-554. [PMID: 38135712 PMCID: PMC10876976 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02539-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is frequently accompanied by perineural invasion (PNI), which is associated with excruciating neuropathic pain and malignant progression. However, the relationship between PNI and tumour stromal cells has not been clarified. METHODS The dorsal root ganglia or sciatic nerves nerve model was used to observe the paracrine interaction and the activation effect among Schwann cells, tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), and pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. Next generation sequencing, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation were used to explore the specific paracrine signalling between TAMs and Schwann cells. RESULTS We demonstrated that more macrophages were expressed around nerves that have been infiltrated by pancreatic cancer cells compared with normal nerves in murine and human PNI specimens. In addition, high expression of CD68 or GFAP is associated with an increased incidence of PNI and indicates a poor 5-year survival rate in patients with PDAC. Mechanistically, tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) activate Schwann cells via the bFGF/PI3K/Akt/c-myc/GFAP pathway. Schwann cells secrete IL-33 to recruit macrophages into the perineural milieu and facilitate the M2 pro-tumourigenic polarisation of macrophages. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that the bFGF/IL-33 positive feedback loop between Schwann cells and TAMs is essential in the process of PNI of PDAC. The bFGF/PI3K/Akt/c-myc/GFAP pathway would open potential avenues for targeted therapy of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
- Department of General Surgery, Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510655, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
- Biomedical Innovation Center, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510655, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510655, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofeng Guo
- Center for medical research on innovation and translation, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, 510180, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Leyi Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuting Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510655, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiguo Li
- Department of thoracic surgery, The Second People's Hospital, 528000, Foshan, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Su
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 100730, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Longfa Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Huilin Ye
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yanan Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
| | - Quanbo Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 510120, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, 519041, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
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11
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de Franchis V, Petrungaro S, Pizzichini E, Camerini S, Casella M, Somma F, Mandolini E, Carpino G, Overi D, Cardinale V, Facchiano A, Filippini A, Gaudio E, Fabrizi C, Giampietri C. Cholangiocarcinoma Malignant Traits Are Promoted by Schwann Cells through TGFβ Signaling in a Model of Perineural Invasion. Cells 2024; 13:366. [PMID: 38474330 DOI: 10.3390/cells13050366] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The term cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) defines a class of epithelial malignancies originating from bile ducts. Although it has been demonstrated that CCA patients with perineural invasion (PNI) have a worse prognosis, the biological features of this phenomenon are yet unclear. Our data show that in human intrahepatic CCA specimens with documented PNI, nerve-infiltrating CCA cells display positivity of the epithelial marker cytokeratin 7, lower with respect to the rest of the tumor mass. In an in vitro 3D model, CCA cells move towards a peripheral nerve explant allowing contact with Schwann cells (SCs) emerging from the nerve. Here, we show that SCs produce soluble factors that favor the migration, invasion, survival and proliferation of CCA cells in vitro. This effect is accompanied by a cadherin switch, suggestive of an epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The influence of SCs in promoting the ability of CCA cells to migrate and invade the extracellular matrix is hampered by a specific TGFβ receptor 1 (TGFBR1) antagonist. Differential proteomic data indicate that the exposure of CCA cells to SC secreted factors induces the upregulation of key oncogenes and the concomitant downregulation of some tumor suppressors. Taken together, these data concur in identifying SCs as possible promoters of a more aggressive CCA phenotype, ascribing a central role to TGFβ signaling in regulating this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio de Franchis
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Simonetta Petrungaro
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Pizzichini
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Camerini
- Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Somma
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico Mandolini
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Guido Carpino
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Diletta Overi
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Cardinale
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, 04100 Latina, Italy
| | - Antonio Facchiano
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, IDI-IRCCS, 00167 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Filippini
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Eugenio Gaudio
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Fabrizi
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Giampietri
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
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12
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Liang S, Hess J. Tumor Neurobiology in the Pathogenesis and Therapy of Head and Neck Cancer. Cells 2024; 13:256. [PMID: 38334648 PMCID: PMC10854684 DOI: 10.3390/cells13030256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The neurobiology of tumors has attracted considerable interest from clinicians and scientists and has become a multidisciplinary area of research. Neural components not only interact with tumor cells but also influence other elements within the TME, such as immune cells and vascular components, forming a polygonal relationship to synergistically facilitate tumor growth and progression. This review comprehensively summarizes the current state of the knowledge on nerve-tumor crosstalk in head and neck cancer and discusses the potential underlying mechanisms. Several mechanisms facilitating nerve-tumor crosstalk are covered, such as perineural invasion, axonogenesis, neurogenesis, neural reprogramming, and transdifferentiation, and the reciprocal interactions between the nervous and immune systems in the TME are also discussed in this review. Further understanding of the nerve-tumor crosstalk in the TME of head and neck cancer may provide new nerve-targeted treatment options and help improve clinical outcomes for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Liang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Tumors, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Jochen Hess
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Tumors, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- Research Group Molecular Mechanisms of Head and Neck Tumors, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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13
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Namini MS, Daneshimehr F, Beheshtizadeh N, Mansouri V, Ai J, Jahromi HK, Ebrahimi-Barough S. Cell-free therapy based on extracellular vesicles: a promising therapeutic strategy for peripheral nerve injury. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:254. [PMID: 37726794 PMCID: PMC10510237 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03467-5] [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: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is one of the public health concerns that can result in a loss of sensory or motor function in the areas in which injured and non-injured nerves come together. Up until now, there has been no optimized therapy for complete nerve regeneration after PNI. Exosome-based therapies are an emerging and effective therapeutic strategy for promoting nerve regeneration and functional recovery. Exosomes, as natural extracellular vesicles, contain bioactive molecules for intracellular communications and nervous tissue function, which could overcome the challenges of cell-based therapies. Furthermore, the bioactivity and ability of exosomes to deliver various types of agents, such as proteins and microRNA, have made exosomes a potential approach for neurotherapeutics. However, the type of cell origin, dosage, and targeted delivery of exosomes still pose challenges for the clinical translation of exosome therapeutics. In this review, we have focused on Schwann cell and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes in nerve tissue regeneration. Also, we expressed the current understanding of MSC-derived exosomes related to nerve regeneration and provided insights for developing a cell-free MSC therapeutic strategy for nerve injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojdeh Salehi Namini
- Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Regenerative Medicine Group (REMED), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Daneshimehr
- Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nima Beheshtizadeh
- Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Regenerative Medicine Group (REMED), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Mansouri
- Digestive Disease Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jafar Ai
- Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Kargar Jahromi
- Research Center for Noncommunicable Diseases, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran.
| | - Somayeh Ebrahimi-Barough
- Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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14
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Khanmammadova N, Islam S, Sharma P, Amit M. Neuro-immune interactions and immuno-oncology. Trends Cancer 2023; 9:636-649. [PMID: 37258398 PMCID: PMC10524972 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2023.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The nervous system is an important component of the tumor microenvironment (TME), driving tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Neuronal cues (e.g., neurotransmitters and neuropeptides) in the TME cause phenotypic changes in immune cells, such as increased exhaustion and inhibition of effector cells, which promote immune evasion and cancer progression. Two types of immune regulation by tumor-associated nerves are discussed in this review: regulation via neuronal stimuli (i.e., by neural transmission) and checkpoint-mediated neuronal immune regulation. The latter occurs via the expression of immune checkpoints on the membranes of intratumoral nerves and glial cells. Here, we summarize novel findings regarding the neuroimmune circuits in the tumor milieu, while emphasizing the potential targets of new and affordable anticancer therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narmina Khanmammadova
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shajedul Islam
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Padmanee Sharma
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Immunobiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Moran Amit
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; The University of Texas Houston Health Science Center Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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15
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Xue M, Zhu Y, Jiang Y, Han L, Shi M, Su R, Wang L, Xiong C, Wang C, Wang T, Deng S, Wu D, Cao Y, Dong L, Bai F, Zhao S, Deng X, Peng C, Li H, Chen J, Shen B, Jiang L, Chen H. Schwann cells regulate tumor cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts in the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma microenvironment. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4600. [PMID: 37524695 PMCID: PMC10390497 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40314-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathy is a feature more frequently observed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) than other tumors. Schwann cells, the most prevalent cell type in peripheral nerves, migrate toward tumor cells and associate with poor prognosis in PDAC. To unveil the effects of Schwann cells on the neuro-stroma niche, here we perform single-cell RNA-sequencing and microarray-based spatial transcriptome analysis of PDAC tissues. Results suggest that Schwann cells may drive tumor cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) to more malignant subtypes: basal-like and inflammatory CAFs (iCAFs), respectively. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo assays demonstrate that Schwann cells enhance the proliferation and migration of PDAC cells via Midkine signaling and promote the switch of CAFs to iCAFs via interleukin-1α. Culture of tumor cells and CAFs with Schwann cells conditioned medium accelerates PDAC progression. Thus, we reveal that Schwann cells induce malignant subtypes of tumor cells and CAFs in the PDAC milieu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meilin Xue
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA, 91016, USA
| | - Youwei Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongsheng Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lijie Han
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Minmin Shi
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Su
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA, 91016, USA
| | - Liwen Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Xiong
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chaofu Wang
- Department of Pathology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Pathology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shijie Deng
- Department of Pathology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dong Wu
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA, 91016, USA
| | - Yizhi Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Dong
- Department of Pathology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fan Bai
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shulin Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaxing Deng
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chenghong Peng
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongwei Li
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianjun Chen
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA, 91016, USA
| | - Baiyong Shen
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Lingxi Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Research Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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16
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Kruglov O, Vats K, Soman V, Tyurin VA, Tyurina YY, Wang J, Williams L, Zhang J, Donahue Carey C, Jaklitsch E, Chandran UR, Bayir H, Kagan VE, Bunimovich YL. Melanoma-associated repair-like Schwann cells suppress anti-tumor T-cells via 12/15-LOX/COX2-associated eicosanoid production. Oncoimmunology 2023; 12:2192098. [PMID: 36998620 PMCID: PMC10044150 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2023.2192098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Peripheral glia, specifically the Schwann cells (SCs), have been implicated in the formation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and in cancer progression. However, in vivo and ex vivo analyses of how cancers reprogram SC functions in different organs of tumor-bearing mice are lacking. We generated Plp1-CreERT/tdTomato mice which harbor fluorescently labeled myelinated and non-myelin forming SCs. We show that this model enables the isolation of the SCs with high purity from the skin and multiple other organs. We used this model to study phenotypic and functional reprogramming of the SCs in the skin adjacent to melanoma tumors. Transcriptomic analyses of the peritumoral skin SCs versus skin SCs from tumor-free mice revealed that the former existed in a repair-like state typically activated during nerve and tissue injury. Peritumoral skin SCs also downregulated pro-inflammatory genes and pathways related to protective anti-tumor responses. In vivo and ex vivo functional assays confirmed immunosuppressive activities of the peritumoral skin SCs. Specifically, melanoma-reprogrammed SCs upregulated 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LOX) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and increased production of anti-inflammatory polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) metabolites prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and lipoxins A4/B4. Inhibition of 12/15-LOX or COX2 in SCs, or EP4 receptor on lymphocytes reversed SC-dependent suppression of anti-tumor T-cell activation. Therefore, SCs within the skin adjacent to melanoma tumors demonstrate functional switching to repair-like immunosuppressive cells with dysregulated lipid oxidation. Our study suggests the involvement of the melanoma-associated repair-like peritumoral SCs in the modulation of locoregional and systemic anti-tumor immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Kruglov
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kavita Vats
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Vishal Soman
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Vladimir A. Tyurin
- Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental Health and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yulia Y. Tyurina
- Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental Health and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jiefei Wang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Li’an Williams
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jiying Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Cara Donahue Carey
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Erik Jaklitsch
- School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Uma R. Chandran
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Hülya Bayir
- Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental Health and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Children’s Neuroscience Institute, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Valerian E. Kagan
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental Health and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Children’s Neuroscience Institute, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Hillman Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yuri L. Bunimovich
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental Health and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Hillman Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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17
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Rocha BGS, Picoli CC, Gonçalves BOP, Silva WN, Costa AC, Moraes MM, Costa PAC, Santos GSP, Almeida MR, Silva LM, Singh Y, Falchetti M, Guardia GDA, Guimarães PPG, Russo RC, Resende RR, Pinto MCX, Amorim JH, Azevedo VAC, Kanashiro A, Nakaya HI, Rocha EL, Galante PAF, Mintz A, Frenette PS, Birbrair A. Tissue-resident glial cells associate with tumoral vasculature and promote cancer progression. Angiogenesis 2023; 26:129-166. [PMID: 36183032 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-022-09858-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cells are embedded within the tissue and interact dynamically with its components during cancer progression. Understanding the contribution of cellular components within the tumor microenvironment is crucial for the success of therapeutic applications. Here, we reveal the presence of perivascular GFAP+/Plp1+ cells within the tumor microenvironment. Using in vivo inducible Cre/loxP mediated systems, we demonstrated that these cells derive from tissue-resident Schwann cells. Genetic ablation of endogenous Schwann cells slowed down tumor growth and angiogenesis. Schwann cell-specific depletion also induced a boost in the immune surveillance by increasing tumor-infiltrating anti-tumor lymphocytes, while reducing immune-suppressor cells. In humans, a retrospective in silico analysis of tumor biopsies revealed that increased expression of Schwann cell-related genes within melanoma was associated with improved survival. Collectively, our study suggests that Schwann cells regulate tumor progression, indicating that manipulation of Schwann cells may provide a valuable tool to improve cancer patients' outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz G S Rocha
- Department of Pathology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Caroline C Picoli
- Department of Pathology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Bryan O P Gonçalves
- Department of Pathology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Walison N Silva
- Department of Pathology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Alinne C Costa
- Department of Pathology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Michele M Moraes
- Department of Pathology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Pedro A C Costa
- Department of Pathology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Gabryella S P Santos
- Department of Pathology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Milla R Almeida
- Department of Pathology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Luciana M Silva
- Department of Cell Biology, Ezequiel Dias Foundation, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Youvika Singh
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Falchetti
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | | | - Pedro P G Guimarães
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Remo C Russo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo R Resende
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Mauro C X Pinto
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Jaime H Amorim
- Center of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Western Bahia, Barreiras, BA, Brazil
| | - Vasco A C Azevedo
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Kanashiro
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Medical Sciences Center, Rm 4385, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | | | - Edroaldo L Rocha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Pedro A F Galante
- Centro de Oncologia Molecular, Hospital Sirio-Libanes, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Akiva Mintz
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paul S Frenette
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Alexander Birbrair
- Department of Pathology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Medical Sciences Center, Rm 4385, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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18
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Cao S, Wang Y, Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Ling X, Zhang L, Li J, Yang Y, Wang W, Shurin MR, Zhong H. A Novel Therapeutic Target for Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Tumor-Associated Repair-like Schwann Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14246132. [PMID: 36551618 PMCID: PMC9776631 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), representing 15-20% of all lung cancers, is an aggressive malignancy with a distinct natural history, poor prognosis, and limited treatment options. We have previously identified Schwann cells (SCs), the main glial cells of the peripheral nervous system, in tumor tissues and demonstrated that they may support tumor spreading and metastasis formation in the in vitro and in vivo models. However, the role of SCs in the progression of SCLC has not been investigated. To clarify this issue, the cell proliferation assay, the annexin V apoptosis assay, and the transwell migration and invasion assay were conducted to elucidate the roles in SCLC of tumor-associated SCs (TA-SCs) in the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of SCLC cells in vitro, compared to control group. In addition, the animal models to assess SC action's effects on SCLC in vivo were also developed. The result confirmed that TA-SCs have a well-established and significant role in facilitating SCLC cell cancer migration and invasion of SCLC in vitro, and we also observed that SC promotes tumor growth of SCLC in vivo and that TA-SCs exhibited an advantage and show a repair-like phenotype, which allowed defining them as tumor-associated repair SCs (TAR-SCs). Potential molecular mechanisms of pro-tumorigenic activity of TAR-SCs were investigated by the screening of differentially expressed genes and constructing networks of messenger-, micro-, and long- non-coding RNA (mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA) using DMS114 cells, a human SCLC, stimulated with media from DMS114-activated SCs, non-stimulated SCs, and appropriate controls. This study improves our understanding of how SCs, especially tumor-activated SCs, may promote SCLC progression. Our results highlight a new functional phenotype of SCs in cancer and bring new insights into the characterization of the nervous system-tumor crosstalk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhui Cao
- Department of Pulmonary, Shanghai Chest Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Pulmonary, Shanghai Chest Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Department of Pulmonary, Shanghai Chest Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary, Shanghai Chest Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Xuxinyi Ling
- Department of Pulmonary, Shanghai Chest Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Lincheng Zhang
- Department of Pulmonary, Shanghai Chest Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Jingwen Li
- Department of Pulmonary, Shanghai Chest Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yu Yang
- Department of Pulmonary, Shanghai Chest Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Weimin Wang
- Department of Pulmonary, Shanghai Chest Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Michael R. Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Correspondence: (M.R.S.); (H.Z.); Tel.: +86-180-1732-1320 (H.Z.)
| | - Hua Zhong
- Department of Pulmonary, Shanghai Chest Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
- Correspondence: (M.R.S.); (H.Z.); Tel.: +86-180-1732-1320 (H.Z.)
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19
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Zhang Y, Lin C, Liu Z, Sun Y, Chen M, Guo Y, Liu W, Zhang C, Chen W, Sun J, Xia R, Hu Y, Yang X, Li J, Zhang Z, Cao W, Sun S, Wang X, Ji T. Cancer cells co-opt nociceptive nerves to thrive in nutrient-poor environments and upon nutrient-starvation therapies. Cell Metab 2022; 34:1999-2017.e10. [PMID: 36395769 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Although nutrient-starvation therapies can elicit strong anti-tumor effects in multiple carcinomas, it has been convincingly demonstrated that cancer cells exploit the tumor microenvironment to thrive in nutrient-poor environments. Here, we reveal that cancer cells can co-opt nociceptive nerves to thrive in nutrient-poor environments. Initially examining the low-glucose environment of oral mucosa carcinomas, we discovered that cancer cells employ ROS-triggered activation of c-Jun to secrete nerve growth factor (NGF), which conditions nociceptive nerves for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) production. The neurogenic CGRP subsequently induces cytoprotective autophagy in cancer cells through Rap1-mediated disruption of the mTOR-Raptor interaction. Both anti-glycolysis and anti-angiogenesis-based nutrient-starvation therapies aggravate the vicious cycle of cancer cells and nociceptive nerves and therapeutically benefit from blocking neurogenic CGRP with an FDA-approved antimigraine drug. Our study sheds light on the role of the nociceptive nerve as a microenvironmental accomplice of cancer progression in nutrient-poor environments and upon nutrient-starvation therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Chengzhong Lin
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China; The 2nd Dental Center, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Zheqi Liu
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Yiting Sun
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China; Department of Oral & Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Mingtao Chen
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Yibo Guo
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Chenping Zhang
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Wantao Chen
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Jian Sun
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Ronghui Xia
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China; Department of Oral Pathology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Yuhua Hu
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China; Department of Oral Pathology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Xi Yang
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Jiang Li
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China; Department of Oral Pathology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Zhiyuan Zhang
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Wei Cao
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Shuyang Sun
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China.
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China.
| | - Tong Ji
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai 200011, China.
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20
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Deborde S, Gusain L, Powers A, Marcadis A, Yu Y, Chen CH, Frants A, Kao E, Tang LH, Vakiani E, Amisaki M, Balachandran VP, Calo A, Omelchenko T, Jessen KR, Reva B, Wong RJ. Reprogrammed Schwann Cells Organize into Dynamic Tracks that Promote Pancreatic Cancer Invasion. Cancer Discov 2022; 12:2454-2473. [PMID: 35881881 PMCID: PMC9533012 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-21-1690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Nerves are a component of the tumor microenvironment contributing to cancer progression, but the role of cells from nerves in facilitating cancer invasion remains poorly understood. Here we show that Schwann cells (SC) activated by cancer cells collectively function as tumor-activated Schwann cell tracks (TAST) that promote cancer cell migration and invasion. Nonmyelinating SCs form TASTs and have cell gene expression signatures that correlate with diminished survival in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. In TASTs, dynamic SCs form tracks that serve as cancer pathways and apply forces on cancer cells to enhance cancer motility. These SCs are activated by c-Jun, analogous to their reprogramming during nerve repair. This study reveals a mechanism of cancer cell invasion that co-opts a wound repair process and exploits the ability of SCs to collectively organize into tracks. These findings establish a novel paradigm of how cancer cells spread and reveal therapeutic opportunities. SIGNIFICANCE How the tumor microenvironment participates in pancreatic cancer progression is not fully understood. Here, we show that SCs are activated by cancer cells and collectively organize into tracks that dynamically enable cancer invasion in a c-Jun-dependent manner. See related commentary by Amit and Maitra, p. 2240. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2221.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Deborde
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Laxmi Gusain
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Ann Powers
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Andrea Marcadis
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Yasong Yu
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Chun-Hao Chen
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Anna Frants
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Elizabeth Kao
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Laura H. Tang
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Efsevia Vakiani
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Masataka Amisaki
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Vinod P. Balachandran
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Annalisa Calo
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tatiana Omelchenko
- Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Kristjan R. Jessen
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Boris Reva
- Department of Genetics and Genomics Sciences, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Richard J. Wong
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Corresponding Author: Richard J. Wong, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065. Phone: 212-639-7638; E-mail:
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21
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Yurteri Ü, Çifcibaşı K, Friess H, Ceyhan GO, Istvanffy R, Demir IE. Schwann Cells in Peripheral Cancers: Bystanders or Promoters? Adv Biol (Weinh) 2022; 6:e2200033. [PMID: 35656739 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment is subject to intense investigation in terms of its influence on tumorigenesis. Despite the fact that Schwann cells are cancer cells' early interaction partners, investigations on tumor progression and the molecular drivers of carcinogenesis do not place enough emphasis on them. Recent studies have shown that malignant cells and nerves interact on several levels during early carcinogenesis. For instance, the emergence of nerves in cancer, known as cancer neo-neurogenesis, is one important mechanism that contributes to cancer progression. Recent studies on Schwann cells brought the investigation of tumor-nerve interactions to a whole new level. Schwann cells make up the majority of glial cells in the peripheral nervous system, are outstandingly plastic cells, and serve a variety of roles in most organs. All these properties make Schwann cells excellent potential targets for tumor cells to exploit and turn them into promoters of carcinogenesis. In the present review, the distinctive features of Schwann cell-tumor cell interactions and the implications of this interaction on the tumor microenvironment are outlined. Further, this study points out the neglected aspects of Schwann cells in the tumor microenvironment and provides a potential new avenue for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ümmügülsüm Yurteri
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, 81675, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81675, Munich, Germany.,CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Kaan Çifcibaşı
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, 81675, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81675, Munich, Germany.,CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Friess
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, 81675, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81675, Munich, Germany.,CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Güralp O Ceyhan
- Department of General Surgery, HPB-Unit, School of Medicine, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, 34752, Turkey
| | - Rouzanna Istvanffy
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, 81675, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81675, Munich, Germany.,CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Ihsan Ekin Demir
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, 81675, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81675, Munich, Germany.,CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, 81675, Munich, Germany.,Department of General Surgery, HPB-Unit, School of Medicine, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, 34752, Turkey.,Else Kröner Clinician Scientist Professor for Translational Pancreatic Surgery, 81675, Munich, Germany
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22
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Santi MD, Zhang M, Salvo E, Asam K, Viet C, Xie T, Amit M, Aouizerat B, Ye Y. Schwann Cells Induce Phenotypic Changes in Oral Cancer Cells. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2022; 6:e2200187. [PMID: 35925609 PMCID: PMC9474679 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200187] [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: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the seventh most common cancer worldwide, the majority being oral squamous cell carcinoma. Despite advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment, the survival rate of patients with HNC remains stagnant. The cancer-nerve interaction has been recognized as an important driver of cancer progression. Schwann cells, a type of peripheral glia, have been implicated in promoting cancer cell growth, migration, dispersion, and invasion into the nerve in many cancers. Here, it is demonstrated that the presence of Schwann cells makes oral cancer cells more aggressive by promoting their proliferation, extracellular matrix breakdown, and altering cell metabolism. Furthermore, oral cancer cells became larger, more circular, with more projections and nuclei following co-culturing with Schwann cells. RNA-sequencing analysis in oral cancer cells following exposure to Schwann cells shows corresponding changes in genes involved in the hallmarks of cancer and cell metabolism; the enriched KEGG pathways are spliceosome, RNA transport, cell cycle, axon guidance, signaling pathways regulating pluripotency of stem cells, cAMP signaling, WNT signaling, proteoglycans in cancer and PI3K-Akt signaling. Taken together, these results suggest a significant role for Schwann cells in facilitating oral cancer progression, highlighting their potential as a target to treat oral cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Daniela Santi
- Bluestone Center for Clinical Research, College of Dentistry, New York University
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, New York University
| | - Morgan Zhang
- Bluestone Center for Clinical Research, College of Dentistry, New York University
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, New York University
| | - Elizabeth Salvo
- Bluestone Center for Clinical Research, College of Dentistry, New York University
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, New York University
| | - Kesava Asam
- Bluestone Center for Clinical Research, College of Dentistry, New York University
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, New York University
| | - Chi Viet
- Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, Loma Linda, CA92350
| | - Tongxin Xie
- Head & Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX77030
| | - Moran Amit
- Head & Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX77030
| | - Bradley Aouizerat
- Bluestone Center for Clinical Research, College of Dentistry, New York University
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, New York University
| | - Yi Ye
- Bluestone Center for Clinical Research, College of Dentistry, New York University
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, New York University
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23
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Deborde S, Wong RJ. The Role of Schwann Cells in Cancer. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2022; 6:e2200089. [PMID: 35666078 PMCID: PMC9474572 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Schwann cells (SCs) are the most abundant cell type in the nerves in the peripheral nervous system and compose a family of subtypes that are endowed with a variety of different functions. SCs facilitate the transmission of neural impulses, provide nutrients and protection for neurons, guide axons in nerve repair, and regulate immune functions. In the context of cancer, recent studies have revealed an active role of SCs in promoting cancer cell invasion, modulating immune responses, and transmitting pain sensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Deborde
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Richard J Wong
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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Schmitd LB, Perez-Pacheco C, Bellile EL, Wu W, Casper K, Mierzwa M, Rozek LS, Wolf GT, Taylor JM, D'Silva NJ. Spatial and Transcriptomic Analysis of Perineural Invasion in Oral Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:3557-3572. [PMID: 35819260 PMCID: PMC9560986 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-4543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Perineural invasion (PNI), a common occurrence in oral squamous cell carcinomas, is associated with poor survival. Consequently, these tumors are treated aggressively. However, diagnostic criteria of PNI vary and its role as an independent predictor of prognosis has not been established. To address these knowledge gaps, we investigated spatial and transcriptomic profiles of PNI-positive and PNI-negative nerves. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Tissue sections from 142 patients were stained with S100 and cytokeratin antibodies. Nerves were identified in two distinct areas: tumor bulk and margin. Nerve diameter and nerve-to-tumor distance were assessed; survival analyses were performed. Spatial transcriptomic analysis of nerves at varying distances from tumor was performed with NanoString GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler Transcriptomic Atlas. RESULTS PNI is an independent predictor of poor prognosis among patients with metastasis-free lymph nodes. Patients with close nerve-tumor distance have poor outcomes even if diagnosed as PNI negative using current criteria. Patients with large nerve(s) in the tumor bulk survive poorly, suggesting that even PNI-negative nerves facilitate tumor progression. Diagnostic criteria were supported by spatial transcriptomic analyses of >18,000 genes; nerves in proximity to cancer exhibit stress and growth response changes that diminish with increasing nerve-tumor distance. These findings were validated in vitro and in human tissue. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study in human cancer with high-throughput gene expression analysis in nerves with striking correlations between transcriptomic profile and clinical outcomes. Our work illuminates nerve-cancer interactions suggesting that cancer-induced injury modulates neuritogenesis, and supports reclassification of PNI based on nerve-tumor distance rather than current subjective criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ligia B. Schmitd
- Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Cindy Perez-Pacheco
- Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Emily L. Bellile
- Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Weisheng Wu
- Bioinformatics Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Keith Casper
- Otolaryngology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Michelle Mierzwa
- Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Laura S. Rozek
- Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Gregory T. Wolf
- Otolaryngology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jeremy M.G. Taylor
- Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Nisha J. D'Silva
- Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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25
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Vats K, Kruglov O, Sahoo B, Soman V, Zhang J, Shurin GV, Chandran UR, Skums P, Shurin MR, Zelikovsky A, Storkus WJ, Bunimovich YL. Sensory nerves impede the formation of tertiary lymphoid structures and development of protective anti-melanoma immune responses. Cancer Immunol Res 2022; 10:1141-1154. [PMID: 35834791 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Peripheral neurons comprise a critical component of the tumor microenvironment (TME). The role of the autonomic innervation in cancer has been firmly established. However, the effect of the afferent (sensory) neurons on tumor progression remains unclear. Utilizing surgical and chemical skin sensory denervation methods, we showed that afferent neurons supported the growth of melanoma tumors in vivo and demonstrated that sensory innervation limited the activation of effective anti-tumor immune responses. Specifically, sensory ablation led to improved leukocyte recruitment into tumors, with decreased presence of lymphoid and myeloid immunosuppressive cells and increased activation of T-effector cells within the TME. Cutaneous sensory nerves hindered maturation of intratumoral high endothelial venules (HEVs) and limited formation of mature tertiary lymphoid-like structures containing organized clusters of CD4+ T cells and B cells. Denervation further increased T-cell clonality and expanded the B-cell repertoire in the TME. Importantly, CD8a depletion prevented denervation-dependent anti-tumor effects. Finally, we observed that gene signatures of inflammation and the content of neuron-associated transcripts inversely correlated in human primary cutaneous melanomas, with the latter representing a negative prognostic marker of patient overall survival. Our results suggest that tumor-associated sensory neurons negatively regulate the development of protective anti-tumor immune responses within the TME, thereby defining a novel target for therapeutic intervention in the melanoma setting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Oleg Kruglov
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States
| | - Bikram Sahoo
- Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
| | | | - Jiying Zhang
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Galina V Shurin
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | | | - Pavel Skums
- Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Michael R Shurin
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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de Assis LVM, Lacerda JT, Moraes MN, Domínguez-Amorocho OA, Kinker GS, Mendes D, Silva MM, Menck CFM, Câmara NOS, Castrucci AMDL. Melanopsin (Opn4) is an oncogene in cutaneous melanoma. Commun Biol 2022; 5:461. [PMID: 35562405 PMCID: PMC9106662 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03425-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The search for new therapeutical targets for cutaneous melanoma and other cancers is an ongoing task. We expanded this knowledge by evaluating whether opsins, light- and thermo-sensing proteins, could display tumor-modulatory effects on melanoma cancer. Using different experimental approaches, we show that melanoma cell proliferation is slower in the absence of Opn4, compared to Opn4WT due to an impaired cell cycle progression and reduced melanocyte inducing transcription factor (Mitf) expression. In vivo tumor progression of Opn4KO cells is remarkably reduced due to slower proliferation, and higher immune system response in Opn4KO tumors. Using pharmacological assays, we demonstrate that guanylyl cyclase activity is impaired in Opn4KO cells. Evaluation of Tumor Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database confirms our experimental data as reduced MITF and OPN4 expression in human melanoma correlates with slower cell cycle progression and presence of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Proteomic analyses of tumor bulk show that the reduced growth of Opn4KO tumors is associated with reduced Mitf signaling, higher translation of G2/M proteins, and impaired guanylyl cyclase activity. Conversely, in Opn4WT tumors increased small GTPase and an immune-suppressive TME are found. Such evidence points to OPN4 as an oncogene in melanoma, which could be pharmacologically targeted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Vinícius Monteiro de Assis
- Laboratory of Comparative Physiology of Pigmentation, Department of Physiology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Institute of Neurobiology, Center for Brain, Behavior, and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
| | - José Thalles Lacerda
- Laboratory of Comparative Physiology of Pigmentation, Department of Physiology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Nathália Moraes
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Gabriela Sarti Kinker
- Laboratory of Translational Immuno-Oncology A. C. Camargo Cancer Center - International Research Center, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Davi Mendes
- DNA Repair Lab, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matheus Molina Silva
- DNA Repair Lab, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Frederico Martins Menck
- DNA Repair Lab, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Niels Olsen Saraiva Câmara
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunobiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria de Lauro Castrucci
- Laboratory of Comparative Physiology of Pigmentation, Department of Physiology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Erin N, Shurin GV, Baraldi JH, Shurin MR. Regulation of Carcinogenesis by Sensory Neurons and Neuromediators. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092333. [PMID: 35565462 PMCID: PMC9102554 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Sensory nerve fibers extensively innervate the entire body. They are the first to sense danger signals, including the ones coming from newly formed cancer cells. Various studies have demonstrated that the inactivation of sensory nerve fibers as well as the vagus nerve enhances tumor growth and spread in models including breast, pancreatic, and gastric cancer. On the other hand, there are also contradictory findings that show the opposite, namely that the inactivation of nerve fibers inhibits tumor growth. These discrepancies are likely caused by the stage and the level of aggressiveness of the tumor model used. Hence, further studies are required to determine the factors involved in neuro-immunological mechanisms of tumor growth and spread. Abstract Interactions between the immune system and the nervous system are crucial in maintaining homeostasis, and disturbances of these neuro-immune interactions may participate in carcinogenesis and metastasis. Nerve endings have been identified within solid tumors in humans and experimental animals. Although the involvement of the efferent sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation in carcinogenesis has been extensively investigated, the role of the afferent sensory neurons and the neuropeptides in tumor development, growth, and progression is recently appreciated. Similarly, current findings point to the significant role of Schwann cells as part of neuro-immune interactions. Hence, in this review, we mainly focus on local and systemic effects of sensory nerve activity as well as Schwann cells in carcinogenesis and metastasis. Specific denervation of vagal sensory nerve fibers, or vagotomy, in animal models, has been reported to markedly increase lung metastases of breast carcinoma as well as pancreatic and gastric tumor growth, with the formation of liver metastases demonstrating the protective role of vagal sensory fibers against cancer. Clinical studies have revealed that patients with gastric ulcers who have undergone a vagotomy have a greater risk of stomach, colorectal, biliary tract, and lung cancers. Protective effects of vagal activity have also been documented by epidemiological studies demonstrating that high vagal activity predicts longer survival rates in patients with colon, non-small cell lung, prostate, and breast cancers. However, several studies have reported that inhibition of sensory neuronal activity reduces the development of solid tumors, including prostate, gastric, pancreatic, head and neck, cervical, ovarian, and skin cancers. These contradictory findings are likely to be due to the post-nerve injury-induced activation of systemic sensory fibers, the level of aggressiveness of the tumor model used, and the local heterogeneity of sensory fibers. As the aggressiveness of the tumor model and the level of the inflammatory response increase, the protective role of sensory nerve fibers is apparent and might be mostly due to systemic alterations in the neuro-immune response. Hence, more insights into inductive and permissive mechanisms, such as systemic, cellular neuro-immunological mechanisms of carcinogenesis and metastasis formation, are needed to understand the role of sensory neurons in tumor growth and spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuray Erin
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Immunopharmacology, and Immuno-Oncology Unit, School of Medicine, Akdeniz University, 07070 Antalya, Turkey
- Correspondence:
| | - Galina V. Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, 15213 PA, USA; (G.V.S.); (M.R.S.)
| | - James H. Baraldi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, 15213 PA, USA;
| | - Michael R. Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, 15213 PA, USA; (G.V.S.); (M.R.S.)
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, 15213 PA, USA
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Baraldi JH, Martyn GV, Shurin GV, Shurin MR. Tumor Innervation: History, Methodologies, and Significance. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14081979. [PMID: 35454883 PMCID: PMC9029781 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14081979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary This comprehensive review of tumor innervation summarizes the literature from the earliest publications on the topic to the most recent. It addresses the positive and negative evidence of tumor innervation and the historical developments in thought and methodology that have led to the consensus that tumors are innervated. The role of the immune response is described, as are some important biochemical and physiological mechanisms relevant to regulation of cancer development. Abstract The role of the nervous system in cancer development and progression has been under experimental and clinical investigation since nineteenth-century observations in solid tumor anatomy and histology. For the first half of the twentieth century, methodological limitations and opaque mechanistic concepts resulted in ambiguous evidence of tumor innervation. Differential spatial distribution of viable or disintegrated nerve tissue colocalized with neoplastic tissue led investigators to conclude that solid tumors either are or are not innervated. Subsequent work in electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, pathway enrichment analysis, neuroimmunology, and neuroimmunooncology have bolstered the conclusion that solid tumors are innervated. Regulatory mechanisms for cancer-related neurogenesis, as well as specific operational definitions of perineural invasion and axonogenesis, have helped to explain the consensus observation of nerves at the periphery of the tumor signifying a functional role of nerves, neurons, neurites, and glia in tumor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- James H. Baraldi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA;
| | - German V. Martyn
- Biomedical Studies Program, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA;
| | - Galina V. Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA;
| | - Michael R. Shurin
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Clinical Immunopathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Correspondence:
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29
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Guo Y, Gil Z. The Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer-Nerve Crosstalk of the Peripheral Nervous System. Cells 2022; 11:cells11081294. [PMID: 35455973 PMCID: PMC9027707 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the pathogenic operations of cancer–nerve crosstalk (e.g., neuritogenesis, neoneurogensis, and perineural invasion—PNI) in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) during tumorigenesis, as well as the progression of all cancer types is continuing to emerge as an area of unique scientific interest and study, extensive, wide-ranging, and multidisciplinary investigations still remain fragmented and unsystematic. This is especially so in regard to the roles played by extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are lipid bilayer-enclosed nano- to microsized particles that carry multiple-function molecular cargos, facilitate intercellular communication in diverse processes. Accordingly, the biological significance of EVs has been greatly elevated in recent years, as there is strong evidence that they could contribute to important and possibly groundbreaking diagnostic and therapeutic innovations. This can be achieved and the pace of discoveries accelerated through cross-pollination from existing knowledge and studies regarding nervous system physiology and pathology, as well as thoroughgoing collaborations between oncologists, neurobiologists, pathologists, clinicians, and researchers. This article offers an overview of current and recent past investigations on the roles of EVs in cancer–nerve crosstalk, as well as in neural development, physiology, inflammation, injury, and regeneration in the PNS. By highlighting the mechanisms involved in physiological and noncancerous pathological cellular crosstalk, we provide hints that may inspire additional translational studies on cancer–nerve interplay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanning Guo
- Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel;
| | - Ziv Gil
- Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel;
- Head and Neck Institute, The Holy Family Hospital Nazareth, Nazareth 1641100, Israel
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +972-4-854-2480
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30
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Goluba K, Kunrade L, Riekstina U, Parfejevs V. Schwann Cells in Digestive System Disorders. Cells 2022; 11:832. [PMID: 35269454 PMCID: PMC8908985 DOI: 10.3390/cells11050832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper functioning of the digestive system is ensured by coordinated action of the central and peripheral nervous systems (PNS). Peripheral innervation of the digestive system can be viewed as intrinsic and extrinsic. The intrinsic portion is mainly composed of the neurons and glia of the enteric nervous system (ENS), while the extrinsic part is formed by sympathetic, parasympathetic, and sensory branches of the PNS. Glial cells are a crucial component of digestive tract innervation, and a great deal of research evidence highlights the important status of ENS glia in health and disease. In this review, we shift the focus a bit and discuss the functions of Schwann cells (SCs), the glial cells of the extrinsic innervation of the digestive system. For more context, we also provide information on the basic findings regarding the function of innervation in disorders of the digestive organs. We find diverse SC roles described particularly in the mouth, the pancreas, and the intestine. We note that most of the scientific evidence concerns the involvement of SCs in cancer progression and pain, but some research identifies stem cell functions and potential for regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Vadims Parfejevs
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Latvia, House of Science, Jelgavas Str. 3, LV-1004 Riga, Latvia; (K.G.); (L.K.); (U.R.)
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31
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Schwann Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment: Need More Attention. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:1058667. [PMID: 35186076 PMCID: PMC8853772 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1058667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME), which is composed of various cell components and signaling molecules, plays an important role in the occurrence and progression of tumors and has become the central issue of current cancer research. In recent years, as a part of the TME, the peripheral nervous system (PNS) has attracted increasing attention. Moreover, emerging evidence shows that Schwann cells (SCs), which are the most important glial cells in the PNS, are not simply spectators in the TME. In this review article, we focused on the up-to-date research progress on SCs in the TME and introduced our point of view. In detail, we described that under two main tumor-nerve interaction patterns, perineural invasion (PNI) and tumor innervation, SCs were reprogrammed and acted as important participants. We also investigated the newest mechanisms between the interactions of SCs and tumor cells. In addition, SCs can have profound impacts on other cellular components in the TME, such as immune cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), involving immune regulation, tumor-related pain, and nerve remodeling. Overall, these innovative statements can expand the scope of the TME, help fully understand the significant role of SCs in the tumor-nerve-immune axis, and propose enlightenments to innovate antitumor therapeutic methods and future research.
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Shi DD, Guo JA, Hoffman HI, Su J, Mino-Kenudson M, Barth JL, Schenkel JM, Loeffler JS, Shih HA, Hong TS, Wo JY, Aguirre AJ, Jacks T, Zheng L, Wen PY, Wang TC, Hwang WL. Therapeutic avenues for cancer neuroscience: translational frontiers and clinical opportunities. Lancet Oncol 2022; 23:e62-e74. [PMID: 35114133 PMCID: PMC9516432 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(21)00596-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
With increasing attention on the essential roles of the tumour microenvironment in recent years, the nervous system has emerged as a novel and crucial facilitator of cancer growth. In this Review, we describe the foundational, translational, and clinical advances illustrating how nerves contribute to tumour proliferation, stress adaptation, immunomodulation, metastasis, electrical hyperactivity and seizures, and neuropathic pain. Collectively, this expanding knowledge base reveals multiple therapeutic avenues for cancer neuroscience that warrant further exploration in clinical studies. We discuss the available clinical data, including ongoing trials investigating novel agents targeting the tumour-nerve axis, and the therapeutic potential for repurposing existing neuroactive drugs as an anti-cancer approach, particularly in combination with established treatment regimens. Lastly, we discuss the clinical challenges of these treatment strategies and highlight unanswered questions and future directions in the burgeoning field of cancer neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana D Shi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jimmy A Guo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA; School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hannah I Hoffman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Biology, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer Su
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Biology, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mari Mino-Kenudson
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jaimie L Barth
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jason M Schenkel
- Department of Biology, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jay S Loeffler
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Helen A Shih
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Theodore S Hong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer Y Wo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew J Aguirre
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tyler Jacks
- Department of Biology, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Lei Zheng
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Patrick Y Wen
- Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Timothy C Wang
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - William L Hwang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Biology, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Glia and Orofacial Pain: Progress and Future Directions. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22105345. [PMID: 34069553 PMCID: PMC8160907 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Orofacial pain is a universal predicament, afflicting millions of individuals worldwide. Research on the molecular mechanisms of orofacial pain has predominately focused on the role of neurons underlying nociception. However, aside from neural mechanisms, non-neuronal cells, such as Schwann cells and satellite ganglion cells in the peripheral nervous system, and microglia and astrocytes in the central nervous system, are important players in both peripheral and central processing of pain in the orofacial region. This review highlights recent molecular and cellular findings of the glia involvement and glia–neuron interactions in four common orofacial pain conditions such as headache, dental pulp injury, temporomandibular joint dysfunction/inflammation, and head and neck cancer. We will discuss the remaining questions and future directions on glial involvement in these four orofacial pain conditions.
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Neuroimmune Regulation of Surgery-Associated Metastases. Cells 2021; 10:cells10020454. [PMID: 33672617 PMCID: PMC7924204 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Surgery remains an essential therapeutic approach for most solid malignancies. Although for more than a century accumulating clinical and experimental data have indicated that surgical procedures themselves may promote the appearance and progression of recurrent and metastatic lesions, only in recent years has renewed interest been taken in the mechanism by which metastasizing of cancer occurs following operative procedures. It is well proven now that surgery constitutes a risk factor for the promotion of pre-existing, possibly dormant micrometastases and the acceleration of new metastases through several mechanisms, including the release of neuroendocrine and stress hormones and wound healing pathway-associated immunosuppression, neovascularization, and tissue remodeling. These postoperative consequences synergistically facilitate the establishment of new metastases and the development of pre-existing micrometastases. While only in recent years the role of the peripheral nervous system has been recognized as another contributor to cancer development and metastasis, little is known about the contribution of tumor-associated neuronal and neuroglial elements in the metastatic disease related to surgical trauma and wound healing. Specifically, although numerous clinical and experimental data suggest that biopsy- and surgery-induced wound healing can promote survival and metastatic spread of residual and dormant malignant cells, the involvement of the tumor-associated neuroglial cells in the formation of metastases following tissue injury has not been well understood. Understanding the clinical significance and underlying mechanisms of neuroimmune regulation of surgery-associated metastasis will not only advance the field of neuro–immuno–oncology and contribute to basic science and translational oncology research but will also produce a strong foundation for developing novel mechanism-based therapeutic approaches that may protect patients against the oncologically adverse effects of primary tumor biopsy and excision.
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TNFα promotes oral cancer growth, pain, and Schwann cell activation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1840. [PMID: 33469141 PMCID: PMC7815837 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81500-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Oral cancer is very painful and impairs a patient's ability to eat, talk, and drink. Mediators secreted from oral cancer can excite and sensitize sensory neurons inducing pain. Cancer mediators can also activate Schwann cells, the peripheral glia that regulates neuronal function and repair. The contribution of Schwann cells to oral cancer pain is unclear. We hypothesize that the oral cancer mediator TNFα activates Schwann cells, which further promotes cancer progression and pain. We demonstrate that TNFα is overexpressed in human oral cancer tissues and correlates with increased self-reported pain in patients. Antagonizing TNFα reduces oral cancer proliferation, cytokine production, and nociception in mice with oral cancer. Oral cancer or TNFα alone increases Schwann cell activation (measured by Schwann cell proliferation, migration, and activation markers), which can be inhibited by neutralizing TNFα. Cancer- or TNFα-activated Schwann cells release pro-nociceptive mediators such as TNFα and nerve growth factor (NGF). Activated Schwann cells induce nociceptive behaviors in mice, which is alleviated by blocking TNFα. Our study suggests that TNFα promotes cancer proliferation, progression, and nociception at least partially by activating Schwann cells. Inhibiting TNFα or Schwann cell activation might serve as therapeutic approaches for the treatment of oral cancer and associated pain.
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Shurin MR, Shurin GV, Zlotnikov SB, Bunimovich YL. The Neuroimmune Axis in the Tumor Microenvironment. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 204:280-285. [PMID: 31907270 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is a complex ecosystem and should be considered in the context of its cellular and molecular microenvironment, which includes the nerves. Peripheral nerves can modulate phenotype and behavior of the malignant cells and thus affect tumor growth and metastasis. Only recently has the role of neuroimmune cross-talk surfaced as a key contributor to cancer progression. However, little is known about the immunomodulatory role of the neuroglial cells in cancer progression and metastasis and the response to therapy. Schwann cells, the principal glial cells of the peripheral nervous system, are now considered to be important players in the tumor microenvironment. They can directly accelerate malignant cell migration and the formation of metastases. Better understanding of the neuroimmune circuits in the tumor milieu will be instrumental in the development of novel therapeutic approaches for the malignancies known to be associated with inflammation and dysregulated immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15232; .,Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15232; and
| | - Galina V Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
| | - Samuel B Zlotnikov
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
| | - Yuri L Bunimovich
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
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Patchett AL, Flies AS, Lyons AB, Woods GM. Curse of the devil: molecular insights into the emergence of transmissible cancers in the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii). Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:2507-2525. [PMID: 31900624 PMCID: PMC11104928 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03435-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is the only mammalian species known to be affected by multiple transmissible cancers. Devil facial tumours 1 and 2 (DFT1 and DFT2) are independent neoplastic cell lineages that produce large, disfiguring cancers known as devil facial tumour disease (DFTD). The long-term persistence of wild Tasmanian devils is threatened due to the ability of DFTD cells to propagate as contagious allografts and the high mortality rate of DFTD. Recent studies have demonstrated that both DFT1 and DFT2 cancers originated from founder cells of the Schwann cell lineage, an uncommon origin of malignant cancer in humans. This unprecedented finding has revealed a potential predisposition of Tasmanian devils to transmissible cancers of the Schwann cell lineage. In this review, we compare the molecular nature of human Schwann cells and nerve sheath tumours with DFT1 and DFT2 to gain insights into the emergence of transmissible cancers in the Tasmanian devil. We discuss a potential mechanism, whereby Schwann cell plasticity and frequent wounding in Tasmanian devils combine with an inherent cancer predisposition and low genetic diversity to give rise to transmissible Schwann cell cancers in devils on rare occasions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Patchett
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
| | - Andrew S Flies
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
| | - A Bruce Lyons
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
| | - Gregory M Woods
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia.
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38
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Su D, Guo X, Huang L, Ye H, Li Z, Lin L, Chen R, Zhou Q. Tumor-neuroglia interaction promotes pancreatic cancer metastasis. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:5029-5047. [PMID: 32308766 PMCID: PMC7163446 DOI: 10.7150/thno.42440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: The peripheral nervous system (PNS) plays an important role in tumor growth and progression. Schwann cells (SCs), the main glia cells of the PNS, augment cancer metastasis in contact-dependent or contact-independent manner in various malignancies. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether interplay between pancreatic cancer cells and SCs via paracrine signaling contributes to cancer progression. Methods: Immunofluorescence analysis was performed to reveal the distribution of SCs in PDAC tissues and to determine the prognostic value and clinicopathological relevance of the level of intra‑tumoral SC markers for patients diagnosed with PDAC. Transwell assays and wound healing assays were carried out to investigate the influence of SC conditioned medium (SCM), SC co‑culture, or co-cultured CM on the migratory and invasive abilities of pancreatic cancer cells. The mechanism of SCs induced cancer cells migration and invasion was confirmed using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), western blotting, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, siRNA-mediated gene interference, and an in vivo mouse model. Results: Immunofluorescence analysis of tissue samples revealed that there were two different types of SCs distributed in the tumor microenvironment, the presence of which correlated with several clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival for patients with PDAC. Although SCM had no impact on the motility and invasiveness of tumor cells, both co-cultivation with SCs and co‑cultured CM enhanced pancreatic cancer cell migration and invasion. Mechanistically, SC‑derived Interleukin 6 (IL6), which was induced by co-culture with pancreatic cancer cells, augmented cancer cell migration and invasion by activating STAT3 signaling in cancer cells, while IL6 neutralization or STAT3 downregulation abrogated these effects. Furthermore, Interleukin 1β (IL1β), secreted by tumor cells, activated the nuclear actor (NF)-kappa B pathway in SCs, resulting in increased cytokines production, including IL6, while inhibiting the IL1β-IL1R1 axis led to inactivation of NF-kappa B signaling and downregulated cytokines expression in SCs. Interfering with tumor-neuroglia crosstalk impeded cancer cell dissemination in vivo. Conclusion: Schwann cells were extensively distributed in the PDAC tumor microenvironment and high level of intra-tumoral SC markers could serve as an independent prognostic factor for poor survival of patients with PDAC. The tumor-neuroglia interaction is indispensable for SCs to acquire a tumor-facilitating phenotype. Targeting the tumor-neuroglia interplay might be a promising strategy to treat PDAC.
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Ercolano G, De Cicco P, Rubino V, Terrazzano G, Ruggiero G, Carriero R, Kunderfranco P, Ianaro A. Knockdown of PTGS2 by CRISPR/CAS9 System Designates a New Potential Gene Target for Melanoma Treatment. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:1456. [PMID: 31920649 PMCID: PMC6915044 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 has become a powerful method to engineer genomes and to activate or to repress genes expression. As such, in cancer research CRISPR/Cas9 technology represents an efficient tool to dissect mechanisms of tumorigenesis and to discover novel targets for drug development. Here, we employed the CRISPR/Cas9 technology for studying the role of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) in melanoma development and progression. Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer with a median survival of less than 1 year. Although oncogene-targeted drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated a significant success in improving overall survival in patients, related toxicity and emerging resistance are ongoing challenges. Gene therapy appears to be an appealing option to enhance the efficacy of currently available melanoma therapeutics leading to better patient prognosis. Several gene therapy targets have been identified and have proven to be effective against melanoma cells. Particularly, PTGS2 is frequently expressed in malignant melanomas and its expression significantly correlates with poor survival in patients. In this study we investigated on the effect of ptgs2 knockdown in B16F10 murine melanoma cells. Our results show that reduced expression of ptgs2 in melanoma cells: i) inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness; ii) modulates immune response by impairing myeloid derived suppressor cell differentiation; iii) reduces tumor development and metastasis in vivo. Collectively, these findings indicate that ptgs2 could represent an ideal gene to be targeted to improve success rates in the development of new and highly selective drugs for melanoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Ercolano
- Department of Oncology UNIL CHUV and Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paola De Cicco
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Valentina Rubino
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Terrazzano
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Department of Science, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Ruggiero
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Roberta Carriero
- Bioinformatic Unit, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Paolo Kunderfranco
- Bioinformatic Unit, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Angela Ianaro
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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40
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Zhang SH, Shurin GV, Khosravi H, Kazi R, Kruglov O, Shurin MR, Bunimovich YL. Immunomodulation by Schwann cells in disease. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2019; 69:245-253. [PMID: 31676924 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-019-02424-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Schwann cells are the principal glial cells of the peripheral nervous system which maintain neuronal homeostasis. Schwann cells support peripheral nerve functions and play a critical role in many pathological processes including injury-induced nerve repair, neurodegenerative diseases, infections, neuropathic pain and cancer. Schwann cells are implicated in a wide range of diseases due, in part, to their ability to interact and modulate immune cells. We discuss the accumulating examples of how Schwann cell regulation of the immune system initiates and facilitates the progression of various diseases. Furthermore, we highlight how Schwann cells may orchestrate an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by polarizing and modulating the activity of the dendritic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia H Zhang
- School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Galina V Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Hasan Khosravi
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, E1157 Thomas E. Starzl Biomedical Science Tower, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Rashek Kazi
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, E1157 Thomas E. Starzl Biomedical Science Tower, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Oleg Kruglov
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, E1157 Thomas E. Starzl Biomedical Science Tower, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Michael R Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yuri L Bunimovich
- Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, E1157 Thomas E. Starzl Biomedical Science Tower, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
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