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Stribbling SM, Beach C, Ryan AJ. Orthotopic and metastatic tumour models in preclinical cancer research. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 257:108631. [PMID: 38467308 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108631] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Mouse models of disease play a pivotal role at all stages of cancer drug development. Cell-line derived subcutaneous tumour models are predominant in early drug discovery, but there is growing recognition of the importance of the more complex orthotopic and metastatic tumour models for understanding both target biology in the correct tissue context, and the impact of the tumour microenvironment and the immune system in responses to treatment. The aim of this review is to highlight the value that orthotopic and metastatic models bring to the study of tumour biology and drug development while pointing out those models that are most likely to be encountered in the literature. Important developments in orthotopic models, such as the increasing use of early passage patient material (PDXs, organoids) and humanised mouse models are discussed, as these approaches have the potential to increase the predictive value of preclinical studies, and ultimately improve the success rate of anticancer drugs in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Stribbling
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Callum Beach
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, ORCRB, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Anderson J Ryan
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, ORCRB, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; Fast Biopharma, Aston Rowant, Oxfordshire, OX49 5SW, UK.
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2
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Wang K, Wu J, Yang Z, Zheng B, Shen S, Wang RR, Zhang Y, Wang HY, Chen L, Qiu X. Hyperactivation of β-catenin signal in hepatocellular carcinoma recruits myeloid-derived suppressor cells through PF4-CXCR3 axis. Cancer Lett 2024; 586:216690. [PMID: 38307410 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216690] [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: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
The high mutation rate of CTNNB1 (37 %) and Wnt-β-catenin signal-associated genes (54 %) has been notified in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The activation of Wnt-β-catenin signal pathway was reported to be associated with an immune "desert" phenotype, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we mainly employed orthotopic HCC models to explore on it. Mass cytometry depicted the immune contexture of orthotopic HCC syngeneic grafts, unveiling that the exogenous expression of β-catenin significantly increased the percentage of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and decreased the percentage of CD8+ T-cells. Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry further confirmed the findings. The protein microarray analysis, Western blot and PCR identified PF4 as its downstream regulating cytokine. Intratumorally injection of cytokine PF4 enhanced the accumulation of MDSCs. Knockout of PF4 abolished the effect of β-catenin on recruiting MDSCs. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that β-catenin increases the mRNA level of PF4 via binding to PF4's promoter region. In vitro chemotaxis assay and in vivo administration of specific inhibitors identified CXCR3 on MDSCs as receptor for recruiting PF4. Lastly, the significant correlations across β-catenin, PF4 and MDSCs and CD8+ T-cells infiltration were verified in HCC clinical samples. Our results unveiled HCC tumor cell intrinsic hyperactivation of β-catenin can recruit MDSC through PF4-CXCR3, which contributes to the formation of immune "desert" phenotype. Our study provided new insights into the development of immunotherapeutic strategy of HCC with CTNNB1 mutation. SIGNIFICANCE: This study identifies PF4-CXCR3-MDSCs as a downstream mechanism underlying CTNNB1 mutation associated immune "desert" phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiting Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Jianmin Wu
- Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Zhao Yang
- Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Bo Zheng
- The International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, National Center for Liver Cancer, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China; National Center for Liver Cancer, Shanghai, 200441, China
| | - Siyun Shen
- The International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, National Center for Liver Cancer, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China; National Center for Liver Cancer, Shanghai, 200441, China
| | - Rui-Ru Wang
- Berry Oncology Corporation, Digital Fujian Park, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yani Zhang
- Institute of Metabolism and Integrative Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Hong-Yang Wang
- The International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, National Center for Liver Cancer, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China; National Center for Liver Cancer, Shanghai, 200441, China; Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer (SMMU), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200438, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Tumor Biology (EHBH), Shanghai, 200438, China.
| | - Lei Chen
- The International Cooperation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, National Center for Liver Cancer, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, China; Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer (SMMU), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200438, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Tumor Biology (EHBH), Shanghai, 200438, China; Department of Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Xinyao Qiu
- Department of Cancer Institute, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Chen VCH, Huang SL, Huang JY, Hsu TC, Tzang BS, McIntyre RS. Combined Administration of Escitalopram Oxalate and Nivolumab Exhibits Synergistic Growth-Inhibitory Effects on Liver Cancer Cells through Inducing Apoptosis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12630. [PMID: 37628813 PMCID: PMC10454364 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612630] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is one of the most lethal malignant cancers worldwide. However, the therapeutic options for advanced liver cancers are limited and reveal scant efficacy. The current study investigated the effects of nivolumab (Niv) and escitalopram oxalate (Esc) in combination on proliferation of liver cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Significantly decreased viability of HepG2 cells that were treated with Esc or Niv was observed in a dose-dependent manner at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h. Administration of Esc (50 μM) + Niv (20 μM), Esc (75 μM) + Niv (5 μM), and Esc (75 μM) + Niv (20 μM) over 24 h exhibited synergistic effects, inhibiting the survival of HepG2 cells. Additionally, treatment with Esc (50 μM) + Niv (1 μM), Esc (50 μM) + Niv (20 μM), and Esc (75 μM) + Niv (20 μM) over 48 h exhibited synergistic effects, inhibiting the survival of HepG2 cells. Finally, treatment with Esc (50 μM) + Niv (1 μM), Esc (50 μM) + Niv (20 μM), and Esc (75 μM) + Niv (20 μM) for 72 h exhibited synergistic effects, inhibiting HepG2 survival. Com-pared with controls, HepG2 cells treated with Esc (50 μM) + Niv (20 μM) exhibited significantly increased sub-G1 portion and annexin-V signals. In a xenograft animal study, Niv (6.66 mg/kg) + Esc (2.5 mg/kg) significantly suppressed the growth of xenograft HepG2 tumors in nude mice. This study reports for the first time the synergistic effects of combined administration of Niv and Esc for inhibiting HepG2 cell proliferation, which may provide an alternative option for liver cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Chin-Hung Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan;
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Medical Foundation, Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61303, Taiwan; (S.-L.H.); (J.-Y.H.)
| | - Shao-Lan Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Medical Foundation, Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61303, Taiwan; (S.-L.H.); (J.-Y.H.)
| | - Jing-Yu Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Medical Foundation, Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chiayi 61303, Taiwan; (S.-L.H.); (J.-Y.H.)
| | - Tsai-Ching Hsu
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
- Immunology Center, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
| | - Bor-Show Tzang
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
- Immunology Center, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
| | - Roger S. McIntyre
- Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T2S8, Canada;
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T1R8, Canada
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Qin Z, Xie B, Qian J, Ma X, Zhang L, Wei J, Wang Z, Fan L, Zhu Z, Qian Z, Yin H, Zhu F, Tan Y. Over-expression of RRM2 predicts adverse prognosis correlated with immune infiltrates: A potential biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1144269. [PMID: 37056349 PMCID: PMC10086364 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1144269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundRibonucleotide reductase regulatory subunit M2 (RRM2) has been reported to be an oncogene in some malignant tumors, such as lung adenocarcinoma, oral squamous cell carcinoma, glioblastoma, and breast cancer. However, the clinical significance of RRM2 in hepatocellular carcinoma has been less studied. The aim of this study was to assess the importance of RRM2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database.MethodsThe RRM2 expression levels and clinical features were downloaded from the TCGA database. Immunohistochemistry results between tumor tissues and normal tissues were downloaded from the Proteinatlas database. Meanwhile, the expression levels of RRM2 in tumor and paraneoplastic tissues were further verified by qRT-PCR and Western Blotting. Gene Ontology (GO)/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and protein-protein-interactions (PPI) network were constructed to analyze RRM2-related downstream molecules. In addition, RRM2 expression-related pathways performed by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Association analysis of RRM2 gene expression and immune infiltration was performed by single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA).ResultsThe RRM2 expression level in tumor tissues was higher than normal tissues (P <0.001). The elevated expression of RRM2 in HCC was significantly correlated with T stage (P <0.05), pathologic stage (P <0.05), tumor status (P <0.05), histologic grade (P<0.001), and AFP (P <0.001). HCC with higher RRM2 expression was positively associated with worse OS (overall survival), PFS (progression-free survival), and DSS (disease-specific survival). In the univariate analysis, the expression of RRM2, T stage, M stage, pathologic stage, and tumor status were negatively correlated with OS (P <0.05). Further analysis using multivariate Cox regression showed that tumor status (P<0.01) and RRM2 expression (P<0.05) were independent prognostic factors of OS in HCC. GO/KEGG analysis showed that the critical biological process (chromosome condensation and p53 signaling pathway) might be the possible function mechanism in promoting HCC. Moreover, GSEA showed that several pathways were enriched in RRM2 high-expression samples, including PD-1 signaling, cell cycle, P27 pathway, and T cell receptor signaling pathway. RRM2 was significantly correlated with the infiltration level of CD8 T cells, Cytotoxic cells, DCs, Neutrophils, NK cells, and T helper cells (P <0.05).ConclusionOver-expression of RRM2 predict adverse prognosis and is correlated with immune infiltrates in HCC. RRM2 may be a significant molecular biomarker for HCC diagnosis and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongqiang Qin
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Bo Xie
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Jingyu Qian
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Xiang Ma
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Lan Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Jianzhu Wei
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Zhaoying Wang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Longfei Fan
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Ziyi Zhu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Zhen Qian
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Hongxiang Yin
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Fangquan Zhu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Lu’an First People’s Hospital, Lu’an, China
- *Correspondence: Fangquan Zhu, ; Yulin Tan,
| | - Yulin Tan
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
- *Correspondence: Fangquan Zhu, ; Yulin Tan,
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Li K, Qin Y, Ye L. Response to 'Hyperbaric oxygen facilitates teniposide-induced cGAS-STING activation to enhance the antitumor efficacy of PD-1 antibody in HCC' by Yang et al. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-006648. [PMID: 36882227 PMCID: PMC10008227 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-006648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kun Li
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yunfei Qin
- Department of Biotherapy Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Linsen Ye
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Yao H, Yu S, Luo Y, Wang M, Wang X, Xu S, Chen Y, Xie Z. Effects of plasma-derived exosomes from the normal and thin Bactrian camels on hepatocellular carcinoma and their differences at transcriptome and proteomics levels. Front Oncol 2023; 13:994340. [PMID: 36816960 PMCID: PMC9933125 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.994340] [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: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant primary tumor. Bactrian camels have high economic and social values, but their potential medical value has not been studied. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Bactrian camel plasma-derived exosomes on HCC. Methods Plasma was obtained from thin and normal Bactrian camels, and used to isolate exosomes by ultracentrifugation. The exosomes were then characterized by transmission electron microscopy and Nano particle tracking analyzer. In vivo imaging of nude mice and hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining of liver tissues were used to explore the effects of the exosomes on tumor growth. Finally, the differences of the two exosomes were further analyzed using small RNA sequencing and proteomics. Results In vivo imaging and HE staining showed that no significant differences were found in fluorescence value and liver tissue morphology between the control mice and the mice treated with the exosomes from thin Bactrian camels; while the fluorescence value and the live histology changes were alleviated in the mice with the exosomes from normal Bactrian camels. After sequencing and proteomic analysis, 40 differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs, 15 down-regulated and 25 up-regulated) and 172 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs, 77 up-regulated and 95 down-regulated) were identified in the plasma-derived exosomes from normal Bactrian camels. These identified DE-miRNAs and DEPs were significantly enriched in many signaling pathways. Conclusions Normal Bactrian camel plasma-derived exosomes may inhibit the growth of HCC cells through regulating pathways of Ras, Ras-Association Proximate 1 (Rap1), phosphoinositide 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and canonical Wnt signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongqiang Yao
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Animal Diseases, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Siriguleng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Animal Diseases, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China,*Correspondence: Siriguleng Yu,
| | - Yuchen Luo
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Animal Diseases, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Ming Wang
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Animal Diseases, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Xiuying Wang
- Department of Public Health, Inner Mongolia Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Siriguleng Xu
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Animal Diseases, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Yufei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Animal Diseases, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Zhifeng Xie
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Animal Diseases, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
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Fornari F, Giovannini C, Piscaglia F, Gramantieri L. Animal Models of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Applications in Clinical Research. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2022; 9:1263-1278. [DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s347946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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Liang X, Song F, Fang W, Zhang Y, Feng Z, Chen Z, Han L, Chen Z. CLEC1B is a Promising Prognostic Biomarker and Correlated with Immune Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Gen Med 2022; 15:5661-5672. [PMID: 35734199 PMCID: PMC9208739 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s363050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose C-type lectin domain family 1 member B (CLEC1B) is a protein-coding gene involved in various processes, such as platelet activation, tumor cell metastasis and separation of blood/lymphatic vessels. However, how CLEC1B plays its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance and biological function of CLEC1B in HCC. Patients and Methods Based on (The Cancer Genome Atlas) TCGA database, CLEC1B expression matrix and corresponding clinical information were extracted. ROC curves and Kaplan–Meier method were generated to evaluate the value of CLEC1B as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. Moreover, single-gene difference analysis constructed by DESeq2 method and then the related genes were used to predict CLEC1B-related signaling pathways. The ssGSEA algorithm was conducted for studies related to immune infiltration. CLEC1B protein expression was evaluated and immunohistochemistry in HCC tissues through tissue microarray. Finally, the relationship between CLEC1B expression and T cell infiltration was assessed according to tissue microarray. Results The mRNA and protein levels of CLEC1B were significantly down-regulated in HCC compared to paired normal tissues, which were further verified in clinical tissue samples. ROC curves and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis suggested the significant diagnostic and clinical prognostic value of CLEC1B. Meanwhile, downregulation of CLEC1B was significantly associated with clinical parameters such as clinical tumor vascular invasion and distant metastasis. Moreover, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene set enrichment (GSEA) analysis indicated that CLEC1B has significant association with immune function. Finally, immune infiltration analysis indicated that CLEC1B was significantly associated with immune cell subsets and affected the efficacy of immunotherapy in cancer patient. Conclusion Collectively, our findings suggested that CLEC1B could be a promising prognostic biomarker in HCC and its expression was related to immune cell infiltration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoliang Liang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Song
- Department of General Surgery, Yancheng TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Yancheng, 224002, People's Republic of China
| | - Wanzhi Fang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China
| | - Zihan Feng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China
| | - Zeyin Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Han
- Department of Medicine, Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng, 224005, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhong Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China
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Molecular targeted drugs, comprehensive classification and preclinical models for the implementation of precision immune oncology in hepatocellular carcinoma. Int J Clin Oncol 2022; 27:1101-1109. [PMID: 35633441 DOI: 10.1007/s10147-022-02174-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex heterogeneous disease with high morbidity and mortality. Recent progress in molecular targeted drugs including multikinase inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors has demonstrated substantial survival improvement in patients with advanced HCC, but it remains as a challenging issue to discover surrogate markers for precisely distinguishing responders and non-responders. Genome-based medicine has changed cancer treatment from empirical use of cytotoxic agents to theoretical use of molecular targeted drugs in various types of cancer, while not in HCC due to lack of druggable targets. Integrated genomic and transcriptomic analysis reveal that HCC is divided into three major subtypes, proliferative, CTNNB1-mutated and metabolic disease-associated, with distinctive molecular and immunological features, and an increasing number of studies provide evidence for the close correlation between the subtype and the response to molecular targeted drugs using both of clinical data and preclinical models. Dozens of immunocompetent mouse models, such as hydrodynamic tail vain injection models and implantable syngeneic models, reflect molecular characteristics and tumor immune microenvironment of the subtypes, and help us to evaluate the efficacy of single and combination therapies and understand the molecular mechanisms underlying vulnerability and resistance to them. Thus, the consensus classification and relevant preclinical models could accelerate the establishment of predictive biomarkers and the development of subtype-specific therapies.
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Gu CY, Lee TKW. Preclinical mouse models of hepatocellular carcinoma: An overview and update. Exp Cell Res 2022; 412:113042. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2022.113042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Blidisel A, Marcovici I, Coricovac D, Hut F, Dehelean CA, Cretu OM. Experimental Models of Hepatocellular Carcinoma-A Preclinical Perspective. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3651. [PMID: 34359553 PMCID: PMC8344976 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequent form of primary liver carcinoma, is a heterogenous and complex tumor type with increased incidence, poor prognosis, and high mortality. The actual therapeutic arsenal is narrow and poorly effective, rendering this disease a global health concern. Although considerable progress has been made in terms of understanding the pathogenesis, molecular mechanisms, genetics, and therapeutical approaches, several facets of human HCC remain undiscovered. A valuable and prompt approach to acquire further knowledge about the unrevealed aspects of HCC and novel therapeutic candidates is represented by the application of experimental models. Experimental models (in vivo and in vitro 2D and 3D models) are considered reliable tools to gather data for clinical usability. This review offers an overview of the currently available preclinical models frequently applied for the study of hepatocellular carcinoma in terms of initiation, development, and progression, as well as for the discovery of efficient treatments, highlighting the advantages and the limitations of each model. Furthermore, we also focus on the role played by computational studies (in silico models and artificial intelligence-based prediction models) as promising novel tools in liver cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Blidisel
- Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.B.); (F.H.); (O.M.C.)
| | - Iasmina Marcovici
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania;
- Research Center for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluations, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Dorina Coricovac
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania;
- Research Center for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluations, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Florin Hut
- Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.B.); (F.H.); (O.M.C.)
| | - Cristina Adriana Dehelean
- Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania;
- Research Center for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluations, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Octavian Marius Cretu
- Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, RO-300041 Timișoara, Romania; (A.B.); (F.H.); (O.M.C.)
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12
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Wang F, Malnassy G, Qiu W. The Epigenetic Regulation of Microenvironment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:653037. [PMID: 33791228 PMCID: PMC8005717 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.653037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly lethal and complex malignancy strongly influenced by the surrounding tumor microenvironment. The HCC microenvironment comprises hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), stromal and endothelial cells, and the underlying extracellular matrix (ECM). Emerging evidence demonstrates that epigenetic regulation plays a crucial role in altering numerous components of the HCC tumor microenvironment. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation of the microenvironment in HCC. We review recent studies demonstrating how specific epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation, histone regulation, and non-coding RNAs mediated regulation) in HSCs, TAMs, and ECM, and how they contribute to HCC development, so as to gain new insights into the treatment of HCC via regulating epigenetic regulation in the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Wang
- Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, United States.,Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, United States
| | - Greg Malnassy
- Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, United States.,Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, United States
| | - Wei Qiu
- Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, United States.,Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, United States
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Heinrich S, Castven D, Galle PR, Marquardt JU. Translational Considerations to Improve Response and Overcome Therapy Resistance in Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2495. [PMID: 32899197 PMCID: PMC7563159 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, progress in systemic therapies significantly improved the outcome of primary liver cancer. More recently, precision oncological and immunotherapeutic approaches became the focus of intense scientific and clinical research. Herein, preclinical studies showed promising results with high response rates and improvement of overall survival. However, results of phase III clinical trials revealed that only a subfraction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients respond to therapy and display only moderate objective response rates. Further, predictive molecular characteristics are largely missing. In consequence, suitable trial design has emerged as a crucial factor for the success of a novel compound. In addition, increasing knowledge from translational studies indicate the importance of targeting the tumor immune environment to overcome resistance to immunotherapy. Thus, combination of different immunotherapies with other treatment modalities including antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, or local therapies is highly promising. However, the mechanisms of failure to respond to immunotherapy in liver cancer are still not fully understood and the modulation of the immune system and cellular tumor composition is particularly relevant in this context. Altogether, it is increasingly clear that tailoring of immunotherapy and individualized approaches are required to improve efficacy and patient outcome in liver cancer. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge as well as translational considerations to overcome therapy resistance in immunotherapy of primary liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Heinrich
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Liver Carcinogenesis Section, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
- Department of Medicine I, Lichtenberg Research Group for Molecular Hepatocarcinogenesis, University Medical Center, 55131 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Darko Castven
- Department of Medicine I, Lichtenberg Research Group for Molecular Hepatocarcinogenesis, University Medical Center, 55131 Mainz, Germany;
- Lichtenberg Research Group for Molecular Hepatocarcinogenesis, Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center Schleswig Holstein, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
| | - Peter R. Galle
- Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jens U. Marquardt
- Department of Medicine I, Lichtenberg Research Group for Molecular Hepatocarcinogenesis, University Medical Center, 55131 Mainz, Germany;
- Lichtenberg Research Group for Molecular Hepatocarcinogenesis, Department of Medicine I, University Medical Center Schleswig Holstein, 23538 Luebeck, Germany
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