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Khorami-Sarvestani S, Vanaki N, Shojaeian S, Zarnani K, Stensballe A, Jeddi-Tehrani M, Zarnani AH. Placenta: an old organ with new functions. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1385762. [PMID: 38707901 PMCID: PMC11066266 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1385762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The transition from oviparity to viviparity and the establishment of feto-maternal communications introduced the placenta as the major anatomical site to provide nutrients, gases, and hormones to the developing fetus. The placenta has endocrine functions, orchestrates maternal adaptations to pregnancy at different periods of pregnancy, and acts as a selective barrier to minimize exposure of developing fetus to xenobiotics, pathogens, and parasites. Despite the fact that this ancient organ is central for establishment of a normal pregnancy in eutherians, the placenta remains one of the least studied organs. The first step of pregnancy, embryo implantation, is finely regulated by the trophoectoderm, the precursor of all trophoblast cells. There is a bidirectional communication between placenta and endometrium leading to decidualization, a critical step for maintenance of pregnancy. There are three-direction interactions between the placenta, maternal immune cells, and the endometrium for adaptation of endometrial immune system to the allogeneic fetus. While 65% of all systemically expressed human proteins have been found in the placenta tissues, it expresses numerous placenta-specific proteins, whose expression are dramatically changed in gestational diseases and could serve as biomarkers for early detection of gestational diseases. Surprisingly, placentation and carcinogenesis exhibit numerous shared features in metabolism and cell behavior, proteins and molecular signatures, signaling pathways, and tissue microenvironment, which proposes the concept of "cancer as ectopic trophoblastic cells". By extensive researches in this novel field, a handful of cancer biomarkers has been discovered. This review paper, which has been inspired in part by our extensive experiences during the past couple of years, highlights new aspects of placental functions with emphasis on its immunomodulatory role in establishment of a successful pregnancy and on a potential link between placentation and carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Khorami-Sarvestani
- Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negar Vanaki
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sorour Shojaeian
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medical Sciences, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Kayhan Zarnani
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Allan Stensballe
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Clinical Cancer Research Center, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Mahmood Jeddi-Tehrani
- Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir-Hassan Zarnani
- Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Park R, Yu J, Shahzad M, Lee S, Ji JD. The immune regulatory function of B7-H3 in malignancy: spotlight on the IFN-STAT1 axis and regulation of tumor-associated macrophages. Immunol Res 2024:10.1007/s12026-024-09458-9. [PMID: 38265550 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-024-09458-9] [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: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
B7-H3 is a member of the B7 superfamily and a putative inhibitory immune checkpoint molecule. Several early-phase clinical trials have reported promising anti-tumor activity and safety of anti-cancer drugs targeting B7-H3, suggesting that it may be a promising target for a potential next-generation immune checkpoint inhibitor. Despite ongoing clinical studies, most B7-H3-targeted drugs being currently investigated rely on direct cytotoxicity as their mechanisms of action rather than modulating its function as an immune checkpoint, at least in part due to its incompletely understood immune regulatory function. Recent studies have begun to elucidate the role of B7-H3 in regulating the tumor microenvironment (TME). Emerging evidence suggests that B7-H3 may regulate the interferon-STAT1 axis in the TME and promote immune suppression. Similarly, increasing evidence shows B7-H3 may be implicated in promoting M1 to M2 polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). There is also accumulating evidence suggesting that B7-H3 may play a role in the heterotypic fusion of cancer stem cells and macrophages, thereby promoting tumor invasion and metastasis. Here, we review the recent advances in the understanding of B7-H3 cancer immunobiology with a focus on highlighting its potential role in the interferon priming of TAMs and the heterotypic fusion of TAMs with cancer stem cells and suggest future direction in elucidating its immune checkpoint function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Park
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center/University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - James Yu
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center/University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Moazzam Shahzad
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center/University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Sunggon Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jong Dae Ji
- Department of Rheumatology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
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Merckens A, Sieler M, Keil S, Dittmar T. Altered Phenotypes of Breast Epithelial × Breast Cancer Hybrids after ZEB1 Knock-Out. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17310. [PMID: 38139138 PMCID: PMC10744253 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417310] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
ZEB1 plays a pivotal role in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), (cancer) cell stemness and cancer therapy resistance. The M13HS tumor hybrids, which were derived from spontaneous fusion events between the M13SV1-EGFP-Neo breast epithelial cells and HS578T-Hyg breast cancer cells, express ZEB1 and exhibit prospective cancer stem cell properties. To explore a possible correlation between the ZEB1 and stemness/ EMT-related properties in M13HS tumor hybrids, ZEB1 was knocked-out by CRISPR/Cas9. Colony formation, mammosphere formation, cell migration, invasion assays, flow cytometry and Western blot analyses were performed for the characterization of ZEB1 knock-out cells. The ZEB1 knock-out in M13HS tumor cells was not correlated with the down-regulation of the EMT-related markers N-CADHERIN (CDH2) and VIMENTIN and up-regulation of miR-200c-3p. Nonetheless, both the colony formation and mammosphere formation capacities of the M13HS ZEB1 knock-out cells were markedly reduced. Interestingly, the M13HS-2 ZEB1-KO cells harbored a markedly higher fraction of ALDH1-positive cells. The Transwell/ Boyden chamber migration assay data indicated a reduced migratory activity of the M13HS ZEB1-knock-out tumor hybrids, whereas in scratch/ wound-healing assays only the M13SH-8 ZEB1-knock-out cells possessed a reduced locomotory activity. Similarly, only the M13HS-8 ZEB1-knock-out tumor hybrids showed a reduced invasion capacity. Although the ZEB1 knock-out resulted in only moderate phenotypic changes, our data support the role of ZEB1 in EMT and stemness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Thomas Dittmar
- Institute of Immunology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Stockumer Str. 10, 58448 Witten, Germany; (A.M.); (M.S.); (S.K.)
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Čižmáriková M, Michalková R, Mirossay L, Mojžišová G, Zigová M, Bardelčíková A, Mojžiš J. Ellagic Acid and Cancer Hallmarks: Insights from Experimental Evidence. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1653. [PMID: 38002335 PMCID: PMC10669545 DOI: 10.3390/biom13111653] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a complex and multifaceted disease with a high global incidence and mortality rate. Although cancer therapy has evolved significantly over the years, numerous challenges persist on the path to effectively combating this multifaceted disease. Natural compounds derived from plants, fungi, or marine organisms have garnered considerable attention as potential therapeutic agents in the field of cancer research. Ellagic acid (EA), a natural polyphenolic compound found in various fruits and nuts, has emerged as a potential cancer prevention and treatment agent. This review summarizes the experimental evidence supporting the role of EA in targeting key hallmarks of cancer, including proliferation, angiogenesis, apoptosis evasion, immune evasion, inflammation, genomic instability, and more. We discuss the molecular mechanisms by which EA modulates signaling pathways and molecular targets involved in these cancer hallmarks, based on in vitro and in vivo studies. The multifaceted actions of EA make it a promising candidate for cancer prevention and therapy. Understanding its impact on cancer biology can pave the way for developing novel strategies to combat this complex disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Čižmáriková
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (M.Č.); (R.M.); (M.Z.); (A.B.)
| | - Radka Michalková
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (M.Č.); (R.M.); (M.Z.); (A.B.)
| | - Ladislav Mirossay
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (M.Č.); (R.M.); (M.Z.); (A.B.)
| | - Gabriela Mojžišová
- Center of Clinical and Preclinical Research MEDIPARK, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia;
| | - Martina Zigová
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (M.Č.); (R.M.); (M.Z.); (A.B.)
| | - Annamária Bardelčíková
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (M.Č.); (R.M.); (M.Z.); (A.B.)
| | - Ján Mojžiš
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia; (M.Č.); (R.M.); (M.Z.); (A.B.)
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Dittmar T, Sieler M, Hass R. Why do certain cancer cells alter functionality and fuse? Biol Chem 2023; 404:951-960. [PMID: 37246410 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2023-0162] [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: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cell fusion represents a rare event. However, the surviving cancer hybrid cells after a post-hybrid selection process (PHSP) can overgrow other cancer cells by exhibiting a proliferation advantage and/or expression of cancer stem-like properties. Addition of new tumor properties during hetero-fusion of cancer cells e.g. with mesenchymal stroma-/stem-like cells (MSC) contribute to enhanced tumor plasticity via acquisition of new/altered functionalities. This provides new avenues for tumor development and metastatic behavior. Consequently, the present review article will also address the question as to whether cancer cell fusion represents a general and possibly evolutionary-conserved program or rather a random process?
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Dittmar
- Institute of Immunology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Stockumer Str. 10, D-58448 Witten, Germany
| | - Mareike Sieler
- Institute of Immunology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Stockumer Str. 10, D-58448 Witten, Germany
| | - Ralf Hass
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Biochemistry and Tumor Biology Laboratory, Hannover Medical School, D-30625 Hannover, Germany
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Cerutis DR, Weston MD, Miyamoto T. Entering, Linked with the Sphinx: Lysophosphatidic Acids Everywhere, All at Once, in the Oral System and Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10278. [PMID: 37373424 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210278] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Oral health is crucial to overall health, and periodontal disease (PDD) is a chronic inflammatory disease. Over the past decade, PDD has been recognized as a significant contributor to systemic inflammation. Here, we relate our seminal work defining the role of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and its receptors (LPARs) in the oral system with findings and parallels relevant to cancer. We discuss the largely unexplored fine-tuning potential of LPA species for biological control of complex immune responses and suggest approaches for the areas where we believe more research should be undertaken to advance our understanding of signaling at the level of the cellular microenvironment in biological processes where LPA is a key player so we can better treat diseases such as PDD, cancer, and emerging diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Roselyn Cerutis
- Department of Oral Biology, Creighton University School of Dentistry, Omaha, NE 68178, USA
| | - Michael D Weston
- Department of Oral Biology, Creighton University School of Dentistry, Omaha, NE 68178, USA
| | - Takanari Miyamoto
- Department of Periodontics, Creighton University School of Dentistry, Omaha, NE 68178, USA
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Skandorff I, Ragonnaud E, Gille J, Andersson AM, Schrödel S, Duvnjak L, Turner L, Thirion C, Wagner R, Holst PJ. Human Ad19a/64 HERV-W Vaccines Uncover Immunosuppression Domain-Dependent T-Cell Response Differences in Inbred Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9972. [PMID: 37373123 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24129972] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Expression of human endogenous retrovirus type W (HERV-W) has been linked to cancer, making HERV-W antigens potential targets for therapeutic cancer vaccines. In a previous study, we effectively treated established tumours in mice by using adenoviral-vectored vaccines targeting the murine endogenous retrovirus envelope and group-specific antigen (Gag) of melanoma-associated retrovirus (MelARV) in combination with anti-PD-1. To break the immunological tolerance to MelARV, we mutated the immunosuppressive domain (ISD) of the MelARV envelope. However, reports on the immunogenicity of the HERV-W envelope, Syncytin-1, and its ISD are conflicting. To identify the most effective HERV-W cancer vaccine candidate, we evaluated the immunogenicity of vaccines encoding either the wild-type or mutated HERV-W envelope ISD in vitro and in vivo. Here, we show that the wild-type HERV-W vaccine generated higher activation of murine antigen-presenting cells and higher specific T-cell responses than the ISD-mutated counterpart. We also found that the wild-type HERV-W vaccine was sufficient to increase the probability of survival in mice subjected to HERV-W envelope-expressing tumours compared to a control vaccine. These findings provide the foundation for developing a therapeutic cancer vaccine targeting HERV-W-positive cancers in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Skandorff
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- InProTher, COBIS, Ole Maaloesvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Emeline Ragonnaud
- InProTher, COBIS, Ole Maaloesvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jasmin Gille
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Molecular Microbiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Silke Schrödel
- Sirion Biotech GmbH, Am Haag 6, 82166 Graefelfing, Germany
| | - Lara Duvnjak
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- InProTher, COBIS, Ole Maaloesvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Louise Turner
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Ralf Wagner
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Molecular Microbiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Peter Johannes Holst
- InProTher, COBIS, Ole Maaloesvej 3, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
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