Zebrafish modeling reveals that SPINT1 regulates the aggressiveness of skin cutaneous melanoma and its crosstalk with tumor immune microenvironment

Numb and NumbL inhibit melanoma tumor growth by influencing the immune microenvironment

OBJECTIVE

Many investigation have sought to identify therapeutic targets and treatment strategies for skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM). Numb, an endocytic adaptor protein, is known to act as a tumor suppressor in various human cancers. However, the roles of Numb and its homolog NumbL in immune microenvironment, and their effect on melanoma remain largely unexplored.

METHODS

We analyzed the expression levels of Numb and NumbL, as well as immune signatures of SKCM patients by UCSCXenaShiny v1 database. We also constructed animal model using Numb and NumbL conditional knockout (cKO) mice. Distribution analysis of immune cells in tumors was performed by flow cytometry and pathology staining.

RESULTS

Numb and NumbL were found to be consistently expressed at low levels in SKCM patients. In addition, alterations in tumor immune microenvironment were identified. The CD8+ T, CD19+ B, and NK1.1+ CD49+ cells were decreased in tumors of Numb and NumbL cKO mice, confirming previous bioinformatics analysis of immune signatures. Additionally, we observed CD68+ macrophages to be increased as judged by tumor pathology staining.

CONCLUSION

Numb and NumbL were found to inhibit melanoma cell growth by modulating immune cell activity. These results suggested that Numb and NumbL may be potential therapeutic targets for SKCM patient immunotherapy.

KIF4A functions as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and regulates tumor immune microenvironment in skin cutaneous melanoma

BACKGROUND

KIF4A is upregulated in various malignancies and serves as an independent risk factor. However, its function in skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) and the regulation of the immunological environment remains unknown.

METHODS

We first explored the mRNA and protein levels of KIF4A in SKCM through public databases. Then, the co-expressed genes with KIF4A in SKCM and their functional enrichment analysis were performed. Moreover, the clinical value, relationship with immune infiltration and tumor microenvironment (TME), as well as the correlation between KIF4A and immunomodulators were evaluated. In addition, we validated the function of KIF4A by in vitro experiments such as CCK-8 assay, clone formation and wound healing assay.

RESULTS

Our data reveal that the mRNA and protein levels of KIF4A are highly expressed in SKCM. Moreover, functional enrichment analysis of the top 50 co-expressed genes with KIF4A showed significant association with organelle fission, tubulin binding and immune processes. KIF4A can distinguish SKCM from normal tissue and predict a poorer prognosis. A negative association was observed between KIF4A and TME, and KIF4A exhibited a negative correlation with most immunomodulators. Additionally, the knockdown of KIF4A inhibited the proliferation and migration ability of A375 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that KIF4A promotes the progression of SKCM and is negatively associated with immune infiltration and immunomodulators, which indicates a poor prognosis.

Genetics and biology of coloration in reptiles: the curious case of the Lemon Frost geckos

Although there are more than 10,000 reptile species, and reptiles have historically contributed to our understanding of biology, genetics research into class Reptilia has lagged compared with other animals. Here, we summarize recent progress in genetics of coloration in reptiles, with a focus on the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius. We highlight genetic approaches that have been used to examine variation in color and pattern formation in this species as well as to provide insights into mechanisms underlying skin cancer. We propose that their long breeding history in captivity makes leopard geckos one of the most promising emerging reptilian models for genetic studies. More broadly, technological advances in genetics, genomics, and gene editing may herald a golden era for studies of reptile biology.

Machine learning modeling and prognostic value analysis of invasion-related genes in cutaneous melanoma

In this study, we aimed to develop an invasion-related risk signature and prognostic model for personalized treatment and prognosis prediction in skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM), as invasion plays a crucial role in this disease. We identified 124 differentially expressed invasion-associated genes (DE-IAGs) and selected 20 prognostic genes (TTYH3, NME1, ORC1, PLK1, MYO10, SPINT1, NUPR1, SERPINE2, HLA-DQB2, METTL7B, TIMP1, NOX4, DBI, ARL15, APOBEC3G, ARRB2, DRAM1, RNF213, C14orf28, and CPEB3) using Cox and LASSO regression to establish a risk score. Gene expression was validated through single-cell sequencing, protein expression, and transcriptome analysis. Negative correlations were discovered between risk score, immune score, and stromal score using ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithms. High- and low-risk groups exhibited significant differences in immune cell infiltration and checkpoint molecule expression. The 20 prognostic genes effectively differentiated between SKCM and normal samples (AUCs >0.7). We identified 234 drugs targeting 6 genes from the DGIdb database. Our study provides potential biomarkers and a risk signature for personalized treatment and prognosis prediction in SKCM patients. We developed a nomogram and machine-learning prognostic model to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) using risk signature and clinical factors. The best model, Extra Trees Classifier (AUC = 0.88), was derived from pycaret's comparison of 15 classifiers. The pipeline and app are accessible at https://github.com/EnyuY/IAGs-in-SKCM.

Exploring association of melanoma-specific Bcl-xL with tumor immune microenvironment

BACKGROUND

Macrophages take center stage in the tumor microenvironment, a niche composed of extracellular matrix and a heterogeneous group of cells, including immune ones. They can evolve during tumor progression and acquire Tumor-Associated Macrophage (TAMs) phenotype. The release of cytokines by tumor and stromal cells, influence the secretion of cytokines by TAMs, which can guarantee tumor progression and influence the response to therapy. Among all factors able to recruit and polarize macrophages, we focused our attention on Bcl-xL, a multifaceted member of the Bcl-2 family, whose expression is deregulated in melanoma. It acts not only as a canonical pro-survival and anti-apoptotic protein, but also as a promoter of tumor progression.

METHODS

Human melanoma cells silencing or overexpressing Bcl-xL protein, THP-1 monocytic cells and monocyte-derived macrophages were used in this study. Protein array and specific neutralizing antibodies were used to analyze cytokines and chemokines secreted by melanoma cells. qRT-PCR, ELISA and Western Blot analyses were used to evaluate macrophage polarization markers and protein expression levels. Transwell chambers were used to evaluate migration of THP-1 and monocyte-derived macrophages. Mouse and zebrafish models were used to evaluate the ability of melanoma cells to recruit and polarize macrophages in vivo.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that melanoma cells overexpressing Bcl-xL recruit macrophages at the tumor site and induce a M2 phenotype. In addition, we identified that interleukin-8 and interleukin-1β cytokines are involved in macrophage polarization, and the chemokine CCL5/RANTES in the macrophages recruitment at the tumor site. We also found that all these Bcl-xL-induced factors are regulated in a NF-kB dependent manner in human and zebrafish melanoma models.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings confirmed the pro-tumoral function of Bcl-xL in melanoma through its effects on macrophage phenotype.

Immune-related gene signature associates with immune landscape and predicts prognosis accurately in patients with skin cutaneous melanoma

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is the skin cancer that causes the highest number of deaths worldwide. There is growing evidence that the tumour immune microenvironment is associated with cancer prognosis, however, there is little research on the role of immune status in melanoma prognosis. In this study, data on patients with Skin cutaneous melanoma were downloaded from the GEO, TCGA, and GTEx databases. Genes associated with the immune pathway were screened from published papers and lncRNAs associated with them were identified. We performed immune microenvironment and functional enrichment analyses. The analysis was followed by applying univariate/multivariate Cox regression algorithms to finally identify three lncRNAs associated with the immune pathway for the construction of prognostic prediction models (CXCL10, RXRG, and SCG2). This stepwise downscaling method, which finally screens out prognostic factors and key genes and then uses them to build a risk model, has excellent predictive power. According to analyses of the model's reliability, it was able to differentiate the prognostic value and continued existence of Skin cutaneous melanoma patient populations more effectively. This study is an analysis of the immune pathway that leads lncRNAs in Skin cutaneous melanoma in an effort to open up new treatment avenues for Skin cutaneous melanoma.

The application of zebrafish patient-derived xenograft tumor models in the development of antitumor agents

The cost of antitumor drug development is enormous, yet the clinical outcomes are less than satisfactory. Therefore, it is of great importance to develop effective drug screening methods that enable accurate, rapid, and high-throughput discovery of lead compounds in the process of preclinical antitumor drug research. An effective solution is to use the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor animal models, which are applicable for the elucidation of tumor pathogenesis and the preclinical testing of novel antitumor compounds. As a promising screening model organism, zebrafish has been widely applied in the construction of the PDX tumor model and the discovery of antineoplastic agents. Herein, we systematically survey the recent cutting-edge advances in zebrafish PDX models (zPDX) for studies of pathogenesis mechanisms and drug screening. In addition, the techniques used in the construction of zPDX are summarized. The advantages and limitations of the zPDX are also discussed in detail. Finally, the prospects of zPDX in drug discovery, translational medicine, and clinical precision medicine treatment are well presented.

A CD8+ T cell-associated immune gene panel for prediction of the prognosis and immunotherapeutic effect of melanoma

Background

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is the most frequently encountered tumor of the skin. Immunotherapy has opened a new horizon in melanoma treatment. We aimed to construct a CD8⁺ T cell-associated immune gene prognostic model (CDIGPM) for SKCM and unravel the immunologic features and the benefits of immunotherapy in CDIGPM-defined SKCM groups.

Method

Single-cell SKCM transcriptomes were utilized in conjunction with immune genes for the screening of CD8⁺ T cell-associated immune genes (CDIGs) for succeeding assessment. Thereafter, through protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks analysis, univariate COX analysis, and multivariate Cox analysis, six genes (MX1, RSAD2, IRF2, GBP2, IFITM1, and OAS2) were identified to construct a CDIGPM. We detected cell proliferation of SKCM cells transfected with IRF2 siRNA. Then, we analyzed the immunologic features and the benefits of immunotherapy in CDIGPM-defined groups.

Results

The overall survival (OS) was much better in low-CDIGPM group versus high CDIGPM group in TCGA dataset and GSE65904 dataset. On the whole, the results unfolded that a low CDIGPM showed relevance to immune response-correlated pathways, high expressions of CTLA4 and PD-L1, a high infiltration rate of CD8⁺ T cells, and more benefits from immunotherapy.

Conclusion

CDIGPM is an good model to predict the prognosis, the potential immune escape from immunotherapy for SKCM, and define immunologic and molecular features.

Construction of five cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature for predicting prognosis and immune activity in skin cutaneous melanoma

Cuproptosis is a newly discovered new mechanism of programmed cell death, and its unique pathway to regulate cell death is thought to have a unique role in understanding cancer progression and guiding cancer therapy. However, this regulation has not been studied in SKCM at present. In this study, data on Skin Cutaneous Melanoma (SKCM) patients were downloaded from the TCGA database. We screened the genes related to cuproptosis from the published papers and confirmed the lncRNAs related to them. We applied Univariate/multivariate and LASSO Cox regression algorithms, and finally identified 5 cuproptosis-related lncRNAs for constructing prognosis prediction models (VIM-AS1, AC012443.2, MALINC1, AL354696.2, HSD11B1-AS1). The reliability and validity test of the model indicated that the model could well distinguish the prognosis and survival of SKCM patients. Next, immune microenvironment, immunotherapy analysis, and functional enrichment analysis were also performed. In conclusion, this study is the first analysis based on cuproptosis-related lncRNAs in SKCM and aims to open up new directions for SKCM therapy.

Zebrafish Models to Study the Crosstalk between Inflammation and NADPH Oxidase-Derived Oxidative Stress in Melanoma

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and its incidence continues to increase. In the early stages of melanoma, when the malignant cells have not spread to lymph nodes, they can be removed by simple surgery and there is usually low recurrence. Melanoma has a high mortality rate due to its ability to metastasize; once melanoma has spread, it becomes a major health complication. For these reasons, it is important to study how healthy melanocytes transform into melanoma cells, how they interact with the immune system, which mechanisms they use to escape immunosurveillance, and, finally, how they spread and colonize other tissues, metastasizing. Inflammation and oxidative stress play important roles in the development of several types of cancer, including melanoma, but it is not yet clear under which conditions they are beneficial or detrimental. Models capable of studying the relevance of inflammation and oxidative stress in the early steps of melanocyte transformation are urgently needed, as they are expected to help recognize premetastatic lesions in patients by improving both early detection and the development of new therapies.

What Zebrafish and Nanotechnology Can Offer for Cancer Treatments in the Age of Personalized Medicine

Cancer causes millions of deaths each year and thus urgently requires the development of new therapeutic strategies. Nanotechnology-based anticancer therapies are a promising approach, with several formulations already approved and in clinical use. The evaluation of these therapies requires efficient in vivo models to study their behavior and interaction with cancer cells, and to optimize their properties to ensure maximum efficacy and safety. In this way, zebrafish is an important candidate due to its high homology with the human genoma, its large offspring, and the ease in developing specific cancer models. The role of zebrafish as a model for anticancer therapy studies has been highly evidenced, allowing researchers not only to perform drug screenings but also to evaluate novel therapies such as immunotherapies and nanotherapies. Beyond that, zebrafish can be used as an “avatar” model for performing patient-derived xenografts for personalized medicine. These characteristics place zebrafish in an attractive position as a role model for evaluating novel therapies for cancer treatment, such as nanomedicine.

Chromatophoromas in Reptiles

Chromatophoromas are neoplasms that arise from pigment cells of reptiles, amphibians, and fish. They include melanophoromas (melanomas), iridophoromas, and xanthophoromas. Most chromatophoromas develop spontaneously, but genetic and environmental factors may also play a role in their oncogenesis. The diagnosis is typically through histologic examination. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy can be helpful for diagnosing poorly differentiated and/or poorly pigmented neoplasms. Aggressive surgical excision is the current treatment of choice. This review describes the clinical presentation, gross appearance, diagnostic applications, clinical behavior, and treatment of chromatophoromas in reptiles.

Stress Reactivity, Susceptibility to Hypertension, and Differential Expression of Genes in Hypertensive Compared to Normotensive Patients

Although half of hypertensive patients have hypertensive parents, known hypertension-related human loci identified by genome-wide analysis explain only 3% of hypertension heredity. Therefore, mainstream transcriptome profiling of hypertensive subjects addresses differentially expressed genes (DEGs) specific to gender, age, and comorbidities in accordance with predictive preventive personalized participatory medicine treating patients according to their symptoms, individual lifestyle, and genetic background. Within this mainstream paradigm, here, we determined whether, among the known hypertension-related DEGs that we could find, there is any genome-wide hypertension theranostic molecular marker applicable to everyone, everywhere, anytime. Therefore, we sequenced the hippocampal transcriptome of tame and aggressive rats, corresponding to low and high stress reactivity, an increase of which raises hypertensive risk; we identified stress-reactivity-related rat DEGs and compared them with their known homologous hypertension-related animal DEGs. This yielded significant correlations between stress reactivity-related and hypertension-related fold changes (log2 values) of these DEG homologs. We found principal components, PC1 and PC2, corresponding to a half-difference and half-sum of these log2 values. Using the DEGs of hypertensive versus normotensive patients (as the control), we verified the correlations and principal components. This analysis highlighted downregulation of β-protocadherins and hemoglobin as whole-genome hypertension theranostic molecular markers associated with a wide vascular inner diameter and low blood viscosity, respectively.

Microenvironment of Cancer Stem Cells

Microenvironment of cancer stem cells (CSCs) consists of a variety of cells and inter-cellular matrix and communications of the components. The microenvironment of CSCs maintains the stemness feature of the CSCs. Several cell types which communicate each other via signaling molecules surrounding CSCs are main factors of the CSC microenvironment. A key question is "What kind of information the cells exchange in the CSC microenvironment?" to reveal the microenvironment and CSC features. Components and molecular markers of CSC microenvironment, signaling cross-talks in CSC microenvironment, and targeting CSC microenvironment are focused in this review.

Transcriptome analysis of human Leydig cell tumours reveals potential mechanisms underlying its development

Leydig cell tumours are the most common sex cord-stromal tumours. In the last years, apparent increased incidence is noted while aetiology of the tumour is still unknown. Therefore, here, we focused on the genetics of Leydig cell tumours using the next-generation sequencing. Leydig cell micronodules were revealed in patients with azoospermia who were qualified for testicular biopsy. Complete gene set of Leydig cell tumours was compared with transcriptome of healthy Leydig cells obtained from donors. Bioinformatic analysis of the obtained sequencing data revealed alterations in expression of 219 transcripts. We showed, for the first time, that a significant proportion of differentially expressed genes is directly involved in regulation of apoptotic process, which downregulation might be important to Leydig cell tumour development. Additionally, we found a significant upregulation of heat shock protein genes that might be a unique feature of Leydig cell tumours when compared to other tumour types. Our study offers fundamental transcriptomic data for future studies on human Leydig cell tumour that are crucial to determine its causes. Moreover, presented here the in-depth analysis and discussion of alterations observed in tumour transcriptome may be important for the diagnosis and therapy of this pathology.

Exosome-delivered miR-221/222 exacerbates tumor liver metastasis by targeting SPINT1 in colorectal cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the progression of many cancers through largely unelucidated mechanisms. The results of our present study identified a gene cluster, miR-221/222, that is constitutively upregulated in serum exosome samples of patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC) with liver metastasis (LM); this upregulation predicts a poor overall survival rate. Using an in vitro cell coculture model, we demonstrated that CRC exosomes harboring miR-221/222 activate liver hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) by suppressing SPINT1 expression. Importantly, miR-221/222 plays a key role in forming a favorable premetastatic niche (PMN) that leads to the aggressive nature of CRC, which was further shown through in vivo studies. Overall, our results show that exosomal miR-221/222 promotes CRC progression and may serve as a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target for CRC with LM.

Genetics of white color and iridophoroma in "Lemon Frost" leopard geckos

The squamates (lizards and snakes) are close relatives of birds and mammals, with more than 10,000 described species that display extensive variation in a number of important biological traits, including coloration, venom production, and regeneration. Due to a lack of genomic tools, few genetic studies in squamates have been carried out. The leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius, is a popular companion animal, and displays a variety of coloration patterns. We took advantage of a large breeding colony and used linkage analysis, synteny, and homozygosity mapping to investigate a spontaneous semi-dominant mutation, “Lemon Frost”, that produces white coloration and causes skin tumors (iridophoroma). We localized the mutation to a single locus which contains a strong candidate gene, SPINT1, a tumor suppressor implicated in human skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) and over-proliferation of epithelial cells in mice and zebrafish. Our work establishes the leopard gecko as a tractable genetic system and suggests that a tumor suppressor in melanocytes in humans can also suppress tumor development in iridophores in lizards.

The squamates (lizards and snakes) comprise a diverse group of reptiles, with more than 10,000 described species that display extensive variation in a number of important biological traits, including coloration. In this manuscript, we used quantitative genetics and genomics to map the mutation underlying white coloration in the Lemon Frost morph of the common leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius. Lemon Frost geckos have increased white body coloration with brightened yellow and orange areas. This morph also displays a high incidence of iridophoroma, a tumor of white-colored cells. We obtained phenotype information and DNA samples from geckos in a large breeding colony and used genome sequencing and genetic linkage analysis to localize the Lemon Frost mutation to a single locus. This locus contains a strong candidate gene, SPINT1, a tumor suppressor implicated in human skin cutaneous melanoma. Together with other recent advances, our work brings reptiles into the modern genetics era.

The Research on the Treatment of Metastatic Skin Cutaneous Melanoma by Huanglian Jiedu Decoction Based on the Analysis of Immune Infiltration Analysis

Objective

To explore the potential mechanism of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HJD) treatment and prevention of metastatic Cutaneous Melanoma (CM) occurrence and metastasis based on network pharmacological methods and immune infiltration analysis.

Methods

The GEO database was used to obtain metastatic CM disease targets, the TCMSP database and the HERB database were used to obtain HJD action targets, core genes were screened by protein interaction network, and the potential mechanism of HJD in the treatment of metastatic CM was explored by enrichment analysis, prognostic analysis and immune infiltration analysis.

Results

HJD treatment of metastatic CM involved 60 targets, enrichment analysis showed that HJD treatment of metastatic CM involved Chemokine signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, and Fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, etc. Prognostic analysis revealed that HJD had a certain ability to improve the prognosis of metastatic CM patients. Immune infiltration analysis showed that HJD could inhibit the immune cell infiltration of metastatic CM patients by acting on related targets.

Conclusions

Our study identified the potential mechanism of HJD in the treatment of metastatic CM through network pharmacology, and revealed the mechanism of HJD in the prevention of Skin Cutaneous Melanoma metastasis through immune infiltration analysis and prognostic analysis.

Tipping the Scales With Zebrafish to Understand Adaptive Tumor Immunity

The future of improved immunotherapy against cancer depends on an in-depth understanding of the dynamic interactions between the immune system and tumors. Over the past two decades, the zebrafish has served as a valuable model system to provide fresh insights into both the development of the immune system and the etiologies of many different cancers. This well-established foundation of knowledge combined with the imaging and genetic capacities of the zebrafish provides a new frontier in cancer immunology research. In this review, we provide an overview of the development of the zebrafish immune system along with a side-by-side comparison of its human counterpart. We then introduce components of the adaptive immune system with a focus on their roles in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of teleosts. In addition, we summarize zebrafish models developed for the study of cancer and adaptive immunity along with other available tools and technology afforded by this experimental system. Finally, we discuss some recent research conducted using the zebrafish to investigate adaptive immune cell-tumor interactions. Without a doubt, the zebrafish will arise as one of the driving forces to help expand the knowledge of tumor immunity and facilitate the development of improved anti-cancer immunotherapy in the foreseeable future.

Power and Promise of Next-Generation Sequencing in Liquid Biopsies and Cancer Control

Traditional methods of cancer treatment are usually based on the morphological and histological diagnosis of tumors, and they are not optimized according to the specific situation. Precision medicine adjusts the existing treatment regimen based on the patient’s genomic information to make it most suitable for patients. Detection of genetic mutations in tumors is the basis of precise cancer medicine. Through the analysis of genetic mutations in patients with cancer, we can tailor the treatment plan for each patient with cancer to maximize the curative effect, minimize damage to healthy tissues, and optimize resources. In recent years, next-generation sequencing technology has developed rapidly and has become the core technology of precise targeted therapy and immunotherapy for cancer. From early cancer screening to treatment guidance for patients with advanced cancer, liquid biopsy is increasingly used in cancer management. This is as a result of the development of better noninvasive, repeatable, sensitive, and accurate tools used in early screening, diagnosis, evaluation, and monitoring of patients. Cell-free DNA, which is a new noninvasive molecular pathological detection method, often carries tumor-specific gene changes. It plays an important role in optimizing treatment and evaluating the efficacy of different treatment options in clinical trials, and it has broad clinical applications.

Application of Animal Models in Cancer Research: Recent Progress and Future Prospects

Animal models refers to the animal experimental objects and related materials that can simulate human body established in medical research. As the second-largest disease in terms of morbidity and mortality after cardiovascular disease, cancer has always been the focus of human attention all over the world, which makes it a research hotspot in the medical field. At the same time, more and more animal models have been constructed and used in cancer research. With the deepening of research, the construction methods of cancer animal models are becoming more and more diverse, including chemical induction, xenotransplantation, gene programming, and so on. In recent years, patient-derived xenotransplantation (PDX) model has become a research hotspot because it can retain the microenvironment of the primary tumor and the basic characteristics of cells. Animal models can be used not only to study the biochemical and physiological processes of the occurrence and development of cancer in objects but also for the screening of cancer drugs and the exploration of gene therapy. In this paper, several main tumor animal models and the application progress of animal models in tumor research are systematically reviewed. Finally, combined with the latest progress and development trend in this field, the future research of tumor animal model was prospected.

Benefits of Zebrafish Xenograft Models in Cancer Research

As a promising in vivo tool for cancer research, zebrafish have been widely applied in various tumor studies. The zebrafish xenograft model is a low-cost, high-throughput tool for cancer research that can be established quickly and requires only a small sample size, which makes it favorite among researchers. Zebrafish patient-derived xenograft (zPDX) models provide promising evidence for short-term clinical treatment. In this review, we discuss the characteristics and advantages of zebrafish, such as their transparent and translucent features, the use of vascular fluorescence imaging, the establishment of metastatic and intracranial orthotopic models, individual pharmacokinetics measurements, and tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, we introduce how these characteristics and advantages are applied other in tumor studies. Finally, we discuss the future direction of the use of zebrafish in tumor studies and provide new ideas for the application of it.

Unveiling Tumor Microenvironment Interactions Using Zebrafish Models

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a rich and active arena that is strategically evolved overtime by tumors to promote their survival and dissemination. Over the years, attention has been focused to characterize and identify the tumor-supporting roles and subsequent targeting potentials of TME components. Nevertheless, recapitulating the human TME has proved inherently challenging, leaving much to be explored. In this regard, in vivo model systems like zebrafish, with its optical clarity, ease of genetic manipulation, and high engraftment, have proven to be indispensable for TME modeling and investigation. In this review, we discuss the recent ways by which zebrafish models have lent their utility to provide new insights into the various cellular and molecular mechanisms driving TME dynamics and tumor support. Specifically, we report on innate immune cell interactions, cytokine signaling, metastatic plasticity, and other processes within the metastatic cascade. In addition, we reflect on the arrival of adult zebrafish models and the potential of patient-derived xenografts.

Tumor-macrophage crosstalk: how to listen

The tumor microenvironment contains many cellular components influencing tumor behaviors, such as metastasis, angiogenesis and chemo-resistance. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are one of such components that can also manipulate the overall prognosis and patient survival. Analysis of tumor-macrophage crosstalk is crucial as tumor cells can polarize circulatory monocytes into TAMs. Such trans-polarization of macrophages support tumor mediated evasion and suppression of immune response. Additionally, such TAMs significantly influence tumor growth and proliferation, making them a potential candidate for precision therapeutics. However, the failure of macrophage-dependent therapies at clinical trials emphasizes the fault in current perception and research modality. This review discussed this field's progress regarding emerging model systems with a focused view on the in vitro platforms. The inadequacy of currently available models and their implications on existing studies also analyzed. The need for a conceptual and experimental leap toward a human-relevant in vitro custom-built platform for studying tumor-macrophage crosstalk is acknowledged.

Mining database for the clinical significance and prognostic value of CBX family in skin cutaneous melanoma

BACKGROUND

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is one of the most aggressive malignancies with high invasiveness. Chromobox (CBX) family are involved in the regulation of the tumorigenesis, progression, invasion, and apoptosis of many malignancies.

METHODS

The clinical significance and prognostic value of CBX family in SKCM were analyzed via a series of databases, including ONCOMINE, GEPIA, UALCAN, TIMER, GSCALite, DAVID 6.8, GeneMANIA, and LinkedOmics.

RESULTS

We found that the level of CBX2, CBX3, CBX5, and CBX6 was upregulated while the level of CBX7 and CBX8 was downregulated in tumor tissues in SKCM. Moreover, the mRNA expression of CBX1 and CBX2 was significantly associated with the pathological stage in SKCM. Prognosis analysis revealed that SKCM patients with high CBX5 level and low CBX7 level had a poor prognosis. Immune infiltrations analysis revealed that the expression of CBX family was associated with the abundance of certain immune cells in SKCM. We also found that CBX family were associated with the activation of cell cycle pathway and DNA damage response, and the inhibition of apoptosis pathway. Moreover, enrichment analysis revealed that CBX family and correlated genes were enriched in chromatin modification, PcG protein complex, transcription coactivator activity, protein binding, and RNA splicing. Several Kinase targets (ATM, CDK1, and PLK1) and miRNA targets (MIR-331, MIR-296, and MIR-496) of CBX family were also identified.

CONCLUSION

Our study may uncover CBX family-associated molecular mechanisms involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of SKCM and provide additional choice for the prognosis and therapy biomarker for SKCM.

Mining database for the expression and gene regulation network of JAK2 in skin cutaneous melanoma

BACKGROUND

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is the most common subtype of skin malignancy, with ever-increasing incidence, mortality, and disease burden. Dysregulation of JAK-STATs signaling pathway is involved in the pathogenesis and progression of cancers, thus affecting the prognosis of cancer patients. The function of JAKs in SKCM is still not clarified.

METHODS

A total of five online portal (GEPIA, TIMER, GeneMANIA, LinkedOmics, and GSCALite) is used to mine the expression and gene regulation network JAK2 in SKCM.

RESULTS

JAK2 expression was downregulated in SKCM and significantly associated with pathological stage and the prognosis of patients. The functions of JAK2 and associated genes were primarily involved in the DNA recombination, cell cycle checkpoint, metabolic process, NOD-like receptor signaling pathways, p53 signaling pathway and apoptosis. JAK2 level was significantly correlated with the abundance of immune cells and the level of immune biomarkers. Low expression of JAK2 were resistant to QL-VIII-58, TL-1-85, Ruxolitinib, TG101348 and Sunitinib.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results reveal the expression and gene regulation network of JAK2 in skin cutaneous melanoma, providing more evidences about the role of JAK2 in carcinogenesis.

Quantitative proteomics analysis of young and elderly skin with DIA mass spectrometry reveals new skin aging-related proteins

Skin aging is a specific manifestation of the physiological aging process that occurs in virtually all organisms. In this study, we used data independent acquisition mass spectrometry to perform a comparative analysis of protein expression in volar forearm skin samples from of 20 healthy young and elderly Chinese individuals. Our quantitative proteomic analysis identified a total of 95 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in aged skin compared to young skin. Enrichment analyses of these DEPs (57 upregulated and 38 downregulated proteins) based on the GO, KEGG, and KOG databases revealed functional clusters associated with immunity and inflammation, oxidative stress, biosynthesis and metabolism, proteases, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. We also found that GAPDH, which was downregulated in aged skin samples, was the top hub gene in a protein-protein interaction network analysis. Some of the DEPs identified herein had been previously correlated with aging of the skin and other organs, while others may represent novel age-related entities. Our non-invasive proteomics analysis of human epidermal proteins may guide future research on skin aging to help develop treatments for age-related skin conditions and rejuvenation.

From Tank to Treatment: Modeling Melanoma in Zebrafish

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and one of few cancers with a growing incidence. A thorough understanding of its pathogenesis is fundamental to developing new strategies to combat mortality and morbidity. Zebrafish—due in large part to their tractable genetics, conserved pathways, and optical properties—have emerged as an excellent system to model melanoma. Zebrafish have been used to study melanoma from a single tumor initiating cell, through metastasis, remission, and finally into relapse. In this review, we examine seminal zebrafish studies that have advanced our understanding of melanoma.