Identification of the Different Roles and Potential Mechanisms of T Isoforms in the Tumor Recurrence and Cell Cycle of Chordomas

Combinatorial therapies for epigenetic, immunotherapeutic, and genetic targeting of chordoma

PURPOSE

Chordoma, a rare malignancy of the axial skeleton and skull base, presents significant therapeutic challenges due to the high rates of tumor recurrence and resistance. While surgical resection and radiation therapy remain the gold standard of treatment, the lack of additional treatment options necessitates the exploration of novel therapies. Combinatorial therapies hold significant potential in shaping patient prognosis. By targeting the immunotherapeutic, epigenetic, and genetic landscapes of chordoma, these methods enable the more effective and personalized management of the diverse molecular mechanisms driving chordoma growth and resistance.

METHODS

To elucidate such potential, we conducted a literature review of all published articles on the usage of immunotherapeutic, epigenetic, and genetic approaches for chordoma treatment from 2014 to 2024.

RESULTS

Eighty-one papers were excluded based on our inclusion criteria. From the remaining thirty-nine publications, we found evidence supporting the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, and monoclonal antibodies; the roles of DNA methylation patterns, histone modification pathways, and miRNA regulation; and the contribution of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) to chordoma progression.

CONCLUSION

Our findings underscore the importance of a multidirectional approach in chordoma treatment throughout the disease progression to reduce morbidity and improve patient outcomes despite the heterogeneity of chordoma.

Function and regulation of miR-186-5p, miR-125b-5p and miR-1260a in chordoma

BACKGROUND

The function and regulation of miRNAs in progression of chordoma were unclear.

METHODS

Five miRNAs were identified by the machine learning method from the miRNA expression array. CCk-8 assay, EDU assay, wound healing migration assay, and trans-well assay were used to reveal the effect of the miRNAs in chordoma cell lines. Moreover, bioinformation analysis and the mRNA expression array between the primary chordomas and recurrent chordomas were used to find the target protein genes of miRNAs. Furthermore, qRT-PCR and luciferase reporter assay were used to verify the result.

RESULTS

miR-186-5p, miR-30c-5p, miR-151b, and miR-125b-5p could inhibit proliferation, migration, and invasion of chordoma while miR-1260a enhances proliferation, migration, and invasion of chordoma. Recurrent chordoma has a worse disease-free outcome than the primary chordoma patients. AMOT, NPTX1, RYR3, and P2RX5 were the target protein mRNAs of miR-186-5p; NPTX1 was the target protein mRNAs of miR-125b-5p; and AMOT and TNFSF14 were the target protein mRNAs of miR-1260a.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-186-5p, miR-125b-5p, miR-1260a, and their target protein mRNAs including AMOT, NPTX1, RYR3, P2RX5, TNFSF14 may be the basement of chordoma research.

Current understanding of brachyury in chordoma

Chordomas are rare malignant tumors that pose significant challenges in terms of effective treatment options. Surgical resection remains the only established approach that has proven useful in the treatment of chordoma. However, recent evidence has shed light on the role of brachyury, also known as the T-gene and TBXT, as both a diagnostic marker and a potential therapeutic target in chordoma. Considering these developments, this review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the current knowledge and understanding of brachyury in chordomas.

Unravelling the role of immune cells and FN1 in the recurrence and therapeutic process of skull base chordoma

BACKGROUND

Skull base chordoma is a rare and aggressive tumour of the bone that has a high likelihood of recurrence. The fundamental differences in single cells between primary and recurrent lesions remain poorly understood, impeding development of effective treatment approaches.

METHODS

To obtain an understanding of the differences in single cells between primary and recurrent chordomas, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing and T-cell/B-cell receptor (BCR) sequencing. This allowed us to delineate the differences between the two types of tumour cells, tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, myeloid cells, fibroblasts and B cells. Copy number variants (CNVs) were detected and compared between the tumour types to assess heterogeneity. Selected samples were subjected to immunohistochemistry to validate protein expression. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation experiments, Transwell assays and xenograft mouse models helped verify the role of fibronectin 1 (FN1) in chordoma.

RESULTS

Promoting natural killer (NK) cell and CD8_GZMK T-cell function or inhibiting the transformation of CD8_GZMK T cells to CD8_ZNF683 T cells and promoting the transformation of natural killer T (NKT) cells to NK cells are promising strategies for preventing chordoma recurrence. Additionally, inhibiting the M2-like activity of tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) could be an effective approach. Antigen-presenting cancer-associated fibroblasts (apCAFs) and dendritic cells (DCs) with high enrichment of the antigen-presenting signature were enriched in primary chordomas. There were fewer plasma cells and BCR clonotypes in recurrent chordomas. Remarkably, FN1 was upregulated, had more CNVs, and was more highly secreted by tumours, macrophages, CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells and fibroblasts in recurrent chordoma than in primary chordoma. Finally, FN1 enhanced the invasion and proliferation of chordomas in vivo and in vitro.

CONCLUSION

Our comprehensive picture of the microenvironment of primary and recurrent chordomas provides deep insights into the mechanisms of chordoma recurrence. FN1 is an important target for chordoma therapy.

Prognostic factors and Doxorubicin involved in malignant progression of meningioma

Meningioma was the most primary intracranial tumor, but the molecular characteristics and the treatment of malignant meningioma were still unclear. Nine malignant progression-related genes based prognostic signatures were identified by transcriptome analysis between benign meningioma and malignant meningioma. The external dataset GEO136661 and quantitative Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction were used to verify the prognostic factors. has-miR-3605-5p, hsa-miR-664b-5p, PNRC2, BTBD8, EXTL2, SLFN13, DGKD, NSD2, and BVES were closed with malignant progression. Moreover, Doxorubicin was identified by Connectivity Map website with the differential malignant progression-related genes. CCK-8 assay, Edu assay, wound healing assay, and trans-well experiment were used to reveal that Doxorubicin could inhibit proliferation, migration and invasion of IOMM-Lee Cells.

Long-term outcome of adjunctive Gamma Knife radiosurgery in skull-base chordomas and chondrosarcomas: An Indian experience

Skull-base chordomas (CD) and chondrosarcomas (CS) are locally-invasive tumors, have similar clinical presentations, while differing in their nature of growth and outcomes. In this study, we compare the long-term outcomes of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery (GKRS) as an adjunctive treatment modality for residual skull-base CD and CS. A retrospective analysis of clinico-radiological, pathological, radiotherapeutic and outcome data was carried out in patients who underwent adjunctive GKRS for residual skull-base CD and CS at P D Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, between 1997 and 2020. All 27 patients included had either histopathologically proven CD (20 patients) or CS (7 patients). Brachyury immunohistochemistry in CD specimens gave 70.6% positivity. Total sessions of GKRS in CD and CS groups were 22 and 7, respectively. Mean tumor volume and mean margin dose in CD group were 6.53 ± 4.18 cm3 and 15.95 ± 1.49 Gy respectively, while for CS group, they were 4.16 ± 2.79 cm3 and 18.29 ± 3.15 Gy. With mean follow-up periods of 5.25 ± 4.73 years and 6 ± 2.07 years respectively, the CD and CS groups showed 5-year progression free survival (PFS) of 56.8% and 57.1%, and a 5-year overall survival (OS) of 82.1% and 100%. Sub-group analysis in both CD and CS groups revealed a better 5-year PFS with the following factors - CS histopathology, patient age < 45 years, margin dose > 16 Gy, tumor volume < 7 cm3 (p-value < 0.05), gross total resection, and brachyury positivity. Adjunctive radiotherapy for skull-base CD and CS holds promise.

Long non-coding RNA KRT8P41/miR-193a-3p/FUBP1 axis modulates the proliferation and invasion of chordoma cells

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lncRNA KRT8P41 potentially serves as an oncogenic lncRNA in chordoma.

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miR-193a binds to lncRNA KRT8P41 and FUBP1 3′UTR.

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LncRNA KRT8P41/miR-193a axis modulates chordoma cell aggressiveness through FUBP1.

Chordomas are low-grade malignancies accounting for 1–4% of primary bone malignancies. Moreover, local recurrences increase the rate of metastasis. Our previous study identified the far upstream element (FUSE)-binding protein 1 (FUBP1) as a biomarker and potential therapeutic target for chordoma. In this study, lncRNA KRT8P41 was identified as a lncRNA positively correlated with FUBP1. In chordoma patients, higher lncRNA KRT8P41 expression was correlated with a poorer prognosis. LncRNA KRT8P41 silencing significantly inhibited chordoma cell proliferation and invasion. miR-193a was negatively correlated with lncRNA KRT8P41 and FUBP1; lncRNA KRT8P41 inhibited miR-193a expression, and miR-193a inhibited FUBP1 expression. Furthermore, miR-193a directly bound to lncRNA KRT8P41 and FUBP1 and lncRNA KRT8P41 competed with FUBP1 for miR-193a binding and relieved miR-193a-mediated FUBP1 inhibition. LncRNA KRT8P41 silencing inhibited, whereas miR-193a inhibition promoted chordoma cell proliferation and invasion; the inhibition of miR-193a attenuated the roles of lncRNA KRT8P41. Within chordoma tissues, the expression of miR-193a was decreased, and the expression of FUBP1 increased compared to normal control tissues. LncRNA KRT8P41 exhibited a positive correlation with FUBP1 and a negative correlation with miR-193a in vivo. Therefore, it was concluded that lncRNA KRT8P41, miR-193a-3p, and FUBP1 form a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA axis, modulating the proliferation and invasion of chordoma cells.

CMTM3 suppresses chordoma progress through EGFR/STAT3 regulated EMT and TP53 signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Chordomas are rare, slow-growing and locally aggressive bone sarcomas. At present, chordomas are difficult to manage due to their high recurrence rate, metastasis tendency and poor prognosis. The underlying mechanisms of chordoma tumorigenesis and progression urgently need to be explored to find the effective therapeutic targets. Our previous data demonstrates that EGFR plays important roles in chordoma development and CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain containing (CMTM)3 suppresses gastric cancer metastasis by inhibiting the EGFR/STAT3/EMT signaling pathway. However, the roles and mechanism of CMTM3 in chordomas remain unknown.

METHODS

Primary chordoma tissues and the paired adjacent non-tumor tissues were collected to examine the expression of CMTM3 by western blot. The expression of CMTM3 in chordoma cell lines was tested by Real-time PCR and western blot. CCK-8 and colony forming unit assay were performed to delineate the roles of CMTM3 in cell proliferation. Wound healing and Transwell assays were performed to assess cell migration and invasion abilities. A xenograft model in NSG mice was used to elucidate the function of CMTM3 in vivo. Signaling pathways were analyzed by western blot and IHC. RNA-seq was performed to further explore the mechanism regulated by CMTM3 in chordoma cells.

RESULTS

CMTM3 expression was downregulated in chordoma tissues compared with paired normal tissues. CMTM3 suppressed proliferation, migration and invasion of chordoma cells in vitro and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. CMTM3 accelerated EGFR degradation, suppressed EGFR/STAT3/EMT signaling pathway, upregulated TP53 expression and enriched the TP53 signaling pathway in chordoma cells.

CONCLUSIONS

CMTM3 inhibited tumorigenesis and development of chordomas through activating the TP53 signaling pathway and suppressing the EGFR/STAT3 signaling pathway, which suppressed EMT progression. CMTM3 might be a potential therapeutic target for chordomas.

MiR-495-3p and miR-143-3p co-target CDK1 to inhibit the development of cervical cancer

PURPOSE

The GEO database and KEGG database-based analyses identified the differential expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) in cervical cancer and its involvement in the cell cycle pathway. In the present study, we aim to clarify the role of CDK1 in cervical cancer and the function of upstream microRNA (miR)-143-3p/miR-495-3p.

METHODS

The expression of miR-143-3p, miR-495-3p, and CDK1 in cervical cancer tissues and cells was determined using RT-qPCR. Cell bioactivities were examined by CCK-8 and flow cytometry. The binding affinity between CDK1 and miR-143-3p/miR-495-3p was investigated using dual luciferase gene reporter assay. A xenograft mouse model of cervical cancer was then established to explore their effect on the tumorigenicity of cervical cancer cells in vivo.

RESULTS

CDK1 was found to be the common target gene of miR-143-3p and miR-495-3p. CDK1 overexpression occurred in cervical cancer tissues and cells, while expression of miR-495-3p and miR-143-3p was down-regulated. The viability was inhibited while the apoptosis was promoted in cervical cancer cells in response to miR-143-3p or miR-495-3p overexpression, or CDK1 silencing. Further, miR-143-3p or miR-495-3p overexpression was also substantiated to inhibit the tumorigenicity of cervical cancer cells in vivo, while CDK1 overexpression counteracted their effect.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, miR-143-3p and miR-495-3p co-target CDK1, thereby inhibiting the occurrence and development of cervical cancer.