Targeted Imaging of the Atypical Chemokine Receptor 3 (ACKR3/CXCR7) in Human Cancer Xenografts

A patent review of CXCR7 modulators (2019-present)

INTRODUCTION

Atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3) (formerly CXCR7) regulates various biological processes through its ligands and is closely associated with numerous diseases, including inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), pain, and neurological disorders. Therefore, ACKR3 has emerged as a potential target for disease treatment.

AREAS COVERED

This review summarizes the ACKR3 modulators published in patents from 2019 to 2024 using data from Google Patents, the European Patent Office, and the World Intellectual Property Organization's online databases. This includes information on their chemical structures, syntheses, activities, and developmental stages.

EXPERT OPINION

ACKR3 agonists gained traction as a treatment for cardiovascular and pain conditions. WW-12, which was derived from the chemical modifications of conolidine, became a novel small-molecule pain modulator by activating ACKR3, which in turn boosted endogenous opioid peptides for the classical opioid receptors.ACKR3 antagonist ACT-1004-1239 from Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has demonstrated the ability to treat cancer, acute lung injury/ARDS, and autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis. The outcomes of these clinical trials will direct the development and indications of future ACKR3 modulators.

Disulfidptosis related immune genes drive prognostic model development and tumor microenvironment characterization in bladder urothelial carcinoma

The intricate nature and varied forms of bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) highlight the need for new indicators to define tumor prognosis. Disulfidptosis, a novel form of cell death, is closely linked to BLCA progression, prognosis, and treatment outcomes. Our current goal is to develop a novel disulfidptosis-related immune prognostic model to enhance BLCA treatment strategies. Utilizing RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) , which included 419 patients (19 normal, 400 tumor), we performed weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify disulfidptosis-associated immune genes. Through multivariate Cox regression, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regularization, we established a disulfidptosis-related immune risk scoring system. A nomogram combining risk score and clinical features predicted prognosis. Model performance was validated through survival curve analysis and independent validation cohort. Immune checkpoints, cell infiltration, and tumor mutation load were assessed. Differential gene enrichment analysis was conducted. Prognostic genes were validated via in vitro experiments. Eight immune genes related to disulfidptosis were identified and verified in BLCA prognosis. A prognostic model outperformed previous ones in predicting overall survival (OS) for high- and low-risk groups. Patients with low-risk scores had higher OS rates and tumor mutation burden (TMB) compared to high-risk score patients. CD4 memory T cells, CD8 T cells, M1 macrophages, and resting NK cells were found to be higher in the low-risk group. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment may be more effective for the low-risk score group. High-risk score group exhibited stronger correlation with cancer malignant pathways. Knocking out tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 12 A (TNFRSF12A) inhibits BLCA cell proliferation and invasion while overexpressing it has the opposite effect. We constructed a novel risk score model that combines disulfidptosis and immune genes, demonstrating good prognostic prediction performance. We discovered and verified that the TNFRSF12A gene is an oncogene in BLCA, which may help provide personalized guidance for individualized treatment and immunotherapy selection for BLCA patients to a certain extent.

Progression of radio-labeled molecular imaging probes targeting chemokine receptors

Chemokine receptors are significantly expressed in the surface of most inflammatory cells and tumor cells. Guided by chemokines, inflammatory cells which express the relevant chemokine receptors migrate to inflammatory lesions and participate in the evolution of inflammation diseases. Similarly, driven by chemokines, immune cells infiltrate into tumor lesions not only induces alterations in the tumor microenvironment, disrupting the efficacy of tumor therapies, but also has the potential to selectively target tumoral cells and diminish tumor progression. Chemokine receptors, which are significantly expressed on the surface of tumor cell membranes, are regulated by chemokines and initiate tumor-associated signaling pathways within tumor cells, playing a complex role in tumor progression. Based on the antagonists targeting chemokine receptors, radionuclide-labeled molecular imaging probes have been developed for the emerging application of molecular imaging in diseases such as tumors and inflammation. The value and limitations of molecular probes in disease imaging are worth reviewing.

Comprehensive analysis of ACKR family members in breast cancer using prognostic values

Breast cancer (BC) is by far the most prevalent malignancy found in the female population. Atypical chemokine receptors (ACKRs) are a subclass of G-protein-coupled receptors, which are characterized by disrupted ligand binding and a breakdown of signaling following ligand binding. The evolution and function of multiple ACKRs in BC have yet to be fully elucidated, although certain findings on this family have been reported in several studies in Homo sapiens and other species. The present study identified that the expression level of ACKRs was significantly lower in breast carcinoma (BRCA) tissues compared with normal breast tissues through searches of the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource, UALCAN and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis databases. Additionally, when comparing BRCA tissues with normal breast tissues, it was found that there was obvious hypomethylation in the promoters of ACKR1, ACKR3 and ACKR5, as well as a marked hypermethylation in the promoters of ACKR2 and ACKR6. In determining the prognosis of patients with BRCA, the expression levels of ACKR1, ACKR2, ACKR3, ACKR4 and ACKR6 were all found to be important factors. The values for distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were all found to be lower in patients with BRCA who had a low expression level of ACKR1. In addition, the RFS rates for patients with BRCA were lower when the expression of ACKR2 was low, and worse values for DMFS, OS and RFS were found to be highly correlated with higher expression levels of ACKR3. Moreover, the DMFS, OS, RFS and predictive power score values were worse in those patients with low ACKR4 expression, and the RFS values for patients with BRCA were also found to be lower when the expression level of ACKR6 was low. Additionally, dendritic cells, macrophages, neutrophils, T cells with CD4+ status, T cells with CD8+ status and B cells were all substantially linked with ACKR expression, as well as immune cell infiltration. Taken together, the findings of the present study may offer a theoretical foundation for the creation of novel targets and prognostic indicators for BRCA therapy.

Histone deacetylase 2 regulates STAT1-dependent upregulation of atypical chemokine receptor 3 to induce M2 macrophage migration and immune escape in hepatocellular carcinoma

Atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3) has been linked to the tumor microenvironment. This work investigates the effects of ACKR3 and its regulatory molecules on the chemotactic migration of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). RT-qPCR and western blot assays identified elevated ACKR3 and HDAC2 levels in HCC tissues and cells. Knockdown or overexpression of ACKR3 was induced in HCC cells through vectors of lentivirus plasmids, and then the conditioned medium of the HCC cells was collected to stimulate TAMs. The stimulated TAMs were co-cultured with CD3⁺ T cells. ACKR3 knockdown in HCC cells inhibited migration of TAMs and promoted M1 polarization, which restored the activity of T cells. Histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) recruited signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) to the ACKR3 promoter to activate ACKR3 transcription. HDAC2 silencing suppressed nuclear translocation of STAT1 and decreased ACKR3 expression. HDAC2 knockdown in HCC cells similarly suppressed TAM migration, promoted M1 polarization, and restored T cell function, but these changes were inversed by ACKR3 upregulation. HDAC2 or ACKR3 silencing weakened tumor growth and immune escape in mice. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that HDAC2 upregulates ACKR3 via STAT1 to induce migration of M2 macrophages and immune escape in HCC.

ImmunoPET: Antibody-Based PET Imaging in Solid Tumors

Immuno-positron emission tomography (immunoPET) is a molecular imaging modality combining the high sensitivity of PET with the specific targeting ability of monoclonal antibodies. Various radioimmunotracers have been successfully developed to target a broad spectrum of molecules expressed by malignant cells or tumor microenvironments. Only a few are translated into clinical studies and barely into clinical practices. Some drawbacks include slow radioimmunotracer kinetics, high physiologic uptake in lymphoid organs, and heterogeneous activity in tumoral lesions. Measures are taken to overcome the disadvantages, and new tracers are being developed. In this review, we aim to mention the fundamental components of immunoPET imaging, explore the groundbreaking success achieved using this new technique, and review different radioimmunotracers employed in various solid tumors to elaborate on this relatively new imaging modality.

PET Imaging Radiotracers of Chemokine Receptors

Chemokines and chemokine receptors have been recognized as critical signal components that maintain the physiological functions of various cells, particularly the immune cells. The signals of chemokines/chemokine receptors guide various leukocytes to respond to inflammatory reactions and infectious agents. Many chemokine receptors play supportive roles in the differentiation, proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis of diverse tumor cells. In addition, the signaling functions of a few chemokine receptors are associated with cardiac, pulmonary, and brain disorders. Over the years, numerous promising molecules ranging from small molecules to short peptides and antibodies have been developed to study the role of chemokine receptors in healthy states and diseased states. These drug-like candidates are in turn exploited as radiolabeled probes for the imaging of chemokine receptors using noninvasive in vivo imaging, such as positron emission tomography (PET). Recent advances in the development of radiotracers for various chemokine receptors, particularly of CXCR4, CCR2, and CCR5, shed new light on chemokine-related cancer and cardiovascular research and the subsequent drug development. Here, we present the recent progress in PET radiotracer development for imaging of various chemokine receptors.

CXCR4 and CXCR7 Signaling Pathways: A Focus on the Cross-Talk Between Cancer Cells and Tumor Microenvironment

The chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and 7 (CXCR7) are G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) activated through their shared ligand CXCL12 in multiple human cancers. They play a key role in the tumor/tumor microenvironment (TME) promoting tumor progression, targeting cell proliferation and migration, while orchestrating the recruitment of immune and stromal cells within the TME. CXCL12 excludes T cells from TME through a concentration gradient that inhibits immunoactive cells access and promotes tumor vascularization. Thus, dual CXCR4/CXCR7 inhibition will target different cancer components. CXCR4/CXCR7 antagonism should prevent the development of metastases by interfering with tumor cell growth, migration and chemotaxis and favoring the frequency of T cells in TME. Herein, we discuss the current understanding on the role of CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 cross-talk in tumor progression and immune cells recruitment providing support for a combined CXCR4/CXCR7 targeting therapy. In addition, we consider emerging approaches that coordinately target both immune checkpoints and CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 axis.

Detection of genome-edited and endogenously expressed G protein-coupled receptors

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of membrane receptors and major targets for FDA-approved drugs. The ability to quantify GPCR expression and ligand binding characteristics in different cell types and tissues is therefore important for drug discovery. The advent of genome editing along with developments in fluorescent ligand design offers exciting new possibilities to probe GPCRs in their native environment. This review provides an overview of the recent technical advances employed to study the localisation and ligand binding characteristics of genome-edited and endogenously expressed GPCRs.

PPARG Could Work as a Valid Therapeutic Strategy for the Treatment of Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Previous studies showed that PPAR-gamma (PPARG) ligands might serve as potential therapeutic agents for nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, a few studies reported the specific relationship between PPARG and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Here, we made an effort to explore the relationship between PPARG and LSCC. First, we used mega-analysis and partial mega-analysis to analyze the effects of PPARG on LSCC by using 12 independent LSCC expression datasets (285 healthy controls and 375 LSCC cases). Then, literature-based molecular pathways between PPARG and LSCC were established. After that, a gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted to study the functionalities of PPARG and PPARG-driven triggers within the molecular pathways. Finally, another mega-analysis was constructed to test the expression changes of PPARG and its driven targets. The partial mega-analysis showed a significant downregulated expression of PPARG in LSCC (LFC = -1.08, p value = 0.00073). Twelve diagnostic markers and four prognostic markers were identified within multiple PPARG-LSCC regulatory pathways. Our results suggested that the activation of PPARG expression may inhibit the development and progression of LSCC through the regulation of LSCC upstream regulators and downstream marker genes, which were involved in tumor cell proliferation and protein polyubiquitination/ubiquitination.

Chemokines and chemokine receptors: A new strategy for breast cancer therapy

Chemokines and chemokine receptors not only participate in the development of tissue differentiation, hematopoiesis, inflammation, and immune regulation but also play an important role in the process of tumor development. The role of chemokines and chemokine receptors in tumors has been emphasized in recent years. More and more studies have shown that chemokines and chemokine receptors are closely related to the occurrence, angiogenesis, metastasis, drug resistance, and immunity of breast cancer. Here, we review recent progression on the roles of chemokines and chemokine receptors in breast cancer, and discuss the possible mechanism in breast cancer that might facilitate the development of new therapies by targeting chemokines as well as chemokine receptors. Chemokines and chemokine receptors play an important role in the occurrence and development of breast cancer. In-depth study of chemokines and chemokine receptors can provide intervention targets for breast cancer biotherapy. The regulation of chemokines and chemokine receptors may become a new strategy for breast cancer therapy.

The diverse and complex roles of atypical chemokine receptors in cancer: From molecular biology to clinical relevance and therapy

Chemokines regulate directed cell migration, proliferation and survival and are key components in cancer biology. They exert their functions by interacting with seven-transmembrane domain receptors that signal through G proteins (GPCRs). A subgroup of four chemokine receptors known as the atypical chemokine receptors (ACKRs) has emerged as essential regulators of the chemokine functions. ACKRs play diverse and complex roles in tumor biology from tumor initiation to metastasis, including cancer cell proliferation, adherence to endothelium, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), extravasation from blood vessels, tumor-associated angiogenesis or protection from immunological responses. This chapter gives an overview on the established and emerging roles that the atypical chemokine receptors ACKR1, ACKR2, ACKR3 and ACKR4 play in the different phases of cancer development and dissemination, their clinical relevance, as well as on the hurdles to overcome in ACKRs targeting as cancer therapy.

Impact of the Chemokine Receptors CXCR4 and CXCR7 on Clinical Outcome in Adrenocortical Carcinoma

Chemokine receptors have a negative impact on tumor progression in several human cancers and have therefore been of interest for molecular imaging and targeted therapy. However, their clinical and prognostic significance in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemokine receptor profile in ACC and to analyse its association with clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcome. A chemokine receptor profile was initially evaluated by quantitative PCR in 4 normal adrenals, 18 ACC samples and human ACC cell line NCI-H295. High expression of CXCR4 and CXCR7 in both healthy and malignant adrenal tissue and ACC cells was confirmed. In the next step, we analyzed the expression and cellular localization of CXCR4 and CXCR7 in ACC by immunohistochemistry in 187 and 84 samples, respectively. These results were correlated with clinicopathological parameters and survival outcome. We detected strong membrane expression of CXCR4 and CXCR7 in 50% of ACC samples. Strong cytoplasmic CXCR4 staining was more frequent among samples derived from metastases compared to primaries (p=0.01) and local recurrences (p=0.04). CXCR4 membrane staining positively correlated with proliferation index Ki67 (r=0.17, p=0.028). CXCR7 membrane staining negatively correlated with Ki67 (r=-0.254, p=0.03) but positively with tumor size (r=0.3, p=0.02). No differences in progression-free or overall survival were observed between patients with strong and weak staining intensities for CXCR4 or CXCR7. Taken together, high expression of CXCR4 and CXCR7 in both local tumors and metastases suggests that some ACC patients might benefit from CXCR4/CXCR7-targeted therapy.

Expression profile-based screening for critical genes reveals S100A4, ACKR3 and CDH1 in docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer cells

Docetaxel is a first-line anticancer drug widely used in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. However, its therapeutic efficacy is limited by its side effects and the development of chemoresistance by the tumor. Using a gene differential expression microarray, we identified 449 genes differentially expressed in docetaxel-resistant DU145 and PC3 cell lines as compared to docetaxel-sensitive controls. Moreover, western blotting and immunohistochemistry revealed altered expression of S100A4, ACKR3 and CDH1in clinical tumor samples. Cytoscape software was used to investigate the relationship between critical proteins and their signaling transduction networks. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses revealed that these signaling pathways were closely related to cellular proliferation, cell adhesion, cell migration and metastasis. In addition, ACKR3 knockout using the crispr/cas9 method andS100A4knockdownusing targeted shRNA exerted additive effects suppressing cancer cell proliferation and migration. This exploratory analysis provides information about potential candidate genes. It also provides new insight into the molecular mechanism underlying docetaxel-resistance in androgen-independent prostate cancer and highlights potential targets to improve therapeutic outcomes.

The Role of ACKR3 in Breast, Lung, and Brain Cancer

Recent reports regarding the significance of chemokine receptors in disease have put a spotlight on atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3). This atypical chemokine receptor is overexpressed in numerous cancer types and has been involved in the modulation of tumor cell proliferation and migration, tumor angiogenesis, or resistance to drugs, thus contributing to cancer progression and metastasis occurrence. Here, we focus on the clinical significance and potential mechanisms underlying the pathologic role of ACKR3 in breast, lung, and brain cancer and discuss its possible relevance as a prognostic factor and potential therapeutic target in these contexts.

Antibodies Targeting Chemokine Receptors CXCR4 and ACKR3

Dysregulation of the chemokine system is implicated in a number of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, as well as cancer. Modulation of chemokine receptor function is a very promising approach for therapeutic intervention. Despite interest from academic groups and pharmaceutical companies, there are currently few approved medicines targeting chemokine receptors. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and antibody-based molecules have been successfully applied in the clinical therapy of cancer and represent a potential new class of therapeutics targeting chemokine receptors belonging to the class of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Besides conventional mAbs, single-domain antibodies and antibody scaffolds are also gaining attention as promising therapeutics. In this review, we provide an extensive overview of mAbs, single-domain antibodies, and other antibody fragments targeting CXCR4 and ACKR3, formerly referred to as CXCR7. We discuss their unique properties and advantages over small-molecule compounds, and also refer to the molecules in preclinical and clinical development. We focus on single-domain antibodies and scaffolds and their utilization in GPCR research. Additionally, structural analysis of antibody binding to CXCR4 is discussed. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Modulating the function of GPCRs, and particularly chemokine receptors, draws high interest. A comprehensive review is provided for monoclonal antibodies, antibody fragments, and variants directed at CXCR4 and ACKR3. Their advantageous functional properties, versatile applications as research tools, and use in the clinic are discussed.

Modulators of CXCR4 and CXCR7/ACKR3 Function

The two G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) and atypical chemokine receptor 3 (ACKR3) are part of the class A chemokine GPCR family and represent important drug targets for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, cancer, and inflammation diseases. CXCR4 is one of only three chemokine receptors with a US Food and Drug Administration approved therapeutic agent, the small-molecule modulator AMD3100. In this review, known modulators of the two receptors are discussed in detail. Initially, the structural relationship between receptors and ligands is reviewed on the basis of common structural motifs and available crystal structures. To date, no atypical chemokine receptor has been crystallized, which makes ligand design and predictions for these receptors more difficult. Next, the selectivity, receptor activation, and the resulting ligand-induced signaling output of chemokines and other peptide ligands are reviewed. Binding of pepducins, a class of lipid-peptides whose basis is the internal loop of a GPCR, to CXCR4 is also discussed. Finally, small-molecule modulators of CXCR4 and ACKR3 are reviewed. These modulators have led to the development of radio- and fluorescently labeled tool compounds, enabling the visualization of ligand binding and receptor characterization both in vitro and in vivo. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: To investigate the pharmacological modulation of CXCR4 and ACKR3, significant effort has been focused on the discovery and development of a range of ligands, including small-molecule modulators, pepducins, and synthetic peptides. Imaging tools, such as fluorescent probes, also play a pivotal role in the field of drug discovery. This review aims to provide an overview of the aforementioned modulators that facilitate the study of CXCR4 and ACKR3 receptors.

Recent Advances in Nuclear Imaging of Receptor Expression to Guide Targeted Therapies in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer remains the most frequent cancer in women with different patterns of disease progression and response to treatments. The identification of specific biomarkers for different breast cancer subtypes has allowed the development of novel targeting agents for imaging and therapy. To date, patient management depends on immunohistochemistry analysis of receptor status on bioptic samples. This approach is too invasive, and in some cases, not entirely representative of the disease. Nuclear imaging using receptor tracers may provide whole-body information and detect any changes of receptor expression during disease progression. Therefore, imaging is useful to guide clinicians to select the best treatments for each patient and to evaluate early response thus reducing unnecessary therapies. In this review, we focused on the development of novel tracers that are ongoing in preclinical and/or clinical studies as promising tools to lead treatment decisions for breast cancer management.

Nanobodies: New avenues for imaging, stabilizing and modulating GPCRs

The family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is the largest class of membrane proteins and an important drug target due to their role in many (patho)physiological processes. Besides small molecules, GPCRs can be targeted by biologicals including antibodies and antibody fragments. This review describes the use of antibodies and in particular antibody fragments from camelid-derived heavy chain-only antibodies (nanobodies/VHHs/sdAbs) for detecting, stabilizing, modulating and therapeutically targeting GPCRs. Altogether, it becomes increasingly clear that the small size, structure and protruding antigen-binding loops of nanobodies are favorable features for the development of selective and potent GPCRs-binding molecules. This makes them attractive tools to modulate GPCR activity but also as targeting modalities for GPCR-directed therapeutics. In addition, these antibody-fragments are important tools in the stabilization of particular conformations of these receptors. Lastly, nanobodies, in contrast to conventional antibodies, can also easily be expressed intracellularly which render nanobodies important tools for studying GPCR function. Hence, GPCR-targeting nanobodies are ideal modalities to image, stabilize and modulate GPCR function.

Support of Tumor Endothelial Cells by Chemokine Receptors

Tumor-associated vascular endothelium comprises a specialized and diverse group of endothelial cells that, although not cancer themselves, are integral to cancer progression. Targeting the tumor vasculature can have significant efficacy in reducing tumor burden, although loss of efficacy due to acquisition of resistance mechanisms is common. Here we review mechanisms by which tumor endothelial cells (TEC) utilize chemokine receptors to support tumor progression. We illustrate how chemokine receptors support and may serve as functional markers of the diverse TEC population. We focus on ACKR1 (DARC), ACKR3 (CXCR7), CXCR4, and CCR2, as these are the best studied chemokine receptors in TEC; and suggest that targeting these receptors on the tumor vasculature may prove efficacious in slowing or reversing tumor growth. We also mention CXCR2 and CXCR3 as important mediators or tumor angiogenesis, given their distinct roles with angiogenic and angiostatic chemokines, respectively.

The Role of CXC Chemokine Receptors 1-4 on Immune Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment

Chemokines govern leukocyte migration by attracting cells that express their cognate ligands. Many cancer types show altered chemokine secretion profiles, favoring the recruitment of pro-tumorigenic immune cells and preventing the accumulation of anti-tumorigenic effector cells. This can ultimately result in cancer immune evasion. The manipulation of chemokine and chemokine-receptor signaling can reshape the immunological phenotypes within the tumor microenvironment in order to increase the therapeutic efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Here we discuss the three chemokine-chemokine receptor axes, CXCR1/2–CXCL1-3/5-8, CXCR3–CXCL9/10/11, and CXCR4-CXCL12 and their role on pro-tumorigenic immune cells and anti-tumorigenic effector cells in solid tumors. In particular, we summarize current strategies to target these axes and discuss their potential use in treatment approaches.

A curated target gene pool assisting disease prediction and patient-specific biomarker selection for lung squamous cell carcinoma

There have been hundreds of genes demonstrated to be associated with lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), presenting various degrees of association with this disease. In the present study, gene vectors were investigated as genetic biomarkers for the diagnosis and personalized treatment of LSCC. A LSCC genetic database (LSCC_GD) was developed through literature-associated data analysis, where 260 LSCC target genes were curated. Subsequently, numerous associations between these genes and LSCC were studied. Following this, a sparse representation-based variable selection (SRVS) was employed for gene selection from two LSCC gene expression datasets, followed by a case/control classification. Results were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA)-based gene selection approaches. Using SRVS, a gene vector was selected from each dataset, resulting in significantly higher classification accuracy (CR), compared with randomly selected genes (For datasets GSE18842 and GSE1987, CR=100 and 100% and permutation P=5.0×10⁻⁴ and 1.8×10⁻³, respectively). The SRVS method outperformed ANOVA in terms of the classification ratio. The results indicated that, for a given dataset, there may be a gene vector from the 260 curated LSCC genes that possesses significant prediction power. SRVS is effective in identifying the optimum gene subset target for personalized treatment.

Relationship between expression of CXCR7 and NF-κB in breast cancer tissue and occurrence of breast cancer and lymphatic metastasis

It is designed to discuss the relationship between the expression of chemokine receptor 7 (chemokine receptor 7, CXCR7) and nuclear transcription factor-κB (nuclear factor kappa B, NF-κB) and the occurrence of the breast cancer and lymphatic metastasis. Method: 80 samples were excised and confirmed as breast cancer through our hospital pathology from January 2014 to December 2016 and tumor tissues and normal mammary tissues 2 cm from the tumor edges were taken as an experimental group and a control group, respectively. The method of immunohistochemical is utilized to test the expression of CXCR7 and NF-κB in the breast cancer tissue, compared with the para-carcinoma tissue, and analyze its relevance with the clinicopathologic features of the breast cancer tissue, such as tumor size, TNM staging, lymphatic metastasis and other conditions. Results: both CXCR7 and NF-κB were highly expressed in the breast cancer tissue, the positive rate was significantly higher that that of paracancerous normal tissues, and the difference was statistically significant. And the expressions of CXCR7 and NF-κB were related to TNM staging of the breast cancer and lymphatic metastasis and unrelated to the tumor size, age, and expressions of ER, PR and HER2. Conclusion: both CXCR7 and NF-κB are related to the malignant grade of the breast cancer and lymphatic metastasis, which may be regarded as in important indicator to judge the prognosis of the breast cancer and be expected to be the new target of curing part of the breast cancer.

A Chimeric Antibody against ACKR3/CXCR7 in Combination with TMZ Activates Immune Responses and Extends Survival in Mouse GBM Models

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the least treatable type of brain tumor, afflicting over 15,000 people per year in the United States. Patients have a median survival of 16 months, and over 95% die within 5 years. The chemokine receptor ACKR3 is selectively expressed on both GBM cells and tumor-associated blood vessels. High tumor expression of ACKR3 correlates with poor prognosis and potential treatment resistance, making it an attractive therapeutic target. We engineered a single chain FV-human FC-immunoglobulin G1 (IgG₁) antibody, X7Ab, to target ACKR3 in human and mouse GBM cells. We used hydrodynamic gene transfer to overexpress the antibody, with efficacy in vivo. X7Ab kills GBM tumor cells and ACKR3-expressing vascular endothelial cells by engaging the cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) cells and complement and the phagocytic activity of macrophages. Combining X7Ab with TMZ allows the TMZ dosage to be lowered, without compromising therapeutic efficacy. Mice treated with X7Ab and in combination with TMZ showed significant tumor reduction by MRI and longer survival overall. Brain-tumor-infiltrating leukocyte analysis revealed that X7Ab enhances the activation of M1 macrophages to support anti-tumor immune response in vivo. Targeting ACKR3 with immunotherapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in combination with standard of care therapies may prove effective in treating GBM.

Expression of CCR6 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its effects on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common esophageal cancer associated with poor prognosis. We detected the expression of C-C motif chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6) and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in esophageal tissues/cells, and evaluated the effects of CCR6 on ESCC cells proliferation, migration and invasion in response to C-C motif chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) treatment. Our data showed CCR6 was highly expressed in ESCC cell lines (ECA-109 and TE-1), whereas kept in a low expression in normal cell lines HEEC (P < 0.001). CCL20 stimulus induced a significant decrease in the proliferation ability of ESCC (P < 0.05). The healing speed of CCL20 group was significantly higher than control in ECA-109 (P < 0.01), whereas significantly lower in αCCR6+CCL20 group than CCL20 group (P < 0.05).The number of cells permeabling through the polycarbonate membrane in CCL20 group was higher than control (P < 0.01). The cell number in αCCR6+CCL20 group was significantly reduced compared to CCL20 group in ECA-109 (P < 0.05). Moreover, after CCL20 stimulated in ECA-109, both mRNA and protein level of E-cadherin significantly decreased compared to control, while Vimentin was significantly higher. In αCCR6+CCL20 group, mRNA and protein level of E-cadherin significantly increased compared to CCL20 group, while Vimentin was much lower than CCL20 group. There was no significant difference in TE-1. In summary, high expression of CCR6 existed in the lymph node metastasis and TNM stage of ESCC. CCR6 play an important role in the regulation of tumor cell proliferation, invasion and migration. CCR6 may participate in regulating the occurrence of EMT in ESCC.

A Deeper Look into Type 1 Diabetes - Imaging Immune Responses during Onset of Disease

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes execute the killing of insulin-producing beta cells during onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). The research community has come far in dissecting the major events in the development of this disease, but still the trigger and high-resolved information of the immunological events leading up to beta cell loss are missing. During the past decades, intravital imaging of immune responses has led to significant scientific breakthroughs in diverse models of disease, including T1D. Dynamic imaging of immune cells at the pancreatic islets during T1D onset has been made possible through the development of both advanced microscopes, and animal models that allow long-term immobilization of the pancreas. The use of these modalities has revealed a milling microenvironment at the pancreatic islets during disease onset with a plethora of active players. Clues to answering the remaining questions in this disease may lie in intravital imaging, including how key immune cells traffic to and from the pancreas, and how cells interact at this target tissue. This review highlights and discusses recent studies, models, and techniques focused to understand the immune responses during T1D onset through intravital imaging.