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Xing L, Wang Z, Feng Y, Luo H, Dai G, Sang L, Zhang C, Qian J. The biological roles of CD47 in ovarian cancer progression. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:145. [PMID: 38832992 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03708-3] [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: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal malignant tumors, characterized by high incidence and poor prognosis. Patients relapse occurred in 65-80% after initial treatment. To date, no effective treatment has been established for these patients. Recently, CD47 has been considered as a promising immunotherapy target. In this paper, we reviewed the biological roles of CD47 in ovarian cancer and summarized the related mechanisms. For most types of cancers, the CD47/Sirpα immune checkpoint has attracted the most attention in immunotherapy. Notably, CD47 monoclonal antibodies and related molecules are promising in the immunotherapy of ovarian cancer, and further research is needed. In the future, new immunotherapy regimens targeting CD47 can be applied to the clinical treatment of ovarian cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linan Xing
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhao Wang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Feng
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310022, People's Republic of China
| | - Haixia Luo
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, People's Republic of China
| | - Guijiang Dai
- Department of Comprehensive Office, The Second Affiliated Hospital of MuDanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157009, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Sang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, People's Hospital of Anji, Huzhou, 310022, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunlong Zhang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jianhua Qian
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, People's Republic of China.
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Lyu W, Li DF, Li SY, Hu H, Zhou JY, Wang L. Gut microbiota modulation: a narrative review on a novel strategy for prevention and alleviation of ovarian aging. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38835159 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2024.2361306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
The global rise in life expectancy corresponds with a delay in childbearing age among women. Ovaries, seen as the chronometers of female physiological aging, demonstrate features of sped up aging, evidenced by the steady decline in both the quality and quantity of ovarian follicles from birth. The multifaceted pathogenesis of ovarian aging has kindled intensive research interest from the biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors. Novel studies underscore the integral roles of gut microbiota in follicular development, lipid metabolism, and hormonal regulation, forging a nexus with ovarian aging. In this review, we outline the role of gut microbiota in ovarian function (follicular development, oocyte maturation, and ovulation), compile and present gut microbiota alterations associated with age-related ovarian aging. We also discuss potential strategies for alleviating ovarian aging from the perspective of gut microbiota, such as fecal microbiota transplantation and probiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lyu
- Clinical Medical Research Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - De-Feng Li
- Clinical Medical Research Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shu-Ying Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hua Hu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jian-Yun Zhou
- Clinical Medical Research Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Clinical Medical Research Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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Plesselova S, Calar K, Axemaker H, Sahly E, de la Puente P. Multicompartmentalized microvascularized tumor-on-a-chip to study tumor-stroma interactions and drug resistance in ovarian cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.29.596456. [PMID: 38853974 PMCID: PMC11160770 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.29.596456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Introduction The majority of ovarian cancer (OC) patients receiving standard of care chemotherapy develop chemoresistance within 5 years. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a dynamic and influential player in disease progression and therapeutic response. However, there is a lack of models that allow us to elucidate the compartmentalized nature of TME in a controllable, yet physiologically relevant manner and its critical role in modulating drug resistance. Methods We developed a 3D microvascularized multiniche tumor-on-a-chip formed by five chambers (central cancer chamber, flanked by two lateral stromal chambers and two external circulation chambers) to recapitulate OC-TME compartmentalization and study its influence on drug resistance. Stromal chambers included endothelial cells alone or cocultured with normal fibroblasts or cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF). Results The tumor-on-a-chip recapitulated spatial TME compartmentalization including vessel-like structure, stromal-mediated extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, generation of oxygen gradients, and delayed drug diffusion/penetration from the circulation chamber towards the cancer chamber. The cancer chamber mimicked metastasis-like migration and increased drug resistance to carboplatin/paclitaxel treatment in the presence of CAF when compared to normal fibroblasts. CAF-mediated drug resistance was rescued by ECM targeted therapy. Critically, these results demonstrate that cellular crosstalk recreation and spatial organization through compartmentalization are essential to determining the effect of the compartmentalized OC-TME on drug resistance. Conclusions Our results present a functionally characterized microvascularized multiniche tumor-on-a-chip able to recapitulate TME compartmentalization influencing drug resistance. This technology holds the potential to guide the design of more effective and targeted therapeutic strategies to overcome chemoresistance in OC.
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Balan D, Kampan NC, Plebanski M, Abd Aziz NH. Unlocking ovarian cancer heterogeneity: advancing immunotherapy through single-cell transcriptomics. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1388663. [PMID: 38873253 PMCID: PMC11169633 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1388663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer, a highly fatal gynecological cancer, warrants the need for understanding its heterogeneity. The disease's prevalence and impact are underscored with statistics on mortality rates. Ovarian cancer is categorized into distinct morphological groups, each with its characteristics and prognosis. Despite standard treatments, survival rates remain low due to relapses and chemoresistance. Immune system involvement is evident in ovarian cancer's progression, although the tumor employs immune evasion mechanisms. Immunotherapy, particularly immune checkpoint blockade therapy, is promising, but ovarian cancer's heterogeneity limits its efficacy. Single-cell sequencing technology could be explored as a solution to dissect the heterogeneity within tumor-associated immune cell populations and tumor microenvironments. This cutting-edge technology has the potential to enhance diagnosis, prognosis, and personalized immunotherapy in ovarian cancer, reflecting its broader application in cancer research. The present review focuses on recent advancements and the challenges in applying single-cell transcriptomics to ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharvind Balan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nirmala Chandralega Kampan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Magdalena Plebanski
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Nor Haslinda Abd Aziz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Leung JH, Leung HWC, Wang SY, Yip Fion HT, Chan ALF. Comparison of target agent treatment strategies for platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer: A Bayesian network meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e38183. [PMID: 38788019 PMCID: PMC11124750 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000038183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We aimed to compare 7 newer immunotherapies and targeted therapies for platinum-resistant relapsed ovarian cancer. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library electronic databases for phase III trials involving platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer (PRrOC) patients treated with immunotherapy or targeted therapy in combination with chemotherapy. The quality of the included trials was assessed using the GRADE method. The primary outcome of comparison was progression-free survival, and secondary outcomes included overall survival and safety. RESULTS This analysis included 7 randomized phase III controlled trials, encompassing 2485 PRrOC patients. Combining bevacizumab plus chemotherapy and lurbinectedin demonstrated statistically significant differences in progression-free survival compared to all other regimens of interest. However, no statistically significant differences were observed in the overall survival. Nivolumab and mirvetuximab exhibited fewer serious adverse events than the other regimens of interest. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy and lurbinectedin monotherapy has significant efficacy in patients with PRrOC. For patients with PRrOC who have exhausted treatment options, nivolumab and mirvetuximab may be considered as alternatives because of their better safety profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Hang Leung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan
| | - Henry W. C. Leung
- Department of Radiation Oncology, An-Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Shyh-Yau Wang
- Department of Radiation, An-Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Hei-Tung Yip Fion
- Department Management Office for Health Data, Clinical Trial Research Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Agnes L. F. Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, An-Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan, Taiwan
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Biskup E, Lopacinska-Jørgensen J, Vestergaard LK, Høgdall E. Validating reference-based algorithms to determine cell-type heterogeneity in ovarian cancer DNA methylation studies. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11048. [PMID: 38745057 PMCID: PMC11094148 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61857-y] [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: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Information about cell composition in tissue samples is crucial for biomarker discovery and prognosis. Specifically, cancer tissue samples present challenges in deconvolution studies due to mutations and genetic rearrangements. Here, we optimized a robust, DNA methylation-based protocol, to be used for deconvolution of ovarian cancer samples. We compared several state-of-the-art methods (HEpiDISH, MethylCIBERSORT and ARIC) and validated the proposed protocol in an in-silico mixture and in an external dataset containing samples from ovarian cancer patients and controls. The deconvolution protocol we eventually implemented is based on MethylCIBERSORT. Comparing deconvolution methods, we paid close attention to the role of a reference panel. We postulate that a possibly high number of samples (in our case: 247) should be used when building a reference panel to ensure robustness and to compensate for biological and technical variation between samples. Subsequently, we tested the performance of the validated protocol in our own study cohort, consisting of 72 patients with malignant and benign ovarian disease as well as in five external cohorts. In conclusion, we refined and validated a reference-based algorithm to determine cell type composition of ovarian cancer tissue samples to be used in cancer biology studies in larger cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edyta Biskup
- Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark.
| | | | | | - Estrid Høgdall
- Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
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Nakhli R, Rich K, Zhang A, Darbandsari A, Shenasa E, Hadjifaradji A, Thiessen S, Milne K, Jones SJM, McAlpine JN, Nelson BH, Gilks CB, Farahani H, Bashashati A. VOLTA: an enVironment-aware cOntrastive ceLl represenTation leArning for histopathology. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3942. [PMID: 38729933 PMCID: PMC11087497 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48062-1] [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: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In clinical oncology, many diagnostic tasks rely on the identification of cells in histopathology images. While supervised machine learning techniques necessitate the need for labels, providing manual cell annotations is time-consuming. In this paper, we propose a self-supervised framework (enVironment-aware cOntrastive cell represenTation learning: VOLTA) for cell representation learning in histopathology images using a technique that accounts for the cell's mutual relationship with its environment. We subject our model to extensive experiments on data collected from multiple institutions comprising over 800,000 cells and six cancer types. To showcase the potential of our proposed framework, we apply VOLTA to ovarian and endometrial cancers and demonstrate that our cell representations can be utilized to identify the known histotypes of ovarian cancer and provide insights that link histopathology and molecular subtypes of endometrial cancer. Unlike supervised models, we provide a framework that can empower discoveries without any annotation data, even in situations where sample sizes are limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramin Nakhli
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Katherine Rich
- Bioinformatics Graduate Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Allen Zhang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Amirali Darbandsari
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Elahe Shenasa
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Amir Hadjifaradji
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sidney Thiessen
- Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Katy Milne
- Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Steven J M Jones
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jessica N McAlpine
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Brad H Nelson
- Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - C Blake Gilks
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Hossein Farahani
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ali Bashashati
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada.
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Simic P, Coric V, Pljesa I, Savic-Radojevic A, Zecevic N, Kocic J, Simic T, Pazin V, Pljesa-Ercegovac M. The Role of Glutathione Transferase Omega-Class Variant Alleles in Individual Susceptibility to Ovarian Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4986. [PMID: 38732205 PMCID: PMC11084357 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094986] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment is affected by reactive oxygen species and has been suggested to have an important role in ovarian cancer (OC) tumorigenesis. The role of glutathione transferases (GSTs) in the maintenance of redox balance is considered as an important contributing factor in cancer, including OC. Furthermore, GSTs are mostly encoded by highly polymorphic genes, which further highlights their potential role in OC, known to originate from accumulated genetic changes. Since the potential relevance of genetic variations in omega-class GSTs (GSTO1 and GSTO2), with somewhat different activities such as thioltransferase and dehydroascorbate reductase activity, has not been clarified as yet in terms of susceptibility to OC, we aimed to investigate whether the presence of different GSTO1 and GSTO2 genetic variants, individually or combined, might represent determinants of risk for OC development. Genotyping was performed in 110 OC patients and 129 matched controls using a PCR-based assay for genotyping single nucleotide polymorphisms. The results of our study show that homozygous carriers of the GSTO2 variant G allele are at an increased risk of OC development in comparison to the carriers of the referent genotype (OR1 = 2.16, 95% CI: 0.88-5.26, p = 0.08; OR2 = 2.49, 95% CI: 0.93-6.61, p = 0.06). Furthermore, individuals with GST omega haplotype H2, meaning the concomitant presence of the GSTO1*A and GSTO2*G alleles, are more susceptible to OC development, while carriers of the H4 (*A*A) haplotype exhibited lower risk of OC when crude and adjusted haplotype analysis was performed (OR1 = 0.29; 95% CI: 0.12-0.70; p = 0.007 and OR2 = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.11-0.67; p = 0.0054). Overall, our results suggest that GSTO locus variants may confer OC risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petar Simic
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic Narodni Front, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.S.)
| | - Vesna Coric
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Institute of Medical and Clinical Biochemistry, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Center of Excellence for Redox Medicine, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Igor Pljesa
- Gynecology and Obstetrics Centre Dr Dragiša Mišović, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ana Savic-Radojevic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Institute of Medical and Clinical Biochemistry, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Center of Excellence for Redox Medicine, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Nebojsa Zecevic
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic Narodni Front, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.S.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jovana Kocic
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic Narodni Front, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.S.)
| | - Tatjana Simic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Institute of Medical and Clinical Biochemistry, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Center of Excellence for Redox Medicine, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vladimir Pazin
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic Narodni Front, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (P.S.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marija Pljesa-Ercegovac
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Institute of Medical and Clinical Biochemistry, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Center of Excellence for Redox Medicine, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
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Ren M, Yao S, Chen T, Luo H, Tao X, Jiang H, Yang X, Zhang H, Yu S, Wang Y, Lu A, Zhang G. Connective Tissue Growth Factor: Regulation, Diseases, and Drug Discovery. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4692. [PMID: 38731911 PMCID: PMC11083620 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094692] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In drug discovery, selecting targeted molecules is crucial as the target could directly affect drug efficacy and the treatment outcomes. As a member of the CCN family, CTGF (also known as CCN2) is an essential regulator in the progression of various diseases, including fibrosis, cancer, neurological disorders, and eye diseases. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of CTGF in different diseases may contribute to the discovery of novel drug candidates. Summarizing the CTGF-targeting and -inhibitory drugs is also beneficial for the analysis of the efficacy, applications, and limitations of these drugs in different disease models. Therefore, we reviewed the CTGF structure, the regulatory mechanisms in various diseases, and drug development in order to provide more references for future drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meishen Ren
- Key Laboratory of Animal Diseases and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
- Law Sau Fai Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone and Joint Diseases (TMBJ), School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Shanshan Yao
- School of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tienan Chen
- Law Sau Fai Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone and Joint Diseases (TMBJ), School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hang Luo
- School of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiaohui Tao
- Law Sau Fai Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone and Joint Diseases (TMBJ), School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hewen Jiang
- School of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xin Yang
- Law Sau Fai Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone and Joint Diseases (TMBJ), School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Huarui Zhang
- School of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sifan Yu
- School of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Diseases and Human Health of Sichuan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Aiping Lu
- Law Sau Fai Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone and Joint Diseases (TMBJ), School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Law Sau Fai Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone and Joint Diseases (TMBJ), School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
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ALEMZADEH EFFAT, ALLAHQOLI LEILA, MAZIDIMORADI AFROOZ, ALEMZADEH ESMAT, GHASEMI FAHIMEH, SALEHINIYA HAMID, ALKATOUT IBRAHIM. Deciphering resistance mechanisms and novel strategies to overcome drug resistance in ovarian cancer: a comprehensive review. Oncol Res 2024; 32:831-847. [PMID: 38686048 PMCID: PMC11055988 DOI: 10.32604/or.2024.031006] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is among the most lethal gynecological cancers, primarily due to the lack of specific symptoms leading to an advanced-stage diagnosis and resistance to chemotherapy. Drug resistance (DR) poses the most significant challenge in treating patients with existing drugs. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved three new therapeutic drugs, including two poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (olaparib and niraparib) and one vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor (bevacizumab) for maintenance therapy. However, resistance to these new drugs has emerged. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of DR and exploring new approaches to overcome them is crucial for effective management. In this review, we summarize the major molecular mechanisms of DR and discuss novel strategies to combat DR.
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Affiliation(s)
- EFFAT ALEMZADEH
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - LEILA ALLAHQOLI
- Department of Midwifery, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
| | - AFROOZ MAZIDIMORADI
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - ESMAT ALEMZADEH
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - FAHIMEH GHASEMI
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - HAMID SALEHINIYA
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - IBRAHIM ALKATOUT
- Kiel School of Gynaecological Endoscopy, Campus Kiel, University Hospitals Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
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11
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Gaebler D, Hachey SJ, Hughes CCW. Microphysiological systems as models for immunologically 'cold' tumors. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1389012. [PMID: 38711620 PMCID: PMC11070549 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1389012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a diverse milieu of cells including cancerous and non-cancerous cells such as fibroblasts, pericytes, endothelial cells and immune cells. The intricate cellular interactions within the TME hold a central role in shaping the dynamics of cancer progression, influencing pivotal aspects such as tumor initiation, growth, invasion, response to therapeutic interventions, and the emergence of drug resistance. In immunologically 'cold' tumors, the TME is marked by a scarcity of infiltrating immune cells, limited antigen presentation in the absence of potent immune-stimulating signals, and an abundance of immunosuppressive factors. While strategies targeting the TME as a therapeutic avenue in 'cold' tumors have emerged, there is a pressing need for novel approaches that faithfully replicate the complex cellular and non-cellular interactions in order to develop targeted therapies that can effectively stimulate immune responses and improve therapeutic outcomes in patients. Microfluidic devices offer distinct advantages over traditional in vitro 3D co-culture models and in vivo animal models, as they better recapitulate key characteristics of the TME and allow for precise, controlled insights into the dynamic interplay between various immune, stromal and cancerous cell types at any timepoint. This review aims to underscore the pivotal role of microfluidic systems in advancing our understanding of the TME and presents current microfluidic model systems that aim to dissect tumor-stromal, tumor-immune and immune-stromal cellular interactions in various 'cold' tumors. Understanding the intricacies of the TME in 'cold' tumors is crucial for devising effective targeted therapies to reinvigorate immune responses and overcome the challenges of current immunotherapy approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Gaebler
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Stephanie J. Hachey
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Christopher C. W. Hughes
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Stout A, Facey N, Bhatnagar A, Rice K, Berditchevski F, Kearns D, Metcalf A, Elghobashy A, Shaaban AM. Profiling of Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Tumour-Associated Macrophages in Ovarian Epithelial Cancer-Relation to Tumour Characteristics and Impact on Prognosis. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4524. [PMID: 38674108 PMCID: PMC11049869 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084524] [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: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Early evidence suggests a strong impact of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) on both the prognosis and clinical behaviour of ovarian cancer. Proven associations, however, have not yet translated to successful immunotherapies and further work in the field is urgently needed. We aimed to analyse the tumour microenvironment of a well-characterised cohort of ovarian cancer samples. Tumour markers were selected owing to their comparative underrepresentation in the current literature. Paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed tumour tissue blocks of 138 patients representative of the population and including early stage disease were identified, stained for CD3, CD20, CD68 and CD163 and analysed for both the stromal and intertumoral components. Data were statistically analysed in relation to clinical details, histological subtype, borderline vs. malignant status, survival and management received. Mean stromal CD3, total CD3 count, mean stromal CD20 and total CD20 count all correlated negatively with survival. Malignant ovarian tumours consistently demonstrated significantly higher infiltration of all analysed immune cells than borderline tumours. Assessment of the stromal compartment produced a considerably higher proportion of significant results when compared to the intra-tumoural infiltrates. Customary assessment of solely intra-tumoural cells in advanced stage disease patients undergoing primary debulking surgery should be challenged, with recommendations for future scoring systems provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabel Stout
- Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Birmingham Women’s Hospital, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK;
| | - Natalya Facey
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK; (N.F.); (D.K.)
| | - Anjali Bhatnagar
- Department of Cellular Pathology, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton WV10 0QP, UK; (A.B.); (K.R.)
| | - Kirstie Rice
- Department of Cellular Pathology, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton WV10 0QP, UK; (A.B.); (K.R.)
| | - Fedor Berditchevski
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK;
| | - Daniel Kearns
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK; (N.F.); (D.K.)
| | - Amy Metcalf
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Bordesley Green East, Birmingham B9 5SS, UK;
| | - Alaa Elghobashy
- Department of Gynaecological Oncology, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton WV10 0QP, UK;
| | - Abeer M. Shaaban
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK; (N.F.); (D.K.)
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13
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Abdalla M, El-Arabey AA, Gai Z. Multitarget strategy of GATA3 and high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma: Where are we now? Thromb Res 2024; 236:1-3. [PMID: 38368672 DOI: 10.1016/j.thromres.2024.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohnad Abdalla
- Research Institute of Pediatrics Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan Children's Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Amr Ahmed El-Arabey
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11751, Egypt.
| | - Zhongtao Gai
- Research Institute of Pediatrics Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan Children's Hospital, Jinan, China.
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14
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Frezzini S, Lonardi S. Spotlight on New Hallmarks of Drug-Resistance towards Personalized Care for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer. Cells 2024; 13:611. [PMID: 38607050 PMCID: PMC11011744 DOI: 10.3390/cells13070611] [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: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the deadliest gynecological malignancy worldwide. Despite the latest advances, a major clinical issue in EOC is the disappointing prognosis related to chemoresistance in almost one-third of cases. Drug resistance relies on heterogeneous cancer stem cells (CSCs), endowed with tumor-initiating potential, leading to relapse. No biomarkers of chemoresistance have been validated yet. Recently, major signaling pathways, micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs), and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been advocated as putative biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for drug resistance. However, further investigation is mandatory before their routine implementation. In accordance with the increasing rate of therapeutic efforts in EOC, the need for biomarker-driven personalized therapies is growing. This review aims to discuss the emerging hallmarks of drug resistance with an in-depth insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms lacking so far. Finally, a glimpse of novel therapeutic avenues and future challenges will be provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Frezzini
- Unit of Medical Oncology 3, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV—IRCCS, 35128 Padova, Italy;
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15
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Ding B, Ye Z, Yin H, Hong XY, Feng SW, Xu JY, Shen Y. Comprehensive single-cell analysis reveals heterogeneity of fibroblast subpopulations in ovarian cancer tissue microenvironment. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27873. [PMID: 38533040 PMCID: PMC10963331 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Ovarian cancer, as a highly malignant tumor, features the critical involvement of tumor-associated fibroblasts in the ovarian cancer tissue microenvironment. However, due to the apparent heterogeneity within fibroblast subpopulations, the specific functions of these subpopulations in the ovarian cancer tissue microenvironment remain insufficiently elucidated. Methods In this study, we integrated single-cell sequencing data from 32 ovarian cancer samples derived from four distinct cohorts and 3226 bulk RNA-seq data from GEO and TCGA-OV cohorts. Utilizing computational frameworks such as Seurat, Monocle 2, Cellchat, and others, we analyzed the characteristics of the ovarian cancer tissue microenvironment, focusing particularly on fibroblast subpopulations and their differentiation trajectories. Employing the CIBERSORTX computational framework, we assessed various cellular components within the ovarian cancer tissue microenvironment and evaluated their associations with ovarian cancer prognosis. Additionally, we conducted Mendelian randomization analysis based on cis-eQTL to investigate causal relationships between gene expression and ovarian cancer. Results Through integrative analysis, we identified 13 major cell types present in ovarian cancer tissues, including CD8+ T cells, malignant cells, and fibroblasts. Analysis of the tumor microenvironment (TME) cell proportions revealed a significant increase in the proportion of CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells in tumor tissues compared to normal tissues, while fibroblasts predominated in normal tissues. Further subgroup analysis of fibroblasts identified seven subgroups, with the MMP11+Fib subgroup showing the highest activity in the TGFβ signaling pathway. Single-cell analysis suggested that oxidative phosphorylation could be a key pathway driving fibroblast differentiation, and the ATRNL1+KCN + Fib subgroup exhibited chromosomal copy number variations. Prognostic analysis using a large sample size indicated that high infiltration of MMP11+ fibroblasts was associated with poor prognosis in ovarian cancer. SMR analysis identified 132 fibroblast differentiation-related genes, which were linked to pathways such as platinum drug resistance. Conclusions In the context of ovarian cancer, fibroblasts expressing MMP11 emerge as the primary drivers of the TGF-beta signaling pathway. Their presence correlates with an increased risk of adverse ovarian prognoses. Additionally, the genetic regulation governing the differentiation of fibroblasts associated with ovarian cancer correlates with the emergence of drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Ding
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zheng Ye
- Institute of Computational Science and Technology, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong, China
| | - Han Yin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin-Yi Hong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Song-wei Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing-Yun Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yang Shen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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16
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Teng PN, Schaaf JP, Abulez T, Hood BL, Wilson KN, Litzi TJ, Mitchell D, Conrads KA, Hunt AL, Olowu V, Oliver J, Park FS, Edwards M, Chiang A, Wilkerson MD, Raj-Kumar PK, Tarney CM, Darcy KM, Phippen NT, Maxwell GL, Conrads TP, Bateman NW. ProteoMixture: A cell type deconvolution tool for bulk tissue proteomic data. iScience 2024; 27:109198. [PMID: 38439970 PMCID: PMC10910246 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Numerous multi-omic investigations of cancer tissue have documented varying and poor pairwise transcript:protein quantitative correlations, and most deconvolution tools aiming to predict cell type proportions (cell admixture) have been developed and credentialed using transcript-level data alone. To estimate cell admixture using protein abundance data, we analyzed proteome and transcriptome data generated from contrived admixtures of tumor, stroma, and immune cell models or those selectively harvested from the tissue microenvironment by laser microdissection from high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) tumors. Co-quantified transcripts and proteins performed similarly to estimate stroma and immune cell admixture (r ≥ 0.63) in two commonly used deconvolution algorithms, ESTIMATE or ConsensusTME. We further developed and optimized protein-based signatures estimating cell admixture proportions and benchmarked these using bulk tumor proteomic data from over 150 patients with HGSOC. The optimized protein signatures supporting cell type proportion estimates from bulk tissue proteomic data are available at https://lmdomics.org/ProteoMixture/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pang-ning Teng
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Joshua P. Schaaf
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Tamara Abulez
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Brian L. Hood
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Katlin N. Wilson
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Tracy J. Litzi
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - David Mitchell
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Kelly A. Conrads
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Allison L. Hunt
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Women’s Service Line, Inova Health System, Falls Church, VA 22042, USA
| | - Victoria Olowu
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Julie Oliver
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Fred S. Park
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Marshé Edwards
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - AiChun Chiang
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Matthew D. Wilkerson
- Center for Military Precision Health, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | | | - Christopher M. Tarney
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The John P. Murtha Cancer Center, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA
| | - Kathleen M. Darcy
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- The John P. Murtha Cancer Center, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA
| | - Neil T. Phippen
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The John P. Murtha Cancer Center, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA
| | - G. Larry Maxwell
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Women’s Service Line, Inova Health System, Falls Church, VA 22042, USA
- The John P. Murtha Cancer Center, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA
| | - Thomas P. Conrads
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Women’s Service Line, Inova Health System, Falls Church, VA 22042, USA
- The John P. Murtha Cancer Center, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA
| | - Nicholas W. Bateman
- Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence and the Women’s Health Integrated Research Center, Annandale, VA 22003, USA
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
- The John P. Murtha Cancer Center, Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889, USA
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17
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Żak K, Satora M, Skrabalak I, Tarkowski R, Ostrowska-Leśko M, Bobiński M. The Potential Influence of Residual or Recurrent Disease on Bevacizumab Treatment Efficacy in Ovarian Cancer: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1063. [PMID: 38473419 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16051063] [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: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
There were high hopes for the new antiangiogenic medicament, bevacizumab, which could inhibit the creation of new blood vessels through binding to isoform A of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). However, it is not only blood vessels that are responsible for tumor cell spread. During the process of tumor growth, lymphangiogenesis is mediated by other members of the VEGF family, specifically VEGF-C and VEGF-D, which act independent to bevacizumab. Therefore, based on the mechanism of bevacizumab action and the processes of angio- and lymphangiogenesis, we formed three hypotheses: (1) if the lymph nodes in primary ovarian cancers are metastatic, the outcome of bevacizumab treatment is worsened; (2) concerning the second-line treatment, bevacizumab will act in a weakened manner if recurrence occurs in lymph nodes as opposed to a local recurrence; (3) patients treated by bevacizumab are more likely to have recurrences in lymph nodes. These hypotheses raise the issue of the existing knowledge gap, which concerns the effect of bevacizumab on metastatic lymph nodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia Żak
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Satora
- I Chair and Department of Oncological Gynaecology and Gynaecology, Student Scientific Association, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland
| | - Ilona Skrabalak
- I Chair and Department of Oncological Gynaecology and Gynaecology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland
| | - Rafał Tarkowski
- I Chair and Department of Oncological Gynaecology and Gynaecology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland
| | - Marta Ostrowska-Leśko
- Chair and Department of Toxicology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland
| | - Marcin Bobiński
- I Chair and Department of Oncological Gynaecology and Gynaecology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland
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18
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Pampeno C, Opp S, Hurtado A, Meruelo D. Sindbis Virus Vaccine Platform: A Promising Oncolytic Virus-Mediated Approach for Ovarian Cancer Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2925. [PMID: 38474178 PMCID: PMC10932354 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052925] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
This review article provides a comprehensive overview of a novel Sindbis virus vaccine platform as potential immunotherapy for ovarian cancer patients. Ovarian cancer is the most lethal of all gynecological malignancies. The majority of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients are diagnosed with advanced disease. Current treatment options are very aggressive and limited, resulting in tumor recurrences and 50-60% patient mortality within 5 years. The unique properties of armed oncolytic Sindbis virus vectors (SV) in vivo have garnered significant interest in recent years to potently target and treat ovarian cancer. We discuss the molecular biology of Sindbis virus, its mechanisms of action against ovarian cancer cells, preclinical in vivo studies, and future perspectives. The potential of Sindbis virus-based therapies for ovarian cancer treatment holds great promise and warrants further investigation. Investigations using other oncolytic viruses in preclinical studies and clinical trials are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Pampeno
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | - Alicia Hurtado
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Daniel Meruelo
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
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19
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Wang G, Fu J, Liu M, Zheng Q. CXC chemokines: Potential biomarker and immunotherapeutic target for uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0277872. [PMID: 38232115 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) is one of the most common type of gynecological malignancies. Multiple lines of evidence indicated that CXC chemokines exerted an anti-tumor immunological role in the tumor microenvironment which were critical regulators of cancer immunity. However, the relevance of CXC chemokines in the evaluation of prognosis and immune infiltration of UCEC remains to be explored. This study utilized various online databases, including TCGA, UALCAN, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, cBioPortal, TIMER2.0, TISIDB, and MethSurv to perform the analysis. Gene expression data from the TCGA-UCEC dataset indicated decreased expression of CXCL2/12 and increased expression of CXCL14/17. CXCL2/12 expression was negatively whereas CXCL14/17 expression was positively correlated with clinicopathological features of UCEC patients, including cancer stage, patients' age, weight and menopause status. Patients with higher CXCL12/14 expression corresponded with better clinical outcomes, which were not influenced by the genetic alterations. The differential expression of CXCL2/12/14/17 was not only significantly correlated with immune infiltration levels, but also the abundance of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Heatmaps of DNA methylation of CXCL2/12/14/17 were investigated, and 4 CpGs of CXCL2, 16 CpGs of CXCL12, 3 CpGs of CXCL14/17 were identified where altered methylation affected the prognosis of UCEC patients. These findings provided novel insights into the immunologic features of UCEC and might pave the way toward the prognostic evaluation and immunotherapy selection based on CXCL2/12/14/17 expression status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Wang
- Department of Dalian Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Mother-child Genetic, Reproductive & Genetic Medicine Center, Dalian Women and Children's Medical Group, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Juan Fu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Mulin Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Qin Zheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
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20
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Ostrowska-Lesko M, Rajtak A, Moreno-Bueno G, Bobinski M. Scientific and clinical relevance of non-cellular tumor microenvironment components in ovarian cancer chemotherapy resistance. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189036. [PMID: 38042260 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.189036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) components play a crucial role in cancer cells' resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. This phenomenon is exceptionally fundamental in patients with ovarian cancer (OvCa), whose outcome depends mainly on their response to chemotherapy. Until now, most reports have focused on the role of cellular components of the TME, while less attention has been paid to the stroma and other non-cellular elements of the TME, which may play an essential role in the therapy resistance. Inhibiting these components could help define new therapeutic targets and potentially restore chemosensitivity. The aim of the present article is both to summarize the knowledge about non-cellular components of the TME in the development of OvCa chemoresistance and to suggest targeting of non-cellular elements of the TME as a valuable strategy to overcome chemoresistance and to develop new therapeutic strategies in OvCA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Ostrowska-Lesko
- Chair and Department of Toxicology, Medical University of Lublin, 8b Jaczewskiego Street, 20-090 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Alicja Rajtak
- 1st Chair and Department of Oncological Gynecology and Gynecology, Medical University of Lublin, Poland
| | - Gema Moreno-Bueno
- Biochemistry Department, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas 'Sols-Morreale' (IIBm-CISC), Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Fundación MD Anderson Internacional (FMDA), Spain.
| | - Marcin Bobinski
- 1st Chair and Department of Oncological Gynecology and Gynecology, Medical University of Lublin, Poland.
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21
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Ulevicius J, Jasukaitiene A, Bartkeviciene A, Dambrauskas Z, Gulbinas A, Urboniene D, Paskauskas S. Dysregulation of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Immune-Related Proteins during the Early Post-Operative Immune Response in Ovarian Cancer Patients. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 16:190. [PMID: 38201617 PMCID: PMC10778568 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Surgical treatment is a cornerstone of ovarian cancer (OC) therapy and exerts a substantial influence on the immune system. Immune responses also play a pivotal and intricate role in OC progression. The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of immune-related protein expression and the activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in OC patients, both before surgery and during the early postoperative phase. The study cohort comprised 23 OC patients and 20 non-cancer controls. A comprehensive analysis of PBMCs revealed significant pre-operative downregulation in the mRNA expression of multiple immune-related proteins, including interleukins, PD-1, PD-L1, and HO-1. This was followed by further dysregulation during the first 5 post-operative days. Although most serum interleukin concentrations showed only minor changes, a distinct increase in IL-6 and HO-1 levels was observed post-operatively. Reduced metabolic and phagocytic activity and increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were observed on day 1 post-surgery. These findings suggest a shift towards immune tolerance during the early post-operative phase of OC, potentially creating a window for treatment. Further research into post-operative PBMC activity could lead to the development of new or improved treatment strategies for OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Ulevicius
- Laboratory of Surgical Gastroenterology, Institute for Digestive Research, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickeviciaus g. 9, LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania; (A.J.); (A.B.); (Z.D.); (A.G.)
| | - Aldona Jasukaitiene
- Laboratory of Surgical Gastroenterology, Institute for Digestive Research, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickeviciaus g. 9, LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania; (A.J.); (A.B.); (Z.D.); (A.G.)
| | - Arenida Bartkeviciene
- Laboratory of Surgical Gastroenterology, Institute for Digestive Research, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickeviciaus g. 9, LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania; (A.J.); (A.B.); (Z.D.); (A.G.)
| | - Zilvinas Dambrauskas
- Laboratory of Surgical Gastroenterology, Institute for Digestive Research, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickeviciaus g. 9, LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania; (A.J.); (A.B.); (Z.D.); (A.G.)
| | - Antanas Gulbinas
- Laboratory of Surgical Gastroenterology, Institute for Digestive Research, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickeviciaus g. 9, LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania; (A.J.); (A.B.); (Z.D.); (A.G.)
| | - Daiva Urboniene
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickeviciaus g. 9, LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania;
| | - Saulius Paskauskas
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickeviciaus g. 9, LT-44307 Kaunas, Lithuania;
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22
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Blanc-Durand F, Clemence Wei Xian L, Tan DSP. Targeting the immune microenvironment for ovarian cancer therapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1328651. [PMID: 38164130 PMCID: PMC10757966 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1328651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) is an aggressive malignancy characterized by a complex immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Immune checkpoint inhibitors have emerged as a breakthrough in cancer therapy by reactivating the antitumor immune response suppressed by tumor cells. However, in the case of OC, these inhibitors have failed to demonstrate significant improvements in patient outcomes, and existing biomarkers have not yet identified promising subgroups. Consequently, there remains a pressing need to understand the interplay between OC tumor cells and their surrounding microenvironment to develop effective immunotherapeutic approaches. This review aims to provide an overview of the OC TME and explore its potential as a therapeutic strategy. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are major actors in OC TME. Evidence has been accumulating regarding the spontaneous TILS response against OC antigens. Activated T-helpers secrete a wide range of inflammatory cytokines with a supportive action on cytotoxic T-cells. Simultaneously, mature B-cells are recruited and play a significant antitumor role through opsonization of target antigens and T-cell recruitment. Macrophages also form an important subset of innate immunity (M1-macrophages) while participating in the immune-stimulation context. Finally, OC has shown to engage a significant natural-killer-cells immune response, exerting direct cytotoxicity without prior sensitization. Despite this initial cytotoxicity, OC cells develop various strategies to induce an immune-tolerant state. To this end, multiple immunosuppressive molecules are secreted to impair cytotoxic cells, recruit regulatory cells, alter antigen presentation, and effectively evade immune response. Consequently, OC TME is predominantly infiltrated by immunosuppressive cells such as FOXP3+ regulatory T-cells, M2-polarized macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Despite this strong immunosuppressive state, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have failed to improve outcomes. Beyond PD-1/PD-L1, OC expresses multiple other immune checkpoints that contribute to immune evasion, and each representing potential immune targets. Novel immunotherapies are attempting to overcome the immunosuppressive state and induce specific immune responses using antibodies adoptive cell therapy or vaccines. Overall, the OC TME presents both opportunities and obstacles. Immunotherapeutic approaches continue to show promise, and next-generation inhibitors offer exciting opportunities. However, tailoring therapies to individual immune characteristics will be critical for the success of these treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Blanc-Durand
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS), National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Cancer Science Institute (CSI), National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lai Clemence Wei Xian
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS), National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Cancer Science Institute (CSI), National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, Singapore
| | - David S. P. Tan
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS), National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR) and Cancer Science Institute (CSI), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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23
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Yang Z, Zhou D, Huang J. Identifying Explainable Machine Learning Models and a Novel SFRP2 + Fibroblast Signature as Predictors for Precision Medicine in Ovarian Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16942. [PMID: 38069266 PMCID: PMC10706905 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316942] [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: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) is a type of malignant tumor with a consistently high mortality rate. The diagnosis of early-stage OC and identification of functional subsets in the tumor microenvironment are essential to the development of patient management strategies. However, the development of robust models remains unsatisfactory. We aimed to utilize artificial intelligence and single-cell analysis to address this issue. Two independent datasets were screened from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and processed to obtain overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in stage II-IV vs. stage I diseases. Three explainable machine learning algorithms were integrated to construct models that could determine the tumor stage and extract important characteristic genes as diagnostic biomarkers. Correlations between cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) infiltration and characteristic gene expression were analyzed using TIMER2.0 and their relationship with survival rates was comprehensively explored via the Kaplan-Meier plotter (KM-plotter) online database. The specific expression of characteristic genes in fibroblast subsets was investigated through single-cell analysis. A novel fibroblast subset signature was explored to predict immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) response and oncogene mutation through Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) and artificial neural network algorithms, respectively. We found that Support Vector Machine-Shapley Additive Explanations (SVM-SHAP), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Random Forest (RF) successfully diagnosed early-stage OC (stage I). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of these models exceeded 0.990. Their overlapping characteristic gene, secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2), was a risk factor that affected the overall survival of OC patients with stage II-IV disease (log-rank test: p < 0.01) and was specifically expressed in a fibroblast subset. Finally, the SFRP2+ fibroblast signature served as a novel predictor in evaluating ICI response and exploring pan-cancer tumor protein P53 (TP53) mutation (AUC = 0.853, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.829-0.877). In conclusion, the models based on SVM-SHAP, XGBoost, and RF enabled the early detection of OC for clinical decision making, and SFRP2+ fibroblast signature used in diagnostic models can inform OC treatment selection and offer pan-cancer TP53 mutation detection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jun Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
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24
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Zheng H, Guan X, Meng X, Tong Y, Wang Y, Xie S, Guo L, Lu R. IFN-γ in ovarian tumor microenvironment upregulates HLA-E expression and predicts a poor prognosis. J Ovarian Res 2023; 16:229. [PMID: 38007483 PMCID: PMC10675946 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-023-01286-z] [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: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inflammation and immunity are two main characteristics of tumor microenvironment (TME). Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is generally considered as a pro-inflammatory cytokine which mediates anti-tumor immune response. Recently, IFN-γ was also reported to play a protumorigenic role. However, the mechanisms of tumor-promoting effect induced by IFN-γ remain unclear. METHODS The expression of leukocyte antigen-E (HLA-E), IFN-γ, CD3 and CD56 in clinical samples of ovarian cancer was detected by mutiplexed immunohistochemistry. The mechanism to induce HLA-E overexpression by IFN-γ was explored using human ovarian cancer cell lines through western blot and flow cytometry. We further clarify the role of overexpressed-HLA-E on natural killer (NK)-mediated cell lysis. RESULTS We found that IFN-γ could upregulate HLA-E protein expression through activating of JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway, and increase cell surface HLA-E level through enhancing proteasome activity. We also observed that only high levels of membrane HLA-E expression contributed to the inhibition of NK-mediated cytotoxicity. We showed that progression-free survival (PFS) of ovarian cancer patients was negatively correlated with IFN-γ expression in their tumor tissues, due to more tumor infiltrating NK cells compared with T lymphocytes. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed the protumorigenic role of IFN-γ by upregulation of HLA-E expression and rendering tumors less susceptible to immune attack. We also provided a novel insight into the relationship between tumor microenvironment and immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xiaolin Guan
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xin Meng
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ying Tong
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yanchun Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Suhong Xie
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lin Guo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Renquan Lu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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25
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Bachmann C. New Achievements from Molecular Biology and Treatment Options for Refractory/Relapsed Ovarian Cancer-A Systematic Review. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5356. [PMID: 38001616 PMCID: PMC10669965 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15225356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) has a high rate of mortality and is the fifth most common cause of death in females all over the world. The etiology is still unclear. Numerous factors such as smoking, obesity, and unhealthy diet may affect the risk of OC. Having a family history of breast and OC is one of the main risks for developing OC. Mutations of BRCA1/2 are associated with OC risk as well. The histopathological classification of OC reveals the four most common types: serous, clear cell, endometrioid, and mucinous; these are epithelial OC types, and other types are rare. Furthermore, OC can be subdivided into types I and II. Type I tumors are most probably caused by atypical proliferative tumors. Type II tumors include high-grade carcinoma of the serous type, carcinosarcoma, and carcinoma, which are not differentiated and generally originate from tubal intraepithelial carcinoma of the serous type. Typically, type I tumors are present in early stages, usually with good prognosis. Type II tumors are classified as high-grade tumors and are most often diagnosed at advanced FIGO stages with poor prognosis. High-grade serous OC accounts for 90% of serous OC. Tumor heterogeneity aggravates OC treatment. The standard care for primary epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is cytoreductive surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can be used in certain cases followed by cytoreductive surgery. The main prognostic factor is complete tumor resection. However, about 70% of patients relapse. Resistance to chemotherapeutic agents remains a major challenge in EOC treatment, in which many different factors are involved. In recent years, the examination of molecular parameters and their prognostic impact has become increasingly relevant in EOC, and furthermore, the use of immunotherapy has expanded the therapeutic range. As the clinical need is greatest for relapsed patients, this systematic review will focus on recent advances in molecular biology with prognostic and predictive markers and treatment options for recurrent/refractory OC. Inclusion criteria for the review: potential prospective or predictive biomarkers in preclinical or clinical use in relapsed and refractory OC, prognostic impact, clinical and preclinical trials, and immunotherapy. Exclusion criteria for the review: primary OC, no full text or abstract available, not the topic mentioned above, and text not available in English. Risk of bias: the included studies were evaluated descriptively for the topics mentioned above, and data were not compared with each other. The objective is to highlight the molecular mechanisms of the most promising targeted agents under clinical investigation to demonstrate their potential relevance in recurrent/refractory OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Bachmann
- Department of Womens' Health, University Tübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
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26
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Mairinger E, Wessolly M, Buderath P, Borchert S, Henrich L, Mach P, Steinborn J, Kimming R, Jasani B, Schmid KW, Bankfalvi A, Mairinger FD. Tumor cell cytoplasmic metallothionein expression associates with differential tumor immunogenicity and prognostic outcome in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1252700. [PMID: 38023247 PMCID: PMC10663300 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1252700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The underlying mechanism of high T-cell presence as a favorable prognostic factor in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is not yet understood. In addition to immune cells, various cofactors are essential for immune processes. One of those are metallothioneins (MTs), metal-binding proteins comprising various isoforms. MTs play a role in tumor development and drug resistance. Moreover, MTs influence inflammatory processes by regulating zinc homeostasis. In particular, T-cell function and polarization are particularly susceptible to changes in zinc status. The aim of the present study was to investigate a possible role of MT-mediated immune response and its association with prognostic outcome in ovarian cancer. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on a clinically well-characterized cohort of 24 patients with HGSOC treated at the University Hospital of Essen. Gene expression patterns for anti-cancer immunogenicity-related targets were performed using the NanoString nCounter platform for digital gene expression analysis with the appurtenant PanCancer Immune Profiling panel, consisting of 770 targets and 30 reference genes. Tumor-associated immunohistochemical MT protein expression was evaluated using a semi-quantitative four-tier Immunohistochemistry (IHC) scoring. Results MT immunoexpression was detected in 43% (10/23) of all HGSOC samples. MT immunoexpression levels showed a significant association to survival, leading to prolonged progression-free and overall survival in positively stained tumors. Furthermore, T-cell receptor signaling gene signature showed a strong activation in MT-positive tumors. Activated downstream signaling cascades resulting in elevated interferon-gamma expression with a shift in the balance between T helper cells (TH1 and TH2) could be observed in the MT-positive subgroup. In addition, a higher expression pattern of perforin and several granzymes could be detected, overall suggestive of acute, targeted anti-cancer immune response in MT-positive samples. Conclusion This is the first study combining broad, digital mRNA screening of anti-tumor immune response-associated genes and their relation to MT-I/II in ovarian cancer. MT overexpression is associated with molecular characteristics of an anti-cancer immune response and is a strong prognostic marker in ovarian HGSOC. The observed immune cell activation associated with tumor MT expression comprises but is not limited to T cells and natural killer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Mairinger
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Michael Wessolly
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Paul Buderath
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Sabrina Borchert
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Larissa Henrich
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Pawel Mach
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Julia Steinborn
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Rainer Kimming
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Bharat Jasani
- Department of Pathology, Targos - A Discovery Life Sciences Company, Kassel, Germany
| | | | - Agnes Bankfalvi
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
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27
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Szymanowski W, Szymanowska A, Bielawska A, Lopez-Berestein G, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Amero P. Aptamers as Potential Therapeutic Tools for Ovarian Cancer: Advancements and Challenges. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5300. [PMID: 37958473 PMCID: PMC10647731 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15215300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most common lethal gynecologic cause of death in women worldwide, with a high mortality rate and increasing incidence. Despite advancements in the treatment, most OC patients still die from their disease due to late-stage diagnosis, the lack of effective diagnostic methods, and relapses. Aptamers, synthetic, short single-stranded oligonucleotides, have emerged as promising anticancer therapeutics. Their ability to selectively bind to target molecules, including cancer-related proteins and receptors, has revolutionized drug discovery and biomarker identification. Aptamers offer unique insights into the molecular pathways involved in cancer development and progression. Moreover, they show immense potential as drug delivery systems, enabling targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to cancer cells while minimizing off-target effects and reducing systemic toxicity. In the context of OC, the integration of aptamers with non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) presents an opportunity for precise and efficient gene targeting. Additionally, the conjugation of aptamers with nanoparticles allows for accurate and targeted delivery of ncRNAs to specific cells, tissues, or organs. In this review, we will summarize the potential use and challenges associated with the use of aptamers alone or aptamer-ncRNA conjugates, nanoparticles, and multivalent aptamer-based therapeutics for the treatment of OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Szymanowski
- Department of Biotechnology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-222 Bialystok, Poland; (W.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Anna Szymanowska
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.S.); (G.L.-B.); (C.R.-A.)
| | - Anna Bielawska
- Department of Biotechnology, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-222 Bialystok, Poland; (W.S.); (A.B.)
| | - Gabriel Lopez-Berestein
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.S.); (G.L.-B.); (C.R.-A.)
- Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cristian Rodriguez-Aguayo
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.S.); (G.L.-B.); (C.R.-A.)
- Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Paola Amero
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.S.); (G.L.-B.); (C.R.-A.)
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28
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Schab AM, Greenwade MM, Stock E, Lomonosova E, Cho K, Grither WR, Noia H, Wilke D, Mullen MM, Hagemann AR, Hagemann IS, Thaker PH, Kuroki LM, McCourt CK, Khabele D, Powell MA, Mutch DG, Zhao P, Shriver LP, Patti GJ, Longmore GD, Fuh KC. Stromal DDR2 Promotes Ovarian Cancer Metastasis through Regulation of Metabolism and Secretion of Extracellular Matrix Proteins. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:1234-1248. [PMID: 37527178 PMCID: PMC10832402 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-23-0347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of gynecologic cancer-related deaths. The propensity for metastasis within the peritoneal cavity is a driving factor for the poor outcomes associated with this disease, but there is currently no effective therapy targeting metastasis. In this study, we investigate the contribution of stromal cells to ovarian cancer metastasis and identify normal stromal cell expression of the collagen receptor, discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2), that acts to facilitate ovarian cancer metastasis. In vivo, global genetic inactivation of Ddr2 impairs the ability of Ddr2-expressing syngeneic ovarian cancer cells to spread throughout the peritoneal cavity. Specifically, DDR2 expression in mesothelial cells lining the peritoneal cavity facilitates tumor cell attachment and clearance. Subsequently, omentum fibroblast expression of DDR2 promotes tumor cell invasion. Mechanistically, we find DDR2-expressing fibroblasts are more energetically active, such that DDR2 regulates glycolysis through AKT/SNAI1 leading to suppressed fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and increased hexokinase activity, a key glycolytic enzyme. Upon inhibition of DDR2, we find decreased protein synthesis and secretion. Consequently, when DDR2 is inhibited, there is reduction in secreted extracellular matrix proteins important for metastasis. Specifically, we find that fibroblast DDR2 inhibition leads to decreased secretion of the collagen crosslinker, LOXL2. Adding back LOXL2 to DDR2 deficient fibroblasts rescues the ability of tumor cells to invade. Overall, our results suggest that stromal cell expression of DDR2 is an important mediator of ovarian cancer metastasis. IMPLICATIONS DDR2 is highly expressed by stromal cells in ovarian cancer that can mediate metastasis and is a potential therapeutic target in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela M. Schab
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Molly M. Greenwade
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Elizabeth Stock
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Elena Lomonosova
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kevin Cho
- Center for Metabolomics and Isotope Tracing, Department of Chemistry, Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Whitney R. Grither
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Barnes Jewish Hospital, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Hollie Noia
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Daniel Wilke
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Mary M. Mullen
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Andrea R. Hagemann
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ian S. Hagemann
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Premal H. Thaker
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Lindsay M. Kuroki
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Carolyn K. McCourt
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Dineo Khabele
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Matthew A. Powell
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - David G. Mutch
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Peinan Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Barnes Jewish Hospital, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Leah P. Shriver
- Center for Metabolomics and Isotope Tracing, Department of Chemistry, Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Gary J. Patti
- Center for Metabolomics and Isotope Tracing, Department of Chemistry, Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Gregory D. Longmore
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine Washington University, St. Louis. MO 63110, USA
- ICCE Institute, Washington University, St. Louis MO 63110, USA
| | - Katherine C. Fuh
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
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29
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Liang T, Tao T, Wu K, Liu L, Xu W, Zhou D, Fang H, Ding Q, Huang G, Wu S. Cancer-Associated Fibroblast-Induced Remodeling of Tumor Microenvironment in Recurrent Bladder Cancer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2303230. [PMID: 37743226 PMCID: PMC10625065 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202303230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Bladder carcinoma (BC) recurrence is a major clinical challenge, and targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a promising therapy. However, the relationship between individual TME components, particularly cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and tumor recurrence is unclear. Here, TME heterogeneity in primary and recurrent BC is investigated using single-cell RNA sequence profiling of 62 460 cells. Two cancer stem cell (CSC) subtypes are identified in recurrent BC. An inflammatory CAF subtype, ICAM1+ iCAFs, specifically associated with BC recurrence is also identified. iCAFs are found to secrete FGF2, which acts on the CD44 receptor of rCSC-M, thereby maintaining tumor stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Additionally, THBS1+ monocytes, a group of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), are enriched in recurrent BC and interacted with CAFs. ICAM1+ iCAFs are found to secrete CCL2, which binds to CCR2 in MDSCs. Moreover, elevated STAT3, NFKB2, VEGFA, and CTGF levels in iCAFs reshape the TME in recurrent tumors. CCL2 inhibition in an in situ BC mouse model suppressed tumor growth, decreased MDSCs and Tregs, and fostered tumor immune suppression. The study results highlight the role of iCAFs in TME cell-cell crosstalk during recurrent BC. The identification of pivotal signaling factors driving BC relapse is promising for the development of novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Liang
- Institute of UrologyThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen518116China
- Shenzhen Following Precision Medical Research InstituteLuohu Hospital GroupShenzhen518000China
| | - Tao Tao
- Institute of UrologyThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen518116China
- Shenzhen Following Precision Medical Research InstituteLuohu Hospital GroupShenzhen518000China
| | - Kai Wu
- Institute of UrologyThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen518116China
- Shenzhen Following Precision Medical Research InstituteLuohu Hospital GroupShenzhen518000China
| | - Lisha Liu
- Institute of UrologyThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen518116China
- Shenzhen Following Precision Medical Research InstituteLuohu Hospital GroupShenzhen518000China
| | - Wuwu Xu
- Institute of UrologyThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen518116China
- Shenzhen Following Precision Medical Research InstituteLuohu Hospital GroupShenzhen518000China
| | - Dewang Zhou
- Institute of UrologyThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen518116China
- Shenzhen Following Precision Medical Research InstituteLuohu Hospital GroupShenzhen518000China
| | - Hu Fang
- Department of UrologySouth China Hospital of Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen518000China
| | - Qiuxia Ding
- Institute of UrologyThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen518116China
- Shenzhen Following Precision Medical Research InstituteLuohu Hospital GroupShenzhen518000China
| | - Guixiao Huang
- Institute of UrologyThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen518116China
| | - Song Wu
- Institute of UrologyThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen518116China
- Shenzhen Following Precision Medical Research InstituteLuohu Hospital GroupShenzhen518000China
- Department of UrologySouth China Hospital of Shenzhen UniversityShenzhen518000China
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Thomsen LCV, Kleinmanns K, Anandan S, Gullaksen SE, Abdelaal T, Iversen GA, Akslen LA, McCormack E, Bjørge L. Combining Mass Cytometry Data by CyTOFmerge Reveals Additional Cell Phenotypes in the Heterogeneous Ovarian Cancer Tumor Microenvironment: A Pilot Study. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5106. [PMID: 37894472 PMCID: PMC10605295 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15205106] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The prognosis of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is poor, and treatment selection is challenging. A heterogeneous tumor microenvironment (TME) characterizes HGSOC and influences tumor growth, progression, and therapy response. Better characterization with multidimensional approaches for simultaneous identification and categorization of the various cell populations is needed to map the TME complexity. While mass cytometry allows the simultaneous detection of around 40 proteins, the CyTOFmerge MATLAB algorithm integrates data sets and extends the phenotyping. This pilot study explored the potential of combining two datasets for improved TME phenotyping by profiling single-cell suspensions from ten chemo-naïve HGSOC tumors by mass cytometry. A 35-marker pan-tumor dataset and a 34-marker pan-immune dataset were analyzed separately and combined with the CyTOFmerge, merging 18 shared markers. While the merged analysis confirmed heterogeneity across patients, it also identified a main tumor cell subset, additionally to the nine identified by the pan-tumor panel. Furthermore, the expression of traditional immune cell markers on tumor and stromal cells was revealed, as were marker combinations that have rarely been examined on individual cells. This study demonstrates the potential of merging mass cytometry data to generate new hypotheses on tumor biology and predictive biomarker research in HGSOC that could improve treatment effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liv Cecilie Vestrheim Thomsen
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 5015 Bergen, Norway
| | - Katrin Kleinmanns
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
| | - Shamundeeswari Anandan
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway
| | - Stein-Erik Gullaksen
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
| | - Tamim Abdelaal
- Delft Bioinformatics Laboratory, Delft University of Technology, 2628XE Delft, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Grete Alrek Iversen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway
| | - Lars Andreas Akslen
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway
| | - Emmet McCormack
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
- Centre for Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
| | - Line Bjørge
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, 5021 Bergen, Norway
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Li YR, Ochoa CJ, Zhu Y, Kramer A, Wilson M, Fang Y, Chen Y, Singh T, Di Bernardo G, Zhu E, Lee D, Moatamed NA, Bando J, Zhou JJ, Memarzadeh S, Yang L. Profiling ovarian cancer tumor and microenvironment during disease progression for cell-based immunotherapy design. iScience 2023; 26:107952. [PMID: 37810241 PMCID: PMC10558812 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) is highly lethal due to late detection and frequent recurrence. Initial treatments, comprising surgery and chemotherapy, lead to disease remission but are invariably associated with subsequent relapse. The identification of novel therapies and an improved understanding of the molecular and cellular characteristics of OC are urgently needed. Here, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of primary tumor cells and their microenvironment from 16 chemonaive and 10 recurrent OC patient samples. Profiling OC tumor biomarkers allowed for the identification of potential molecular targets for developing immunotherapies, while profiling the microenvironment yielded insights into its cellular composition and property changes between chemonaive and recurrent samples. Notably, we identified CD1d as a biomarker of the OC microenvironment and demonstrated its targeting by invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. Overall, our study presents a comprehensive immuno-profiling of OC tumor and microenvironment during disease progression, guiding the development of immunotherapies for OC treatment, especially for recurrent disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ruide Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Christopher J Ochoa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yichen Zhu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Adam Kramer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Matthew Wilson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ying Fang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yuning Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Tanya Singh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Gabriella Di Bernardo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Enbo Zhu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Derek Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Neda A Moatamed
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Joanne Bando
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jin J Zhou
- Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Sanaz Memarzadeh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- The VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA
| | - Lili Yang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Ji HZ, Chen L, Ren M, Li S, Liu TY, Chen HJ, Yu HH, Sun Y. CXCL8 Promotes Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition of Endothelial Cells and Protects Cells from Erastin-Induced Ferroptosis via CXCR2-Mediated Activation of the NF-κB Signaling Pathway. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1210. [PMID: 37765018 PMCID: PMC10536478 DOI: 10.3390/ph16091210] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
CXCL8-CXCR1/CXCR2 signaling pathways might form complex crosstalk among different cell types within the ovarian tumor microenvironment, thereby modulating the behaviors of different cells. This study aimed to investigate the expression pattern of CXCL8 in the ovarian tumor microenvironment and its impact on both endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) and ferroptosis of endothelial cells. The human monocytic cell line THP-1 and the human umbilical vein endothelial cell line PUMC-HUVEC-T1 were used to conduct in vitro studies. Erastin was used to induce ferroptosis. Results showed that tumor-associated macrophages are the major source of CXCL8 in the tumor microenvironment. CXCL8 treatment promoted the nucleus entrance of NF-κB p65 and p65 phosphorylation via CXCR2 in endothelial cells, suggesting activated NF-κB signaling. Via the NF-κB signaling pathway, CXCL8 enhanced TGF-β1-induced EndMT of PUMC-HUVEC-T1 cells and elevated their expression of SLC7A11 and GPX4. These trends were drastically weakened in groups with CXCR2 knockdown or SB225002 treatment. TPCA-1 reversed CXCL8-induced upregulation of SLC7A11 and GPX4. CXCL8 protected endothelial cells from erastin-induced ferroptosis. However, these protective effects were largely canceled when CXCR2 was knocked down. In summary, CXCL8 can activate the NF-κB signaling pathway in endothelial cells in a CXCR2-dependent manner. The CXCL8-CXCR2/NF-κB axis can enhance EndMT and activate SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression, protecting endothelial cells from ferroptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-zhou Ji
- Department of Gynecology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, China; (H.-z.J.); (L.C.); (S.L.); (T.-y.L.); (H.-j.C.); (H.-h.Y.)
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Gynecology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, China; (H.-z.J.); (L.C.); (S.L.); (T.-y.L.); (H.-j.C.); (H.-h.Y.)
| | - Mi Ren
- Department of Oncological Nursing, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, China;
| | - Sang Li
- Department of Gynecology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, China; (H.-z.J.); (L.C.); (S.L.); (T.-y.L.); (H.-j.C.); (H.-h.Y.)
| | - Tong-yu Liu
- Department of Gynecology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, China; (H.-z.J.); (L.C.); (S.L.); (T.-y.L.); (H.-j.C.); (H.-h.Y.)
| | - Hong-ju Chen
- Department of Gynecology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, China; (H.-z.J.); (L.C.); (S.L.); (T.-y.L.); (H.-j.C.); (H.-h.Y.)
| | - Hui-hui Yu
- Department of Gynecology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, China; (H.-z.J.); (L.C.); (S.L.); (T.-y.L.); (H.-j.C.); (H.-h.Y.)
| | - Yang Sun
- Department of Gynecology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, China; (H.-z.J.); (L.C.); (S.L.); (T.-y.L.); (H.-j.C.); (H.-h.Y.)
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Xi Y, Zhang Y, Zheng K, Zou J, Gui L, Zou X, Chen L, Hao J, Zhang Y. A chemotherapy response prediction model derived from tumor-promoting B and Tregs and proinflammatory macrophages in HGSOC. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1171582. [PMID: 37519793 PMCID: PMC10382026 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1171582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Most patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) experienced disease recurrence with cumulative chemoresistance, leading to treatment failure. However, few biomarkers are currently available in clinical practice that can accurately predict chemotherapy response. The tumor immune microenvironment is critical for cancer development, and its transcriptomic profile may be associated with treatment response and differential outcomes. The aim of this study was to develop a new predictive signature for chemotherapy in patients with HGSOC. Methods Two HGSOC single-cell RNA sequencing datasets from patients receiving chemotherapy were reinvestigated. The subtypes of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related XBP1+ B cells, invasive metastasis-related ACTB+ Tregs, and proinflammatory-related macrophage subtypes with good predictive power and associated with chemotherapy response were identified. These results were verified in an independent HGSOC bulk RNA-seq dataset for chemotherapy. Further validation in clinical cohorts used quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Results By combining cluster-specific genes for the aforementioned cell subtypes, we constructed a chemotherapy response prediction model containing 43 signature genes that achieved an area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) of 0.97 (p = 2.1e-07) for the GSE156699 cohort (88 samples). A huge improvement was achieved compared to existing prediction models with a maximum AUC of 0.74. In addition, its predictive capability was validated in multiple independent bulk RNA-seq datasets. The qRT-PCR results demonstrate that the expression of the six genes has the highest diagnostic value, consistent with the trend observed in the analysis of public data. Conclusions The developed chemotherapy response prediction model can be used as a valuable clinical decision tool to guide chemotherapy in HGSOC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Xi
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yingchun Zhang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Kun Zheng
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiawei Zou
- Institute of Clinical Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lv Gui
- Department of Pathology, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Zou
- Jinshan Hospital Center for Tumor Diagnosis & Therapy, Jinshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Jie Hao
- Institute of Clinical Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiming Zhang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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Bhat BA, Saifi I, Khamjan NA, Hamdani SS, Algaissi A, Rashid S, Alshehri MM, Ganie SA, Lohani M, Abdelwahab SI, Dar SA. Exploring the tumor immune microenvironment in ovarian cancer: a way-out to the therapeutic roadmap. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2023; 27:841-860. [PMID: 37712621 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2023.2259096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite cancer treatment strides, mortality due to ovarian cancer remains high globally. While immunotherapy has proven effective in treating cancers with low cure rates, it has limitations. Growing evidence suggests that both tumoral and non-tumoral components of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) play a significant role in cancer growth. Therefore, developing novel and focused therapy for ovarian cancer is critical. Studies indicate that TIME is involved in developing ovarian cancer, particularly genome-, transcriptome-, and proteome-wide studies. As a result, TIME may present a prospective therapeutic target for ovarian cancer patients. AREAS COVERED We examined several TIME-targeting medicines and the connection between TIME and ovarian cancer. The key protagonists and events in the TIME and therapeutic strategies that explicitly target these events in ovarian cancer are discussed. EXPERT OPINION We highlighted various targeted therapies against TIME in ovarian cancer, including anti-angiogenesis therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. While these therapies are in their infancy, they have shown promise in controlling ovarian cancer progression. The use of 'omics' technology is helping in better understanding of TIME in ovarian cancer and potentially identifying new therapeutic targets. TIME-targeted strategies could account for an additional treatment strategy when treating ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basharat Ahmad Bhat
- Department of Bioresources, Amar Singh College Campus, Cluster University, Srinagar, India
| | - Ifra Saifi
- Department of Botany, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut India
| | - Nizar A Khamjan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Syed Suhail Hamdani
- Department of Bioresources, Amar Singh College Campus, Cluster University, Srinagar, India
| | - Abdullah Algaissi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
- Medical Research Centre, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Safeena Rashid
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
| | | | - Showkat Ahmad Ganie
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
| | - Mohtashim Lohani
- Department of Emergency Medical Services, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Sajad Ahmad Dar
- Research and Scientific Studies Unit, College of Nursing, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
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Adzibolosu N, Alvero AB, Ali-Fehmi R, Gogoi R, Corey L, Tedja R, Chehade H, Gogoi V, Morris R, Anderson M, Vitko J, Lam C, Craig DB, Draghici S, Rutherford T, Mor G. Immunological modifications following chemotherapy are associated with delayed recurrence of ovarian cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1204148. [PMID: 37435088 PMCID: PMC10331425 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1204148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Ovarian cancer recurs in most High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC) patients, including initial responders, after standard of care. To improve patient survival, we need to identify and understand the factors contributing to early or late recurrence and therapeutically target these mechanisms. We hypothesized that in HGSOC, the response to chemotherapy is associated with a specific gene expression signature determined by the tumor microenvironment. In this study, we sought to determine the differences in gene expression and the tumor immune microenvironment between patients who show early recurrence (within 6 months) compared to those who show late recurrence following chemotherapy. Methods Paired tumor samples were obtained before and after Carboplatin and Taxol chemotherapy from 24 patients with HGSOC. Bioinformatic transcriptomic analysis was performed on the tumor samples to determine the gene expression signature associated with differences in recurrence pattern. Gene Ontology and Pathway analysis was performed using AdvaitaBio's iPathwayGuide software. Tumor immune cell fractions were imputed using CIBERSORTx. Results were compared between late recurrence and early recurrence patients, and between paired pre-chemotherapy and post-chemotherapy samples. Results There was no statistically significant difference between early recurrence or late recurrence ovarian tumors pre-chemotherapy. However, chemotherapy induced significant immunological changes in tumors from late recurrence patients but had no impact on tumors from early recurrence patients. The key immunological change induced by chemotherapy in late recurrence patients was the reversal of pro-tumor immune signature. Discussion We report for the first time, the association between immunological modifications in response to chemotherapy and the time of recurrence. Our findings provide novel opportunities to ultimately improve ovarian cancer patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Adzibolosu
- C. S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Ayesha B. Alvero
- C. S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
- Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Rouba Ali-Fehmi
- C. S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
- Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Radhika Gogoi
- C. S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
- Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Logan Corey
- C. S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
- Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Roslyn Tedja
- C. S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
- Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Hussein Chehade
- C. S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
- Center of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Vir Gogoi
- C. S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Robert Morris
- Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Matthew Anderson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Julie Vitko
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Clarissa Lam
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Douglas B. Craig
- Department of Computer Science, Wayne State University College of Engineering, Detroit, MI, United States
- Department of Oncology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Sorin Draghici
- C. S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
- Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
- Department of Computer Science, Wayne State University College of Engineering, Detroit, MI, United States
- Advaita Corporation, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Division of Information and Intelligent Systems, Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA, United States
| | - Thomas Rutherford
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Gil Mor
- C. S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
- Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
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Bhadresha K, Mirza S, Penny C, Mughal MJ. Targeting AXL in Mesothelioma: from functional characterization to clinical implication. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2023:104043. [PMID: 37268175 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MM) is a highly aggressive and lethal cancer with a poor survival rate. Current treatment approaches primarily rely on chemotherapy and radiation, but their effectiveness is limited. Consequently, there is an urgent need for alternative treatment strategies, a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying MM, and the identification of potential therapeutic targets. Extensive studies over the past decade have emphasized the role of Axl in driving tumor development and metastasis, while high levels of Axl expression have been associated with immune evasion, drug resistance, and reduced patient survival in various cancer types. Ongoing clinical trials are investigating the efficacy of Axl inhibitors for different cancers. However, the precise role of Axl in MM progression, development, and metastasis, as well as its regulatory mechanisms within MM, remain inadequately understood. This review aims to comprehensively investigate the involvement of Axl in MM. We discuss Axl role in MM progression, development, and metastasis, along with its specific regulatory mechanisms. Additionally, we examined the Axl associated signaling pathways, the relationship between Axl and immune evasion, and the clinical implications of Axl for MM treatment. Furthermore, we discussed the potential utility of liquid biopsy as a non-invasive diagnostic technique for early detection of Axl in MM. Lastly, we evaluated the potential of a microRNA signature that targets Axl. By consolidating existing knowledge and identifying research gaps, this review contributes to a better understanding of Axl's role in MM and sets the stage for future investigations and the development of effective therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinjal Bhadresha
- Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sheefa Mirza
- Department of Internal Medicine, Common Epithelial Cancer Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Clement Penny
- Department of Internal Medicine, Common Epithelial Cancer Research Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Muhammed Jameel Mughal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Science, The George Washington University, Washington DC, United States of America.
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Khlebus E, Vuttaradhi VK, Welte T, Khurana N, Celestino J, Beird HC, Gumbs C, Little L, Legarreta AF, Fellman BM, Nguyen T, Lawson B, Ferri-Borgogno S, Mok SC, Broaddus RR, Gershenson DM, Futreal PA, Hillman RT. Comparative Tumor Microenvironment Analysis of Primary and Recurrent Ovarian Granulosa Cell Tumors. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:483-494. [PMID: 37068116 PMCID: PMC10150241 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-22-0623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Adult-type granulosa cell tumors (aGCT) are rare ovarian sex cord tumors with few effective treatments for recurrent disease. The objective of this study was to characterize the tumor microenvironment (TME) of primary and recurrent aGCTs and to identify correlates of disease recurrence. Total RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on 24 pathologically confirmed, cryopreserved aGCT samples, including 8 primary and 16 recurrent tumors. After read alignment and quality-control filtering, DESeq2 was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEG) between primary and recurrent tumors. Functional enrichment pathway analysis and gene set enrichment analysis was performed using "clusterProfiler" and "GSVA" R packages. TME composition was investigated through the analysis and integration of multiple published RNA-seq deconvolution algorithms. TME analysis results were externally validated using data from independent previously published RNA-seq datasets. A total of 31 DEGs were identified between primary and recurrent aGCTs. These included genes with known function in hormone signaling such as LHCGR and INSL3 (more abundant in primary tumors) and CYP19A1 (more abundant in recurrent tumors). Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that primarily immune-related and hormone-regulated gene sets expression was increased in recurrent tumors. Integrative TME analysis demonstrated statistically significant depletion of cancer-associated fibroblasts in recurrent tumors. This finding was confirmed in multiple independent datasets. IMPLICATIONS Recurrent aGCTs exhibit alterations in hormone pathway gene expression as well as decreased infiltration of cancer-associated fibroblasts, suggesting dual roles for hormonal signaling and TME remodeling underpinning disease relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Khlebus
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Veena K. Vuttaradhi
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Thomas Welte
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Namrata Khurana
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Joseph Celestino
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Hannah C. Beird
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Curtis Gumbs
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Latasha Little
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Alejandra Flores Legarreta
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Bryan M. Fellman
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Tri Nguyen
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Barrett Lawson
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Sammy Ferri-Borgogno
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Samuel C. Mok
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Russell R. Broaddus
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - David M. Gershenson
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - P. Andrew Futreal
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - R. Tyler Hillman
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
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Koren Carmi Y, Khamaisi H, Adawi R, Noyman E, Gopas J, Mahajna J. Secreted Soluble Factors from Tumor-Activated Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Confer Platinum Chemoresistance to Ovarian Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097730. [PMID: 37175439 PMCID: PMC10178190 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097730] [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: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) ranks as the second most common type of gynecological malignancy, has poor survival rates, and is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage. Platinum-based chemotherapy, such as carboplatin, represents the standard-of-care for OC. However, toxicity and acquired resistance to therapy have proven challenging for the treatment of patients. Chemoresistance, a principal obstacle to durable response in OC patients, is attributed to alterations within the cancer cells, and it can also be mediated by the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this study, we report that conditioned medium (CM) derived from murine and human stromal cells, MS-5 and HS-5, respectively, and tumor-activated HS-5, was active in conferring platinum chemoresistance to OC cells. Moreover, CM derived from differentiated murine pre-adipocyte (3T3-L1), but not undifferentiated pre-adipocyte cells, confers platinum chemoresistance to OC cells. Interestingly, CM derived from tumor-activated HS-5 was more effective in conferring chemoresistance than was CM derived from HS-5 cells. Various OC cells exhibit variable sensitivity to CM activity. Exploring CM content revealed the enrichment of a number of soluble factors in the tumor-activated HS-5, such as soluble uPAR (SuPAR), IL-6, and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). FDA-approved JAK inhibitors were mildly effective in restoring platinum sensitivity in two of the three OC cell lines in the presence of CM. Moreover, Crizotinib, an ALK and c-MET inhibitor, in combination with platinum, blocked HGF's ability to promote platinum resistance and to restore platinum sensitivity to OC cells. Finally, exposure to 2-hydroxyestardiol (2HE2) was effective in restoring platinum sensitivity to OC cells exposed to CM. Our results showed the significance of soluble factors found in TME in promoting platinum chemoresistance and the potential of combination therapy to restore chemosensitivity to OC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifat Koren Carmi
- Department of Nutrition and Natural Products, Migal-Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel
- Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8400101, Israel
| | - Hazem Khamaisi
- Department of Nutrition and Natural Products, Migal-Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel
| | - Rina Adawi
- Department of Nutrition and Natural Products, Migal-Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel
| | - Eden Noyman
- Department of Nutrition and Natural Products, Migal-Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel
| | - Jacob Gopas
- Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8400101, Israel
- Department of Oncology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva 8400101, Israel
| | - Jamal Mahajna
- Department of Nutrition and Natural Products, Migal-Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel
- Department of Biotechnology, Tel Hai College, Kiryat Shmona 1220800, Israel
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Li C, Deng T, Cao J, Zhou Y, Luo X, Feng Y, Huang H, Liu J. Identifying ITGB2 as a Potential Prognostic Biomarker in Ovarian Cancer. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13061169. [PMID: 36980477 PMCID: PMC10047357 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13061169] [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: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer is by far the most lethal gynecological malignancy. The exploration of promising immunomarkers to predict prognosis in ovarian cancer patients remains challenging. In our research, we carried out an integrated bioinformatic analysis of genome expressions and their immune characteristics in the ovarian cancer microenvironment with validation in different experiments. We filtrated 332 differentially expressed genes with 10 upregulated hub genes from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. These genes were closely related to ovarian tumorigenesis. Subsequently, the survival and immune infiltration analysis demonstrated that the upregulation of five candidate genes, ITGB2, VEGFA, CLDN4, OCLN, and SPP1, were correlated with an unfavorable clinical outcome and increased immune cell infiltration in ovarian cancer. Of these genes, ITGB2 tended to be the gene most correlated with various immune cell infiltrations and had a strong correlation with significant M2 macrophages infiltration (r = 0.707, p = 4.71 × 10-39), while it had a moderate correlation with CD4+/CD8+ T cells and B cells. This characteristic explains why the high expression of ITGB2 was accompanied by immune activation but did not reverse carcinogenesis. Additionally, we confirmed that ITGB2 was over-expressed in ovarian cancer tissues and was mainly located in cytoplasm, detected by Western blotting and the immunohistochemical method. In summary, ITGB2 may serve as a prognostic immunomarker for ovarian cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanyuan Li
- Cancer Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Ting Deng
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Junya Cao
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Xiaolin Luo
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Yanling Feng
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - He Huang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Jihong Liu
- Cancer Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519000, China
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
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Surendran A, Jamalkhah M, Poutou J, Birtch R, Lawson C, Dave J, Crupi MJF, Mayer J, Taylor V, Petryk J, de Souza CT, Moodie N, Billingsley JL, Austin B, Cormack N, Blamey N, Rezaei R, McCloskey CW, Fekete EEF, Birdi HK, Neault S, Jamieson TR, Wylie B, Tucker S, Azad T, Vanderhyden B, Tai LH, Bell JC, Ilkow CS. Fatty acid transport protein inhibition sensitizes breast and ovarian cancers to oncolytic virus therapy via lipid modulation of the tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1099459. [PMID: 36969187 PMCID: PMC10036842 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1099459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionAdipocytes in the tumour microenvironment are highly dynamic cells that have an established role in tumour progression, but their impact on anti-cancer therapy resistance is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook.MethodsWe investigated the role of adipose tissue and adipocytes in response to oncolytic virus (OV) therapy in adipose-rich tumours such as breast and ovarian neoplasms.ResultsWe show that secreted products in adipocyte-conditioned medium significantly impairs productive virus infection and OV-driven cell death. This effect was not due to the direct neutralization of virions or inhibition of OV entry into host cells. Instead, further investigation of adipocyte secreted factors demonstrated that adipocyte-mediated OV resistance is primarily a lipid-driven phenomenon. When lipid moieties are depleted from the adipocyte-conditioned medium, cancer cells are re-sensitized to OV-mediated destruction. We further demonstrated that blocking fatty acid uptake by cancer cells, in a combinatorial strategy with virotherapy, has clinical translational potential to overcome adipocyte-mediated OV resistance.DiscussionOur findings indicate that while adipocyte secreted factors can impede OV infection, the impairment of OV treatment efficacy can be overcome by modulating lipid flux in the tumour milieu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abera Surendran
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Monire Jamalkhah
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Joanna Poutou
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Rayanna Birtch
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Christine Lawson
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jaahnavi Dave
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Mathieu J. F. Crupi
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Justin Mayer
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Victoria Taylor
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Julia Petryk
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Neil Moodie
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Bradley Austin
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Nicole Cormack
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Natalie Blamey
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Reza Rezaei
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Curtis W. McCloskey
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Emily E. F. Fekete
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Harsimrat K. Birdi
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Serge Neault
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Taylor R. Jamieson
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Brenna Wylie
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah Tucker
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Taha Azad
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Barbara Vanderhyden
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Lee-Hwa Tai
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - John C. Bell
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Carolina S. Ilkow
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Carolina S. Ilkow,
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Bhardwaj V, Zhang X, Pandey V, Garg M. Neo-vascularization-based therapeutic perspectives in advanced ovarian cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188888. [PMID: 37001618 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
The process of angiogenesis is well described for its potential role in the development of normal ovaries, and physiological functions as well as in the initiation, progression, and metastasis of ovarian cancer (OC). In advanced stages of OC, cancer cells spread outside the ovary to the pelvic, abdomen, lung, or multiple secondary sites. This seriously limits the efficacy of therapeutic options contributing to fatal clinical outcomes. Notably, a variety of angiogenic effectors are produced by the tumor cells to initiate angiogenic processes leading to the development of new blood vessels, which provide essential resources for tumor survival, dissemination, and dormant micro-metastasis of tumor cells. Multiple proangiogenic effectors and their signaling axis have been discovered and functionally characterized for potential clinical utility in OC. In this review, we have provided the current updates on classical and emerging proangiogenic effectors, their signaling axis, and the immune microenvironment contributing to the pathogenesis of OC. Moreover, we have comprehensively reviewed and discussed the significance of the preclinical strategies, drug repurposing, and clinical trials targeting the angiogenic processes that hold promising perspectives for the better management of patients with OC.
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van Biljon L, Fashemi B, Rodriguez J, Graham O, Compadre A, Fuh K, Khabele D, Mullen M. Visualizing DNA Damage Repair Proteins in Patient-Derived Ovarian Cancer Organoids via Immunofluorescence Assays. J Vis Exp 2023:10.3791/64881. [PMID: 36912550 PMCID: PMC10881227 DOI: 10.3791/64881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunofluorescence is one of the most widely used techniques to visualize target antigens with high sensitivity and specificity, allowing for the accurate identification and localization of proteins, glycans, and small molecules. While this technique is well-established in two-dimensional (2D) cell culture, less is known about its use in three-dimensional (3D) cell models. Ovarian cancer organoids are 3D tumor models that recapitulate tumor cell clonal heterogeneity, the tumor microenvironment, and cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Thus, they are superior to cell lines for the evaluation of drug sensitivity and functional biomarkers. Therefore, the ability to utilize immunofluorescence on primary ovarian cancer organoids is extremely beneficial in understanding the biology of this cancer. The current study describes the technique of immunofluorescence to detect DNA damage repair proteins in high-grade serous patient-derived ovarian cancer organoids (PDOs). After exposing the PDOs to ionizing radiation, immunofluorescence is performed on intact organoids to evaluate nuclear proteins as foci. Images are collected using z-stack imaging on confocal microscopy and analyzed using automated foci counting software. The described methods allow for the analysis of temporal and special recruitment of DNA damage repair proteins and colocalization of these proteins with cell-cycle markers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Katherine Fuh
- Washington University in St. Louis; University of California San Francisco
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Truxova I, Cibula D, Spisek R, Fucikova J. Targeting tumor-associated macrophages for successful immunotherapy of ovarian carcinoma. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-005968. [PMID: 36822672 PMCID: PMC9950980 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is among the top five causes of cancer-related death in women, largely reflecting early, prediagnosis dissemination of malignant cells to the peritoneum. Despite improvements in medical therapies, particularly with the implementation of novel drugs targeting homologous recombination deficiency, the survival rates of patients with EOC remain low. Unlike other neoplasms, EOC remains relatively insensitive to immune checkpoint inhibitors, which is correlated with a tumor microenvironment (TME) characterized by poor infiltration by immune cells and active immunosuppression dominated by immune components with tumor-promoting properties, especially tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). In recent years, TAMs have attracted interest as potential therapeutic targets by seeking to reverse the immunosuppression in the TME and enhance the clinical efficacy of immunotherapy. Here, we review the key biological features of TAMs that affect tumor progression and their relevance as potential targets for treating EOC. We especially focus on the therapies that might modulate the recruitment, polarization, survival, and functional properties of TAMs in the TME of EOC that can be harnessed to develop superior combinatorial regimens with immunotherapy for the clinical care of patients with EOC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Cibula
- Gynecologic Oncology Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Spisek
- Sotio Biotech, Prague, Czech Republic,Department of Immunology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Fucikova
- Sotio Biotech, Prague, Czech Republic .,Department of Immunology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
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Predicting Prognosis and Platinum Resistance in Ovarian Cancer: Role of Immunohistochemistry Biomarkers. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031973. [PMID: 36768291 PMCID: PMC9916805 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is a lethal reproductive tumour affecting women worldwide. The advancement in presentation and occurrence of chemoresistance are the key factors for poor survival among ovarian cancer women. Surgical debulking was the mainstay of systemic treatment for ovarian cancer, which was followed by a successful start to platinum-based chemotherapy. However, most women develop platinum resistance and relapse within six months of receiving first-line treatment. Thus, there is a great need to identify biomarkers to predict platinum resistance before enrolment into chemotherapy, which would facilitate individualized targeted therapy for these subgroups of patients to ensure better survival and an improved quality of life and overall outcome. Harnessing the immune response through immunotherapy approaches has changed the treatment way for patients with cancer. The immune outline has emerged as a beneficial tool for recognizing predictive and prognostic biomarkers clinically. Studying the tumour microenvironment (TME) of ovarian cancer tissue may provide awareness of actionable targets for enhancing chemotherapy outcomes and quality of life. This review analyses the relevance of immunohistochemistry biomarkers as prognostic biomarkers in predicting chemotherapy resistance and improving the quality of life in ovarian cancer.
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Gong X, Chi H, Strohmer DF, Teichmann AT, Xia Z, Wang Q. Exosomes: A potential tool for immunotherapy of ovarian cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1089410. [PMID: 36741380 PMCID: PMC9889675 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1089410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumor of the female reproductive system, with a very poor prognosis and high mortality rates. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the most common treatments for ovarian cancer, with unsatisfactory results. Exosomes are a subpopulation of extracellular vesicles, which have a diameter of approximately 30-100 nm and are secreted by many different types of cells in various body fluids. Exosomes are highly stable and are effective carriers of immunotherapeutic drugs. Recent studies have shown that exosomes are involved in various cellular responses in the tumor microenvironment, influencing the development and therapeutic efficacy of ovarian cancer, and exhibiting dual roles in inhibiting and promoting tumor development. Exosomes also contain a variety of genes related to ovarian cancer immunotherapy that could be potential biomarkers for ovarian cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Undoubtedly, exosomes have great therapeutic potential in the field of ovarian cancer immunotherapy. However, translation of this idea to the clinic has not occurred. Therefore, it is important to understand how exosomes could be used in ovarian cancer immunotherapy to regulate tumor progression. In this review, we summarize the biomarkers of exosomes in different body fluids related to immunotherapy in ovarian cancer and the potential mechanisms by which exosomes influence immunotherapeutic response. We also discuss the prospects for clinical application of exosome-based immunotherapy in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hao Chi
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Dorothee Franziska Strohmer
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Tobias Teichmann
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Gynecology and Breast Diseases (Gynecology), Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zhijia Xia
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany,*Correspondence: Zhijia Xia, ; Qin Wang,
| | - Qin Wang
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Gynecology and Breast Diseases (Gynecology), Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China,*Correspondence: Zhijia Xia, ; Qin Wang,
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Study of Ferroptosis Transmission by Small Extracellular Vesicles in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Cells. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12010183. [PMID: 36671044 PMCID: PMC9854685 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12010183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynecological cancer. The current treatment for EOC involves surgical debulking of the tumors followed by a combination of chemotherapy. While most patients achieve complete remission, many EOCs will recur and develop chemo-resistance. The cancer cells can adapt to several stress stimuli, becoming resistant. Because of this, new ways to fight resistant cells during the disease are being studied. However, the clinical outcomes remain unsatisfactory. Recently, ferroptosis, a novel form of regulated cell death trigged by the accumulation of iron and toxic species of lipid metabolism in cells, has emerged as a promising anti-tumor strategy for EOC treatment. This process has a high potential to become a complementary treatment to the current anti-tumor strategies to eliminate resistant cells and to avoid relapse. Cancer cells, like other cells in the body, release small extracellular vesicles (sEV) that allow the transport of substances from the cells themselves to communicate with their environment. To achieve this, we analyzed the capacity of epithelial ovarian cancer cells (OVCA), treated with ferroptosis inducers, to generate sEV, assessing their size and number, and study the transmission of ferroptosis by sEV. Our results reveal that OVCA cells treated with ferroptotic inducers can modify intercellular communication by sEV, inducing cell death in recipient cells. Furthermore, these receptor cells are able to generate a greater amount of sEV, contributing to a much higher ferroptosis paracrine transmission. Thus, we discovered the importance of the sEV in the communication between cells in OVCA, focusing on the ferroptosis process. These findings could be the beginning form to study the molecular mechanism ferroptosis transmission through sEV.
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Cutano V, Ferreira Mendes JM, Escudeiro-Lopes S, Machado S, Vinaixa Forner J, Gonzales-Morena JM, Prevorovsky M, Zemlianski V, Feng Y, Kralova Viziova P, Hartmanova A, Malcekova B, Jakoube P, Iyer S, Keckesova Z. LACTB exerts tumor suppressor properties in epithelial ovarian cancer through regulation of Slug. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201510. [PMID: 36375842 PMCID: PMC9664245 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular mechanism used by cancer cells to acquire migratory and stemness properties. In this study, we show, through in vitro, in vivo, and 3D culture experiments, that the mitochondrial protein LACTB manifests tumor suppressor properties in ovarian cancer. We show that LACTB is significantly down-regulated in epithelial ovarian cancer cells and clinical tissues. Re-expression of LACTB negatively effects the growth of cancer cells but not of non-tumorigenic cells. Mechanistically, we show that LACTB leads to differentiation of ovarian cancer cells and loss of their stemness properties, which is achieved through the inhibition of the EMT program and the LACTB-dependent down-regulation of Snail2/Slug transcription factor. This study uncovers a novel role of LACTB in ovarian cancer and proposes new ways of counteracting the oncogenic EMT program in this model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Cutano
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Sara Escudeiro-Lopes
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Susana Machado
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Judith Vinaixa Forner
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Juan M Gonzales-Morena
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Prevorovsky
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Viacheslav Zemlianski
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Yuxiong Feng
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, First Affiliated Hospital, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Petra Kralova Viziova
- The Czech Center for Phenogenomics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Hartmanova
- The Czech Center for Phenogenomics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Beata Malcekova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Jakoube
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Sonia Iyer
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zuzana Keckesova
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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48
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Proteomics of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Models Identifies Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Markers Associated with Clinical Outcomes. Biomolecules 2022; 13:biom13010075. [PMID: 36671461 PMCID: PMC9855416 DOI: 10.3390/biom13010075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment has recently emerged as a critical component of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) disease progression. Specifically, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been recognized as key players in various pro-oncogenic processes. Here, we use mass-spectrometry (MS) to characterize the proteomes of HGSC patient-derived CAFs and compare them to those of the epithelial component of HGSC to gain a deeper understanding into their tumor-promoting phenotype. We integrate our data with primary tissue data to define a proteomic signature of HGSC CAFs and uncover multiple novel CAF proteins that are prognostic in an independent HGSC patient cohort. Our data represent the first MS-based global proteomic characterization of CAFs in HGSC and further highlights the clinical significance of HGSC CAFs.
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49
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Zhang Z, Zhao H, Chu C, Fu X, Liu Y, Wang L, Wei R, Xu K, Li L, Li X. The emerging roles of TLR and cGAS signaling in tumorigenesis and progression of ovarian cancer. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1072670. [PMID: 36588690 PMCID: PMC9800838 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1072670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is fatal to women and has a high mortality rate. Although on-going efforts are never stopped in identifying diagnostic and intervention strategies, the disease is so far unable to be well managed. The most important reason for this is the complexity of pathogenesis for OC, and therefore, uncovering the essential molecular biomarkers accompanied with OC progression takes the privilege for OC remission. Inflammation has been reported to participate in the initiation and progression of OC. Both microenvironmental and tumor cell intrinsic inflammatory signals contribute to the malignancy of OC. Inflammation responses can be triggered by various kinds of stimulus, including endogenous damages and exogenous pathogens, which are initially recognized and orchestrated by a series of innate immune system related receptors, especially Toll like receptors, and cyclic GMP-AMP synthase. In this review, we will discuss the roles of innate immune system related receptors, including TLRs and cGAS, and responses both intrinsic and exogenetic in the development and treatment of OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zhang
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China,School of Clinical and Basic Medicine, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China,*Correspondence: Zhen Zhang, ; Xia Li,
| | - Hong Zhao
- Department of Systems Medicine and Bioengineering, Houston Methodist Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Chu Chu
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Fu
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yonglin Liu
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ran Wei
- School of Clinical and Basic Medicine, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ke Xu
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China,School of Clinical and Basic Medicine, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Lihua Li
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China,School of Clinical and Basic Medicine, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xia Li
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China,*Correspondence: Zhen Zhang, ; Xia Li,
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50
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Clinical Significance of Tie-2-Expressing Monocytes/Macrophages and Angiopoietins in the Progression of Ovarian Cancer-State-of-the-Art. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233851. [PMID: 36497114 PMCID: PMC9737633 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumour growth and metastasis are specific to advanced stages of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Tumour angiogenesis is an essential part of these processes. It is responsible for providing tumours with nutrients, metabolites, and cytokines and facilitates tumour and immune cell relocation. Destabilised vasculature, a distinctive feature of tumours, is also responsible for compromising drug delivery into the bulk. Angiogenesis is a complex process that largely depends on how the tumour microenvironment (TME) is composed and how a specific organ is formed. There are contrary reports on whether Tie-2-expressing monocytes/macrophages (TEMs) reported as the proangiogenic population of monocytes have any impact on tumour development. The aim of this paper is to summarise knowledge about ovarian-cancer-specific angiogenesis and the unique role of Tie-2-expressing monocytes/macrophages in this process. The significance of this cell subpopulation for the pathophysiology of EOC remains to be investigated.
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