MiR-506 Promotes Antitumor Immune Response in Pancreatic Cancer by Reprogramming Tumor-Associated Macrophages toward an M1 Phenotype

Therapeutic potential of microRNA-506 in cancer treatment: mechanisms and therapeutic implications

Cancer is a complex and highly lethal disease marked by unchecked cell proliferation, aggressive behavior, and a strong tendency to metastasize. Despite significant advancements in cancer diagnosis and treatment, challenges such as early detection difficulties, drug resistance, and adverse effects of radiotherapy or chemotherapy continue to threaten patient survival. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators in cancer biology, with miR-506 being extensively studied and recognized for its tumor-suppressive effects across multiple cancer types. This review examines the regulatory mechanisms of miR-506 in common cancers, focusing on its role in the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network and its effects on cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. We also discuss the potential of miR-506 as a therapeutic target and its role in overcoming drug resistance in cancer treatment. Overall, these insights underscore the therapeutic potential of miR-506 and its promise in developing novel cancer therapies.

Innate immune cells in tumor microenvironment: A new frontier in cancer immunotherapy

Innate immune cells, crucial in resisting infections and initiating adaptive immunity, play diverse and significant roles in tumor development. These cells, including macrophages, granulocytes, dendritic cells (DCs), innate lymphoid cells, and innate-like T cells, are pivotal in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Innate immune cells are crucial components of the TME, based on which various immunotherapy strategies have been explored. Immunotherapy strategies, such as novel immune checkpoint inhibitors, STING/CD40 agonists, macrophage-based surface backpack anchoring, ex vivo polarization approaches, DC-based tumor vaccines, and CAR-engineered innate immune cells, aim to enhance their anti-tumor potential and counteract cancer-induced immunosuppression. The proximity of innate immune cells to tumor cells in the TME also makes them excellent drug carriers. In this review, we will first provide a systematic overview of innate immune cells within the TME and then discuss innate cell-based therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, the research obstacles and perspectives within the field will also be addressed.

Roles of M1 Macrophages and Their Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Therapy

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are inflammatory cells that are important components of the tumor microenvironment. TAMs are functionally heterogeneous and divided into two main subpopulations with distinct and opposite functions: M1 and M2 macrophages. The secretory function of TAMs is essential for combating infections, regulating immune responses, and promoting tissue repair. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanovesicles that are secreted by cells. They play a crucial role in mediating intercellular information transfer between cells. EVs can be secreted by almost all types of cells, and they contain proteins, microRNAs, mRNAs, and even long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that have been retained from the parental cell through the process of biogenesis. EVs can influence the function and behavior of target cells by delivering their contents, thus reflecting, to some extent, the characteristics of their parental cells. Here, we provide an overview of the role of M1 macrophages and their EVs in cancer therapy by exploring the impact of M1 macrophage-derived EVs (M1-EVs) on tumors by transferring small microRNAs. Additionally, we discuss the potential of M1-EVs as drug carriers and the possibility of reprogramming M2 macrophages into M1 macrophages for disease treatment. We propose that M1-EVs play a crucial role in cancer therapy by transferring microRNAs and loading them with drugs. Reprogramming M2 macrophages into M1 macrophages holds great promise in the treatment of cancers.

The Pivotal Role of Macrophages in the Pathogenesis of Pancreatic Diseases

The pancreas is an organ with both exocrine and endocrine functions, comprising a highly organized and complex tissue microenvironment composed of diverse cellular and non-cellular components. The impairment of microenvironmental homeostasis, mediated by the dysregulation of cell-to-cell crosstalk, can lead to pancreatic diseases such as pancreatitis, diabetes, and pancreatic cancer. Macrophages, key immune effector cells, can dynamically modulate their polarization status between pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) modes, critically influencing the homeostasis of the pancreatic microenvironment and thus playing a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the pancreatic disease. This review aims to summarize current findings and provide detailed mechanistic insights into how alterations mediated by macrophage polarization contribute to the pathogenesis of pancreatic disorders. By analyzing current research comprehensively, this article endeavors to deepen our mechanistic understanding of regulatory molecules that affect macrophage polarity and the intricate crosstalk that regulates pancreatic function within the microenvironment, thereby facilitating the development of innovative therapeutic strategies that target perturbations in the pancreatic microenvironment.

Functional and Potential Therapeutic Implication of MicroRNAs in Pancreatic Cancer

The alarmingly low five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer presents a global health challenge, contributing to about 7% of all cancer-related deaths. Late-stage diagnosis and high heterogeneity are the biggest hurdles in treating pancreatic cancer. Thus, there is a pressing need to discover novel biomarkers that could help in early detection as well as improve therapeutic strategies. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of short non-coding RNA, have emerged as promising candidates with regard to both diagnostics and therapeutics. Dysregulated miRNAs play pivotal roles in accelerating tumor growth and metastasis, orchestrating tumor microenvironment, and conferring chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer. The differential expression profiles of miRNAs in pancreatic cancer could be utilized to explore novel therapeutic strategies. In this review, we also covered studies on recent advancements in various miRNA-based therapeutics such as restoring miRNAs with a tumor-suppressive function, suppressing miRNA with an oncogenic function, and combination with chemotherapeutic drugs. Despite several challenges in terms of specificity and targeted delivery, miRNA-based therapies hold the potential to revolutionize the treatment of pancreatic cancer by simultaneously targeting multiple signaling pathways.