ADAM9 functions as a transcriptional regulator to drive angiogenesis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Exploring Potential Biomarkers in Oesophageal Cancer: A Comprehensive Analysis

Oesophageal cancer (OC) is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. OC is highly aggressive, primarily due to its late stage of diagnosis and poor prognosis for patients' survival. Therefore, the establishment of new biomarkers that will be measured with non-invasive techniques at low cost is a critical issue in improving the diagnosis of OC. In this review, we summarize several original studies concerning the potential significance of selected chemokines and their receptors, including inflammatory proteins such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP), hematopoietic growth factors (HGFs), claudins (CLDNs), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs), adamalysines (ADAMs), as well as DNA- and RNA-based biomarkers, in OC. The presented results indicate the significant correlation between the CXCL12, CXCR4, CXCL8/CXCR2, M-CSF, MMP-2, MMP-9 ADAM17, ADAMTS-6, and CLDN7 levels and tumor stage, as well as the clinicopathological parameters of OC, such as the presence of lymph node and/or distant metastases. CXCL12, CXCL8/CXCR2, IL-6, TIMP-2, ADAM9, and ADAMTS-6 were prognostic factors for the overall survival of OC patients. Furthermore, IL-6, CXCR4, CXCL8, and MMP-9 indicate higher diagnostic utility based on the area under the ROC curve (AUC) than well-established OC tumor markers, whereas CLDN18.2 can be used in novel targeted therapies for OC patients.

Inhibition of ADAM9 promotes the selective degradation of KRAS and sensitizes pancreatic cancers to chemotherapy

Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) signaling drives pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) malignancy, which is an unmet clinical need. Here, we identify a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain (ADAM)9 as a modulator of PDAC progression via stabilization of wild-type and mutant KRAS proteins. Mechanistically, ADAM9 loss increases the interaction of KRAS with plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), which functions as a selective autophagy receptor in conjunction with light chain 3 (LC3), triggering lysosomal degradation of KRAS. Suppression of ADAM9 by a small-molecule inhibitor restricts disease progression in spontaneous models, and combination with gemcitabine elicits dramatic regression of patient-derived tumors. Our findings provide a promising strategy to target the KRAS signaling cascade and demonstrate a potential modality to enhance sensitivity to chemotherapy in PDAC.

The role of BHLHE40 in clinical features and prognosis value of PDAC by comprehensive analysis and in vitro validation

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, primarily due to the abundance of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), depleted effector T cells, and increased tumor cell stemness; hence, there is an urgent need for efficient biomarkers with prognostic and therapeutic potential. Here, we identified BHLHE40 as a promising target for PDAC through comprehensive analysis and weighted gene coexpression network analysis of RNA sequencing data and public databases, taking into account the unique characteristics of PDAC such as cancer-associated fibroblasts, infiltration of effector T cells, and tumor cell stemness. Additionally, we developed a prognostic risk model based on BHLHE40 and three other candidate genes (ITGA2, ITGA3, and ADAM9) to predict outcomes in PDAC patients. Furthermore, we found that the overexpression of BHLHE40 was significantly associated with T stage, lymph node metastasis, and American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage in a cohort of 61 PDAC patients. Moreover, elevated expression levels of BHLHE40 were validated to promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness-related proteins in BXPC3 cell lines. Compared to the parent cells, BXPC3 cells with BHLHE40 overexpression showed resistance to anti-tumor immunity when co-cultured with CD8⁺ T cells. In summary, these findings suggest that BHLHE40 is a highly effective biomarker for predicting prognosis in PDAC and holds great promise as a target for cancer therapy.

Role of Some microRNA/ADAM Proteins Axes in Gastrointestinal Cancers as a Novel Biomarkers and Potential Therapeutic Targets—A Review

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are some of the most common cancers in the world and their number is increasing. Their etiology and pathogenesis are still unclear. ADAM proteins are a family of transmembrane and secreted metalloproteinases that play a role in cancerogenesis, metastasis and neoangiogenesis. MicroRNAs are small single-stranded non-coding RNAs that take part in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Some ADAM proteins can be targets for microRNAs. In this review, we analyze the impact of microRNA/ADAM protein axes in GI cancers.

Unfavorable immunotherapy plus tyrosine kinase inhibition outcome of metastatic renal cell carcinoma after radical nephrectomy with increased ADAM9 expression

Immunotherapy plus tyrosine kinase inhibitor (IO-TKI) has become the standard first-line therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, the modest response rate of IO-TKI therapy and the absence of biomarkers limited the selection of treatment strategies for RCC patients. There were three cohorts enrolled: two from our facility (ZS-MRCC and ZS-HRRCC) and one from a clinical study (JAVELIN-101). By RNA sequencing, the expression of ADAM9 in each sample was measured. By flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry, immune infiltration and T cell function were examined. Primary outcomes were established as treatment response and progression-free survival (PFS). Patients with low-ADAM9 expression had a higher objective response rate (56.5% vs 13.6%, P = 0.01) and longer PFS in both cohorts. In the ZS-HRRCC cohort, the expression of ADAM9 was associated with increased tumor-infiltrating T cells, which was proved by immunohistochemistry (P < 0.05) and flow cytometry (Spearman's ρ = 0.42, P < 0.001). In the high-ADAM9 group, CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells revealed an exhausted phenotype with decreased GZMB (Spearman's ρ =  - 0.31, P = 0.05, and Spearman's ρ =  - 0.49, P < 0.001, respectively), and fewer Macrophages were identified. A predictive RFscore was further constructed by random forest approach, involving ADAM9 and immunologic genes. Only in the subgroup with the lower RFscore did IO-TKI outperform TKI monotherapy. High-ADAM9 expression was associated with immunosuppression and IO-TKI resistance. Expression of ADAM9 was also associated with the exhaustion and dysfunction of T cells. ADAM9-based RFscore has the potential to be used as a biomarker to distinguish the optimal patient treatment methods between IO-TKI and TKI monotherapy.

Targeting IGF1R signaling enhances the sensitivity of cisplatin by inhibiting proline and arginine metabolism in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma under hypoxia

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin (DDP)-based chemotherapy is commonly adopted as the first-line treatment for patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but the high rate of drug resistance limits its clinical application and the underlying mechanisms at play remain unclear. The aims of this study were to elucidate the role of abnormal signal transmission and metabolism in the chemoresistance of OSCC under hypoxia and to identify targeted drugs that enhance the sensitivity of DDP chemotherapy.

METHODS

Upregulated genes in OSCC were determined by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, immunohistochemistry (IHC), real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and western blotting (WB). The clinicopathological significance of insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF1R), argininosuccinate synthetase 1 (ASS1), and pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1) in OSCC was analysed using tissue micriarray (TMA). Metabolic abnormalities were determined by untargeted metabolomics analysis. The DDP-resistance role of IGF1R, ASS1, and PYCR1 in OSCC was investigated in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

Generally, tumour cells exist in a hypoxic microenvironment. By genomic profiling, we determined that IGF1R, as a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), was upregulated in OSCC under low-oxygen conditions. Clinically, enhanced IGF1R expression was associated with higher tumour stages and a poorer prognosis in OSCC patients, and its inhibitor, linsitinib, showed synergistic effects with DDP therapy in vivo and in vitro. Since oxygen-deprivation frequently lead to metabolic reprogramming, we further learned via metabolomics analysis that abnormal IGF1R pathways promoted the expression of metabolic enzymes ASS1 and PYCR1 by the transcriptional activity of c-MYC. In detail, enhanced expression of ASS1 promotes arginine metabolism for biological anabolism, whereas PYCR1 activates proline metabolism for redox balance, which maintains the proliferation ability of OSCC cells during DDP treatment under hypoxic conditions.

CONCLUSION

Enhanced expression of ASS1 and PYCR1 via IGF1R pathways rewired arginine and proline metabolism, promoting DDP resistance in OSCC under hypoxia. Linsitinib targeting IGF1R signaling may lead to promising combination therapy options for OSCC patients with DDP resistance.

The immunological role of ADAMs in the field of gastroenterological chronic inflammatory diseases and cancers: a review

Metalloproteinases cleave transmembrane proteins that play critical roles in inflammation and cancers. Metalloproteinases include a disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM), which we previously examined using a fluorescence assay system, and described their association with resistance to systemic therapy in cancer patients. There are also many reports on the relation between ADAM expression and the prognosis of patients with gastroenterological chronic inflammatory diseases and cancers. Inhibiting their immunomodulating activity in chronic inflammation restores innate immunity and potentially prevents the development of various cancers. Among the numerous critical immune system-related molecules, we focus on major histocompatibility complex class I polypeptide-related sequence A (MICA), MICB, intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, TNF-α, IL-6 receptor (IL-6R), and Notch. This review summarizes our current understanding of the role of ADAMs in gastroenterological diseases with regard to the immune system. Several Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved inhibitors of ADAMs have been identified, and potential therapies for targeting ADAMs in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases and cancers are discussed. Some ongoing clinical trials for cancers targeting ADAMs are also introduced.

Galectins in Esophageal Cancer: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives

Esophageal cancer is a disease with poor overall survival. Despite advancements in therapeutic options, the treatment outcome of esophageal cancer patients remains dismal with an overall 5-year survival rate of approximately 20 percent. To improve treatment efficacy and patient survival, efforts are being made to identify the factors that underlie disease progression and that contribute to poor therapeutic responses. It has become clear that some of these factors reside in the tumor micro-environment. In particular, the tumor vasculature and the tumor immune micro-environment have been implicated in esophageal cancer progression and treatment response. Interestingly, galectins represent a family of glycan-binding proteins that has been linked to both tumor angiogenesis and tumor immunosuppression. Indeed, in several cancer types, galectins have been identified as diagnostic and/or prognostic markers. However, the role of galectins in esophageal cancer is still poorly understood. Here, we summarize the current literature with regard to the expression and potential functions of galectins in esophageal cancer. In addition, we highlight the gaps in the current knowledge and we propose directions for future research in order to reveal whether galectins contribute to esophageal cancer progression and provide opportunities to improve the treatment and survival of esophageal cancer patients.