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Lin F, Clift R, Ehara T, Yanagida H, Horton S, Noncovich A, Guest M, Kim D, Salvador K, Richardson S, Miller T, Han G, Bhat A, Song K, Li G. Peptide Binder to Glypican-3 as a Theranostic Agent for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Nucl Med 2024; 65:586-592. [PMID: 38423788 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.123.266766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Glypican-3 (GPC3) is a membrane-associated glycoprotein that is significantly upregulated in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) with minimal to no expression in normal tissues. The differential expression of GPC3 between tumor and normal tissues provides an opportunity for targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy to treat HCC, a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Methods: DOTA-RYZ-GPC3 (RAYZ-8009) comprises a novel macrocyclic peptide binder to GPC3, a linker, and a chelator that can be complexed with different radioisotopes. The binding affinity was determined by surface plasma resonance and radioligand binding assays. Target-mediated cellular internalization was radiometrically measured at multiple time points. In vivo biodistribution, monotherapy, and combination treatments with 177Lu or 225Ac were performed on HCC xenografts. Results: RAYZ-8009 showed high binding affinity to GPC3 protein of human, mouse, canine, and cynomolgus monkey origins and no binding to other glypican family members. Potent cellular binding was confirmed in GPC3-positive HepG2 cells and was not affected by isotope switching. RAYZ-8009 achieved efficient internalization on binding to HepG2 cells. Biodistribution study of 177Lu-RAYZ-8009 showed sustained tumor uptake and fast renal clearance, with minimal or no uptake in other normal tissues. Tumor-specific uptake was also demonstrated in orthotopic HCC tumors, with no uptake in surrounding liver tissue. Therapeutically, significant and durable tumor regression and survival benefit were achieved with 177Lu- and 225Ac-labeled RAYZ-8009, as single agents and in combination with lenvatinib, in GPC3-positive HCC xenografts. Conclusion: Preclinical in vitro and in vivo data demonstrate the potential of RAYZ-8009 as a theranostic agent for the treatment of patients with GPC3-positive HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Matt Guest
- RayzeBio, Inc., San Diego, California; and
| | - Daniel Kim
- RayzeBio, Inc., San Diego, California; and
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Gary Li
- RayzeBio, Inc., San Diego, California; and
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2
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Takayama-Isagawa Y, Kanetaka K, Kobayashi S, Yoneda A, Ito S, Eguchi S. High serum alpha-fetoprotein and positive immunohistochemistry of alpha-fetoprotein are related to poor prognosis of gastric cancer with liver metastasis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3695. [PMID: 38355790 PMCID: PMC10866906 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54394-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver metastasis in gastric cancer is incurable. Alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric cancer has a poor prognosis and is prone to liver metastasis. We investigated the association between preoperative serum alpha-fetoprotein levels, liver metastasis, and expression of primitive enterocyte phenotype markers. We reviewed the medical records of 401 patients with gastric cancer who underwent curative surgical resection and immunohistochemically evaluated the primitive phenotype markers. The preoperative serum alpha-fetoprotein levels were elevated and normal in 8 and 393 patients, respectively. Liver metastasis was more frequent in patients with higher preoperative alpha-fetoprotein levels. The 5-year postoperative recurrence-free survival and overall survival rates were significantly worse in patients with higher preoperative serum alpha-fetoprotein levels. Although alpha-fetoprotein and Glypican3 and Spalt-like transcription factor 4 tended to be stained with high preoperative serum alpha-fetoprotein levels, these markers were also positive in some patients with normal alpha-fetoprotein levels. In summary, patients with gastric cancer and high preoperative serum alpha-fetoprotein levels have a poor prognosis and high incidence of liver metastasis. Alpha-fetoprotein can help detect liver metastasis relating to the primitive enterocyte phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuriko Takayama-Isagawa
- Department of Pathology, Jichi Medical University Hospital, Shimotsuke, Japan
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sakamoto 1-7-1, Nagasaki, 8528501, Japan
| | - Kengo Kanetaka
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sakamoto 1-7-1, Nagasaki, 8528501, Japan.
| | - Shinichiro Kobayashi
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sakamoto 1-7-1, Nagasaki, 8528501, Japan
| | - Akira Yoneda
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sakamoto 1-7-1, Nagasaki, 8528501, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Ito
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sakamoto 1-7-1, Nagasaki, 8528501, Japan
| | - Susumu Eguchi
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sakamoto 1-7-1, Nagasaki, 8528501, Japan
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3
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Nguyen T, Chen PC, Pham J, Kaur K, Raman SS, Jewett A, Chiang J. Current and Future States of Natural Killer Cell-Based Immunotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Crit Rev Immunol 2024; 44:71-85. [PMID: 38618730 DOI: 10.1615/critrevimmunol.2024052486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphoid cells that exhibit high levels of cytotoxicity against NK-specific targets. NK cells also produce various cytokines, and interact with T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells to effectively serve as frontliners of the innate immune system. Produce various cytokines, and interact with T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells to effectively serve as frontliners of the innate immune system. Moreover, NK cells constitute the second most common immune cell in the liver. These properties have drawn significant attention towards leveraging NK cells in treating liver cancer, especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which accounts for 75% of all primary liver cancer and is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Notable anti-cancer functions of NK cells against HCC include activating antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC), facilitating Gasdermin E-mediated pyroptosis of HCC cells, and initiating an antitumor response via the cGAS-STING signaling pathway. In this review, we describe how these mechanisms work in the context of HCC. We will then discuss the existing preclinical and clinical studies that leverage NK cell activity to create single and combined immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tu Nguyen
- UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
| | - Po-Chun Chen
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, The Jane and Jerry Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology, University of California School of Dentistry, 10833 Le Conte Ave, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Janet Pham
- Department of Radiology, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kawaljit Kaur
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine The Jane and Jerry Weintraub Center of Reconstructive Biotechnology University of California School of Dentistry Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven S Raman
- Department of Radiology, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA; The Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA School of Dentistry and Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anahid Jewett
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, The Jane and Jerry Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology, University of California School of Dentistry, 10833 Le Conte Ave, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; The Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA School of Dentistry and Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jason Chiang
- Department of Radiology, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA; The Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA School of Dentistry and Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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4
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Liu J, Park K, Shen Z, Lee H, Geetha P, Pakyari M, Chai L. Immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and their cross talks in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1285370. [PMID: 38173713 PMCID: PMC10762788 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1285370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a challenging malignancy with limited treatment options beyond surgery and chemotherapy. Recent advancements in targeted therapies and immunotherapy, including PD-1 and PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies, have shown promise, but their efficacy has not met expectations. Biomarker testing and personalized medicine based on genetic mutations and other biomarkers represent the future direction for HCC treatment. To address these challenges and opportunities, this comprehensive review discusses the progress made in targeted therapies and immunotherapies for HCC, focusing on dissecting the rationales, opportunities, and challenges for combining these modalities. The liver's unique physiology and the presence of fibrosis in many HCC patients pose additional challenges to drug delivery and efficacy. Ongoing efforts in biomarker development and combination therapy design, especially in the context of immunotherapies, hold promise for improving outcomes in advanced HCC. Through exploring the advancements in biomarkers and targeted therapies, this review provides insights into the challenges and opportunities in the field and proposes strategies for rational combination therapy design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kevin Park
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Ziyang Shen
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Hannah Lee
- University of California, San Diego, CA, United States
| | | | - Mohammadreza Pakyari
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Li Chai
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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5
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Zhang S, Jiang C, Jiang L, Chen H, Huang J, Gao X, Xia Z, Tran LJ, Zhang J, Chi H, Yang G, Tian G. Construction of a diagnostic model for hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma using machine learning and artificial neural networks and revealing the correlation by immunoassay. Tumour Virus Res 2023; 16:200271. [PMID: 37774952 PMCID: PMC10638043 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvr.2023.200271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
HBV infection profoundly escalates hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) susceptibility, responsible for a majority of HCC cases. HBV-driven immune-mediated hepatocyte impairment significantly fuels HCC progression. Regrettably, inconspicuous early HCC symptoms often culminate in belated diagnoses. Nevertheless, surgically treated early-stage HCC patients relish augmented five-year survival rates. In contrast, advanced HCC exhibits feeble responses to conventional interventions like radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery, leading to diminished survival rates. This investigation endeavors to unearth diagnostic hallmark genes for HBV-HCC leveraging a bioinformatics framework, thus refining early HBV-HCC detection. Candidate genes were sieved via differential analysis and Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA). Employing three distinct machine learning algorithms unearthed three feature genes (HHIP, CXCL14, and CDHR2). Melding these genes yielded an innovative Artificial Neural Network (ANN) diagnostic blueprint, portending to alleviate patient encumbrance and elevate life quality. Immunoassay scrutiny unveiled accentuated immune damage in HBV-HCC patients relative to solitary HCC. Through consensus clustering, HBV-HCC was stratified into two subtypes (C1 and C2), the latter potentially indicating milder immune impairment. The diagnostic model grounded in these feature genes showcased robust and transferrable prognostic potentialities, introducing a novel outlook for early HBV-HCC diagnosis. This exhaustive immunological odyssey stands poised to expedite immunotherapeutic curatives' emergence for HBV-HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengke Zhang
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Chenglu Jiang
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Lai Jiang
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Haiqing Chen
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Jinbang Huang
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Xinrui Gao
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Zhijia Xia
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Lisa Jia Tran
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Jing Zhang
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Vermillion, 57069, USA
| | - Hao Chi
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.
| | - Guanhu Yang
- Department of Specialty Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, 45701, USA.
| | - Gang Tian
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.
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Ahmad F, Ma L, Wei W, Liu Y, Hakim I, Daugherty A, Mujahid S, Radin AA, Chua MS, So S. Identification and validation of microtubule depolymerizing agent, CYT997, as a potential drug candidate for hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver Int 2023; 43:2794-2807. [PMID: 37833852 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a typically fatal malignancy with limited treatment options and poor survival rates, despite recent FDA approvals of newer treatment options. We aim to address this unmet need by using a proprietary computational drug discovery platform that identifies drug candidates with the potential to advance rapidly and successfully through preclinical studies. METHODS We generated an in silico model of HCC biology to identify the top 10 small molecules with predicted efficacy. The most promising candidate, CYT997, was tested for its in vitro effects on cell viability and cell death, colony formation, cell cycle changes, and cell migration/invasion in HCC cells. We used an HCC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse model to assess its in vivo efficacy. RESULTS CYT997 was significantly more cytotoxic against HCC cells than against primary human hepatocytes, and sensitized HCC cells to sorafenib. It arrested cell cycle at the G2/M phase with associated up-regulations of p21, p-MEK1/2, p-ERK, and down-regulation of cyclin B1. Cell apoptosis and senescence-like morphology were also observed. CYT997 inhibited HCC cell migration and invasion, and down-regulated the expressions of acetylated tubulins, β-tubulin, glypican-3 (GPC3), β-catenin, and c-Myc. In vivo, CYT997 (20 mg/kg, three times weekly by oral gavage) significantly inhibited PDX growth, while being non-toxic to mice. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the down-regulation of GPC3, c-Myc, and Ki-67, supporting its anti-proliferative effect. CONCLUSION CYT997 is a potentially efficacious and non-toxic drug candidate for HCC therapy. Its ability to down-regulate GPC3, β-catenin, and c-Myc highlights a novel mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiz Ahmad
- Asian Liver Center, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Li Ma
- Asian Liver Center, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Wei Wei
- Asian Liver Center, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Yi Liu
- Asian Liver Center, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Isaac Hakim
- Aria Pharmaceuticals, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | | | - Sana Mujahid
- Aria Pharmaceuticals, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | | | - Mei-Sze Chua
- Asian Liver Center, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Samuel So
- Asian Liver Center, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
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7
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Chen X, Liu X, Du S. Unveiling the Role of Tumor-Infiltrating T Cells and Immunotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Review. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5046. [PMID: 37894413 PMCID: PMC10605632 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15205046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rapidly rising global health concern, ranking as the third-leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Despite medical advancements, the five-year survival rate remains a dismal 18%, with a daunting 70% recurrence rate within a five-year period. Current systematic treatments, including first-line sorafenib, yield an overall response rate (ORR) below 10%. In contrast, immunotherapies have shown promise by improving ORR to approximately 30%. The IMbravel150 clinical trial demonstrates that combining atezolizumab and bevacizumab surpasses sorafenib in terms of median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). However, the therapeutic efficacy for HCC patients remains unsatisfactory, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of antitumor responses and immune evasion mechanisms in HCC. In this context, understanding the immune landscape of HCC is of paramount importance. Tumor-infiltrating T cells, including cytotoxic T cells, regulatory T cells, and natural killer T cells, are key components in the antitumor immune response. This review aims to shed light on their intricate interactions within the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and explores potential strategies for revitalizing dysfunctional T cells. Additionally, current immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based trials, ICI-based combination therapies, and CAR-T- or TCR-T-cell therapies for HCC are summarized, which might further improve OS and transform the management of HCC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaokun Chen
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China; (X.C.); (X.L.)
- Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China; (X.C.); (X.L.)
| | - Shunda Du
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China; (X.C.); (X.L.)
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8
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Roy AM, Iyer R, Chakraborty S. The extracellular matrix in hepatocellular carcinoma: Mechanisms and therapeutic vulnerability. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101170. [PMID: 37652015 PMCID: PMC10518608 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is influenced by a "disorganized" extracellular matrix (ECM) that sensitizes cancer cells toward mechanical stress, signaling, and structural alterations. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), lack of knowledge about key ECM proteins driving the TME refractory to targeted therapies poses a barrier to the identification of new therapeutic targets. Herein, we discuss the contributions of various ECM components that impact hepatocytes and their surrounding support network during tumorigenesis. In addition, the underpinnings by which ECM proteins transduce mechanical signals to the liver TME are detailed. Finally, in view of the bidirectional feedback between the ECM, transformed hepatocytes, and immune cells, we highlight the potential role of the ECM disorganization process in shaping responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies. Our comprehensive characterization of these ECM components may provide a roadmap for innovative therapeutic approaches to restrain HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arya Mariam Roy
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Renuka Iyer
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
| | - Sayan Chakraborty
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; Program of Developmental Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263.
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9
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Han Z, Dai H, Chen X, Gao L, Chen X, Yan C, Ye R, Li Y. Delta-radiomics models based on multi-phase contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging can preoperatively predict glypican-3-positive hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1138239. [PMID: 37601639 PMCID: PMC10435992 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1138239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the value of multi-phase contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) based on the delta radiomics model for identifying glypican-3 (GPC3)-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: One hundred and twenty-six patients with pathologically confirmed HCC (training cohort: n = 88 and validation cohort: n = 38) were retrospectively recruited. Basic information was obtained from medical records. Preoperative multi-phase CE-MRI images were reviewed, and the 3D volumes of interest (VOIs) of the whole tumor were delineated on non-contrast T1-weighted imaging (T1), arterial phase (AP), portal venous phase (PVP), delayed phase (DP), and hepatobiliary phase (HBP). One hundred and seven original radiomics features were extracted from each phase, and delta-radiomics features were calculated. After a two-step feature selection strategy, radiomics models were built using two classification algorithms. A nomogram was constructed by combining the best radiomics model and clinical risk factors. Results: Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (p = 0.013) was significantly related to GPC3-positive HCC. The optimal radiomics model is composed of eight delta-radiomics features with the AUC of 0.805 and 0.857 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The nomogram integrated the radiomics score, and AFP performed excellently (training cohort: AUC = 0.844 and validation cohort: AUC = 0.862). The calibration curve showed good agreement between the nomogram-predicted probabilities and GPC3 actual expression in both training and validation cohorts. Decision curve analysis further demonstrates the clinical practicality of the nomogram. Conclusion: Multi-phase CE-MRI based on the delta-radiomics model can non-invasively predict GPC3-positive HCC and can be a useful method for individualized diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zewen Han
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- School of Medical Imaging, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hanting Dai
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- School of Medical Imaging, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Lanmei Gao
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xiaojie Chen
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Chuan Yan
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Rongping Ye
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yueming Li
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Key Laboratory of Radiation Biology (Fujian Medical University), Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
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10
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Bhatt A, Wu J. Immunotherapy for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol 2023; 29:2261-2271. [PMID: 37124885 PMCID: PMC10134420 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i15.2261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is presented frequently in late stages that are not amenable for curative treatment. Even for patients who can undergo resection for curative treatment of HCC, up to 50% recur. For patients who were not exposed to systemic therapy prior to recurrence, recurrence frequently cannot be subjected to curative therapy or local treatments. Such patients have several options of immunotherapy (IO). This includes programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T- lymphocyte associated protein 4 treatment, combination of PD-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor or single agent PD-1 therapy when all other options are deemed inappropriate. There are also investigational therapies in this area that explore either PD-1 and tyrosine kinase inhibitors or a novel agent in addition to PD-1 with vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors. This mini-review explored IO options for patients with recurrent HCC who were not exposed to systemic therapy at the initial diagnosis. We also discussed potential IO options for patients with recurrent HCC who were exposed to first-line therapy with curative intent at diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahan Bhatt
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perlmutter Cancer Center of NYU Langone Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - Jennifer Wu
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perlmutter Cancer Center of NYU Langone Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, United States
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11
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Burciu C, Șirli R, Bende R, Popa A, Vuletici D, Miuțescu B, Rațiu I, Popescu A, Sporea I, Dănilă M. A Statistical Approach to the Diagnosis and Prediction of HCC Using CK19 and Glypican 3 Biomarkers. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13071253. [PMID: 37046471 PMCID: PMC10092964 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13071253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Various statistical models predict the probability of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis, with GALAD being one of the most extensively studied scores. Biomarkers like alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), AFP-L3, and des-g-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) are widely used alone or in conjunction with ultrasound to screen for HCC. Our study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Cytokeratin 19 (CK19) and Glypican-3 (GPC3) as standalone biomarkers and in a statistical model to predict the likelihood of HCC. We conducted a monocentric prospective study involving 154 participants with previously diagnosed liver cirrhosis, divided into two groups: 95 patients with confirmed HCC based on clinical, biological, and imaging features and 59 patients without HCC. We measured the levels of AFP, AFP-L3, DCP, GPC3, and CK19 in both groups. We used univariate and multivariate statistical analyses to evaluate the ability of GPC3 and CK19 to predict the presence of HCC and incorporated them into a statistical model—the GALKA score—which was then compared to the GALAD score. AFP performed better than AFP-F3, DCP, GPC3, and CK19 in predicting the presence of HCC in our cohort. Additionally, GPC3 outperformed CK19. We used multivariate analysis to compute the GALKA score to predict the presence of HCC. Using these predictors, the following score was formulated: 0.005*AFP-L3 + 0.00069*AFP + 0.000066*GPC3 + 0.01*CK19 + 0.235*Serum Albumin—0.277. The optimal cutoff was >0.32 (AUROC = 0.98, sensitivity: 96.8%, specificity: 93%, positive predictive value—95.8%, negative predictive value—94.8%). The GALKA score had a similar predictive value to the GALAD score for the presence of HCC. In conclusion, AFP, AFP-L3, and DCP were the best biomarkers for predicting the likelihood of HCC. Our score performed well overall and was comparable to the GALAD score.
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Affiliation(s)
- Călin Burciu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
- Advanced Regional Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 30041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Roxana Șirli
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
- Advanced Regional Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 30041 Timisoara, Romania
- Correspondence:
| | - Renata Bende
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
- Advanced Regional Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 30041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Alexandru Popa
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
- Advanced Regional Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 30041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Deiana Vuletici
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
- Advanced Regional Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 30041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Bogdan Miuțescu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
- Advanced Regional Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 30041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Iulia Rațiu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
- Advanced Regional Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 30041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Alina Popescu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
- Advanced Regional Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 30041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Ioan Sporea
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
- Advanced Regional Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 30041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Mirela Dănilă
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania
- Advanced Regional Research Center in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 30041 Timisoara, Romania
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Arulanandam A, Lin L, Chang HM, Cerutti M, Choblet S, Gao P, Rath A, Bensussan A, Kadouche J, Teper D, Mandelboim O, Li W. Derivation and Preclinical Characterization of CYT-303, a Novel NKp46-NK Cell Engager Targeting GPC3. Cells 2023; 12:cells12070996. [PMID: 37048069 PMCID: PMC10093649 DOI: 10.3390/cells12070996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Glypican-3 (GPC3) is an oncofetal antigen that is highly expressed in multiple solid tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma, and is barely expressed in adult normal tissues except the placenta. NKp46 activation receptor is expressed in all-natural killer (NK) cells, including tumor-infiltrating NK cells. FLEX-NKTM is a platform for the production of tetravalent multifunctional antibody NK cell engagers (NKE). CYT-303 was designed using the FLEX-NK scaffold, incorporating a novel humanized NKp46 binder that does not induce NKp46 internalization and a humanized GPC3 binder that targets the membrane-proximal lobe to mediate NK cell-redirected killing of HCC tumors. CYT-303 shows sub-nanomolar binding affinities to both GPC3 and NKp46. CYT-303 was highly potent and effective in mediating NK cell-redirected cytotoxicity against multiple HCC tumor cell lines and tumor spheroids. More interestingly, it can reverse the dysfunction induced in NK cells following repeated rounds of serial killing of tumors. It also mediated antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity against GPC3-expressing HCC tumors. In vivo, CYT-303 showed no toxicity or cytokine release in cynomolgus monkeys up to the highest dose (60 mg/kg), administered weekly by intravenous infusion for 28 days. These results demonstrate the potential of CYT-303 to be a safe and effective therapy against HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Liang Lin
- Cytovia Therapeutics, Inc., Natick, MA 01760, USA
| | | | - Martine Cerutti
- Baculovirus and Therapy, UAR3426 Biocampus, Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 34293 Montpellier CEDEX 5, France
| | - Sylvie Choblet
- Baculovirus and Therapy, UAR3426 Biocampus, Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 34293 Montpellier CEDEX 5, France
| | - Peng Gao
- Cytovia Therapeutics, Inc., Natick, MA 01760, USA
| | - Armin Rath
- Cytovia Therapeutics, Inc., Natick, MA 01760, USA
| | - Armand Bensussan
- CLCC de Reims, U976 and Institut Godinot, The Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), 1 Rue Du General Koenig, 51726 Reims CEDEX, France
| | | | - Daniel Teper
- Cytovia Therapeutics, Inc., Natick, MA 01760, USA
| | - Ofer Mandelboim
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12272, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Wei Li
- Cytovia Therapeutics, Inc., Natick, MA 01760, USA
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Luo YZ, Zhu H. Immunotherapy for advanced or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2023; 15:405-424. [PMID: 37009314 PMCID: PMC10052663 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i3.405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with high morbidity and mortality, and is prone to intra- and extrahepatic metastasis due to the anatomical and functional characteristics of the liver. Due to the complexity and high relapse rate associated with radical surgery or radiofrequency ablation, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are increasingly being used to treat HCC. Several immunotherapeutic agents, along with their combinations, have been clinically approved to treat advanced or recurrent HCC. This review discusses the leading ICIs in practice and those currently undergoing randomized phase 1–3 trials as monotherapy or combination therapy. Furthermore, we summarize the rapidly developing alternative strategies such as chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cell therapy and tumor vaccines. Combination therapy is a promising potential treatment option. These immunotherapies are also summarized in this review, which provides insights into the advantages, limitations, and novel angles for future research in establishing viable and alternative therapies against HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Zhe Luo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Hong Zhu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
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14
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Yang H, Wang L. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans in cancer: Pathogenesis and therapeutic potential. Adv Cancer Res 2023; 157:251-291. [PMID: 36725112 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2022.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are glycoproteins that consist of a proteoglycan "core" protein and covalently attached heparan sulfate (HS) chain. HSPGs are ubiquitously expressed in mammalian cells on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and secretory vesicles. Within HSPGs, the protein cores determine when and where HSPG expression takes place, and the HS chains mediate most of HSPG's biological roles through binding various protein ligands, including cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and receptors, morphogens, proteases, protease inhibitors, and ECM proteins. Through these interactions, HSPGs modulate cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis to display essential functions in physiology and pathology. Under physiological conditions, the expression and localization of HSPGs are finely regulated to orchestrate their physiological functions, and this is disrupted in cancer. The HSPG dysregulation elicits multiple oncogenic signaling, including growth factor signaling, ECM and Integrin signaling, chemokine and immune signaling, cancer stem cell, cell differentiation, apoptosis, and senescence, to prompt cell transformation, proliferation, tumor invasion and metastasis, tumor angiogenesis and inflammation, and immunotolerance. These oncogenic roles make HSPGs an attractive pharmacological target for anti-cancer therapy. Several therapeutic strategies have been under development, including anti-HSPG antibodies, peptides and HS mimetics, synthetic xylosides, and heparinase inhibitors, and shown promising anti-cancer efficacy. Therefore, much progress has been made in this line of study. However, it needs to bear in mind that the roles of HSPGs in cancer can be either oncogenic or tumor-suppressive, depending on the HSPG and the cancer cell type with the underlying mechanisms that remain obscure. Further studies need to address these to fill the knowledge gap and rationalize more efficient therapeutic targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Yang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Lianchun Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States; Bryd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States.
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15
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Karaoğullarindan Ü, Gümürdülü Y, Üsküdar O, Odabaş E, Güler HS, Tozluklu N, Bağir E, Kuran S. Prognostic value and morphological findings of overexpression of glypican-3 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 35:89-93. [PMID: 36165051 DOI: 10.1097/MEG.0000000000002452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the seventh most common cancer all worldwide and is second in cancer-related deaths. In HCC, whose prognosis is still not good despite current treatments, there is a need for prognostic markers as well as early diagnosis. Glypican (GPC)-3 has been proposed as a potential serologic and histochemical marker specific to HCC. This study aimed to determine the relationship between GPC3 overexpression and HCC prognosis and clinicomorphologic features. MATERIALS AND METHODS In total 152 patients who were diagnosed as a result of hepatectomy, lobectomy or liver transplantation were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups, GPC3-positive (overexpression) (>10%) and GPC3-negative (<10%). The demographic data of the patients, tumor characteristics and survival times were recorded. RESULTS Survival was significantly lower in the GPC3+ group. In the multivariate analysis, hepatitis C, AFP, tumor number, tumor focality, portal vein tumor thrombosis and GLP3 positivity were found to be independent risk factors for survival. CONCLUSION Our study shows that GPC3 overexpression is a poor prognostic factor in HCC. GPC3 positivity were found to be an independent risk factor for survival.
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Wu T, Song Z, Huang H, Jakos T, Jiang H, Xie Y, Zhu J. Construction and evaluation of GPC3-targeted immunotoxins as a novel therapeutic modality for hepatocellular carcinoma. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 113:109393. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Harkus U, Wankell M, Palamuthusingam P, McFarlane C, Hebbard L. Immune checkpoint inhibitors in HCC: Cellular, molecular and systemic data. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:799-815. [PMID: 35065242 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths in the world, and for patients with advanced disease there are few therapeutic options available. The complex immunological microenvironment of HCC and the success of immunotherapy in several types of tumours, has raised the prospect of potential benefit for immune based therapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), in HCC. This has led to significant breakthrough research, numerous clinical trials and the rapid approval of multiple systemic drugs for HCC by regulatory bodies worldwide. Although some patients responded well to ICIs, many have failed to achieve significant benefit, while others showed unexpected and paradoxical deterioration. The aim of this review is to discuss the pathophysiology of HCC, the tumour microenvironment, key clinical trials evaluating ICIs in HCC, various resistance mechanisms to ICIs, and possible ways to overcome these impediments to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uasim Harkus
- Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Miriam Wankell
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine and Health, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Pranavan Palamuthusingam
- College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; Mater Hospital, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Craig McFarlane
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine and Health, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Lionel Hebbard
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine and Health, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead Hospital and University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2145, Australia.
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Cerrito L, Ainora ME, Mosoni C, Borriello R, Gasbarrini A, Zocco MA. Prognostic Role of Molecular and Imaging Biomarkers for Predicting Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment Efficacy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4647. [PMID: 36230569 PMCID: PMC9564154 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Molecular biomarkers play a marginal role in clinical practice for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis, surveillance and treatment monitoring. Radiological biomarker: alpha-fetoprotein is still a lone protagonist in this field. The potential role of molecular biomarkers in the assessment of prognosis and treatment results could reduce the health costs faced by standard radiology. The majority of efforts are oriented towards early HCC detection, but the field faces an important challenge to find adequate biomarkers for advanced HCC management. Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide and the fourth cause of tumor-related death. Imaging biomarkers are based on computed tomography, magnetic resonance, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and are widely applied in HCC diagnosis and treatment monitoring. Unfortunately, in the field of molecular biomarkers, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is still the only recognized tool for HCC surveillance in both diagnostic and follow-up purposes. Other molecular biomarkers have little roles in clinical practice regarding HCC, mainly for the detection of early-stage HCC, monitoring the response to treatments and analyzing tumor prognosis. In the last decades no important improvements have been achieved in this field and imaging biomarkers maintain the primacy in HCC diagnosis and follow-up. Despite the still inconsistent role of molecular biomarkers in surveillance and early HCC detection, they could play an outstanding role in prognosis estimation and treatment monitoring with a potential reduction in health costs faced by standard radiology. An important challenge resides in identifying sufficiently sensitive and specific biomarkers for advanced HCC for prognostic evaluation and detection of tumor progression, overcoming imaging biomarker sensitivity. The aim of this review is to analyze the current molecular and imaging biomarkers in advanced HCC.
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Mossenta M, Busato D, Dal Bo M, Macor P, Toffoli G. Novel Nanotechnology Approaches to Overcome Drug Resistance in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Glypican 3 as a Useful Target for Innovative Therapies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:10038. [PMID: 36077433 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231710038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most lethal tumor, with a 5-year survival rate of 18%. Early stage HCC is potentially treatable by therapies with curative intent, whereas chemoembolization/radioembolization and systemic therapies are the only therapeutic options for intermediate or advanced HCC. Drug resistance is a critical obstacle in the treatment of HCC that could be overcome by the use of targeted nanoparticle-based therapies directed towards specific tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) to improve drug delivery. Glypican 3 (GPC3) is a member of the glypican family, heparan sulfate proteoglycans bound to the cell surface via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. The high levels of GPC3 detected in HCC and the absence or very low levels in normal and non-malignant liver make GPC3 a promising TAA candidate for targeted nanoparticle-based therapies. The use of nanoparticles conjugated with anti-GPC3 agents may improve drug delivery, leading to a reduction in severe side effects caused by chemotherapy and increased drug release at the tumor site. In this review, we describe the main clinical features of HCC and the common treatment approaches. We propose the proteoglycan GPC3 as a useful TAA for targeted therapies. Finally, we describe nanotechnology approaches for anti-GPC3 drug delivery systems based on NPs for HCC treatment.
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Chen Y, Qin Y, Wu Y, Wei H, Wei Y, Zhang Z, Duan T, Jiang H, Song B. Preoperative prediction of glypican-3 positive expression in solitary hepatocellular carcinoma on gadoxetate-disodium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Front Immunol 2022; 13:973153. [PMID: 36091074 PMCID: PMC9453305 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.973153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose As a coreceptor in Wnt and HGF signaling, glypican-3 (GPC-3) promotes the progression of tumor and is associated with a poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). GPC-3 has evolved as a target molecule in various immunotherapies, including chimeric antigen receptor T cell. However, its evaluation still relies on invasive histopathologic examination. Therefore, we aimed to develop an easy-to-use and noninvasive risk score integrating preoperative gadoxetic acid–enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (EOB-MRI) and clinical indicators to predict positive GPC-3 expression in HCC. Methods and materials Consecutive patients with surgically-confirmed solitary HCC who underwent preoperative EOB-MRI between January 2016 and November 2021 were retrospectively included. EOB-MRI features were independently evaluated by two masked abdominal radiologists and the expression of GPC-3 was determined by two liver pathologists. On the training dataset, a predictive scoring system for GPC-3 was developed against pathology via logistical regression analysis. Model performances were characterized by computing areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs). Results A total of 278 patients (training set, n=156; internal validation set, n=39; external validation set, n=83) with solitary HCC (208 [75%] with positive GPC-3 expression) were included. Serum alpha-fetoprotein >10 ng/ml (AFP, odds ratio [OR]=2.3, four points) and five EOB-MR imaging features, including tumor size >3.0cm (OR=0.5, -3 points), nonperipheral “washout” (OR=3.0, five points), infiltrative appearance (OR=9.3, 10 points), marked diffusion restriction (OR=3.3, five points), and iron sparing in solid mass (OR=0.2, -7 points) were significantly associated with positive GPC-3 expression. The optimal threshold of scoring system for predicting GPC-3 positive expression was 5.5 points, with AUC 0.726 and 0.681 on the internal and external validation sets, respectively. Conclusion Based on serum AFP and five EOB-MRI features, we developed an easy-to-use and noninvasive risk score which could accurately predict positive GPC-3 HCC, which may help identify potential responders for GPC-3-targeted immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidi Chen
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yun Qin
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuanan Wu
- Big Data Research Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Hong Wei
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Wei
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ting Duan
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hanyu Jiang
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Hanyu Jiang, ; Bin Song,
| | - Bin Song
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Radiology, Sanya People’s Hospital, Sanya, China
- *Correspondence: Hanyu Jiang, ; Bin Song,
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Sun H, Xing C, Jiang S, Yu K, Dai S, Kong H, Jin Y, Shan Y, Yang W, Wang Z, Xiao J, Wang H, Wang W, Li Z, Shi K. Long term complete response of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma to glypican-3 specific chimeric antigen receptor T-Cells plus sorafenib, a case report. Front Immunol 2022; 13:963031. [PMID: 36059488 PMCID: PMC9428446 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.963031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The clinical efficacy of current therapies for Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are unsatisfactory. In recent years, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies have been developed for solid tumors including advanced HCC (aHCC), but limited progress has been made. Glypican-3 is a promising immunotherapeutic target for HCC since it is specifically highly expressed in HCC. A previous study indicated that GPC3-targeted CAR T-(CAR-GPC3) cells were well-tolerated and had prolonged survival for HCC patients and that Sorafenib could increase the antitumor activities of CAR-GPC3 T-cells against HCC in mouse models. Here, we report a patient with aHCC who achieved a complete response (CR) and a long survival period after the combination therapy of CAR-GPC3 T-cell plus sorafenib.A 60-year-old Asian male diagnosed with hepatitis B virus (HBV) related HCC developed liver recurrence and lung metastasis after liver tumor resection and trans-arterial chemoembolization therapy. The patient also previously received microwave ablation therapy for lung metastasis. After the enrollment, the patient underwent leukapheresis for CAR-GPC3 T-cells manufacturing. Seven days after leukapheresis, the patient started to receive 400 mg of Sorafenib twice daily. The patient received 4 cycles of CAR-GPC3 T cells (CT011) treatment and each cycle was divided into two infusions. Prior to each cycle of CT011 treatment, lymphodepletion was performed. The lymphodepletion regimen was cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2/day for 2 to 3 days, and fludarabine 20-25 mg/m2/day for 3 to 4 days. A total of 4×109 CAR-GPC3 T cells were infused. The CT011 plus Sorafenib combination therapy was well tolerated. All the ≥ grade 3 AEs were hematological toxicities which were deemed an expected event caused by the preconditioning regimen. This patient obtained partial responses from the 3rd month and achieved CR in the 12th month after the first cycle of CT011 infusion according to the RECIST1.1 assessment. The tumor had no progression for more than 36 months and maintained the CR status for more than 24 months after the first infusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Sun
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Chongyun Xing
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Songfu Jiang
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Kang Yu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Shengjie Dai
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Hongru Kong
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yuepeng Jin
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yunfeng Shan
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Wenjun Yang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- CARsgen Therapeutics Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Xiao
- CARsgen Therapeutics Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | | | - Wei Wang
- CARsgen Therapeutics Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Zonghai Li
- CARsgen Therapeutics Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Keqing Shi
- Translational Medicine Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Keqing Shi,
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22
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Ahmad E, Ali A, Nimisha, Kumar Sharma A, Apurva, Kumar A, Dar GM, Sumayya Abdul Sattar R, Verma R, Mahajan B, Singh Saluja S. Molecular markers in cancer. Clin Chim Acta 2022; 532:95-114. [DOI: https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2022.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
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23
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Ahmad E, Ali A, Nimisha, Kumar Sharma A, Apurva, Kumar A, Mehdi G, Sumayya Abdul Sattar R, Verma R, Mahajan B, Singh Saluja S. Molecular markers in cancer. Clin Chim Acta 2022; 532:95-114. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2022.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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24
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Gao R, Yan J, Li P, Chen L. Detecting the critical states during disease development based on temporal network flow entropy. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:6587172. [PMID: 35580862 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex diseases progression can be generally divided into three states, which are normal state, predisease/critical state and disease state. The sudden deterioration of diseases can be viewed as a bifurcation or a critical transition. Therefore, hunting for the tipping point or critical state is of great importance to prevent the disease deterioration. However, it is still a challenging task to detect the critical states of complex diseases with high-dimensional data, especially based on an individual. In this study, we develop a new method based on network fluctuation of molecules, temporal network flow entropy (TNFE) or temporal differential network flow entropy, to detect the critical states of complex diseases on the basis of each individual. By applying this method to a simulated dataset and six real diseases, including respiratory viral infections and tumors with four time-course and two stage-course high-dimensional omics datasets, the critical states before deterioration were detected and their dynamic network biomarkers were identified successfully. The results on the simulated dataset indicate that the TNFE method is robust under different noise strengths, and is also superior to the existing methods on detecting the critical states. Moreover, the analysis on the real datasets demonstrated the effectiveness of TNFE for providing early-warning signals on various diseases. In addition, we also predicted disease deterioration risk and identified drug targets for cancers based on stage-wise data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Gao
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, China
| | - Jinling Yan
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, China
| | - Peiluan Li
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, China
| | - Luonan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.,Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China.,Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin, Zhuhai, Guangdong 519031, China.,International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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25
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Dituri F, Gigante G, Scialpi R, Mancarella S, Fabregat I, Giannelli G. Proteoglycans in Cancer: Friends or Enemies? A Special Focus on Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14081902. [PMID: 35454809 PMCID: PMC9024587 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14081902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Proteoglycans affect multiple molecular and cellular processes during the progression of solid tumors with a highly desmoplastic stroma, such as HCC. Due to their role in enhancing or limiting the traits of cancer cells underlying their aggressiveness, such as proliferation, angiogenesis, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and stemness, these macromolecules could be exploited as molecular targets or therapeutic agents. Proteoglycans, such as biglycan, versican, syndecan-1, glypican-3, and agrin, promote HCC cell proliferation, EMT, and angiogenesis, while endostatin and proteoglycan 4 were shown to impair cancer neovascularization or to enhance the sensitivity of HCC cells to drugs, such as sorafenib and regorafenib. Based on this evidence, interventional strategies involving the use of humanized monoclonal antibodies, T cells engineered with chimeric antigen receptors, or recombinant proteins mimicking potentially curative proteoglycans, are being employed or may be adopted in the near future for the treatment of HCC. Abstract Proteoglycans are a class of highly glycosylated proteins expressed in virtually all tissues, which are localized within membranes, but more often in the pericellular space and extracellular matrix (ECM), and are involved in tissue homeostasis and remodeling of the stromal microenvironment during physiological and pathological processes, such as tissue regeneration, angiogenesis, and cancer. In general, proteoglycans can perform signaling activities and influence a range of physical, chemical, and biological tissue properties, including the diffusivity of small electrolytes and nutrients and the bioavailability of growth factors. While the dysregulated expression of some proteoglycans is observed in many cancers, whether they act as supporters or limiters of neoplastic progression is still a matter of controversy, as the tumor promoting or suppressive function of some proteoglycans is context dependent. The participation of multiple proteoglycans in organ regeneration (as demonstrated for the liver in hepatectomy mouse models) and in cancer suggests that these molecules actively influence cell growth and motility, thus contributing to key events that characterize neoplastic progression. In this review, we outline the main roles of proteoglycans in the physiology and pathology of cancers, with a special mention to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), highlighting the translational potential of proteoglycans as targets or therapeutic agents for the treatment of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Dituri
- National Institute of Gastroenterology Saverio de Bellis, IRCCS Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy; (G.G.); (R.S.); (S.M.); (G.G.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Gianluigi Gigante
- National Institute of Gastroenterology Saverio de Bellis, IRCCS Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy; (G.G.); (R.S.); (S.M.); (G.G.)
| | - Rosanna Scialpi
- National Institute of Gastroenterology Saverio de Bellis, IRCCS Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy; (G.G.); (R.S.); (S.M.); (G.G.)
| | - Serena Mancarella
- National Institute of Gastroenterology Saverio de Bellis, IRCCS Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy; (G.G.); (R.S.); (S.M.); (G.G.)
| | - Isabel Fabregat
- Oncobell Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), CIBEREHD and University of Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Gianluigi Giannelli
- National Institute of Gastroenterology Saverio de Bellis, IRCCS Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy; (G.G.); (R.S.); (S.M.); (G.G.)
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26
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Zheng X, Liu X, Lei Y, Wang G, Liu M. Glypican-3: A Novel and Promising Target for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:824208. [PMID: 35251989 PMCID: PMC8889910 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.824208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Glypican-3 (GPC3) is a membrane-associated proteoglycan that is specifically up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) although rarely or not expressed in normal liver tissues, making it a perfect diagnostic and treatment target for HCC. Several GPC3-based clinical trials are ongoing and recently several innovative GPC3-targeted therapeutic methods have emerged with exciting results, including GPC3 vaccine, anti-GPC3 immunotoxin, combined therapy with immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs), and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T or NK cells. Here, we review the value of GPC3 in the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC, together with its signaling pathways, with a specific focus on GPC3-targeted treatments of HCC and some prospects for the future GPC3-based therapeutic strategies in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiufeng Zheng
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xun Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanna Lei
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Gang Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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27
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Shi H, Huttad LV, Tan M, Liu H, Chua MS, Cheng Z, So S. NIR-II imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma based on a humanized anti-GPC3 antibody. RSC Med Chem 2022; 13:90-97. [PMID: 35224499 PMCID: PMC8792977 DOI: 10.1039/d1md00313e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer, of which hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form, is one of the most lethal cancers worldwide. The five-year survival rate for HCC is below 9%, which can be attributed to late diagnosis and limited treatment options at the late stage. Therefore, safe and efficient imaging strategies are urgently needed to facilitate HCC diagnosis and stage evaluation. The development of the second near infrared window (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) fluorescence imaging offers the advantages of enhanced resolutions, deeper penetration depth, and less autofluorescence compared to traditional NIR-I window (700-900 nm) imaging. Herein, an HCC targeted NIR-II fluorescent probe, GPC-ICG, was developed by labelling a humanized anti-GPC3 monoclonal antibody with indocyanine green (ICG). Compared to the negative control IgG-ICG probe, the GPC3-ICG probe demonstrated specific GPC3 targeting capability in vitro. And for GPC3 positive Huh-7 tumor bearing mice, the GPC3-ICG probe specifically accumulated in subcutaneous xenografts, with a tumor-background ratio (TBR) of up to 3. The NIR-II imaging of mice organs ex vivo also indicated that GPC3-ICG specifically targeted Huh-7 tumor tissue. Overall, GPC3-ICG is a promising NIR-II probe for GPC3 targeted imaging of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Shi
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Life and Health Sciences, Northeastern University Shenyang 110000 China
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology and Bio-X Program, Stanford University Stanford CA 94305 USA
| | - Lakshmi Vageesh Huttad
- Asian Liver Center, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, School of Medicine Stanford CA 94305 USA
| | - Mingdian Tan
- Asian Liver Center, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, School of Medicine Stanford CA 94305 USA
| | - Hongguang Liu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Life and Health Sciences, Northeastern University Shenyang 110000 China
| | - Mei-Sze Chua
- Asian Liver Center, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, School of Medicine Stanford CA 94305 USA
| | - Zhen Cheng
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology and Bio-X Program, Stanford University Stanford CA 94305 USA
- Molecular Imaging Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai 201203 China
- Bohai rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery Yantai 264000 China
| | - Samuel So
- Asian Liver Center, Department of Surgery, Stanford University, School of Medicine Stanford CA 94305 USA
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28
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Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has made remarkable progress in the past decade. Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) have acquired much attention as the next generation strategy of antibody-target cancer immunotherapy, which overwhelmingly focus on T cell recruitment and dual receptors blockade. So far, BsAb drugs have been proved clinically effective and approved for the treatment of hematologic malignancies, but no BsAb have been approved in solid tumors. Numerous designed BsAb drugs for solid tumors are now undergoing evaluation in clinical trials. In this review, we will introduce the formats of bispecific antibodies, and then update the latest preclinical studies and clinical trials in solid tumors of BsAbs targeting EpCAM, CEA, PMSA, ErbB family, and so on. Finally, we discuss the BsAb-related adverse effects and the alternative strategy for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuze Wu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ming Yi
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shuangli Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Haiyong Wang
- Beijing Anjianxi Medicinal Technology Co., Ltd., No.2 Cuiwei Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100036, China.
| | - Kongming Wu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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29
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Mir IH, Jyothi KC, Thirunavukkarasu C. The prominence of potential biomarkers in the diagnosis and management of hepatocellular carcinoma: Current scenario and future anticipation. J Cell Biochem 2021; 123:1607-1623. [PMID: 34897788 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most aggressive and truculent types of cancer. Early detection of HCC is a massive concern that can boost the overall survival rates of HCC patients. As a result, there is a continual quest for advancements in screening, diagnosis, and treatment strategies to enhance the prognosis at its early stages. However, the confluence of inflammation and cirrhosis hampers the early detection of HCC. The analysis of different types of biomarkers such as tissue biomarkers, serum biomarkers, protein biomarkers, autoantibody markers, and improved imaging techniques has played a vital role in ameliorating HCC monitoring responses. Therefore biomarkers that can identify HCC early with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity might be prodigiously serviceable in the diagnosis and treatment of this notorious disorder. This study offers an overview of the contemporary understanding of several types of biomarkers implicated in hepatocarcinogenesis and their applications in monitoring, diagnosis, and prognosis presage. In additament, we address the role of image techniques associated with HCC diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishfaq Hassan Mir
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
| | - K C Jyothi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
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30
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Marques C, Reis CA, Vivès RR, Magalhães A. Heparan Sulfate Biosynthesis and Sulfation Profiles as Modulators of Cancer Signalling and Progression. Front Oncol 2021; 11:778752. [PMID: 34858858 PMCID: PMC8632541 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.778752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans (HSPGs) are important cell surface and Extracellular Matrix (ECM) maestros involved in the orchestration of multiple cellular events in physiology and pathology. These glycoconjugates bind to various bioactive proteins via their Heparan Sulfate (HS) chains, but also through the protein backbone, and function as scaffolds for protein-protein interactions, modulating extracellular ligand gradients, cell signalling networks and cell-cell/cell-ECM interactions. The structural features of HS chains, including length and sulfation patterns, are crucial for the biological roles displayed by HSPGs, as these features determine HS chains binding affinities and selectivity. The large HS structural diversity results from a tightly controlled biosynthetic pathway that is differently regulated in different organs, stages of development and pathologies, including cancer. This review addresses the regulatory mechanisms underlying HS biosynthesis, with a particular focus on the catalytic activity of the enzymes responsible for HS glycan sequences and sulfation motifs, namely D-Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase, N- and O-Sulfotransferases. Moreover, we provide insights on the impact of different HS structural epitopes over HSPG-protein interactions and cell signalling, as well as on the effects of deregulated expression of HS modifying enzymes in the development and progression of cancer. Finally, we discuss the clinical potential of HS biosynthetic enzymes as novel targets for therapy, and highlight the importance of developing new HS-based tools for better patients' stratification and cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Marques
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal.,Programa Doutoral em Biologia Molecular e Celular (MCbiology), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Celso A Reis
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto (FMUP), Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Ana Magalhães
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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31
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Mohamed DAW, Elazeem HMA, Al-Hameid HA, Mohamed RH, Abdel-Salam MF, Abuelela S, Abozeid AA, Mohamad MI. Low dose pterostilbene-mediated hepatic chemoprevention in diethylnitrosamine-treated rats: Modulation of Ppar alpha, Nrf2 and Capase3 expression. Gene Reports 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2021.101353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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32
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Bao S, Gu J, Gan K, Fang Y, Wang T, Lin J, Zeng Z, Huang H. Glypican-3 and hepatocyte paraffin-1 combined with alpha-fetoprotein as a novel risk scoring model for predicting early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after curative resection. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 33:e603-9. [PMID: 34034276 DOI: 10.1097/MEG.0000000000002175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND At present, the predictive model of postsurgical recurrence for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not well-established. The aim of this study was to develop a novel model for prediction of postsurgical recurrence and survival for HCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data from 112 patients who underwent curative liver resection from June 2014 to June 2017 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University were collected retrospectively. Through the statistical analysis, we combined the results of glypican-3 (GPC3) and hepatocyte paraffin-1 (Heppar1) chemical staining in tumor tissues and preoperative alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, and assigned risk scores to them, respectively, to establish an improved prognostic model for predicting recurrence in these patients. RESULTS By univariate and multivariate analysis, AFP level [cut-off value: 382 ng/ml, area under the curve (AUC) = 0.652, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.539-0.765, P < 0.05] and GPC3/Heppar1 expression pattern from 10 putative prognostic factors were entered in risk factor scoring model to conjecture the tumor recurrence. At 36 months after liver resection, the recurrence rate of high-risk group in the novel risk scoring model reached 45.6%, which was significantly higher than that of low-risk group (9.1%). In this experiment, the AUC value of the model was 0.741 (95% CI = 0.644-0.839, P < 0.001), which was the highest among all the elements. CONCLUSION The novel risk scoring model of combing AFP cut-off value and GPC3/Heppar1 were shown to be effective at predicting early recurrence of HCC after curative resection.
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Jin X, Liu X, Zhou Z, Ding Y, Wu Y, Qiu J, Shen C. Identification of HLA-A2 restricted epitopes of glypican-3 and induction of CTL responses in HLA-A2 transgenic mice. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 71:1569-1582. [PMID: 34724090 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-021-03096-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with high mortality, but lacks effective treatments. Carcinoembryonic antigen glypican-3 (GPC3) is a tumor-associated antigen overexpressed in HCC but rarely expressed in healthy individuals and thus is one of the most promising therapeutic targets. T cell epitope-based vaccines may bring light to HCC patients, especially to the patients at a late stage. However, few epitopes from GPC3 were identified to date, which limited the application of GPC3-derived epitopes in immunotherapy and T cell function detection. In this study, a total of 25 HLA-A0201 restricted GPC3 epitopes were in silico predicted and selected as candidate epitopes. Then, HLA-A0201+/GPC3+ HCC patients' PBMCs were collected and co-stimulated with the candidate epitope peptides in ex vivo IFN-γ Elispot assay, by which five epitopes were identified as real-world epitopes. Their capacity to elicit specific CD8+ T cells activation and proliferation was further confirmed by in vitro co-cultures of patients' PBMCs with peptide, in vitro co-cultures of healthy donors' PBLs with DCs and peptide, T2 cell binding assay as well as HLA-A2 molecule stability assay. Moreover, the in vivo immunogenicity of the five validated epitopes was confirmed by peptides cocktail/poly(I:C) vaccination in HLA-A0201/DR1 transgenic mice. Robust epitope-specific CD8+ T cell responses and cytotoxicity targeting HepG2 cells were observed as detected by IFN-γ Elispot, intracellular IFN-γ staining and cytolysis assay. This study provided novel GPC3 CTL epitopes for the development of T cell epitope vaccines and evaluation of GPC3 specific T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Jin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaotao Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zining Zhou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan Ding
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yandan Wu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Qiu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, The Second Hospital of Nanjing Affiliated To Southeast University, Nanjing, 210003, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Chuanlai Shen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China. .,Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
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34
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Jot K, Urs AB, Kumar P. Does Loss of Immunohistochemical Expression of Glypican 3 in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Play a Role in the Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway? Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2021; 29:693-699. [PMID: 34091531 DOI: 10.1097/pai.0000000000000955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Glypican 3 (GPC3) is a cell membrane protein and plays a dual role, as a tumor suppressor and oncogene, depending on its structure. It is known to regulate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and affect cell growth and proliferation. β-catenin plays a major oncogenic role in progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC); thus, this study aimed to explore the relationship between β-catenin and GPC3 in OSCC. Immunoexpression of GPC3 and β-catenin was evaluated semiquantitatively in tumor tissue (n=80) and normal oral mucosa tissue (n=20). For GPC3, the percentage of stained cells and the staining intensity were assessed. For β-catenin, the percentage of stained cells, localization, and intensity of staining were assessed at the tumor-invasive front. The Pearson correlation was used to determine the correlation between the GPC3 and β-catenin immunoreactivity. Significantly decreased expression of GPC3 (P=0.008) and a highly significant difference in the case of localization of β-catenin (P=0.0001) were observed in OSCC when compared with normal oral mucosa. Cytoplasmic expression with a shift of β-catenin expression to the nucleus was seen in OSCC in comparison with primarily membranous and membranous and cytoplasmic staining in normal mucosa. A significant difference was observed with respect to localization of stain, with β-catenin staining moving to the nuclear compartment with an increase in the tumor grade (P=0.011). No correlation was observed between β-catenin and GPC3 expression in OSCC cases. It is concluded that loss of expression of GPC3 in OSCC compared with normal oral mucosa indicates that it plays the role of a tumor suppressor gene in OSCC and its expression is therefore silenced in OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Jot
- Department of Oral Pathology, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi, Delhi, India
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35
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Charneau J, Suzuki T, Shimomura M, Fujinami N, Nakatsura T. Peptide-Based Vaccines for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review of Recent Advances. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2021; 8:1035-1054. [PMID: 34513746 PMCID: PMC8424432 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s291558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary liver cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. After surgery, up to 70% of patients experience relapses. The current first-line therapy for advanced cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) comprises sorafenib and lenvatinib administered as single-drug therapies. Regorafenib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab are administered as second-line therapies. Recently, it has been reported that using the immune checkpoint inhibitors atezolizumab (anti-PDL1 antibody) and bevacizumab (anti-VEGF antibody) leads to longer overall survival of unresectable cases, when compared with the use of sorafenib. The role of cancer immunity against HCC has attracted the attention of clinicians. In this review, we describe our phase I/II clinical trials of peptide vaccines targeting GPC3 in HCC and discuss the potential of peptide vaccines targeting common cancer antigens that are highly expressed in HCC, such as WT-I, AFP, ROBO1, and FOXM1. Further, we introduce recent cancer vaccines targeting neoantigens, which have attracted attention in recent times, as well as present our preclinical studies, the results of which might aid to initiate a neoantigen vaccine clinical trial, which would be the first of its kind in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Charneau
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Suzuki
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Manami Shimomura
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Norihiro Fujinami
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Nakatsura
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
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Zam W, Assaad A. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CARs) in cancer treatment. Curr Mol Pharmacol 2021; 15:532-546. [PMID: 34382510 DOI: 10.2174/1874467214666210811150255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and stem cell transplantation were the main cancer treatment approaches for several years but due to their limited effectiveness, there was a constant search for new therapeutic approaches. Cancer immunotherapy that utilizes and enhances the normal capacity of the patient's immune system was used to fight against cancer. Genetically engineered T-cells that express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) showed remarkable anti-tumor activity against hematologic malignancies and is now being investigated in a variety of solid tumors. The use of this therapy in the last few years has been successful, achieving a great success in improving the quality of life and prolonging the survival time of patients with a reduction in remission rates. However, many challenges still need to be resolved in order for this technology to gain widespread adoption. <P> Objective: This review summarizes various experimental approaches towards the use of CAR T-cells in hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. <P> Conclusion: Finally, we address the challenges posed by CAR T-cells and discuss strategies for improving the performance of these T cells in fighting cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wissam Zam
- Department of Analytical and Food Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Wadi International University, Homs. Syrian Arab Republic
| | - Amany Assaad
- 2. Department of Analytical and Food Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy,Tartous University, Tartous. Syrian Arab Republic
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Devan AR, Kumar AR, Nair B, Anto NP, Muraleedharan A, Mathew B, Kim H, Nath LR. Insights into an Immunotherapeutic Approach to Combat Multidrug Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14070656. [PMID: 34358082 PMCID: PMC8308499 DOI: 10.3390/ph14070656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has emerged as one of the most lethal cancers worldwide because of its high refractoriness and multi-drug resistance to existing chemotherapies, which leads to poor patient survival. Novel pharmacological strategies to tackle HCC are based on oral multi-kinase inhibitors like sorafenib; however, the clinical use of the drug is restricted due to the limited survival rate and significant side effects, suggesting the existence of a primary or/and acquired drug-resistance mechanism. Because of this hurdle, HCC patients are forced through incomplete therapy. Although multiple approaches have been employed in parallel to overcome multidrug resistance (MDR), the results are varying with insignificant outcomes. In the past decade, cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a breakthrough approach and has played a critical role in HCC treatment. The liver is the main immune organ of the lymphatic system. Researchers utilize immunotherapy because immune evasion is considered a major reason for rapid HCC progression. Moreover, the immune response can be augmented and sustained, thus preventing cancer relapse over the post-treatment period. In this review, we provide detailed insights into the immunotherapeutic approaches to combat MDR by focusing on HCC, together with challenges in clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aswathy R. Devan
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Science Campus, Kochi 682041, Kerala, India; (A.R.D.); (A.R.K.); (B.N.)
| | - Ayana R. Kumar
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Science Campus, Kochi 682041, Kerala, India; (A.R.D.); (A.R.K.); (B.N.)
| | - Bhagyalakshmi Nair
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Science Campus, Kochi 682041, Kerala, India; (A.R.D.); (A.R.K.); (B.N.)
| | - Nikhil Ponnoor Anto
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; (N.P.A.); (A.M.)
| | - Amitha Muraleedharan
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; (N.P.A.); (A.M.)
| | - Bijo Mathew
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Science Campus, Kochi 682041, Kerala, India;
| | - Hoon Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, and Research Institute of Life Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sunchon National University, Suncheon 57922, Korea
- Correspondence: (H.K.); (L.R.N.)
| | - Lekshmi R. Nath
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Science Campus, Kochi 682041, Kerala, India; (A.R.D.); (A.R.K.); (B.N.)
- Correspondence: (H.K.); (L.R.N.)
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Woller N, Engelskircher SA, Wirth T, Wedemeyer H. Prospects and Challenges for T Cell-Based Therapies of HCC. Cells 2021; 10:cells10071651. [PMID: 34209393 PMCID: PMC8304292 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The scope of therapeutic options for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has recently been expanded by immunotherapeutic regimens. T cell-based therapies, especially in combination with other treatments have achieved far better outcomes compared to conventional treatments alone. However, there is an emerging body of evidence that eliciting T cell responses in immunotherapeutic approaches is insufficient for favorable outcomes. Immune responses in HCC are frequently attenuated in the tumor microenvironment (TME) or may even support tumor progress. Hence, therapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors or adoptive cell therapies appear to necessitate additional modification of the TME to unlock their full potential. In this review, we focus on immunotherapeutic strategies, underlying molecular mechanisms of CD8 T cell immunity, and causes of treatment failure in HCC of viral and non-viral origin. Furthermore, we provide an overview of TME features in underlying etiologies of HCC patients that mediate therapy resistance to checkpoint inhibition and discuss strategies from the literature concerning current approaches to these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman Woller
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Sophie Anna Engelskircher
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Wirth
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Heiner Wedemeyer
- Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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Giraud J, Chalopin D, Blanc JF, Saleh M. Hepatocellular Carcinoma Immune Landscape and the Potential of Immunotherapies. Front Immunol 2021; 12:655697. [PMID: 33815418 PMCID: PMC8012774 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.655697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver tumor and among the deadliest cancers worldwide. Advanced HCC overall survival is meager and has not improved over the last decade despite approval of several tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKi) for first and second-line treatments. The recent approval of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has revolutionized HCC palliative care. Unfortunately, the majority of HCC patients fail to respond to these therapies. Here, we elaborate on the immune landscapes of the normal and cirrhotic livers and of the unique HCC tumor microenvironment. We describe the molecular and immunological classifications of HCC, discuss the role of specific immune cell subsets in this cancer, with a focus on myeloid cells and pathways in anti-tumor immunity, tumor promotion and immune evasion. We also describe the challenges and opportunities of immunotherapies in HCC and discuss new avenues based on harnessing the anti-tumor activity of myeloid, NK and γδ T cells, vaccines, chimeric antigen receptors (CAR)-T or -NK cells, oncolytic viruses, and combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Giraud
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, ImmunoConcEpT, UMR 5164, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Jean-Frédéric Blanc
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM UMR 1053, Bordeaux, France.,Department of Oncology, CHU Bordeaux, Haut Leveque Hospital, Pessac, France
| | - Maya Saleh
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, ImmunoConcEpT, UMR 5164, Bordeaux, France.,Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Yi B, Wu T, Zhu N, Huang Y, Yang X, Yuan L, Wu Y, Liang X, Jiang X. The clinical significance of CTC enrichment by GPC3-IML and its genetic analysis in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Nanobiotechnology 2021; 19:74. [PMID: 33726759 PMCID: PMC7962223 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-021-00818-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This research was to develop a special method for enriching Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by Glypican-3 immunoliposomes (GPC3-IML), and to analyze the correlation between the CTCs count and tumor malignancy, as well as to investigate the mutation characteristics of CTC-derived NGS. Results In this study characterization of physical parameters was performed with the preparation of GPC3-IML. CTCs in peripheral blood of HCC patients were further separated and identified. Immunofluorescence was used to identify CTCs for further counting. By this means, the correlation between CTCs count and clinicopathological features was analyzed, and the genetic mutation characteristics of NGS derived from CTCs were investigated and compared with that of tissue NGS. Results showed that compared with EpCAM and vimentin, GPC-3 had a stronger CTCs separation ability. There was a correlation between "positive" count of CTCs (≥ 5 PV-CTC per 7.5 ml blood) and BCLC stage (P = 0.055). The result of CTC-NGS was consistent with that of tissue-NGS in 60% cases, revealing that KMT2C was a common highly-frequent mutated gene. Conclusion The combination of immunomagnetic separation of CTCs and anti-tumor marker identification technology can be regarded as a new technology of CTCs detection in peripheral blood of patients with HCC. Trial registration EHBHKY2020-k-024. Registered 17 August 2020—Retrospectively registered![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Yi
- Department of Organ Transplantation, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tian Wu
- Jukang (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co. Ltd., 28, Xiangle Rd., Shanghai, 201800, China
| | - Nan Zhu
- Department of Organ Transplantation, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yao Huang
- Department of Organ Transplantation, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyu Yang
- Department of Organ Transplantation, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Yuan
- Department I of Biliary Tract, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, No. 225, Changhai Rd., Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yingjun Wu
- Department I of Biliary Tract, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, No. 225, Changhai Rd., Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Xiaofei Liang
- Jukang (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co. Ltd., 28, Xiangle Rd., Shanghai, 201800, China.
| | - Xiaoqing Jiang
- Department I of Biliary Tract, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, No. 225, Changhai Rd., Shanghai, 200438, China.
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Abstract
The results of a Phase I clinical trial in which a glypican-3 (GPC3)-derived peptide was tested in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients point to a strong correlation between immunological and clinical responses. This commentary reviews our fundamental studies and clinical trials on the GPC3-derived peptide vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Sawada
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy; Research Center for Innovative Oncology; National Cancer Center Hospital East; Kashiwa, Japan
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Nomura K, Kitanaka A, Iwama H, Tani J, Nomura T, Nakahara M, Ohura K, Tadokoro T, Fujita K, Mimura S, Yoneyama H, Kobara H, Morishita A, Okano K, Suzuki Y, Tsutsi K, Himoto T, Masaki T. Association between microRNA-527 and glypican-3 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2021; 21:229. [PMID: 33613718 PMCID: PMC7856685 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.12490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to identify the specific microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) and their corresponding target genes involved in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Microarray analysis was performed to examine the miRNA expression profiles of four paired HCC and corresponding non-cancerous (N) liver tissues using 985 miRNA probes. The Human miRNA Target database was used to identify the target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs between the HCC and N tissues. The protein expression levels of target genes in the HCC tissues and cell lines were evaluated using western blotting. miRNA-mediated suppression of target gene expression was evaluated by transiently transfecting the miRNA into the HCC cell lines. Of the 985 miRNAs evaluated, four miRNAs were differentially expressed (three upregulated and one downregulated miRNAs). Of these four miRNAs, miRNA-527 was highly downregulated in the HCC tissues. Glypican-3 (GPC-3) was predicted as a target gene of miRNA-527. Western blotting revealed that GPC-3 protein is highly expressed in the HCC tissues and HCC cell lines compared with N and normal cell lines. Transfection with miR-527 resulted in suppression of GPC-3 protein expression in the Cos7 cells. Furthermore, transfection with miR-527 also inhibited the intrinsic expression of GPC-3 in the Huh-7 cell line. This indicated that miR-527 in the HCC tissues may be an important novel miRNA that targets the GPC-3 gene expression. GPC-3, whose expression is regulated by miR-527, may be involved in the development and progression of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Nomura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Akira Kitanaka
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Okayama 701-0192, Japan
| | - Hisakazu Iwama
- Information Technology Center, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Joji Tani
- Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Takako Nomura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Mai Nakahara
- Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Kyoko Ohura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Tomoko Tadokoro
- Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Koji Fujita
- Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Shima Mimura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Hirohito Yoneyama
- Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Hideki Kobara
- Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Asahiro Morishita
- Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Keiichi Okano
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Suzuki
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Kunihiko Tsutsi
- Department of Healthy Science, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
| | - Takashi Himoto
- Department of Clinical Examination, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kagawa Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Takamatsu, Kagawa 761-0123, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Masaki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan
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Wang W, Xu C, Wang H, Jiang C. Identification of nanobodies against hepatocellular carcinoma marker glypican-3. Mol Immunol 2021; 131:13-22. [PMID: 33453658 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2021.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Glypican-3 (GPC3) is a highly specific diagnostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis and a potential target in HCC therapy. Nanobodies (Nbs) are promising targeting molecules due to their high specificity and strong affinities to antigens, high stability, deep tissue penetration, and low immunogenicity. In this study, we isolated Nbs against GPC3 marker protein from a synthetic Nb library by phage display. To characterize these Nbs, we performed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunoprecipitation assay, and immunofluorescent assay to demonstrate that four (G8, G10, G11, and G64) of them bound specifically to recombinant as well as endogenous GPC3, and epitope mapping showed they all bound to N-terminal subunit of GPC3. Furthermore, we found that G64 exhibited high protein stability and GPC3 binding activity in serum at 37℃ for at least 96 h, and G64 did not affect the proliferation of HEK293T cells and HCC cell line HepG2. Our study provides four anti-GPC3 Nbs as promising targeting molecules for HCC diagnostic and therapeutic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyi Wang
- Institute for Medical Biology and Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plants in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China; Precision Medicine R&D Center, Zhuhai Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519080, China; Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China.
| | - Chang Xu
- Precision Medicine R&D Center, Zhuhai Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519080, China
| | - Huanan Wang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The 990th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, Xinyang, Henan, 464000, China
| | - Changan Jiang
- Precision Medicine R&D Center, Zhuhai Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519080, China; Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer and the fifth most common cancer worldwide. HCC is recognized as the fourth most common cause of cancer related deaths worldwide due to the lack of effective early diagnostic tools, which often leads to individuals going undiagnosed until the cancer has reached late stage development. The current FDA approved treatments for late stage HCC provide a minimal increase in patient survival and lack tumor specificity, resulting in toxic systemic side effects. Gene therapy techniques, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T Cells, viral vectors, and nanoparticles, are being explored as novel treatment options in various genetic diseases. Pre-clinical studies using gene therapy to treat in vitro and in vivo models of HCC have demonstrated potential efficacy for use in human patients. This review highlights genetic targets, techniques, and current clinical trials in HCC utilizing gene therapy.
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Hussein NH, Amin NS, El Tayebi HM. GPI-AP: Unraveling a New Class of Malignancy Mediators and Potential Immunotherapy Targets. Front Oncol 2020; 10:537311. [PMID: 33344222 PMCID: PMC7746843 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.537311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
With millions of cases diagnosed annually and high economic burden to cover expensive costs, cancer is one of the most difficult diseases to treat due to late diagnosis and severe adverse effects from conventional therapy. This creates an urgent need to find new targets for early diagnosis and therapy. Progress in research revealed the key steps of carcinogenesis. They are called cancer hallmarks. Zooming in, cancer hallmarks are characterized by ligands binding to their cognate receptor and so triggering signaling cascade within cell to make response for stimulus. Accordingly, understanding membrane topology is vital. In this review, we shall discuss one type of transmembrane proteins: Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Anchored Proteins (GPI-APs), with specific emphasis on those involved in tumor cells by evading immune surveillance and future applications for diagnosis and immune targeted therapy.
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Lai E, Astara G, Ziranu P, Pretta A, Migliari M, Dubois M, Donisi C, Mariani S, Liscia N, Impera V, Persano M, Tolu S, Balconi F, Pinna G, Spanu D, Pireddu A, Saba G, Camera S, Musio F, Puzzoni M, Pusceddu V, Madeddu C, Casadei Gardini A, Scartozzi M. Introducing immunotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients: Too early or too fast? Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2020; 157:103167. [PMID: 33271389 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2020.103167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent liver cancer. Immunotherapy has been explored in this disease in order to improve survival outcomes. Nowadays, scientific research is focusing especially on immune checkpoint inhibitors, in particular anti-PD1, anti-PD-L1 and anti-CTLA4 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), as single-agent or in combination with other immunotherapy agents, target therapies, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and other agents targeting specific molecular pathways. Other immunotherapy strategies have been assessed or are under investigation in advanced HCC, namely cytokines, adoptive cell therapy, oncolytic virus, cancer vaccines. Each treatment presents specific efficacy and toxicity profiles, strictly related to their mechanism of action and to advanced HCC tumour microenvironment (TME). The aim of this review is to outline the state-of-the-art of immunotherapy in advanced HCC treatment, highlighting data on already investigated treatment strategies, safety and toxicity (including HBV/HCV-related HCC), and ongoing clinical trials focusing on new promising therapeutic weapons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Lai
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Giorgio Astara
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Pina Ziranu
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Andrea Pretta
- Medical Oncology Unit, Sapienza University of Rome - University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Marco Migliari
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Marco Dubois
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Clelia Donisi
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Stefano Mariani
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Nicole Liscia
- Medical Oncology Unit, Sapienza University of Rome - University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Valentino Impera
- Medical Oncology Unit, Sapienza University of Rome - University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Mara Persano
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Simona Tolu
- Medical Oncology Unit, Sapienza University of Rome - University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Francesca Balconi
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Giovanna Pinna
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Dario Spanu
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Annagrazia Pireddu
- Medical Oncology Unit, Sapienza University of Rome - University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Giorgio Saba
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Silvia Camera
- Department of Medical Oncology, Università Vita-Salute, San Raffaele Hospital IRCCS, 20019, Milan, Italy. Dipartimento di Oncologia, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan, Italy.
| | - Francesca Musio
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Marco Puzzoni
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Valeria Pusceddu
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Clelia Madeddu
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
| | - Andrea Casadei Gardini
- Department of Medical Oncology, Università Vita-Salute, San Raffaele Hospital IRCCS, 20019, Milan, Italy. Dipartimento di Oncologia, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, Milan, Italy.
| | - Mario Scartozzi
- Medical Oncology Unit, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, Presidio Policlinico Universitario "Duilio Casula" S.S. 554, Km 4,500 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
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Hassan N, Greve B, Espinoza-Sánchez NA, Götte M. Cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans as multifunctional integrators of signaling in cancer. Cell Signal 2020; 77:109822. [PMID: 33152440 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2020.109822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Proteoglycans (PGs) represent a large proportion of the components that constitute the extracellular matrix (ECM). They are a diverse group of glycoproteins characterized by a covalent link to a specific glycosaminoglycan type. As part of the ECM, heparan sulfate (HS)PGs participate in both physiological and pathological processes including cell recruitment during inflammation and the promotion of cell proliferation, adhesion and motility during development, angiogenesis, wound repair and tumor progression. A key function of HSPGs is their ability to modulate the expression and function of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, morphogens, and adhesion molecules. This is due to their capacity to act as ligands or co-receptors for various signal-transducing receptors, affecting pathways such as FGF, VEGF, chemokines, integrins, Wnt, notch, IL-6/JAK-STAT3, and NF-κB. The activation of those pathways has been implicated in the induction, progression, and malignancy of a tumor. For many years, the study of signaling has allowed for designing specific drugs targeting these pathways for cancer treatment, with very positive results. Likewise, HSPGs have become the subject of cancer research and are increasingly recognized as important therapeutic targets. Although they have been studied in a variety of preclinical and experimental models, their mechanism of action in malignancy still needs to be more clearly defined. In this review, we discuss the role of cell-surface HSPGs as pleiotropic modulators of signaling in cancer and identify them as promising markers and targets for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nourhan Hassan
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Münster University Hospital, Münster, Germany; Biotechnology Program, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt
| | - Burkhard Greve
- Department of Radiotherapy-Radiooncology, Münster University Hospital, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, A1, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Nancy A Espinoza-Sánchez
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Münster University Hospital, Münster, Germany; Department of Radiotherapy-Radiooncology, Münster University Hospital, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, A1, 48149 Münster, Germany.
| | - Martin Götte
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Münster University Hospital, Münster, Germany.
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Abstract
Globally, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer and cancer-related deaths. The therapeutic efficacy of locoregional and systemic treatment in patients with advanced HCC remains low, which results in a poor prognosis. The development of sorafenib for the treatment of HCC has resulted in a new era of molecular targeted therapy for this disease. However, the median overall survival was reported to be barely higher in the sorafenib treatment group than in the control group. Hence, in this review we describe the importance of developing more effective targeted therapies for the management of advanced HCC. Recent investigations of molecular signaling pathways in several cancers have provided some insights into developing molecular therapies that target critical members of these signaling pathways. Proteins involved in the Hedgehog and Notch signaling pathways, Polo-like kinase 1, arginine, histone deacetylases and Glypican-3 can be potential targets in the treatment of HCC. Monotherapy has limited therapeutic efficacy due to the development of inhibitory feedback mechanisms and induction of chemoresistance. Thus, emphasis is now on the development of personalized and combination molecular targeted therapies that can serve as ideal therapeutic strategies for improved management of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Ka-Man Chow
- School of Nursing and Health Studies, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Simon Wing-Lung Yau
- School of Nursing and Health Studies, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lui Ng
- Department of Surgery, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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49
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Abstract
Glypicans are a family of heparan sulfate proteoglycans that are attached to the cell membrane via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. Glypicans interact with multiple ligands, including morphogens, growth factors, chemokines, ligands, receptors, and components of the extracellular matrix through their heparan sulfate chains and core protein. Therefore, glypicans can function as coreceptors to regulate cell proliferation, cell motility, and morphogenesis. In addition, some glypicans are abnormally expressed in cancers, possibly involved in tumorigenesis, and have the potential to be cancer-specific biomarkers. Here, we provide a brief review focusing on the expression of glypicans in various cancers and their potential to be targets for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Madeline R Spetz
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Mitchell Ho
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Mossenta M, Busato D, Dal Bo M, Toffoli G. Glucose Metabolism and Oxidative Stress in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Role and Possible Implications in Novel Therapeutic Strategies. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1668. [PMID: 32585931 PMCID: PMC7352479 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metabolism is redirected to glycolysis to enhance the production of metabolic compounds employed by cancer cells to produce proteins, lipids, and nucleotides in order to maintain a high proliferative rate. This mechanism drives towards uncontrolled growth and causes a further increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), which could lead to cell death. HCC overcomes the problem generated by ROS increase by increasing the antioxidant machinery, in which key mechanisms involve glutathione, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF-1α). These mechanisms could represent optimal targets for innovative therapies. The tumor microenvironment (TME) exerts a key role in HCC pathogenesis and progression. Various metabolic machineries modulate the activity of immune cells in the TME. The deregulated metabolic activity of tumor cells could impair antitumor response. Lactic acid-lactate, derived from the anaerobic glycolytic rate of tumor cells, as well as adenosine, derived from the catabolism of ATP, have an immunosuppressive activity. Metabolic reprogramming of the TME via targeted therapies could enhance the treatment efficacy of anti-cancer immunotherapy. This review describes the metabolic pathways mainly involved in the HCC pathogenesis and progression. The potential targets for HCC treatment involved in these pathways are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Mossenta
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano (PN), Italy; (M.M.); (D.B.); (G.T.)
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Davide Busato
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano (PN), Italy; (M.M.); (D.B.); (G.T.)
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Michele Dal Bo
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano (PN), Italy; (M.M.); (D.B.); (G.T.)
| | - Giuseppe Toffoli
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano (PN), Italy; (M.M.); (D.B.); (G.T.)
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