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Niu Q, Ye S, Zhao L, Qian Y, Liu F. The role of liver cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis. Cancer Biol Ther 2024; 25:2321768. [PMID: 38393655 PMCID: PMC10896152 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2024.2321768] [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: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Metastasis accounts for the vast majority of cancer deaths; however, this complex process has yet to be fully explained. To form metastases, cancer cells must undergo a series of steps, known as the "Metastatic cascade", each of which requires a specific functional transformation. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a vital role in tumor metastasis, but their dynamic behavior and regulatory mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Based on the "Metastatic cascade" theory, this review summarizes the effect of liver CSCs on the metastatic biological programs that underlie the dissemination and metastatic growth of cancer cells. Liver CSCs have the capacity to initiate distant organ metastasis via EMT, and the microenvironment transformation that supports the ability of these cells to disseminate, evade immune surveillance, dormancy, and regenerate metastasis. Understanding the heterogeneity and traits of liver CSCs in these processes is critical for developing strategies to prevent and treat metastasis of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghui Niu
- Liver Disease Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Susu Ye
- Liver Disease Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Liu Zhao
- Liver Disease Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yanzhi Qian
- School Hospital, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Fengchao Liu
- Liver Disease Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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Wang Z, Li R, Yang G, Wang Y. Cancer stem cell biomarkers and related signalling pathways. J Drug Target 2024; 32:33-44. [PMID: 38095181 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2023.2295222] [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: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a distinct subset of neoplastic cells characterised by their heightened capacity for tumorigenesis. These cells are implicated in the facilitation of cancer metastasis, recurrence, and resistance to conventional therapeutic interventions. Extensive scientific research has been devoted to the identification of biomarkers and the elucidation of molecular mechanisms in order to improve targeted therapeutic approaches. Accurate identification of cancer stem cells based on biomarkers can provide a theoretical basis for drug combinations of malignant tumours. Targeted biomarker-based therapies also offer a silver lining for patients with advanced malignancies. This review aims comprehensively to consolidate the latest findings on CSCs biomarkers, targeted agents as well as biomarkers associated signalling pathways in well-established cancer types, thereby contributing to improved prognostic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Wang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Rui Li
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guilin Yang
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yijin Wang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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Uong TNT, Yoon M, Chung IJ, Nam TK, Ahn SJ, Jeong JU, Song JY, Kim YH, Nguyen HPQ, Cho D, Chu TH, Dang GC, Nguyen NPNM. Direct Tumor Irradiation Potentiates Adoptive NK Cell Targeting Against Parental and Stemlike Cancer in Human Liver Cancer Models. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2024; 119:234-250. [PMID: 37981041 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2023.11.023] [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] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Radiation therapy (RT) has been shown to effectively induce the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), which is recognized by lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) expressed on natural killer (NK) cells. However, the potential synergistic antitumor immune response of tumor irradiation and administered NK cells has not been explored in intractable human liver cancers. Furthermore, NK cell targeting against both parental and cancer stemness has never been investigated. METHODS AND MATERIALS Highly activated ex vivo NK cells were administered into the human liver tumor-bearing mice. Tumor direct RT was optimized according to tumor bearing site. HepG2 and Hep3B ICAM-1 knockout cells were generated using CRISPR/CAS9. Stemness tumor spheres were generated. NK cell cytolysis against parental and tumor sphere was evaluated using flow cytometry and real-time cytotoxicity assay. RESULTS A combination of adoptive NK cell therapy with RT significantly improved therapeutic efficacy over monotherapies against subcutaneous, orthotopic, and metastatic human liver tumor models. Direct tumor irradiation potentiated NK cell recognition and conjugation against liver cancer through the LFA-1/ICAM-1 axis. Suppression of immune synapse formation on NK cells using high-affinity LFA-1 inhibitors or ICAM-1 knockout liver cancer induced "outside-in" signal blocking in NK cells, resulting in failure to eliminate liver tumor despite the combination therapy. NK cells effectively recognized and targeted triple-high epithelial cell adhesion molecule+CD133+CD24+ liver cancer expressing upregulated ICAM-1 in the irradiated tumor microenvironment, which led to prevention of the initiation of metastasis, improving survival in a metastatic model. In addition, the LFA-1/ICAM-1 axis interruption between NK cells and stemness liver tumor spheres significantly diminished NK cell cytolysis. Consistent with our preclinical data, the LFA-1/ICAM-1 axis correlated with survival outcomes in patients with metastatic cancer from the The Cancer Genome Atlas databases. CONCLUSIONS NK cells in combination with tumor irradiation can provide synergistic therapeutic effects for NK cell recognition and elimination against both parental and stemlike liver cancer through LFA-1/ICAM-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tung Nguyen Thanh Uong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Meesun Yoon
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Immunotherapy Innovation Center, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ik-Joo Chung
- Immunotherapy Innovation Center, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Republic of Korea; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Republic of Korea
| | - Taek-Keun Nam
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Ja Ahn
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Uk Jeong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ju-Young Song
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Hyub Kim
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Huy Phuoc Quang Nguyen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Duck Cho
- Department of Laboratory Medicine & Genetics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tan-Huy Chu
- Department of Hematology, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Vietnam
| | - Giang Chau Dang
- Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Department of Microbiology and Combinatorial Tumor Immunotherapy Research Center, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Nhat Phuoc Nguong Minh Nguyen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Department of Biomedical Science, Chonnam National University Graduate School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
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Zhao RR, Wu JH, Tong LW, Li JY, Lu YS, Shao JW. Multifunctional metal-coordinated Co-assembled carrier-free nanoplatform based on dual-drugs for ferroptosis-mediated cocktail therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma growth and metastasis. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 660:257-276. [PMID: 38244494 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.01.066] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
The heterogeneity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) pose challenges to efficient drug delivery and the antitumor efficacy of combined or synergistic therapies. Herein, a metal-coordinated carrier-free nanodrug (named as USFe3+ LA NPs) was developed for ferroptosis-mediated multimodal synergistic anti-HCC. Natural product ursolic acid (UA) was incorporated to enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells to sorafenib (SRF). Surface decoration of cell penetration peptide and epithelial cell adhesion molecule aptamer facilitated the uptake of USFe3+ LA NPs by HepG2 cells. Meanwhile, Fe3+ ions could react with intracellular hydrogen peroxide, generating toxic hydroxyl radical (·OH) for chemodynamical therapy (CDT) and amplified ferroptosis by cystine/glutamate antiporter system (System Xc-), which promoted the consumption of glutathione (GSH) and inhibited the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Notably, these all-in-one nanodrugs could inhibit tumor metastasis and induced immunogenic cell death (ICD). Last but not least, the nanodrugs demonstrated favorable biocompatibility, augmenting the immune response against the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) by increasing cytotoxic T cell infiltration. In vivo studies revealed significant suppression of tumor growth and distant metastasis. Overall, our work introduced a novel strategy for applications of metal-coordinated co-assembled carrier-free nano-delivery system in HCC combination therapy, especially in the realms of cancer metastasis prevention and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Rui Zhao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Ju-Hong Wu
- National & Local Joint Biomedical Engineering Research Center on Photodynamic Technologies, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Ling-Wu Tong
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Jin-Yu Li
- National & Local Joint Biomedical Engineering Research Center on Photodynamic Technologies, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
| | - Yu-Sheng Lu
- Fujian-Taiwan-Hongkong-Macao Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Intelligent Pharmaceutics, College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China
| | - Jing-Wei Shao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China; Fujian-Taiwan-Hongkong-Macao Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Intelligent Pharmaceutics, College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China.
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Ma Y, Lv H, Xing F, Xiang W, Wu Z, Feng Q, Wang H, Yang W. Cancer stem cell-immune cell crosstalk in the tumor microenvironment for liver cancer progression. Front Med 2024:10.1007/s11684-023-1049-z. [PMID: 38600350 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-023-1049-z] [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: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Crosstalk between cancer cells and the immune microenvironment is determinant for liver cancer progression. A tumor subpopulation called liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) significantly accounts for the initiation, metastasis, therapeutic resistance, and recurrence of liver cancer. Emerging evidence demonstrates that the interaction between liver CSCs and immune cells plays a crucial role in shaping an immunosuppressive microenvironment and determining immunotherapy responses. This review sheds light on the bidirectional crosstalk between liver CSCs and immune cells for liver cancer progression, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms after presenting an overview of liver CSCs characteristic and their microenvironment. Finally, we discuss the potential application of liver CSCs-targeted immunotherapy for liver cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ma
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China
| | - Hongwei Lv
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China
- International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Fuxue Xing
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China
| | - Wei Xiang
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China
| | - Zixin Wu
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China
| | - Qiyu Feng
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China
| | - Hongyang Wang
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China.
- International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepato-biliary Tumor Biology, Shanghai, 200438, China.
- Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200438, China.
| | - Wen Yang
- Cancer Research Center, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.
- National Center for Liver Cancer, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 201805, China.
- International Co-operation Laboratory on Signal Transduction, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200438, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hepato-biliary Tumor Biology, Shanghai, 200438, China.
- Key Laboratory of Signaling Regulation and Targeting Therapy of Liver Cancer, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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Wang T, Jin Y, Wang M, Chen B, Sun J, Zhang J, Yang H, Deng X, Cao X, Wang L, Tang Y. SALL4 in gastrointestinal tract cancers: upstream and downstream regulatory mechanisms. Mol Med 2024; 30:46. [PMID: 38584262 PMCID: PMC11000312 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-024-00812-z] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Effective therapeutic targets and early diagnosis are major challenges in the treatment of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) cancers. SALL4 is a well-known transcription factor that is involved in organogenesis during embryonic development. Previous studies have revealed that SALL4 regulates cell proliferation, survival, and migration and maintains stem cell function in mature cells. Additionally, SALL4 overexpression is associated with tumorigenesis. Despite its characterization as a biomarker in various cancers, the role of SALL4 in GIT cancers and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We describe the functions of SALL4 in GIT cancers and discuss its upstream/downstream genes and pathways associated with each cancer. We also consider the possibility of targeting these genes or pathways as potential therapeutic options for GIT cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tairan Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Yan Jin
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Mengyao Wang
- First Clinical Medical College, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Boya Chen
- First Clinical Medical College, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Jinyu Sun
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Jiaying Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Hui Yang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Xinyao Deng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Xingyue Cao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Lidong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment and Henan Key, Laboratory for Esophageal Cancer Research of The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
| | - Yuanyuan Tang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China.
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Kanahori M, Shimada E, Matsumoto Y, Endo M, Fujiwara T, Nabeshima A, Hirose T, Kawaguchi K, Oyama R, Oda Y, Nakashima Y. Immune evasion in lung metastasis of leiomyosarcoma: upregulation of EPCAM inhibits CD8 + T cell infiltration. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:1083-1095. [PMID: 38291183 PMCID: PMC10991329 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02576-z] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leiomyosarcomas are among the most common histological types of soft tissue sarcoma (STS), with no effective treatment available for advanced patients. Lung metastasis, the most common site of distant metastasis, is the primary prognostic factor. We analysed the immune environment targeting lung metastasis of STS to explore new targets for immunotherapy. METHODS We analysed the immune environment of primary and lung metastases in 38 patients with STS using immunohistochemistry. Next, we performed gene expression analyses on primary and lung metastatic tissues from six patients with leiomyosarcoma. Using human leiomyosarcoma cell lines, the effects of the identified genes on immune cells were assessed in vitro. RESULTS Immunohistochemistry showed a significant decrease in CD8+ cells in the lung metastases of leiomyosarcoma. Among the genes upregulated in lung metastases, epithelial cellular adhesion molecule (EPCAM) showed the strongest negative correlation with the number of CD8+ cells. Transwell assay results showed that the migration of CD8+ T cells was significantly increased in the conditioned media obtained after inhibition or knock down of EPCAM. CONCLUSIONS EPCAM was upregulated in lung metastases of leiomyosarcoma, suggesting inhibition of CD8+ T cell migration. Our findings suggest that EPCAM could serve as a potential novel therapeutic target for leiomyosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaya Kanahori
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Eijiro Shimada
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Matsumoto
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
| | - Makoto Endo
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
| | - Toshifumi Fujiwara
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Akira Nabeshima
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeshi Hirose
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kengo Kawaguchi
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Pathological Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ryunosuke Oyama
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshinao Oda
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Pathological Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yasuharu Nakashima
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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Chen Y, Zhang X, Zhang M, Fan W, Lin Y, Li G. UTP11 promotes the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma by enhancing the mRNA stability of Oct4. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:93. [PMID: 38233795 PMCID: PMC10795422 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11794-2] [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: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several publications suggest that UTP11 may be a promising gene engaged for involvement of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathology. However, there are extremely limited biological, mechanistic and clinical studies of UTP11 in HCC. METHODS To anayze the UTP11 mRNA expression in HCC and normal clinical samples and further investigate the correlation between UTP11 expression and pathology and clinical prognosis via the Cancer Tissue Gene Atlas (TCGA) database. The protein levels of UTP11 were checked using the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. GO-KEGG enrichment was performed from Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) database and TCGA dataset. The levels of UTP11 were tested with qRT-PCR and western blotting assays. Cell viability, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry assays and animal models were used to explore the potential involvement of UTP11 in regulating HCC growth in vitro and in vivo. The correlation of UTP11 and tumor stemness scores and stemness-associated proteins from TCGA database. The mRNA stability was treated with Actinomycin D, followed by testing the mRNA expression using qRT-PCR assay. RESULTS UTP11 was highly expressed in HCC samples compared to normal tissues from TCGA database. Similarly, UTP11 protein expression levels were obviously elevated in HCC tissue samples from HPA database. Furthermore, UTP11 levels were correlated with poor prognosis in HCC patient samples in TCGA dataset. In addition, the UTP11 mRNA levels was notably enhanced in different HCC cell lines than in normal liver cells and knocking down UTP11 was obviously reduced the viability and cell death of HCC cells. UTP11 knockdown suppressed the tumor growth of HCC in vivo experiment and extended the mice survival time. GO-KEEG analysis from CCLE and TCGA database suggested that UTP11 might involve in RNA splicing and the stability of mRNA. Further, UTP11 was positively correlated with tumor stemness scores and stemness-associated proteins from TCGA database. Knockdown of UTP11 was reduced the expression of stem cell-related genes and regulated the mRNA stability of Oct4. CONCLUSIONS UTP11 is potentially a diagnostic molecule and a therapeutic candidate for treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Tai an City, China
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Tai an City, China
| | - Mingcheng Zhang
- Department of Endoscopy Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Tai an City, China
| | - Wenting Fan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, 271000, Tai an City, China
| | - Yueyue Lin
- Department of Endoscopy Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Tai an City, China
| | - Guodong Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, 271000, Tai an City, China.
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Chen M, Gao Y, Cao H, Wang Z, Zhang S. Comprehensive analysis reveals dual biological function roles of EpCAM in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23505. [PMID: 38187284 PMCID: PMC10767389 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23505] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), a well-established marker for circulating tumor cells, plays a crucial role in the complex process of cancer metastasis. The primary objective of this investigation is to study EpCAM expression in pan-cancer and elucidate its significance in the context of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). Methods Data obtained from the public database was harnessed for the comprehensive assessment of the EpCAM expression levels and prognostic and clinicopathological correlations in thirty-three types of cancer. EpCAM was validated in our own KIRC sequencing and immunohistochemical cohorts. Subsequently, an in-depth exploration was conducted to scrutinize the interrelationship between EpCAM and various facets, including immune cells, immune checkpoints, and chemotherapy drugs. We employed Cox regression analysis to identify prognostic immunomodulators associated with EpCAM, which were subsequently utilized in the development of a prognostic model. The model was validated in our own clinical cohort and public datasets, and compared with 137 published models. The role of EpCAM in KIRC was explored by biological function experiments in vitro. Results While EpCAM exhibited pronounced overexpression across a wide spectrum of cancer types, a notable reduction was observed in KIRC tissues. As grade increased, EpCAM expression decreased. EpCAM expression decreased in patients without metastasis. EpCAM mRNA and protein levels were used as independent, favorable prognostic factors in patients with KIRC in our own cohort. The expression of EpCAM exhibited strong associations with immune-related pathways, demonstrating an inverse correlation with the majority of immune cell types. Immune checkpoint inhibitors exert better therapeutic effects on patients with low EpCAM expression. In addition, EpCAM can be used as a drug resistance indicator and guide the clinical medication of patients with KIRC. A robust model, which had good predictive accuracy and applicability, showed significant superiority over other models. Importantly, EpCAM played the dual roles of promoting proliferation and resisting metastasis in KIRC. Conclusion In the context of KIRC, EpCAM assumes a surprising dual role, where it not only facilitates cell proliferation but also exerts resistance against the metastatic process. EpCAM serves as a standalone prognostic marker for patients with KIRC, and related models can also effectively predict prognosis. These discoveries offer novel perspectives on the functional significance of EpCAM in the context of KIRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Chen
- Central Laboratory, Haikou Affiliated Hospital of Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Haikou, 570208, China
| | - Yuanhui Gao
- Central Laboratory, Haikou Affiliated Hospital of Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Haikou, 570208, China
| | - Hui Cao
- Central Laboratory, Haikou Affiliated Hospital of Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Haikou, 570208, China
| | - Zhenting Wang
- Urology, Haikou Affiliated Hospital of Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Haikou, 570208, China
| | - Shufang Zhang
- Central Laboratory, Haikou Affiliated Hospital of Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Haikou, 570208, China
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Zhang S, Yang R, Ouyang Y, Shen Y, Hu L, Xu C. Cancer stem cells: a target for overcoming therapeutic resistance and relapse. Cancer Biol Med 2023; 20:j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0333. [PMID: 38164743 PMCID: PMC10845928 DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0333] [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: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subset of cells in cancers that are thought to initiate tumorous transformation and promote metastasis, recurrence, and resistance to treatment. Growing evidence has revealed the existence of CSCs in various types of cancers and suggested that CSCs differentiate into diverse lineage cells that contribute to tumor progression. We may be able to overcome the limitations of cancer treatment with a comprehensive understanding of the biological features and mechanisms underlying therapeutic resistance in CSCs. This review provides an overview of the properties, biomarkers, and mechanisms of resistance shown by CSCs. Recent findings on metabolic features, especially fatty acid metabolism and ferroptosis in CSCs, are highlighted, along with promising targeting strategies. Targeting CSCs is a potential treatment plan to conquer cancer and prevent resistance and relapse in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610042, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Chengdu Wenjiang District People’s Hospital, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yujie Ouyang
- Acupuncture and Massage College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Yang Shen
- Department of Oncology & Cancer Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- School of Pharmacy, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Lanlin Hu
- Department of Oncology & Cancer Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- Yu-Yue Pathology Scientific Research Center, Chongqing 400039, China
- Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing 401329, China
| | - Chuan Xu
- Department of Oncology & Cancer Institute, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
- Yu-Yue Pathology Scientific Research Center, Chongqing 400039, China
- Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing 401329, China
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Shi L, Zhang D, Han H, Zhang L, Li S, Yang F, He C. HOTAIR knockdown impairs metastasis of cervical cancer cells by down-regulating metastasis-related genes. J OBSTET GYNAECOL 2023; 43:2181060. [PMID: 36972141 DOI: 10.1080/01443615.2023.2181060] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the role of LncRNA HOTAIR knockdown in the biological impacts on cervical cancer cells. The HOTAIR gene in two human cervical cancer cell lines was silenced with small interfering (si) RNA siHOTAIR. Proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of cells were assessed following the knockdown. The expressions of Notch1, EpCAM, E-cadherin, vimentin and STAT3 were assessed using qRT-PCR and Western blotting analysis. Compared with controls, HOTAIR levels were reduced significantly, the OD values of cells were significantly decreased in proliferation assays, cell apoptosis was significantly increased, cell migration and invasion were significantly reduced after HOTAIR knockdown. Molecular analysis showed that Notch1, EpCAM, vimentin and STAT3 expressions were decreased significantly, while the expression of E-cadherin was significantly increased after HOTAIR knockdown. Rescue experiments further confirmed that Notch1 and STAT3 were involved in siHOTAIR-mediated reduction of migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Long non-coding RNAs including HOTAIR, is implicated in occurrence and development of cancer and have been explored to develop new therapeutic options for cancer.What do the results of this study add? HOTAIR silencing significantly reduces the viability and migration ability of cells and induces cell apoptosis, adding experimental data supporting the potential use of HOTAIR specific-siRNA as a therapeutic avenue for the cancer.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The finding from this study would help develop clinically applicable therapeutic avenues for the cancer and identify new treatment targets in the relevant pathways leading to new drugs or treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Shi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Daqing Oilfield General Hospital, Daqing, P.R. China
| | - Dehui Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Daqing Oilfield General Hospital and Huiren Cancer Hospital, Daqing, P.R. China
| | - Huijuan Han
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the 962 Hospital, Joint Logistics Support of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Harbin, P.R. China
| | - Liangyu Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Daqing Oilfield General Hospital, Daqing, P.R. China
| | - Sirui Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Daqing Oilfield General Hospital, Daqing, P.R. China
| | - Fang Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Daqing Oilfield General Hospital, Daqing, P.R. China
| | - Caijun He
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the 962 Hospital, Joint Logistics Support of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Harbin, P.R. China
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Chen H, Xu N, Xu J, Zhang C, Li X, Xu H, Zhu W, Li J, Liang D, Zhou W. A risk signature based on endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated genes predicts prognosis and immunity in pancreatic cancer. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1298077. [PMID: 38106991 PMCID: PMC10721979 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1298077] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The involvement of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in cancer biology is increasingly recognized, yet its role in pancreatic cancer (PC) remains unclear. This study aims to elucidate the impact of ER stress on prognosis and biological characteristics in PC patients. Methods: A bioinformatic analysis was conducted using RNA-seq data and clinicopathological information from PC patients in the TCGA and ICGC databases. The ER stress-associated gene sets were extracted from MSigDB. ER stress-associated genes closely linked with overall survival (OS) of PC patients were identified via log-rank test and univariate Cox analysis, and further narrowed by LASSO method. A risk signature associated with ER stress was formulated using multivariate Cox regression and assessed through Kaplan-Meier curves, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, and Harrell's concordance index. External validation was performed with the ICGC cohort. The single-sample gene-set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm appraised the immune cell infiltration landscape. Results: Worse OS in PC patients with high-risk signature score was observed. Multivariate analysis underscored our ER stress-associated signature as a valuable and independent predictor of prognosis. Importantly, these results based on TCGA were further validated in ICGC dataset. In addition, our risk signature was closely associated with homeostasis, protein secretion, and immune regulation in PC patients. In particular, PC microenvironment in the high-risk cluster exhibited a more immunosuppressive status. At last, we established a nomogram model by incorporating the risk signature and clinicopathological parameters, which behaves better in predicting prognosis of PC patients. Discussion: This comprehensive molecular analysis presents a new predictive model for the prognosis of PC patients, highlighting ER stress as a potential therapeutic target. Besides, the findings indicate that ER stress can have effect modulating PC immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haofei Chen
- The Second Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ning Xu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Jia Xu
- Wuhan Blood Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Cheng Zhang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hao Xu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Weixiong Zhu
- The Second Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jinze Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Third People’s Hospital of Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Daoming Liang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Wence Zhou
- The Second Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
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13
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Götz L, Rueckschloss U, Balk G, Pfeiffer V, Ergün S, Kleefeldt F. The role of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 in cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1295232. [PMID: 38077351 PMCID: PMC10704240 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1295232] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1), also known as CD66a, is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. CEACAM1 was shown to be a prognostic marker in patients suffering from cancer. In this review, we summarize pre-clinical and clinical evidence linking CEACAM1 to tumorigenicity and cancer progression. Furthermore, we discuss potential CEACAM1-based mechanisms that may affect cancer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Götz
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Julius‐Maximilians‐University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Uwe Rueckschloss
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Julius‐Maximilians‐University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Gözde Balk
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Julius‐Maximilians‐University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Verena Pfeiffer
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Julius‐Maximilians‐University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Süleyman Ergün
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Julius‐Maximilians‐University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Florian Kleefeldt
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Julius‐Maximilians‐University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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14
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Qi W, Zhang Q. Insights on epithelial cells at the single-cell level in hepatocellular carcinoma prognosis and response to chemotherapy. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1292831. [PMID: 38044951 PMCID: PMC10690771 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1292831] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) originates from Epithelial cells, and epithelial lineage plasticity has become a promising research direction for advancing HCC treatment. This study aims to focus on Epithelial cells to provide target insights for detecting HCC prognosis and response to drug therapy. Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from GSE149614 were clustered using Seurat, and the differentiation and evolution of epithelial cells were analyzed by Monocle 2. Scissor+ and Scissor- Epithelial cells associated with the prognostic phenotypes of bulk RNA-seq of HCC were screened using the Scissor algorithm for differential analysis to screen candidate genes. Candidate genes were overlapped with prognostic related genes screened by univariate Cox regression, and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) sparse penalty was imposed on the intersection genes to construct a risk assessment system. Results: Eight major cell subpopulations of HCC were identified, among which the proportion of epithelial cells in non-tumor liver tissues and HCC tissues was significantly different, and its proportion increased with advanced clinical stage. During the progression of HCC, the whole direction of epithelial cells differentiation trajectory was towards enhanced cell proliferation. Differential analysis between Scissor+ and Scissor- epithelial cells screened 1,265 upregulated and 191 downregulated prognostic candidate genes. Wherein, the upregulated genes were enriched in Cell processes, Genetic information processing, Metabolism and Human disease with Infection. Nevertheless, immune system related pathways took the main proportions in downregulated genes enriched pathways. There were 17 common genes between upregulated candidate genes and prognostic risk genes, of which CDC20, G6PD and PLOD2 were selected as components for constructing the risk assessment system. Risk score showed a significant correlation with tumor stage, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related pathways and 22 therapeutic drugs, and was an independent prognostic factor for HCC. Conclusion: This study revealed the cellular composition of HCC, the differentiation evolution and functional landscape of epithelial cells in the further deterioration of HCC, and established a 3-gene risk model, which was closely related to clinical features, EMT, and drug sensitivity prediction. These findings provided insights in patient prognosis and drug therapy detection for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of digestive, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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15
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Ge L, Jin T, Zhang W, Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Hu X, Zhang W, Song F, Huang P. Identification of potential pseudogenes for predicting the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:14255-14269. [PMID: 37553422 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05241-9] [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: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a highly deadly malignant tumor with high recurrence and metastasis rates. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are involved in tumor metastasis, recurrence, and resistance to drugs, which have attracted widespread attention in recent years. Research has shown that pseudogenes may regulate stemness to promote the progression of HCC, but its specific mechanisms and impact on prognosis remain unclear. METHODS In this study, clinical prognosis information of HCC was first downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Then we calculated the mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi) of HCC. We also screened the differentially expressed pseudogene (DEPs) and conducted univariate Cox regression analysis to investigate their effect on the prognosis of HCC. Further, genomic mutation frequency analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed to compare the role of pseudogenes and stemness in promoting the progression of HCC. Finally, we conducted the correlation analysis to examine the potential mechanism of pseudogenes regulating stemness to promote the progression of HCC and detected the possible pathways through the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. RESULTS Herein, we revealed that the high stemness of HCC correlated with an unfavorable prognosis. We obtained 31 up-regulated and 8 down-regulated DEPs in HCC and screened CTB-63M22.1, a poor prognostic indicator of HCC. In addition, CTB-63M22.1 had a mutation frequency similar to mRNAsi and acted in a module similar to that of mRNAsi on HCC. We then screened two RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) LIN28B and NOP56 with the highest correlation with stemness. We also discovered that they were primarily enriched in the biological process as examples of mitotic nuclear division and cell cycle. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these results revealed that pseudogenes CTB-63M22.1 may regulate cancer stemness by regulating RBPs, suggesting that CTB-63M22.1 may serve as an innovative therapeutic target and a reliable prognostic marker for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luqi Ge
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tiefeng Jin
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wanli Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhentao Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yiwen Zhang
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Hu
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Feifeng Song
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Ping Huang
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy, Cancer Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.
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Gao X, Zuo S. Immune landscape and immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: focus on innate and adaptive immune cells. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:1881-1899. [PMID: 36773210 PMCID: PMC10543580 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-023-01015-2] [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: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is responsible for roughly 90% of all cases of primary liver cancer, and the cases are on the rise. The treatment of advanced HCC is a serious challenge. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has marked a watershed moment in the history of HCC systemic treatment. Atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab has been approved as a first-line treatment for advanced HCC since 2020; however, the combination therapy is only effective in a limited percentage of patients. Considering that the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) has a great impact on immunotherapies for HCC, an in-depth understanding of the immune landscape in tumors and the current immunotherapeutic approaches is extremely necessary. We elaborate on the features, functions, and cross talk of the innate and adaptive immune cells in HCC and highlight the benefits and drawbacks of various immunotherapies for advanced HCC, as well as future projections. HCC consists of a heterogeneous group of cancers with distinct etiologies and immune microenvironments. Almost all the components of innate and adaptive immune cells in HCC have altered, showing a decreasing trend in the number of tumor suppressor cells and an increasing trend in the pro-cancer cells, and there is also cross talk between various cell types. Various immunotherapies for HCC have also shown promising efficacy and application prospect. There are multilayered interwoven webs among various immune cell types in HCC, and emerging evidence demonstrates the promising prospect of immunotherapeutic approaches for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Gao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, No. 28, Guiyi Street, Guiyang, 550000, Guizhou, China
- Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Shi Zuo
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, No. 28, Guiyi Street, Guiyang, 550000, Guizhou, China.
- Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
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Liao J, Wang J, Xu Y, Wu Y, Wang M, Zhao Q, Tan X, Meng Y, Wei L, Huang A. LAPTM4B-YAP loop feedback amplification enhances the stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma. iScience 2023; 26:106754. [PMID: 37213231 PMCID: PMC10197148 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106754] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highly heterogeneous, and stemness signatures are frequently elevated in HCC tumor cells to generate heterogeneous subtypes via multidirectional differentiation. However, the mechanisms affecting the regulation of stemness in HCC remain unclear. In this study, we identified that lysosome-associated protein transmembrane-4β (LAPTM4B) was significantly overexpressed in stem-like tumor cell populations with multidirectional differentiation potential at the single cell level, and verified that LAPTM4B was closely related to stemness of HCC using in vitro and in vivo experiments. Mechanistically, elevated LAPTM4B suppresses Yes-associated protein (YAP) phosphorylation and ubiquitination degradation. In turn, stabilized YAP localizes to the nucleus and binds to cAMP responsive element binding protein-1 (CREB1), which promotes transcription of LAPTM4B. Overall, our findings suggest that LAPTM4B forms a positive feedback loop with YAP, which maintains the stemness of HCC tumor cells and leads to an unfavorable prognosis for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianping Liao
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, 88 Jiaotong Road, Fuzhou, Fujian 350004, China
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Jiahong Wang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, 88 Jiaotong Road, Fuzhou, Fujian 350004, China
| | - Yu Xu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, 88 Jiaotong Road, Fuzhou, Fujian 350004, China
| | - Yong Wu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, 88 Jiaotong Road, Fuzhou, Fujian 350004, China
| | - Meifeng Wang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, 88 Jiaotong Road, Fuzhou, Fujian 350004, China
| | - Qiudong Zhao
- Tumor Immunology and Gene Therapy Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Second Military Medical University, 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xiaodan Tan
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, 88 Jiaotong Road, Fuzhou, Fujian 350004, China
| | - Yan Meng
- Tumor Immunology and Gene Therapy Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Second Military Medical University, 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China
- Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Tongji University Cancer Center, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
- Corresponding author
| | - Lixin Wei
- Tumor Immunology and Gene Therapy Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Second Military Medical University, 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China
- Corresponding author
| | - Aimin Huang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, 88 Jiaotong Road, Fuzhou, Fujian 350004, China
- Corresponding author
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Li Y, Zhu Q, Zhou S, Chen J, Du A, Qin C. Combined bulk RNA and single-cell RNA analyses reveal TXNL4A as a new biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1202732. [PMID: 37305572 PMCID: PMC10248245 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1202732] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high mortality rate worldwide. The dysregulation of RNA splicing is a major event leading to the occurrence, progression, and drug resistance of cancer. Therefore, it is important to identify new biomarkers of HCC from the RNA splicing pathway. Methods We performed the differential expression and prognostic analyses of RNA splicing-related genes (RRGs) using The Cancer Genome Atlas-liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). The International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC)-LIHC dataset was used to construct and validate prognostic models, and the PubMed database was used to explore genes in the models to identify new markers. The screened genes were subjected to genomic analyses, including differential, prognostic, enrichment, and immunocorrelation analyses. Single-cell RNA (scRNA) data were used to further validate the immunogenetic relationship. Results Of 215 RRGs, we identified 75 differentially expressed prognosis-related genes, and a prognostic model incorporating thioredoxin like 4A (TXNL4A) was identified using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis. ICGC-LIHC was used as a validation dataset to confirm the validity of the model. PubMed failed to retrieve HCC-related studies on TXNL4A. TXNL4A was highly expressed in most tumors and was associated with HCC survival. Chi-squared analyses indicated that TXNL4A expression positively correlated positively with the clinical features of HCC. Multivariate analyses revealed that high TXNL4A expression was an independent risk factor for HCC. Immunocorrelation and scRNA data analyses indicated that TXNL4A was correlated with CD8 T cell infiltration in HCC. Conclusion Therefore, we identified a prognostic and immune-related marker for HCC from the RNA splicing pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Qiaozhen Zhu
- Infection and Immunity Institute and Translational Medical Center, Huaihe Hospital, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Shuchang Zhou
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Jiangtao Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Aoyu Du
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Changjiang Qin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
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Yang M, Vanderwert E, Kimchi ET, Staveley-O'Carroll KF, Li G. The Important Roles of Natural Killer Cells in Liver Fibrosis. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11051391. [PMID: 37239062 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051391] [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: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis accompanies the development of various chronic liver diseases and promotes their progression. It is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins (ECM) and impaired ECM degradation. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the major cellular source of ECM-producing myofibroblasts. If liver fibrosis is uncontrolled, it may lead to cirrhosis and even liver cancer, primarily hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Natural killer (NK) cells are a key component of innate immunity and have miscellaneous roles in liver health and disease. Accumulating evidence shows that NK cells play dual roles in the development and progression of liver fibrosis, including profibrotic and anti-fibrotic functions. Regulating NK cells can suppress the activation of HSCs and improve their cytotoxicity against activated HSCs or myofibroblasts to reverse liver fibrosis. Cells such as regulatory T cells (Tregs) and molecules such as prostaglandin E receptor 3 (EP3) can regulate the cytotoxic function of NK cells. In addition, treatments such as alcohol dehydrogenase 3 (ADH3) inhibitors, microRNAs, natural killer group 2, member D (NKG2D) activators, and natural products can enhance NK cell function to inhibit liver fibrosis. In this review, we summarized the cellular and molecular factors that affect the interaction of NK cells with HSCs, as well as the treatments that regulate NK cell function against liver fibrosis. Despite a lot of information about NK cells and their interaction with HSCs, our current knowledge is still insufficient to explain the complex crosstalk between these cells and hepatocytes, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, Kupffer cells, B cells, and T cells, as well as thrombocytes, regarding the development and progression of liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Yang
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Harry S. Truman Memorial VA Hospital, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
| | - Ethan Vanderwert
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Eric T Kimchi
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Harry S. Truman Memorial VA Hospital, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
| | - Kevin F Staveley-O'Carroll
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Harry S. Truman Memorial VA Hospital, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
| | - Guangfu Li
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Harry S. Truman Memorial VA Hospital, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
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20
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Xuan SH, Hua ML, Xiang Z, He XL, Huang L, Jiang C, Dong P, Wu J. Roles of cancer stem cells in gastrointestinal cancers. World J Stem Cells 2023; 15:209-220. [PMID: 37181004 PMCID: PMC10173810 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v15.i4.209] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are the main cause of tumor growth, invasion, metastasis and recurrence. Recently, CSCs have been extensively studied to identify CSC-specific surface markers as well as signaling pathways that play key roles in CSCs self-renewal. The involvement of CSCs in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers also highlights these cells as a priority target for therapy. The diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of GI cancer have always been a focus of attention. Therefore, the potential application of CSCs in GI cancers is receiving increasing attention. This review summarizes the role of CSCs in GI cancers, focusing on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, and pancreatic cancer. In addition, we propose CSCs as potential targets and therapeutic strategies for the effective treatment of GI cancers, which may provide better guidance for clinical treatment of GI cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Hai Xuan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The People’s Hospital of Dongtai City, Dongtai 224299, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Meng-Lu Hua
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Ze Xiang
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xiang-Lin He
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Lan Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou 215008, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Chun Jiang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou 215008, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Peng Dong
- Hangzhou Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jian Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou 215008, Jiangsu Province, China
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21
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Fan Y, Li Y, Yao X, Jin J, Scott A, Liu B, Wang S, Huo L, Wang Y, Wang R, Pool Pizzi M, Ma L, Shao S, Sewastjanow-Silva M, Waters R, Chatterjee D, Liu B, Shanbhag N, Peng G, Calin GA, Mazur PK, Hanash SM, Ishizawa J, Hirata Y, Nagano O, Wang Z, Wang L, Xian W, McKeon F, Ajani JA, Song S. Epithelial SOX9 drives progression and metastases of gastric adenocarcinoma by promoting immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. Gut 2023; 72:624-637. [PMID: 36002248 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2021-326581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Many cancers engage embryonic genes for rapid growth and evading the immune system. SOX9 has been upregulated in many tumours, yet the role of SOX9 in mediating immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment is unclear. Here, we aim to dissect the role of SOX9-mediated cancer stemness attributes and immunosuppressive microenvironment in advanced gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) for novel therapeutic discoveries. METHODS Bulk RNAseq/scRNA-seq, patient-derived cells/models and extensive functional studies were used to identify the expression and functions of SOX9 and its target genes in vitro and in vivo. Immune responses were studied in PBMCs or CD45+ immune cells cocultured with tumour cells with SOX9high or knockout and the KP-Luc2 syngeneic models were used for efficacy of combinations. RESULTS SOX9 is one of the most upregulated SOX genes in GAC and highly expressed in primary and metastatic tissues and associated with poor prognosis. Depletion of SOX9 in patient-derived GAC cells significantly decreased cancer stemness attributes, tumour formation and metastases and consistently increased CD8+ T cell responses when cocultured with PBMCs/CD45+ cells from GAC patients. RNA sequencing identified the leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) as the top secreted molecule regulated by SOX9 in tumour cells and was enriched in malignant ascites and mediated SOX9-induced M2 macrophage repolarisation and inhibited T cell function. CONCLUSION Epithelial SOX9 is critical in suppressing CD8+ T cell responses and modified macrophage function in GAC through the paracrine LIF factor. Cotargeting LIF/LIFR and CSF1R has great potential in targeting SOX9-mediated cancer stemness, T cell immunosuppression and metastases suggesting the novel combination therapy against advanced GAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibo Fan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yuan Li
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Xiaodan Yao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jiangkang Jin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ailing Scott
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bovey Liu
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shan Wang
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Longfei Huo
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ruiping Wang
- Departments of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Melissa Pool Pizzi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lang Ma
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shan Shao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matheus Sewastjanow-Silva
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rebecca Waters
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Deyali Chatterjee
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Epigenet & Mol Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Namita Shanbhag
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Guang Peng
- Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - George Adrian Calin
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Pawel Karol Mazur
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Samir M Hanash
- Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jo Ishizawa
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yuki Hirata
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Osamu Nagano
- Division of Gene Regulation, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Zhenning Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology and General Surgery, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Linghua Wang
- Departments of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wa Xian
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Frank McKeon
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jaffer A Ajani
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shumei Song
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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22
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Zhou H, Tan L, Liu B, Guan XY. Cancer stem cells: Recent insights and therapies. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 209:115441. [PMID: 36720355 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115441] [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: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Tumors are intricate ecosystems containing malignant components that generate adaptive and evolutionarily driven abnormal tissues. Through self-renewal and differentiation, cancers are reconstructed by a dynamic subset of stem-like cells that enforce tumor heterogeneity and remodel the tumor microenvironment (TME). Through recent technology advances, we are now better equipped to investigate the fundamental role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in cancer biology. In this review, we discuss the latest insights into characteristics, markers and mechanism of CSCs and describe the crosstalk between CSCs and other cells in TME. Additionally, we explore the performance of single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptome analysis in CSCs studies and summarize the therapeutic strategies to eliminate CSCs, which could broaden the understanding of CSCs and exploit for therapeutic benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Zhou
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Licheng Tan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Beilei Liu
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
| | - Xin-Yuan Guan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; State Key Laboratory for Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Advanced Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Technology Research Center, Advanced Energy Science and Technology Guangdong Laboratory, Huizhou, Guangdong, China.
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23
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Li K, Qin Y, Ye L. Response to 'Hyperbaric oxygen facilitates teniposide-induced cGAS-STING activation to enhance the antitumor efficacy of PD-1 antibody in HCC' by Yang et al. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-006648. [PMID: 36882227 PMCID: PMC10008227 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-006648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kun Li
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yunfei Qin
- Department of Biotherapy Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Linsen Ye
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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24
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Wu B, Shi X, Jiang M, Liu H. Cross-talk between cancer stem cells and immune cells: potential therapeutic targets in the tumor immune microenvironment. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:38. [PMID: 36810098 PMCID: PMC9942413 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01748-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Ongoing research has revealed that the existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is one of the biggest obstacles in the current cancer therapy. CSCs make an influential function in tumor progression, recurrence and chemoresistance due to their typical stemness characteristics. CSCs are preferentially distributed in niches, and those niche sites exhibit characteristics typical of the tumor microenvironment (TME). The complex interactions between CSCs and TME illustrate these synergistic effects. The phenotypic heterogeneity within CSCs and the spatial interactions with the surrounding tumor microenvironment led to increased therapeutic challenges. CSCs interact with immune cells to protect themselves against immune clearance by exploiting the immunosuppressive function of multiple immune checkpoint molecules. CSCs also can protect themselves against immune surveillance by excreting extracellular vesicles (EVs), growth factors, metabolites and cytokines into the TME, thereby modulating the composition of the TME. Therefore, these interactions are also being considered for the therapeutic development of anti-tumor agents. We discuss here the immune molecular mechanisms of CSCs and comprehensively review the interplay between CSCs and the immune system. Thus, studies on this topic seem to provide novel ideas for reinvigorating therapeutic approaches to cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wu
- grid.459742.90000 0004 1798 5889Department of General Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042 China
| | - Xiang Shi
- grid.459742.90000 0004 1798 5889Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042 China
| | - Meixi Jiang
- grid.412644.10000 0004 5909 0696Department of Neurology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110032 China
| | - Hongxu Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Shenyang, 110042, China.
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25
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Thomas J, Klebanov A, John S, Miller LS, Vegesna A, Amdur RL, Bhowmick K, Mishra L. CEACAMS 1, 5, and 6 in disease and cancer: interactions with pathogens. Genes Cancer 2023; 14:12-29. [PMID: 36741860 DOI: 10.18632/genesandcancer.230] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The CEA family comprises 18 genes and 11 pseudogenes located at chromosome 19q13.2 and is divided into two main groups: cell surface anchored CEA-related cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) and the secreted pregnancy-specific glycoproteins (PSGs). CEACAMs are highly glycosylated cell surface anchored, intracellular, and intercellular signaling molecules with diverse functions, from cell differentiation and transformation to modulating immune responses associated with infection, inflammation, and cancer. In this review, we explore current knowledge surrounding CEACAM1, CEACAM5, and CEACAM6, highlight their pathological significance in the areas of cancer biology, immunology, and inflammatory disease, and describe the utility of murine models in exploring questions related to these proteins.
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26
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Yu S, Ren X, Meng F, Guo X, Tao J, Zhang W, Liu Z, Fu R, Li L. TIM3/CEACAM1 pathway involves in myeloid-derived suppressor cells induced CD8 + T cells exhaustion and bone marrow inflammatory microenvironment in myelodysplastic syndrome. Immunology 2023; 168:273-289. [PMID: 35470423 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [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: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) induced cellular immune deficiency and bone marrow inflammatory microenvironment play an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we revealed that immune checkpoint protein TIM3 and CEACAM1 were highly demonstrated on MDSC and CD8+ T cells in MDS patients. CD8+ T cells were reduced in number and function and presented a exhaustion state. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-18) and CEACAM1 were raised in bone marrow supernatants and MDSC culture supernatants. Blocking or neutralizing TIM3/CEACAM1 and IL-1β/IL-18 partially reversed exhaustion of CD8+ T cells. Moreover, TIM3 correlated with NF-κB /NLRP3 inflammatory pathway. The levels of NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β and IL-18 were all increased in MDSC of MDS. Co-culturing MDSC from MDS patients with rhCEACAM1 enhanced NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1β and IL-18 levels, whereas blocking TIM3 could partially reverse the above manifestations. These results indicated that TIM3/CEACAM1 pathway involved in CD8+ T cells exhaustion and might activate the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway in MDSC, increasing pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion in MDS bone marrow microenvironment. This study provided a basis for applying immune checkpoint inhibitors that could simultaneously modulate pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and enhance anti-tumour immune function in the treatment of MDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunjie Yu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China. Address:Heping District 154 Anshan Road, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaotong Ren
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China. Address:Heping District 154 Anshan Road, Tianjin, China
| | - Fanqiao Meng
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China. Address:Heping District 154 Anshan Road, Tianjin, China
| | - Xinyu Guo
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China. Address:Heping District 154 Anshan Road, Tianjin, China
| | - Jinglian Tao
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China. Address:Heping District 154 Anshan Road, Tianjin, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China. Address:Heping District 154 Anshan Road, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhaoyun Liu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China. Address:Heping District 154 Anshan Road, Tianjin, China
| | - Rong Fu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China. Address:Heping District 154 Anshan Road, Tianjin, China
| | - Lijuan Li
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China. Address:Heping District 154 Anshan Road, Tianjin, China
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27
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Zhou XH, Li JR, Zheng TH, Chen H, Cai C, Ye SL, Gao B, Xue TC. Portal vein tumor thrombosis in hepatocellular carcinoma: molecular mechanism and therapy. Clin Exp Metastasis 2023; 40:5-32. [PMID: 36318440 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-022-10188-1] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT), a common complication of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), remains the bottleneck of the treatments. Liver cancer cells potentially experienced multi-steps during PVTT process, including cancer cells leave from cancer nest, migrate in extracellular matrix, invade the vascular barrier, and colonize in the portal vein. Accumulated evidences have revealed numerous of molecular mechanisms including genetic and epigenetic regulation, cancer stem cells, immunosuppressive microenvironment, hypoxia, et al. contributed to the PVTT formation. In this review, we discuss state-of-the-art PVTT research on the potential molecular mechanisms and experimental models. In addition, we summarize PVTT-associated clinical trials and current treatments for PVTT and suppose perspectives exploring the molecular mechanisms and improving PVTT-related treatment for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing-Hao Zhou
- Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, 136 Yi Xue Yuan Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Department of Hepatic Oncology, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, 200032, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jing-Ru Li
- Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, 136 Yi Xue Yuan Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Department of Hepatic Oncology, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, 200032, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Tang-Hui Zheng
- Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, 136 Yi Xue Yuan Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Department of Hepatic Oncology, Xiamen Branch, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen, 361015, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, 136 Yi Xue Yuan Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Department of Hepatic Oncology, Xiamen Branch, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen, 361015, China
| | - Chen Cai
- Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, 136 Yi Xue Yuan Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Department of Hepatic Oncology, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, 200032, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Sheng-Long Ye
- Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, 136 Yi Xue Yuan Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Department of Hepatic Oncology, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, 200032, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Bo Gao
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Tong-Chun Xue
- Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, 136 Yi Xue Yuan Road, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Department of Hepatic Oncology, Fudan University, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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28
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Liu X, Zhang N, Chen Q, Feng Q, Zhang Y, Wang Z, Yue X, Li H, Cui N. SNAI2 Attenuated the Stem-like Phenotype by Reducing the Expansion of EPCAM(high) Cells in Cervical Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24. [PMID: 36674577 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021062] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
SNAI2 (Snai2) is a zinc-finger transcriptional repressor that belongs to the Snail family. The accumulated evidence suggests that SNAI2 exhibits biphasic effects on regulating a stem-like phenotype in various types of cells, both normal and malignant. In this study, by exogenously expressing SNAI2 in SiHa cells, SNAI2 exhibited the capacity to inhibit a stem-like phenotype in cervical cancer cells. The SNAI2-overexpressing cells inhibited cell growth, tumorsphere formation, tumor growth, enhanced sensitivity to cisplatin, reduced stem cell-related factors' expression, and lowered tumor initiating frequency. In addition, the EPCAMhigh cells sorted from SiHa cells exhibited an enhanced capacity to maintain a stem-like phenotype. Further study demonstrated that the trans-suppression of EPCAM expression by SNAI2 led to blockage of the nuclear translocation of β-catenin, as well as reduction in SOX2 and c-Myc expression in SiHa and HeLa cells, but induction in SNAI2 knockdown cells (CaSki), which would be responsible for the attenuation of the stem-like phenotype in cervical cancer cells mediated by SNAI2. All of these results demonstrated that SNAI2 could attenuate the stem-like phenotype in cervical cancer cells through the EPCAM/β-catenin axis.
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29
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An J, Hu X, Liu F. Current understanding of cancer stem cells: Immune evasion and targeted immunotherapy in gastrointestinal malignancies. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1114621. [PMID: 36910604 PMCID: PMC9996315 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1114621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
As a relatively rare population of cancer cells existing in the tumor microenvironment, cancer stem cells (CSCs) possess properties of immune privilege to evade the attack of immune system, regulated by the microenvironment of CSCs, the so-called CSCs niche. The bidirectional interaction of CSCs with tumor microenvironment (TME) components favors an immunosuppressive shelter for CSCs' survival and maintenance. Gastrointestinal cancer stem cells (GCSCs) are broadly regarded to be intimately involved in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis and recurrence, with elevated tumor resistance to conventional therapies, which pose a major hindrance to the clinical efficacy for treated patients with gastrointestinal malignancies. Thus, a multitude of efforts have been made to combat and eradicate GCSCs within the tumor mass. Among diverse methods of targeting CSCs in gastrointestinal malignancies, immunotherapy represents a promising strategy. And the better understanding of GCSCs immunomodulation and immunoresistance mechanisms is beneficial to guide and design novel GCSCs-specific immunotherapies with enhanced immune response and clinical efficacy. In this review, we have gathered available and updated information to present an overview of the immunoevasion features harbored by cancer stem cells, and we focus on the description of immune escape strategies utilized by CSCs and microenvironmental regulations underlying CSCs immuno-suppression in the context of gastrointestinal malignancies. Importantly, this review offers deep insights into recent advances of CSC-targeting immunotherapeutic approaches in gastrointestinal cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyi An
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaohua Hu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Roh PR, Kim SM, Kang BY, Mun KD, Park JG, Kang MW, Hur W, Han JW, Nam H, Yoon SK, Sung PS. Tenofovir alafenamide alleviates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice by blocking the phosphorylation of AKT in intrahepatic mononuclear phagocytes. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 156:113952. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113952] [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: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Lu T, Han T, Zhao M. miR-3168 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via downregulating p53. Carcinogenesis 2022; 43:956-968. [PMID: 35926447 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgac062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant disease with poor prognosis, which is partly due to the presence of liver cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs participate in tumor recurrence, metastasis, and chemoresistance. However, the mechanisms underlying liver CSC regulation are unknown. In this study, we found that miR-3168 expression is increased in HCC and that it predicts poor prognosis. Functional assays showed that miR-3168 promotes HCC cells' proliferation and facilitates liver CSC self-renewal and tumorigenicity. Mechanistically, bioinformatics and the luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-3168 targets the 3'UTR of the p53 mRNA. MiR-3168 expression was negatively correlated with p53 mRNA in HCC tissue samples. Rescue assays demonstrated that p53 knockdown abrogates the discrepancies in proliferation, self-renewal, and tumorigenicity between miR-3168 knockdown HCC cells and control HCC cells. Furthermore, miR-3168 expression was negatively correlated with p53 in HCC tissues. The combined HCC panels exhibited a worse prognostic value for HCC patients than any of these components alone. Moreover, miR-3168 expression was increased in cisplatin-resistant HCC cells and patient-derived xenografts. Clinical cohort analysis revealed that HCC patients with low miR-3168 levels have a superior survival rate when treated with postoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization compared with that of patients with high miR-3168 levels. In conclusion, our study uncovered a novel mechanism of liver CSC regulation and provided a potential therapeutic target for liver CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Lu
- Department of Anus and Intestine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Tao Han
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Mingfang Zhao
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
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Sun K, Shen H, He S, Liu Y. MASM inhibits cancer stem cell-like characteristics of EpCAM + cells via AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling. Am J Transl Res 2022; 14:8380-8389. [PMID: 36505290 PMCID: PMC9730073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) are regarded as the frequent cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) relapse and therapeutic resistance. The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is one of the key biomarkers for LCSCs. EpCAM+ cells from HCC have been reported to display cancer stem cell-like (CSC-like) properties. Therefore, we aimed to verify the effect of MASM, a novel derivative of matrine, on CSC-like properties of EpCAM+ HCC cells. METHODS EpCAM+ cells were isolated from Hep3B and Huh7 cells using the magnetic-activated cell sorting. The capacity for self-renewal and proliferation of EpCAM+ HCC cells was determined by the sphere-formation and cell counting kit 8 assays. After these cell populations were exposed to increasing concentrations of MASM, sphere formation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, resistance to chemotherapy and colony formation were evaluated, respectively. Moreover, the stemness-associated gene expression and underlying mechanisms were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and sphere-forming assay. RESULTS MASM significantly inhibited proliferation without inducing apoptosis, down-regulated the expression of stemness-related genes, decreased the percentage of EpCAM+ HCC cells and up-regulated mature hepatocyte-related genes. Moreover, MASM suppressed the formation and reduced the size of not only primary spheroids but also subsequent spheroids. Additionally, our results showed that MASM inhibited the AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. CONCLUSION MASM treatment is effective against EpCAM+ cells and may be considered as a novel drug candidate in HCC therapy.
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Zhang J, Han H, Wang L, Wang W, Yang M, Qin Y. Overcoming the therapeutic resistance of hepatomas by targeting the tumor microenvironment. Front Oncol 2022; 12:988956. [DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.988956] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for the majority of primary liver cancers and is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Multifactorial drug resistance is regarded as the major cause of treatment failure in HCC. Accumulating evidence shows that the constituents of the tumor microenvironment (TME), including cancer-associated fibroblasts, tumor vasculature, immune cells, physical factors, cytokines, and exosomes may explain the therapeutic resistance mechanisms in HCC. In recent years, anti-angiogenic drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown satisfactory results in HCC patients. However, due to enhanced communication between the tumor and TME, the effect of heterogeneity of the microenvironment on therapeutic resistance is particularly complicated, which suggests a more challenging research direction. In addition, it has been reported that the three-dimensional (3D) organoid model derived from patient biopsies is more intuitive to fully understand the role of the TME in acquired resistance. Therefore, in this review, we have focused not only on the mechanisms and targets of therapeutic resistance related to the contents of the TME in HCC but also provide a comprehensive description of 3D models and how they contribute to the exploration of HCC therapies.
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Liu Y, Wang Y, Sun S, Chen Z, Xiang S, Ding Z, Huang Z, Zhang B. Understanding the versatile roles and applications of EpCAM in cancers: from bench to bedside. Exp Hematol Oncol 2022; 11:97. [PMID: 36369033 PMCID: PMC9650829 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-022-00352-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) functions not only in physiological processes but also participates in the development and progression of cancer. In recent decades, extensive efforts have been made to decipher the role of EpCAM in cancers. Great advances have been achieved in elucidating its structure, molecular functions, pathophysiological mechanisms, and clinical applications. Beyond its well-recognized role as a biomarker of cancer stem cells (CSCs) or circulating tumor cells (CTCs), EpCAM exhibits novel and promising value in targeted therapy. At the same time, the roles of EpCAM in cancer progression are found to be highly context-dependent and even contradictory in some cases. The versatile functional modules of EpCAM and its communication with other signaling pathways complicate the study of this molecule. In this review, we start from the structure of EpCAM and focus on communication with other signaling pathways. The impacts on the biology of cancers and the up-to-date clinical applications of EpCAM are also introduced and summarized, aiming to shed light on the translational prospects of EpCAM.
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Pu D, Liu D, Li C, Chen C, Che Y, Lv J, Yang Y, Wang X. A novel ten-gene prognostic signature for cervical cancer based on CD79B-related immunomodulators. Front Genet 2022; 13:933798. [PMID: 36406115 PMCID: PMC9666757 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.933798] [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: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The identification of immune-related prognostic biomarkers opens up the possibility of developing new immunotherapy strategies against tumors. In this study, we investigated immune-related biomarkers in the tumor microenvironment to predict the prognosis of cervical cancer (CC) patients. ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithms were used to calculate the abundance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) and the amount of immune and stromal components in cervical samples (n = 309) from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Ten immune-related differentially expressed genes associated with CC survival were identified via intersection analyses of multivariate Cox regression and protein-protein interactions. CD79B was chosen for further study, and its prognostic value and role in anti-CC immune functions were analyzed. Differential expression analysis and qRT-PCR validation both revealed that CD79B expression was down-regulated in CC tissues. Survival analysis suggested that a high level of CD79B expression was associated with good prognosis. In the clinical correlation analysis, CD79B expression was found to be related to primary therapy outcome, race, histological type, degree of cell differentiation, disease-specific survival, and progression-free interval. GSEA showed that the function and pathway of CD79B were mainly related to immune activities. Meanwhile, CD79B expression was correlated with 10 types of TICs. Based on CD79B-associated immunomodulators, a novel immune prognostic signature consisting of 10 genes (CD96, LAG3, PDCD1, TIGIT, CD27, KLRK1, LTA, PVR, TNFRSF13C, and TNFRSF17) was established and validated as possessing good independent prognostic value for CC patients. Finally, a nomogram to predict personalized 3- and 5-year overall survival probabilities in CC patients was built and validated. In summary, our findings demonstrated that CD79B might be a potential prognostic biomarker for CC. The 10-gene prognostic signature independently predicted the overall survival of patients with CC, which could improve individualized treatment and aid clinical decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Pu
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China,Department of Gynecology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Can Li
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chunyan Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yuxin Che
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jiaoyan Lv
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Medical Basic Experimental Teaching Center, China Medical University, Shenyang, China,*Correspondence: Yang Yang, ; Xuelian Wang,
| | - Xuelian Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China,*Correspondence: Yang Yang, ; Xuelian Wang,
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Liu D, Wu C, Wang J, Zhang L, Sun Z, Chen S, Ding Y, Wang W. Transfer RNA-derived fragment 5'tRF-Gly promotes the development of hepatocellular carcinoma by direct targeting of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1. Cancer Sci 2022; 113:3476-3488. [PMID: 35879647 PMCID: PMC9530880 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15505] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNA-derived fragments are a group of small noncoding single-stranded RNA that play essential roles in multiple diseases. However, their biological functions in carcinogenesis are not well understood. In this study, 5'tRF-Gly was found to have significantly high expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the upregulation of 5'tRF-Gly was positively correlated with tumor size and tumor metastasis. Overexpression of 5'tRF-Gly induced increased growth rate and metastasis in HCC cells in vitro and in nude mice, while knockdown showed the opposite effect. Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) was confirmed to be a direct target of 5'tRF-Gly in HCC. In addition, the cytological effect of CEACAM1 knockdown proved to be similar to the overexpression of 5'tRF-Gly. Moreover, attenuation of CEACAM1 expression rescued the 5'tRF-Gly-mediated promoting effects on HCC cells. These data show that 5'tRF-Gly is a new tumor-promoting factor and could be a potential diagnostic biomarker or new therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dekai Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Chengdong Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Jingjie Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Lufei Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Zhongquan Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Shihong Chen
- Department of Clinical MedicineWenzhou Medical CollegeWenzhouChina
| | - Yuan Ding
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Weilin Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouChina
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
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Chen T, Zhang J, Wang Y, Zhou H, Yang Y. Identification of Survival-Related Genes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Based on Cytogenetically Normal AML Samples Using Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis. Disease Markers 2022; 2022:1-19. [PMID: 36212177 PMCID: PMC9537620 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5423694] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains a challenge. In this study, we applied the weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) to find survival-specific genes in AML based on 42 adult CN-AML samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Eighteen hub genes (ABCA13, ANXA3, ARG1, BTNL8, C11orf42, CEACAM1, CEACAM3, CHI3L1, CRISP2, CYP4F3, GPR84, HP, LTF, MMP8, OLR1, PADI2, RGL4, and RILPL1) were found to be related to AML patient survival time. We then compared the hub gene expression levels between AML peripheral blood (PB) samples (
) and control healthy whole blood samples (
). Seventeen of the hub genes showed lower expression levels in AML PB samples. The gene expression analysis was also done among AML BM (bone marrow) samples of different stages: diagnosis (
), posttreatment (
), and recurrent (
) stages. The results showed a significant increase of ANXA3, CEACM1, RGL4, RILPL1, and HP in posttreatment samples compared to diagnosis and/or recurrent samples. Transcription factor (TF) prediction of the hub genes suggested LTF as the top hit, overlapping 10 hub genes, while LTF itself is just one of the hub genes. Also, 3671 correlation links were shown between 128 mRNAs and 209 lncRNAs found in survival time-related modules. Generally, we identified candidate mRNA biomarkers based on CN-AML data which can be extensively used in AML prognosis. In addition, we mapped their potential regulatory mechanisms with correlated lncRNAs, providing new insights into potential targets for therapies in AML.
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Cavallucci V, Palucci I, Fidaleo M, Mercuri A, Masi L, Emoli V, Bianchetti G, Fiori ME, Bachrach G, Scaldaferri F, Maulucci G, Delogu G, Pani G. Proinflammatory and Cancer-Promoting Pathobiont Fusobacterium nucleatum Directly Targets Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1256. [PMID: 36139097 PMCID: PMC9496236 DOI: 10.3390/biom12091256] [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: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Intestinal bacterial communities participate in gut homeostasis and are recognized as crucial in bowel inflammation and colorectal cancer (CRC). Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn), a pathobiont of the oral microflora, has recently emerged as a CRC-associated microbe linked to disease progression, metastasis, and a poor clinical outcome; however, the primary cellular and/or microenvironmental targets of this agent remain elusive. We report here that Fn directly targets putative colorectal cancer stem cells (CR-CSCs), a tumor cell subset endowed with cancer re-initiating capacity after surgery and chemotherapy. A patient-derived CSC line, highly enriched (70%) for the stem marker CD133, was expanded as tumor spheroids, dissociated, and exposed in vitro to varying amounts (range 100–500 MOI) of Fn. We found that Fn stably adheres to CSCs, likely by multiple interactions involving the tumor-associated Gal-GalNac disaccharide and the Fn-docking protein CEA-family cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM-1), robustly expressed on CSCs. Importantly, Fn elicited innate immune responses in CSCs and triggered a growth factor-like, protein tyrosine phosphorylation cascade largely dependent on CEACAM-1 and culminating in the activation of p42/44 MAP kinase. Thus, the direct stimulation of CSCs by Fn may contribute to microbiota-driven colorectal carcinogenesis and represent a target for innovative therapies.
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Guizhen Z, Guanchang J, Liwen L, Huifen W, Zhigang R, Ranran S, Zujiang Y. The tumor microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma and its targeting strategy by CAR-T cell immunotherapy. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:918869. [PMID: 36093115 PMCID: PMC9452721 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.918869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the major subtype of liver cancer, which ranks sixth in cancer incidence and third in mortality. Although great strides have been made in novel therapy for HCC, such as immunotherapy, the prognosis remains less than satisfactory. Increasing evidence demonstrates that the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) exerts a significant role in the evolution of HCC and has a non-negligible impact on the efficacy of HCC treatment. In the past two decades, the success in hematological malignancies made by chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CAR-T) cell therapy leveraging it holds great promise for cancer treatment. However, in the face of a hostile TME in solid tumors like HCC, the efficacy of CAR-T cells will be greatly compromised. Here, we provide an overview of TME features in HCC, discuss recent advances and challenges of CAR-T immunotherapy in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhang Guizhen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Presion Medicine Cencter Gene Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ji Guanchang
- Department of Urology People’s Hospital of Puyang, Puyang, China
| | - Liu Liwen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Presion Medicine Cencter Gene Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wang Huifen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Presion Medicine Cencter Gene Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ren Zhigang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Sun Ranran
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yu Zujiang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Presion Medicine Cencter Gene Hospital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China
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Singh R, Sharma A, Saji J, Umapathi A, Kumar S, Daima HK. Smart nanomaterials for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Nano Converg 2022; 9:21. [PMID: 35569081 PMCID: PMC9108129 DOI: 10.1186/s40580-022-00313-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Innovations in nanomedicine has guided the improved outcomes for cancer diagnosis and therapy. However, frequent use of nanomaterials remains challenging due to specific limitations like non-targeted distribution causing low signal-to-noise ratio for diagnostics, complex fabrication, reduced-biocompatibility, decreased photostability, and systemic toxicity of nanomaterials within the body. Thus, better nanomaterial-systems with controlled physicochemical and biological properties, form the need of the hour. In this context, smart nanomaterials serve as promising solution, as they can be activated under specific exogenous or endogenous stimuli such as pH, temperature, enzymes, or a particular biological molecule. The properties of smart nanomaterials make them ideal candidates for various applications like biosensors, controlled drug release, and treatment of various diseases. Recently, smart nanomaterial-based cancer theranostic approaches have been developed, and they are displaying better selectivity and sensitivity with reduced side-effects in comparison to conventional methods. In cancer therapy, the smart nanomaterials-system only activates in response to tumor microenvironment (TME) and remains in deactivated state in normal cells, which further reduces the side-effects and systemic toxicities. Thus, the present review aims to describe the stimulus-based classification of smart nanomaterials, tumor microenvironment-responsive behaviour, and their up-to-date applications in cancer theranostics. Besides, present review addresses the development of various smart nanomaterials and their advantages for diagnosing and treating cancer. Here, we also discuss about the drug targeting and sustained drug release from nanocarriers, and different types of nanomaterials which have been engineered for this intent. Additionally, the present challenges and prospects of nanomaterials in effective cancer diagnosis and therapeutics have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ragini Singh
- College of Agronomy, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, Shandong, China.
| | - Ayush Sharma
- Amity Center for Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine (ACNN), Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur, 303002, Rajasthan, India
| | - Joel Saji
- Amity Center for Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine (ACNN), Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur, 303002, Rajasthan, India
| | - Akhela Umapathi
- Amity Center for Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine (ACNN), Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur, 303002, Rajasthan, India
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Optical Communication Science and Technology, School of Physics Science and Information Technology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, Shandong, China
| | - Hemant Kumar Daima
- Amity Center for Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine (ACNN), Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur, 303002, Rajasthan, India.
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Li J, Li Y, Li P, Zhang Y, Du L, Wang Y, Zhang C, Wang C. Exosome detection via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for cancer diagnosis. Acta Biomater 2022; 144:1-14. [PMID: 35358734 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
As nanoscale extracellular vesicles, exosomes are secreted by various cell types, and they are widely distributed in multiple biological fluids. Studies have shown that tumor-derived exosomes can carry a variety of primary tumor-specific molecules, which may represent a novel tool for the early detection of cancer. However, the clinical translation of exosomes remains a challenge due to the requirement of large quantities of samples when enriching the cancer-related exosomes in biological fluids, the insufficiency of traditional techniques for exosome subpopulations, and the complex exosome isolation of the current commercially available exosome phenotype profiling approaches. The evolving surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology, with properties of unique optoelectronics, easy functionalization, and the particular interaction between light and nanoscale metallic materials, can achieve sensitive detection of exosomes without large quantities of samples and multiplexed phenotype profiling, providing a new mode of real-time and noninvasive analysis for cancer patients. In the present review, we mainly discussed exosome detection based on SERS, especially SERS immunoassay. The basic structure and function of exosomes were firstly introduced. Then, recent studies using the SERS technique for cancer detection were critically reviewed, which mainly included various SERS substrates, biological modification of SERS substrates, SERS-based exosome detection, and the combination of SERS and other technologies for cancer diagnosis. This review systematically discussed the essential aspects, limitations, and considerations of applying SERS technology in the detection and analysis of cancer-derived exosomes, which could provide a valuable reference for the early diagnosis of cancer through SERS technology. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been applied to exosomes detection to obtain better diagnostic results. In past three years, several reviews have been published in exosome detection, which were narrowly focus on methods of exosome detection. Selection and surface functionalization of the substrate and the combination detection with different methods based on SERS will provide new strategies for the detection of exosomes. This review will focus on the above aspects. This emerging detection method is constantly evolving and contributing to the early discovery of diseases in the future.
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Sung PS, Park DJ, Roh PR, Mun KD, Cho SW, Lee GW, Jung ES, Lee SH, Jang JW, Bae SH, Choi JY, Choi J, Ahn J, Yoon SK. Intrahepatic inflammatory IgA +PD-L1 high monocytes in hepatocellular carcinoma development and immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-003618. [PMID: 35577505 PMCID: PMC9114848 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [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] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background IgA neutralizes pathogens to prevent infection at mucosal sites. However, emerging evidence shows that IgA contributes to aggravating inflammation or dismantling antitumor immunity in human diseased liver. The aim of this study was to elucidate the roles of inflammation-induced intrahepatic inflammatory IgA+ monocytes in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Patient cohorts including steatohepatitis cohort (n=61) and HCC cohort (n=271) were established. Patients’ surgical and biopsy specimens were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. Multicolor flow cytometry was performed with a subset of patient samples. Single-cell RNA-Seq analysis was performed using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Additionally, we performed in vitro differentiation of macrophages, stimulation with coated IgA, and RNA sequencing. Hepa1-6 cells and C57BL/6N mice were used to obtain HCC syngeneic mouse models. Results Serum IgA levels were associated (p<0.001) with fibrosis progression and HCC development in patients with chronic liver diseases. Additionally, immunohistochemical staining of inflamed livers or HCC revealed IgA positivity in monocytes, with a correlation between IgA+ cell frequency and IgA serum levels. Compared with IgA− monocytes, intrahepatic IgA+ monocytes expressed higher levels of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in inflamed livers and in HCC tumor microenvironment. Single-cell RNA sequencing using NCBI GEO database indicated an upregulation in inflammation-associated genes in the monocytes of patients whose plasma cell IGHA1 expression was greater than or equal to the median value. Bulk RNA sequencing demonstrated that in vitro stimulation of M2-polarized macrophages using coated IgA complex induced PD-L1 upregulation via YAP-mediated signaling. In vivo blockade of IgA signaling decreased the number of tumor-infiltrating IgA+PD-L1high macrophages and increased the number of CD69+CD8+ T cells to enhance antitumor effects in HCC mice models. Conclusions Overall, the findings of this study showed that serum IgA levels was correlated with intrahepatic and intratumoral infiltration of inflammatory IgA+PD-L1high monocytes in chronic liver diseases and HCC, providing potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pil Soo Sung
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.,The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Dong Jun Park
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Pu Reun Roh
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyoung Do Mun
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sung Woo Cho
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Gil Won Lee
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Eun Sun Jung
- Department of Hospital Pathology, College of Medicine, Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sung Hak Lee
- Department of Hospital Pathology, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jeong Won Jang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Si Hyun Bae
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jong Young Choi
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jonghwan Choi
- Department of Computer Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jaegyoon Ahn
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Seung Kew Yoon
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea .,The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
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43
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Jiao J, Ji L, Li X, Gao Z, Wang G, Qin J, Wang Y, Wang Y. Dynamic proteomic change of tumor and immune organs in an immune-competent hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model. Am J Cancer Res 2022; 12:1621-1634. [PMID: 35530287 PMCID: PMC9077077] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Subcutaneous implantation of a human cancer cell line in immune-deficient mice (CDX) is a commonly used tool in preclinical studies for the assessment of potential anti-cancer drugs. As immunotherapy is transforming cancer treatment, tumor models in immunocompetent mice are necessary for us to understand the immune aspects of tumor biology. However, the systemic immune response to the implantation of cancer cells at proteome level is unclear. In this study, we characterized the dynamic proteomic changes of subcutaneous tumors and 5 immune organs (draining lymph node, mesenteric lymph node, spleen, thymus and marrow) at six time points after implantation using a Hepa1-6 derived allograft mouse model. Our data suggest that interaction of the implanted tumor cells with mouse immune system followed the trajectory of "tumor rejection" to "immune evasion" in that the tumor gained the ability to evade the immune system for growth. Furthermore, anti-PDL2 antibody was validated here as an optional immunotherapy strategy to inhibit the growth of Hepa1-6 subcutaneous tumors. These findings from our study provided valuable information for the understanding of tumor and immune interaction and shed light on the rational design for clinical cancer treatment and other preclinical experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Institute of LifeomicsBeijing 102206, China
| | - Linlin Ji
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Baodi Clinical College, Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjin 300000, China
| | - Xianju Li
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Institute of LifeomicsBeijing 102206, China
| | - Zhan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Institute of LifeomicsBeijing 102206, China
| | - Guangshun Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Baodi Clinical College, Tianjin Medical UniversityTianjin 300000, China
| | - Jun Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Institute of LifeomicsBeijing 102206, China
| | - Yini Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Institute of LifeomicsBeijing 102206, China
| | - Yi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Institute of LifeomicsBeijing 102206, China
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44
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Guo Y, Ren Y, Dong X, Kan X, Zheng C. An Overview of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Insufficient Radiofrequency Ablation. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2022; 9:343-355. [PMID: 35502292 PMCID: PMC9056053 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s358539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a commonly used treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, various complex conditions in clinical practice may lead to insufficient radiofrequency ablation (IRFA), allowing residual HCC to survive. In clinical practice and laboratory models, IRFA plays an important role in rapid tumor progression. Therefore, targeting the residual HCC and avoiding IRFA were worthwhile methods. A deeper understanding of IRFA is required; IRFA contributes to the improvement of proliferative activity, migration rates, and invasive capacity, and this may be due to the involvement of multiple complex processes or proteins, including epithelial mesenchymal transitions (EMTs), cancer stem cells (CSCs), autophagy, heat shock proteins (HSPs), changes of non-tumor cells and extracellular matrix, altered immune microenvironment, hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), growth factors, epigenetic alterations, and metabolic reprogramming. We focus on the processes of the above mechanisms and possible therapeutic approach, with a review of the literature. Additionally, we recapitulated the construction methods of various experimental models of IRFA (in vivo and in vitro).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusheng Guo
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanqiao Ren
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiangjun Dong
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuefeng Kan
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chuansheng Zheng
- Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Chuansheng Zheng, Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86-27-85726290, Email
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Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSC) theory has ushered in a new era of cancer research. Tumor recurrence, metastasis and chemotherapy resistance are all related to the existence of cancer stem cells. Further understanding of tumor heterogeneity will contribute to targeted treatment. Liver cancer and pancreatic cancer are common digestive gland tumors with high lethality. This article reviews the identification and isolation of CSC markers in hepatocellular carcinoma and pancreatic cancer. The markers related signal pathways are involved in the occurrence and development of tumors, and have a significant impact on the proliferation, metastasis and invasion of cancer cells, which can be used as potential molecular therapeutic targets. This study will be helpful to understand cancer stem cell like cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Xia
- Biological Anthropology Institute, College of Basic Medical Science, Liaoning Medical University, China.
| | - Da-Hua Liu
- Biological Anthropology Institute, College of Basic Medical Science, Liaoning Medical University, China
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Shi L, Cao J, Lei X, Shi Y, Wu L. Multi-omics data identified TP53 and LRP1B as key regulatory gene related to immune phenotypes via EPCAM in HCC. Cancer Med 2022; 11:2145-2158. [PMID: 35150083 PMCID: PMC9119357 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4594] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many studies showed that the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was significantly associated with the expressions of TP53 and LRP1B. However, the potential influence of the two genes on the malignant progression of HCC is still to be expounded. Methods According to the correlation analysis between immune cells and expression levels of TP53 and LRP1B, we filtered the immune cells to perform unsupervised clustering analysis. Integration of multi‐omic data analysis identified genetic alteration and epigenetic alteration. In addition, pathway analysis was used to explore the potential function of the differentially expressed mRNAs. According to the differentially expressed genes, we established an interaction network to seek the hub gene. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was used to build a prognosis model. Results The unsupervised clustering analysis showed that the cluster A1 showed the highest immune cell levels and the cluster B2 showed the lowest immune cell levels. Multi‐omics data analysis identified that somatic mutations, copy number variations, and DNA methylation levels had significant differences between cluster A1 and cluster B2. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis found that the upregulated mRNAs in the cluster A1 were mainly concentrated in T cell activation, external side of plasma membrane, receptor ligand activity, and cytokine−cytokine receptor interaction. Importantly, the EPCAM was identified as a critical node in the lncRNAs–miRNAs–mRNAs regulatory network correlated with the immune phenotypes. In addition, based on differentially expressed genes between cluster A1 and cluster B2, the prognostic model established by LASSO could predict the overall survival (OS) of HCC accurately. Conclusions The results indicated that the TP53 and LRP1B acted as the key genes in regulating the immune phenotypes of HCC via EPCAM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Shi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.,Translational Medicine Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jie Cao
- Translational Medicine Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xin Lei
- Translational Medicine Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yifen Shi
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Lili Wu
- Department of Clinical Blood Transfusion, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Central Hospital of Wenzhou, Wenzhou, China
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Lee TK, Guan XY, Ma S. Cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma - from origin to clinical implications. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 19:26-44. [PMID: 34504325 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-021-00508-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 82.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive disease with a poor clinical outcome. The cancer stem cell (CSC) model states that tumour growth is powered by a subset of tumour stem cells within cancers. This model explains several clinical observations in HCC (as well as in other cancers), including the almost inevitable recurrence of tumours after initial successful chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, as well as the phenomena of tumour dormancy and treatment resistance. The past two decades have seen a marked increase in research on the identification and characterization of liver CSCs, which has encouraged the design of novel diagnostic and treatment strategies for HCC. These studies revealed novel aspects of liver CSCs, including their heterogeneity and unique immunobiology, which are suggestive of opportunities for new research directions and potential therapies. In this Review, we summarize the present knowledge of liver CSC markers and the regulators of stemness in HCC. We also comprehensively describe developments in the liver CSC field with emphasis on experiments utilizing single-cell transcriptomics to understand liver CSC heterogeneity, lineage-tracing and cell-ablation studies of liver CSCs, and the influence of the CSC niche and tumour microenvironment on liver cancer stemness, including interactions between CSCs and the immune system. We also discuss the potential application of liver CSC-based therapies for treatment of HCC.
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Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver tumor. It is ranked the sixth most common neoplasm and the third most common cause of cancer mortality. At present, the most common treatment for HCC is surgery, but the 5-year recurrence rates are still high. Patients with early stage HCC with few nodules can be treated with resection or radiofrequency ablation (RFA); while for multinodular HCC, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been the first-line treatment. In recent years, based on medical engineering cooperation, nanotechnology has been increasingly applied to the treatment of cancer. Photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy are effective for cancer. This paper summarizes the latest progress of photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy for HCC, with the aim of providing new ideas for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Fan
- Department of General Surgery, the Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.,Department of Central Laboratory, the Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Chengjun Zhuang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Yewei Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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49
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Abstract
The tumor microenvironment generally shows a substantial immunosuppressive activity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), accounting for the suboptimal efficacy of immune-based treatments for this difficult-to-treat cancer. The crosstalk between tumor cells and various cell types in the tumor microenvironment is strongly related to HCC progression and treatment resistance. Monocytes are recruited to the HCC tumor microenvironment by various factors and become tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) with distinct phenotypes. TAMs often contribute to weakened tumor-specific immune responses and a more aggressive phenotype of malignancy. Recent single-cell RNA-sequencing data have demonstrated the central roles of specific TAMs in tumorigenesis and treatment resistance by their interactions with various cell populations in the HCC tumor microenvironment. This review focuses on the roles of TAMs and the crosstalk between TAMs and neighboring cell types in the HCC tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pil Soo Sung
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea.,Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
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50
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Jingjing H, Hongna H, Wenfu Z, Jianlin L, Guochu H, Yuanjia L, Songlin C, Yueqiang H. Bie Jia Jian Pill Combined with Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cells Regulates microRNA-140 to Suppress Hepatocellular Carcinoma Stem Cells. Int J Stem Cells 2021; 14:275-285. [PMID: 33632990 PMCID: PMC8429943 DOI: 10.15283/ijsc20157] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives Cancer stem cells (CSCs) with tumorigenic potential are reported as the crucial factors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence and therapy resistance. Bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are documented to play an important role in the protection of hepatocytes. Bie Jia Jian pill (BJJP), a Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been used to treat liver fibrosis and liver cancer. This study aimed to explore the potential role of combined use of BJJP with BMSCs in HCC cell lines. Methods and Results Flow cytometry was used to identify BMSCs isolated from BALB/c mice and CSCs enriched from Huh7 cells by measuring CD24, CD133, CD44, CD73, CD105, CD166, CD29, CD14 and CD34. Differentiation potential of BMSCs was also determined. Cell viability and proliferation ability of CSCs were determined by CCK-8 assay and clone formation assay. The expressions of CSCs biomarkers and Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway related proteins were determined by PCR and western blot. TOP-Flash/FOP-Flash luciferase assay was applied to measure the activity of β-catenin/TCF. Compared with untreated CSCs, BJJP or BMSCs treatment alone on CSCs lead to increased miR-140 expression and cell apoptosis, as well as decreased expressions of CD24, CD133, EpCAM and cell viability. Downregualted expressions of Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway related proteins, Wnt3a and β-catenin were found in response to BJJP or BMSCs treatment alone. The combination of BJJP+BMSCs treatment on CSCs could further enhance the suppressive effect on CSCs. Down-regulation of miR-140 in CSCs partially blocked the effects of BMSCs or BMSCs+BJJP on the expressions of Wnt3a and β-catenin as well as the cell viability and apoptosis of CSCs. Reversed expression pattern was found in CSCs transfected with miR-140 overexpression. Conclusions Taken together, we demonstrate that BJJP+BMSCs together could further enhance the suppressive effect on CSCs through regulating miR-140 and suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway. This study demonstrated the potential of BJJP+BMSCs in therapeutic treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huang Jingjing
- Department of Spleen, Stomach and Liver Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine for Treating High-Incidence Infectious Diseases with Integrative Medicine, Nanning, China
| | - Huang Hongna
- Teaching and Research Office of Internal Medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, China
| | - Zhang Wenfu
- Department of Internal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, China
| | - Lv Jianlin
- Department of Internal Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, China
| | - Huang Guochu
- Department of Spleen, Stomach and Liver Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, China
| | - Lin Yuanjia
- Department of Spleen, Stomach and Liver Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, China
| | - Chen Songlin
- Department of Human Resources, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, China
| | - Hu Yueqiang
- Teaching and Research Office of Internal Medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Basic Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanning, China
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