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He Y, Wu S, Rietveld M, Vermeer M, Cruz LJ, Eich C, El Ghalbzouri A. Application of Doxorubicin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles targeting both tumor cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts on 3D human skin equivalents mimicking melanoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Biomater Adv 2024; 160:213831. [PMID: 38552501 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2024.213831] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Nanoparticle (NP) use in cancer therapy is extensively studied in skin cancers. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a major tumor microenvironment (TME) component, promote cancer progression, making dual targeting of cancer cells and CAFs an effective therapy. However, dual NP-based targeting therapy on both tumor cells and CAFs is poorly investigated in skin cancers. Herein, we prepared and characterized doxorubicin-loaded PLGA NPs (DOX@PLGA NPs) and studied their anti-tumor effects on cutaneous melanoma (SKCM)(AN, M14) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) (MET1, MET2) cell lines in monolayer, as well as their impact on CAF deactivation. Then, we established 3D full thickness models (FTM) models of SKCM and cSCC using AN or MET2 cells on dermis matrix populated with CAFs respectively, and assessed the NPs' tumor penetration, tumor-killing ability, and CAF phenotype regulation through both topical administration and intradermal injection. The results show that, in monolayer, DOX@PLGA NPs inhibited cancer cell growth and induced apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with a weaker effect on CAFs. DOX@PLGA NPs reduced CAF-marker expression and had successful anti-tumor effects in 3D skin cancer FTMs, with decreased tumor-load and invasion. DOX@PLGA NPs also showed great delivery potential in the FTMs and could be used as a platform for future functional study of NPs in skin cancers using human-derived skin equivalents. This study provides promising evidence for the potential of DOX@PLGA NPs in dual targeting therapy for SKCM and cSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan He
- Translational Nanobiomaterials and Imaging (TNI) Group, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Shidi Wu
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marion Rietveld
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten Vermeer
- Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Luis J Cruz
- Translational Nanobiomaterials and Imaging (TNI) Group, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Christina Eich
- Translational Nanobiomaterials and Imaging (TNI) Group, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands.
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Li Z, Sun S, Wang Y, Hua Y, Liu M, Zhou Y, Zhong L, Li T, Zhao H, Zhou X, Zeng X, Chen Q, Li J. PA28γ coordinates the cross-talk between cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor cells to promote OSCC progression via HDAC1/E2F3/IGF2 signaling. Cancer Lett 2024:216962. [PMID: 38768680 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216962] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
PA28γ overexpression is aberrant and accompanied by poor patient prognosis in various cancers, the precise regulatory mechanism of this crucial gene in the tumor microenvironment remains incompletely understood. In this study, using oral squamous cell carcinoma as a model, we demonstrated that PA28γ exhibits high expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and its expression significantly correlates with the severity of clinical indicators of malignancy. Remarkably, we found that elevated levels of secreted IGF2 from PA28γ+ CAFs can enhance stemness maintenance and promote tumor cell aggressiveness through the activation of the MAPK/AKT pathway in a paracrine manner. Mechanistically, PA28γ upregulates IGF2 expression by stabilizing the E2F3 protein, a transcription factor of IGF2. Further mechanistic insights reveal that HDAC1 predominantly mediates the deacetylation and subsequent ubiquitination and degradation of E2F3. Notably, PA28γ interacts with HDAC1 and accelerates its degradation via a 20S proteasome-dependent pathway. Additionally, PA28γ+ CAFs exert an impact on the tumor immune microenvironment by secreting IGF2. Excitingly, our study suggests that targeting PA28γ+ CAFs or secreted IGF2 could increase the efficacy of PD-L1 therapy. Thus, our findings reveal the pivotal role of PA28γ in cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment and propose novel strategies for augmenting the effectiveness of immune checkpoint blockade in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaiye Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Silu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yufei Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Ming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Liang Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Taiwen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Hang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Xikun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xin Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Qianming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.
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3
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Liu Y, Wang Y, Yu Z, Wang Z. Impacts of TP53TG1 in cancer-associated fibroblasts-derived exosomes on epithelial-mesenchymal transition capacity of colorectal carcinoma cells by targeting miR-330-3p. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30301. [PMID: 38707274 PMCID: PMC11068805 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30301] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective This research aims at clarifying the action and mechanisms of action of TP53TG1 in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF)-derived exosomes (EXs) on colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cells. Methods CAF and CAF-EXs isolated from CRC tissues were incubated with CRC SW480 cells to determine alterations in biological behavior, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) capacity, and TP53TG1 and miR-330-3p expression. In addition, a dual luciferase reporter (DLR) assay was conducted to verify the connection between TP53TG1 and miR-330-3p, and the impacts of the two genes on CRC cells were analyzed. Results CRC-CAF-EXs extracted from CRC tissues were successfully identified and were able to promote SW480 multiplication, invasiveness, migration, and EMT ability while inhibiting apoptosis (P < 0.05). In addition, TP53TG1 increased and miR-330-3p decreased in SW480 when cultured with CRC-CAF-EXs (P < 0.05). The DLR assay identified notably reduced fluorescence activity of TP53TG1-WT after transfection with miR-330-3p-mimics (P < 0.05). Furthermore, SW480 cell multiplication, invasiveness and migration were found to be enhanced and the apoptosis decreased after up-regulating TP53TG1, while suppressing TP53TG1 and up-regulating miR-330-3p contributed to quite the opposite effect (P < 0.05). Moreover, by elevating TP53TG1 and miR-330-3p simultaneously, we found a cell activity similar to the NC group (P > 0.05). Conclusion By targeting miR-330-3p, TP53TG1 in CRC-CAF-EXs can enhance CRC cell activity and EMT capacity and inhibit apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yawei Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Youwei Wang
- Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, 233030, China
| | - Zhijuan Yu
- Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, Hubei, 437000, China
| | - Ziheng Wang
- Centre for Precision Medicine Research and Training, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
- Suzhou Industrial Park Monash Research Institute of Science and Technology, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215000, China
- The School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Sánchez-Ramírez D, Mendoza-Rodríguez MG, Alemán OR, Candanedo-González FA, Rodríguez-Sosa M, Montesinos-Montesinos JJ, Salcedo M, Brito-Toledo I, Vaca-Paniagua F, Terrazas LI. Impact of STAT-signaling pathway on cancer-associated fibroblasts in colorectal cancer and its role in immunosuppression. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2024; 16:1705-1724. [PMID: 38764833 PMCID: PMC11099434 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i5.1705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the most commonly diagnosed and deadliest types of cancer worldwide. CRC displays a desmoplastic reaction (DR) that has been inversely associated with poor prognosis; less DR is associated with a better prognosis. This reaction generates excessive connective tissue, in which cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are critical cells that form a part of the tumor microenvironment. CAFs are directly involved in tumorigenesis through different mechanisms. However, their role in immunosuppression in CRC is not well understood, and the precise role of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) in mediating CAF activity in CRC remains unclear. Among the myriad chemical and biological factors that affect CAFs, different cytokines mediate their function by activating STAT signaling pathways. Thus, the harmful effects of CAFs in favoring tumor growth and invasion may be modulated using STAT inhibitors. Here, we analyze the impact of different STATs on CAF activity and their immunoregulatory role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damián Sánchez-Ramírez
- Unidad de Investigacion en Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Mónica G Mendoza-Rodríguez
- Unidad de Investigacion en Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Omar R Alemán
- Department of Biology, Facultad de Quimica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Fernando A Candanedo-González
- Department of Pathology, National Medical Center Century XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Miriam Rodríguez-Sosa
- Unidad de Investigacion en Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Juan José Montesinos-Montesinos
- Laboratorio de Células Troncales Mesenquimales, Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Oncológicas, Hospital de Oncología Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Mauricio Salcedo
- Unidad de Investigacion en Biomedicina y Oncologia Genomica, Instituto Mexciano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 07300, Mexico
| | - Ismael Brito-Toledo
- Servicio de Colon y Recto, Hospital de Oncología Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Felipe Vaca-Paniagua
- Unidad de Investigacion en Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
- Laboratorio Nacional en Salud, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Luis I Terrazas
- Unidad de Investigacion en Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
- Laboratorio Nacional en Salud, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
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Wu GH, He C, Che G, Zhou Z, Chen BY, Wu HM, Chen JF, Zhu WP, Yang Y, Zhou Z, Teng LS, Wang HY. The role of FERMT2 in the tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy in pan-cancer using comprehensive single-cell and bulk sequencing. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30505. [PMID: 38726194 PMCID: PMC11079299 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30505] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
FERMT2 has been identified as a participant in integrin-linked kinase signaling pathways, influencing epithelial-mesenchymal transition and thereby affecting tumor initiation, progression, and invasion. While the character of FERMT2 in the tumor microenvironment (TME) as well as its implications for immunotherapy remain unclear. Thus, we conducted a comprehensive analysis to assess the prognostic significance of FERMT2 using Kaplan-Meier analysis. In addition, we employed enrichment analysis to uncover potential underlying molecular mechanisms. Using "Immunedeconv" package, we evaluated the immune characteristics of FERMT2 within TME. Furthermore, we determined the expression levels of FERMT2 in various cell types within TME, based on single-cell sequencing data. To confirm the co-expression of FERMT2 and markers of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), we performed multiplex immunofluorescence staining on tissue paraffin sections across various cancer types. Our analysis disclosed a significant correlation between elevated FERMT2 expression and unfavorable prognosis in specific cancer types. Furthermore, we identified a strong correlation between FERMT2 expression and diverse immune-related factors, including immune checkpoint molecules, immune cell infiltration, microsatellite instability (MSI), and tumor mutational burden (TMB). Additionally, there was a significant correlation between FERMT2 expression and immune-related pathways, particularly those associated with activating, migrating, and promoting the growth of fibroblasts in diverse cancer types. Interestingly, we observed consistent co-expression of FERMT2 in both malignant tumor cells and stromal cells, particularly within CAFs. Notably, our findings also indicated that FERMT2, in particular, exhibited elevated expression levels within tumor tissues and co-expressed with α-SMA in CAFs based on the multiplex immunofluorescence staining results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-hao Wu
- School of Clinical Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chao He
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Gang Che
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zheng Zhou
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bi-ying Chen
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hai-ming Wu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Yiwu Central Hospital, Jinhua, China
| | - Jian-feng Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Yiwu Central Hospital, Jinhua, China
| | - Wei-pu Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yan Yang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhan Zhou
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li-song Teng
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hai-yong Wang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Wu Y, Chen R, Ni S, Hu K. Biomimetic "nano-spears" for CAFs-targeting: splintered three "shields" with enhanced cisplatin anti-TNBC efficiency. J Control Release 2024; 370:556-569. [PMID: 38697316 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.04.053] [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: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
The treatment dilemma of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) revolves around drug resistance and metastasis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) contribute to cisplatin (Cis) resistance and further metastasis in TNBC, making TNBC a difficult-to-treat disease. The dense stromal barrier which restricts drug delivery, invasive phenotype of tumor cells, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) induced by CAFs serve as three "shields" for TNBC against Cis therapy. Here, we designed a silybin-loaded biomimetic nanoparticle coated with anisamide-modified red blood cell membrane (ARm@SNP) as a "nanospear" for CAFs-targeting, which could shatter the "shields" and significantly exhibit inhibitory effect on 4T1 cells in combination with Cis both in vitro and in vivo. The ARm@SNP/Cis elicited 4T1 tumor growth arrest and destroyed three "shields" as follows: disintegrating the stromal barrier by inhibiting blood vessels growth and the expression of fibronectin; decreasing 4T1 cell invasion and metastasis by affecting the TGF-β/Twist/EMT pathway which impeded EMT activation; reversing the immunosuppressive microenvironment by increasing the activity and infiltration of immunocompetent cells. Based on CAFs-targeting, ARm@SNP reversed the resistance of Cis, remodeled the TME and inhibited invasion and metastasis while significantly improving the therapeutic effect of Cis on 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, providing a promising approach for treating intractable TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufan Wu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Rujing Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Department of Pharmacy, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Shuting Ni
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Kaili Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
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Zhong YJ, Luo XM, Liu F, He ZQ, Yang SQ, Ma WJ, Wang JK, Dai YS, Zou RQ, Hu YF, Lv TR, Li FY, Hu HJ. Integrative analyses of bulk and single-cell transcriptomics reveals the infiltration and crosstalk of cancer-associated fibroblasts as a novel predictor for prognosis and microenvironment remodeling in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. J Transl Med 2024; 22:422. [PMID: 38702814 PMCID: PMC11071156 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05238-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: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a highly malignant neoplasm and characterized by desmoplastic matrix. The heterogeneity and crosstalk of tumor microenvironment remain incompletely understood. METHODS To address this gap, we performed Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to identify and construct a cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) infiltration biomarker. We also depicted the intercellular communication network and important receptor-ligand complexes using the single-cell transcriptomics analysis of tumor and Adjacent normal tissue. RESULTS Through the intersection of TCGA DEGs and WGCNA module genes, 784 differential genes related to CAFs infiltration were obtained. After a series of regression analyses, the CAFs score was generated by integrating the expressions of EVA1A, APBA2, LRRTM4, GOLGA8M, BPIFB2, and their corresponding coefficients. In the TCGA-CHOL, GSE89748, and 107,943 cohorts, the high CAFs score group showed unfavorable survival prognosis (p < 0.001, p = 0.0074, p = 0.028, respectively). Additionally, a series of drugs have been predicted to be more sensitive to the high-risk group (p < 0.05). Subsequent to dimension reduction and clustering, thirteen clusters were identified to construct the single-cell atlas. Cell-cell interaction analysis unveiled significant enhancement of signal transduction in tumor tissues, particularly from fibroblasts to malignant cells via diverse pathways. Moreover, SCENIC analysis indicated that HOXA5, WT1, and LHX2 are fibroblast specific motifs. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals the key role of fibroblasts - oncocytes interaction in the remodeling of the immunosuppressive microenvironment in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Subsequently, it may trigger cascade activation of downstream signaling pathways such as PI3K-AKT and Notch in tumor, thus initiating tumorigenesis. Targeted drugs aimed at disrupting fibroblasts-tumor cell interaction, along with associated enrichment pathways, show potential in mitigating the immunosuppressive microenvironment that facilitates tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Jie Zhong
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Xi-Mei Luo
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Fei Liu
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang He
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Si-Qi Yang
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Wen-Jie Ma
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Jun-Ke Wang
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yu-Shi Dai
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Rui-Qi Zou
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Ya-Fei Hu
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Tian-Run Lv
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Fu-Yu Li
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
| | - Hai-Jie Hu
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
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Yu KX, Yuan WJ, Wang HZ, Li YX. Extracellular matrix stiffness and tumor-associated macrophage polarization: new fields affecting immune exclusion. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:115. [PMID: 38693304 PMCID: PMC11063025 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03675-9] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
In the malignant progression of tumors, there is deposition and cross-linking of collagen, as well as an increase in hyaluronic acid content, which can lead to an increase in extracellular matrix stiffness. Recent research evidence have shown that the extracellular matrix plays an important role in angiogenesis, cell proliferation, migration, immunosuppression, apoptosis, metabolism, and resistance to chemotherapeutic by the alterations toward both secretion and degradation. The clinical importance of tumor-associated macrophage is increasingly recognized, and macrophage polarization plays a central role in a series of tumor immune processes through internal signal cascade, thus regulating tumor progression. Immunotherapy has gradually become a reliable potential treatment strategy for conventional chemotherapy resistance and advanced cancer patients, but the presence of immune exclusion has become a major obstacle to treatment effectiveness, and the reasons for their resistance to these approaches remain uncertain. Currently, there is a lack of exact mechanism on the regulation of extracellular matrix stiffness and tumor-associated macrophage polarization on immune exclusion. An in-depth understanding of the relationship between extracellular matrix stiffness, tumor-associated macrophage polarization, and immune exclusion will help reveal new therapeutic targets and guide the development of clinical treatment methods for advanced cancer patients. This review summarized the different pathways and potential molecular mechanisms of extracellular matrix stiffness and tumor-associated macrophage polarization involved in immune exclusion and provided available strategies to address immune exclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Xun Yu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Wei-Jie Yuan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hui-Zhen Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Yong-Xiang Li
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China.
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Lin S, Zhou M, Cheng L, Shuai Z, Zhao M, Jie R, Wan Q, Peng F, Ding S. Exploring the association of POSTN + cancer-associated fibroblasts with triple-negative breast cancer. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 268:131560. [PMID: 38631570 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131560] [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: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a critical role in regulating TNBC tumor development. This study aimed to identify and characterize a specific subtype of CAFs associated with TNBC. Initially, using high-throughput bulk transcriptomic data in two cohorts, we identified three CAF-related subtypes (CS1, CS2, CS3) in TNBC samples. These three CAFs subtypes were closely linked to the tumor microenvironment. The CS1 subtype exhibited a relatively immune-rich microenvironment and a favourable prognosis, whereas the CS3 subtype displayed an immune-deprived tumor microenvironment and an unfavourable prognosis. Through WGCNA analysis, POSTN was identified as a key biomarker for CAFs associated with TNBC. Then, POSTN+CAFs was identified and characterized. Both POSTN and POSTN+CAFs showed significant positive correlations with stromal molecules HGF and MET at both the transcriptional and protein levels. Specifically co-localized with CAFs in the tumor stromal area, POSTN, produced by POSTN+CAFs, could modulate the HGF-MET axis, serving as a bypass activation pathway to regulate tumor cell proliferation in response to EGFR inhibitor and MET inhibitor. This study underscores the significance of POSTN and POSTN+CAFs as crucial targets for the diagnosis and treatment of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangyan Lin
- Department of Cell Biology and Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, 57 Zhugan Lane, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang, China; Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 12 Lingyin Rd, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang, China
| | - Miaoni Zhou
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third People's Hospital, Affiliated Hangzhou Dermatology Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 38 Xihu Rd, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Liying Cheng
- Jiaxing University Medical College, 899 Shiguang Rd, Jiaxing 314001, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhifeng Shuai
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Hospital, 12 Lingyin Rd, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mingyuan Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Hospital, 12 Lingyin Rd, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ruixia Jie
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Hospital, 12 Lingyin Rd, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qun Wan
- Department of Urinary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fang Peng
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Hospital, 12 Lingyin Rd, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Shiping Ding
- Department of Cell Biology and Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, 57 Zhugan Lane, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang, China; Department of Cell Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 866 Yuhangtang Rd, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China.
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10
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Chen Q, Luo J, Liu J, Yu H, Zhou M, Yu L, Chen Y, Zhang S, Mo Z. Integrating single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to elucidate the crosstalk between cancer-associated fibroblasts and cancer cells in hepatocellular carcinoma with spleen-deficiency syndrome. J Tradit Complement Med 2024; 14:321-334. [PMID: 38707923 PMCID: PMC11068993 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2023.11.008] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and aim Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in China have been diagnosed with spleen deficiency syndrome (SDS), which accelerates the progression of HCC by disrupting the tumor microenvironment homeostasis. This study aimed to investigate the intercellular crosstalk in HCC with SDS. Experimental procedure An HCC-SDS mouse model was established using orthotopic HCC transplantation based on reserpine-induced SDS. Single-cell data analysis and cancer cell prediction were conducted using Seurat and CopyKAT package, respectively. Intercellular interactions were explored using CellPhoneDB and CellChat and subsequently validated using co-culture assays, ELISA and histological staining. We performed pathway activity analysis using gene set variation analysis and the Seurat package. The extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling was assessed using a gel contraction assay, atomic force microscopy, and Sirius red staining. The deconvolution of the spatial transcriptomics data using the "CARD" package based on single-cell data. Results and conclusion We successfully established the HCC-SDS mouse model. Twenty-nine clusters were identified. The interactions between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were significantly enhanced via platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling in HCC-SDS. CAFs recruited in HCC-SDS lead to ECM remodeling and the activation of TGF-β signaling pathway. Deconvolution of the spatial transcriptome data revealed that CAFs physically surround cancer cells in HCC-SDS. This study reveals that the crosstalk of CAFs-cancer cells is crucial for the tumor-promoting effect of SDS. CAFs recruited by HCC via PDGFA may lead to ECM remodeling through activation of the TGF-β pathway, thereby forming a physical barrier to block immune cell infiltration under SDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuxia Chen
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Jin Luo
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Jiahui Liu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - He Yu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Meiling Zhou
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Ling Yu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second Clinical College to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510630, China
| | - Shijun Zhang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Zhuomao Mo
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311113, China
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11
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Xu S, Zheng S, Ma N, Zhang H, Shi J, Huang J, Luo N, Wang M, Xiong Y. Rhein potentiates doxorubicin in treating triple negative breast cancer by inhibiting cancer-associated fibroblasts. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 223:116139. [PMID: 38499109 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116139] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), one of the most abundant stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment, mediate desmoplastic responses. CAFs are major drivers for the failure of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) chemotherapy. It is well-documented that many traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) exhibit potent anti-fibrotic effects based on their capacity to suppress the production of ECM proteins. Therefore, the combination of TCMs exhausting CAFs with chemotherapy is a potential regimen for treating TNBC. Here, TGF-β was used to induce the transformation of NIH/3T3 cells into CAFs for screening TCMs to inhibit tumor fibrosis. After screening 11 candidate TCMs for inhibiting CAFs using the TMS method, rhein (Rhe) was found to strongly inhibit the proliferation of CAFs. Therefore, Rhe was chosen as a representative TCM to inhibit CAFs in TNBC. A 4T1Fluc/CAFs tumor sphere resembling the TME in vivo was constructed to explore the feasibility of inhibiting CAFs to sensitize DOX in treating TNBC. It was found that CAFs apparently hindered the penetration of DOX into 4T1Fluc/CAFs tumor spheres and decreased the the sensitivity of 4T1Fluc cells to DOX, while Rhe significantly restored the sensitivity of 4T1Fluc cells to DOX by inhibiting the proliferation of CAFs. Consistent with in vitro results, Rhe reversed the abnormal activation of CAFs and diminished the accumulation of collagen in 4T1Fluc mouse xenograft models. This removal of stromal barrier facilitated the antitumor efficacy of DOX. Altogether, this study demonstrated for the first time that Rhe could inhibit tumor tissue fibrosis and synergize DOX to treat TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujun Xu
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China; Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuang Zheng
- Taizhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Taizhou, China
| | - Ninghui Ma
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China; Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongyan Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China; Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jingbin Shi
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China; Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jingyi Huang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China; Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ninghchao Luo
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China; Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Menglin Wang
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Yang Xiong
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China; Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
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12
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Liu J, Liu C, Ma Y, Pan X, Chu R, Yao S, Chen J, Liu C, Chen Z, Sheng C, Zhang K, Xue Y, Schiöth HB, Kong B, Zhang Q, Song K. STING inhibitors sensitize platinum chemotherapy in ovarian cancer by inhibiting the CGAS-STING pathway in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Cancer Lett 2024; 588:216700. [PMID: 38373690 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216700] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer hampers cure rates, with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) playing a pivotal role. Despite their known impact on cancer progression and chemotherapy resistance, the specific mechanism by which CAFs regulate the tumor inflammatory environment remains unclear. This study reveals that cisplatin facilitates DNA transfer from ovarian cancer cells to CAFs, activating the CGAS-STING-IFNB1 pathway in CAFs and promoting IFNB1 release. Consequently, this reinforces cancer cell resistance to platinum drugs. High STING expression in the tumor stroma was associated with a poor prognosis, while inhibiting STING expression enhanced ovarian cancer sensitivity. Understanding the relevance of the CGAS-STING pathway in CAFs for platinum resistance suggests targeting STING as a promising combination therapy for ovarian cancer, providing potential avenues for improved treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiale Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Chenmian Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yana Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Xiyu Pan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Ran Chu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Shu Yao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Junyu Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Zhongshao Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Chenchen Sheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Ying Xue
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Helgi B Schiöth
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Beihua Kong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China.
| | - Kun Song
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong Province, China.
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13
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Sun J, Du R, Li X, Liu C, Wang D, He X, Li G, Zhang K, Wang S, Hao Q, Zhang Y, Li M, Gao Y, Zhang C. CD63 + cancer-associated fibroblasts confer CDK4/6 inhibitor resistance to breast cancer cells by exosomal miR-20. Cancer Lett 2024; 588:216747. [PMID: 38403110 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216747] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) and CDK6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) have rapidly received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval as a new type of therapy for patients with advanced hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. However, with the widespread application of CDK4/6i, drug resistance has become a new challenge for clinical practice and has greatly limited the treatment effect. Here, the whole microenvironment landscape of ER+ breast cancer tumors was revealed through single-cell RNA sequencing, and a specific subset of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CD63+ CAFs) was identified as highly enriched in CDK4/6i resistant tumor tissues. Then, we found that CD63+ CAFs can distinctly promote resistance to CDK4/6i in breast cancer cells and tumor xenografts. In addition, it was discovered that miR-20 is markedly enriched in the CD63+ CAFs-derived exosomes, which are used to communicate with ER+ breast cancer cells, leading to CDK4/6i resistance. Furthermore, exosomal miR-20 could directly target the RB1 mRNA 3'UTR and negatively regulate RB1 expression to decrease CDK4/6i sensitivity in breast cancer cells. Most importantly, we designed and synthesized cRGD-miR-20 sponge nanoparticles and found that they can enhance the therapeutic effect of CDK4/6i in breast cancer. In summary, our findings reveal that CD63+ CAFs can promote CDK4/6i resistance via exosomal miR-20, which induces the downregulation of RB1 in breast cancer cells, and suggest that CD63+ CAFs may be a novel therapeutic target to enhance CDK4/6i sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Ruoxin Du
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Xiaoju Li
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China; Bioinformatics Center of AMMS, Beijing, 100850, PR China
| | - Chenlin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Donghui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Xiangmei He
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Guodong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Kuo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Shuning Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Qiang Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Yingqi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Meng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China.
| | - Yuan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China.
| | - Cun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Biotechnology Center, School of Pharmacy, The Fourth Military Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, PR China.
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14
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Chen Y, Liu X, Ainiwan Y, Li M, Pan J, Chen Y, Xiao Z, Wang Z, Xiao X, Tang J, Zeng G, Liang J, Su X, Kungulli R, Fan Y, Lin Q, Liya A, Zheng Y, Chen Z, Xu C, Zhang H, Chen G. Axl as a potential therapeutic target for adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas: Based on single nucleus RNA-seq and spatial transcriptome profiling. Cancer Lett 2024; 592:216905. [PMID: 38677641 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216905] [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: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Craniopharyngiomas (CPs), particularly Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngiomas (ACPs), often exhibit a heightened risk of postoperative recurrence and severe complications of the endocrine and hypothalamic function. The primary objective of this study is to investigate potential novel targeted therapies within the microenvironment of ACP tumors. Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) were identified in the craniopharyngioma microenvironment, notably in regions characterized by cholesterol clefts, wet keratin, ghost cells, and fibrous stroma in ACPs. CAFs, alongside ghost cells, basaloid-like epithelium cells and calcifications, were found to secrete PROS1 and GAS6, which can activate AXL receptors on the surface of tumor epithelium cells, promoting immune suppression and tumor progression in ACPs. Additionally, the AXL inhibitor Bemcentinib effectively inhibited the proliferation organoids and enhanced the immunotherapeutic efficacy of Atezolizumab. Furthermore, neural crest-like cells were observed in the glial reactive tissue surrounding finger-like protrusions. Overall, our results revealed that the AXL might be a potentially effective therapeutic target for ACPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiguang Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou North Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Xiaohai Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yilamujiang Ainiwan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou North Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Mingchu Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Jun Pan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No. 1838, Guangzhou North Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510515, China
| | - Yongjian Chen
- Dermatology and Venereology Division, Department of Medicine Solna, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 10005, Sweden
| | - Zebin Xiao
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Ziyu Wang
- Cell Therapy Center, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases and Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Xinru Xiao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Jie Tang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Gao Zeng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Jiantao Liang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Xin Su
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Roberta Kungulli
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yuxiang Fan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Qingtang Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - A Liya
- Guangdong Research Center of Organoid Engineering and Technology, Guangzhou, 510535, China
| | - Yifeng Zheng
- Guangdong Research Center of Organoid Engineering and Technology, Guangzhou, 510535, China
| | - Zexin Chen
- Guangdong Research Center of Organoid Engineering and Technology, Guangzhou, 510535, China
| | - Canli Xu
- Guangdong Research Center of Organoid Engineering and Technology, Guangzhou, 510535, China
| | - Hongqi Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
| | - Ge Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China; China International Neuroscience Institute (China-INI), Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
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15
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Yang L, Cheng L, Xu Y, Ding H, Gao X, Chang Z, Wang K. PET Imaging of Fibroblast Activation Protein in Various Cancers Using [ 18F]AlF‑NOTA‑FAPI‑04: Comparison with 18F-FDG in a Single-Center, Prospective Study. Acad Radiol 2024:S1076-6332(24)00226-5. [PMID: 38658210 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2024.04.017] [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: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Targeting fibroblast-activation protein is a newer diagnostic approach for the visualization of tumor stroma, and a novel aluminum-[18F] fluoride (Al18F)-labeled fibroblast-activation protein inhibitor-4 (FAPI-04), hereafter [18F] AlF-NOTA-FAPI-04, presents a promising alternative to gallium 68 (68Ga)-labeled FAPI owing to its relatively longer half-life. This study sought to evaluate the clinical usefulness of [18F] AlF-NOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT for the diagnosis of various types of cancer, compared to [18F] FDG PET/CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this prospective study conducted from October 2021 to January 2024, a total of 148 patients with 16 different tumor entities underwent contemporaneous 18F-FDG and 18F-FAPI-04 PET/CT either for an initial assessment or for recurrence detection. Uptake of 18F-FDG and 18F-FAPI-04 was quantified by the maximum standard uptake value (SUV max). Diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were compared by using the McNemar test between these two imaging agents. RESULTS 18F-FAPI-04 PET/CT could clearly depict 16 different types of cancer with excellent image contrast, thereby leading to a higher detection rate of primary tumors than did 18F-FDG PET/CT (98.06% vs. 81.55%, P<0.001). In per-lymph node analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in the diagnosis of metastatic lymph nodes were 92.44%, 90.44%, and 91.56%, respectively, which was much higher than that 18F-FDG PET/CT (80.23%, 79.41%, and 79.87%, respectively). Meanwhile, 18F-FAPI-04 PET/CT outperformed 18F-FDG PET/CT in identifying more suspected distant metastases (86.57% vs. 74.13%, P<0.001). Furthermore, 18F-FAPI-04 PET/CT upgraded tumor staging in 36/101 patients (35.6%), and detected tumor recurrence or metastases in 43/47 patients (91.49%). CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrated that primary and metastatic lesions in patients with various types of malignant tumors are well-visualized on 18F-FAPI-04 PET/CT, which exhibited a superior diagnostic performance than 18F-FDG PET/CT. Moreover, 18F-FAPI-04 PET/CT is a promising tool for tumor staging and follow-up of various malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liping Yang
- Department of PET-CT, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Liang Cheng
- Department of PET-CT, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Yuchao Xu
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hunan, China
| | - Hongchao Ding
- Department of Physical Diagnostics, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Xing Gao
- Department of Physical Diagnostics, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Zhengsong Chang
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Kezheng Wang
- Department of PET-CT, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China.
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Xue X, Wang X, Pang M, Yu L, Qian J, Li X, Tian M, Lu C, Xiao C, Liu Y. An exosomal strategy for targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts mediated tumors desmoplastic microenvironments. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:196. [PMID: 38644492 PMCID: PMC11032607 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02452-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumors desmoplastic microenvironments are characterized by abundant stromal cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), as the most abundant of all stromal cells, play significant role in mediating microenvironments, which not only remodel ECM to establish unique pathological barriers to hinder drug delivery in desmoplastic tumors, but also talk with immune cells and cancer cells to promote immunosuppression and cancer stem cells-mediated drug resistance. Thus, CAFs mediated desmoplastic microenvironments will be emerging as promising strategy to treat desmoplastic tumors. However, due to the complexity of microenvironments and the heterogeneity of CAFs in such tumors, an effective deliver system should be fully considered when designing the strategy of targeting CAFs mediated microenvironments. Engineered exosomes own powerful intercellular communication, cargoes delivery, penetration and targeted property of desired sites, which endow them with powerful theranostic potential in desmoplastic tumors. Here, we illustrate the significance of CAFs in tumors desmoplastic microenvironments and the theranostic potential of engineered exosomes targeting CAFs mediated desmoplastic microenvironments in next generation personalized nano-drugs development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxia Xue
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xiangpeng Wang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Mingshi Pang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Liuchunyang Yu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Jinxiu Qian
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xiaoyu Li
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Meng Tian
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Cheng Lu
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Cheng Xiao
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Yuanyan Liu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
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Zhang J, Fu L, Wang H, Yonemura A, Semba T, Yasuda-Yoshihara N, Nishimura A, Tajiri T, Tong Y, Yasuda T, Uchihara T, Yamazaki M, Okamoto Y, Yamasaki J, Nagano O, Baba H, Ishimoto T. RAC1-mediated integrin alpha-6 expression in E-cadherin-deficient gastric cancer cells promotes interactions with the stroma and peritoneal dissemination. Cancer Lett 2024; 591:216901. [PMID: 38641311 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216901] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Diffuse-type gastric cancer (DGC) is a subtype of gastric cancer that is prone to peritoneal dissemination, with poor patient prognosis. Although intercellular adhesion loss between cancer cells is a major characteristic of DGCs, the mechanism underlying the alteration in cell-to-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion is unclear. We investigated how DGCs progress and cause peritoneal dissemination through interactions between DGC cells and the tumour microenvironment (TME). P53 knockout and KRASG12V-expressing (GAN-KP) cells and Cdh1-deleted GAN-KP (GAN-KPC) cells were orthotopically transplanted into the gastric wall to mimic peritoneal dissemination. The GAN-KPC tumour morphology was similar to that of human DGCs containing abundant stroma. RNA sequencing revealed that pathways related to Rho GTPases and integrin-ECM interactions were specifically increased in GAN-KPC cells compared with GAN-KP cells. Notably, we found that Rac Family Small GTPase 1 (RAC1) induces Integrin Subunit Alpha 6 (ITGA6) trafficking, leading to its enrichment on the GC cell membrane. Fibroblasts activate the FAK/AKT pathway in GC cells by mediating extracellular matrix (ECM)-Itga6 interactions, exacerbating the malignant phenotype. In turn, GC cells induce abnormal expression of fibroblast collagen and its transformation into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), resulting in DGC-like subtypes. These findings indicate that Cdh1 gene loss leads to abnormal expression and changes in the subcellular localization of ITGA6 through RAC1 signalling. The latter, through interactions with CAFs, allows for peritoneal dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- Division of Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, International Research Center of Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Lingfeng Fu
- Division of Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, International Research Center of Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Huaitao Wang
- Division of Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, International Research Center of Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Atsuko Yonemura
- Division of Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, International Research Center of Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Semba
- Division of Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, International Research Center of Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Noriko Yasuda-Yoshihara
- Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, International Research Center of Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Akiho Nishimura
- Division of Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, International Research Center of Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Takuya Tajiri
- Division of Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, International Research Center of Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yilin Tong
- Division of Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, International Research Center of Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Tadahito Yasuda
- Division of Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, International Research Center of Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Uchihara
- Division of Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, International Research Center of Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Masaya Yamazaki
- Division of Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuya Okamoto
- Division of Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Juntaro Yamasaki
- Division of Gene Regulation, Cancer Center, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Osamu Nagano
- Division of Gene Regulation, Cancer Center, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Hideo Baba
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; Center for Metabolic Regulation of Healthy Ageing, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Takatsugu Ishimoto
- Division of Carcinogenesis, The Cancer Institute, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, International Research Center of Medical Sciences (IRCMS), Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
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Wu Z, Tang Y, Liu Y, Chen Z, Feng Y, Hu H, Liu H, Chen G, Lu Y, Hu Y, Xu R. Co-delivery of fucoxanthin and Twist siRNA using hydroxyethyl starch-cholesterol self-assembled polymer nanoparticles for triple-negative breast cancer synergistic therapy. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00160-7. [PMID: 38636588 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.04.017] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer with an extremely dismal prognosis and few treatment options. As a desmoplastic tumor, TNBC tumor cells are girdled by stroma composed of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and their secreted stromal components. The rapidly proliferating tumor cells, together with the tumor stroma, exert additional solid tissue pressure on tumor vasculature and surrounding tissues, severely obstructing therapeutic agent from deep intratumoral penetration, and resulting in tumor metastasis and treatment resistance. OBJECTIVES Fucoxanthin (FX), a xanthophyll carotenoid abundant in marine algae, has attracted widespread attention as a promising alternative candidate for tumor prevention and treatment. Twist is a pivotal regulator of epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and its depletion has proven to sensitize antitumor drugs, inhibit metastasis, reduce CAFs activation and the following interstitial deposition, and increase tumor perfusion. The nanodrug delivery system co-encapsulating FX and nucleic acid drug Twist siRNA (siTwist) was expected to form a potent anti-TNBC therapeutic cyclical feedback loop. METHODS AND RESULTS Herein, our studies constituted a novel self-assembled polymer nanomedicine (siTwist/FX@HES-CH) based on the amino-modified hydroxyethyl starch (HES-NH2) grafted with hydrophobic segment cholesterol (CH). The MTT assay, flow cytometry apoptosis analysis, transwell assay, western blot, and 3D multicellular tumor spheroids growth inhibition assay all showed that siTwist/FX@HES-CH could kill tumor cells and inhibit their metastasis in a synergistic manner. The in vivo anti-TNBC efficacy was demonstrated that siTwist/FX@HES-CH remodeled tumor microenvironment, facilitated interstitial barrier crossing, killed tumor cells synergistically, drastically reduced TNBC orthotopic tumor burden and inhibited lung metastasis. CONCLUSION Systematic studies revealed that this dual-functional nanomedicine that targets both tumor cells and tumor microenvironment significantly alleviates TNBC orthotopic tumor burden and inhibits lung metastasis, establishing a new paradigm for TNBC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeliang Wu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yuxiang Tang
- Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China; Hubei Clinical Medical Center of Cell Therapy for Neoplastic Disease, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Yuanhui Liu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Zhaozhao Chen
- Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Yuao Feng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Hang Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Youming Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Innovation Center for Brain Medical Sciences of the Ministry of Education, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Yu Hu
- Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China; Hubei Clinical Medical Center of Cell Therapy for Neoplastic Disease, Wuhan 430022, China.
| | - Rong Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
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Shen L, Li A, Cui J, Liu H, Zhang S. Integration of single-cell RNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq data to construct and validate a cancer-associated fibroblast-related prognostic signature for patients with ovarian cancer. J Ovarian Res 2024; 17:82. [PMID: 38627854 PMCID: PMC11020192 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-024-01399-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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To establish a prognostic risk profile for ovarian cancer (OC) patients based on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and gain a comprehensive understanding of their role in OC progression, prognosis, and therapeutic efficacy. METHODS Data on OC single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and total RNA-seq were collected from the GEO and TCGA databases. Seurat R program was used to analyze scRNA-seq data and identify CAFs clusters corresponding to CAFs markers. Differential expression analysis was performed on the TCGA dataset to identify prognostic genes. A CAF-associated risk signature was designed using Lasso regression and combined with clinicopathological variables to develop a nomogram. Functional enrichment and the immune landscape were also analyzed. RESULTS Five CAFs clusters were identified in OC using scRNA-seq data, and 2 were significantly associated with OC prognosis. Seven genes were selected to develop a CAF-based risk signature, primarily associated with 28 pathways. The signature was a key independent predictor of OC prognosis and relevant in predicting the results of immunotherapy interventions. A novel nomogram combining CAF-based risk and disease stage was developed to predict OC prognosis. CONCLUSION The study highlights the importance of CAFs in OC progression and suggests potential for innovative treatment strategies. A CAF-based risk signature provides a highly accurate prediction of the prognosis of OC patients, and the developed nomogram shows promising results in predicting the OC prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Shen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, 67 Dongchang West Road, Liaocheng, Shandong, 252000, P.R. China
- Shandong University, Jinan, P.R. China
- Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, 324 Jingwuweiqi Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, P.R. China
| | - Aihua Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, 67 Dongchang West Road, Liaocheng, Shandong, 252000, P.R. China.
| | - Jing Cui
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Jinan Stomatology Hospital, 101 Jingliu Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250001, P.R. China
- Central Laboratory of Jinan Stamotological Hospital, Jinan Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration, 101 Jingliu Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250001, P.R. China
| | - Haixia Liu
- Department of Obstetrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, 324 Jingwuweiqi Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, P.R. China
| | - Shiqian Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, P.R. China.
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Cai H, Lin Y, Wu Y, Wang Y, Li S, Zhang Y, Zhuang J, Liu X, Guan G. The prognostic model and immune landscape based on cancer-associated fibroblast features for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28673. [PMID: 38590874 PMCID: PMC11000021 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28673] [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: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background This study aimed to construct a nomogram based on CAF features to predict the cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients. Methods The EPIC algorithm was employed to calculate the proportion of CAFs. based on the differentially expressed genes between the high and low CAF proportion subgroups, prognostic genes were identified via LASSO and Cox regression analyses. They were then used to construct a prognostic risk signature. Moreover, the GSE39582 and GGSE38832 datasets were used for external validation. Lastly, the level of immune infiltration was evaluated using ssGSEA, ESTIMATE, CIBERSORTx, and TIMER. Results A higher level of CAF infiltration was associated with a worse prognosis. Additionally, the number of metastasized lymph nodes and distant metastases, as well as the level of immune infiltration were higher in the high CAF proportion subgroup. Five prognostic genes (SMOC2, TUBAL3, C2CD4A, MAP1B, BMP8A) were identified and subsequently incorporated into the prognostic risk signature to predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year CSS rates in the training and validation sets. Differences in survival rates were also determined in the external validation cohort. Furthermore, independent prognostic factors, including TNM stage and risk score, were combined to established a nomogram. Notably, our results revealed that the proportions of macrophages and neutrophils and the levels of cytokines secreted by M2 macrophages were higher in the high-risk subgroup. Finally, the prognostic genes were significantly associated with the level of immune cell infiltration. Conclusion Herein, a nomogram based on CAF features was developed to predict the CSS rate of LARC patients. The risk model was capable of reflecting differences in the level of immune cell infiltration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huajun Cai
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yijuan Lin
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yong Wu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ye Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shoufeng Li
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yiyi Zhang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jinfu Zhuang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xing Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Guoxian Guan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, National Regional Medical Center, Binhai Campus of The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
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Song J, Liao H, Li H, Chen H, Si H, Wang J, Bai X. Identification of a novel cancer-associated fibroblasts gene signature based on bioinformatics analysis to predict prognosis and therapeutic responses in breast cancer. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29216. [PMID: 38601538 PMCID: PMC11004657 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29216] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) provide suitable conditions for growth of tumor cell and facilitate tumor progression. Hence, we aimed to identify a CAFs-related gene signature associated with the prognosis of patients with breast cancer (BRCA). We downloaded datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and confirmed the correlation between CAFs infiltration scores and prognosis. By performing weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and Lasso Cox regression analysis, we constructed a four-gene (COL5A3, FN1, POSTN, and RARRES2) prognostic CAFs signature model. Based on the median risk score of CAFs, patients with BRCA were divided into high- and low-risk groups. Compared with low-risk group, patients in high-risk group exhibited a poor prognosis and limited response to immunotherapy. Furthermore, patients with high CAFs risk scores were found to have a detrimental prognosis due to the induction of immunosuppressive cell infiltration, resulting in an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Importantly, we found that CAFs overexpressing FN1 and POSTN significantly promoted the wound healing and invasion ability of tumor cells in vitro validation. Taking together, we identified a four-gene prognostic CAFs signature, which was proven to be a reliable indicator for prognosis and therapeutic efficacy in patients with BRCA. This study provided evidence for novel CAFs-based stromal therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Song
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Huifeng Liao
- Department of General Surgery, The Seventh Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100700, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Huayan Li
- Department of Gynecology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510280, China
| | - Hongye Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Huiyan Si
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Jiandong Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Xue Bai
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
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Qin Q, Yu R, Eriksson JE, Tsai HI, Zhu H. Cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma therapy: Challenges and opportunities. Cancer Lett 2024; 591:216859. [PMID: 38615928 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216859] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a solid organ malignancy with a high mortality rate. Statistics indicate that its incidence has been increasing as well as the associated deaths. Most patients with PDAC show poor response to therapies making the clinical management of this cancer difficult. Stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) contribute to the development of resistance to therapy in PDAC cancer cells. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the most prevalent stromal cells in the TME, promote a desmoplastic response, produce extracellular matrix proteins and cytokines, and directly influence the biological behavior of cancer cells. These multifaceted effects make it difficult to eradicate tumor cells from the body. As a result, CAF-targeting synergistic therapeutic strategies have gained increasing attention in recent years. However, due to the substantial heterogeneity in CAF origin, definition, and function, as well as high plasticity, majority of the available CAF-targeting therapeutic approaches are not effective, and in some cases, they exacerbate disease progression. This review primarily elucidates on the effect of CAFs on therapeutic efficiency of various treatment modalities, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Strategies for CAF targeting therapies are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Qin
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China
| | - Rong Yu
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China
| | - John E Eriksson
- Cell Biology, Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, FI-20520 Finland
| | - Hsiang-I Tsai
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China; Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China.
| | - Haitao Zhu
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China; Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China.
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Liu Q, Yao F, Wu L, Xu T, Na J, Shen Z, Liu X, Shi W, Zhao Y, Liao Y. Heterogeneity and interplay: the multifaceted role of cancer-associated fibroblasts in the tumor and therapeutic strategies. Clin Transl Oncol 2024:10.1007/s12094-024-03492-7. [PMID: 38602644 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-024-03492-7] [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: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
The journey of cancer development is a multifaceted and staged process. The array of treatments available for cancer varies significantly, dictated by the disease's type and stage. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), prevalent across various cancer types and stages, play a pivotal role in tumor genesis, progression, metastasis, and drug resistance. The strategy of concurrently targeting cancer cells and CAFs holds great promise in cancer therapy. In this review, we focus intently on CAFs, delving into their critical role in cancer's progression. We begin by exploring the origins, classification, and surface markers of CAFs. Following this, we emphasize the key cytokines and signaling pathways involved in the interplay between cancer cells and CAFs and their influence on the tumor immune microenvironment. Additionally, we examine current therapeutic approaches targeting CAFs. This article underscores the multifarious roles of CAFs within the tumor microenvironment and their potential applications in cancer treatment, highlighting their importance as key targets in overcoming drug resistance and enhancing the efficacy of tumor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoqiao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Fei Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Liangliang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Tianyuan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Jintong Na
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Zhen Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Xiyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Wei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China.
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi, China.
| | - Yongxiang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China.
| | - Yuan Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China.
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Guo D, Sheng K, Zhang Q, Li P, Sun H, Wang Y, Lyu X, Jia Y, Wang C, Wu J, Zhang X, Wang D, Sun Y, Huang S, Yu J, Zhang J. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals the landscape of epithelial-mesenchymal transition molecular heterogeneity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Lett 2024; 587:216723. [PMID: 38342234 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216723] [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: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a prevalent and highly lethal malignant disease. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial in promoting ESCC development. However, the molecular heterogeneity of ESCC and the potential inhibitory strategies targeting EMT remain poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed high-resolution single-cell transcriptome data encompassing 209,231 ESCC cells from 39 tumor samples and 16 adjacent samples obtained from 44 individuals. We identified distinct cell populations exhibiting heterogeneous EMT characteristics and identified 87 EMT-associated molecules. The expression profiles of these EMT-associated molecules showed heterogeneity across different stages of ESCC progression. Moreover, we observed that EMT primarily occurred in early-stage tumors, before lymph node metastasis, and significantly promoted the rapid deterioration of ESCC. Notably, we identified SERPINH1 as a potential novel marker for ESCC EMT. By classifying ESCC patients based on EMT gene sets, we found that those with high EMT exhibited poorer prognosis. Furthermore, we predicted and experimentally validated drugs targeting ESCC EMT, including dactolisib, docetaxel, and nutlin, which demonstrated efficacy in inhibiting EMT and metastasis in ESCC. Through the integration of scRNA-seq, RNA-seq, and TCGA data with experimental validation, our comprehensive analysis elucidated the landscape of EMT during the entire course of ESCC development and metastasis. These findings provide valuable insights and a reference for refining ESCC clinical treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianhao Guo
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
| | - Kaiwen Sheng
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
| | - Qi Zhang
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
| | - Pin Li
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
| | - Haoqiang Sun
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
| | - Yongjie Wang
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
| | - Xinxing Lyu
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
| | - Yang Jia
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
| | - Caifan Wang
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
| | - Jing Wu
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
| | - Xiaohang Zhang
- Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macau.
| | - Dandan Wang
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
| | - Yawen Sun
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
| | - Shuhong Huang
- School of Clinical and Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
| | - Jinming Yu
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China; Research Unit of Radiation Oncology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China.
| | - Jingze Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China.
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25
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Shen W, Li Y, Yang Z, Li W, Cao Y, Liu Y, Wang Z, Pei R, Xing C. Tumor microenvironment reprogramming combined with immunogenic enhancement by nanoemulsions potentiates immunotherapy. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:154. [PMID: 38581017 PMCID: PMC10996274 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02401-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducers has become a promising strategy for the treatment of various cancers. However, its efficacy remains unmet because of the dense stroma and defective vasculatures in the tumor microenvironment (TME) that restricts the intratumoral infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Herein, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs)-targeted nanoemulsions are tailored to combine the ICD induction and the TME reprogramming to sensitize checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. Melittin, as an ICD inducer and an antifibrotic agent, is efficiently encapsulated into the nanoemulsion accompanied by a nitric oxide donor to improve its bioavailability and tumor targeting. The nanoemulsions exhibited dual functionality by directly inducing direct cancer cell death and enhancing the tumoral immunogenicity, while also synergistically reprogramming the TME through reversing the activated CAFs, decreasing collagen deposition and restoring tumor vessels. Consequently, these nanemulsions successfully facilitated the CTLs infiltration and suppressing the recruitment of immunosuppressive cells. A combination of AE-MGNPs and anti-CTLA-4 antibody greatly elicited a striking level of antitumor T-cell response to suppress tumor growth in CAFs-rich colorectal tumor models. Our work emphasized the integration of the ICD induction with simultaneous modulation of the TME to enhance the sensitivity of patients to checkpoint blockade immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqi Shen
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, P. R. China
- Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu, China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Yecheng Li
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, P. R. China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Ziyi Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Wenjing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Yi Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Yilin Liu
- School of Intelligent Finance and Business, Entrepreneur College, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Zheng Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China.
| | - Renjun Pei
- CAS Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China.
| | - Chungen Xing
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, P. R. China.
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Ghofrani-Shahpar M, Pakravan K, Razmara E, Amooie F, Mahmoudian M, Heshmati M, Babashah S. Cancer-associated fibroblasts drive colorectal cancer cell progression through exosomal miR-20a-5p-mediated targeting of PTEN and stimulating interleukin-6 production. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:400. [PMID: 38561726 PMCID: PMC10983759 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12190-0] [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: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study evaluated the clinical relevance of a set of five serum-derived circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in colorectal cancer (CRC). Additionally, we investigated the role of miR-20a-5p released by exosomes derived from cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the context of CRC. METHODS The expression levels of five circulating serum-derived miRNAs (miR-20a-5p, miR-122-5p, miR-139-3p, miR-143-5p, and miR-193a-5p) were quantified by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and their associations with clinicopathological characteristics in CRC patients were assessed. The diagnostic accuracy of these miRNAs was determined through Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. CAFs and normal fibroblasts (NFs) were isolated from tissue samples, and subsequently, exosomes derived from these cells were isolated and meticulously characterized using electron microscopy and Western blotting. The cellular internalization of fluorescent-labeled exosomes was visualized by confocal microscopy. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments were conducted to elucidate the oncogenic role of miR-20a-5p transferred by exosomes derived from CAFs in CRC progression. The underlying mechanisms were uncovered through luciferase reporter assay, Western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, as well as proliferation and migration assays. RESULTS The expression levels of serum-derived circulating miR-20a-5p and miR-122-5p were significantly higher in CRC and were positively correlated with advanced stages of tumorigenesis and lymph node metastasis (LNM). In contrast, circulating miR-139-3p, miR-143-5p, and miR-193a-5p were down-regulated in CRC and associated with early tumorigenesis. Except for miR-139-3p, they showed a negative correlation with LNM status. Among the candidate miRNAs, significantly elevated levels of miR-20a-5p were observed in both cellular and exosomal fractions of CAFs. Our findings indicated that miR-20a-5p induces the expression of EMT markers, partly by targeting PTEN. Exosomal miR-20a secreted by CAFs emerged as a key factor enhancing the proliferation and migration of CRC cells. The inhibition of miR-20a impaired the proliferative and migratory potential of CAF-derived exosomes in SW480 CRC cells, suggesting that the oncogenic effects of CAF-derived exosomes are mediated through the exosomal transfer of miR-20a. Furthermore, exosomes originating from CAFs induced increased nuclear translocation of the NF-kB p65 transcription factor in SW480 CRC cells, leading to increased interleukin-6 (IL-6) production. CONCLUSIONS We established a set of five circulating miRNAs as a non-invasive biomarker for CRC diagnosis. Additionally, our findings shed light on the intricate mechanisms underpinning the oncogenic impacts of CAF-derived exosomes and underscore the pivotal role of miR-20a-5p in CRC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Ghofrani-Shahpar
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Katayoon Pakravan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ehsan Razmara
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Faezeh Amooie
- Research and Development Center of Biotechnology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojdeh Mahmoudian
- Research and Development Center of Biotechnology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Heshmati
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sadegh Babashah
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
- Research and Development Center of Biotechnology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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Liu J, Ouyang Y, Xia Z, Mai W, Song H, Zhou F, Shen L, Chen K, Li X, Zhuang SM, Liao J. FAP is a prognostic marker, but not a viable therapeutic target for clinical translation in HNSCC. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2024; 47:623-638. [PMID: 37856075 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00888-5] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE PD-1 targeted immunotherapy has imparted a survival benefit to advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), but less than 20% patients produce a durable response to this therapy. Here we aimed to investigate the potential biomarkers for predicting the clinical outcome and resistance to PD-1 targeted immunotherapy in HNSCC patients, and to examine the involvement of FAP+ cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). METHODS Bioinformatics methods were applied to analyze multiple datasets and explore the role of PD-1 and FAP in HNSCC. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of FAP protein. Fap gene knockout mice (Fap-/-) and L929 cells with different levels of Fap overexpression (L929-Fap-Low/High) were established to demonstrate the role of FAP+ CAFs in tumor development and immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) resistance. RESULTS The expression level of PD-1 gene was positively correlated with better overall survival and therapeutic response to PD-1 blockade in HNSCC, but not all tumors with high expression of both PD-1 and PD-L1 were responsive. Moreover, FAP gene was overexpressed in pan-cancer tissues, and could serve as a prognostic biomarker for several cancers, including HNSCC. However, FAP protein was undetectable in mouse MTCQ1 tumors and barely expressed in human HNSCC tumors. Furthermore, FAP+ CAFs did not promote tumor growth or enhance the resistance to PD-1 inhibitor treatment. CONCLUSION Although FAP+ CAFs have attracted increasing attention for their role in cancer, the feasibility and efficacy of FAP-targeting therapies for HNSCC remain doubtful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of General Surgery of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Biomedical Innovation Center, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yeling Ouyang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Institute of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China
| | - Zijin Xia
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenhao Mai
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongrui Song
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fang Zhou
- Central Sterile Supply Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lichun Shen
- Department of General Surgery of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kaiting Chen
- Department of General Surgery of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaochen Li
- Department of General Surgery of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shi-Min Zhuang
- Department of General Surgery of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
- Biomedical Innovation Center, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Jing Liao
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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Subramaniam RM. Quarter Century Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Transformation of Oncology: Head and Neck Cancer. PET Clin 2024; 19:125-129. [PMID: 38290968 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpet.2023.12.013] [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] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
During the last 2 decades, f-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F FDG PET/CT) has transformed the clinical head and neck cancer imaging for patient management and predicting survival outcomes. It is now widely used for staging, radiotherapy planning, posttherapy assessment, and for detecting recurrence in head and neck cancers and is widely included in NCCN and other evidence based clinical practice guidelines. Future Directions would include evaluating the potential value of FAPI PET/CT for head and neck cancers, opportunity to use volumetric and tumor heterogeneity parameters and deploying AI in diagnostic and therapeutic assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rathan M Subramaniam
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Midwifery and Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney, Australia; Department of Radiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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29
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Abdalla M, El-Arabey AA, Gai Z. Multitarget strategy of GATA3 and high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma: Where are we now? Thromb Res 2024; 236:1-3. [PMID: 38368672 DOI: 10.1016/j.thromres.2024.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohnad Abdalla
- Research Institute of Pediatrics Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan Children's Hospital, Jinan, China
| | - Amr Ahmed El-Arabey
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11751, Egypt.
| | - Zhongtao Gai
- Research Institute of Pediatrics Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan Children's Hospital, Jinan, China.
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30
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Bai Y, Han T, Dong Y, Liang C, Gao L, Liu Y, Zhou J, Guo J, Ge D, Wu J, Hu D. GPX8 + cancer-associated fibroblast, as a cancer-promoting factor in lung adenocarcinoma, is related to the immunosuppressive microenvironment. BMC Med Genomics 2024; 17:77. [PMID: 38515109 PMCID: PMC10958965 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-024-01832-8] [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: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a crucial role in the tumor microenvironment of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and are often associated with poorer clinical outcomes. This study aimed to screen for CAF-specific genes that could serve as promising therapeutic targets for LUAD. METHODS We established a single-cell transcriptional profile of LUAD, focusing on genetic changes in fibroblasts. Next, we identified key genes associated with fibroblasts through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and univariate Cox analysis. Then, we evaluated the relationship between glutathione peroxidase 8 (GPX8) and clinical features in multiple independent LUAD cohorts. Furthermore, we analyzed immune infiltration to shed light on the relationship between GPX8 immune microenvironment remodeling. For clinical treatment, we used the tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) algorithm to assess the immunotherapy prediction efficiency of GPX8. After that, we screened potential therapeutic drugs for LUAD by the connectivity map (cMAP). Finally, we conducted a cell trajectory analysis of GPX8+ CAFs to show their unique function. RESULTS Fibroblasts were found to be enriched in tumor tissues. Then we identified GPX8 as a key gene associated with CAFs through comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. Further analysis across multiple LUAD cohorts demonstrated the relationship between GPX8 and poor prognosis. Additionally, we found that GPX8 played a role in inducing the formation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. The TIDE method indicated that patients with low GPX8 expression were more likely to be responsive to immunotherapy. Using the cMAP, we identified beta-CCP as a potential drug-related to GPX8. Finally, cell trajectory analysis provided insights into the dynamic process of GPX8+ CAFs formation. CONCLUSIONS This study elucidates the association between GPX8+ CAFs and poor prognosis, as well as the induction of immunosuppressive formation in LUAD. These findings suggest that targeting GPX8+ CAFs could potentially serve as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Bai
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Dust Prevention and Control & Occupational Safety and Health of the Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China
- Anhui Occupational Health and Safety Engineering Laboratory, Huainan, Anhui, China
| | - Tao Han
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China
- Anhui Occupational Health and Safety Engineering Laboratory, Huainan, Anhui, China
| | - Yunjia Dong
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China
- Anhui Occupational Health and Safety Engineering Laboratory, Huainan, Anhui, China
| | - Chao Liang
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China
- Anhui Occupational Health and Safety Engineering Laboratory, Huainan, Anhui, China
| | - Lu Gao
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China
- Anhui Occupational Health and Safety Engineering Laboratory, Huainan, Anhui, China
| | - Yafeng Liu
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China
- Anhui Occupational Health and Safety Engineering Laboratory, Huainan, Anhui, China
| | - Jiawei Zhou
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China
- Anhui Occupational Health and Safety Engineering Laboratory, Huainan, Anhui, China
| | - Jianqiang Guo
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China
- Anhui Occupational Health and Safety Engineering Laboratory, Huainan, Anhui, China
| | - Deyong Ge
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Dust Prevention and Control & Occupational Safety and Health of the Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China.
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China.
- Anhui Occupational Health and Safety Engineering Laboratory, Huainan, Anhui, China.
| | - Jing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Dust Prevention and Control & Occupational Safety and Health of the Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China.
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China.
- Anhui Occupational Health and Safety Engineering Laboratory, Huainan, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Dust Deep Reduction and Occupational Health and Safety of Anhui Higher Education Institute, Huainan, Anhui, China.
| | - Dong Hu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Dust Prevention and Control & Occupational Safety and Health of the Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China.
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui, China.
- Anhui Occupational Health and Safety Engineering Laboratory, Huainan, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Dust Deep Reduction and Occupational Health and Safety of Anhui Higher Education Institute, Huainan, Anhui, China.
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Jo JH, Park SB, Chung J, Oh T, Lee HS, Chung MJ, Park JY, Bang S, Park SW, Jung DE, Song SY. Transgelin-2, a novel cancer stem cell-related biomarker, is a diagnostic and therapeutic target for biliary tract cancer. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:357. [PMID: 38509504 PMCID: PMC10953140 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12082-3] [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: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is a relatively rare but aggressive gastrointestinal cancer with a high mortality rate. Cancer stem cell (CSC) populations play crucial roles in tumor biology and are responsible for the low response to anti-cancer treatment and the high recurrence rate. This study investigated the role of Transgelin-2 (TAGLN2), overexpressed in CSC in BTC cells, and analyzed its expression in patient tissues and serum to identify potential new targets for BTC. METHODS TAGLN2 expression was suppressed by small-interfering or short hairpin RNAs, and its effects on tumor biology were assessed in several BTC cell lines. Furthermore, the effects of TAGLN2 silencing on gemcitabine-resistant BTC cells, differentially expressed genes, proteins, and sensitivity to therapeutics or radiation were assessed. TAGLN2 expression was also assessed using western blotting and immunohistochemistry in samples obtained from patients with BTC to validate its clinical application. RESULTS Suppression of TAGLN2 in BTC cell lines decreased cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor size, in addition to a reduction in CSC features, including clonogenicity, radioresistance, and chemoresistance. TAGLN2 was highly expressed in BTC tissues, especially in cancer-associated fibroblasts in the stroma. Patients with a low stromal immunohistochemical index had prolonged disease-free survival compared to those with a high stromal immunohistochemical index (11.5 vs. 7.4 months, P = 0.013). TAGLN2 expression was higher in the plasma of patients with BTC than that in those with benign diseases. TAGLN2 had a higher area under the curve (0.901) than CA19-9, a validated tumor biomarker (0.799; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION TAGLN2 plays a critical role in promoting BTC cell growth and motility and is involved in regulating BTC stemness. Silencing TAGLN2 expression enhanced cell sensitivity to radiation and chemotherapeutic drugs. The expression of TAGLN2 in patient tissue and plasma suggests its potential to serve as a secretory biomarker for BTC. Overall, targeting TAGLN2 could be an appropriate therapeutic strategy against advanced cancer following chemotherapy failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Hyun Jo
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Soo Been Park
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joowon Chung
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nowon Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Taeyun Oh
- Cowell Biodigm Co., Ltd., Seoul, Korea
| | - Hee Seung Lee
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Moon Jae Chung
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jeong Youp Park
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seungmin Bang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung Woo Park
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dawoon E Jung
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Si Young Song
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Cowell Biodigm Co., Ltd., Seoul, Korea.
- Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
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Liu L, Zhang B, Wu X, Cheng G, Han X, Xin X, Qin C, Yang L, Huo M, Yin L. Bioresponsive nanocomplex integrating cancer-associated fibroblast deactivation and immunogenic chemotherapy for rebuilding immune-excluded tumors. Nanomedicine 2024; 58:102743. [PMID: 38484918 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2024.102743] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a crucial role in creating an immunosuppressive environment and remodeling the extracellular matrix within tumors, leading to chemotherapy resistance and limited immune cell infiltration. To address these challenges, integrating CAFs deactivation into immunogenic chemotherapy may represent a promising approach to the reversal of immune-excluded tumor. We developed a tumor-targeted nanomedicine called the glutathione-responsive nanocomplex (GNC). The GNC co-loaded dasatinib, a CAF inhibitor, and paclitaxel, a chemotherapeutic agent, to deactivate CAFs and enhance the effects of immunogenic chemotherapy. Due to the modification with hyaluronic acid, the GNC preferentially accumulated in the tumor periphery and responsively released cargos, mitigating the tumor stroma as well as overcoming chemoresistance. Moreover, GNC treatment exhibited remarkable immunostimulatory efficacy, including CD8+ T cell expansion and PD-L1 downregulation, facilitating immune checkpoint blockade therapy. In summary, the integration of CAF deactivation and immunogenic chemotherapy using the GNC nanoplatform holds promise for rebuilding immune-excluded tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Beiyuan Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xianggui Wu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Gang Cheng
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiaopeng Han
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiaofei Xin
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Chao Qin
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Lei Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Meirong Huo
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Lifang Yin
- Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Preparations and Excipients, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, China Pharmaceutical University, China.; State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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Cords L, Engler S, Haberecker M, Rüschoff JH, Moch H, de Souza N, Bodenmiller B. Cancer-associated fibroblast phenotypes are associated with patient outcome in non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer Cell 2024; 42:396-412.e5. [PMID: 38242124 PMCID: PMC10929690 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Despite advances in treatment, lung cancer survival rates remain low. A better understanding of the cellular heterogeneity and interplay of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within the tumor microenvironment will support the development of personalized therapies. We report a spatially resolved single-cell imaging mass cytometry (IMC) analysis of CAFs in a non-small cell lung cancer cohort of 1,070 patients. We identify four prognostic patient groups based on 11 CAF phenotypes with distinct spatial distributions and show that CAFs are independent prognostic factors for patient survival. The presence of tumor-like CAFs is strongly correlated with poor prognosis. In contrast, inflammatory CAFs and interferon-response CAFs are associated with inflamed tumor microenvironments and higher patient survival. High density of matrix CAFs is correlated with low immune infiltration and is negatively correlated with patient survival. In summary, our data identify phenotypic and spatial features of CAFs that are associated with patient outcome in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Cords
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8049 Zurich, Switzerland; Life Science Zurich Graduate School, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Engler
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8049 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martina Haberecker
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan Hendrik Rüschoff
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Holger Moch
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Natalie de Souza
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8049 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bernd Bodenmiller
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8049 Zurich, Switzerland.
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Di Modugno F, Di Carlo A, Spada S, Palermo B, D'Ambrosio L, D'Andrea D, Morello G, Belmonte B, Sperduti I, Balzano V, Gallo E, Melchionna R, Panetta M, Campo G, De Nicola F, Goeman F, Antoniani B, Carpano S, Frigè G, Warren S, Gallina F, Lambrechts D, Xiong J, Vincent BG, Wheeler N, Bortone DS, Cappuzzo F, Facciolo F, Tripodo C, Visca P, Nisticò P. Tumoral and stromal hMENA isoforms impact tertiary lymphoid structure localization in lung cancer and predict immune checkpoint blockade response in patients with cancer. EBioMedicine 2024; 101:105003. [PMID: 38340557 PMCID: PMC10869748 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105003] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tertiary Lymphoid Structures (TLS) correlate with positive outcomes in patients with NSCLC and the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in cancer. The actin regulatory protein hMENA undergoes tissue-specific splicing, producing the epithelial hMENA11a linked to favorable prognosis in early NSCLC, and the mesenchymal hMENAΔv6 found in invasive cancer cells and pro-tumoral cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). This study investigates how hMENA isoforms in tumor cells and CAFs relate to TLS presence, localization and impact on patient outcomes and ICB response. METHODS Methods involved RNA-SEQ on NSCLC cells with depleted hMENA isoforms. A retrospective observational study assessed tissues from surgically treated N0 patients with NSCLC, using immunohistochemistry for tumoral and stromal hMENA isoforms, fibronectin, and TLS presence. ICB-treated patient tumors were analyzed using Nanostring nCounter and GeoMx spatial transcriptomics. Multiparametric flow cytometry characterized B cells and tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM). Survival and ICB response were estimated in the cohort and validated using bioinformatics pipelines in different datasets. FINDINGS Findings indicate that hMENA11a in NSCLC cells upregulates the TLS regulator LTβR, decreases fibronectin, and favors CXCL13 production by TRM. Conversely, hMENAΔv6 in CAFs inhibits LTβR-related NF-kB pathway, reduces CXCL13 secretion, and promotes fibronectin production. These patterns are validated in N0 NSCLC tumors, where hMENA11ahigh expression, CAF hMENAΔv6low, and stromal fibronectinlow are associated with intratumoral TLS, linked to memory B cells and predictive of longer survival. The hMENA isoform pattern, fibronectin, and LTβR expression broadly predict ICB response in tumors where TLS indicates an anti-tumor immune response. INTERPRETATION This study uncovers hMENA alternative splicing as an unexplored contributor to TLS-related Tumor Immune Microenvironment (TIME) and a promising biomarker for clinical outcomes and likely ICB responsiveness in N0 patients with NSCLC. FUNDING This work is supported by AIRC (IG 19822), ACC (RCR-2019-23669120), CAL.HUB.RIA Ministero Salute PNRR-POS T4, "Ricerca Corrente" granted by the Italian Ministry of Health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Di Modugno
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
| | - Anna Di Carlo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Sheila Spada
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Belinda Palermo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo D'Ambrosio
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniel D'Andrea
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, New Hall Block - Room 171, Clifton Campus - NG11 8NS, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Gaia Morello
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, 90134, Palermo, Italy
| | - Beatrice Belmonte
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, 90134, Palermo, Italy
| | - Isabella Sperduti
- Biostatistics and Scientific Direction, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Vittoria Balzano
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Enzo Gallo
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Melchionna
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariangela Panetta
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Campo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca De Nicola
- SAFU Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Frauke Goeman
- SAFU Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Antoniani
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Carpano
- Second Division of Medical Oncology, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianmaria Frigè
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Via Ripamonti 435, Milan, Italy
| | - Sarah Warren
- NanoString Technologies Inc., 530 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Filippo Gallina
- Thoracic-Surgery Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Diether Lambrechts
- Center for Cancer Biology, Herestraat 49 box 912, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jieyi Xiong
- Center for Cancer Biology, Herestraat 49 box 912, VIB, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Benjamin G Vincent
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 5206 Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Nathan Wheeler
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 5206 Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Dante S Bortone
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 5206 Marsico Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Federico Cappuzzo
- Second Division of Medical Oncology, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Facciolo
- Thoracic-Surgery Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Tripodo
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Palermo, Corso Tukory 211, 90134, Palermo, Italy
| | - Paolo Visca
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via E. Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
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Kim HS, Noh YK, Min KW, Kim DH, Kwon MJ, Pyo JS, Lee JY. Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Together with a Decline in CD8+ T Cells Predict a Worse Prognosis for Breast Cancer Patients. Ann Surg Oncol 2024; 31:2114-2126. [PMID: 38093168 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-023-14715-6] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a crucial role in tumor microenvironment regulation and cancer progression. This study assessed the significance and predictive potential of CAFs in breast cancer prognosis. METHODS The study included 1503 breast cancer patients. Cancer-associated fibroblasts were identified using morphologic features from hematoxylin and eosin slides. The study analyzed clinicopathologic parameters, survival rates, immune cells, gene sets, and prognostic models using gene-set enrichment analysis, in silico cytometry, pathway analysis, in vitro drug-screening, and gradient-boosting machine (GBM)-learning. RESULTS The presence of CAFs correlated significantly with young age, lymphatic invasion, and perineural invasion. In silico cytometry showed altered leukocyte subsets in the presence of CAFs, with decreased CD8+ T cells. Gene-set enrichment analysis showed associations with critical processes such as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and immune modulation. Drug sensitivity analysis in breast cancer cell lines with varying fibroblast activation protein-α expression suggested that CAF-targeted therapies might enhance the efficacy of certain anticancer drugs including ARRY-520, ispinesib-mesylate, paclitaxel, and docetaxel. Integrating CAF presence with machine-learning improved survival prediction. For breast cancer patients, CAFs were independent prognostic markers for worse disease-specific survival and disease-free survival. CONCLUSION This study highlighted the significance of CAFs in breast cancer biology and provided compelling evidence of their impact on patient outcomes and treatment response. The findings offer valuable insights into the potential of CAFs as prognostic and predictive biomarkers and support the development of CAF-targeted therapies to improve breast cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung Suk Kim
- Division of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Hanyang University Guri Hospital, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Guri, Republic of Korea
| | - Yung-Kyun Noh
- Department of Computer Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- School of Computational Sciences, Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyueng-Whan Min
- Department of Pathology, Uijeongbu Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University School of Medicine, Uijeongbu, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dong-Hoon Kim
- Department of Pathology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Mi Jung Kwon
- Department of Pathology, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Soo Pyo
- Department of Pathology, Uijeongbu Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University School of Medicine, Uijeongbu, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Yeon Lee
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Lin S, Zhu B. Exosome-transmitted FOSL1 from cancer-associated fibroblasts drives colorectal cancer stemness and chemo-resistance through transcriptionally activating ITGB4. Mol Cell Biochem 2024; 479:665-677. [PMID: 37160555 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-023-04737-9] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been proved to facilitate colorectal cancer (CRC) development, either with boosting chemo-resistance by communicating with CRC cells in the tumor microenvironment. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear. Relative expressions of FOSL1 and ITGB4, either with their correlations in CRC tissues, were assessed using qRT-PCR analysis. Also, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was employed for evaluating the prognosis. Identification of CAFs was determined by the detection of specific makers (α-SMA, FAP, and FSP1) using western blot and immunofluorescence staining. Cell proliferation, self-renewal capacity, and cell apoptosis were estimated by CCK-8, sphere-formation, and flow cytometry assays. Transcriptional regulation of FOSL1 on integrin β4 (ITGB4) was confirmed using ChIP and dual-luciferase reporter assays. Increased FOSL1 and ITGB4 in CRC tissues were both positively correlated with the poor prognosis of CRC patients. Interestingly, FOSL1 was enriched in the CAFs isolated from CRC stroma, instead of ITGB4. CRC cells under a co-culture system with CAFs-conditioned medium (CAFs-CM) exhibited increased FOSL1, promotive cell proliferation, and reduced apoptosis, while these effects could be blocked by exosome inhibitor (GW4869). Moreover, CAFs-derived exosomal FOSL1 was validated to enhance proliferative ability and oxaliplatin resistance of CRC cells. Our results uncovered that CAFs-derived exosomes could transfer FOSL1 to CRC cells, thereby promoting CRC cell proliferation, stemness, and oxaliplatin resistance by transcriptionally activating ITGB4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Lin
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Jiangmen Central Hospital, Jiangmen, 529099, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Bo Zhu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, No. 2 Sunwen East Road, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, China.
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Zhang Q, Wang J, Zhang J, Wang Y, Wang Y, Liu F. Cancer-associated fibroblasts-induced remodeling of tumor immune microenvironment via Jagged1 in glioma. Cell Signal 2024; 115:111016. [PMID: 38128708 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2023.111016] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Tumor immunosuppression are prominent characteristics of brain glioma. Current standard modality including surgical resection and chemoradiotherapy do not significantly improve clinical outcomes. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) that regard as important stromal cells in tumor microenvironment have been confirmed to play crucial roles in tumor development. However, the effects of CAFs on tumor immunosuppression in glioma are not well expounded. In this study, we report that CAFs contributes to the formation of glioma immunosuppressive microenvironment. Specifically, we found that glioma-derived Jagged1 enhanced the proliferation and PD-L1 expression of CAFs in vitro. Importantly, we discovered that Notch1, c-Myc and PD-L1 expression were significantly increased in high Jagged1-expressing gliomas, moreover, we further confirmed that Notch1 and PD-L1 expression located on the CAFs in glioma tissues. We also found that glioma-derived Jagged1 promotes the increase of tumor-infiltrating macrophages, M2 macrophages and Foxp3 Treg cells, as well as no significance of M1 macrophages and CD8+ T cells, indicating potential immunosuppression. This study opens up novel therapeutic strategies reversing CAF immunosuppression for gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China; Brain Tumor Research Center, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Jialin Wang
- Brain Tumor Research Center, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China; Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Junwen Zhang
- Brain Tumor Research Center, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China; Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Youwen Wang
- Brain Tumor Research Center, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China; Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.
| | - Fusheng Liu
- Brain Tumor Research Center, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China; Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing 100070, China.
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Guo S, Chen P, Yang Y, Wei W, Pan Y, Zeng F, Fan L, Wang W. Tumor-to-stroma cd8 + t cells ratio combined with cancer-associated fibroblasts: an innovative approach to predicting lymph node metastases of cervical cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2024; 150:93. [PMID: 38369672 PMCID: PMC10874907 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05578-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Precise identification of lymph node metastases is vital for the management of cervical cancer. However, the existing diagnostic methods for lymph node metastases have certain drawbacks. In this study, we aim to explore the expression of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumor-to-stroma CD8+ T cells ratio (CD8+ T cells T:S ratio) and its association with lymph node metastases of cervical cancer. METHODS Hundred and ten cervical cancer tissues and 39 biopsy tissues from patients were investigated immunocytochemically for the expression of CAFs and CD8+ T cells. The statistical correlation analysis was carried out using the SPSS system. RESULTS A strong and statistically significant negative correlation (r= - 0.690; P < 0.001) was observed between CAF density and CD8+ T cells T:S ratio. Not only were CAFs density and CD8+ T cells T:S ratio correlated with lymph node metastases respectively (P < 0.001), but the combination of them also significantly correlated with lymph node metastases (P < 0.001). Then, we constructed the combined diagnosis model (Logit (P) = - 4.446 + 0.300 × CAFs + 0.752 × CD8+ T cells T:S Ratio) of cervical cancer lymph node metastases. ROC curves analysis showed that the ROC curves areas for CAFs, CD8+ T cells T:S ratio, and a combination of both are 0.879, 0.747, and 0.951. Then, the prediction model was verified by biopsy specimens and consistent results were obtained. CONCLUSIONS The combination of CAF density and CD8+ T cells T:S ratio has a significant predictive value for lymph node metastases in patients with cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangshuang Guo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guangzhou Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Peiyu Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guangzhou Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Yang Yang
- The Six Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan, 511518, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenfei Wei
- Department of Gynecology, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated With Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - YuHua Pan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guangzhou Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Fanke Zeng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guangzhou Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Liangsheng Fan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guangzhou Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guangzhou Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
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Wang H, Liu F, Wu X, Zhu G, Tang Z, Qu W, Zhao Q, Huang R, Tian M, Fang Y, Jiang X, Tao C, Gao J, Liu W, Zhou J, Fan J, Wu D, Shi Y. Cancer-associated fibroblasts contributed to hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence and metastasis via CD36-mediated fatty-acid metabolic reprogramming. Exp Cell Res 2024; 435:113947. [PMID: 38301989 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2024.113947] [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: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the main components in the tumor microenvironment. Tumors activate fibroblasts from quiescent state into activated state by secreting cytokines, and activated CAFs may in turn promote tumor progression and metastasis. Therefore, studies targeting CAFs could enrich the therapeutic options for tumor treatment. In this study, we demonstrate that the content of lipid droplets and the expression of autophagosomes were higher in CAFs than in peri-tumor fibroblasts (PTFs), which was inhibited by 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furoic acid(TOFA). The expression of CD36 in CAFs was higher than that in PTFs at both mRNA and protein levels. Inhibition of CD36 activity using either the CD36 inhibitor SSO or siRNA had a significant negative impact on the proliferation and migration abilities of CAFs, which was associated with reduced levels of relevant activated genes (α-SMA, FAP, Vimentin) and cytokines (IL-6, TGF-β and VEGF-α). SSO also inhibited HCC growth and tumorigenesis in nude mice orthotopically implanted with CAFs and HCC cells. Our data further show that CD36+CAFs affected the expression of PD-1 in CTLs leading to CTL exhaustion, and that patients with high CD36 expression in CAFs were correlated with shorter overall survival (OS). Together, our data demonstrate that CAFs were active in lipid metabolism with increased lipid content and lipophagy activity. CD36 may play a key role in the regulation of the biological behaviors of CAFs, which may influence the proliferation and migration of tumor cells by reprograming the lipid metabolism in tumor cells. Thus, CD36 could be an effective therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Wang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fangming Liu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoling Wu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Liver cancer Recurrence and Metastasis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guiqi Zhu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Liver cancer Recurrence and Metastasis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zheng Tang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Liver cancer Recurrence and Metastasis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weifeng Qu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Liver cancer Recurrence and Metastasis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qianfu Zhao
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Liver cancer Recurrence and Metastasis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Run Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengxin Tian
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Fang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Liver cancer Recurrence and Metastasis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xifei Jiang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Liver cancer Recurrence and Metastasis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chenyang Tao
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Liver cancer Recurrence and Metastasis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Gao
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Liver cancer Recurrence and Metastasis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weiren Liu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Liver cancer Recurrence and Metastasis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Liver cancer Recurrence and Metastasis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Fan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Liver cancer Recurrence and Metastasis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Duojiao Wu
- Institute of Clinical Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yinghong Shi
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Liver cancer Recurrence and Metastasis, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Zhou H, Li R, Liu J, Long J, Chen T. Characterization and verification of CAF-relevant prognostic gene signature to aid therapy in bladder cancer. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23873. [PMID: 38317915 PMCID: PMC10839800 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23873] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are significantly involved in determining the patient's prognosis and response to bladder cancer (BLCA) therapy. CAFs can induce epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) as well as complex interaction with immune cells. Hence, it is imperative to identify potential markers for enhancing our understanding of CAFs in BLCA progression and immune regulation. A variety of algorithms and analyses were employed in the study, leading to the development of a novel prognostic feature for CAFs-Stromal-EMT (CSE)-prognostic feature. This feature was constructed based on the genes MFAP5, PCOLCE2, and JUN. Furthermore, we revealed that patients with higher CSE risk scores responded to immunotherapy better compared to those with lower. Finally, we verified two CSE-related genes using in vitro experiments. Our results suggested that the CSE-prognostic feature could predict the prognosis and evaluate the response of patients to immune and chemotherapies. This would aid clinicians in designing treatment strategies for patients with BLCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huidong Zhou
- Department of Urology, Changsha Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Ruqi Li
- Department of Electrocardiography, The Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jinghong Liu
- Department of Urology, Changsha Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Jianhua Long
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Urology, Changsha Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
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Lee D, Ham IH, Oh HJ, Lee DM, Yoon JH, Son SY, Kim TM, Kim JY, Han SU, Hur H. Tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen-like 1 from cancer-associated fibroblasts contribute to the progression of diffuse-type gastric cancers through the interaction with integrin β1. J Transl Med 2024; 22:154. [PMID: 38355577 PMCID: PMC10868052 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-04963-9] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumor cells of diffuse-type gastric cancer (DGC) are discohesive and infiltrate into the stroma as single cells or small subgroups, so the stroma significantly impacts DGC progression. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are major components of the tumor stroma. Here, we identified CAF-specific secreted molecules and investigated the mechanism underlying CAF-induced DGC progression. METHODS We conducted transcriptome analysis for paired normal fibroblast (NF)-CAF isolated from DGC patient tissues and proteomics for conditioned media (CM) of fibroblasts. The effects of fibroblasts on cancer cells were examined by transwell migration and soft agar assays, western blotting, and in vivo. We confirmed the effect of blocking tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen-like 1 (TINAGL1) in CAFs using siRNA or shRNA. We evaluated the expression of TINAGL1 protein in frozen tissues of DGC and paired normal stomach and mRNA in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue using RNA in-situ hybridization (RNA-ISH). RESULTS CAFs more highly expressed TINAGL1 than NFs. The co-culture of CAFs increased migration and tumorigenesis of DGC. Moreover, CAFs enhanced the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and mesenchymal marker expression in DGC cells. In an animal study, DGC tumors co-injected with CAFs showed aggressive phenotypes, including lymph node metastasis. However, increased phosphorylation of FAK and migration were reduced by blocking TINAGL1 in CAFs. In the tissues of DGC patients, TINAGL1 was higher in cancer than paired normal tissues and detected with collagen type I alpha 1 chain (COL1A1) in the same spot. Furthermore, high TINAGL1 expression was significantly correlated with poor prognosis in several public databases and our patient cohort diagnosed with DGC. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that TINAGL1 secreted by CAFs induces phosphorylation of FAK in DGC cells and promotes tumor progression. Thus, targeting TINAGL1 in CAFs can be a novel therapeutic strategy for DGC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagyeong Lee
- Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Cancer Biology Graduate Program, Ajou University School of Medicine Suwon, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- AI-Super Convergence KIURI Translational Research Center, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - In-Hye Ham
- Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Inflamm-Aging Translational Research Center, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Jeong Oh
- Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Min Lee
- Inflamm-Aging Translational Research Center, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Hwan Yoon
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Functional RNomics Research Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea Seoul, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Yong Son
- Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Min Kim
- Department of Medical Informatics, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedicine and Health Science, Graduate School, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Young Kim
- Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology (GRAST), Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Uk Han
- Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hoon Hur
- Department of Surgery, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
- Cancer Biology Graduate Program, Ajou University School of Medicine Suwon, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
- Inflamm-Aging Translational Research Center, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea.
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Francescone R, Crawford HC, Vendramini-Costa DB. Rethinking the Roles of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Cancer. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 17:737-743. [PMID: 38316215 PMCID: PMC10966284 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2024.01.022] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Bearing a dismal 5-year survival rate, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a challenging disease that features a unique fibroinflammatory tumor microenvironment. As major components of the PDAC tumor microenvironment, cancer-associated fibroblasts are still poorly understood and their contribution to the several hallmarks of PDAC, such as resistance to therapies, immunosuppression, and high incidence of metastasis, is likely underestimated. There have been encouraging advances in the understanding of these fascinating cells, but many controversies remain, leaving the field still actively exploring the full scope of their contributions in PDAC progression. Here we pose several important considerations regarding PDAC cancer-associated fibroblast functions. We posit that transcriptomic analyses be interpreted with caution, when aiming to uncover the functional contributions of these cells. Moreover, we propose that normalizing these functions, rather than eliminating them, will provide the opportunity to enhance therapeutic response. Finally, we propose that cancer-associated fibroblasts should not be studied in isolation, but in conjunction with its extracellular matrix, because their respective functions are coordinated and concordant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph Francescone
- Department of Surgery, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan; Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Howard C Crawford
- Department of Surgery, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan; Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Debora Barbosa Vendramini-Costa
- Department of Surgery, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan; Henry Ford Pancreatic Cancer Center, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, Michigan.
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Wang D, Li L, Zhang Y, Ye K. Lipopolysaccharide-Educated Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Facilitate Malignant Progression of Ovarian Cancer Cells via the NF-kB/IL-6/JAK2 Signal Transduction. Mol Biotechnol 2024:10.1007/s12033-024-01055-3. [PMID: 38305842 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-024-01055-3] [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: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria increase in ovarian cancer (OC) tissues, but its association with OC progression remains largely unknown. The present study aimed to investigate whether and how cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) pretreated by the main components of bacterial outer membrane lipopolysaccharide (LPS) influence the malignancy of OC cells. Specifically, the culture medium of LPS-preconditioned CAFs (LPS-CM) further accelerated cell proliferation, colony formation and tumorigenesis of OC cells SKOV3 and HEY A8, compared with culture medium of CAFs. Next, we found that LPS pretreatment activated the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) pathway in CAFs to secret cytokines, including interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), etc. Neutralization of IL-6 in LPS-CM abolished the promoting effect of LPS-CM on cell proliferation, survival and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in SKOV3 and HEY A8 cells. Mechanistically, LPS-CM activated the Janus kinases 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway, while application with JAK2 inhibitor also reversed the promoting effect of LPS-CM on malignancy of OC cells. In summary, LPS-pretreated CAFs IL-6-dependently accelerate OC progression via activating the JAK2/STAT3 signal pathway, which enriches our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying ovaries-colonized gram-negative bacteria in OC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongjie Wang
- Department of Gynecology, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, No. 157, Jinbi Road, Xishan District, Kunming, 650032, China
- The Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650032, China
| | - Lingchuan Li
- Department of Gynecology, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, No. 157, Jinbi Road, Xishan District, Kunming, 650032, China
- The Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650032, China
| | - Yifeng Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, No. 157, Jinbi Road, Xishan District, Kunming, 650032, China.
- The Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650032, China.
| | - Kefan Ye
- Department of Gynecology, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, No. 157, Jinbi Road, Xishan District, Kunming, 650032, China.
- The Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650032, China.
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Zhang X, Zhang M, Sun H, Wang X, Wang X, Sheng W, Xu M. The role of transcription factors in the crosstalk between cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor cells. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00046-8. [PMID: 38309692 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.01.033] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcription factors (TFs) fulfill a critical role in the formation and maintenance of different cell types during the developmental process as well as disease. It is believed that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are activation status of tissue-resident fibroblasts or derived from form other cell types via transdifferentiation or dedifferentiation. Despite a subgroup of CAFs exhibit anti-cancer effects, most of them are reported to exert effects on tumor progression, further indicating their heterogeneous origin. AIM OF REVIEW This review aimed to summarize and review the roles of TFs in the reciprocal crosstalk between CAFs and tumor cells, discuss the emerging mechanisms, and their roles in cell-fate decision, cellular reprogramming and advancing our understanding of the gene regulatory networks over the period of cancer initiation and progression. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW This manuscript delves into the key contributory factors of TFs that are involved in activating CAFs and maintaining their unique states. Additionally, it explores how TFs play a pivotal and multifaceted role in the reciprocal crosstalk between CAFs and tumor cells. This includes their involvement in processes such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, as well as metabolic reprogramming. TFs also have a role in constructing an immunosuppressive microenvironment, inducing resistance to radiation and chemotherapy, facilitating angiogenesis, and even 'educating' CAFs to support the malignancies of tumor cells. Furthermore, this manuscript delves into the current status of TF-targeted therapy and considers the future directions of TFs in conjunction with anti-CAFs therapies to address the challenges in clinical cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Hui Sun
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Weiqi Sheng
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Midie Xu
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
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Chen X, Liao C, Zou X, Zhang B, Mo Z. A gene signature of cancer-associated fibroblasts predicts prognosis and treatment response in bladder cancer. Clin Transl Oncol 2024; 26:477-495. [PMID: 37594617 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-023-03270-x] [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: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Due to the pivotal role cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play in tumor progression, our study aimed to develop a signature of CAFs-related gene (CRG) to predict the survival outcomes and treatment response of bladder cancer (BLCA). METHODS The transcriptome data and relevant clinical information about BLCA were collected from publicly available databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was utilized to uncover CAFs-associated hub genes, and subsequently, a risk model for survival prognosis was constructed using LASSO-Cox regression. The immune microenvironment, immune infiltration, immunotherapy response, and drug sensitivity were explored using ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT, TIDE, and oncoPredict algorithms. To verify the expression of the CRGs, additional analyses were performed using online databases (HPA, CCLE, TIMER, cBioPortal, and TISCH). RESULTS Our study developed a CRG signature and constructed a prognostic model. Significant differences in overall survival were observed between the two risk stratifications. The risk score increased with the infiltration of CAFs and tumor staging progression, while closely correlating with immune checkpoint expression and infiltration of CD8 T cells, follicular helper T cells, regulatory T cells, activated dendritic cells, M0 macrophages, M2 macrophages, and resting mast cells. Furthermore, a higher proportion of patients in the low-risk stratification exhibited responsiveness to immunotherapy, and significant variances in sensitivity to multiple chemotherapy medications were observed between the two risk stratifications. CONCLUSION The construction of the risk model based on the CRG signature offers new avenues for the prognosis evaluation and development of personalized treatment strategies for BLCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
- Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Chunyan Liao
- Department of Ultrasound Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550000, China
| | - Xiong Zou
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
- Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Bei Zhang
- Department of Ultrasound Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550000, China.
| | - Zengnan Mo
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China.
- Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
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Kim S, Leem G, Choi J, Koh Y, Lee S, Nam SH, Kim JS, Park CH, Hwang HK, Min KI, Jo JH, Lee HS, Chung MJ, Park JY, Park SW, Song SY, Shin EC, Kang CM, Bang S, Park JE. Integrative analysis of spatial and single-cell transcriptome data from human pancreatic cancer reveals an intermediate cancer cell population associated with poor prognosis. Genome Med 2024; 16:20. [PMID: 38297291 PMCID: PMC10832111 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01287-7] [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: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies using single-cell transcriptomic analysis have reported several distinct clusters of neoplastic epithelial cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts in the pancreatic cancer tumor microenvironment. However, their molecular characteristics and biological significance have not been clearly elucidated due to intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneity. METHODS We performed single-cell RNA sequencing using enriched non-immune cell populations from 17 pancreatic tumor tissues (16 pancreatic cancer and one high-grade dysplasia) and generated paired spatial transcriptomic data from seven patient samples. RESULTS We identified five distinct functional subclusters of pancreatic cancer cells and six distinct cancer-associated fibroblast subclusters. We deeply profiled their characteristics, and we found that these subclusters successfully deconvoluted most of the features suggested in bulk transcriptome analysis of pancreatic cancer. Among those subclusters, we identified a novel cancer cell subcluster, Ep_VGLL1, showing intermediate characteristics between the extremities of basal-like and classical dichotomy, despite its prognostic value. Molecular features of Ep_VGLL1 suggest its transitional properties between basal-like and classical subtypes, which is supported by spatial transcriptomic data. CONCLUSIONS This integrative analysis not only provides a comprehensive landscape of pancreatic cancer and fibroblast population, but also suggests a novel insight to the dynamic states of pancreatic cancer cells and unveils potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongryong Kim
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-Ro, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Galam Leem
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Junjeong Choi
- Department of Pharmacy and Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongjun Koh
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-Ro, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Suho Lee
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-Ro, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Hee Nam
- Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Su Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan Hee Park
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Kyoung Hwang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Pancreatobiliary Cancer Center, Severance Hospital, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Pancreatobiliary Cancer Center, Yonsei Cancer Center, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoung Il Min
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-Ro, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Hyun Jo
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Seung Lee
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon Jae Chung
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Youp Park
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Woo Park
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Si Young Song
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Eui-Cheol Shin
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-Ro, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Moo Kang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Pancreatobiliary Cancer Center, Severance Hospital, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
- Pancreatobiliary Cancer Center, Yonsei Cancer Center, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Seungmin Bang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-Ro, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jong-Eun Park
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-Ro, Yuseong-Gu, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
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Han H, Qian C, Song M, Zhong C, Zhao Y, Lu Y. Fibroblasts: invigorated targets in pre-metastatic niche formation. Int J Biol Sci 2024; 20:1110-1124. [PMID: 38322116 PMCID: PMC10845297 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.87680] [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: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
At present, tumor metastasis still remains the leading contributor to high recurrence and mortality in cancer patients. There have been no clinically effective therapeutic strategies for treating patients with metastatic cancer. In recent years, a growing body of evidence has shown that the pre-metastatic niche (PMN) plays a crucial role in driving tumor metastasis. Nevertheless, a clear and detailed understanding of the formation of PMN is still lacking given the fact that PMN formation involves in a wealth of complicated communications and underlying mechanisms between primary tumors and metastatic target organs. Despite that the roles of numerous components including tumor exosomes and extracellular vesicles in influencing the evolution of PMN have been well documented, the involvement of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment for controlling PMN formation is frequently overlooked. It has been increasingly recognized that fibroblasts trigger the formation of PMN by virtue of modulating exosomes, metabolism and so on. In this review, we mainly summarize the underlying mechanisms of fibroblasts from diverse origins in exerting impacts on PMN evolution, and further highlight the prospective strategies for targeting fibroblasts to prevent PMN formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongkuan Han
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Cheng Qian
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Mengyao Song
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chongjin Zhong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yin Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
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Chen FW, Wu YL, Cheng CC, Hsiao YW, Chi JY, Hung LY, Chang CP, Lai MD, Wang JM. Inactivation of pentraxin 3 suppresses M2-like macrophage activity and immunosuppression in colon cancer. J Biomed Sci 2024; 31:10. [PMID: 38243273 PMCID: PMC10799366 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-023-00991-7] [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: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The tumor microenvironment is characterized by inflammation-like and immunosuppression situations. Although cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are among the major stromal cell types in various solid cancers, including colon cancer, the interactions between CAFs and immune cells remains largely uncharacterized. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is responsive to proinflammatory cytokines and modulates immunity and tissue remodeling, but its involvement in tumor progression appears to be context-dependent and is unclear. METHODS Open-access databases were utilized to examine the association of PTX3 expression and the fibroblast signature in colon cancer. Loss-of-function assays, including studies in tamoxifen-induced Ptx3 knockout mice and treatment with an anti-PTX3 neutralizing antibody (WHC-001), were conducted to assess the involvement of PTX3 in colon cancer progression as well as its immunosuppressive effect. Finally, bioinformatic analyses and in vitro assays were performed to reveal the downstream effectors and decipher the involvement of the CREB1/CEBPB axis in response to PTX3 and PTX3-induced promotion of M2 macrophage polarization. RESULTS Clinically, higher PTX3 expression was positively correlated with fibroblasts and inflammatory response signatures and associated with a poor survival outcome in colon cancer patients. Blockade of PTX3 significantly reduced stromal cell-mediated tumor development. The decrease of the M2 macrophage population and an increase of the cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell population were observed following PTX3 inactivation in allografted colon tumors. We further revealed that activation of cyclic AMP-responsive element-binding protein 1 (CREB1) mediated the PTX3-induced promotion of M2 macrophage polarization. CONCLUSIONS PTX3 contributes to stromal cell-mediated protumor immunity by increasing M2-like macrophage polarization, and inhibition of PTX3 with WHC-001 is a potential therapeutic strategy for colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Wei Chen
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Ling Wu
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Chun Cheng
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Wei Hsiao
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Jhih-Ying Chi
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Liang-Yi Hung
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Peng Chang
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Derg Lai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
| | - Ju-Ming Wang
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1 University Rd., Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- International Research Center for Wound Repair and Regeneration, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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Zhou H, Zhong J, Peng S, Liu Y, Tang P, Cai Z, Wang L, Xu H, Hu K. Synthesis and preclinical evaluation of novel 18F-labeled fibroblast activation protein tracers for positron emission tomography imaging of cancer-associated fibroblasts. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 264:115993. [PMID: 38039792 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115993] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is overexpressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts in more than 90% of epithelial tumors. Several radiotracers targeting FAPs have been used in clinical settings in recent years. However, the number of 18F-labeled FAP tracers is still limited. Herein, we aimed to develop 18F-labeled FAP tracers with optimized pharmacokinetics. Labeling precursors (NOTA-DD-FAPI and NOTA-PD-FAPI) were synthesized and labeled with fluorine-18. The precursors NOTA-DD-FAPI (IC50 = 0.21 ± 0.06 nM) and NOTA -PD-FAPI (IC50 = 0.13 ± 0.07 nM) showed a higher affinity for FAP compared to NOTA-FAPI-42 (IC50 = 0.66 ± 0.19 nM). Novel 18F-labeled FAP tracers showed a specific uptake, high internalized fraction, and low cellular efflux in vitro. Compared to the clinically used tracer [18F]AlF-FAPI-42, both the novel 18F-labeled FAP tracers, and especially the [18F]AlF-PD-FAPI tracer with a higher tumor-to-background ratio demonstrated rapid renal excretion and higher tumor uptake during preclinical evaluation, resulting in images with higher contrast. Thus, [18F]AlF-PD-FAPI shows promise for use as a FAP-targeting tracer for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhou
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Jiawei Zhong
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China; Department of Chemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Simin Peng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Peipei Tang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Zhikai Cai
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
| | - Hao Xu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
| | - Kongzhen Hu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
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Yang C, Zhang Y, Yan M, Wang J, Wang J, Wang M, Xuan Y, Cheng H, Ma J, Chai C, Li M, Yu Z. Exosomes derived from cancer-associated fibroblasts promote tumorigenesis, metastasis and chemoresistance of colorectal cancer by upregulating circ_0067557 to target Lin28. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:64. [PMID: 38216964 PMCID: PMC10785442 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11791-5] [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: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) can remodel tumor microenvironment by secreting exosomes. This study aimed to investigate the role of exosomes derived from cancer-associated fibroblasts in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. METHODS Circular RNA (circRNA) array was used to identify differentially expressed circRNAs in exosomes from normal fibroblasts (NFs) and CAFs, and confirmed one differentially expressed circRNA circ_0067557 by real-time PCR. The effect of circ_0067557 on proliferation, metastasis, chemoresistance and apoptosis was verified by wound heal, tranwell, CCK8, sphere-forming and flow cytometry assay. RESULTS Circ_0067557 expression in exosomes from CAFs was higher than those from NFs. CAF-derived exosomes promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion and chemoresistance of CRC cells while suppressed apoptosis. Silencing of circ_0067557 inhibited malignant phenotypes of CRC cells by targeting Lin28A and Lin28B. Moreover, CAF-derived exosomes enhanced the growth of CRC xenograft tumors. CONCLUSION Circ_0067557/Lin28A and Lin28B signal axis may be a potential therapy target for CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Yang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150086, Harbin, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150086, Harbin, China
| | - Mingze Yan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150086, Harbin, China
| | - Jiahao Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150086, Harbin, China
| | - Jiaming Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150086, Harbin, China
| | - Muhong Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150086, Harbin, China
| | - Yuhong Xuan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150086, Harbin, China
| | - Haiyue Cheng
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150086, Harbin, China
| | - Jiaao Ma
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150086, Harbin, China
| | - Cuicui Chai
- Digestive Disease Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 518107, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mingzhe Li
- Digestive Disease Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 518107, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Zhiwei Yu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150086, Harbin, China.
- Digestive Disease Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 518107, Shenzhen, China.
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