The advent of single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)has provided insight into the tumour immune microenvironment(TIME).This review focuses on the application of scRNA-seq in investigation of the TIME.Over time,scRNA-se...The advent of single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)has provided insight into the tumour immune microenvironment(TIME).This review focuses on the application of scRNA-seq in investigation of the TIME.Over time,scRNA-seq methods have evolved,and components of the TIME have been deciphered with high resolution.In this review,we first introduced the principle of scRNA-seq and compared different sequencing approaches.Novel cell types in the TIME,a continuous transitional state,and mutual intercommunication among TIME components present potential targets for prognosis prediction and treatment in cancer.Thus,we concluded novel cell clusters of cancerassociated fibroblasts(CAFs),T cells,tumour-associated macrophages(TAMs)and dendritic cells(DCs)discovered after the application of scRNA-seq in TIME.We also proposed the development of TAMs and exhausted T cells,as well as the possible targets to interrupt the process.In addition,the therapeutic interventions based on cellular interactions in TIME were also summarized.For decades,quantification of the TIME components has been adopted in clinical practice to predict patient survival and response to therapy and is expected to play an important role in the precise treatment of cancer.Summarizing the current findings,we believe that advances in technology and wide application of single-cell analysis can lead to the discovery of novel perspectives on cancer therapy,which can subsequently be implemented in the clinic.Finally,we propose some future directions in the field of TIME studies that can be aided by scRNA-seq technology.展开更多
The interplay between DNA replication stress and immune microenvironment alterations is known to play a crucial role in colorectal tumorigenesis,but a comprehensive understanding of their association with and relevant...The interplay between DNA replication stress and immune microenvironment alterations is known to play a crucial role in colorectal tumorigenesis,but a comprehensive understanding of their association with and relevant biomarkers involved in colorectal tumorigenesis is lacking.To address this gap,we conducted a study aiming to investigate this association and identify relevant biomarkers.We analyzed transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of 904 colorectal tumor tissues and 342 normal tissues to examine pathway enrichment,biological activity,and the immune microenvironment.Additionally,we evaluated genetic effects of single variants and genes on colorectal cancer susceptibility using data from genome-wide association studies(GWASs)involving both East Asian(7062 cases and 195745 controls)and European(24476 cases and 23073 controls)populations.We employed mediation analysis to infer the causal pathway,and applied multiplex immunofluorescence to visualize colocalized biomarkers in colorectal tumors and immune cells.Our findings revealed that both DNA replication activity and the flap structure-specific endonuclease 1(FEN1)gene were significantly enriched in colorectal tumor tissues,compared with normal tissues.Moreover,a genetic variant rs4246215 G>T in FEN1 was associated with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer(odds ratio=0.94,95%confidence interval:0.90–0.97,P_(meta)=4.70×10^(-9)).Importantly,we identified basophils and eosinophils that both exhibited a significantly decreased infiltration in colorectal tumors,and were regulated by rs4246215 through causal pathways involving both FEN1 and DNA replication.In conclusion,this trans-omics incorporating GWAS data provides insights into a plausible pathway connecting DNA replication and immunity,expanding biological knowledge of colorectal tumorigenesis and therapeutic targets.展开更多
Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common primary tumor of the liver and has a high mortality rate.The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system in addition to tumor staging also links the modality of treatme...Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common primary tumor of the liver and has a high mortality rate.The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system in addition to tumor staging also links the modality of treatment available to a particular stage.The recent description of the tumor microenvironment(TME)in HCC has provided a new concept of immunogenicity within the HCC.Virusrelated HCC has been shown to be more immunogenic with higher expression of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and decreased elements for immunosuppression such as regulatory T cells.This immunogenic milieu provides a better response to immunotherapy especially immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs).In addition,the recent data on combining locoregional therapies and other strategies may convert the less immunogenic state of the TME towards higher immunogenicity.Therefore,data are emerging on the use of combinations of locoregional therapy and ICIs in unresectable or advanced HCC and has shown better survival outcomes in this difficult population.展开更多
Colorectal cancer(CRC)represents a molecularly heterogeneous disease and one of the most frequent causes of cancer-related death worldwide.The traditional classification of CRC is based on pathomorphological and molec...Colorectal cancer(CRC)represents a molecularly heterogeneous disease and one of the most frequent causes of cancer-related death worldwide.The traditional classification of CRC is based on pathomorphological and molecular character-istics of tumor cells(mucinous,ring-cell carcinomas,etc.),analysis of mechanisms of carcinogenesis involved(chromosomal instability,microsatellite instability,CpG island methylator phenotype)and mutational statuses of commonly altered genes(KRAS,NRAS,BRAF,APC,etc.),as well as expression signatures(CMS 1-4).It is also suggested that the tumor microenvironment is a key player in tumor progression and metastasis in CRC.According to the latest data,the immune microenvironment can also be predictive of the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors.In this review,we highlight how the immune environment influences CRC prognosis and sensitivity to systemic therapy.展开更多
Medulloblastoma(MB)is considered the commonest malignant brain tumor in children.Multimodal treatments consisting of surgery,radiation,and chemotherapy have improved patients’survival.Nevertheless,the recurrence occu...Medulloblastoma(MB)is considered the commonest malignant brain tumor in children.Multimodal treatments consisting of surgery,radiation,and chemotherapy have improved patients’survival.Nevertheless,the recurrence occurs in 30%of cases.The persistent mortality rates,the failure of current therapies to extend life expectancy,and the serious complications of non-targeted cytotoxic treatment indicate the need for more refined therapeutic approaches.Most MBs originating from the neurons of external granular layer line the outer surface of neocerebellum and responsible for the afferent and efferent connections.Recently,MBs have been segregated into four molecular subgroups:Wingless-activated(WNT-MB)(Group 1);Sonichedgehog-activated(SHH-MB)(Group 2);Group 3 and 4 MBs.These molecular alterations follow specific gene mutations and disease-risk stratifications.The current treatment protocols and ongoing clinical trials against these molecular subgroups are still using common chemotherapeutic agents by which their efficacy have improved the progression-free survival but did not change the overall survival.However,the need to explore new therapies targeting specific receptors in MB microenvironment became essential.The immune microenvironment of MBs consists of distinctive cellular heterogeneities including immune cells and none-immune cells.Tumour associate macrophage and tumour infiltrating lymphocyte are considered the main principal cells in tumour microenvironment,and their role are still under investigation.In this review,we discuss the mechanism of interaction between MB cells and immune cells in the microenvironment,with an overview of the recent investigations and clinical trials.展开更多
Bone,cartilage,and soft tissue regeneration is a complex spatiotemporal process recruiting a variety of cell types,whose activity and interplay must be precisely mediated for effective healing post-injury.Although ext...Bone,cartilage,and soft tissue regeneration is a complex spatiotemporal process recruiting a variety of cell types,whose activity and interplay must be precisely mediated for effective healing post-injury.Although extensive strides have been made in the understanding of the immune microenvironment processes governing bone,cartilage,and soft tissue regeneration,effective clinical translation of these mechanisms remains a challenge.Regulation of the immune microenvironment is increasingly becoming a favorable target for bone,cartilage,and soft tissue regeneration;therefore,an in-depth understanding of the communication between immune cells and functional tissue cells would be valuable.Herein,we review the regulatory role of the immune microenvironment in the promotion and maintenance of stem cell states in the context of bone,cartilage,and soft tissue repair and regeneration.We discuss the roles of various immune cell subsets in bone,cartilage,and soft tissue repair and regeneration processes and introduce novel strategies,for example,biomaterial-targeting of immune cell activity,aimed at regulating healing.Understanding the mechanisms of the crosstalk between the immune microenvironment and regeneration pathways may shed light on new therapeutic opportunities for enhancing bone,cartilage,and soft tissue regeneration through regulation of the immune microenvironment.展开更多
Aging is highly associated with tumor formation and progression.However,little research has explored the association of aging-related lncRNAs(ARLs)with the prognosis and tumor immune microenvironment(TIME)of head and ...Aging is highly associated with tumor formation and progression.However,little research has explored the association of aging-related lncRNAs(ARLs)with the prognosis and tumor immune microenvironment(TIME)of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC).RNA sequences and clinicopathological data of HNSCC patients and normal subjects were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas.In the training group,we used Pearson correlation,univariate Cox regression,least absolute shrinkage/selection operator regression analyses,and multivariate Cox regression to build a prognostic model.In the test group,we evaluated the model.Multivariate Cox regression was done to screen out independent prognostic factors,with which we constructed a nomogram.Afterward,we demonstrated the predictive value of the risk scores based on the model and the nomogram using time-dependent receiver operating characteristics.Gene set enrichment analysis,immune correlation analysis,and half-maximal inhibitory concentration were also performed to reveal the different landscapes of TIME between risk groups and to predict immuno-and chemo-therapeutic responses.The most important LINC00861 in the model was examined in HNE1,CNE1,and CNE2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines and transfected into the cell lines CNE1 and CNE2 using the LINC00861-pcDNA3.1 construct plasmid.In addition,CCK-8,Edu,and SA-β-gal staining assays were conducted to test the biofunction of LINC00861 in the CNE1 and CNE2 cells.The signature based on nine ARLs has a good predictive value in survival time,immune infiltration,immune checkpoint expression,and sensitivity to multiple drugs.LINC00861 expression in CNE2 was significantly lower than in the HNE1 and CNE1 cells,and LINC00861 overexpression significantly inhibited the proliferation and increased the senescence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines.This work built and verified a new prognostic model for HNSCC based on ARLs and mapped the immune landscape in HNSCC.LINC00861 is a protective factor for the development of HNSCC.展开更多
Aim:Scavenger receptor class B,type I(SR-BI)is an integral plasma membrane protein that has been reported to be overexpressed in various malignancies,such as renal cancer,breast cancer,and prostate cancer,and is an in...Aim:Scavenger receptor class B,type I(SR-BI)is an integral plasma membrane protein that has been reported to be overexpressed in various malignancies,such as renal cancer,breast cancer,and prostate cancer,and is an independent prognostic factor.However,the clinical value and expression of SR-BI in GC are unknown.Our research aimed to explore the role of SR-BI in combination with immune markers as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for gastric cancer(GC).Methods:GC tissues,paracancerous tissues,and clinicopathological data of 149 patients were collected.The expression level of SR-BI,Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes(TILs),and PD-L1 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry(IHC).The associations of the SR-BI staining intensity with clinicopathological features and immune markers were determined by the chi-square test.Univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses were used to evaluate independent prognostic factors.Kaplan–Meier analyses were performed to plot the survival curve.Results:Our results indicated that SR-BI was expressed at higher levels in tumor tissues than in adjacent paracancerous tissues(p<0.001),and patients with high levels of SR-BI expression had a worse prognosis.Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that high SR-BI expression was an independent factor for poor prognosis.The chi-square test determined that the expression of SR-BI was negatively correlated with CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells(CD4+T cells,p=0.013;CD8+T cells,p=0.021),and positively correlated with PD-L1(p=0.022).Finally,survival analysis revealed that CD4+T cells were associated with the prognosis of GC patients(p=0.019),and the combined survival analysis of SR-BI and CD4+T cells was also statistically significant(p=0.030).Conclusion:SR-BI is highly expressed in GC tissue and associated with poor prognosis.Moreover,SR-BI can also regulate the GC tumor immune microenvironment.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the expression level,clinical prognosis,genetic changes,methylation value,biological function and immunomodulatory effects of PHF19 in lung adenocarcinoma.Methods:Based on the RNA cohort data ...Objective:To investigate the expression level,clinical prognosis,genetic changes,methylation value,biological function and immunomodulatory effects of PHF19 in lung adenocarcinoma.Methods:Based on the RNA cohort data of lung adenocarcinoma in the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database,the expression difference of PHF19 between lung adenocarcinoma and normal tissues and the relationship between the expression level and the prognosis of patients were analyzed by using TIMER database and UALCAN database.The gene mutation of PHF19 in lung adenocarcinoma was analyzed in cBioPortal database and TIMER database.The promoter methylation level of PHF19 in lung adenocarcinoma was analyzed in UALCAN database.The enrichment of PHF19 co-expression gene was analyzed in LinkedOmics database and KEGG database.The correlation between the expression of PHF19 in lung adenocarcinoma and the level of immunoinfiltration was explored in the TIMER database.Results:The expression of PHF19 in lung adenocarcinoma tissues was up-regulated,and its high expression was significantly correlated with the pathological stage,lymph node metastasis and shortened overall survival of lung adenocarcinoma patients.Genetic variation was found in 0.9%of patients,amplification and missense mutation were the most common mutations,and TP53 mutation could lead to the high expression of PHF19.The promoter methylation level of PHF19 significantly decreased in lung adenocarcinoma.The function of PHF19 was focused on the process of cell mitosis and cell cycle.The expression level of PHF19 was significantly correlated with tumor immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint expression.Conclusion:PHF19 can be used as a marker of poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma and plays an important role in the occurrence and development of lung adenocarcinoma.展开更多
Background:Numerous long RNAs were detected in extracellular vesicles(EVs),some of which were related with the tissue origins and immune cell types.This study examined the molecular basis of different traditional Chin...Background:Numerous long RNAs were detected in extracellular vesicles(EVs),some of which were related with the tissue origins and immune cell types.This study examined the molecular basis of different traditional Chinese medicine syndrome diagnoses(also called syndrome differentiation)in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.Methods:128 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients with different syndrome diagnoses were retrospectively reviewed in this study.Long RNA sequencing was conducted to analyze the EV long RNA profile of plasma samples.Differentially regulated EV long RNAs were annotated and assessed for Gene Ontology pathway enrichment using DAVID.The online program xCell were used to perform the cell-type enrichment analysis.Results:An average of 15,000 annotated genes,mainly including messenger RNAs,were stably detected per sample.Different syndrome diagnoses exhibited unique EV mRNA expression profiles and therefore different enriched pathways.Gene Set Enrichment Analysis discovered transforming growth factor-βand kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog signaling activation as the hallmarks of cancer with Shi-Re syndrome.Cell-type enrichment analysis also revealed a varied inflammation/immune cell type distribution among patients with or without Shi-Re diagnosis.Mast cells,platelets and Tregs were significantly enriched but basophils,common lymphoid progenitors,dendritic cells,and conventional dendritic cells were decreased in patients with Shi-Re diagnosis compared with patients without Shi-Re diagnosis.Conclusion:We identified the hallmarks of cancer with different syndrome diagnoses based on plasma EV long RNA sequencing.In particular,transforming growth factor-βand kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog signaling activation were the hallmarks of Shi-Re syndrome,which contribute to shape an inflammatory/immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.展开更多
Objective Pseudogenes are initially regarded as nonfunctional genomic sequences,but some pseudogenes regulate tumor initiation and progression by interacting with other genes to modulate their transcriptional activiti...Objective Pseudogenes are initially regarded as nonfunctional genomic sequences,but some pseudogenes regulate tumor initiation and progression by interacting with other genes to modulate their transcriptional activities.Olfactory receptor family 7 subfamily E member 47 pseudogene(OR7E47P)is expressed broadly in lung tissues and has been identified as a positive regulator in the tumor microenvironment(TME)of lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD).This study aimed to elucidate the correlation between OR7E47P and tumor immunity in lung squamous cell carcinoma(LUSC).Methods Clinical and molecular information from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)LUSC cohort was used to identify OR7E47P-related immune genes(ORIGs)by weighted gene correlation network analysis(WGCNA).Based on the ORIGs,2 OR7E47P clusters were identified using non-negative matrix factorization(NMF)clustering,and the stability of the clustering was tested by an extreme gradient boosting classifier(XGBoost).LASSO-Cox and stepwise regressions were applied to further select prognostic ORIGs and to construct a predictive model(ORPScore)for immunotherapy.The Botling cohorts and 8 immunotherapy cohorts(the Samstein,Braun,Jung,Gide,IMvigor210,Lauss,Van Allen,and Cho cohorts)were included as independent validation cohorts.Results OR7E47P expression was positively correlated with immune cell infiltration and enrichment of immune-related pathways in LUSC.A total of 57 ORIGs were identified to classify the patients into 2 OR7E47P clusters(Cluster 1 and Cluster 2)with distinct immune,mutation,and stromal programs.Compared to Cluster 1,Cluster 2 had more infiltration by immune and stromal cells,lower mutation rates of driver genes,and higher expression of immune-related proteins.The clustering performed well in the internal and 5 external validation cohorts.Based on the 7 ORIGs(HOPX,STX2,WFS,DUSP22,SLFN13,GGCT,and CCSER2),the ORPScore was constructed to predict the prognosis and the treatment response.In addition,the ORPScore was a better prognostic factor and correlated positively with the immunotherapeutic response in cancer patients.The area under the curve values ranged from 0.584 to 0.805 in the 6 independent immunotherapy cohorts.Conclusion Our study suggests a significant correlation between OR7E47P and TME modulation in LUSC.ORIGs can be applied to molecularly stratify patients,and the ORPScore may serve as a biomarker for clinical decision-making regarding individualized prognostication and immunotherapy.展开更多
Despite a decrease in gastric cancer incidence, the development of novel biologic agents and combined therapeutic strategies, the prognosis of gastric cancer remains poor. Recently, the introduction of modern immunoth...Despite a decrease in gastric cancer incidence, the development of novel biologic agents and combined therapeutic strategies, the prognosis of gastric cancer remains poor. Recently, the introduction of modern immunotherapy, especially using immune checkpoint inhibitors, led to an improved prognosis in many cancers. The use of immunotherapy was also associated with manageable adverse event profiles and promising results in the treatment of patients with gastric cancer, especially in heavily pretreated patients. These data have led to an accelerated approval of some checkpoint inhibitors in this setting. Understanding the complex relationship between the host immune microenvironment and tumor and the immune escape phenomenon leading to cancer occurrence and progression will subsequently lead to the identification of prognostic immune markers. Furthermore, this understanding will result in the discovery of both new mechanisms for blocking tumor immunosuppressive signals and pathways to stimulate the local immune response by targeting and modulating different subsets of immune cells. Due to the molecular heterogeneity of gastric cancers associated with differentclinico-biologic parameters, immune markers expression and prognosis, novel immunotherapy algorithms should be personalized and addressed to selected subsets of gastric tumors, which have been proven to elicit the best clinical responses. Future perspectives in the treatment of gastric cancer include tailored dual immunotherapies or a combination of immunotherapy with other targeted agents with synergistic antitumor effects.展开更多
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancies worldwide, with a very poor prognosis and a five-year survival rate less than 8%. This dismal outcome is largely due to delayed diagnosis, early ...Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancies worldwide, with a very poor prognosis and a five-year survival rate less than 8%. This dismal outcome is largely due to delayed diagnosis, early distant dissemination and resistance to conventional chemotherapies. Kras mutation is a well-defined hallmark of pancreatic cancer, with over 95% of cases harbouring Kras mutations that give rise to constitutively active forms of Kras. As important down-stream effectors of Kras, p21-activated kinases(PAKs) are involved in regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion/migration and chemo-resistance. Immunotherapy is now emerging as a promising treatment modality in the era of personalized anti-cancer therapeutics. In this review, basic knowledge of PAK structure and regulation is briefly summarised and the pivotal role of PAKs in Kras-driven pancreatic cancer is highlighted in terms of tumour biology and chemoresistance. Finally, the involvement of PAKs in immune modulation in the tumour microenvironment is discussed and the potential advantages of targeting PAKs are explored.展开更多
Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate how the tumor immune microenvironment differs regarding tumor genomics,as well as its impact on prognoses and responses to immunotherapy in East Asian patients with n...Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate how the tumor immune microenvironment differs regarding tumor genomics,as well as its impact on prognoses and responses to immunotherapy in East Asian patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods:We performed an integrated analysis using publicly available data to identify associations between anti-programmed death 1(PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1(PD-L1)immunotherapy efficacy and classic driver oncogene mutations in East Asian NSCLC patients.Four pooled and clinical cohort analyses were used to correlate driver oncogene mutation status and tumor microenvironment based on PD-L1 and CD8+tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes(TILs).Immune infiltrating patterns were also established for genomic NSCLC subgroups using the CIBERSORT algorithm.Results:Based on East Asian NSCLC patients,TIDE analyses revealed that for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy,epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)-mutant and anaplastic lymphoma kinase(ALK)-rearranged tumors yielded inferior responses;however,although Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog(KRAS)-mutant tumors responded better,the difference was not statistically significant(EGFR:P=0.037;ALK:P<0.001;KRAS:P=0.701).Pooled and clinical cohort analyses demonstrated tumor immune microenvironment heterogeneities correlated with oncogenic patterns.The results showed remarkably higher PD-L1-and TIL-positive KRAS-mutant tumors,suggesting KRAS mutations may drive an inflammatory phenotype with adaptive immune resistance.However,the EGFR-mutant or ALK-rearranged groups showed a remarkably higher proportion of PD-L1-/TIL-tumors,suggesting an uninflamed phenotype with immunological ignorance.Notably,similar to triple wild-type NSCLC tumors,EGFR L858R-mutant tumors positively correlated with an inflammatory phenotype,suggesting responsiveness to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy(P<0.05).Furthermore,the CIBERSORT algorithm results revealed that EGFR-mutant and ALK-rearranged tumors were characterized by an enriched resting memory CD4+T cell population(P<0.001),as well as a lack of CD8+T cells(P<0.01),and activated memory CD4+T cells(P=0.001).Conclusions:Our study highlighted the complex relationships between immune heterogeneity and immunotherapeutic responses in East Asian NSCLC patients regarding oncogenic dependence.展开更多
Objective: Neoantigens derived from tumor-specific genomic alterations have demonstrated great potential for immunotherapeutic interventions in cancers. However, the comprehensive profile of hepatocellular carcinoma(H...Objective: Neoantigens derived from tumor-specific genomic alterations have demonstrated great potential for immunotherapeutic interventions in cancers. However, the comprehensive profile of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) neoantigens and their complex interplay with immune microenvironment and tumor evolution have not been fully addressed.Methods: Here we integrated whole exome sequencing data, transcriptome sequencing data and clinical information of 72 primary HCC patients to characterize the HCC neoantigen profile, and systematically explored its interactions with tumor clonal evolution, driver mutations and immune microenvironments.Results: We observed that higher somatic mutation/neoantigen load was associated with better clinical outcomes and HCC patients could be further divided into two subgroups with distinct prognosis based on their neoantigen expression patterns. HCC subgroup with neoantigen expression probability high(NEP-H) showed more aggressive pathologic features including increased incidence of tumor thrombus(P=0.038), higher recurrence rate(P=0.029),more inclined to lack tumor capsule(P=0.026) and with more microsatellite instability sites(P=0.006). In addition,NEP-H subgroup was also characterized by higher chance to be involved in tumor clonal evolution [odds ratio(OR)=46.7, P<0.001]. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that upregulation of MYC and its targets could suppress immune responses, leading to elevated neoantigen expression proportion in tumor cells. Furthermore, we discovered an immune escape mechanism that tumors could become more inconspicuous by evolving subclones with less immunogenicity. We observed that smaller clonal mutation clusters with higher immunogenicity in tumor were more likely to involve in clonal evolution. Based on identified neoantigen profiles, we also discovered series of neoantigenic hotspot genes, which could serve as potential actionable targets in future.Conclusions: Our results revealed the landscape of HCC neoantigens and discovered two clinically relevant subgroups with distinct neoantigen expression patterns, suggesting the neoantigen expression should be fully considered in future immunotherapeutic interventions.展开更多
Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer with a dismal prognosis, especially when diagnosed at advanced stages. Annexin A2(ANXA2), is found to promote cancer progression and therapeutic re...Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer with a dismal prognosis, especially when diagnosed at advanced stages. Annexin A2(ANXA2), is found to promote cancer progression and therapeutic resistance.However, the underlining mechanisms of ANXA2 in immune escape of HCC remain poorly understood up to now. Herein, we summarized the molecular function of ANXA2 in HCC and its relationship with prognosis. Furthermore, we tentatively elucidated the underlying mechanism of ANXA2 immune escape of HCC by upregulating the proportion of regulatory T cells and the expression of several inhibitory molecules, and by downregulating the proportion of natural killer cells and dendritic cells and the expression of several inhibitory molecules or effector molecules. We expect a lot of in-depth studies to further reveal the underlying mechanism of ANXA2 in immune escape of HCC in the future.展开更多
The tumor immune microenvironment(TME)is composed of a variety of components,such as tumor cells,immune cells,and the extracellular matrix.The TME has been studied through transcriptomic,proteomic,metabolomic,and phos...The tumor immune microenvironment(TME)is composed of a variety of components,such as tumor cells,immune cells,and the extracellular matrix.The TME has been studied through transcriptomic,proteomic,metabolomic,and phosphoproteomic approaches,which have provided researchers with a wealth of TME-related molecular information.展开更多
The aim of this study was to reveal genes associated with breast cancer metastasis,to investigate their intrinsic relationship with immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment,and to screen for prognostic b...The aim of this study was to reveal genes associated with breast cancer metastasis,to investigate their intrinsic relationship with immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment,and to screen for prognostic biomarkers.Gene expression data of breast cancer patients and their metastases were downloaded from the GEO,TCGA database.R language package was used to screen for differentially expressed genes,enrichment analysis of genes,PPI network construction,and also to elucidate key genes for diagnostic and prognostic survival.Spearman’s r correlation was used to analyze the correlation between key genes and infiltrating immune cells.We screened 25 hub genes,FN1,CLEC5A,ATP8B4,TLR7,LY86,PTGER3 and other genes were differentially expressed in cancer and paraneoplastic tissues.However,patients with higher expression of CD1C,IL-18 breast cancer had a better prognosis in the 10 years survival period,while patients with high expression of FN1,EIF4EBP1 tumors had a worse prognosis.In addition,TP53 and HIF1 genes are closely related to the signaling pathway of breast cancer metastasis.In this study,gene expression of ATP8B4 and CD1C were correlated with cancer tissue infiltration of CD8^(+)T lymphocytes,while GSE43816,GSE62327 and TCGA databases showed that CD8^(+)T lymphocytes were closely associated with breast cancer progression.Functional enrichment analysis of genes based on expression differences yielded key genes of prognostic value in the breast cancer microenvironment.展开更多
Pancreatic cancer is a high mortality malignancy with almost equal mortality and morbidity rates.Both normal and tumour tissues of the pancreas were previously considered sterile.In recent years,with the development o...Pancreatic cancer is a high mortality malignancy with almost equal mortality and morbidity rates.Both normal and tumour tissues of the pancreas were previously considered sterile.In recent years,with the development of technologies for highthroughput sequencing,a variety of studies have revealed that pancreatic cancer tissues contain small amounts of bacteria and fungi.The intratumour microbiome is being revealed as an influential contributor to carcinogenesis.The intratumour microbiome has been identified as a crucial factor for pancreatic cancer progression,diagnosis,and treatment,chemotherapy resistance,and immune response.A better understanding of the biology of the intratumour microbiome of pancreatic cancer contributes to the establishment of better early cancer screening and treatment strategies.This review focuses on the possible origins of the intratumour microbiome in pancreatic cancer,the intratumour localization,the interaction with the tumour microenvironment,and strategies for improving the outcome of pancreatic cancer treatment.Thus,this review offers new perspectives for improving the prognosis of pancreatic cancer.展开更多
This article is a summary of the research progress of the maternal-fetal interface immune microenvironment regulated by traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of recurrent spontaneous abortion.The imbalance of ...This article is a summary of the research progress of the maternal-fetal interface immune microenvironment regulated by traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of recurrent spontaneous abortion.The imbalance of the immune microenvironment at the maternal-fetal interface is closely related to the occurrence of recurrent spontaneous abortion.Traditional Chinese medicine can maintain the homeostasis of the immune microenvironment at the maternal-fetal interface by regulating the function of immune cells and the expression of related cytokines.展开更多
基金supported by the National Key Research Development Program of China(2021YFA1301203)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82103031,82103918,81973408)+6 种基金the Clinical Research Incubation Project,West China Hospital,Sichuan University(22HXFH019)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2019 M653416)the International Cooperation Project of Chengdu Municipal Science and Technology Bureau(2020-GH02-00017-HZ)the“1.3.5 Project for Disciplines of Excellence,West China Hospital,Sichuan University”(ZYJC18035,ZYJC18025,ZYYC20003,ZYJC18003)the GIST Research Institute(GRI)IIBR grants funded by the GISTthe National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Korean government(MSIP)(2019R1C1C1005403,2019R1A4A1028802 and2021M3H9A2097520)the Post-Doctor Research Project,West China Hospital,Sichuan University(2021HXBH054)。
文摘The advent of single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)has provided insight into the tumour immune microenvironment(TIME).This review focuses on the application of scRNA-seq in investigation of the TIME.Over time,scRNA-seq methods have evolved,and components of the TIME have been deciphered with high resolution.In this review,we first introduced the principle of scRNA-seq and compared different sequencing approaches.Novel cell types in the TIME,a continuous transitional state,and mutual intercommunication among TIME components present potential targets for prognosis prediction and treatment in cancer.Thus,we concluded novel cell clusters of cancerassociated fibroblasts(CAFs),T cells,tumour-associated macrophages(TAMs)and dendritic cells(DCs)discovered after the application of scRNA-seq in TIME.We also proposed the development of TAMs and exhausted T cells,as well as the possible targets to interrupt the process.In addition,the therapeutic interventions based on cellular interactions in TIME were also summarized.For decades,quantification of the TIME components has been adopted in clinical practice to predict patient survival and response to therapy and is expected to play an important role in the precise treatment of cancer.Summarizing the current findings,we believe that advances in technology and wide application of single-cell analysis can lead to the discovery of novel perspectives on cancer therapy,which can subsequently be implemented in the clinic.Finally,we propose some future directions in the field of TIME studies that can be aided by scRNA-seq technology.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.82173601)Yili&Jiangsu Joint Institute of Health(Grant No.yl2021ms02).
文摘The interplay between DNA replication stress and immune microenvironment alterations is known to play a crucial role in colorectal tumorigenesis,but a comprehensive understanding of their association with and relevant biomarkers involved in colorectal tumorigenesis is lacking.To address this gap,we conducted a study aiming to investigate this association and identify relevant biomarkers.We analyzed transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of 904 colorectal tumor tissues and 342 normal tissues to examine pathway enrichment,biological activity,and the immune microenvironment.Additionally,we evaluated genetic effects of single variants and genes on colorectal cancer susceptibility using data from genome-wide association studies(GWASs)involving both East Asian(7062 cases and 195745 controls)and European(24476 cases and 23073 controls)populations.We employed mediation analysis to infer the causal pathway,and applied multiplex immunofluorescence to visualize colocalized biomarkers in colorectal tumors and immune cells.Our findings revealed that both DNA replication activity and the flap structure-specific endonuclease 1(FEN1)gene were significantly enriched in colorectal tumor tissues,compared with normal tissues.Moreover,a genetic variant rs4246215 G>T in FEN1 was associated with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer(odds ratio=0.94,95%confidence interval:0.90–0.97,P_(meta)=4.70×10^(-9)).Importantly,we identified basophils and eosinophils that both exhibited a significantly decreased infiltration in colorectal tumors,and were regulated by rs4246215 through causal pathways involving both FEN1 and DNA replication.In conclusion,this trans-omics incorporating GWAS data provides insights into a plausible pathway connecting DNA replication and immunity,expanding biological knowledge of colorectal tumorigenesis and therapeutic targets.
文摘Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common primary tumor of the liver and has a high mortality rate.The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system in addition to tumor staging also links the modality of treatment available to a particular stage.The recent description of the tumor microenvironment(TME)in HCC has provided a new concept of immunogenicity within the HCC.Virusrelated HCC has been shown to be more immunogenic with higher expression of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and decreased elements for immunosuppression such as regulatory T cells.This immunogenic milieu provides a better response to immunotherapy especially immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs).In addition,the recent data on combining locoregional therapies and other strategies may convert the less immunogenic state of the TME towards higher immunogenicity.Therefore,data are emerging on the use of combinations of locoregional therapy and ICIs in unresectable or advanced HCC and has shown better survival outcomes in this difficult population.
文摘Colorectal cancer(CRC)represents a molecularly heterogeneous disease and one of the most frequent causes of cancer-related death worldwide.The traditional classification of CRC is based on pathomorphological and molecular character-istics of tumor cells(mucinous,ring-cell carcinomas,etc.),analysis of mechanisms of carcinogenesis involved(chromosomal instability,microsatellite instability,CpG island methylator phenotype)and mutational statuses of commonly altered genes(KRAS,NRAS,BRAF,APC,etc.),as well as expression signatures(CMS 1-4).It is also suggested that the tumor microenvironment is a key player in tumor progression and metastasis in CRC.According to the latest data,the immune microenvironment can also be predictive of the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors.In this review,we highlight how the immune environment influences CRC prognosis and sensitivity to systemic therapy.
文摘Medulloblastoma(MB)is considered the commonest malignant brain tumor in children.Multimodal treatments consisting of surgery,radiation,and chemotherapy have improved patients’survival.Nevertheless,the recurrence occurs in 30%of cases.The persistent mortality rates,the failure of current therapies to extend life expectancy,and the serious complications of non-targeted cytotoxic treatment indicate the need for more refined therapeutic approaches.Most MBs originating from the neurons of external granular layer line the outer surface of neocerebellum and responsible for the afferent and efferent connections.Recently,MBs have been segregated into four molecular subgroups:Wingless-activated(WNT-MB)(Group 1);Sonichedgehog-activated(SHH-MB)(Group 2);Group 3 and 4 MBs.These molecular alterations follow specific gene mutations and disease-risk stratifications.The current treatment protocols and ongoing clinical trials against these molecular subgroups are still using common chemotherapeutic agents by which their efficacy have improved the progression-free survival but did not change the overall survival.However,the need to explore new therapies targeting specific receptors in MB microenvironment became essential.The immune microenvironment of MBs consists of distinctive cellular heterogeneities including immune cells and none-immune cells.Tumour associate macrophage and tumour infiltrating lymphocyte are considered the main principal cells in tumour microenvironment,and their role are still under investigation.In this review,we discuss the mechanism of interaction between MB cells and immune cells in the microenvironment,with an overview of the recent investigations and clinical trials.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82002313,82072444,31900963)the Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Oral and Maxillofacial Development and Regeneration(2020kqhm008,2021kqhm002)+2 种基金the Health Commission of Hubei Province(WJ2019Z009)the Wuhan Union Hospital“Pharmaceutical Technology Nursing”special fund(2019xhyn021),the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2021TQ0118)the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation Research Scholars Fund(110768).
文摘Bone,cartilage,and soft tissue regeneration is a complex spatiotemporal process recruiting a variety of cell types,whose activity and interplay must be precisely mediated for effective healing post-injury.Although extensive strides have been made in the understanding of the immune microenvironment processes governing bone,cartilage,and soft tissue regeneration,effective clinical translation of these mechanisms remains a challenge.Regulation of the immune microenvironment is increasingly becoming a favorable target for bone,cartilage,and soft tissue regeneration;therefore,an in-depth understanding of the communication between immune cells and functional tissue cells would be valuable.Herein,we review the regulatory role of the immune microenvironment in the promotion and maintenance of stem cell states in the context of bone,cartilage,and soft tissue repair and regeneration.We discuss the roles of various immune cell subsets in bone,cartilage,and soft tissue repair and regeneration processes and introduce novel strategies,for example,biomaterial-targeting of immune cell activity,aimed at regulating healing.Understanding the mechanisms of the crosstalk between the immune microenvironment and regeneration pathways may shed light on new therapeutic opportunities for enhancing bone,cartilage,and soft tissue regeneration through regulation of the immune microenvironment.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82003228)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20201080)the Research Project of Clinical Medical Science and Technology Development Fund of Jiangsu University(JLY2021097).
文摘Aging is highly associated with tumor formation and progression.However,little research has explored the association of aging-related lncRNAs(ARLs)with the prognosis and tumor immune microenvironment(TIME)of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC).RNA sequences and clinicopathological data of HNSCC patients and normal subjects were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas.In the training group,we used Pearson correlation,univariate Cox regression,least absolute shrinkage/selection operator regression analyses,and multivariate Cox regression to build a prognostic model.In the test group,we evaluated the model.Multivariate Cox regression was done to screen out independent prognostic factors,with which we constructed a nomogram.Afterward,we demonstrated the predictive value of the risk scores based on the model and the nomogram using time-dependent receiver operating characteristics.Gene set enrichment analysis,immune correlation analysis,and half-maximal inhibitory concentration were also performed to reveal the different landscapes of TIME between risk groups and to predict immuno-and chemo-therapeutic responses.The most important LINC00861 in the model was examined in HNE1,CNE1,and CNE2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines and transfected into the cell lines CNE1 and CNE2 using the LINC00861-pcDNA3.1 construct plasmid.In addition,CCK-8,Edu,and SA-β-gal staining assays were conducted to test the biofunction of LINC00861 in the CNE1 and CNE2 cells.The signature based on nine ARLs has a good predictive value in survival time,immune infiltration,immune checkpoint expression,and sensitivity to multiple drugs.LINC00861 expression in CNE2 was significantly lower than in the HNE1 and CNE1 cells,and LINC00861 overexpression significantly inhibited the proliferation and increased the senescence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines.This work built and verified a new prognostic model for HNSCC based on ARLs and mapped the immune landscape in HNSCC.LINC00861 is a protective factor for the development of HNSCC.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province(HDMY22H160008)the Medical Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Province(2022KY114)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82204828).
文摘Aim:Scavenger receptor class B,type I(SR-BI)is an integral plasma membrane protein that has been reported to be overexpressed in various malignancies,such as renal cancer,breast cancer,and prostate cancer,and is an independent prognostic factor.However,the clinical value and expression of SR-BI in GC are unknown.Our research aimed to explore the role of SR-BI in combination with immune markers as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for gastric cancer(GC).Methods:GC tissues,paracancerous tissues,and clinicopathological data of 149 patients were collected.The expression level of SR-BI,Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes(TILs),and PD-L1 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry(IHC).The associations of the SR-BI staining intensity with clinicopathological features and immune markers were determined by the chi-square test.Univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses were used to evaluate independent prognostic factors.Kaplan–Meier analyses were performed to plot the survival curve.Results:Our results indicated that SR-BI was expressed at higher levels in tumor tissues than in adjacent paracancerous tissues(p<0.001),and patients with high levels of SR-BI expression had a worse prognosis.Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that high SR-BI expression was an independent factor for poor prognosis.The chi-square test determined that the expression of SR-BI was negatively correlated with CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells(CD4+T cells,p=0.013;CD8+T cells,p=0.021),and positively correlated with PD-L1(p=0.022).Finally,survival analysis revealed that CD4+T cells were associated with the prognosis of GC patients(p=0.019),and the combined survival analysis of SR-BI and CD4+T cells was also statistically significant(p=0.030).Conclusion:SR-BI is highly expressed in GC tissue and associated with poor prognosis.Moreover,SR-BI can also regulate the GC tumor immune microenvironment.
基金Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province(201901D111391)。
文摘Objective:To investigate the expression level,clinical prognosis,genetic changes,methylation value,biological function and immunomodulatory effects of PHF19 in lung adenocarcinoma.Methods:Based on the RNA cohort data of lung adenocarcinoma in the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database,the expression difference of PHF19 between lung adenocarcinoma and normal tissues and the relationship between the expression level and the prognosis of patients were analyzed by using TIMER database and UALCAN database.The gene mutation of PHF19 in lung adenocarcinoma was analyzed in cBioPortal database and TIMER database.The promoter methylation level of PHF19 in lung adenocarcinoma was analyzed in UALCAN database.The enrichment of PHF19 co-expression gene was analyzed in LinkedOmics database and KEGG database.The correlation between the expression of PHF19 in lung adenocarcinoma and the level of immunoinfiltration was explored in the TIMER database.Results:The expression of PHF19 in lung adenocarcinoma tissues was up-regulated,and its high expression was significantly correlated with the pathological stage,lymph node metastasis and shortened overall survival of lung adenocarcinoma patients.Genetic variation was found in 0.9%of patients,amplification and missense mutation were the most common mutations,and TP53 mutation could lead to the high expression of PHF19.The promoter methylation level of PHF19 significantly decreased in lung adenocarcinoma.The function of PHF19 was focused on the process of cell mitosis and cell cycle.The expression level of PHF19 was significantly correlated with tumor immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint expression.Conclusion:PHF19 can be used as a marker of poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma and plays an important role in the occurrence and development of lung adenocarcinoma.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82230122,82025035,82104612)Shanghai Municipal Health Commission program(ZY(2021-2023)-0205-02)the Science Foundation for Young Scholars of Zhongshan Hospital,Fudan University(grant No.2021ZSQN70).
文摘Background:Numerous long RNAs were detected in extracellular vesicles(EVs),some of which were related with the tissue origins and immune cell types.This study examined the molecular basis of different traditional Chinese medicine syndrome diagnoses(also called syndrome differentiation)in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.Methods:128 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients with different syndrome diagnoses were retrospectively reviewed in this study.Long RNA sequencing was conducted to analyze the EV long RNA profile of plasma samples.Differentially regulated EV long RNAs were annotated and assessed for Gene Ontology pathway enrichment using DAVID.The online program xCell were used to perform the cell-type enrichment analysis.Results:An average of 15,000 annotated genes,mainly including messenger RNAs,were stably detected per sample.Different syndrome diagnoses exhibited unique EV mRNA expression profiles and therefore different enriched pathways.Gene Set Enrichment Analysis discovered transforming growth factor-βand kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog signaling activation as the hallmarks of cancer with Shi-Re syndrome.Cell-type enrichment analysis also revealed a varied inflammation/immune cell type distribution among patients with or without Shi-Re diagnosis.Mast cells,platelets and Tregs were significantly enriched but basophils,common lymphoid progenitors,dendritic cells,and conventional dendritic cells were decreased in patients with Shi-Re diagnosis compared with patients without Shi-Re diagnosis.Conclusion:We identified the hallmarks of cancer with different syndrome diagnoses based on plasma EV long RNA sequencing.In particular,transforming growth factor-βand kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog signaling activation were the hallmarks of Shi-Re syndrome,which contribute to shape an inflammatory/immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
基金the Wuhan University Medical Faculty Innovation Seed Fund Cultivation Project(No.TFZZ2018025)the Chen Xiao-ping Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology of Hubei Province(No.CXPJJH12000001-2020313)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81670123 and No.81670144).
文摘Objective Pseudogenes are initially regarded as nonfunctional genomic sequences,but some pseudogenes regulate tumor initiation and progression by interacting with other genes to modulate their transcriptional activities.Olfactory receptor family 7 subfamily E member 47 pseudogene(OR7E47P)is expressed broadly in lung tissues and has been identified as a positive regulator in the tumor microenvironment(TME)of lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD).This study aimed to elucidate the correlation between OR7E47P and tumor immunity in lung squamous cell carcinoma(LUSC).Methods Clinical and molecular information from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)LUSC cohort was used to identify OR7E47P-related immune genes(ORIGs)by weighted gene correlation network analysis(WGCNA).Based on the ORIGs,2 OR7E47P clusters were identified using non-negative matrix factorization(NMF)clustering,and the stability of the clustering was tested by an extreme gradient boosting classifier(XGBoost).LASSO-Cox and stepwise regressions were applied to further select prognostic ORIGs and to construct a predictive model(ORPScore)for immunotherapy.The Botling cohorts and 8 immunotherapy cohorts(the Samstein,Braun,Jung,Gide,IMvigor210,Lauss,Van Allen,and Cho cohorts)were included as independent validation cohorts.Results OR7E47P expression was positively correlated with immune cell infiltration and enrichment of immune-related pathways in LUSC.A total of 57 ORIGs were identified to classify the patients into 2 OR7E47P clusters(Cluster 1 and Cluster 2)with distinct immune,mutation,and stromal programs.Compared to Cluster 1,Cluster 2 had more infiltration by immune and stromal cells,lower mutation rates of driver genes,and higher expression of immune-related proteins.The clustering performed well in the internal and 5 external validation cohorts.Based on the 7 ORIGs(HOPX,STX2,WFS,DUSP22,SLFN13,GGCT,and CCSER2),the ORPScore was constructed to predict the prognosis and the treatment response.In addition,the ORPScore was a better prognostic factor and correlated positively with the immunotherapeutic response in cancer patients.The area under the curve values ranged from 0.584 to 0.805 in the 6 independent immunotherapy cohorts.Conclusion Our study suggests a significant correlation between OR7E47P and TME modulation in LUSC.ORIGs can be applied to molecularly stratify patients,and the ORPScore may serve as a biomarker for clinical decision-making regarding individualized prognostication and immunotherapy.
文摘Despite a decrease in gastric cancer incidence, the development of novel biologic agents and combined therapeutic strategies, the prognosis of gastric cancer remains poor. Recently, the introduction of modern immunotherapy, especially using immune checkpoint inhibitors, led to an improved prognosis in many cancers. The use of immunotherapy was also associated with manageable adverse event profiles and promising results in the treatment of patients with gastric cancer, especially in heavily pretreated patients. These data have led to an accelerated approval of some checkpoint inhibitors in this setting. Understanding the complex relationship between the host immune microenvironment and tumor and the immune escape phenomenon leading to cancer occurrence and progression will subsequently lead to the identification of prognostic immune markers. Furthermore, this understanding will result in the discovery of both new mechanisms for blocking tumor immunosuppressive signals and pathways to stimulate the local immune response by targeting and modulating different subsets of immune cells. Due to the molecular heterogeneity of gastric cancers associated with differentclinico-biologic parameters, immune markers expression and prognosis, novel immunotherapy algorithms should be personalized and addressed to selected subsets of gastric tumors, which have been proven to elicit the best clinical responses. Future perspectives in the treatment of gastric cancer include tailored dual immunotherapies or a combination of immunotherapy with other targeted agents with synergistic antitumor effects.
基金Pancare Foundation (https://www.pancare.org.au) for supporting the pancreatic cancer research program in the Department of Surgery, University of Melbournesupported by Melbourne International Fee Remission Scholarship (MIFRS)+1 种基金Melbourne International Research Scholarship (MIRS)the Moshe Sambor Scholarship (Pancare Foundation)
文摘Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancies worldwide, with a very poor prognosis and a five-year survival rate less than 8%. This dismal outcome is largely due to delayed diagnosis, early distant dissemination and resistance to conventional chemotherapies. Kras mutation is a well-defined hallmark of pancreatic cancer, with over 95% of cases harbouring Kras mutations that give rise to constitutively active forms of Kras. As important down-stream effectors of Kras, p21-activated kinases(PAKs) are involved in regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion/migration and chemo-resistance. Immunotherapy is now emerging as a promising treatment modality in the era of personalized anti-cancer therapeutics. In this review, basic knowledge of PAK structure and regulation is briefly summarised and the pivotal role of PAKs in Kras-driven pancreatic cancer is highlighted in terms of tumour biology and chemoresistance. Finally, the involvement of PAKs in immune modulation in the tumour microenvironment is discussed and the potential advantages of targeting PAKs are explored.
基金This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.81802299,81502514,and 81702841)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.3332018070)+4 种基金the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(CIFMS)(Grant Nos.2016-I2M-1-001 and 2017-I2M-1-005)the National Key Basic Research Development Plan(Grant No.2018YFC1312105)the Graduate Innovation Funds of Peking Union Medical College(Grant No.2019-1002-06)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Grant(Grant No.2019M650568)the Guangci Distinguished Young Scholars Training Program(Grant No.GCQN-2018-A09).
文摘Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate how the tumor immune microenvironment differs regarding tumor genomics,as well as its impact on prognoses and responses to immunotherapy in East Asian patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods:We performed an integrated analysis using publicly available data to identify associations between anti-programmed death 1(PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1(PD-L1)immunotherapy efficacy and classic driver oncogene mutations in East Asian NSCLC patients.Four pooled and clinical cohort analyses were used to correlate driver oncogene mutation status and tumor microenvironment based on PD-L1 and CD8+tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes(TILs).Immune infiltrating patterns were also established for genomic NSCLC subgroups using the CIBERSORT algorithm.Results:Based on East Asian NSCLC patients,TIDE analyses revealed that for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy,epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)-mutant and anaplastic lymphoma kinase(ALK)-rearranged tumors yielded inferior responses;however,although Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog(KRAS)-mutant tumors responded better,the difference was not statistically significant(EGFR:P=0.037;ALK:P<0.001;KRAS:P=0.701).Pooled and clinical cohort analyses demonstrated tumor immune microenvironment heterogeneities correlated with oncogenic patterns.The results showed remarkably higher PD-L1-and TIL-positive KRAS-mutant tumors,suggesting KRAS mutations may drive an inflammatory phenotype with adaptive immune resistance.However,the EGFR-mutant or ALK-rearranged groups showed a remarkably higher proportion of PD-L1-/TIL-tumors,suggesting an uninflamed phenotype with immunological ignorance.Notably,similar to triple wild-type NSCLC tumors,EGFR L858R-mutant tumors positively correlated with an inflammatory phenotype,suggesting responsiveness to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy(P<0.05).Furthermore,the CIBERSORT algorithm results revealed that EGFR-mutant and ALK-rearranged tumors were characterized by an enriched resting memory CD4+T cell population(P<0.001),as well as a lack of CD8+T cells(P<0.01),and activated memory CD4+T cells(P=0.001).Conclusions:Our study highlighted the complex relationships between immune heterogeneity and immunotherapeutic responses in East Asian NSCLC patients regarding oncogenic dependence.
基金supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project of China (No. 2018ZX 10302205)the Scientific Foundation of Fujian Province (No. 2018J01145, No. 2020J011171)+1 种基金the Scientific Foundation of Fujian Health and family planning Department (No. 2019-ZQN-87)the Joint Funds for the Innovation of Science and Technology of Fujian Province (No. 2018Y9121)。
文摘Objective: Neoantigens derived from tumor-specific genomic alterations have demonstrated great potential for immunotherapeutic interventions in cancers. However, the comprehensive profile of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) neoantigens and their complex interplay with immune microenvironment and tumor evolution have not been fully addressed.Methods: Here we integrated whole exome sequencing data, transcriptome sequencing data and clinical information of 72 primary HCC patients to characterize the HCC neoantigen profile, and systematically explored its interactions with tumor clonal evolution, driver mutations and immune microenvironments.Results: We observed that higher somatic mutation/neoantigen load was associated with better clinical outcomes and HCC patients could be further divided into two subgroups with distinct prognosis based on their neoantigen expression patterns. HCC subgroup with neoantigen expression probability high(NEP-H) showed more aggressive pathologic features including increased incidence of tumor thrombus(P=0.038), higher recurrence rate(P=0.029),more inclined to lack tumor capsule(P=0.026) and with more microsatellite instability sites(P=0.006). In addition,NEP-H subgroup was also characterized by higher chance to be involved in tumor clonal evolution [odds ratio(OR)=46.7, P<0.001]. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that upregulation of MYC and its targets could suppress immune responses, leading to elevated neoantigen expression proportion in tumor cells. Furthermore, we discovered an immune escape mechanism that tumors could become more inconspicuous by evolving subclones with less immunogenicity. We observed that smaller clonal mutation clusters with higher immunogenicity in tumor were more likely to involve in clonal evolution. Based on identified neoantigen profiles, we also discovered series of neoantigenic hotspot genes, which could serve as potential actionable targets in future.Conclusions: Our results revealed the landscape of HCC neoantigens and discovered two clinically relevant subgroups with distinct neoantigen expression patterns, suggesting the neoantigen expression should be fully considered in future immunotherapeutic interventions.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81401988China Postdoctoral Science Foundation,No.2019M661907+1 种基金Jiangsu Postdoctoral Science Foundation,No.2019K159 and No.2019Z153General Project of Jiangsu Provincial Health Committee,No.H2019101.
文摘Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer with a dismal prognosis, especially when diagnosed at advanced stages. Annexin A2(ANXA2), is found to promote cancer progression and therapeutic resistance.However, the underlining mechanisms of ANXA2 in immune escape of HCC remain poorly understood up to now. Herein, we summarized the molecular function of ANXA2 in HCC and its relationship with prognosis. Furthermore, we tentatively elucidated the underlying mechanism of ANXA2 immune escape of HCC by upregulating the proportion of regulatory T cells and the expression of several inhibitory molecules, and by downregulating the proportion of natural killer cells and dendritic cells and the expression of several inhibitory molecules or effector molecules. We expect a lot of in-depth studies to further reveal the underlying mechanism of ANXA2 in immune escape of HCC in the future.
基金This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2019YFA0803000 to J.S.)the National Key Research and Development Program(Grant No.2019YFC1316000 to T.L.)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.81871925 to X.B.).
文摘The tumor immune microenvironment(TME)is composed of a variety of components,such as tumor cells,immune cells,and the extracellular matrix.The TME has been studied through transcriptomic,proteomic,metabolomic,and phosphoproteomic approaches,which have provided researchers with a wealth of TME-related molecular information.
基金This work was supported by Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(No.820RC765).
文摘The aim of this study was to reveal genes associated with breast cancer metastasis,to investigate their intrinsic relationship with immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment,and to screen for prognostic biomarkers.Gene expression data of breast cancer patients and their metastases were downloaded from the GEO,TCGA database.R language package was used to screen for differentially expressed genes,enrichment analysis of genes,PPI network construction,and also to elucidate key genes for diagnostic and prognostic survival.Spearman’s r correlation was used to analyze the correlation between key genes and infiltrating immune cells.We screened 25 hub genes,FN1,CLEC5A,ATP8B4,TLR7,LY86,PTGER3 and other genes were differentially expressed in cancer and paraneoplastic tissues.However,patients with higher expression of CD1C,IL-18 breast cancer had a better prognosis in the 10 years survival period,while patients with high expression of FN1,EIF4EBP1 tumors had a worse prognosis.In addition,TP53 and HIF1 genes are closely related to the signaling pathway of breast cancer metastasis.In this study,gene expression of ATP8B4 and CD1C were correlated with cancer tissue infiltration of CD8^(+)T lymphocytes,while GSE43816,GSE62327 and TCGA databases showed that CD8^(+)T lymphocytes were closely associated with breast cancer progression.Functional enrichment analysis of genes based on expression differences yielded key genes of prognostic value in the breast cancer microenvironment.
文摘Pancreatic cancer is a high mortality malignancy with almost equal mortality and morbidity rates.Both normal and tumour tissues of the pancreas were previously considered sterile.In recent years,with the development of technologies for highthroughput sequencing,a variety of studies have revealed that pancreatic cancer tissues contain small amounts of bacteria and fungi.The intratumour microbiome is being revealed as an influential contributor to carcinogenesis.The intratumour microbiome has been identified as a crucial factor for pancreatic cancer progression,diagnosis,and treatment,chemotherapy resistance,and immune response.A better understanding of the biology of the intratumour microbiome of pancreatic cancer contributes to the establishment of better early cancer screening and treatment strategies.This review focuses on the possible origins of the intratumour microbiome in pancreatic cancer,the intratumour localization,the interaction with the tumour microenvironment,and strategies for improving the outcome of pancreatic cancer treatment.Thus,this review offers new perspectives for improving the prognosis of pancreatic cancer.
基金supported by the Discipline Innovation Team Construction Project of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine-Infertility Innovation Team of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine(Number:2019-QN03).
文摘This article is a summary of the research progress of the maternal-fetal interface immune microenvironment regulated by traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of recurrent spontaneous abortion.The imbalance of the immune microenvironment at the maternal-fetal interface is closely related to the occurrence of recurrent spontaneous abortion.Traditional Chinese medicine can maintain the homeostasis of the immune microenvironment at the maternal-fetal interface by regulating the function of immune cells and the expression of related cytokines.