Vaccinations are essential for preventing and treating disease,especially cancer nanovaccines,which have gained considerable interest recently for their strong anti-tumor immune capabilities.Vaccines can prompt the im...Vaccinations are essential for preventing and treating disease,especially cancer nanovaccines,which have gained considerable interest recently for their strong anti-tumor immune capabilities.Vaccines can prompt the immune system to generate antibodies and activate various immune cells,leading to a response against tumor tissues and reducing the negative effects and recurrence risks of traditional chemotherapy and surgery.To enhance the flexibility and targeting of vaccines,nanovaccines utilize nanotechnology to encapsulate or carry antigens at the nanoscale level,enabling more controlled and precise drug delivery to enhance immune responses.Cancer nanovaccines function by encapsulating tumor-specific antigens or tumor-associated antigens within nanomaterials.The small size of these nanomaterials allows for precise targeting of T cells,dendritic cells,or cancer cells,thereby eliciting a more potent anti-tumor response.In this paper,we focus on the classification of carriers for cancer nanovaccines,the roles of different target cells,and clinically tested cancer nanovaccines,discussing strategies for effectively inducing cytotoxic T lymphocytes responses and optimizing antigen presentation,while also looking ahead to the translational challenges of moving from animal experiments to clinical trials.展开更多
BACKGROUND: The increasing morbidity of liver cancer has led to a growing demand for transplantation. Split liver transplantation(SLT) is a promising way to ameliorate organ shortages. However, the safety and efficacy...BACKGROUND: The increasing morbidity of liver cancer has led to a growing demand for transplantation. Split liver transplantation(SLT) is a promising way to ameliorate organ shortages. However, the safety and efficacy of SLT are still controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical outcome of SLT in liver cancer patients at our center. METHODS: A total of 74 patients who received liver transplantation at a tertiary hospital from March 2019 to July 2023 were retrospectively studied, of whom 37 recipients underwent SLT and 37 recipients underwent whole-graft liver transplantation(WGLT). Clinical data were analyzed and compared between patients who underwent SLT and WGLT.RESULTS: SLT and WGLT were successfully performed, with no intraoperative transplantrelated mortality. Postoperatively, no significant differences in total bilirubin(TB, P=0.266), alanine transaminase(ALT, P=0.403) and aspartate transaminase(AST, P=0.160) levels within 30 d were detected between the two groups. The transplant-related mortality rates were 8.1% in the SLT group and 5.4% in the WGLT group within 30 d of surgery(P=1.000), and 10.8% and 8.1%, respectively, at 90 d after surgery(P=1.000). There were no significant differences in overall survival(OS) and progress-free survival(PFS) between the SLT and WGLT groups(P=0.910, P=0.190). CONCLUSION: Our results show that SLT does not imply additional risks in treating liver cancer compared with WGLT.展开更多
Background Triple negative breast cancer(TNBC),the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer,is characterized by a high incidence of brain metastasis(BrM)and a poor prognosis.As the most lethal form of breast cancer,Br...Background Triple negative breast cancer(TNBC),the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer,is characterized by a high incidence of brain metastasis(BrM)and a poor prognosis.As the most lethal form of breast cancer,BrM remains a major clinical challenge due to its rising incidence and lack of effective treatment strategies.Recent evidence suggested a potential role of lipid metabolic reprogramming in breast cancer brain metastasis(BCBrM),but the underlying mechanisms are far from being fully elucidated.Methods Through analysis of BCBrM transcriptome data from mice and patients,and immunohistochemical validation on patient tissues,we identified and verified the specific down-regulation of retinoic acid receptor responder 2(RARRES2),a multifunctional adipokine and chemokine,in BrM of TNBC.We investigated the effect of aberrant RARRES2 expression of BrM in both in vitro and in vivo studies.Key signaling pathway components were evaluated using multi-omics approaches.Lipidomics were performed to elucidate the regulation of lipid metabolic reprogramming of RARRES2.Results We found that downregulation of RARRES2 is specifically associated with BCBrM,and that RARRES2 deficiency promoted BCBrM through lipid metabolic reprogramming.Mechanistically,reduced expression of RARRES2 in brain metastatic potential TNBC cells resulted in increased levels of glycerophospholipid and decreased levels of triacylglycerols by regulating phosphatase and tensin homologue(PTEN)-mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)-sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1(SREBP1)signaling pathway to facilitate the survival of breast cancer cells in the unique brain microenvironment.Conclusions Our work uncovers an essential role of RARRES2 in linking lipid metabolic reprogramming and the development of BrM.RARRES2-dependent metabolic functions may serve as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for BCBrM.展开更多
Modern medicine is reliant on various medical imaging technologies for non-invasively observing patients’anatomy.However,the interpretation of medical images can be highly subjective and dependent on the expertise of...Modern medicine is reliant on various medical imaging technologies for non-invasively observing patients’anatomy.However,the interpretation of medical images can be highly subjective and dependent on the expertise of clinicians.Moreover,some potentially useful quantitative information in medical images,especially that which is not visible to the naked eye,is often ignored during clinical practice.In contrast,radiomics performs high-throughput feature extraction from medical images,which enables quantitative analysis of medical images and prediction of various clinical endpoints.Studies have reported that radiomics exhibits promising performance in diagnosis and predicting treatment responses and prognosis,demonstrating its potential to be a non-invasive auxiliary tool for personalized medicine.However,radiomics remains in a developmental phase as numerous technical challenges have yet to be solved,especially in feature engineering and statistical modeling.In this review,we introduce the current utility of radiomics by summarizing research on its application in the diagnosis,prognosis,and prediction of treatment responses in patients with cancer.We focus on machine learning approaches,for feature extraction and selection during feature engineering and for imbalanced datasets and multi-modality fusion during statistical modeling.Furthermore,we introduce the stability,reproducibility,and interpretability of features,and the generalizability and interpretability of models.Finally,we offer possible solutions to current challenges in radiomics research.展开更多
Breast cancer brain metastasis(BCBrM)is a crucial and hard area of research which guarantees an urgent need to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms.A recent study by Li et al.[1]published in Military Medical...Breast cancer brain metastasis(BCBrM)is a crucial and hard area of research which guarantees an urgent need to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms.A recent study by Li et al.[1]published in Military Medical Research investigated the role of retinoic acid receptor responder 2(RARRES2)in regulating lipid metabolism in BCBrM,highlighting the clinical relevance of alterations in lipid metabolites,such as phosphatidylcholine(PC)and triacylglycerols(TAGs),by RARRES2 through the modulation of phosphatase and tensin homologue(PTEN)-mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)-sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1(SREBP1)signaling pathway.This commentary aims to elaborate on the key findings and their relevance to the field.展开更多
Background:Globally,despite prostate cancer(PCa)representing second most prevalent malignancy in male,the precise molecular mechanisms implicated in its pathogenesis remain unclear.Consequently,elucidating the key mol...Background:Globally,despite prostate cancer(PCa)representing second most prevalent malignancy in male,the precise molecular mechanisms implicated in its pathogenesis remain unclear.Consequently,elucidating the key molecular regulators that govern disease progression could substantially contribute to the establishment of novel therapeutic strategies,ultimately advancing the management of PCa.Methods:A total of 49 PCa tissues and 43 adjacent normal tissues were collected from January 2017 to December 2021 at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University.The advanced transcriptomic methodologies were employed to identify differentially expressed mRNAs in PCa.The expression of aspartoacylase(ASPA)in PCa was thoroughly evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting techniques.To elucidate the inhibitory role of ASPA in PCa cell proliferation and metastasis,a comprehensive set of in vitro and in vivo assays were conducted,including orthotopic and tumor-bearing mouse models(n=8 for each group).A combination of experimental approaches,such as Western blotting,luciferase assays,immunoprecipitation assays,mass spectrometry,glutathione S-transferase pulldown experiments,and rescue studies,were employed to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of ASPA's action in PCa.The Student‘s t-test was employed to assess the statistical significance between two distinct groups,while one-way analysis of variance was utilized for comparisons involving more than two groups.A two-sided P<0.05 was deemed to indicate statistical significance.Results:ASPA was identified as a novel inhibitor of PCa progression.The expression of ASPA was found to be significantly down-regulated in PCa tissue samples,and its decreased expression was independently associated with patients’prognosis(HR=0.60,95%CI 0.40–0.92,P=0.018).Our experiments demonstrated that modulation of ASPA activity,either through gain-or loss-of-function,led to the suppression or enhancement of PCa cell proliferation,migration,and invasion,respectively.The inhibitory role of ASPA in PCa was further confirmed using orthotopic and tumor-bearing mouse models.Mechanistically,ASPA was shown to directly interact with the LYN and inhibit the phosphorylation of LYN as well as its downstream targets,JNK1/2 and C-Jun,in both PCa cells and mouse models,in an enzyme-independent manner.Importantly,the inhibition of LYN activation by bafetinib abrogated the promoting effect of ASPA knockdown on PCa progression in both in vitro and in vivo models.Moreover,we observed an inverse relationship between ASPA expression and LYN activity in clinical PCa samples,suggesting a potential regulatory role of ASPA in modulating LYN signaling.Conclusions:Our findings provide novel insights into the tumor-suppressive function of ASPA in PCa and highlight its potential as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for the management of this malignancy.展开更多
As a new form of regulated cell death,ferroptosis has unraveled the unsolicited theory of intrinsic apoptosis resistance by cancer cells.The molecular mechanism of ferroptosis depends on the induction of oxidative str...As a new form of regulated cell death,ferroptosis has unraveled the unsolicited theory of intrinsic apoptosis resistance by cancer cells.The molecular mechanism of ferroptosis depends on the induction of oxidative stress through excessive reactive oxygen species accumulation and glutathione depletion to damage the structural integrity of cells.Due to their high loading and structural tunability,nanocarriers can escort the delivery of ferro-therapeutics to the desired site through enhanced permeation or retention effect or by active targeting.This review shed light on the necessity of iron in cancer cell growth and the fascinating features of ferroptosis in regulating the cell cycle and metastasis.Additionally,we discussed the effect of ferroptosis-mediated therapy using nanoplatforms and their chemical basis in overcoming the barriers to cancer therapy.展开更多
Drug resistance is one of the most intractable issues in targeted therapy for cancer diseases.It has also been demonstrated to be related to cancer heterogeneity,which promotes the emergence of treatment-refractory ca...Drug resistance is one of the most intractable issues in targeted therapy for cancer diseases.It has also been demonstrated to be related to cancer heterogeneity,which promotes the emergence of treatment-refractory cancer cell populations.Focusing on how cancer cells develop resistance during the encounter with targeted drugs and the immune system,we propose a mathematical model for studying the dynamics of drug resistance in a conjoint heterogeneous tumor-immune setting.We analyze the local geometric properties of the equilibria of the model.Numerical simulations show that the selectively targeted removal of sensitive cancer cells may cause the initially heterogeneous population to become a more resistant population.Moreover,the decline of immune recruitment is a stronger determinant of cancer escape from immune surveillance or targeted therapy than the decay in immune predation strength.Sensitivity analysis of model parameters provides insight into the roles of the immune system combined with targeted therapy in determining treatment outcomes.展开更多
Advances in chimeric antigen receptor(CAR)-T cell therapy have significantly improved clinical outcomes of patients with relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies.However,progress is still hindered as clinical b...Advances in chimeric antigen receptor(CAR)-T cell therapy have significantly improved clinical outcomes of patients with relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies.However,progress is still hindered as clinical benefit is only available for a fraction of patients.A lack of understanding of CAR-T cell behaviors in vivo at the single-cell level impedes their more extensive application in clinical practice.Mounting evidence suggests that single-cell sequencing techniques can help perfect the receptor design,guide gene-based T cell modification,and optimize the CAR-T manufacturing conditions,and all of them are essential for long-term immunosurveillance and more favorable clinical outcomes.The information generated by employing these methods also potentially informs our understanding of the numerous complex factors that dictate therapeutic efficacy and toxicities.In this review,we discuss the reasons why CAR-T immunotherapy fails in clinical practice and what this field has learned since the milestone of single-cell sequencing technologies.We further outline recent advances in the application of single-cell analyses in CAR-T immunotherapy.Specifically,we provide an overview of single-cell studies focusing on target antigens,CAR-transgene integration,and preclinical research and clinical applications,and then discuss how it will affect the future of CAR-T cell therapy.展开更多
Loss of susceptibility to anoikis signals is a crucial step in metastasis.Anoikis resistance therefore represents a promising adjuvant therapeutic target for cancer management.In this study,we have conducted a rationa...Loss of susceptibility to anoikis signals is a crucial step in metastasis.Anoikis resistance therefore represents a promising adjuvant therapeutic target for cancer management.In this study,we have conducted a rationalized screening to search for novel leading anoikis sensitizer from daily foods.Among 19 tested dietary phytochemicals,the best results were obtained with apigenin,a natural component of celery.Phenotypically,apigenin sensitized breast cancer cells to anoikis,lowered the number of circulating tumor cells,and protected against breast cancer metastasis to lung in mice.Mechanistically,we demonstrated that the thromboxane A_(2)(TXA_(2))-TXA_(2)receptor(TP)axis has a critical role in acquired anoikis resistance by activating PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.Blockage of TXA_(2)signaling up-regulated p53 as well as its target gene p21,caused a G1 phase arrest,and finally led to apoptosis in breast cancer cells.TXA_(2)level was positively correlated with breast cancer cell anoikis rate,and apigenin significantly inhibited TXA_(2)biosynthesis in vitro and in vivo.Collectively,we identified apigenin as a potent anoikis sensitizer with anti-metastatic properties in a mouse model of breast cancer,and these findings might provide a rationale for introducing apigenin supplementation to breast cancer patients.展开更多
β-Sitosterol-D-glucoside(β-SDG)is a phytosterol compound whose antitumor activity has been confirmed by previous studies.However,its suppression on breast cancer remains unclear.To that purpose,we isolatedβ-SDG fro...β-Sitosterol-D-glucoside(β-SDG)is a phytosterol compound whose antitumor activity has been confirmed by previous studies.However,its suppression on breast cancer remains unclear.To that purpose,we isolatedβ-SDG from sweet potato and investigated the breast-cancer-inhibiting mechanism using proteomic analysis.The sweet potato species S6 with highβ-SDG content were chosen form 36 species andβ-SDG was isolated by HPLC.Afterwards,an in situ animal model of breast cancer was established,andβ-SDG significantly reduced the tumor volume of MCF-7 xenograft mice.Proteomic analysis of tumor tissues revealed that 127 of these proteins were upregulated and 80 were downregulated.Gene ontology and network analysis showed that regulatory proteins were mainly associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT),myogenesis,cholesterol homeostasis,oxidative phosphorylation and reactive oxygen pathways,while Vimentin,NDUF,VDAC1,PPP2CA and SNx9 were the most significant 5 node degree genes.Meanwhile,in vitro and in vivo results showed that the protein expression of PPP2CA and Vimentin,which are markers of EMT,were involved in breast cancer cell metastasis and could be reversed byβ-SDG.This work highlightsβ-SDG as a bioactive compound in sweet potato and the potential therapeutic effect ofβ-SDG for the treatment of breast cancer by inhibiting metastasis.展开更多
Objective To screen the target genes that are associated with survival of breast cancer(BRCA) and explore their prognostic values and immune correlations with BRCA using multiple databases..Methods The microarray expr...Objective To screen the target genes that are associated with survival of breast cancer(BRCA) and explore their prognostic values and immune correlations with BRCA using multiple databases..Methods The microarray expression datasets of BRCA were downloaded from the Gene Expresssion Omnibus database(GEO) and analyzed to obtain differentially expressed genes(DEGs). Hub genes were obtained by constructing and visualizing the protein-protein interaction network of DEGs. The key gene was determined using R language, STRING, and Cytoscape, and the differential expression of the key gene was verified using external datasets The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA) and quantitative real-time PCR(q RT-PCR) for BRCA tissues of 37 patients. The prognostic value and immunological correlation of UBE2C in BRCA were explored using R language, TIMER, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA).Results Of 10 hub genes seleceed from 302 DEGS, UBE2C was identified as the gene associated with BRCA survival. The expression of UBE2C was differentially upregulated in BRCA, as verified by TCGA and q RT-PCR. Prognostic analysis revealed that UBE2C served as an independent prognostic factor. High expression of UBE2C was associated with decreased immune infiltration levels of B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, macrophages, and myeloid dendritic cells in BRCA tissue. The expression of UBE2C in BRCA showed a significant correlation with immune checkpoints genes PDCD1, CD274, and CTLA4 expressions. There was a positive correlation between the expression of UBE2C and the tumor mutational burden and microsatellite instability. GSEA demonstrated that UBE2C expression significantly enriched 786 immune-related gene sets.Conclusions UBE2C expression in BRCA tissues is closely related to the BRCA immune microenvironment and showes predictive values on the survivals and prognosis of BRCA patients and the effecacy of immunotherapy. UBE2C may be an potential immune-related prognostic biomarker for BRCA.展开更多
Clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)has changed biomedical research and provided entirely new models to analyze every aspect of biomedical sciences during the last decade.In the study of ...Clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)has changed biomedical research and provided entirely new models to analyze every aspect of biomedical sciences during the last decade.In the study of cancer,the CRISPR/CRISPR-associated protein(Cas)system opens new avenues into issues that were once unknown in our knowledge of the non-coding genome,tumor heterogeneity,and precision medicines.CRISPR/Cas-based geneediting technology now allows for the precise and permanent targeting of mutations and provides an opportunity to target small non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs(miRNAs).However,the development of effective and safe cancer gene editing therapy is highly dependent on proper design to be innocuous to normal cells and prevent introducing other abnormalities.This study aims to highlight the cutting-edge approaches in cancer-gene editing therapy based on the CRISPR/Cas technology to target miRNAs in cancer therapy.Furthermore,we highlight the potential challenges in CRISPR/Cas-mediated miRNA gene editing and offer advanced strategies to overcome them.展开更多
The present study aimed to explore the potential of artificial intelligence(AI)methodology based on magnetic resonance(MR)images to aid in the management of prostate cancer(PCa).To this end,we reviewed and summarized ...The present study aimed to explore the potential of artificial intelligence(AI)methodology based on magnetic resonance(MR)images to aid in the management of prostate cancer(PCa).To this end,we reviewed and summarized the studies comparing the diagnostic and predictive performance for PCa between AI and common clinical assessment methods based on MR images and/or clinical characteristics,thereby investigating whether AI methods are generally superior to common clinical assessment methods for the diagnosis and prediction fields of PCa.First,we found that,in the included studies of the present study,AI methods were generally equal to or better than the clinical assessment methods for the risk assessment of PCa,such as risk stratification of prostate lesions and the prediction of therapeutic outcomes or PCa progression.In particular,for the diagnosis of clinically significant PCa,the AI methods achieved a higher summary receiver operator characteristic curve(SROC-AUC)than that of the clinical assessment methods(0.87 vs.0.82).For the prediction of adverse pathology,the AI methods also achieved a higher SROC-AUC than that of the clinical assessment methods(0.86 vs.0.75).Second,as revealed by the radiomics quality score(RQS),the studies included in the present study presented a relatively high total average RQS of 15.2(11.0–20.0).Further,the scores of the individual RQS elements implied that the AI models in these studies were constructed with relatively perfect and standard radiomics processes,but the exact generalizability and clinical practicality of the AI models should be further validated using higher levels of evidence,such as prospective studies and open-testing datasets.展开更多
Background Cell metabolism plays a pivotal role in tumor progression,and targeting cancer metabolism might effectively kill cancer cells.We aimed to investigate the role of hexokinases in prostate cancer(PCa)and ident...Background Cell metabolism plays a pivotal role in tumor progression,and targeting cancer metabolism might effectively kill cancer cells.We aimed to investigate the role of hexokinases in prostate cancer(PCa)and identify a crucial target for PCa treatment.Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database,online tools and clinical samples were used to assess the expression and prognostic role of ADP-dependent glucokinase(ADPGK)in PCa.The effect of ADPGK expression on PCa cell malignant phenotypes was validated in vitro and in vivo.Quantitative proteomics,metabolomics,and extracellular acidification rate(ECAR)and oxygen consumption rate(OCR)tests were performed to evaluate the impact of ADPGK on PCa metabolism.The underlying mechanisms were explored through ADPGK overexpression and knockdown,co-immunoprecipitation(Co-IP),ECAR analysis and cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assays.Results ADPGK was the only glucokinase that was both upregulated and predicted worse overall survival(OS)in prostate adenocarcinoma(PRAD).Clinical sample analysis demonstrated that ADPGK was markedly upregulated in PCa tissues vs.non-PCa tissues.High ADPGK expression indicates worse survival outcomes,and ADPGK serves as an independent factor of biochemical recurrence.In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that ADPGK overexpression promoted PCa cell proliferation and migration,and ADPGK inhibition suppressed malignant phenotypes.Metabolomics,proteomics,and ECAR and OCR tests revealed that ADPGK significantly accelerated glycolysis in PCa.Mechanistically,ADPGK binds aldolase C(ALDOC)to promote glycolysis via AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)phosphorylation.ALDOC was positively correlated with ADPGK,and high ALDOC expression was associated with worse survival outcomes in PCa.Conclusions In summary,ADPGK is a driving factor in PCa progression,and its high expression contributes to a poor prognosis in PCa patients.ADPGK accelerates PCa glycolysis and progression by activating ALDOC-AMPK signaling,suggesting that ADPGK might be an effective target and marker for PCa treatment and prognosis evaluation.展开更多
Increasing data indicate that cancer cell migration is regulated by extracellular matrixes and their surrounding biochemical microenvironment,playing a crucial role in pathological processes such as tumor invasion and...Increasing data indicate that cancer cell migration is regulated by extracellular matrixes and their surrounding biochemical microenvironment,playing a crucial role in pathological processes such as tumor invasion and metastasis.However,conventional two-dimensional cell culture and animal models have limitations in studying the influence of tumor microenvironment on cancer cell migration.Fortunately,the further development of microfluidic technology has provided solutions for the study of such questions.We utilize microfluidic chip to build a random collagen fiber microenvironment(RFM)model and an oriented collagen fiber microenvironment(OFM)model that resemble early stage and late stage breast cancer microenvironments,respectively.By combining cell culture,biochemical concentration gradient construction,and microscopic imaging techniques,we investigate the impact of different collagen fiber biochemical microenvironments on the migration of breast cancer MDA-MB-231-RFP cells.The results show that MDA-MB-231-RFP cells migrate further in the OFM model compared to the RFM model,with significant differences observed.Furthermore,we establish concentration gradients of the anticancer drug paclitaxel in both the RFM and OFM models and find that paclitaxel significantly inhibits the migration of MDA-MB-231-RFP cells in the RFM model,with stronger inhibition on the high concentration side compared to the low concentration side.However,the inhibitory effect of paclitaxel on the migration of MDA-MB-231-RFP cells in the OFM model is weak.These findings suggest that the oriented collagen fiber microenvironment resembling the late-stage tumor microenvironment is more favorable for cancer cell migration and that the effectiveness of anticancer drugs is diminished.The RFM and OFM models constructed in this study not only provide a platform for studying the mechanism of cancer development,but also serve as a tool for the initial measurement of drug screening.展开更多
Dear Editor,Physical exercise has been shown to be associated with reduced cancer incidence and cancer-associated mortality[1,2],but the underlying mechanisms are obscure.Immunometabolic regulation has emerged as one ...Dear Editor,Physical exercise has been shown to be associated with reduced cancer incidence and cancer-associated mortality[1,2],but the underlying mechanisms are obscure.Immunometabolic regulation has emerged as one of the most prominent mechanisms explaining the effects of exercise on cancer[1,2].Physical exercise primarily lowers blood cholesterol and triglycerides,and protects against cardiovascular diseases[3].However,whether physical exercise can modulate cholesterol metabolism in tumor cells is currently unknown.展开更多
Trastuzumab resistance is one of the causes of poor prognosis in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-positive(HER2+)breast cancer(BC).The truncated isoform of dopamine-and cAMPregulated phosph...Trastuzumab resistance is one of the causes of poor prognosis in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-positive(HER2+)breast cancer(BC).The truncated isoform of dopamine-and cAMPregulated phosphoprotein(t-DARPP)has been reported to be involved in trastuzumab therapy resistance and promoting tumor progression.To evaluate the t-DARPP expression in BC,paired tumors and surrounding normal tissues were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and confirmed higher DARPP-32 kDa family mRNA expression in HER2+BC tumor tissues.We established 2 patient-derived xenografts(PDX)mice models to test the efficacy of trastuzumab,named model 1(non-responder)and model 2(responder).t-DARPP and p95-HER2 protein-protein interactions were detected in PDX tumor tissue from non-responders using Förster resonance energy transfer assays.Instead,there is no response from the responder.Furthermore,mechanistic studies using transwell and western blot assays demonstrated that t-DARPP could upregulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition signaling proteins,enhance p95-HER2 expression and promote cell migration.We found that quercetin effectively reduced t-DARPP expression in HER2+BC cells.In t-DARPP ShRNA-suppressed cells,quercetin synergistically enhanced trastuzumab-induced apoptotic cell death and G2/M phase arrest.In conclusion,the combination of quercetin and trastuzumab treatment by targeting t-DARPP in HER2+BC patients has the potential as a biomarker for mitigating drug resistance.展开更多
Cancer immunotherapy using immune-checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)has revolutionized the field of cancer treatment;however,ICI efficacy is constrained by progressive dysfunction of CD8+tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes(TILs),...Cancer immunotherapy using immune-checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)has revolutionized the field of cancer treatment;however,ICI efficacy is constrained by progressive dysfunction of CD8+tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes(TILs),which is termed T cell exhaustion.This process is driven by diverse extrinsic factors across heterogeneous tumor immune microenvironment(TIME).Simultaneously,tumorigenesis entails robust reshaping of the epigenetic landscape,potentially instigating T cell exhaustion.In this review,we summarize the epigenetic mechanisms governing tumor microenvironmental cues leading to T cell exhaustion,and discuss therapeutic potential of targeting epigenetic regulators for immunotherapies.Finally,we outline conceptual and technical advances in developing potential treatment paradigms involving immunostimulatory agents and epigenetic therapies.展开更多
Background:The burden of kidney,bladder,and prostate cancers has changed in recent decades.This study aims to investigate the global and regional burden of,and attributable risk factors for genitourinary cancers durin...Background:The burden of kidney,bladder,and prostate cancers has changed in recent decades.This study aims to investigate the global and regional burden of,and attributable risk factors for genitourinary cancers during the past 30 years.Methods:We extracted data of kidney,bladder,and prostate cancers from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 database,including incidence,mortality,disability-adjusted life-years(DALYs),and attributable risk factors from 1990 to 2019.Estimated annual percentage changes(EAPC)were calculated to assess the changes in age-standardized incidence rate,age-standardized mortality rate(ASMR),and age-standardized DALYs rate(ASDR).The associations between cancers burden and socio-demographic index(SDI)were also analyzed.Results:Compared with 1990,the global incident cases in 2019 were higher by 154.78%,123.34%,and 169.11%for kidney,bladder,and prostate cancers,respectively.During the 30-year study period,there was a downward trend in ASMR and ASDR for bladder cancer(EAPC=–0.68 and–0.83,respectively)and prostate cancer(EAPC=–0.75 and–0.71,respectively),but an upward trend for kidney cancer(EAPC=0.35 and 0.12,respectively).Regions and countries with higher SDI had higher incidence,mortality,and DALYs for all three types of cancers.The burden of bladder and prostate cancers was mainly distributed among older men,whereas the burden of kidney cancer increased among middle-aged men.Smoking related mortality and DALYs decreased,but high body mass index(BMI)and high fasting plasma glucose(FPG)related mortality and DALYs increased among kidney,bladder,and prostate cancers during the study period.Conclusions:Kidney,bladder,and prostate cancers remain major global public health challenges,but with distinct trend for different disease entity across different regions and socioeconomic status.More proactive intervention strategies,at both the administrative and academic levels,based on the dynamic changes,are needed.展开更多
基金financially supported by Excellent Young Science Fund for National Natural Science Foundation of China(82022033)Sichuan Science and Technology Program(2024NSFJQ0048)+3 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(81902422)Jiangsu Natural Science Foundation(No.BK20231245)Program of Jiangsu Commission of Health(No.M2020024)Program of Yangzhou Commission of Health(No.2023-2-01,2024-2-08).
文摘Vaccinations are essential for preventing and treating disease,especially cancer nanovaccines,which have gained considerable interest recently for their strong anti-tumor immune capabilities.Vaccines can prompt the immune system to generate antibodies and activate various immune cells,leading to a response against tumor tissues and reducing the negative effects and recurrence risks of traditional chemotherapy and surgery.To enhance the flexibility and targeting of vaccines,nanovaccines utilize nanotechnology to encapsulate or carry antigens at the nanoscale level,enabling more controlled and precise drug delivery to enhance immune responses.Cancer nanovaccines function by encapsulating tumor-specific antigens or tumor-associated antigens within nanomaterials.The small size of these nanomaterials allows for precise targeting of T cells,dendritic cells,or cancer cells,thereby eliciting a more potent anti-tumor response.In this paper,we focus on the classification of carriers for cancer nanovaccines,the roles of different target cells,and clinically tested cancer nanovaccines,discussing strategies for effectively inducing cytotoxic T lymphocytes responses and optimizing antigen presentation,while also looking ahead to the translational challenges of moving from animal experiments to clinical trials.
基金Key Project of Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Plan of Zhejiang Province (GZY-ZJ-KJ-24077)National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. U23A202181, 8207101520, 82272860)+2 种基金Central Guidance on Local Science and Technology Development Fund of Zhejiang Province (2023ZY1017)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 226-2023-00038)Special Financial Support for Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Innovation Teams。
文摘BACKGROUND: The increasing morbidity of liver cancer has led to a growing demand for transplantation. Split liver transplantation(SLT) is a promising way to ameliorate organ shortages. However, the safety and efficacy of SLT are still controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical outcome of SLT in liver cancer patients at our center. METHODS: A total of 74 patients who received liver transplantation at a tertiary hospital from March 2019 to July 2023 were retrospectively studied, of whom 37 recipients underwent SLT and 37 recipients underwent whole-graft liver transplantation(WGLT). Clinical data were analyzed and compared between patients who underwent SLT and WGLT.RESULTS: SLT and WGLT were successfully performed, with no intraoperative transplantrelated mortality. Postoperatively, no significant differences in total bilirubin(TB, P=0.266), alanine transaminase(ALT, P=0.403) and aspartate transaminase(AST, P=0.160) levels within 30 d were detected between the two groups. The transplant-related mortality rates were 8.1% in the SLT group and 5.4% in the WGLT group within 30 d of surgery(P=1.000), and 10.8% and 8.1%, respectively, at 90 d after surgery(P=1.000). There were no significant differences in overall survival(OS) and progress-free survival(PFS) between the SLT and WGLT groups(P=0.910, P=0.190). CONCLUSION: Our results show that SLT does not imply additional risks in treating liver cancer compared with WGLT.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82203185,82230058,82172875 and 82073094)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFF1201300 and 2022YFE0103600)+3 种基金the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(CIFMS)(2021-I2M-1-014,2021-I2M-1-022,and 2022-I2M-2-001)the Open Issue of State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology(SKL-KF-2021-16)the Independent Issue of State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology(SKL-2021-16)the Beijing Hope Marathon Special Fund of Chinese Cancer Foundation(LC2020B14).
文摘Background Triple negative breast cancer(TNBC),the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer,is characterized by a high incidence of brain metastasis(BrM)and a poor prognosis.As the most lethal form of breast cancer,BrM remains a major clinical challenge due to its rising incidence and lack of effective treatment strategies.Recent evidence suggested a potential role of lipid metabolic reprogramming in breast cancer brain metastasis(BCBrM),but the underlying mechanisms are far from being fully elucidated.Methods Through analysis of BCBrM transcriptome data from mice and patients,and immunohistochemical validation on patient tissues,we identified and verified the specific down-regulation of retinoic acid receptor responder 2(RARRES2),a multifunctional adipokine and chemokine,in BrM of TNBC.We investigated the effect of aberrant RARRES2 expression of BrM in both in vitro and in vivo studies.Key signaling pathway components were evaluated using multi-omics approaches.Lipidomics were performed to elucidate the regulation of lipid metabolic reprogramming of RARRES2.Results We found that downregulation of RARRES2 is specifically associated with BCBrM,and that RARRES2 deficiency promoted BCBrM through lipid metabolic reprogramming.Mechanistically,reduced expression of RARRES2 in brain metastatic potential TNBC cells resulted in increased levels of glycerophospholipid and decreased levels of triacylglycerols by regulating phosphatase and tensin homologue(PTEN)-mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)-sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1(SREBP1)signaling pathway to facilitate the survival of breast cancer cells in the unique brain microenvironment.Conclusions Our work uncovers an essential role of RARRES2 in linking lipid metabolic reprogramming and the development of BrM.RARRES2-dependent metabolic functions may serve as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for BCBrM.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82072019)the Shenzhen Basic Research Program(JCYJ20210324130209023)+5 种基金the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao S&T Program(Category C)(SGDX20201103095002019)the Mainland-Hong Kong Joint Funding Scheme(MHKJFS)(MHP/005/20),the Project of Strategic Importance Fund(P0035421)the Projects of RISA(P0043001)from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University,the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20201441)the Provincial and Ministry Co-constructed Project of Henan Province Medical Science and Technology Research(SBGJ202103038,SBGJ202102056)the Henan Province Key R&D and Promotion Project(Science and Technology Research)(222102310015)the Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province(222300420575),and the Henan Province Science and Technology Research(222102310322).
文摘Modern medicine is reliant on various medical imaging technologies for non-invasively observing patients’anatomy.However,the interpretation of medical images can be highly subjective and dependent on the expertise of clinicians.Moreover,some potentially useful quantitative information in medical images,especially that which is not visible to the naked eye,is often ignored during clinical practice.In contrast,radiomics performs high-throughput feature extraction from medical images,which enables quantitative analysis of medical images and prediction of various clinical endpoints.Studies have reported that radiomics exhibits promising performance in diagnosis and predicting treatment responses and prognosis,demonstrating its potential to be a non-invasive auxiliary tool for personalized medicine.However,radiomics remains in a developmental phase as numerous technical challenges have yet to be solved,especially in feature engineering and statistical modeling.In this review,we introduce the current utility of radiomics by summarizing research on its application in the diagnosis,prognosis,and prediction of treatment responses in patients with cancer.We focus on machine learning approaches,for feature extraction and selection during feature engineering and for imbalanced datasets and multi-modality fusion during statistical modeling.Furthermore,we introduce the stability,reproducibility,and interpretability of features,and the generalizability and interpretability of models.Finally,we offer possible solutions to current challenges in radiomics research.
文摘Breast cancer brain metastasis(BCBrM)is a crucial and hard area of research which guarantees an urgent need to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms.A recent study by Li et al.[1]published in Military Medical Research investigated the role of retinoic acid receptor responder 2(RARRES2)in regulating lipid metabolism in BCBrM,highlighting the clinical relevance of alterations in lipid metabolites,such as phosphatidylcholine(PC)and triacylglycerols(TAGs),by RARRES2 through the modulation of phosphatase and tensin homologue(PTEN)-mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)-sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1(SREBP1)signaling pathway.This commentary aims to elaborate on the key findings and their relevance to the field.
基金supported by the Science and Technology Department of Hubei Province Key Project(YYXKNL2022001)the Non-Profit Central Research Institute Fund of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences(2020-PT320-004)+2 种基金the Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation(2021CFB453)the Science,Technology and Innovation Seed Fund of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University(CXPY2020031)the Climbing Program for Medical Talents of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University(PDJH202206,PDJH202208)。
文摘Background:Globally,despite prostate cancer(PCa)representing second most prevalent malignancy in male,the precise molecular mechanisms implicated in its pathogenesis remain unclear.Consequently,elucidating the key molecular regulators that govern disease progression could substantially contribute to the establishment of novel therapeutic strategies,ultimately advancing the management of PCa.Methods:A total of 49 PCa tissues and 43 adjacent normal tissues were collected from January 2017 to December 2021 at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University.The advanced transcriptomic methodologies were employed to identify differentially expressed mRNAs in PCa.The expression of aspartoacylase(ASPA)in PCa was thoroughly evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting techniques.To elucidate the inhibitory role of ASPA in PCa cell proliferation and metastasis,a comprehensive set of in vitro and in vivo assays were conducted,including orthotopic and tumor-bearing mouse models(n=8 for each group).A combination of experimental approaches,such as Western blotting,luciferase assays,immunoprecipitation assays,mass spectrometry,glutathione S-transferase pulldown experiments,and rescue studies,were employed to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of ASPA's action in PCa.The Student‘s t-test was employed to assess the statistical significance between two distinct groups,while one-way analysis of variance was utilized for comparisons involving more than two groups.A two-sided P<0.05 was deemed to indicate statistical significance.Results:ASPA was identified as a novel inhibitor of PCa progression.The expression of ASPA was found to be significantly down-regulated in PCa tissue samples,and its decreased expression was independently associated with patients’prognosis(HR=0.60,95%CI 0.40–0.92,P=0.018).Our experiments demonstrated that modulation of ASPA activity,either through gain-or loss-of-function,led to the suppression or enhancement of PCa cell proliferation,migration,and invasion,respectively.The inhibitory role of ASPA in PCa was further confirmed using orthotopic and tumor-bearing mouse models.Mechanistically,ASPA was shown to directly interact with the LYN and inhibit the phosphorylation of LYN as well as its downstream targets,JNK1/2 and C-Jun,in both PCa cells and mouse models,in an enzyme-independent manner.Importantly,the inhibition of LYN activation by bafetinib abrogated the promoting effect of ASPA knockdown on PCa progression in both in vitro and in vivo models.Moreover,we observed an inverse relationship between ASPA expression and LYN activity in clinical PCa samples,suggesting a potential regulatory role of ASPA in modulating LYN signaling.Conclusions:Our findings provide novel insights into the tumor-suppressive function of ASPA in PCa and highlight its potential as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for the management of this malignancy.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China[82274366]The National Multidisciplinary Innovation Team Project of Traditional Chinese Medicine:Multi-dimensional Evaluation and Multidisciplinary Innovation Team of Southwest Traditional Chinese Medicine Resources[ZYYCXTD-D-202209]+2 种基金The Youth Talent Promotion Project of China Association of Chinese Medicine[2021-QNRC2-A09]The Major Project of Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine(2023ZD01)the financial support from the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR),New Delhi,India,through Extramural Research Grants.
文摘As a new form of regulated cell death,ferroptosis has unraveled the unsolicited theory of intrinsic apoptosis resistance by cancer cells.The molecular mechanism of ferroptosis depends on the induction of oxidative stress through excessive reactive oxygen species accumulation and glutathione depletion to damage the structural integrity of cells.Due to their high loading and structural tunability,nanocarriers can escort the delivery of ferro-therapeutics to the desired site through enhanced permeation or retention effect or by active targeting.This review shed light on the necessity of iron in cancer cell growth and the fascinating features of ferroptosis in regulating the cell cycle and metastasis.Additionally,we discussed the effect of ferroptosis-mediated therapy using nanoplatforms and their chemical basis in overcoming the barriers to cancer therapy.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11871238,11931019,12371486)。
文摘Drug resistance is one of the most intractable issues in targeted therapy for cancer diseases.It has also been demonstrated to be related to cancer heterogeneity,which promotes the emergence of treatment-refractory cancer cell populations.Focusing on how cancer cells develop resistance during the encounter with targeted drugs and the immune system,we propose a mathematical model for studying the dynamics of drug resistance in a conjoint heterogeneous tumor-immune setting.We analyze the local geometric properties of the equilibria of the model.Numerical simulations show that the selectively targeted removal of sensitive cancer cells may cause the initially heterogeneous population to become a more resistant population.Moreover,the decline of immune recruitment is a stronger determinant of cancer escape from immune surveillance or targeted therapy than the decay in immune predation strength.Sensitivity analysis of model parameters provides insight into the roles of the immune system combined with targeted therapy in determining treatment outcomes.
基金National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFC2502700)National Natural Science Foundation of China(81873434,82100190).
文摘Advances in chimeric antigen receptor(CAR)-T cell therapy have significantly improved clinical outcomes of patients with relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies.However,progress is still hindered as clinical benefit is only available for a fraction of patients.A lack of understanding of CAR-T cell behaviors in vivo at the single-cell level impedes their more extensive application in clinical practice.Mounting evidence suggests that single-cell sequencing techniques can help perfect the receptor design,guide gene-based T cell modification,and optimize the CAR-T manufacturing conditions,and all of them are essential for long-term immunosurveillance and more favorable clinical outcomes.The information generated by employing these methods also potentially informs our understanding of the numerous complex factors that dictate therapeutic efficacy and toxicities.In this review,we discuss the reasons why CAR-T immunotherapy fails in clinical practice and what this field has learned since the milestone of single-cell sequencing technologies.We further outline recent advances in the application of single-cell analyses in CAR-T immunotherapy.Specifically,we provide an overview of single-cell studies focusing on target antigens,CAR-transgene integration,and preclinical research and clinical applications,and then discuss how it will affect the future of CAR-T cell therapy.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81773064,31972973,32021005)National Youth 1000 Talents Plan+2 种基金the Jiangsu Specially-Appointed Professor ProgramJiangsu Province Recruitment Plan for High-level,Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talents (Innovative Research Team)Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province
文摘Loss of susceptibility to anoikis signals is a crucial step in metastasis.Anoikis resistance therefore represents a promising adjuvant therapeutic target for cancer management.In this study,we have conducted a rationalized screening to search for novel leading anoikis sensitizer from daily foods.Among 19 tested dietary phytochemicals,the best results were obtained with apigenin,a natural component of celery.Phenotypically,apigenin sensitized breast cancer cells to anoikis,lowered the number of circulating tumor cells,and protected against breast cancer metastasis to lung in mice.Mechanistically,we demonstrated that the thromboxane A_(2)(TXA_(2))-TXA_(2)receptor(TP)axis has a critical role in acquired anoikis resistance by activating PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.Blockage of TXA_(2)signaling up-regulated p53 as well as its target gene p21,caused a G1 phase arrest,and finally led to apoptosis in breast cancer cells.TXA_(2)level was positively correlated with breast cancer cell anoikis rate,and apigenin significantly inhibited TXA_(2)biosynthesis in vitro and in vivo.Collectively,we identified apigenin as a potent anoikis sensitizer with anti-metastatic properties in a mouse model of breast cancer,and these findings might provide a rationale for introducing apigenin supplementation to breast cancer patients.
基金supported by Special Key project of Technology Innovation and Application Development in Chongqing(CSTC2021jscx-gksb-N0033,CSTB2021TIAD-KPX0085)Science Foundation of School of Life Sciences SWU(20212005425201)County-University Cooperation Innovation Funds of Southwest University(SZ202102).
文摘β-Sitosterol-D-glucoside(β-SDG)is a phytosterol compound whose antitumor activity has been confirmed by previous studies.However,its suppression on breast cancer remains unclear.To that purpose,we isolatedβ-SDG from sweet potato and investigated the breast-cancer-inhibiting mechanism using proteomic analysis.The sweet potato species S6 with highβ-SDG content were chosen form 36 species andβ-SDG was isolated by HPLC.Afterwards,an in situ animal model of breast cancer was established,andβ-SDG significantly reduced the tumor volume of MCF-7 xenograft mice.Proteomic analysis of tumor tissues revealed that 127 of these proteins were upregulated and 80 were downregulated.Gene ontology and network analysis showed that regulatory proteins were mainly associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT),myogenesis,cholesterol homeostasis,oxidative phosphorylation and reactive oxygen pathways,while Vimentin,NDUF,VDAC1,PPP2CA and SNx9 were the most significant 5 node degree genes.Meanwhile,in vitro and in vivo results showed that the protein expression of PPP2CA and Vimentin,which are markers of EMT,were involved in breast cancer cell metastasis and could be reversed byβ-SDG.This work highlightsβ-SDG as a bioactive compound in sweet potato and the potential therapeutic effect ofβ-SDG for the treatment of breast cancer by inhibiting metastasis.
文摘Objective To screen the target genes that are associated with survival of breast cancer(BRCA) and explore their prognostic values and immune correlations with BRCA using multiple databases..Methods The microarray expression datasets of BRCA were downloaded from the Gene Expresssion Omnibus database(GEO) and analyzed to obtain differentially expressed genes(DEGs). Hub genes were obtained by constructing and visualizing the protein-protein interaction network of DEGs. The key gene was determined using R language, STRING, and Cytoscape, and the differential expression of the key gene was verified using external datasets The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA) and quantitative real-time PCR(q RT-PCR) for BRCA tissues of 37 patients. The prognostic value and immunological correlation of UBE2C in BRCA were explored using R language, TIMER, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA).Results Of 10 hub genes seleceed from 302 DEGS, UBE2C was identified as the gene associated with BRCA survival. The expression of UBE2C was differentially upregulated in BRCA, as verified by TCGA and q RT-PCR. Prognostic analysis revealed that UBE2C served as an independent prognostic factor. High expression of UBE2C was associated with decreased immune infiltration levels of B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, macrophages, and myeloid dendritic cells in BRCA tissue. The expression of UBE2C in BRCA showed a significant correlation with immune checkpoints genes PDCD1, CD274, and CTLA4 expressions. There was a positive correlation between the expression of UBE2C and the tumor mutational burden and microsatellite instability. GSEA demonstrated that UBE2C expression significantly enriched 786 immune-related gene sets.Conclusions UBE2C expression in BRCA tissues is closely related to the BRCA immune microenvironment and showes predictive values on the survivals and prognosis of BRCA patients and the effecacy of immunotherapy. UBE2C may be an potential immune-related prognostic biomarker for BRCA.
文摘Clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)has changed biomedical research and provided entirely new models to analyze every aspect of biomedical sciences during the last decade.In the study of cancer,the CRISPR/CRISPR-associated protein(Cas)system opens new avenues into issues that were once unknown in our knowledge of the non-coding genome,tumor heterogeneity,and precision medicines.CRISPR/Cas-based geneediting technology now allows for the precise and permanent targeting of mutations and provides an opportunity to target small non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs(miRNAs).However,the development of effective and safe cancer gene editing therapy is highly dependent on proper design to be innocuous to normal cells and prevent introducing other abnormalities.This study aims to highlight the cutting-edge approaches in cancer-gene editing therapy based on the CRISPR/Cas technology to target miRNAs in cancer therapy.Furthermore,we highlight the potential challenges in CRISPR/Cas-mediated miRNA gene editing and offer advanced strategies to overcome them.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Beijing(Z200027)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62027901,81930053)the Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province(2021B0101420005).
文摘The present study aimed to explore the potential of artificial intelligence(AI)methodology based on magnetic resonance(MR)images to aid in the management of prostate cancer(PCa).To this end,we reviewed and summarized the studies comparing the diagnostic and predictive performance for PCa between AI and common clinical assessment methods based on MR images and/or clinical characteristics,thereby investigating whether AI methods are generally superior to common clinical assessment methods for the diagnosis and prediction fields of PCa.First,we found that,in the included studies of the present study,AI methods were generally equal to or better than the clinical assessment methods for the risk assessment of PCa,such as risk stratification of prostate lesions and the prediction of therapeutic outcomes or PCa progression.In particular,for the diagnosis of clinically significant PCa,the AI methods achieved a higher summary receiver operator characteristic curve(SROC-AUC)than that of the clinical assessment methods(0.87 vs.0.82).For the prediction of adverse pathology,the AI methods also achieved a higher SROC-AUC than that of the clinical assessment methods(0.86 vs.0.75).Second,as revealed by the radiomics quality score(RQS),the studies included in the present study presented a relatively high total average RQS of 15.2(11.0–20.0).Further,the scores of the individual RQS elements implied that the AI models in these studies were constructed with relatively perfect and standard radiomics processes,but the exact generalizability and clinical practicality of the AI models should be further validated using higher levels of evidence,such as prospective studies and open-testing datasets.
基金National Key R&D Plan(2023YFC3403200)National Natural Science Foundation of China(82070784,81702536,81974099 and 82170785)+4 种基金Science&Technology Department of Sichuan Province,China(2022JDRC0040,21GJHZ0246)Young Investigator Award of Sichuan University 2017(2017SCU04A17)Sichuan University-Panzhihua Science and Technology Cooperation Special Fund(2020CDPZH-4)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2021M692306)Post-Doctor Research Project of West China Hospital of Sichuan University(2021HXBH025).
文摘Background Cell metabolism plays a pivotal role in tumor progression,and targeting cancer metabolism might effectively kill cancer cells.We aimed to investigate the role of hexokinases in prostate cancer(PCa)and identify a crucial target for PCa treatment.Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database,online tools and clinical samples were used to assess the expression and prognostic role of ADP-dependent glucokinase(ADPGK)in PCa.The effect of ADPGK expression on PCa cell malignant phenotypes was validated in vitro and in vivo.Quantitative proteomics,metabolomics,and extracellular acidification rate(ECAR)and oxygen consumption rate(OCR)tests were performed to evaluate the impact of ADPGK on PCa metabolism.The underlying mechanisms were explored through ADPGK overexpression and knockdown,co-immunoprecipitation(Co-IP),ECAR analysis and cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assays.Results ADPGK was the only glucokinase that was both upregulated and predicted worse overall survival(OS)in prostate adenocarcinoma(PRAD).Clinical sample analysis demonstrated that ADPGK was markedly upregulated in PCa tissues vs.non-PCa tissues.High ADPGK expression indicates worse survival outcomes,and ADPGK serves as an independent factor of biochemical recurrence.In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that ADPGK overexpression promoted PCa cell proliferation and migration,and ADPGK inhibition suppressed malignant phenotypes.Metabolomics,proteomics,and ECAR and OCR tests revealed that ADPGK significantly accelerated glycolysis in PCa.Mechanistically,ADPGK binds aldolase C(ALDOC)to promote glycolysis via AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)phosphorylation.ALDOC was positively correlated with ADPGK,and high ALDOC expression was associated with worse survival outcomes in PCa.Conclusions In summary,ADPGK is a driving factor in PCa progression,and its high expression contributes to a poor prognosis in PCa patients.ADPGK accelerates PCa glycolysis and progression by activating ALDOC-AMPK signaling,suggesting that ADPGK might be an effective target and marker for PCa treatment and prognosis evaluation.
基金support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11974066,12174041,12104134,T2350007,and 12347178)the Fundamental and Advanced Research Program of Chongqing(Grant No.cstc2019jcyj-msxm X0477)+3 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing(Grant No.CSTB2022NSCQMSX1260)the Science and Technology Research Program of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission(Grant No.KJQN202301333)the Scientific Research Fund of Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences(Grant Nos.R2023HH03 and P2022HH05)College Students’Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program of Chongqing Municipal(Grant No.S202310642002)。
文摘Increasing data indicate that cancer cell migration is regulated by extracellular matrixes and their surrounding biochemical microenvironment,playing a crucial role in pathological processes such as tumor invasion and metastasis.However,conventional two-dimensional cell culture and animal models have limitations in studying the influence of tumor microenvironment on cancer cell migration.Fortunately,the further development of microfluidic technology has provided solutions for the study of such questions.We utilize microfluidic chip to build a random collagen fiber microenvironment(RFM)model and an oriented collagen fiber microenvironment(OFM)model that resemble early stage and late stage breast cancer microenvironments,respectively.By combining cell culture,biochemical concentration gradient construction,and microscopic imaging techniques,we investigate the impact of different collagen fiber biochemical microenvironments on the migration of breast cancer MDA-MB-231-RFP cells.The results show that MDA-MB-231-RFP cells migrate further in the OFM model compared to the RFM model,with significant differences observed.Furthermore,we establish concentration gradients of the anticancer drug paclitaxel in both the RFM and OFM models and find that paclitaxel significantly inhibits the migration of MDA-MB-231-RFP cells in the RFM model,with stronger inhibition on the high concentration side compared to the low concentration side.However,the inhibitory effect of paclitaxel on the migration of MDA-MB-231-RFP cells in the OFM model is weak.These findings suggest that the oriented collagen fiber microenvironment resembling the late-stage tumor microenvironment is more favorable for cancer cell migration and that the effectiveness of anticancer drugs is diminished.The RFM and OFM models constructed in this study not only provide a platform for studying the mechanism of cancer development,but also serve as a tool for the initial measurement of drug screening.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82172511)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20210068)+4 种基金the Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen(SZSM201612078)the Health Shanghai Initiative Special Fund[Medical-Sports Integration(JKSHZX-2022-02)]the Top Talent Support Program for Young-and Middle-aged People of Wuxi Municipal Health Commission(HB2020003)the Mega-project of Wuxi Commission of Health(Z202216)the High-end Medical Expert Team of the 2019 Taihu Talent Plan(2019-THRCTD-1)
文摘Dear Editor,Physical exercise has been shown to be associated with reduced cancer incidence and cancer-associated mortality[1,2],but the underlying mechanisms are obscure.Immunometabolic regulation has emerged as one of the most prominent mechanisms explaining the effects of exercise on cancer[1,2].Physical exercise primarily lowers blood cholesterol and triglycerides,and protects against cardiovascular diseases[3].However,whether physical exercise can modulate cholesterol metabolism in tumor cells is currently unknown.
基金The National Science and Technology Council of Taiwan funded this study.
文摘Trastuzumab resistance is one of the causes of poor prognosis in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-positive(HER2+)breast cancer(BC).The truncated isoform of dopamine-and cAMPregulated phosphoprotein(t-DARPP)has been reported to be involved in trastuzumab therapy resistance and promoting tumor progression.To evaluate the t-DARPP expression in BC,paired tumors and surrounding normal tissues were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and confirmed higher DARPP-32 kDa family mRNA expression in HER2+BC tumor tissues.We established 2 patient-derived xenografts(PDX)mice models to test the efficacy of trastuzumab,named model 1(non-responder)and model 2(responder).t-DARPP and p95-HER2 protein-protein interactions were detected in PDX tumor tissue from non-responders using Förster resonance energy transfer assays.Instead,there is no response from the responder.Furthermore,mechanistic studies using transwell and western blot assays demonstrated that t-DARPP could upregulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition signaling proteins,enhance p95-HER2 expression and promote cell migration.We found that quercetin effectively reduced t-DARPP expression in HER2+BC cells.In t-DARPP ShRNA-suppressed cells,quercetin synergistically enhanced trastuzumab-induced apoptotic cell death and G2/M phase arrest.In conclusion,the combination of quercetin and trastuzumab treatment by targeting t-DARPP in HER2+BC patients has the potential as a biomarker for mitigating drug resistance.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82273202,82370948,82072996,82170941)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2042022dx0003)+1 种基金the Hubei Province International Science and Technology Cooperation Project(2021EHB027)the National Key Research and Development Program(2022YFC2504200).
文摘Cancer immunotherapy using immune-checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)has revolutionized the field of cancer treatment;however,ICI efficacy is constrained by progressive dysfunction of CD8+tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes(TILs),which is termed T cell exhaustion.This process is driven by diverse extrinsic factors across heterogeneous tumor immune microenvironment(TIME).Simultaneously,tumorigenesis entails robust reshaping of the epigenetic landscape,potentially instigating T cell exhaustion.In this review,we summarize the epigenetic mechanisms governing tumor microenvironmental cues leading to T cell exhaustion,and discuss therapeutic potential of targeting epigenetic regulators for immunotherapies.Finally,we outline conceptual and technical advances in developing potential treatment paradigms involving immunostimulatory agents and epigenetic therapies.
文摘Background:The burden of kidney,bladder,and prostate cancers has changed in recent decades.This study aims to investigate the global and regional burden of,and attributable risk factors for genitourinary cancers during the past 30 years.Methods:We extracted data of kidney,bladder,and prostate cancers from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 database,including incidence,mortality,disability-adjusted life-years(DALYs),and attributable risk factors from 1990 to 2019.Estimated annual percentage changes(EAPC)were calculated to assess the changes in age-standardized incidence rate,age-standardized mortality rate(ASMR),and age-standardized DALYs rate(ASDR).The associations between cancers burden and socio-demographic index(SDI)were also analyzed.Results:Compared with 1990,the global incident cases in 2019 were higher by 154.78%,123.34%,and 169.11%for kidney,bladder,and prostate cancers,respectively.During the 30-year study period,there was a downward trend in ASMR and ASDR for bladder cancer(EAPC=–0.68 and–0.83,respectively)and prostate cancer(EAPC=–0.75 and–0.71,respectively),but an upward trend for kidney cancer(EAPC=0.35 and 0.12,respectively).Regions and countries with higher SDI had higher incidence,mortality,and DALYs for all three types of cancers.The burden of bladder and prostate cancers was mainly distributed among older men,whereas the burden of kidney cancer increased among middle-aged men.Smoking related mortality and DALYs decreased,but high body mass index(BMI)and high fasting plasma glucose(FPG)related mortality and DALYs increased among kidney,bladder,and prostate cancers during the study period.Conclusions:Kidney,bladder,and prostate cancers remain major global public health challenges,but with distinct trend for different disease entity across different regions and socioeconomic status.More proactive intervention strategies,at both the administrative and academic levels,based on the dynamic changes,are needed.
