BATF2 inhibits PD-L1 expression and regulates CD8+ T-cell infiltration in non-small cell lung cancer.

Immune checkpoint blockades have made huge breakthrough among some cancer types including lung cancer. However, only a small proportion of patients will benefit from immune checkpoint blockades; other patients have no or minor response to immunotherapy. The underlying mechanisms and efficient biomarkers to predict immunotherapy resistances remain unclear and lacking. In this study, BATF2 knockout mice, human xenograft mice, were used for in vivo studies. Relevant RNA and protein levels were analyzed by RT-quantitative PCR and Western blotting. As a result, we found that the expression of BATF2 is negatively correlated with expression of programmed death-ligand 1 in the plasma of patients. Mechanically, we showed that BATF2 inhibits programmed death-ligand 1 expression in cancer cells by inhibiting the PI3K-AKT pathway where ZEB2 plays an important role in this process. Based on bioinformatics analysis, we found that the function of BATF2 in promoting antitumor immune response in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, which is mediated by BATF2, enhances CD8+ T-cell infiltration as well as activation. The expression of BATF2 from circulating tumor cells and tissues can be serve as an efficient biomarker to predict diagnosis, prognosis, and immunotherapy efficacy.

PLK1 Inhibition Induces Immunogenic Cell Death and Enhances Immunity against NSCLC.

PLK1 inhibitors were shown, in vitro and in vivo, to possess inhibitory activities against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and such inhibition has been proven by clinical trials. However, it remains unclear whether and how the immune microenvironment is associated with the action. In this study, we found that inhibiting PLK1 could alter the tumor immune microenvironment by increasing DC maturation, and enriching T cells infiltration. PLK1 inhibitors, serving as immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducers, indirectly activated DCs, instead of directly acting on DC cells, through the surface expression of costimulatory molecules on and enhanced phagocytosis by DCs. Furthermore, upon targeting PLK1, tumor cells that had undergone ICD were converted into an endogenous vaccine, which triggered the immune memory responses and protected the mice from tumor challenge. Collectively, these results suggested that the PLK1 inhibitor might function as an immune modulator in antitumor treatment.

The role of RASA2 in predicting radioresistance in lung cancer through regulation of p53.

Background: One of the most common causes of lung cancer relapse after clinical treatment is radioresistance. However, the mechanism underlying radioresistance remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of Ras p21 protein activator (RASA2) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: The messenger RNA (mRNA) of RASA2 was tested via reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) of cancer tissues from patients with NSCLC. Computed tomography (CT) and bioluminescent imaging (BLI) were used to monitor the tumor growth of patients and orthotopic mice, respectively. Protein-protein interaction was quantified via immunoprecipitation and glutathione S transferase (GST) pulldown assay. Western blotting was used to evaluate the phosphorylation and ubiquitination level of p53. Results: The results indicated a negative correlation between the mRNA expression levels of RASA2 in tumor tissues with patients' response to radiotherapy. Patients with a high expression of RASA2 had a lower objective response rate (ORR) after 1 month of radiotherapy than patients with low expression of RASA2 after 1 month of radiotherapy. In terms of mechanism, we proved that RASA2 can directly bind to p53 to promote the phosphorylation of p53, which inhibits its transcriptional activity and further promotes its degradation through the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. In this process, the apoptosis of tumor cells is inhibited due to impaired p53 surveillance, which leads to radioresistance. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that RASA2 negatively regulates p53 in cancer cells and therefore promotes radioresistance, providing a new predictive biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for radioresistance.

Ferroptosis-Enhanced Immunotherapy with an Injectable Dextran-Chitosan Hydrogel for the Treatment of Malignant Ascites in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Malignant ascites in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex clinical problem that lacks effective treatments. Due to the insensitivity of advanced HCC cells to traditional chemotherapies, low drug accumulation, and limited drug residence time in the peritoneal cavity, the therapeutic effects of malignant ascites in HCC are not satisfactory. In this study, an injectable hydrogel drug delivery system based on chitosan hydrochloride and oxidized dextran (CH-OD) is designed to load sulfasalazine (SSZ), an FDA-approved drug with ferroptosis-inducing ability, for effective tumor-killing and activation of anti-tumor immunity. Compared to free SSZ, SSZ-loaded CH-OD (CH-OD-SSZ) hydrogel exhibits greater cytotoxicity and induces higher levels of immunogenic ferroptosis. In the preclinical model of hepatoma ascites, intraperitoneal administration of CH-OD-SSZ hydrogel can significantly suppress tumor progression and improve the immune landscape. Both in vitro and in vivo, CH-OD-SSZ hydrogel induces the repolarization of macrophages to an M1-like phenotype and promotes the maturation and activation of dendritic cells. Combination treatment with CH-OD-SSZ hydrogel and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) immunotherapy achieves more than 50% ascites regression and generates long-term immune memory. Collectively, CH-OD-SSZ hydrogel exhibits promising therapeutic potential in the treatment of peritoneal dissemination and malignant ascites in advanced HCC, especially when combined with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.

Comprehensive Bioinformatics Analysis of Gasdermin Family of Glioma.

Pyroptosis is a programmed cell death mediated by gasdermins (GSDMs). The prognostic value of pyroptosis-related genes in different tumor types has been gradually demonstrated recently. However, the prognostic impact of GSDMs expression in glioma remains unclear. Here, we present a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of gasdermin family member gene expression, producing a prognostic model for glioma and creating a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. The mRNA expression profiles and clinical information of glioma patients were downloaded from TCGA and CGGA. A risk score based on the gasdermin family was constructed in the TCGA cohort and validated in CGGA. The Jurkat cell was used to verify the relationship between pyroptosis and activation-induced cell death (AICD). We identify a significant association between the expression of GSDMD and GSDME and the glioma stage. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis was used to construct a prognostic gene model based on the four prognostic gasdermin family genes (GSDMC, GSDMD, GSDME, and PJVK). This model was able to predict the overall survival of glioma patients with high accuracy. We show that gasdermin family genes are expressed primarily by immune cells, endothelial cells, and neuronal cells in the tumor microenvironment, rather than by malignant tumor cells. T cells were significantly activated in high-risk patients; however, the activation-induced cell death (AICD) pathway was also significantly activated, suggesting widespread expiration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), facilitating tumor progression. We also identify the lncRNA/miR-296-5p/GSDMD regulatory axis as an important player in glioma progression. We have conducted a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis identifying the importance of gasdermin family members in glioma; a prognostic algorithm containing four genes was constructed.

Albumin-assembled copper-bismuth bimetallic sulfide bioactive nanosphere as an amplifier of oxidative stress for enhanced radio-chemodynamic combination therapy.

The tumor microenvironment with overexpressed hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and reinforced antioxidative system (glutathione, GSH) becomes a double-edged sword for the accessibility of nano-therapy. Since reactive oxygen species (ROS) are easily quenched by the developed antioxidative network, ROS-based treatments such as chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and radiotherapy (RT) for killing cancer cells are severely attenuated. To overcome such limitations, a bioactive nanosphere system is developed to regulate intracellular oxidative stress for enhanced radio-chemodynamic combination therapy by using bovine serum albumin (BSA) based bioactive nanospheres that are BSA assembled with in situ generated copper-bismuth sulfide nanodots and diallyl trisulfide (DATS). The copper-bismuth sulfide nanodots react with H2O2 to produce •OH and release Cu2+. Then, the Cu2+ further depletes GSH to generate Cu+ for more •OH generation in the way of Fenton-like reaction. Such a cascade reaction can initiate •OH generation and GSH consumption to realize CDT. The elevation of ROS triggered by the DATS from BBCD nanospheres further augments the breaking of redox balance for the increased oxidative stress in 4T1 cells. With the sensitization of increased oxidative stress and high Z element Bi, an enhanced radio-chemodynamic combination therapy is achieved. The current work provides an enhanced radio-chemodynamic combination treatment for the majority of solid tumors by using the co-assembled bioactive nanospheres as an amplifier of oxidative stress.

Succinate dehydrogenase 5 regulates lung cancer metastasis by reprogramming glucose metabolism.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death globally, with many of these patients also suffering from diabetes. Previous studies have shown that diabetes may contribute to cancer progression through hyperglycemia. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of succinate dehydrogenase 5 (SDH5), an enzyme required for assembling respiratory complex II in lung cancer patients with diabetes. METHODS: The expression levels of SDH5 in patient plasma and tissue were determined by RT-qPCR. Western blotting, immunofluorescence (IF), and immunohistology (IHC) were used to examine protein expression. Migration and invasion assays were performed using Transwell assays. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was detected by flow cytometry. Bioluminescent imaging (BLI) was used to detect tumor metastasis in a lung orthotopic mouse model. RESULTS: In samples from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with diabetes, SDH5 mRNA levels were significantly lower in both plasma and tissue among later stage patients. TCGA data showed that low SDH5 expression was correlated with a higher expression of genes involved in glycolysis and metastasis. In vitro, high glucose conditions alone induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cells, an effect that was further reinforced by SDH5 depletion. Additionally, depleting SDH5 promoted glucose consumption and lactate production. The underlying mechanism indicates that depleting SDH5 stabilizes hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α), which is dependent on ROS production. In vivo, SDH5-deficient tumor-bearing mice had multiple organ metastases, which is consistent with the in vitro findings. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that SDH5 deficiency activates HIF-1α to promote EMT under high glucose conditions and represents a predictive marker for NSCLC patients with diabetes.

HK3 is correlated with immune infiltrates and predicts response to immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: With the knowledge of tumor immunobiology deepening among researchers, the breakthroughs in the field of tumor immunotherapy in recent years have provided new approaches for cancer therapy. While patients who receive treatment are all at risk of side effects, about one-fifth of them have sustained responses. It is crucial to figure out the underlying mechanism of how the immune system regulates the nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) microenvironment to improve the benefit of immunotherapy. Regarding glucose metabolism, the initial step is to generate glucose-6-phosphate by phosphorylating glucose with hexokinases-3 (HK3). According to a recent study, HK3 has a functional role in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia and colorectal cancer. RESULTS: Here, we studied the co-expression relationship between the glycolytic pathway gene and the immune checkpoint gene and found that the expression of HK3 in tumor tissues may be related to immune status. By analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, we found that the expression of HK3 was closely related to the main clinical features as well as to molecular characteristics. We also predicted that cases with low expression of HK3 were usually malignant entities and were shown to be obvious genomic aberrations of driver oncogenes. At the same time, gene ontology analysis based on significantly related genes in HK3 expression showed that HK3 expression was linked to inflammatory activity and immune response. Additionally, HK3 showed a remarkable trend in predicting the efficacy of immunotherapy for patients receiving Keytruda (PD-1 monoclonal antibody) treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first comprehensive study to characterize HK3 expression in NSCLC from molecular and clinical aspects.

Relieving immunosuppression during long-term anti-angiogenesis therapy using photodynamic therapy and oxygen delivery.

Angiogenesis is an irreplaceable therapeutic cancer target, where anti-angiogenesis are drugs that are limited by their hydrophobicity and low therapeutic effects. What is more, the long-term shutdown of tumor blood vessel density also aggravates hypoxia and causes immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In order to solve these shortcomings, we developed a single therapeutic agent based on a bovine serum albumin nanocarrier that can co-deliver the anti-angiogenic drug Sorafenib ("S") and the photosensitizer Ce6 ("C") along with a molecular oxygen supply based on MnO2 ("M") as a convenient one-pot formulated nanoscale agent (SCM@BSA). Compared with anti-angiogenesis monotherapy, SCM@BSA can not only improve upon the solubility and therapeutic effects of anti-angiogenesis agents, but it also reshapes the immunosuppressive TME during anti-angiogenic therapy. Together, these results point out that SCM@BSA synthesized via a very simple method can solve the shortcomings usually experienced during long-term anti-angiogenic therapy.

Pharmacokinetic effects of capsaicin on vinblastine in rats mediated by CYP3A and Mrp2.

Capsaicin (trans-8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide, CAP) is an important ingredient in spicy foods consumed throughout the world. Vinblastine (VBL) is a naturally occurring alkaloid prescribed to cancer patients. Many cancer patients treated with VBL were taking CAP at the same time. This study attempted to investigate the effect of CAP on the pharmacokinetics of VBL, which is the substrate of CYP3A, P-gp, and Mrp2. CAP, cyclosporine (CsA) or olive oil was given to rats for seven consecutive days, and on the seventh day, VBL (1.3 mg/kg) was administered intravenously. CsA was used as a CYP3A1/2 and transporter inhibitor, and olive oil was used as a vehicle. The results showed that pretreatment of rats with CAP (3.0 mg/kg) for seven consecutive days resulted in an increase in the AUC0-t of VBL of about 29.8% (P < 0.05) compared with the control group. Moreover, CAP decreased the CL of VBL to 75.5% (P < 0.05). At this time, CYP3A1/2 and Mrp2/Abcc2 in the liver was decreased at the mRNA and protein levels. These results demonstrate that chronic ingestion of CAP will increase systemic exposure and reduce clearance of VBL in rats. The food-drug interaction between CAP and VBL appears to be due to modulation of CYP3A1/2 and Mpr2 expression by CAP.

PD-L1 regulation by SDH5 via ß-catenin/ZEB1 signaling.

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is a crucial target for lung cancer immunotherapy. In lung cancer patients with high PD-L1 expression, blocking or reducing its expression can inhibit tumor growth. PD-L1 is regulated by signaling pathways, transcription factors and epigenetic factors, such as the GSK3ß/ß-catenin pathway, P53 protein and EMT. In our previous study, succinate dehydrogenase 5 (SDH5) was reported to regulate ZEB1 expression, induce EMT and lead to lung cancer metastasis via the GSK3ß/ß-catenin pathway. It is possible that SDH5 is involved in the mechanisms of PD-L1 regulation.In the present study, we observed a negative correlation between the expression of PD-L1 and SDH5 in vivo and in vitro. The examination of patient tissues also confirmed our results. Furthermore, we also found that SDH5 could reverse PD-L1 expression by the GSK3ß/ß-catenin/ZEB1 pathways. All these results reveal that SDH5 regulates PD-L1 expression and suggest that SDH5 can be used as a marker to predict tumor immune micro-states and provide guidance for clinical immunotherapy.

SDH5 Depletion Enhances Radiosensitivity by Regulating p53: A New Method for Noninvasive Prediction of Radiotherapy Response.

Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for lung cancer but lacks a reliable prediction method. Cell-free nucleic acids in plasma have been reported as a novel tumor marker. Here, we evaluate circulating succinate dehydrogenase 5 (SDH5) mRNA in plasma and SDH5 protein in tumors, assess their predictive value in lung cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: SDH5 expression was measured in peripheral blood samples and fresh tumor specimens from 208 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and correlated with clinical outcomes. SDH5 knockout mice and human xenograft mice were used to evaluate radiosensitivity. Cell growth, apoptosis, and the DNA damage response were assessed. Relevant RNA and protein levels were analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Immunoprecipitation and GST pulldown assays were performed to detect protein-protein interactions. Polyubiquitination of p53 was examined by an in vitro ubiquitination assay. Results: Plasma and tumor SDH5 mRNA levels were positively correlated (rho=0.894, P<0.001). Patients with relatively low SDH5 levels in plasma (0.47, 0.12-0.89) and tumors (3.85, 0.96-7.23) had a better prognosis after radiotherapy (median PFS: 30.0 versus 15.0 months, hazard ratio: 0.276, 95% CI: 0.201-0.379, P<0.001). In SDH5 knockout mice, the lung epithelial cells exhibited increased DNA damage after radiation. In human lung xenograft mice, SDH5-deficient tumors had a smaller volume after radiotherapy. Furthermore, SDH5 depletion inhibits p53 degradation via the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway, which promotes apoptosis and enhances radiosensitivity in NSCLC. Conclusion: Our findings provide a novel noninvasive method for prediction of response to radiotherapy and may have significant implications for cancer radiotherapy.