scholarly journals Stress Hormones: Emerging Targets in Gynecological Cancers

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guoqiang Chen ◽  
Lei Qiu ◽  
Jinghai Gao ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Jianhong Dang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Dopamine Agonists ◽  
Stress Hormones ◽  
Gynecological Cancers ◽  
The Past ◽  
Proliferation And Metastasis ◽  
Β Blockers ◽  
Sympathetic Nervous

In the past decade, several discoveries have documented the existence of innervation in ovarian cancer and cervical cancer. Notably, various neurotransmitters released by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system can promote the proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells and regulate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms involving neurotransmitters in the occurrence and development of gynecological cancers will be beneficial for exploring the feasibility of using inexpensive β-blockers and dopamine agonists in the clinical treatment of gynecological cancers. Additionally, this article provides some new insights into targeting tumor innervation and neurotransmitters in the tumor microenvironment.

scholarly journals Epigenetic therapy activates type I interferon signaling in murine ovarian cancer to reduce immunosuppression and tumor burden

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (51) ◽  
pp. E10981-E10990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith L. Stone ◽  
Katherine B. Chiappinelli ◽  
Huili Li ◽  
Lauren M. Murphy ◽  
Meghan E. Travers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Immune Checkpoint ◽  
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Tumor Burden ◽  
Epigenetic Therapy ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type I Ifn

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal of all gynecological cancers, and there is an urgent unmet need to develop new therapies. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is characterized by an immune suppressive microenvironment, and response of ovarian cancers to immune therapies has thus far been disappointing. We now find, in a mouse model of EOC, that clinically relevant doses of DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase inhibitors (DNMTi and HDACi, respectively) reduce the immune suppressive microenvironment through type I IFN signaling and improve response to immune checkpoint therapy. These data indicate that the type I IFN response is required for effective in vivo antitumorigenic actions of the DNMTi 5-azacytidine (AZA). Through type I IFN signaling, AZA increases the numbers of CD45+ immune cells and the percentage of active CD8+ T and natural killer (NK) cells in the tumor microenvironment, while reducing tumor burden and extending survival. AZA also increases viral defense gene expression in both tumor and immune cells, and reduces the percentage of macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the tumor microenvironment. The addition of an HDACi to AZA enhances the modulation of the immune microenvironment, specifically increasing T and NK cell activation and reducing macrophages over AZA treatment alone, while further increasing the survival of the mice. Finally, a triple combination of DNMTi/HDACi plus the immune checkpoint inhibitor α-PD-1 provides the best antitumor effect and longest overall survival, and may be an attractive candidate for future clinical trials in ovarian cancer.

scholarly journals The Tumor Microenvironment of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer and Its Influence on Response to Immunotherapy

Cancers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galaxia Rodriguez ◽  
Kristianne Galpin ◽  
Curtis McCloskey ◽  
Barbara Vanderhyden
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Epithelial Ovarian Cancer ◽  
B Lymphocytes ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cell ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Mutational Burden ◽  
Tumor Mutational Burden

Immunotherapy as a treatment for cancer is a growing field of endeavor but reports of success have been limited for epithelial ovarian cancer. Overcoming the challenges to developing more effective therapeutic approaches lies in a better understanding of the factors in cancer cells and the surrounding tumor microenvironment that limit response to immunotherapies. This article provides an overview of some ovarian cancer cell features such as tumor-associated antigens, ovarian cancer-derived exosomes, tumor mutational burden and overexpression of immunoinhibitory molecules. Moreover, we describe relevant cell types found in epithelial ovarian tumors including immune cells (T and B lymphocytes, Tregs, NK cells, TAMs, MDSCs) and other components found in the tumor microenvironment including fibroblasts and the adipocytes in the omentum. We focus on how those components may influence responses to standard treatments or immunotherapies.

scholarly journals CLDN6 and CLDN10 are Associated with Immune Infiltration of Ovarian Cancer: A Study of Claudin Family

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peipei Gao ◽  
Ting Peng ◽  
Canhui Cao ◽  
Shitong Lin ◽  
Ping Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Gene Markers ◽  
Immune Infiltration ◽  
Kaplan Meier ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background: Claudin family is a group of membrane proteins related to tight junction. There are many studies about them in cancer, but few studies pay attention to the relationship between them and the tumor microenvironment. In our research, we mainly focused on the genes related to the prognosis of ovarian cancer, and explored the relationship between them and the tumor microenvironment of ovarian cancer.Methods: The cBioProtal provided the genetic variation pattern of claudin gene family in ovarian cancer. The ONCOMINE database and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) were used to exploring the mRNA expression of claudins in cancers. The prognostic potential of these genes was examined via Kaplan-Meier plotter. Immunologic signatures were enriched by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The correlations between claudins and the tumor microenvironment of ovarian cancer were investigated via Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER).Results: In our research, claudin genes were altered in 363 (62%) of queried patients/samples. Abnormal expression levels of claudins were observed in various cancers. Among them, we found that CLDN3, CLDN4, CLDN6, CLDN10, CLDN15 and CLDN16 were significantly correlated with overall survival of patients with ovarian cancer. GSEA revealed that CLDN6 and CLDN10 were significantly enriched in immunologic signatures about B cell, CD4 T cell and CD8 T cell. What makes more sense is that CLDN6 and CLDN10 were found related to the tumor microenvironment. CLDN6 expression was negatively correlated with immune infiltration level in ovarian cancer, and CLDN10 expression was positively correlated with immune infiltration level in ovarian cancer. Further study revealed the CLDN6 expression level was negatively correlated with gene markers of various immune cells in ovarian cancer. And, the expression of CLDN10 was positive correlated with gene markers of immune cells in ovarian cancer.Conclusions: CLDN6 and CLDN10 were prognostic biomarkers, and correlated with immune infiltration in ovarian cancer. Our results revealed new roles for CLDN6 and CLDN10, and they were potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

scholarly journals Regulation of Ovarian Cancer Prognosis by Immune Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment

Cancers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen L. Drakes ◽  
Patrick J. Stiff
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Conventional Therapy ◽  
Antitumor Immunity ◽  
Cell Activity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Adaptive Immune Cells ◽  
Immune Biomarkers

It is estimated that in the United States in 2018 there will be 22,240 new cases of ovarian cancer and 14,070 deaths due to this malignancy. The most common subgroup of this disease is high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), which is known for its aggressiveness, high recurrence rate, metastasis to other sites, and the development of resistance to conventional therapy. It is important to understand the ovarian cancer tumor microenvironment (TME) from the viewpoint of the function of pre-existing immune cells, as immunocompetent cells are crucial to mounting robust antitumor responses to prevent visible tumor lesions, disease progression, or recurrence. Networks consisting of innate and adaptive immune cells, metabolic pathways, intracellular signaling molecules, and a vast array of soluble factors, shape the pathogenic nature of the TME and are useful prognostic indicators of responses to conventional therapy and immunotherapy, and subsequent survival rates. This review highlights key immune cells and soluble molecules in the TME of ovarian cancer, which are important in the development of effective antitumor immunity, as well as those that impair effector T cell activity. A more insightful knowledge of the HGSOC TME will reveal potential immune biomarkers to aid in the early detection of this disease, as well as biomarkers that may be targeted to advance the design of novel therapies that induce potent antitumor immunity and survival benefit.

scholarly journals Estrogens and the Schrödinger’s Cat in the Ovarian Tumor Microenvironment

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 5011
Author(s):  
Marija Gjorgoska ◽  
Tea Lanišnik Rižner
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Ovarian Tumor ◽  
Cancer Biology ◽  
Thought Experiment ◽  
Invasion And Metastasis ◽  
Established Tumor

Ovarian cancer is a heterogeneous disease affecting the aging ovary, in concert with a complex network of cells and signals, together representing the ovarian tumor microenvironment. As in the “Schrödinger’s cat” thought experiment, the context-dependent constituents of the—by the time of diagnosis—well-established tumor microenvironment may display a tumor‑protective and ‑destructive role. Systemic and locally synthesized estrogens contribute to the formation of a pro-tumoral microenvironment that enables the sustained tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. Here we focus on the estrogen biosynthetic and metabolic pathways in ovarian cancer and elaborate their actions on phenotypically plastic, estrogen-responsive, aging immune cells of the tumor microenvironment, altogether highlighting the multicomponent-connectedness and complexity of cancer, and contributing to a broader understanding of the ovarian cancer biology.

scholarly journals Shaping Immune Responses in the Tumor Microenvironment of Ovarian Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Luo ◽  
Jing Xu ◽  
Jianhua Yu ◽  
Ping Yi
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Disease Progression ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Biomarker Discovery ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Ovarian Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Tumor

Reciprocal signaling between immune cells and ovarian cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment can alter immune responses and regulate disease progression. These signaling events are regulated by multiple factors, including genetic and epigenetic alterations in both the ovarian cancer cells and immune cells, as well as cytokine pathways. Multiple immune cell types are recruited to the ovarian cancer tumor microenvironment, and new insights about the complexity of their interactions have emerged in recent years. The growing understanding of immune cell function in the ovarian cancer tumor microenvironment has important implications for biomarker discovery and therapeutic development. This review aims to describe the factors that shape the phenotypes of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of ovarian cancer and how these changes impact disease progression and therapy.

scholarly journals The Crosstalk between Ovarian Cancer Stem Cell Niche and the Tumor Microenvironment

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Varas-Godoy ◽  
Gregory Rice ◽  
Sebastián E. Illanes
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Stem Cell Niche ◽  
Small Population ◽  
The World ◽  
Cell Niche

Ovarian cancer is one of the most important causes of cancer-related death among women in the world. Despite advances in ovarian cancer treatment, 70–80% of women who initially respond to therapy eventually relapse and die. There is evidence that a small population of cells within the tumors called cancer stem cells (CSCs) could be responsible for treatment failure due to their enhanced chemoresistance and tumorigenicity. These cells reside in a niche that maintains the principal properties of CSCs. These properties are associated with the capacity of CSCs to interact with different cells of the tumor microenvironment including mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial cells, immune cells, and fibroblasts, promoting cancer progression. This interaction can be mediated by cytokines, growth factors, lipids, and/or extracellular vesicles released in the CSC niche. In this review, we will discuss how the interaction between ovarian CSCs and the tumor microenvironment can contribute to the maintenance of the CSC niche and consequently to tumor progression in ovarian cancer.

scholarly journals The Role of Chemoattractant Receptors in Shaping the Tumor Microenvironment

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiamin Zhou ◽  
Yi Xiang ◽  
Teizo Yoshimura ◽  
Keqiang Chen ◽  
Wanghua Gong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Tumor Cells ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Malignant Tumors ◽  
G Protein Coupled Receptors ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
The Past ◽  
G Protein Coupled

Chemoattractant receptors are a family of seven transmembrane G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) initially found to mediate the chemotaxis and activation of immune cells. During the past decades, the functions of these GPCRs have been discovered to not only regulate leukocyte trafficking and promote immune responses, but also play important roles in homeostasis, development, angiogenesis, and tumor progression. Accumulating evidence indicates that chemoattractant GPCRs and their ligands promote the progression of malignant tumors based on their capacity to orchestrate the infiltration of the tumor microenvironment by immune cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and mesenchymal cells. This facilitates the interaction of tumor cells with host cells, tumor cells with tumor cells, and host cells with host cells to provide a basis for the expansion of established tumors and development of distant metastasis. In addition, many malignant tumors of the nonhematopoietic origin express multiple chemoattractant GPCRs that increase the invasiveness and metastasis of tumor cells. Therefore, GPCRs and their ligands constitute targets for the development of novel antitumor therapeutics.

scholarly journals Prognostic signature of ovarian cancer based on 14 tumor microenvironment genes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiazi Nie ◽  
Lina Song ◽  
Xiaohua Li ◽  
Yirong Wang ◽  
Bo Qu
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Risk Score ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Prognostic Model ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Prognostic Signature ◽  
Cox Regression Analysis

Abstract Background Ovarian cancer is one of the lethal gynecological in women. Tumor microenvironment (TME) is emerging as a pivotal biomarker for patients’ therapeutic sensitivity and prognosis. In this study, we proposed to explore the prognostic role of TME-related genes in ovarian cancer. Methods The data of whole genome expression profiles and detailed clinicopathological information of three cohorts of ovarian cancer patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Univariate Cox regression analysis was used to screen TME-related genes with significantly prognostic value based on TCGA cohort. LASSO Cox regression analysis was adapted to the construction of prognostic model. Ovarian cancer cohorts from GEO were used as validation set for verifying the reliability of the prognostic model. Relative infiltrating proportion of 22 immune cells were estimated through CIBERSORT software. Results This study identified a total of 14 TME-related genes that finally incorporated into the prognostic model. The risk score that calculated through the prognostic model was proved as an independent prognostic signature in ovarian cancer. Nomogram that contains TNM stage and risk score could reliably predict the long-term overall survival probability. Additionally, risk score was significantly associated with the relative infiltrating proportion of several immune cells in ovarian cancer and mRNA levels of some immune checkpoint genes. Conclusions This study constructed a prognostic model for ovarian cancer, which was closely associated with the prognosis and immune status. This should provide novel clue for prognosis study in ovarian cancer.

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