scholarly journals Embryonic Origin and Subclonal Evolution of Tumor-Associated Macrophages Imply Preventive Care for Cancer

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 903
Author(s):  
Xiao-Mei Zhang ◽  
De-Gao Chen ◽  
Shengwen Calvin Li ◽  
Bo Zhu ◽  
Zhong-Jun Li

Macrophages are widely distributed in tissues and function in homeostasis. During cancer development, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) dominatingly support disease progression and resistance to therapy by promoting tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and immunosuppression, thereby making TAMs a target for tumor immunotherapy. Here, we started with evidence that TAMs are highly plastic and heterogeneous in phenotype and function in response to microenvironmental cues. We pointed out that efforts to tear off the heterogeneous “camouflage” in TAMs conduce to target de facto protumoral TAMs efficiently. In particular, several fate-mapping models suggest that most tissue-resident macrophages (TRMs) are generated from embryonic progenitors, and new paradigms uncover the ontogeny of TAMs. First, TAMs from embryonic modeling of TRMs and circulating monocytes have distinct transcriptional profiling and function, suggesting that the ontogeny of TAMs is responsible for the functional heterogeneity of TAMs, in addition to microenvironmental cues. Second, metabolic remodeling helps determine the mechanism of phenotypic and functional characteristics in TAMs, including metabolic bias from macrophages’ ontogeny in macrophages’ functional plasticity under physiological and pathological conditions. Both models aim at dissecting the ontogeny-related metabolic regulation in the phenotypic and functional heterogeneity in TAMs. We argue that gleaning from the single-cell transcriptomics on subclonal TAMs’ origins may help understand the classification of TAMs’ population in subclonal evolution and their distinct roles in tumor development. We envision that TAM-subclone-specific metabolic reprogramming may round-up with future cancer therapies.

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1416
Author(s):  
Qiuping Liu ◽  
Xiaomeng Liu ◽  
Guanbin Song

The Hippo pathway is pervasively activated and has been well recognized to play critical roles in human cancer. The deregulation of Hippo signaling involved in cancer development, progression, and resistance to cancer treatment have been confirmed in several human cancers. Its biological significance and deregulation in cancer have drawn increasing interest in the past few years. A fundamental understanding of the complexity of the Hippo pathway in cancer is crucial for improving future clinical interventions and therapy for cancers. In this review, we try to clarify the complex regulation and function of the Hippo signaling network in cancer development, including its role in signal transduction, metabolic regulation, and tumor development, as well as tumor therapies targeting the Hippo pathway.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2719
Author(s):  
Alba Loras ◽  
Cristina Segovia ◽  
José Luis Ruiz-Cerdá

Bladder cancer (BC) represents a clinical, social, and economic challenge due to tumor-intrinsic characteristics, limitations of diagnostic techniques and a lack of personalized treatments. In the last decade, the use of liquid biopsy has grown as a non-invasive approach to characterize tumors. Moreover, the emergence of omics has increased our knowledge of cancer biology and identified critical BC biomarkers. The rewiring between epigenetics and metabolism has been closely linked to tumor phenotype. Chromatin remodelers interact with each other to control gene silencing in BC, but also with stress-inducible factors or oncogenic signaling cascades to regulate metabolic reprogramming towards glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and lipogenesis. Concurrently, one-carbon metabolism supplies methyl groups to histone and DNA methyltransferases, leading to the hypermethylation and silencing of suppressor genes in BC. Conversely, α-KG and acetyl-CoA enhance the activity of histone demethylases and acetyl transferases, increasing gene expression, while succinate and fumarate have an inhibitory role. This review is the first to analyze the interplay between epigenome, metabolome and cell signaling pathways in BC, and shows how their regulation contributes to tumor development and progression. Moreover, it summarizes non-invasive biomarkers that could be applied in clinical practice to improve diagnosis, monitoring, prognosis and the therapeutic options in BC.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Li ◽  
Johnie Hodge ◽  
Qing Liu ◽  
Junfeng Wang ◽  
Yuzhen Wang ◽  
...  

BackgroundTumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play key roles in the development of many malignant solid tumors including breast cancer. They are educated in the tumor microenvironment (TME) to promote tumor growth, metastasis, and therapy resistance. However, the phenotype of TAMs is elusive and how to regulate them for therapeutic purpose remains unclear; therefore, TAM-targeting therapies have not yet achieved clinical success. The purposes of this study were to examine the role of transcription factor EB (TFEB) in regulating TAM gene expression and function and to determine if TFEB activation can halt breast tumor development.MethodsMicroarrays were used to analyze the gene expression profile of macrophages (MΦs) in the context of breast cancer and to examine the impact of TFEB overexpression. Cell culture studies were performed to define the mechanisms by which TFEB affects MΦ gene expression and function. Mouse studies were carried out to investigate the impact of MΦ TFEB deficiency or activation on breast tumor growth. Human cancer genome data were analyzed to reveal the prognostic value of TFEB and its regulated genes.ResultsTAM-mimic MΦs display a unique gene expression profile, including significant reduction in TFEB expression. TFEB overexpression favorably modulates TAM gene expression through multiple signaling pathways. Specifically, TFEB upregulates suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) expression and autophagy/lysosome activities, inhibits NLRP3 (NLR Family Pyrin Domain Containing 3) inflammasome and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α mediated hypoxia response, and thereby suppresses an array of effector molecules in TAMs including arginase 1, interleukin (IL)-10, IL-1β, IL-6 and prostaglandin E2. MΦ-specific TFEB deficiency promotes, while activation of TFEB using the natural disaccharide trehalose halts, breast tumor development by modulating TAMs. Analysis of human patient genome database reveals that expression levels of TFEB, SOCS3 and PPARγ are positive prognostic markers, while HIF-1α is a negative prognostic marker of breast cancer.ConclusionsOur study identifies TFEB as a master regulator of TAMs in breast cancer. TFEB controls TAM gene expression and function through multiple autophagy/lysosome-dependent and independent pathways. Therefore, pharmacological activation of TFEB would be a promising therapeutic approach to improve the efficacy of existing treatment including immune therapies for breast cancer by favorably modulating TAM function and the TME.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Gutiérrez-Salmerón ◽  
Silvia Rocío Rocío Lucena ◽  
Ana Chocarro-Calvo ◽  
Jose Manuel Garcia-Martinez ◽  
Rosa M Martín Orozco ◽  
...  

The existence of molecular links that facilitate colorectal cancer (CRC) development in the population with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is supported by substantial epidemiological evidence. This review summarizes how the systemic metabolic and hormonal imbalances from T2D alter CRC cell metabolism, signaling and gene expression as well as their reciprocal meshing, with an overview of CRC molecular subtypes and animal models to study the diabetes-CRC cancer links. Metabolic and growth factor checkpoints ensure a physiological cell proliferation rate compatible with limited nutrient supply. Hyperinsulinemia and hyperleptinemia in prediabetes and excess circulating glucose and lipids in T2D, overcome formidable barriers for tumor development. Increased nutrient availability favours metabolic reprogramming, alters signaling and generate mutations and epigenetic modifications, through increased reactive oxygen species and oncometabolites. The reciprocal control between metabolism and hormone signaling is lost in diabetes. Excess adipose tissue at the origin of T2D, unbalances adipokine (leptin / adiponectin) secretion ratios and function and disrupts the Insulin/IGF axes. Leptin/adiponectin imbalances in T2D are believed to promote proliferation and invasion of CRC cancer cells and contribute to inflammation, an important component of CRC tumorigenesis. Disruption of the Insulin/IGF axes in T2D targets systemic and CRC cell metabolic reprogramming, survival and proliferation. Future research to clarify the molecular diabetes-CRC links will help to prevent CRC and reduce its incidence in the diabetic population and must guide therapeutic decisions.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin C. Kennedy ◽  
Christopher R. Showers ◽  
David E. Anderson ◽  
Lisa Anderson ◽  
Peter Canoll ◽  
...  

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) contribute substantially to the tumor mass of gliomas and have been shown to play a major role in the creation of a tumor microenvironment that promotes tumor progression. Shortcomings of attempts at antiglioma immunotherapy may result from a failure to adequately address these effects. Emerging evidence supports an independent categorization of glioma TAMs as alternatively activated M2-type macrophages, in contrast to classically activated proinflammatory M1-type macrophages. These M2-type macrophages exert glioma-supportive effects through reduced anti-tumor functions, increased expression of immunosuppressive mediators, and nonimmune tumor promotion through expression of trophic and invasion-facilitating substances. Much of our work has demonstrated these features of glioma TAMs, and together with the supporting literature will be reviewed here. Additionally, the dynamics of glioma cell-TAM interaction over the course of tumor development remain poorly understood; our efforts to elucidate glioma cell-TAM dynamics are summarized. Finally, the molecular pathways which underlie M2-type TAM polarization and gene expression similarly require further investigation, and may present the most potent targets for immunotherapeutic intervention. Highlighting recent evidence implicating the transcription factor STAT3 in immunosuppressive tumorigenic glioma TAMs, we advocate for gene array-based approaches to identify yet unappreciated expression regulators and effector molecules important to M2-type glioma TAMs polarization and function within the glioma tumor microenvironment.


Author(s):  
Pranavi Koppula ◽  
Li Zhuang ◽  
Boyi Gan

Abstract The cystine/glutamate antiporter SLC7A11 (also commonly known as xCT) functions to import cystine for glutathione biosynthesis and antioxidant defense and is overexpressed in multiple human cancers. Recent studies revealed that SLC7A11 overexpression promotes tumor growth partly through suppressing ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death induced by excessive lipid peroxidation. However, cancer cells with high expression of SLC7A11 (SLC7A11high) also have to endure the significant cost associated with SLC7A11-mediated metabolic reprogramming, leading to glucose- and glutamine-dependency in SLC7A11high cancer cells, which presents potential metabolic vulnerabilities for therapeutic targeting in SLC7A11high cancer. In this review, we summarize diverse regulatory mechanisms of SLC7A11 in cancer, discuss ferroptosis-dependent and -independent functions of SLC7A11 in promoting tumor development, explore the mechanistic basis of SLC7A11-induced nutrient dependency in cancer cells, and conceptualize therapeutic strategies to target SLC7A11 in cancer treatment. This review will provide the foundation for further understanding SLC7A11 in ferroptosis, nutrient dependency, and tumor biology and for developing novel effective cancer therapies.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Zhao ◽  
Ke Yao ◽  
Hua Yu ◽  
Ling Zhang ◽  
Yuyan Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract During early mammalian embryogenesis, dynamic changes in cell growth and proliferation are tightly linked to the underlying genetic and metabolic regulation. However, our understanding of metabolic reprogramming and its impact on epigenetic regulation in early embryo development remains elusive 1. Here, we profiled metabolomes of embryos from the 2-cell and blastocyst stages, and their in vitro counterpart 2-cell like cells and ES cells, and reconstructed their metabolic landscape through the transition from totipotency to pluripotency. Our integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis showed that 2-cell embryos favor methionine, polyamine and glutathione metabolism and stay in a more reductive state, whereas blastocyst embryos have higher mitochondrial TCA cycle metabolites and are in a more oxidative state. Moreover, we identify a reciprocal relationship between α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) and the competitive inhibitor of α-KG-dependent dioxygenases L-2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG)2, namely, higher L-2-HG in the 2-cell embryos inherited from oocytes and 1-cell zygotes, and higher α-KG in the blastocyst. Supplementing 2-HG or knocking down L2hgdh, a gene encoding the 2-HG consuming enzyme L-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase 3 impeded erasure of global histone methylation markers 4–6. Together, our data demonstrate dynamic and interconnected metabolic, transcriptional and epigenetic network remodeling during murine early embryo development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina M. Ruiz ◽  
Allan Libedinsky ◽  
Alvaro A. Elorza

Copper is essential for life processes like energy metabolism, reactive oxygen species detoxification, iron uptake, and signaling in eukaryotic organisms. Mitochondria gather copper for the assembly of cuproenzymes such as the respiratory complex IV, cytochrome c oxidase, and the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase 1. In this regard, copper plays a role in mitochondrial function and signaling involving bioenergetics, dynamics, and mitophagy, which affect cell fate by means of metabolic reprogramming. In mammals, copper homeostasis is tightly regulated by the liver. However, cellular copper levels are tissue specific. Copper imbalances, either overload or deficiency, have been associated with many diseases, including anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia, as well as tumor development and cancer aggressivity. Consistently, new pharmacological developments have been addressed to reduce or exacerbate copper levels as potential cancer therapies. This review goes over the copper source, distribution, cellular uptake, and its role in mitochondrial function, metabolic reprograming, and cancer biology, linking copper metabolism with the field of regenerative medicine and cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2602
Author(s):  
Emilie Viennois ◽  
Benoit Chassaing

Inflammation is a well-characterized critical driver of gastrointestinal cancers. Previous findings have shown that intestinal low-grade inflammation can be promoted by the consumption of select dietary emulsifiers, ubiquitous component of processed foods which alter the composition and function of the gut microbiota. Using a model of colitis-associated cancer, we previously reported that consumption of the dietary emulsifiers carboxymethylcellulose or polysorbate-80 exacerbated colonic tumor development. Here, we investigate the impact of dietary emulsifiers consumption on cancer initiation and progression in a genetical model of intestinal adenomas. In APCmin mice, we observed that dietary emulsifiers consumption enhanced small-intestine tumor development in a way that appeared to be independent of chronic intestinal inflammation but rather associated with emulsifiers’ impact on the proliferative status of the intestinal epithelium as well as on intestinal microbiota composition in both male and female mice. Overall, our findings further support the hypothesis that emulsifier consumption may be a new modifiable risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC) and that alterations in host–microbiota interactions can favor gastrointestinal carcinogenesis in individuals with a genetical predisposition to such disorders.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer K. Dowling ◽  
Remsha Afzal ◽  
Linden J. Gearing ◽  
Mariana P. Cervantes-Silva ◽  
Stephanie Annett ◽  
...  

AbstractMitochondria are important regulators of macrophage polarisation. Here, we show that arginase-2 (Arg2) is a microRNA-155 (miR-155) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) regulated protein localized at the mitochondria in inflammatory macrophages, and is critical for IL-10-induced modulation of mitochondrial dynamics and oxidative respiration. Mechanistically, the catalytic activity and presence of Arg2 at the mitochondria is crucial for oxidative phosphorylation. We further show that Arg2 mediates this process by increasing the activity of complex II (succinate dehydrogenase). Moreover, Arg2 is essential for IL-10-mediated downregulation of the inflammatory mediators succinate, hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and IL-1β in vitro. Accordingly, HIF-1α and IL-1β are highly expressed in an LPS-induced in vivo model of acute inflammation using Arg2−/− mice. These findings shed light on a new arm of IL-10-mediated metabolic regulation, working to resolve the inflammatory status of the cell.


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