Semiconducting polymer nano-radiopharmaceutical for combined radio-photothermal therapy of pancreatic tumor

Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastatingly malignant tumor with a high mortality. However, current strategies to treat PDAC generally have low efficacy and high side-effects, therefore, effective treatment against PDAC remains an urgent need. Results We report a semiconducting polymer nano-radiopharmaceutical with intrinsic photothermal capability and labeling with therapeutic radioisotope 177Lu (177Lu-SPN-GIP) for combined radio- and photothermal therapy of pancreatic tumor. 177Lu-SPN-GIP endowed good stability at physiological conditions, high cell uptake, and long retention time in tumor site. By virtue of combined radiotherapy (RT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), 177Lu-SPN-GIP exhibited enhanced therapeutic capability to kill cancer cells and xenograft tumor in living mice compared with RT or PTT alone. More importantly, 177Lu-SPN-GIP could suppress the growth of the tumor stem cells and reverse epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), which may greatly reduce the occurrence of metastasis. Conclusion Such strategy we developed could improve therapeutic outcomes over traditional RT as it is able to ablate tumor with relatively lower doses of radiopharmaceuticals to reduce its side effects. Graphical abstract

HCG18 Participates in Vascular Invasion of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Regulating Macrophages and Tumor Stem Cells

ObjectivesTo identify key genes involved in vascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), to describe their regulatory mechanisms, and to explore the immune microenvironment of HCC.MethodologyIn this study, the genome, transcriptome, and immune microenvironment of HCC were assessed by using multi-platform data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (n = 373) and GEO data (GSE149614). The key regulatory networks, transcription factors and core genes related to vascular invasion and prognosis were explored based on the CE mechanism. Survival analysis and gene set enrichment were used to explore pathways related to vascular invasion. Combined with single-cell transcriptome data, the distribution of core gene expression in various cells was observed. Cellular communication analysis was used to identify key cells associated with vascular invasion. Pseudo-temporal locus analysis was used to explore the regulation of core genes in key cell phenotypes. The influence of core genes on current immune checkpoint therapy was evaluated and correlations with tumor stem cell scores were explored.ResultsWe obtained a network containing 1,249 pairs of CE regulatory relationships, including 579 differential proteins, 28 non-coding RNAs, and 37 miRNAs. Three key transcription factors, ILF2, YBX1, and HMGA1, were identified, all regulated by HCG18 lncRNA. ScRNAseq showed that HCG18 co-localized with macrophages and stem cells. CIBERSORTx assessed 22 types of immune cells in HCC and found that HCG18 was positively correlated with M0 macrophages, while being negatively correlated with M1 and M2 macrophages, monocytes, and dendritic cells. Cluster analysis based on patient prognosis suggested that regulating phenotypic transformation of macrophages could be an effective intervention for treating HCC. At the same time, higher expression of HCG18, HMGA1, ILF2, and YBX1 was associated with a higher stem cell score and less tumor differentiation. Pan cancer analysis indicated that high expression of HCG18 implies high sensitivity to immune checkpoint therapy.ConclusionHCG18 participates in vascular invasion of HCC by regulating macrophages and tumor stem cells through three key transcription factors, YBX1, ILF2, and HMGA1.

Semiconducting Polymer Nano-Radiopharmaceutical For Combined Radio-Photothermal Therapy of Pancreatic Tumor

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastatingly malignant tumor with a high mortality. However, current strategies to treat PDAC generally have low efficacy and high side-effects, therefore, effective treatment against PDAC remains an urgent need. Results: We report a semiconducting polymer nano-radiopharmaceutical with intrinsic photothermal capability and labeling with therapeutic radioisotope 177Lu (177Lu-SPN-GIP) for combined radio- and photothermal therapy of pancreatic tumor. 177Lu-SPN-GIP endowed good stability at physiological conditions, high cell uptake, and long retention time in tumor site. By virtue of combined radiotherapy (RT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), 177Lu-SPN-GIP exhibited enhanced therapeutic capability to kill cancer cells and xenograft tumor in living mice compared with RT or PTT alone. More importantly, 177Lu-SPN-GIP could suppress the growth of the tumor stem cells and reverse epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), which may greatly reduce the occurrence of metastasis. Conclusion: Such strategy we developed could improve therapeutic outcomes over traditional RT as it is able to ablate tumor with relatively lower doses of radiopharmaceuticals to reduce its side effects.

The Importance of Tumor Stem Cells in Glioblastoma Resistance to Therapy

Glioblastoma (GBM) is known to be the most common and lethal primary malignant brain tumor. Therapies against this neoplasia have a high percentage of failure, associated with the survival of self-renewing glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), which repopulate treated tumors. In addition, despite new radical surgery protocols and the introduction of new anticancer drugs, protocols for treatment, and technical advances in radiotherapy, no significant improvement in the survival rate for GBMs has been realized. Thus, novel antitarget therapies could be used in conjunction with standard radiochemotherapy approaches. Targeted therapy, indeed, may address specific targets that play an essential role in the proliferation, survival, and invasiveness of GBM cells, including numerous molecules involved in signal transduction pathways. Significant cellular heterogeneity and the hierarchy with GSCs showing a therapy-resistant phenotype could explain tumor recurrence and local invasiveness and, therefore, may be a target for new therapies. Therefore, the forced differentiation of GSCs may be a promising new approach in GBM treatment. This article provides an updated review of the current standard and experimental therapies for GBM, as well as an overview of the molecular characteristics of GSCs, the mechanisms that activate resistance to current treatments, and a new antitumor strategy for treating GSCs for use as therapy.

FEATURES OF EXPRESSION OF CD133 AND CD44 MARKERS OF TUMOR STEM CELLS WITH METASTATIC AND NON-METASTATIC GASTRIC CANCER

Background. Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death due to advanced disease. A special role in the pathogenesis and metastasis of the tumor is assigned to tumor stem cells (TSC ), responsible for resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and causing tumor progression.Objective: to determine the CD 44 and CD 133 markers of TSC in tumor tissues of non-metastatic and metastatic gastric cancer using the immunohistochemical method.Material and Methods. A prospective study of tumors in patients with gastric cancer was conducted: Group 1 – 20 people with T3–4aN0–3M0G2 tumor, average age 58.9 ± 9.7; Group 2 – 20 people with T3–4aN0–3M1G2 tumor, with metastases in the peritoneum, average age 53.4 ± 11.9. The expression of CD 44 and CD 133 in the tumor tissue was determined by immunohistochemistry.Results. Differences were found in the number of tumor cells expressing the CD 44 marker in the presence and absence of metastases in patients with gastric cancer – their number was 10.0 ± 3.08 and 6.0 ± 2.3, respectively. The CD 133 molecule was detected in 100 % of cases having metastases, while in cases having no metastases, the marker was detected only in 80 % of cases. The average percentage of CD 133 + cells was 21.3 ± 11.6 % in patients with metastatic gastric cancer and 10.0 ± 2.4 % in patients having no metastases.Conclusion. The degree of expression of the CD 44 and CD 133 markers had characteristic differences in patients with gastric cancer, which can be used further to explain the results of the treatment and the prognosis of the disease.

First person – Roberta Azzarelli

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Biology Open, helping early-career researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Roberta Azzarelli is first author on ‘Three-dimensional model of glioblastoma by co-culturing tumor stem cells with human brain organoids’, published in BiO. Roberta conducted the research described in this article while a Rita Levi Montalcini fellow in Roberta Azzarelli's lab at Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Italy. She is now a research associate in the lab of Anna Philpott at the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, UK, investigating how stem cell and developmental biology can help tackle cancer.

Pyroelectric Catalysis-based “Nano-lymphatic” Reduces Tumor Interstitial Pressure for Enhanced Penetration and Hydrodynamic Therapy

Owing to deficiency of lymphatic reflux in the tumor, the retention of tumor interstitial fluid causes the aggravation of tumor interstitial pressure (TIP), which leads to unsatisfactory tumor penetration of nanomedicine. It is the main inducement of tumor recurrence and metastasis. Herein, we design a pyroelectric catalysis-based “Nano-lymphatic” to decrease the TIP for enhanced tumor penetration and treatments. It realizes photothermal therapy and decomposition of tumor interstitial fluid under NIR-II laser irradiation after reaching the tumor, which reduces the TIP for enhanced tumor penetration. Simultaneously, reactive oxygen species generated during the pyroelectric catalysis can further damage deep tumor stem cells. The results indicate that the “Nano-lymphatic” relieves 52% of TIP, leading to enhanced tumor penetration, which effectively inhibits the tumor proliferation (93.75%) and recurrence. Our finding presents a novel strategy to reduce TIP by pyroelectric catalysis for enhanced tumor penetration and improved treatments, which is of great significance for drug delivery.