bims-netuvo 2021-12-19 papers

Issue of 2021‒12‒19
six papers selected by
Maksym V. Kopanitsa, The Francis Crick Institute

Front Oncol. 2021 ;11 788671

Identification of the Nerve-Cancer Cross-Talk-Related Prognostic Gene Model in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Jun Li, Yunhong Xu, Gang Peng, Kuikui Zhu, Zilong Wu, Liangliang Shi, Gang Wu.

The incidence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) is increasing year by year. The nerve is an important component of the tumor microenvironment, which has a wide range of cross-talk with tumor cells and immune cells, especially in highly innervated organs, such as head and neck cancer and pancreatic cancer. However, the role of cancer-nerve cross-talk-related genes (NCCGs) in HNSC is unclear. In our study, we constructed a prognostic model based on genes with prognostic value in NCCGs. We used Pearson's correlation to analyze the relationship between NCCGs and immune infiltration, microsatellite instability, tumor mutation burden, drug sensitivity, and clinical stage. We used single-cell sequencing data to analyze the expression of genes associated with stage in different cells and explored the possible pathways affected by these genes via gene set enrichment analysis. In the TCGA-HNSC cohort, a total of 23 genes were up- or downregulated compared with normal tissues. GO and KEGG pathway analysis suggested that NCCGs are mainly concentrated in membrane potential regulation, chemical synapse, axon formation, and neuroreceptor-ligand interaction. Ten genes were identified as prognosis genes by Kaplan-Meier plotter and used as candidate genes for LASSO regression. We constructed a seven-gene prognostic model (NTRK1, L1CAM, GRIN3A, CHRNA5, CHRNA6, CHRNB4, CHRND). The model could effectively predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates in the TCGA-HNSC cohort, and the effectiveness of the model was verified by external test data. The genes included in the model were significantly correlated with immune infiltration, microsatellite instability, tumor mutation burden, drug sensitivity, and clinical stage. Single-cell sequencing data of HNSC showed that CHRNB4 was mainly expressed in tumor cells, and multiple metabolic pathways were enriched in high CHRNB4 expression tumor cells. In summary, we used comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to construct a prognostic gene model and revealed the potential of NCCGs as therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers in HNSC.

Keywords: HNSC; bioinformatics; nerve; neurotransmitter; prognostic model

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2021.788671

Cancer Invest. 2021 Dec 15. 1-9

International society of urological pathology (ISUP)-grade grouping in prostatic adenocarcinoma and its prognostic implications.

Atif Ali Hashmi, Syeda Narisa Iftikhar, Shahzeb Munawar, Omer Ahmed, Syed Rafay Yaqeen, Ishaq Azeem Asghar, Muhammad Irfan, Javaria Ali, Muhammad M Edhi, Shumaila Kanwal Hashmi.

In this study, we evaluated the association of ISUP/WHO-grade groups with various pathological prognostic parameters and cancer-specific survival in patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma. We found 27 (15.7%) cases of grade group 1, 22 (12.8%) grade group 2, 30 (17.4%) grade group 3, 40 (23.3%) grade group 4 and 53 (30.8%) grade group 5 prostatic adenocarcinoma. We found that high-grade tumors (grade 3-5) had a higher frequency of perineural invasion and higher tumor volumes (>50%). Moreover, a significant association of tumor grade was noted with cancer-specific survival of patients, signifying prognostic significance of grade grouping in prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Keywords: Prostatic adenocarcinoma; cancer-specific survival; extraprostatic extension; gleason score; grade groups; perineural invasion

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07357907.2021.2019263

Front Oncol. 2021 ;11 766902

Worst Pattern of Perineural Invasion Redefines the Spatial Localization of Nerves in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Yong Fu, Xinwen Zhang, Zhuang Ding, Nisha Zhu, Yuxian Song, Xiaoxin Zhang, Yue Jing, Yijun Yu, Xiaofeng Huang, Lei Zhang, Qingang Hu, Yanhong Ni, Liang Ding.

As a key histopathological characteristic of tumor invasion, perineural invasion (PNI) assists tumor dissemination, whereas the current definition of PNI by dichotomy is not accurate and the prognostic value of PNI has not reached consensus. To define PNI status in each patient when mixed types of PNI occurred simultaneously, we here further subclassified the traditional PNI in 183 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The spatial localization of nerves in OSCC microenvironment was thoroughly evaluated and successfully concluded into four types of PNI: 0, tumor cells away from nerves; 1, tumor cells encircling nerves less than 33%; 2, tumor cells encircling nerves at least 33%; and 3, tumor cells infiltrating into nerve sheathes. Sequentially, patients were stratified by single and mixed types of PNI. Traditionally, types 0 and 1 were defined as PNI-, while types 2 and 3 were PNI+, which predicted shorter survival time. When multiple types of PNI existed within one tumor, patients with higher score of PNI types tended to have a relatively worse prognosis. Therefore, to define the status of PNI more precisely, the new variable worst pattern of PNI (WPNI) was proposed, which was taken as the highest score of PNI types present in each patient no matter how focal. Results showed that patients with WPNI 1 had longest survival time, and WPNI 2 correlated with better overall survival (p = 0.02), local-regional recurrence-free survival (p = 0.03), and distant metastasis-free survival (p = 0.046) than WPNI 3. Multivariate Cox analysis confirmed that only WPNI 3 could independently predict patients' prognosis, which could be explained by a more damaged immune response in WPNI 3 patients with less CD3+CD8+ T cells and CD19+ B cells. Conclusively, WPNI by trichotomy provide more meticulous and precise pathological information for tumor-nerve interactions in OSCC patients.

Keywords: immune balance; oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC); prognostic biomarker; tumor-nerve interaction; worst pattern of perineural invasion (WPNI)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2021.766902

Chronobiol Int. 2021 Dec 12. 1-12

Time-restricted feeding alters the efficiency of mammary tumor growth.

William H Walker, Alexis L Kaper, O Hecmarie Meléndez-Fernández, Jacob R Bumgarner, Jennifer A Liu, James C Walton, A Courtney DeVries, Randy J Nelson.

Disruption of circadian rhythms has detrimental host consequences. Indeed, both clinical and foundational science demonstrate a clear relationship between disruption of circadian rhythms and cancer initiation and progression. Because timing of food intake can act as a zeitgeber (i.e., entrainment signal) for the circadian clock, and most individuals in the developed world have access to food at all times of the day in a "24/7" society, we sought to determine the effects of timing of food intake on mammary tumor growth. We hypothesized that restricting access to food to during the inactive phase would accelerate tumor growth. Adult female Balb/C mice received a unilateral orthotopic injection of murine mammary carcinoma 4T1 cells into the ninth inguinal mammary gland. Beginning on the day of tumor injection and continuing until the end of the experiment, mice were food restricted to their active phase (ZT12 (lights off)- ZT0 (lights on), inactive phase (ZT0 - ZT12), or had ad libitum access to food. Mice that were food restricted to their inactive phase displayed a significant increase in body mass on days 7 and 14 of tumor growth relative to active phase or ad libitum fed mice. Additionally, mice fed during their inactive phase demonstrated a 20% reduction in food consumption relative to mice fed during their active phase and a 17% reduction in food consumption relative to ab libitum fed mice. Tumor volume was not significantly different between groups. However, food restricting mice to their inactive phase increased mammary tumor growth efficiency (i.e., mg of tumor mass per gram of food intake) relative to mice fed during the active phase and approached significance (p = .06) relative to ad libitum fed mice. To determine a potential explanation for the increased tumor growth efficiency, we examined rhythms of activity and body temperature. Mice fed during the inactive phase displayed significantly disrupted daily activity and body temperature rhythms relative to both other feeding regimens. Together, these data demonstrate that improperly timed food intake can have detrimental consequences on mammary tumor growth likely via disrupted circadian rhythms.

Keywords: Circadian rhythms; breast cancer; circadian disruption; timed feeding; tumor growth

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2021.2011306

Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer. 2021 Dec 09. pii: S0304-419X(21)00163-3. [Epub ahead of print]1877(1): 188665

Psychological intervention to treat distress: An emerging frontier in cancer prevention and therapy.

Mei Yang, Zhe Zhang, Edouard C Nice, Chuang Wang, Wei Zhang, Canhua Huang.

Psychological distress, such as chronic depression and anxiety, is a topical problem. In the context of cancer patients, prevalence rates of psychological distress are four-times higher than in the general population and often confer worse outcomes. In addition to evidence from epidemiological studies confirming the links between psychological distress and cancer progression, a growing body of cellular and molecular studies have also revealed the complex signaling networks which are modulated by psychological distress-derived chronic stress during cancer progression. In this review, aiming to uncover the intertwined networks of chronic stress-driven oncogenesis and progression, we summarize physiological stress response pathways, like the HPA, SNS, and MGB axes, that modulate the release of stress hormones with potential carcinogenic properties. Furthermore, we discuss in detail the mechanisms behind these chronic stimulations contributing to the initiation and progression of cancer through direct regulation of cancer hallmarks-related signaling or indirect promotion of cancer risk factors (including obesity, disordered circadian rhythms, and premature senescence), suggesting a novel research direction into cancer prevention and therapy on the basis of psychological interventions.

Keywords: Cancer hallmarks; Cancer prevention and therapy; Cancer risk factors; Psychological distress; Psychological interventions

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188665

Nat Biomed Eng. 2021 Dec 16.

Chronic electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves via deep-red light transduced by an implanted organic photocapacitor.

Malin Silverå Ejneby, Marie Jakešová, Jose J Ferrero, Ludovico Migliaccio, Ihor Sahalianov, Zifang Zhao, Magnus Berggren, Dion Khodagholy, Vedran Đerek, Jennifer N Gelinas, Eric Daniel Głowacki.

Implantable devices for the wireless modulation of neural tissue need to be designed for reliability, safety and reduced invasiveness. Here we report chronic electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve in rats by an implanted organic electrolytic photocapacitor that transduces deep-red light into electrical signals. The photocapacitor relies on commercially available semiconducting non-toxic pigments and is integrated in a conformable 0.1-mm3 thin-film cuff. In freely moving rats, fixation of the cuff around the sciatic nerve, 10 mm below the surface of the skin, allowed stimulation (via 50-1,000-μs pulses of deep-red light at wavelengths of 638 nm or 660 nm) of the nerve for over 100 days. The robustness, biocompatibility, low volume and high-performance characteristics of organic electrolytic photocapacitors may facilitate the wireless chronic stimulation of peripheral nerves.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-021-00817-7