Review
Oncology
Chenxi Wu, Jianmei Gu, Hongbing Gu, XiaoXin Zhang, Xu Zhang, Runbi Ji
Summary: In this review, the origin, subpopulation, and functional heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are discussed, with particular attention to recent research advances and clinical therapeutic potential of CAFs in cancer.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Rushikesh S. Joshi, Samanvi S. Kanugula, Sweta Sudhir, Matheus P. Pereira, Saket Jain, Manish K. Aghi
Summary: The review discusses the importance of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in various cancer contexts as potential therapeutic targets. Identification of CAFs and understanding their role in promoting tumor progression may lead to the development of novel cancer therapies.
Article
Oncology
Ralf-Peter Czekay, Dong-Joo Cheon, Rohan Samarakoon, Stacie M. Kutz, Paul J. Higgins
Summary: This review discusses the complex interactions between cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and other cell types in the tumor microenvironment and their impact on tumor development. The presence of CAFs and their secretion of factors contribute to tumor progression, metastasis, drug resistance, and relapse. Studying the pathways and genes involved in the interaction between CAFs and cells provides new targets and opportunities for cancer treatment.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Karim Rihawi, Angela Dalia Ricci, Alessandro Rizzo, Stefano Brocchi, Giovanni Marasco, Luigi Vincenzo Pastore, Fabiola Lorena Rojas Llimpe, Rita Golfieri, Matteo Renzulli
Summary: Gastric cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, with poor prognosis in advanced stage patients despite improvements in treatment. Research efforts have focused on identifying novel therapeutic targets, with the tumor microenvironment emerging as a potential target. Various agents and strategies targeting the TME are currently being evaluated in preclinical and clinical studies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Martina Bedeschi, Noemi Marino, Elena Cavassi, Filippo Piccinini, Anna Tesei
Summary: Prostate cancer is a common cancer in European males and androgen deprivation therapy is the standard treatment. However, resistance to this therapy has led to cancer progression and long-term side effects. Studies have shown that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a crucial role in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and targeting them could be a potential therapeutic approach to overcome therapy resistance in prostate cancer.
Article
Cell Biology
Xiaobo Zheng, Peng Wang, Li Li, Jing Yu, Chune Yu, Liangliang Xu, Lian Li, Fuzhen Dai, Lei Feng, Hong Zou, Xiaobo Chen, Ming Zhang, Mingqing Xu
Summary: The study revealed that the cancer-associated fibroblast-secreted decorin plays a crucial role in the vascular invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma, with low-level expression being associated with a poor prognosis. Decorin inhibited HCC cell invasion and migration by downregulating integrin beta 1, and its synergistic effect with integrin beta 1 knockdown enhanced the anti-metastatic effects. The direct interaction of decorin with integrin beta 1 was confirmed, suggesting that targeting decorin may provide a promising strategy for inhibiting HCC vascular invasion and metastasis.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hikmet Akkiz
Summary: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent cancer that ranks fourth in cancer-related deaths globally. The tumor microenvironment (TME) formed by HCC cells and various stromal and inflammatory cells plays a crucial role in tumor growth, metastasis, and drug resistance. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are an important component of the TME and their signaling can contribute to drug resistance. However, CAFs display heterogeneity and can also have antitumor properties. Understanding the crosstalk between CAFs, HCC cells, and other stromal cells is essential for the development of effective targeted therapies for HCC.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Dandan Gao, Liguang Fang, Cun Liu, Mengrui Yang, Xiaoyun Yu, Longyun Wang, Wenfeng Zhang, Changgang Sun, Jing Zhuang
Summary: The tumor microenvironment plays a crucial role in tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, and response to treatment. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the most abundant stromal cells, can alter the immunosuppressive effects of the microenvironment and influence immune cell function, allowing tumor cells to escape immune surveillance. This study provides a comprehensive review of fibroblast chemotaxis, malignant transformation, metabolic characteristics, and interactions with immune cells. It also summarizes current small molecule drugs that target CAFs, which have implications for improving the effectiveness of immunotherapy.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qin Li, Hang Yuan, Gang Zhao, Jie Zhang, Siqi Li, Di Gong, Tianyu Feng, Qiming Kou, Qijing Wang, Guanru Wang, Shan Li, Kai Li, Ping Lin
Summary: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide, and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a critical role in its progression. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms of CAF activation are still unclear. This study found that loss of ZNF32 promotes the activation of CAFs, leading to increased growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, ZNF32 inhibits TGFB1 transcription, preventing fibroblast activation. This study implicates ZNF32 as a potential therapeutic target against breast cancer.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Fumiaki Takatsu, Ken Suzawa, Shuta Tomida, Yin Min Thu, Masakiyo Sakaguchi, Tomohiro Toji, Masayoshi Ohki, Shimpei Tsudaka, Keiichi Date, Naoki Matsuda, Kazuma Iwata, Yidan Zhu, Kentaro Nakata, Kazuhiko Shien, Hiromasa Yamamoto, Akiko Nakayama, Mikio Okazaki, Seiichiro Sugimoto, Shinichi Toyooka
Summary: CAF-derived POSTN plays a crucial role in tumor growth, migration, EMT induction, and drug resistance in NSCLC. Targeting CAF-secreted POSTN could be a potential therapeutic strategy for NSCLC.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE-JMM
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Takahiro Ishii, Ayako Suzuki, Takeshi Kuwata, Shoshi Hisamitsu, Hiroko Hashimoto, Yuuki Ohara, Kazuyoshi Yanagihara, Shuichi Mitsunaga, Takayuki Yoshino, Takahiro Kinoshita, Atsushi Ochiai, Kohei Shitara, Genichiro Ishii
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of drug-exposed CAFs on the growth and migration ability of drug-exposed GC cells, showing that CAFs promoted the migration and invasion of GC cells and higher residual CAFs were associated with increased lymphovascular invasion and recurrence rate. RNA-seq analysis identified gp130 derived from CAFs as a potential factor contributing to enhanced migration of GC cells following drug treatment.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sheng Zheng, Jiafeng Wang, Ning Ding, Wenwen Chen, Hongda Chen, Meng Xue, Fei Chen, Jiaojiao Ni, Zhuo Wang, Zhenghua Lin, Haiping Jiang, Xiangrui Liu, Liangjing Wang
Summary: Triptolide (TPL) has been demonstrated to suppress the activity of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), reducing CAFs-induced proliferation, migration, and chemotherapy resistance of gastric cancer cells. PSN38@TPL-nsa nanoparticles exhibited potent anti-tumor effects both in vitro and in vivo, showing promise as an effective strategy for treating advanced gastric cancer.
JOURNAL OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lin Zhang, Jingkun Qu, Yutao Qi, Yimin Duan, Yu-Wen Huang, Zhifen Zhou, Ping Li, Jun Yao, Beibei Huang, Shuxing Zhang, Dihua Yu
Summary: This study reveals a new mechanism of bone metastasis in breast cancer, demonstrating that EZH2 promotes metastasis through regulating TGF beta signaling, providing potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Dongya Zhang, Yuxian Song, Dan Li, Xinghan Liu, Yuchen Pan, Liang Ding, Guoping Shi, Yong Wang, Yanhong Ni, Yayi Hou
Summary: CAF are abundant stromal cells in tumors and have a pro-tumoral effect, while the upregulation of lncRNA LOC100506114 significantly influences the functional transformation of normal fibroblasts and CAF by enhancing the expression of fibroblast activation protein alpha and alpha-smooth muscle actin. By positively correlating with GDF10 expression, LOC100506114 plays a critical role in the interaction between stromal fibroblasts and tumor cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Yalei Lv, Yujie Shan, Lina Song, Yufei Zhao, Ruixue Lai, Junyan Su, Xiaoyun Zhang
Summary: This study found that high levels of ITGB1 expression in gastric cancer patients are associated with abundant expression of type I collagen and poor overall survival. Through in vitro experiments, it was demonstrated that ITGB1 may promote the activation of the BCL9L/beta-catenin signaling pathway, leading to chemo-resistance in gastric cancer cells. Blocking the beta-catenin signals improved the anticancer effects of chemotherapy, providing a potential new approach for clinical gastric cancer therapy.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jiangrong Chen, Chunchao Zhu, Chaojie Wang, Chuansheng Hu, Daniel M. Czajkowsky, Yan Guo, Bingya Liu, Zhifeng Shao
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Quan Zhou, Xiongyan Wu, Xiaofeng Wang, Zhenjia Yu, Tao Pan, Zhen Li, Xinyu Chang, Zhijian Jin, Jianfang Li, Zhenggang Zhu, Bingya Liu, Liping Su
Correction
Oncology
Xiaofeng Wang, Guangtao Luo, Kundong Zhang, Jun Cao, Chen Huang, Tao Jiang, Bingya Liu, Liping Su, Zhengjun Qiu
Article
Oncology
Tao Pan, Zhijian Jin, Zhenjia Yu, Xiongyan Wu, Xinyu Chang, Zhiyuan Fan, Fangyuan Li, Xiaofeng Wang, Zhen Li, Quan Zhou, Jianfang Li, Bingya Liu, Liping Su
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Birendra Kumar Sah, Benyan Zhang, Huan Zhang, Jian Li, Fei Yuan, Tao Ma, Min Shi, Wei Xu, Zhenglun Zhu, Wentao Liu, Chao Yan, Chen Li, Bingya Liu, Min Yan, Zhenggang Zhu
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Tao Pan, Zhenjia Yu, Zhijian Jin, Xiongyan Wu, Airong Wu, Junyi Hou, Xinyu Chang, Zhiyuan Fan, Jianfang Li, Beiqin Yu, Fangyuan Li, Chao Yan, Zhongyin Yang, Zhenggang Zhu, Bingya Liu, Liping Su
Summary: The study revealed that lnc-CTSLP4 is significantly downregulated in gastric cancer tumor tissues, and by interacting with proteins and recruiting E3 ubiquitin ligase ZFP91, it inhibits the metastatic potential of GC cells.
MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Zhongyin Yang, Chao Yan, Wentao Liu, Wei Xu, Chen Li, Min Yan, Bingya Liu, Zhenggang Zhu
Summary: This study identified novel autoantibodies in the ascites of relapsed PTX-resistant gastric cancer patients, including TPM3, EFHD2, KRT19, and vimentin. These autoantibodies may serve as potential biomarkers for monitoring the occurrence of PTX-resistance.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xufeng Wang, Xinyu Chang, Changyu He, Zhiyuan Fan, Zhenjia Yu, Beiqin Yu, Xiongyan Wu, Junyi Hou, Jianfang Li, Liping Su, Bingya Liu, Zhenggang Zhu
Summary: ATP5B is highly expressed in tumor tissues of GC and is positively correlated with age, tumor size, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis. Overexpression of ATP5B in GC cells increases cellular ATP content and promotes migration, invasion, and proliferation through the FAK/AKT/MMP2 pathway.
Article
Cell Biology
Zhenqiang Wang, Xinjing Wang, Tianqi Zhang, Liping Su, Bingya Liu, Zhenggang Zhu, Chen Li
Summary: MALAT1 promotes IL-6 secretion in GC cells by blocking autophagic flux, leading to cancer progression. Mechanistically, MALAT1 competitively interacts with ELAVL1 to stabilize PTEN mRNA and activate the AKT/mTOR pathway, impacting autophagic flux.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Fangyuan Li, Jianfang Li, Junxian Yu, Tao Pan, Beiqin Yu, Qingqing Sang, Wentao Dai, Junyi Hou, Chao Yan, Mingde Zang, Zhenggang Zhu, Liping Su, Yuan-Yuan Li, Bingya Liu
Summary: The study successfully constructed a 9-gene GCP model for gastric cancer, identifying ARGLU1 as a potential therapeutic target that inhibits tumor growth by enhancing transcriptional levels of mismatch repair genes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhijian Jin, Yifan Lu, Xiongyan Wu, Tao Pan, Zhenjia Yu, Junyi Hou, Airong Wu, Jianfang Li, Zhongyin Yang, Chen Li, Min Yan, Chao Yan, Zhenggang Zhu, Bingya Liu, Weihua Qiu, Liping Su
Summary: In this study, anlotinib inhibited gastric cancer (GC) cell growth by inducing apoptosis and G2/M phase arrest in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The interaction between epithelial and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment affects the response of GC cells to anlotinib. Secreted lactate from GC cells activates cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) to produce BDNF in a NF-kappa B-dependent manner, reducing the sensitivity of GC cells to anlotinib. Targeting the BDNF-TrkB pathway increased the sensitivity of GC cells to anlotinib in a human patient-derived organoid model.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Beiqin Yu, Wentao Dai, Li Pang, Qingqing Sang, Fangyuan Li, Junxian Yu, Haoran Feng, Jianfang Li, Junyi Hou, Chao Yan, Liping Su, Zhenggang Zhu, Yuan-Yuan Li, Bingya Liu
Summary: This study identified crucial transcription factors related to gastric cancer progression and proposed testable hypotheses on the differential regulation mechanisms of gastric carcinogenesis. Through cytological experiments and IHC staining, the dynamic changes of target genes regulated by one of the transcription factors were validated. The identified transcription factors and their targets may have potential therapeutic value.
MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Zhongyin Yang, Chao Yan, Zhenjia Yu, Changyu He, Jianfang Li, Chen Li, Min Yan, Bingya Liu, Yingli Wu, Zhenggang Zhu
Summary: The study revealed that CDH11 is inhibited in relapsed PTX-resistant patients, and downregulated CDH11 expression promotes invasion, migration, and PTX resistance in GC cells. CDH11 may potentially serve as a predictive marker for the occurrence of PTX resistance in GC patients with peritoneal metastasis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wentao Dai, Jixiang Liu, Bingya Liu, Quanxue Li, Qingqing Sang, Yuan-Yuan Li
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Y. -N. Zhang, B. Liu, T. Jiang, Q. Li
EUROPEAN REVIEW FOR MEDICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2020)