CCR5 status and metastatic progression in colorectal cancer
ONCOIMMUNOLOGY
Authors: Suarez-Carmona, Meggy; Chaorentong, Pornpimol; Kather, Jakob Nikolas; Rothenheber, Rebecca; Ahmed, Azaz; Berthel, Anna; Heinzelmann, Anita; Moraleda, Rodrigo; Valous, Nektarios A.; Kosaloglu, Zeynep; Eurich, Rosa; Wolf, Jana; Grauling-Halama, Silke; Hundemer, Michael; Lasitschka, Felix; Klupp, Fee; Kahlert, Christoph; Ulrich, Alexis; Schneider, Martin; Falk, Christine; Jaeger, Dirk; Zoernig, Inks; Halama, Niels
Abstract
Multiple reports have highlighted the importance of the local immunological cellular composition (i.e. the density of effector T cells and macrophage polarization state) in predicting clinical outcome in advanced metastatic stage of colorectal cancer. However, in spite of the general association between a high effector T cell density and improved outcome, our recent work has revealed a specific lymphocyte-driven cancer cell-supporting signal. Indeed, lymphocyte-derived CCL5 supports CCR5-positive tumor cell proliferation and thereby fosters tumor growth in metastatic liver lesions. Upon systematic analysis of CCR5 expression by tumor cells using immunohistochemistry, we observed that the intensity of CCR5 increases with primary tumor size and peaks in T4 tumors. In liver metastases however, though CCR5 expression intensity is globally heightened compared to primary tumors, alterations in the expression patterns appear, leading to "patchiness" of the stain. CCR5 patchiness is, therefore, a signature of liver metastases in our cohort (n = 97 specimens) and relates to globally decreased expression intensity, but does not influence the extent of the response to CCR5 inhibitor Maraviroc in patients. Moreover, CCR5 patchiness relates to a poor immune landscape characterized by a low cytotoxic-to-regulatory T cell ratio at the invasive margin and enriched cellular and molecular markers of macrophage M2 polarization. Finally, because higher numbers of PD-1- and CTLA-4-positive cells surround tumors with patchy CCR5 expression, one can speculate that these tumors potentially respond to immune checkpoint blockade. This hypothesis is corroborated by the prolonged disease-free survival and disease-specific survival observed in patients with low gene expression of CCR5 in metastases from two publically available cohorts. These observations highlight the complex role of the CCL5-CCR5 axis in CRC metastatic progression and warrant further investigations.
Eicosapentaenoic Acid Regulates Inflammatory Pathways through Modulation of Transcripts and miRNA in Adipose Tissue of Obese Mice
BIOMOLECULES
Authors: Ramalho, Theresa; Pahlavani, Mandana; Kalupahana, Nishan; Wijayatunga, Nadeeja; Ramalingam, Latha; Jancar, Sonia; Moustaid-Moussa, Naima
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the global profiling of genes and miRNAs expression to explore the regulatory effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) of obese mice. We used male mice, fed either a high-fat diet (HF) or HF supplemented with EPA (HF-EPA), for 11 weeks. RNA, and small RNA profiling, were performed by RNAseq analysis. We conducted analyses using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software (IPA (R)) and validated candidate genes and miRNAs related to lipid mediators and inflammatory pathways using qRT-PCR. We identified 153 genes differentially downregulated, and 62 microRNAs differentially expressed in VAT from HF-EPA compared to HF. Genes with a positive association with inflammation, chemotaxis, insulin resistance, and inflammatory cell death, such as Irf5, Alox5ap, Tlrs, Cd84, Ccr5, Ccl9, and Casp1, were downregulated by EPA. Moreover, EPA significantly reduced LTB4 levels, a lipid mediator with a central role in inflammation and insulin resistance in obesity. The pathways and mRNA/microRNA interactions identified in our study corroborated with data validated for inflammatory genes and miRNAs. Together, our results identified key VAT inflammatory targets and pathways, which are regulated by EPA. These targets merit further investigation to better understand the protective mechanisms of EPA in obesity-associated inflammation.