Lei Chang

Macrophages Phenotype Regulated by IL-6 Are Associated with the Prognosis of Platinum-Resistant Serous Ovarian Cancer: Integrated Analysis of Clinical Trial and Omics

Background. The treatment of platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer (PROC) is a clinical challenge and a hot topic. Tumor microenvironment (TME) as a key factor promoting ovarian cancer progression. Macrophage is a component of TME, and it has been reported that macrophage phenotype is related to the development of PROC. However, the mechanism underlying macrophage polarization and whether macrophage phenotype can be used as a prognostic indicator of PROC remains unclear. Methods. We used ESTIMATE to calculate the number of immune and stromal components in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. The differential expression genes (DEGs) were analyzed via protein–protein interaction network, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene ontology (GO) analysis to reveal major pathways of DEGs. CD80 was selected for survival analysis. IL-6 was selected for gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). A subsequent cohort study was performed to confirm the correlation of IL-6 expression with macrophage phenotype in peripheral blood and to explore the clinical utility of macrophage phenotype for the prognosis of PROC patients. Results. A total of 993 intersecting genes were identified as candidates for further survival analysis. Further analysis revealed that CD80 expression was positively correlated with the survival of HGSOC patients. The results of GO and KEGG analysis suggested that macrophage polarization could be regulated via chemokine pathway and cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction. GSEA showed that the genes were mainly enriched in IL-6-STAT-3. Correlation analysis for the proportion of tumor infiltration macrophages revealed that M2 was correlated with IL-6. The results of a cohort study demonstrated that the regulation of macrophage phenotype by IL-6 is bidirectional. The high M1% was a protective factor for progression-free survival. Conclusion. Thus, the macrophage phenotype is a prognostic indicator in PROC patients, possibly via a hyperactive IL-6-related pathway, providing an additional clue for the therapeutic intervention of PROC.

Extracellular vesicles in ovarian cancer chemoresistance, metastasis, and immune evasion

AbstractChemoresistance and metastasis are the major challenges for the current ovarian cancer treatment. Understanding the mechanisms of ovarian cancer progression and metastasis is critically important for developing novel therapies. The advances in extracellular vesicles (EVs) research in recent years have attracted extensive attention. EVs contain a variety of proteins, RNAs, DNAs, and metabolites. Accumulating evidence indicates that ovarian cancer cells secrete a large amount of EVs, playing an important role in tumor progression and recurrence. In the microenvironment of ovarian tumor, EVs participate in the information transmission between stromal cells and immune cells, promoting the immune escape of ovarian cancer cells and facilitating cancer metastasis. Here, we review the recent advances of EVs in chemoresistance, mechanisms of metastasis, and immune evasion of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, we also discuss the challenges of EV research and future application of EVs as promising biomarker sources in response to therapy and in therapy-delivery approaches for ovarian cancer patients.

Aldolase A promotes cervical cancer cell radioresistance by regulating the glycolysis and DNA damage after irradiation

Radioresistance is the major obstacle that affects the efficacy of radiotherapy which is an important treatment for cervical cancer. By analyzing the databases, we found that aldolase A (ALDOA), which is a key enzyme in metabolic reprogramming, has a higher expression in cervical cancer patients and is associated with poor prognosis. We detected the expression of ALDOA in the constructed cervical cancer radioresistance (RR) cells by repetitive irradiation and found that it was upregulated compared to the control cells. Functional assays were conducted and the results showed that the knockdown of ALDOA in cervical cancer RR cells inhibited the proliferation, migration, and clonogenic abilities by regulating the cell glycolysis. In addition, downregulation of ALDOA enhanced radiation-induced apoptosis and DNA damage by causing G2/M phase arrest and further promoted radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cells. The functions of ALDOA in regulating tumor radiosensitivity were also verified by the mouse tumor transplantation model

PABPC3 drives ovarian cancer metastasis and drug sensitivity by downregulating CLDN1 expression

Abstract Ovarian cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies affecting women, with its high mortality rate primarily attributed to the aggressive metastatic nature of the disease, leading to late-stage diagnoses. The challenges posed by tumor metastasis and treatment resistance significantly complicate disease management and substantially reduce survival rates. Thus, elucidating the mechanisms underlying ovarian cancer metastasis is crucial for developing targeted therapies and improving patient outcomes. In this study, through single-nucleus RNA sequencing and analysis of clinical samples, we identify PABPC3 as a key regulator of ovarian cancer metastasis and patient survival. Functional experiments reveal that PABPC3 knockdown markedly inhibits ovarian cancer cell proliferation and migration, whereas its overexpression exerts the opposite effects. Furthermore, in vivo models confirm that PABPC3 overexpression significantly enhances metastatic potential. Mechanistically, PABPC3 promotes tumor metastasis by modulating the expression of CLDN1, a critical component of tight junctions. PABPC3 knockdown leads to a significant upregulation of CLDN1, while simultaneous CLDN1 knockdown partially rescues the migration-inhibitory effects induced by PABPC3 depletion. Additionally, clinical analyses demonstrate that high PABPC3 expression correlates with shorter overall survival, even among patients receiving chemotherapy. Notably, increased PABPC3 protein levels in metastatic lesions are associated with reduced progression-free survival. In conclusion, this study underscores the pivotal role of PABPC3 in ovarian cancer metastasis and patient prognosis, highlighting it as a potential therapeutic target for improving clinical outcomes.