Ting Liu¹, Fang Liu¹, Lei-Wen Peng, Li Chang, Yong-Mei Jiang

Oncology Research, Vol.26, No.5, pp. 817-826, 2018, DOI:10.3727/096504017X15130753659625

Abstract Peritoneal macrophages (PMs) are the major cell type of peritoneal cells that participate in multiple aspects of innate and acquired immunity in the peritoneal cavity. PMs have an ability to release a large amount of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and therefore play a critical role in regulating the differentiation of innate immune cells and inflammatory T cells. Accumulating studies demonstrate that the immunological reactions and inflammatory responses of PMs are strongly related to the pathogenic processes of various inflammatory diseases and abdominal cancers. Consequently, the regulation of PM activation has gradually emerged as a promising More >

Xiaozhuo Xu^1,2, Yilin Huang^1,2, Xu Han^2,*

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.19, No.2, pp. 233-246, 2024, DOI:10.32604/chd.2024.050231

Abstract Background: Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is one of the most challenging congenital heart diseases in clinical treatment. In cardiac tissues, resident macrophages fulfill critical functions in maintaining a stable cardiac state and have strong regenerative capacity and organ specificity. However, the molecular mechanisms of macrophages in HLHS remained unclear. Methods: Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) data of HLHS and healthy control (donors) samples obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were normalized and clustered using the Seurat package. The “FindMarkers” function was used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the HLHS and donor… More > Graphic Abstract

HAO LV¹, BO ZHU^1,2, DEGAO CHEN^1,2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.3, pp. 363-378, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.046367

Abstract Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are emerging as targets for tumor therapy because of their primary role in promoting tumor progression. Several studies have been conducted to target TAMs by reducing their infiltration, depleting their numbers, and reversing their phenotypes to suppress tumor progression, leading to the development of drugs in preclinical and clinical trials. However, the heterogeneous characteristics of TAMs, including their ontogenetic and functional heterogeneity, limit their targeting. Therefore, in-depth exploration of the heterogeneity of TAMs, combined with immune checkpoint therapy or other therapeutic modalities could improve the efficiency of tumor treatment. This review focuses More >

YANG XU^1,#, HONGYUN LI^1,#, GE YOU^2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.2, pp. 229-237, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.045030

Abstract Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) constitutes the leading cause of death worldwide. Chemoresistance and tumor immune evasion are critical contributors to therapeutic failure in cancer patients. CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain-containing 6 (CMTM6) is aberrantly expressed in various cancers and can regulate tumor immunity. However, its role in chemoresistance and tumor immunity of CRC is not well understood. Methods: Online bioinformatics tools were used to analyze expression and prognosis of CMTM6 in CRC patients. CRC cells were transfected with si-CMTM6. Subsequently, the effects on CRC cell viability and chemoresistance were investigated by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometer.… More > Graphic Abstract

QI XIA¹, XING CHEN², QINGHUA MA³, XIANXIU WEN^2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.2, pp. 217-228, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027414

Abstract Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women. Immune features play an important role in improving the prognosis prediction of BC. However, while previous immune signatures consisted mainly of immune genes, immune cell-based signatures have been rarely reported. Methods: In this study, we report that a novel immune cell signature is effective in improving prognostic prediction by combining M2 macrophages. We identified 17 differentially infiltrating immune cells between cancer and normal groups. Prognostic features of the four immune cells identified by LASSO COX analysis showed… More >

YUN ZHANG^1,2,#, SHALING TANG^1,2,#, YUBO GAO^1,2, ZHONGTING LU^1,2, YUAN YANG^1,2, JING CHEN³, TAO LI^4,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.1, pp. 61-71, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.043481

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major global health problem with high morbidity and mortality rates. Surgical resection is the main treatment for early-stage CRC, but detecting it early is challenging. Therefore, effective therapeutic targets for advanced patients are still lacking. Exosomes, tiny vesicles in body fluids, play a crucial role in tumor metastasis, immune regulation, and drug resistance. Interestingly, they can even serve as a biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Studies have shown that exosomes can carry miRNA, mediate the polarization of M1/M2 macrophages, promote the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells, and affect More > Graphic Abstract

HEE JU SONG, TAEHEE KIM, HAN NA CHOI, SOO JIN KIM, SANG DO LEE^*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.1, pp. 151-161, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.030690

Abstract Lung cancer has the highest mortality rate among all cancers, in part because it readily metastasizes. The tumor microenvironment, comprising blood vessels, fibroblasts, immune cells, and macrophages [including tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs)], is closely related to cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion. TAMs secrete several cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, which participate in cancer migration and invasion. p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1), an important signaling molecule, induces cell migration and invasion in several carcinomas. Tonicity-responsive enhancer-binding protein (TonEBP) is also known to participate in cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion. However, the mechanisms by which it increases lung… More > Graphic Abstract

QIUQIANG CHEN^1,*, XUEJUN GUO², WENXUE MA^3,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.1, pp. 49-60, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.042383

Abstract Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy for the treatment of cancer, with the tumor microenvironment (TME) playing a pivotal role in modulating the immune response. CD47, a cell surface protein, has been identified as a crucial regulator of the TME and a potential therapeutic target for cancer therapy. However, the precise functions and implications of CD47 in the TME during immunotherapy for cancer patients remain incompletely understood. This comprehensive review aims to provide an overview of CD47’s multifaced role in TME regulation and immune evasion, elucidating its impact on various types of immunotherapy… More > Graphic Abstract

JUN SHEN^1,#, HONGFANG MA^2,#, YONGXIA CHEN³, JIANGUO SHEN^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.31, No.6, pp. 955-966, 2023, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.029638

Abstract The process of lymphatic metastasis was proved to be associated with podoplanin-expressing macrophages in breast cancer (BC). This study aimed to investigate the role of the M2 phenotype of tumor-associated macrophages and mine the key M2 macrophages-related genes for lymph node metastasis in BC. We downloaded the GSE158399 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, which includes transcriptomic profiles of individual cells from primary tumors, negative lymph nodes (NLNs), and positive lymph nodes (PLNs) of breast cancer patients. The cell subsets were identified by clustering analysis after quality control of the scRNA-seq using Seurat.… More >

XUELIANG WU^1,#, SHAOYU GUAN^2,#, YONGGANG LU³, JUN XUE⁴, XIANGYANG YU¹, QI ZHANG^5,*, XIMO WANG^1,5,*, TIAN LI⁶

Oncology Research, Vol.31, No.2, pp. 125-139, 2023, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.028657

Abstract This research aimed to explore the influence of Src homology-2 containing protein tyrosine phosphatase (SHP- 2) on the functions of tyrosine kinase receptors with immunoglobulin and EGF homology domains 2 (Tie2)-expressing monocyte/macrophages (TEMs) and the influence of the angiopoietin(Ang)/Tie2-phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) (Ang/Tie2-PI3K/Akt/mTOR) signaling pathway on the tumor microvascular remodeling in an immunosuppressive microenvironment. In vivo, SHP-2- deficient mice were used to construct colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastasis models. SHP-2-deficient mice had significantly more metastatic cancer and inhibited nodules on the liver surface than wild-type mice, and the high-level expression… More > Graphic Abstract