ZHEN WANG¹, JUN FU¹, SAISAI ZHU¹, HAODONG TANG², KUI SHI¹, JIHUA YANG³, MENG WANG³, MENGGE WU¹, DUNFENG QI^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.12, pp. 1851-1866, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.055286 - 13 November 2024

Abstract Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a rich and complex tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). M2 macrophages are among the most extensively infiltrated immune cells in the TIME and are necessary for the growth and migration of cancers. However, the mechanisms and targets mediating M2 macrophage infiltration in pancreatic cancer remain elusive. Methods: The M2 macrophage infiltration score of patients was assessed using the xCell algorithm. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), module genes associated with M2 macrophages were identified, and a predictive model was designed. The variations in immunological cell patterns, cancer mutations, and… More > Graphic Abstract

YUSHI YANG^1,#, CHUJIAO HU^2,#, SHAN LEI³, XIN BAO³, ZHIRUI ZENG^3,*, WENPENG CAO^4,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.12, pp. 1921-1934, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.046191 - 13 November 2024

Abstract Background: The heterogeneity of prognosis and treatment benefits among patients with gliomas is due to tumor microenvironment characteristics. However, biomarkers that reflect microenvironmental characteristics and predict the prognosis of gliomas are limited. Therefore, we aimed to develop a model that can effectively predict prognosis, differentiate microenvironment signatures, and optimize drug selection for patients with glioma. Materials and Methods: The CIBERSORT algorithm, bulk sequencing analysis, and single-cell RNA (scRNA) analysis were employed to identify significant cross-talk genes between M2 macrophages and cancer cells in glioma tissues. A predictive model was constructed based on cross-talk gene expression, and… More >

JYOTHI B. NAIR^1,2, ANU MARY JOSEPH³, SANOOP P.⁴, MANU M. JOSEPH^5,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.11, pp. 1579-1602, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.054879 - 07 November 2024

Abstract Nanoparticles represent a heterogeneous collection of materials, whether natural or synthetic, with dimensions aligning in the nanoscale. Because of their intense manifestation with the immune system, they can be harvested for numerous bio-medical and biotechnological advancements mainly in cancer treatment. This review article aims to scrutinize various types of nanoparticles that interact differently with immune cells like macrophages, dendritic cells, T lymphocytes, and natural killer (NK) cells. It also underscores the importance of knowing how nanoparticles influence immune cell functions, such as the production of cytokines and the presentation of antigens which are crucial for… More >

YONGJIAN HUANG, JINZHOU WANG, JIUHUA XU, NING RUAN^*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.11, pp. 1765-1776, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.045564 - 16 October 2024

Abstract Background: Despite significant advancements in the development of anticancer therapies over the past few decades, the clinical management of colorectal cancer remains a challenging task. This study aims to investigate the inhibitory effects of cancer-targeting liposomes against colorectal cancer. Materials and Methods: Liposomes consisting of 3β-[N-(N′, N′-dimethylamino ethane)carbamoyl]-cholesterol (DC-CHOL), cholesterol (CHOL), and dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) at a molar ratio of 1:1:0.5 were created and used as carriers to deliver an apoptosis-inducing plasmid encoding the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (pTRAIL) gene, along with the toll-like receptor (TLR7) agonist Rsiquimod (R848). The rationale behind this design is that 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 - 15 March 2024

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 >

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

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.2, pp. 217-228, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027414 - 23 February 2024

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 - 15 November 2023

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

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 - 15 September 2023

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 - 10 April 2023

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

Dongqing Wang^1,*, Heying Chen¹, Yi Hu^2,*

Oncologie, Vol.24, No.3, pp. 441-449, 2022, DOI:10.32604/oncologie.2022.024898 - 19 September 2022

Abstract Immunotherapy is currently recognized as one of the most promising anticancer strategies. In the tumor microenvironment, tumor-associated macrophages are mainly M2-type macrophages with tumor-promoting effects. Therefore, the reprogramming of tumor-associated macrophages from M2 to M1 type is a potential strategy for cancer therapy. We have previously shown the anticancer effects of implantable allogeneic M1 macrophages in mice. Here, we further engineered autologous mouse bone marrow cells into M1 macrophages and then embedded them into a sodium alginate gel to prepare an implantable immunotherapeutic agent (M1@Gel). We demonstrate that M1@Gel repolarizes M2 macrophages to M1 type More >