Pub Date : 2026-01-02DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2026.218243
Yingchao Zhang , Huifang Zhao , Penghui Xu , Kaiyuan Liu , Genyu Du , Xinyu Chen , Na Jing , Wei Bao , Chaping Cheng , Jinming Wang , Mingyue Wang , Nan Wang , Xialian Xi , Yiyun Liu , Yujiao Sun , Wei-Qiang Gao , Helen He Zhu , Kai Zhang
A subset of iron-loaded cancer-associated fibroblasts is unraveled in the tumor microenvironment of prostate cancer (PCa) and termed as the ferrum iron CAFs (FerroCAFs) in our previous study. Importantly, FerroCAFs have been identified as a source of C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2), C-X-C motif ligand chemokines 1/2 (CXCL1/2), and colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) to induce immunosuppression. However, the iron-loaded phenotype of FerroCAFs also elicits high amounts of lethal oxygen radicals, lipid peroxides and reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to iron excess. Consequently, the mechanism by which FerroCAFs resist ferroptosis, a form of cell death induced by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, remains to be elucidated. Here, we find that the upregulation of cystine/glutamate antiporter System Xc−, specifically Slc7a11, functions as a protective mechanism that preserves FerroCAFs against ferroptosis. The zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (Zeb1) occupies the Slc7a11 gene promoter region and activates Slc7a11 transcription. Knockdown of FerroCAF-specific Slc7a11 suppresses tumor growth and subverts immunosuppression. Collectively, this study demonstrates that Zeb1/System Xc− axis protects FerroCAFs against ferroptosis. Targeting this vulnerability of FerroCAFs by blockade of Zeb1/System Xc− axis provokes anti-tumor immunity in PCa, implying a promising CAF-centric immunotherapeutic strategy.
{"title":"The Zeb1/system Xc− axis safeguards iron-loaded cancer-associated fibroblasts against ferroptosis and promotes immunosuppression in prostate cancer","authors":"Yingchao Zhang , Huifang Zhao , Penghui Xu , Kaiyuan Liu , Genyu Du , Xinyu Chen , Na Jing , Wei Bao , Chaping Cheng , Jinming Wang , Mingyue Wang , Nan Wang , Xialian Xi , Yiyun Liu , Yujiao Sun , Wei-Qiang Gao , Helen He Zhu , Kai Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.canlet.2026.218243","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.canlet.2026.218243","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A subset of iron-loaded cancer-associated fibroblasts is unraveled in the tumor microenvironment of prostate cancer (PCa) and termed as the ferrum iron CAFs (FerroCAFs) in our previous study. Importantly, FerroCAFs have been identified as a source of C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2), C-X-C motif ligand chemokines 1/2 (CXCL1/2), and colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) to induce immunosuppression. However, the iron-loaded phenotype of FerroCAFs also elicits high amounts of lethal oxygen radicals, lipid peroxides and reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to iron excess. Consequently, the mechanism by which FerroCAFs resist ferroptosis, a form of cell death induced by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, remains to be elucidated. Here, we find that the upregulation of cystine/glutamate antiporter System X<sub>c</sub><sup>−</sup>, specifically Slc7a11, functions as a protective mechanism that preserves FerroCAFs against ferroptosis. The zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (Zeb1) occupies the <em>Slc7a11</em> gene promoter region and activates <em>Slc7a11</em> transcription. Knockdown of FerroCAF-specific <em>Slc7a11</em> suppresses tumor growth and subverts immunosuppression. Collectively, this study demonstrates that Zeb1/System X<sub>c</sub><sup>−</sup> axis protects FerroCAFs against ferroptosis. Targeting this vulnerability of FerroCAFs by blockade of Zeb1/System X<sub>c</sub><sup>−</sup> axis provokes anti-tumor immunity in PCa, implying a promising CAF-centric immunotherapeutic strategy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9506,"journal":{"name":"Cancer letters","volume":"639 ","pages":"Article 218243"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145899085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-02DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2026.218240
Lingling Si , Di Wei , Jinghao Pan , Renato B. Baleeiro , Louisa S. Chard Dunmall , Yaohe Wang
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has emerged as a transformative advancement in cancer immunotherapy, but remains limited by multiple challenges. The exhaustion of T cells represents a critical obstacle limiting the success of immunotherapeutic interventions. Targeting mitochondrial metabolism offers a promising approach to mitigate exhaustion and enhance CAR-T persistence. Mechanistically, mitochondrial dysfunction within the tumor microenvironment disrupts energy metabolism, reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, and cell survival, impairing CAR-T function. Here, we review the current challenges facing the clinical application of CAR-T therapy in cancers and summarize mitochondrial-centered approaches to overcome some of these obstacles by optimizing mitochondrial metabolic pathways. We emphasize the essential role of mitochondrial metabolism in augmenting therapeutic efficacy and persistence of CAR-T cells. Future breakthroughs will depend on robust clinical evidence and precise metabolic modulation to enhance CAR-T therapies.
{"title":"CAR-T Cell Exhaustion in Cancer over the Past Decade: Mitochondrial Metabolism as a Target for Counteraction","authors":"Lingling Si , Di Wei , Jinghao Pan , Renato B. Baleeiro , Louisa S. Chard Dunmall , Yaohe Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.canlet.2026.218240","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.canlet.2026.218240","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has emerged as a transformative advancement in cancer immunotherapy, but remains limited by multiple challenges. The exhaustion of T cells represents a critical obstacle limiting the success of immunotherapeutic interventions. Targeting mitochondrial metabolism offers a promising approach to mitigate exhaustion and enhance CAR-T persistence. Mechanistically, mitochondrial dysfunction within the tumor microenvironment disrupts energy metabolism, reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, and cell survival, impairing CAR-T function. Here, we review the current challenges facing the clinical application of CAR-T therapy in cancers and summarize mitochondrial-centered approaches to overcome some of these obstacles by optimizing mitochondrial metabolic pathways. We emphasize the essential role of mitochondrial metabolism in augmenting therapeutic efficacy and persistence of CAR-T cells. Future breakthroughs will depend on robust clinical evidence and precise metabolic modulation to enhance CAR-T therapies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9506,"journal":{"name":"Cancer letters","volume":"639 ","pages":"Article 218240"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145899051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-31DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218237
Xin Fan , Wenying Chen , Yuzhou Wang , Fang Liu , Minhua Zheng , Ningbo Wang , Yuchen Wei , Yu Jiang , Xiuli Mu , Zhuan Ju , Xiaofang Zhang , Rui Zhang , Ka Bian
Aberrantly high activation of oncogenic transcription factors has been implicated in initiation and progression of malignant diseases. However, the landscape of dysregulated TFs in HNSCC remains poorly characterized, and especially their biological contributions to remodeling of cancer immune microenvironment are unknown. Here, by globally investigating oncogenic TF-target interactions in clinic, we identified that KLF7 is one of the most potential oncogenic TFs in HNSCC. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that KLF7 governs not only the autonomous malignant behaviors but also recruitment of macrophage in the cancer microenvironment, consequently promoting progression of HNSCC in a tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) dependent manner. Mechanistically, we found that LOX is a bona fide target directly transcriptionally activated by KLF7 in HNSCC cells. In vivo assay showed that LOX-driven crosslinking of extracellular matrix conducted a stiff extracellular matrix environment for macrophage recruitment and consequent disruption of CD8+ T cell mediated killing effect in cancer microenvironment. More importantly, we elucidated the clinical significance of the correlation of KLF7, LOX and TAM in HNSCCs. Our study reveals an extrinsic mechanism of the oncogenic role of KLF7 and further demonstrates that a KLF7/LOX/TAM signaling could be a potential therapeutic vulnerability for HNSCC patients.
{"title":"KLF7 promotes progression of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma by remodeling tumor immune microenvironment","authors":"Xin Fan , Wenying Chen , Yuzhou Wang , Fang Liu , Minhua Zheng , Ningbo Wang , Yuchen Wei , Yu Jiang , Xiuli Mu , Zhuan Ju , Xiaofang Zhang , Rui Zhang , Ka Bian","doi":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218237","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218237","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aberrantly high activation of oncogenic transcription factors has been implicated in initiation and progression of malignant diseases. However, the landscape of dysregulated TFs in HNSCC remains poorly characterized, and especially their biological contributions to remodeling of cancer immune microenvironment are unknown. Here, by globally investigating oncogenic TF-target interactions in clinic, we identified that KLF7 is one of the most potential oncogenic TFs in HNSCC. <em>In vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> experiments showed that KLF7 governs not only the autonomous malignant behaviors but also recruitment of macrophage in the cancer microenvironment, consequently promoting progression of HNSCC in a tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) dependent manner. Mechanistically, we found that LOX is a bona fide target directly transcriptionally activated by KLF7 in HNSCC cells. <em>In vivo</em> assay showed that LOX-driven crosslinking of extracellular matrix conducted a stiff extracellular matrix environment for macrophage recruitment and consequent disruption of CD8<sup>+</sup> T cell mediated killing effect in cancer microenvironment. More importantly, we elucidated the clinical significance of the correlation of KLF7, LOX and TAM in HNSCCs. Our study reveals an extrinsic mechanism of the oncogenic role of KLF7 and further demonstrates that a KLF7/LOX/TAM signaling could be a potential therapeutic vulnerability for HNSCC patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9506,"journal":{"name":"Cancer letters","volume":"639 ","pages":"Article 218237"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145880904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-29DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218236
Zhen Fan
{"title":"Co-phagocytosis by bispecific antibodies, a novel strategy for targeted degradation of soluble factors in the tumor microenvironment","authors":"Zhen Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218236","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218236","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9506,"journal":{"name":"Cancer letters","volume":"639 ","pages":"Article 218236"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145877550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218235
Shelby Kaczmarek , Donghyeon Jo , Safa Ghaziasgar , Bryan Marr , Stefania Berton , Lisheng Wang , Mehdi Arbabi Ghahroudi , Mihue Jang , Alissa Visram , Scott McComb , Seung-Hwan Lee
Multiple myeloma (MM) is an aggressive blood cancer arising from plasma cells. B cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell (α-BCMA-CAR-T) immunotherapies currently provide life-saving treatment for MM patients. Unfortunately, the high cost and manufacturing complexity of autologous CAR-T therapy remain important limitations. Novel research is underway to use CAR-expressing natural killer (NK) cells as an allogeneic CAR-T alternative, but studies have yet to evaluate long-term CAR-NK efficacy against MM. In this study, NK cells were isolated, expanded via feeder-cell stimulation, and engineered to express α-BCMA-CAR with or without human IL-15 co-expression using lentiviral vectors. In a xenograft model, both α-BCMA-CAR and IL-15 expression were required for persistent restriction of MM growth in the blood and bone marrow. Despite near complete and sustained elimination of MM in the bone marrow, long-term assessment of mice treated with α-BCMA-CAR-IL15 NK cells revealed the emergence of extramedullary disease (EMD) in the form of BCMA-positive MM plasmacytomas. This study showcases α-BCMA-CAR-IL15 NK cell therapy as a potent anti-MM therapeutic, achieving sustained MM elimination from the bone marrow and greatly extending survival. However, α-BCMA-CAR-IL15 NK cells appeared ineffective at eliminating extramedullary disease. By demonstrating the strengths and weaknesses of α-BCMA-CAR-IL15 cells, we hope this study could help direct the use of such therapies in clinical trials and provide a valuable pre-clinical MM model for studying and developing interventions for aggressive MM-EMD.
{"title":"Anti-BCMA-CAR-IL15 natural killer cells prevent multiple myeloma growth in the bone marrow but allow subsequent emergence of extramedullary disease","authors":"Shelby Kaczmarek , Donghyeon Jo , Safa Ghaziasgar , Bryan Marr , Stefania Berton , Lisheng Wang , Mehdi Arbabi Ghahroudi , Mihue Jang , Alissa Visram , Scott McComb , Seung-Hwan Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218235","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218235","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Multiple myeloma (MM) is an aggressive blood cancer arising from plasma cells. B cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell (α-BCMA-CAR-T) immunotherapies currently provide life-saving treatment for MM patients. Unfortunately, the high cost and manufacturing complexity of autologous CAR-T therapy remain important limitations. Novel research is underway to use CAR-expressing natural killer (NK) cells as an allogeneic CAR-T alternative, but studies have yet to evaluate long-term CAR-NK efficacy against MM. In this study, NK cells were isolated, expanded via feeder-cell stimulation, and engineered to express α-BCMA-CAR with or without human IL-15 co-expression using lentiviral vectors. In a xenograft model, both α-BCMA-CAR and IL-15 expression were required for persistent restriction of MM growth in the blood and bone marrow. Despite near complete and sustained elimination of MM in the bone marrow, long-term assessment of mice treated with α-BCMA-CAR-IL15 NK cells revealed the emergence of extramedullary disease (EMD) in the form of BCMA-positive MM plasmacytomas. This study showcases α-BCMA-CAR-IL15 NK cell therapy as a potent anti-MM therapeutic, achieving sustained MM elimination from the bone marrow and greatly extending survival. However, α-BCMA-CAR-IL15 NK cells appeared ineffective at eliminating extramedullary disease. By demonstrating the strengths and weaknesses of α-BCMA-CAR-IL15 cells, we hope this study could help direct the use of such therapies in clinical trials and provide a valuable pre-clinical MM model for studying and developing interventions for aggressive MM-EMD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9506,"journal":{"name":"Cancer letters","volume":"639 ","pages":"Article 218235"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145843153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218231
Kexian Dong , Mengdi Cai , Xueyuan Jia , Han Qu , Rong Guan , Shuomeng Du , Wankui Ren , Qiao Li , Shihao Zhu , Linlin Li , Wenjing Sun , Songbin Fu
{"title":"A novel phenomena: extrachromosomal DNA harboring highly amplified and overexpressed genes undergo intercellular transmission in ovarian cancer cells","authors":"Kexian Dong , Mengdi Cai , Xueyuan Jia , Han Qu , Rong Guan , Shuomeng Du , Wankui Ren , Qiao Li , Shihao Zhu , Linlin Li , Wenjing Sun , Songbin Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218231","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218231","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9506,"journal":{"name":"Cancer letters","volume":"639 ","pages":"Article 218231"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145843134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-23DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218233
Natalie K. Horvat , Maria Diab , Maggie J. Phillips , Ashley McCook-Veal , Erin E. Grundy , Olatunji B. Alese , Emily Greene , Olumide Gbolahan , Kathleen Coleman , Deon Doxie , Cameron J. Herting , Jacklyn Hammons , Zaid Mahdi , Jeffrey M. Switchenko , Chrystal M. Paulos , Bassel F. El-Rayes , Gregory B. Lesinski
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is marked by high mortality and limited treatment options. In mice, HSP90 inhibition limits cancer-associated fibroblasts activation and enhances T cell infiltration, sensitizing tumors to PD-1 blockade. We hypothesized that co-administration of pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) with XL888 (an HSP90 inhibitor) would be safe and induce measurable immunological changes in the PDAC tumor microenvironment that could influence clinical outcome.
We report results from an expansion cohort of patients with advanced PDAC (n = 16), who were enrolled in a single-center, open-label, nonrandomized, dose-escalation study. Patients received one cycle of either pembrolizumab (200 mg) alone or in combination with XL888 (90 mg, orally twice per week) over a 21-day cycle, followed by crossover to combination therapy. Peripheral blood and image guided liver biopsies were collected on Day 1 before treatment (C1D1) and Day 15 on-treatment (C1D15) for correlative studies.
The combination regimen was well-tolerated with no unexpected adverse events. No objective responses were observed; two patients (13.3 %) achieved stable disease, while the remaining 13 (86.7 %) experienced disease progression. Median progression-free survival was 2.0 months, and median overall survival was 4.4 months. Treatment was associated with increased circulating Th1-associated cytokines and chemokines. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) analysis revealed elevated terminal effector CD8+ T cells and CD4+ regulatory T cells in the combination arm compared to pembrolizumab alone. Paired liver biopsies revealed no significant changes across treatment groups.
While the combination of XL888 and pembrolizumab was safe and induced systemic immune modulation, limited clinical efficacy was observed and did not impact the PDAC TME.
{"title":"A phase Ib/II trial of XL888 (HSP90 inhibitor) and pembrolizumab in metastatic pancreatic cancer with translational immune profiling","authors":"Natalie K. Horvat , Maria Diab , Maggie J. Phillips , Ashley McCook-Veal , Erin E. Grundy , Olatunji B. Alese , Emily Greene , Olumide Gbolahan , Kathleen Coleman , Deon Doxie , Cameron J. Herting , Jacklyn Hammons , Zaid Mahdi , Jeffrey M. Switchenko , Chrystal M. Paulos , Bassel F. El-Rayes , Gregory B. Lesinski","doi":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218233","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218233","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is marked by high mortality and limited treatment options. In mice, HSP90 inhibition limits cancer-associated fibroblasts activation and enhances T cell infiltration, sensitizing tumors to PD-1 blockade. We hypothesized that co-administration of pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1) with XL888 (an HSP90 inhibitor) would be safe and induce measurable immunological changes in the PDAC tumor microenvironment that could influence clinical outcome.</div><div>We report results from an expansion cohort of patients with advanced PDAC (n = 16), who were enrolled in a single-center, open-label, nonrandomized, dose-escalation study. Patients received one cycle of either pembrolizumab (200 mg) alone or in combination with XL888 (90 mg, orally twice per week) over a 21-day cycle, followed by crossover to combination therapy. Peripheral blood and image guided liver biopsies were collected on Day 1 before treatment (C1D1) and Day 15 on-treatment (C1D15) for correlative studies.</div><div>The combination regimen was well-tolerated with no unexpected adverse events. No objective responses were observed; two patients (13.3 %) achieved stable disease, while the remaining 13 (86.7 %) experienced disease progression. Median progression-free survival was 2.0 months, and median overall survival was 4.4 months. Treatment was associated with increased circulating Th1-associated cytokines and chemokines. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) analysis revealed elevated terminal effector CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells and CD4<sup>+</sup> regulatory T cells in the combination arm compared to pembrolizumab alone. Paired liver biopsies revealed no significant changes across treatment groups.</div><div>While the combination of XL888 and pembrolizumab was safe and induced systemic immune modulation, limited clinical efficacy was observed and did not impact the PDAC TME.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9506,"journal":{"name":"Cancer letters","volume":"639 ","pages":"Article 218233"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145833202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-22DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218230
BoHao Li , HanXiang Zhan , Fei Gao , MingXin Wen , Yunhan Ma , YuChen Xiu , ZhenYa Liu , KaiWei Huang , YunShan Wang , GuangWei Wei , YangMiao Duan
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly malignant and lethal tumor in gastrointestinal tract. Lactate accumulation is a classical feature of metabolic reprogramming in cancers. Lactate-derived lysine lactylation (Kla) is identified as a new type of post-translational modifications (PTMs), which is confirmed to be involved in multiple biological processes. However, the cancer-specific regulation of protein Kla in PC requires further elucidation. Here, we report a range of dysregulated Kla sites specifically related to RNA splicing in human pancreatic cancer, leading to the observation that the Kla at lysine 176 of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C (HNRNPC K176la) is significantly elevated in PC. Blocking HNRNPC K176la dramatically inhibits pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis. Mechanistically, K176la strengthened the binding of HNRNPC with poly-U motifs in p21-activated kinase 6 (PAK6) pre-mRNA, facilitating the expression of the oncogenic isoform PAK6S. Therefore, our study identifies a number of cancer-specific Kla sites spanned on alternative splicing (AS)-related proteins and unravels the significance of HNRNPC K176la in RNA splicing and PC development.
{"title":"HNRNPC lactylation promotes pancreatic cancer progression through mediating the alternative splicing of PAK6","authors":"BoHao Li , HanXiang Zhan , Fei Gao , MingXin Wen , Yunhan Ma , YuChen Xiu , ZhenYa Liu , KaiWei Huang , YunShan Wang , GuangWei Wei , YangMiao Duan","doi":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218230","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly malignant and lethal tumor in gastrointestinal tract. Lactate accumulation is a classical feature of metabolic reprogramming in cancers. Lactate-derived lysine lactylation (Kla) is identified as a new type of post-translational modifications (PTMs), which is confirmed to be involved in multiple biological processes. However, the cancer-specific regulation of protein Kla in PC requires further elucidation. Here, we report a range of dysregulated Kla sites specifically related to RNA splicing in human pancreatic cancer, leading to the observation that the Kla at lysine 176 of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C (HNRNPC K176la) is significantly elevated in PC. Blocking HNRNPC K176la dramatically inhibits pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis. Mechanistically, K176la strengthened the binding of HNRNPC with poly-U motifs in p21-activated kinase 6 (PAK6) pre-mRNA, facilitating the expression of the oncogenic isoform PAK6S. Therefore, our study identifies a number of cancer-specific Kla sites spanned on alternative splicing (AS)-related proteins and unravels the significance of HNRNPC K176la in RNA splicing and PC development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9506,"journal":{"name":"Cancer letters","volume":"639 ","pages":"Article 218230"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145817982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-21DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218232
Bao Dai , Jinghua Li , Lei Xu , Weijian Chen , Jianghong Chen , Muye Song , Yongchen Liu , Linhe Wang , Lingyun Zhang , Jian Chen , Zeyu Wu
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most aggressive endocrine malignancy and frequently resistant to radiotherapy. Lipid metabolic reprogramming has been implicated in ferroptosis evasion and therapeutic resistance in cancers; however, the specific mechanisms of lipid metabolic rewiring in regulating radioresistance in ATC remain unclear. This study employed an integrated multi-omics profiling, including RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq), and RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq), lipidomics profiling, and mRNA stability assays, to characterize YTHDF2- mediated regulation of metabolic pathways in ATC. Functional validation assessments were performed using Seahorse XF metabolic flux analysis, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) imaging, ferroptosis induction/rescue models, and radiation-exposed xenograft models. Our results demonstrated that YTHDF2 directly bound to N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-modified motifs within the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of SREBF1 mRNA, thereby enhancing its stability and promoting the expression of downstream lipogenic enzymes, including stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1(SCD1). This lipid remodeling increased membrane fluidity, suppressed ferroptosis, and protected cells from lipid peroxidation while sustaining mitochondrial respiration, accompanied by maintenance of cellular homeostasis, including endoplasmic reticulum integrity. Notably, reintroduction of SREBF1 in YTHDF2-deficient ATC cells restored radiotolerance and reversed ferroptotic susceptibility. Additionally, both pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of YTHDF2 significantly sensitized tumors to ionizing radiation and increased ferroptosis-associated cytotoxicity in vivo. Our findings reveal a novel regulatory YTHDF2–SREBF1 axis that links m6A-dependent post-transcriptional regulation to ferroptosis modulation through lipid metabolic remodeling. Therapeutically targeting the YTHDF2-SREBF1 pathway may represent a promising strategy to overcome radiotherapy resistance in ATC through metabolic intervention.
{"title":"YTHDF2-mediated stabilization of SREBF1 promotes lipid metabolic reprogramming and ferroptosis-associated radioresistance in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma","authors":"Bao Dai , Jinghua Li , Lei Xu , Weijian Chen , Jianghong Chen , Muye Song , Yongchen Liu , Linhe Wang , Lingyun Zhang , Jian Chen , Zeyu Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218232","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most aggressive endocrine malignancy and frequently resistant to radiotherapy. Lipid metabolic reprogramming has been implicated in ferroptosis evasion and therapeutic resistance in cancers; however, the specific mechanisms of lipid metabolic rewiring in regulating radioresistance in ATC remain unclear. This study employed an integrated multi-omics profiling, including RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq), and RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq), lipidomics profiling, and mRNA stability assays, to characterize YTHDF2- mediated regulation of metabolic pathways in ATC. Functional validation assessments were performed using Seahorse XF metabolic flux analysis, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) imaging, ferroptosis induction/rescue models, and radiation-exposed xenograft models. Our results demonstrated that YTHDF2 directly bound to N<sup>6</sup>-methyladenosine (m<sup>6</sup>A)-modified motifs within the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of SREBF1 mRNA, thereby enhancing its stability and promoting the expression of downstream lipogenic enzymes, including stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1(SCD1). This lipid remodeling increased membrane fluidity, suppressed ferroptosis, and protected cells from lipid peroxidation while sustaining mitochondrial respiration, accompanied by maintenance of cellular homeostasis, including endoplasmic reticulum integrity. Notably, reintroduction of <em>SREBF1</em> in YTHDF2-deficient ATC cells restored radiotolerance and reversed ferroptotic susceptibility. Additionally, both pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of YTHDF2 significantly sensitized tumors to ionizing radiation and increased ferroptosis-associated cytotoxicity in vivo. Our findings reveal a novel regulatory YTHDF2–SREBF1 axis that links m<sup>6</sup>A-dependent post-transcriptional regulation to ferroptosis modulation through lipid metabolic remodeling. Therapeutically targeting the YTHDF2-SREBF1 pathway may represent a promising strategy to overcome radiotherapy resistance in ATC through metabolic intervention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9506,"journal":{"name":"Cancer letters","volume":"639 ","pages":"Article 218232"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145817601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Despite advances in breast cancer therapy, effective treatment options remain a challenge. The Ephrin receptor A10 (EphA10), a receptor tyrosine kinase, has been reported to be overexpressed in several cancers, including breast and ovarian cancers yet absent in the majority of normal cells except for the male testis. This unique expression profile makes EphA10 an ideal therapeutic target for cancers in women. However, effective EphA10-directed therapies have yet to be developed. To investigate the therapeutic potential of targeting EphA10, we evaluated an antibody drug conjugate strategy. For this purpose, chimeric and humanized EphA10 antibodies were generated and conjugated with monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE). The results showed that EphA10-MMAE exhibited strong cytotoxic effects against EphA10-positive breast cancer cells, including those resistant to FDA-approved drugs such as trastuzumab, lapatinib, PARP inhibitors, and cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 inhibitors. Taken together, these findings highlight EphA10-MMAE as a promising therapeutic strategy for breast cancer, with the potential to overcome drug resistance to existing treatments.
尽管乳腺癌治疗取得了进展,但有效的治疗选择仍然是一个挑战。Ephrin受体A10 (EphA10)是一种酪氨酸激酶受体,据报道在包括乳腺癌和卵巢癌在内的几种癌症中过度表达,但在除男性睾丸外的大多数正常细胞中不存在。这种独特的表达谱使EphA10成为女性癌症的理想治疗靶点。然而,有效的epha10定向疗法尚未开发出来。为了研究靶向EphA10的治疗潜力,我们评估了一种抗体药物偶联策略。为此,我们制备了嵌合和人源化的EphA10抗体,并与单甲基aurisatin E (MMAE)偶联。结果显示,EphA10-MMAE对epha10阳性乳腺癌细胞表现出很强的细胞毒性作用,包括那些对fda批准的药物耐药的细胞,如曲妥珠单抗、拉帕替尼、PARP抑制剂和周期蛋白依赖性激酶4和6抑制剂。综上所述,这些发现突出了EphA10-MMAE作为一种有希望的乳腺癌治疗策略,具有克服现有治疗药物耐药性的潜力。
{"title":"Targeting ephrin receptor A10 with antibody-drug conjugates for breast cancer","authors":"Mahdieh Safaei , Yi-Chuan Li , Chung-Yu Chen , Ping-Hua Hsieh , Srimathi Venkataraman , Wei-Chien Huang , Wei-Chung Cheng , Hirohito Yamaguchi , Yu-Fu Chen , Yuan-Soon Ho , Wei-Chao Chang , Chih-Wei Lin , Mien-Chie Hung","doi":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218225","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.canlet.2025.218225","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite advances in breast cancer therapy, effective treatment options remain a challenge. The Ephrin receptor A10 (EphA10), a receptor tyrosine kinase, has been reported to be overexpressed in several cancers, including breast and ovarian cancers yet absent in the majority of normal cells except for the male testis. This unique expression profile makes EphA10 an ideal therapeutic target for cancers in women. However, effective EphA10-directed therapies have yet to be developed. To investigate the therapeutic potential of targeting EphA10, we evaluated an antibody drug conjugate strategy. For this purpose, chimeric and humanized EphA10 antibodies were generated and conjugated with monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE). The results showed that EphA10-MMAE exhibited strong cytotoxic effects against EphA10-positive breast cancer cells, including those resistant to FDA-approved drugs such as trastuzumab, lapatinib, PARP inhibitors, and cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 inhibitors. Taken together, these findings highlight EphA10-MMAE as a promising therapeutic strategy for breast cancer, with the potential to overcome drug resistance to existing treatments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9506,"journal":{"name":"Cancer letters","volume":"639 ","pages":"Article 218225"},"PeriodicalIF":10.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145803233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}