Scientific Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for a majority of primary liver cancer cases and related deaths. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of splicing factor 3b subunit 4 (SF3B4) as a novel non-invasive biomarker for HCC and determine the association between SF3B4 expression and immune cell infiltration.

• Link: https://jeccr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13046-023-02867-y

Autoantibodies (AAbs) in the blood of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients have been evaluated for tumor detection. However, it remains uncertain whether these AAbs are specific to tumor-associated antigens. In this study, we explored the IgG and IgM autoantibody repertoires in both the in situ tissue microenvironment and peripheral blood as potential tumor-specific biomarkers.

• Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cas.16011

Ectopic ATP synthase on the plasma membrane (eATP synthase) has been found in various cancer types and is a potential target for cancer therapy. However, whether it provides a functional role in tumor progression remains unclear. Here, quantitative proteomics reveals that cancer cells under starvation stress express higher eATP synthase and enhance the production of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are vital regulators within the tumor microenvironment. Further results show that eATP synthase generates extracellular ATP to stimulate EV secretion by enhancing P2X7 receptor–triggered Ca2+ influx.

• Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-05008-5#Sec11

To demonstrate that shared antibody responses in endometriosis and endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer spontaneously antagonize malignant progression and can be leveraged to develop future immunotherapies. Nine accessible proteins detected by both IgA and IgG were identified in all samples - including SDCBP, which is expressed in ovarian carcinomas of multiple histologies. Administration of α-SDCBP IgG4 in OVCAR3 (HGSOC), TOV21G and RMG-I (CCC) tumor-bearing mice significantly decreased tumor volume compared to control irrelevant IgG4.

• Link: https://www.gynecologiconcology-online.net/article/S0090-8258(23)00167-1/fulltext#%20

Gastric cancer (GC) is the most common malignant tumor of digestive system. Bufalin extracted from Venenum Bufonis is one of the most effective anticancer monomers, which has been proved to play anticancer roles in a variety of cancers such as ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and neuroblastoma. However, there are few studies on bufalin in GC, and lack of clear targets. The effect of bufalin on the proliferation and migration of GC cells was detected by CCK-8, scratch wound healing assay, transwell assay and Western blotting.

• Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10495-023-01855-z

Immune checkpoint inhibitors that overcome T cell suppressive mechanisms in tumors have revolutionized the treatment of cancer but are only efficacious in a small subset of patients. Targeting suppressive mechanisms acting on innate immune cells could significantly improve the incidence of clinical response by facilitating a multi-lineage response against the tumor involving both adaptive and innate immune systems. Here, we show that intra-tumoral interleukin (IL)-38 expression is a feature of a large frequency of head and neck, lung and cervical squamous cancers and correlates with reduced immune cell numbers. We generated IMM20324, an antibody that binds human and mouse IL-38 proteins and inhibits the binding of IL-38 to its putative receptors, interleukin 1 receptor accessory protein-like 1 (IL1RAPL) and IL-36R.

• Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19420862.2023.2212673?src=

HuProt Antibody Specificity: Despite recent advances in cancer treatments, pancreatic cancer has a dismal prognosis globally. Early detection of cancer cells and effective treatments for recalcitrant tumors are required, but the innovative therapeutic tools remain in development. Cancer-specific antigens expressed only on cancer cells may help resolve these problems, and antibodies to such antigens have potential in basic research and clinical applications. To generate specific antibodies that bind to proteins expressed on the surface of pancreatic cancer cells, we immunized mice with human pancreatic cancer MIA PaCa-2 cells, and isolated a hybridoma that produces a monoclonal antibody (mAb), named 12–13.8.

• Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0300908423000020?via%3Dihub

HuProt Autoantibodies: Circulating biomarkers for the identification of patients with “actionable” nodules may increase screening uptake and decrease false-positive rates associated with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT). Novel autoantibody biomarkers were identified utilizing a HuProt™ protein microarray. Luminex assays were developed for the targeted measurement of identified biomarkers within a large Biomarker Development Cohort (n = 841). Each individual biomarker’s performance was assessed. The Biomarker Development Cohort was split into three separate cohorts: Training, Validation 1, and Validation 2. Utilizing a Training cohort, a random forest model for identifying patients with “actionable” nodules from those with “non-actionable” nodules was built.

• Link: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/15/8/2259

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in most countries. Although early diagnosis and treatment critically influence prognosis, lung cancers are generally only discovered in the late stages of the disease. Widely-used screening and diagnostic methods are not suitable for preventive screening, and high-throughput technologies based on serum biomarkers are needed.

• Link: https://www.eurekaselect.com/article/123880

B7 homolog 3 (B7-H3; CD276), a tumor-associated antigen and possible immune checkpoint, is highly expressed in prostate cancer (PCa) and is associated with early recurrence and metastasis. Enoblituzumab is a humanized, Fc-engineered, B7-H3-targeting antibody that mediates antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. In this phase 2, biomarker-rich neoadjuvant trial, 32 biological males with operable intermediate to high-risk localized PCa were enrolled to evaluate the safety, anti-tumor activity and immunogenicity of enoblituzumab when given before prostatectomy.

• Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02284-w