2. Academic Validation
  3. Immune Checkpoint Neuropilins as Novel Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets for Pancreatic Cancer

Immune Checkpoint Neuropilins as Novel Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets for Pancreatic Cancer

  • Cancers (Basel). 2023 Apr 10;15(8):2225. doi: 10.3390/cancers15082225.
Li-Hong He 1 2 3 4 5,  Xiao-Zhen Zhang 1 2 3 4 5,  Meng-Yi Lao 1 2 3 4 5,  Han-Jia Zhang 1 2 3 4 5,  Han-Shen Yang 1 2 3 4 5,  Xue-Li Bai 1 2 3 4 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China.
  • 2 Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.
  • 3 Zhejiang Provincial Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou 310009, China.
  • 4 Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for the Study of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou 310009, China.
  • 5 Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
PMID: 37190154 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082225
Abstract

The traditional immune checkpoint blockade therapy benefits some patients with Cancer, but elicits no response in certain cancers, such as pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD); thus, novel checkpoints and effective targets are required. Here, we found that there was a higher Neuropilin (NRP) expression in tumor tissues as novel immune checkpoints, which was associated with poor prognosis and pessimistic responses to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. In the tumor microenvironment of PAAD samples, NRPs were widely expressed in tumor, immune and stromal cells. The relationship of NRPs with tumor immunological features in PAAD and pan-cancer was evaluated using bioinformatics methods; it was positively correlated with the infiltration of myeloid immune cells and the expression of most immune checkpoint genes. Bioinformatics analysis, in vitro and in vivo experiments suggested that NRPs exhibit potential immune-related and immune-independent pro-tumor effects. NRPs, especially NRP1, are attractive biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancers, particularly PAAD.

Keywords

immune checkpoint; immunotherapy; neuropilins; pancreatic cancer; tumor microenvironment.

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