Biology subjects

Mahouche, I.

Publications and source records attributed to Mahouche, I..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Proteomic profiling of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma identifies predictive signatures of response to treatments

PurposeHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer with a bad prognosis in case of advanced HCC, only eligible for palliative systemic therapies. After a decade of exclusive sorafenib monotherapy, with a response rate of <10%, the advent of immunotherapies represents a revolution in HCC. The combination of atezolizumab/bevacizumab is recommended as the first-line systemic treatment, with a response rate around 30%. However, there are currently no predictive factors for response to these treatment options. Experimental DesignWe profiled, by high-resolution mass spectrometry-based proteomics combined with machine learning analysis, a selected cohort of fixed biopsies of advanced HCC. We grouped subjects according to their objective response to treatments, corresponded to a tumor regression vs tumor progression at 4 months after treatment. ResultsWe generated a proteome database of 50 selected HCC samples. We compared the relative protein abundance between tumoral and non-tumoral liver tissues from advanced HCC patients treated. The clear distinction of these two groups for each treatment is based on deregulation for 141 protein or 87 for atezolizumab/bevacizumab and sorafenib treatment, respectively. These specific proteomic signatures were sufficient to predict the response to treatment, and revealed biological pathways involved in treatments resistance. Particularly, we validated a shift in tumor cell metabolism with an immunosuppressive environment involved in the resistance to atezolizumab/bevacizumab combination. ConclusionsWe performed an in-depth analysis of quantitative proteomic data from HCC biopsies to predict the treatment response to advanced HCC giving the ability to optimize patient management.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Src promotes tumor cell invasion by hijacking the translation machinery

The Src oncogene controls cancer cell invasiveness by promoting invadosome formation and extracellular matrix degradation (ECM). Invadosomes are enriched in the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF3) complex associated with a local mRNA translation activity mandatory for their maintenance. Here, we show that Src regulates mRNA translation by controlling the expression of eIF3 subunits. Among them, eIF3h/e/d are essential for invadosome formation and ECM degradation. We demonstrate that Src controls the canonical mTOR/eIF4E and the non-canonical eIF3d cap-dependent translation initiation pathways. We show that both pathways are necessary for invadosome formation and their ECM degradation function. Finally, we highlighted a correlation between Src and eIF3h/e/d overexpression, which is associated with poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and controls the ECM degradation and invasive properties of HCC cells. These findings identify Src as a major regulator of translation initiation pathways, which leads to invadosome formation, ECM degradation and tumor cell invasion. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=152 SRC="FIGDIR/small/606119v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (22K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1804203org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@16ddae8org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@13ecca5org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1ed685a_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG Graphical abstract C_FIG

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Repression of exosome secretion by mutated β-catenin contributes to immune escape in hepatocellular carcinoma

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have produced encouraging results in cancer patients. However, the majority of {beta}-catenin-mutated tumors have been described as lacking immune infiltrates and resistant to immunotherapy. The mechanisms by which oncogenic {beta}-catenin affects immune surveillance remain unclear. Herein, we highlighted the involvement of {beta}-catenin in the regulation of the exosomal pathway and, by extension, in immune/cancer cell communication in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We showed that mutated {beta}-catenin represses expression of SDC4 and RAB27A, two main actors in exosome biogenesis, in both liver cancer cell lines and HCC patient samples. Using nanoparticle tracking analysis and live-cell imaging, we further demonstrated that activated {beta}-catenin represses exosome release. Then, we demonstrated in 3D spheroid models that activation of {beta}-catenin promotes a decrease in immune cell infiltration through a defect in exosome secretion. Taken together, our results provide the first evidence that oncogenic {beta}-catenin plays a key role in exosome biogenesis. Our study gives new insight into the impact of {beta}-catenin mutations on tumor microenvironment remodeling, which could lead to the development of new strategies to enhance immunotherapeutic response.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Anterior Gradient-2 (AGR2) overexpression in colon cancer: a potential prognostic biomarker

BackgroundColon cancer is one of the most common leading causes of death worldwide. Prognostic at an early stage is an efficient way to decrease mortality. The Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)-resident protein anterior gradient-2 (AGR2), a Protein Disulfide Isomerase (PDI) is highly expressed in various tumours and is involved in tumour-associated processes. This study aims at examining the expression of AGR2 protein in colon cancer. MethodsAGR2 protein expression was determined using immunohistochemistry on tissue samples issued from a cohort of 82 colorectal carcinomas. ResultsAGR2 protein expression was significantly higher in tumours than in adjacent nontumour controls. AGR2 expression subgroup analyses indicated that AGR2 low expression in colon cancer patients was significantly associated with worse overall survival. Mucinous colon cancers exhibited higher AGR2 expression levels than non-mucinous cancers. Additionally, tumours with microsatellite instability (MSI) were characterised by a strong upregulation of AGR2 mRNA and protein expression despite an absence of MLH1/MSH2 mutations. ConclusionsOur findings indicate that high AGR2 protein expression is correlated with longer patient survival and that AGR2 overexpression is associated with MSI tumours and could represent an MSI biomarker. Overall, AGR2 might serve as a biomarker to stratify colon tumours and to contribute to the prognosis of colon cancer patients.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Stromal cells regulate malignant B-cell spatial organization, survival, and drug response in a new 3D model mimicking lymphoma tumor niche

Non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas (B-NHL) mainly develop within lymph nodes as densely packed aggregates of tumor cells and their surrounding microenvironment, creating a tumor niche specific to each lymphoma subtypes. Until now, in vitro preclinical models mimicking biomechanical forces, cellular microenvironment, and 3D organization of B lymphomas remain scarce while all these parameters constitute key determinants of lymphomagenesis and drug resistance. Using a microfluidic method based on the encapsulation of cells inside permeable, elastic, and hollow alginate microspheres, we developed a new tunable 3D-model incorporating extracellular matrix and/or stromal cells. Lymphoma B cells and stromal cells dynamically formed self-organized 3D spheroids, thus initiating a coevolution of these two cell types, reflecting their bidirectional crosstalk, and recapitulating the heterogeneity of B-NHL subtypes. In addition, this approach makes it suitable to assess in a relevant in vitro model the activity of new therapeutic agents in B-NHL.

cancer biology↗