Identification of tumor antigens and immune subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma for mRNA vaccine development

BACKGROUND mRNA vaccines have been investigated in multiple tumors,but limited studies have been conducted on their use for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).AIM To identify candidate mRNA vaccine antigens for HCC and suitable subpopu-lations for mRNA vaccination.METHODS Gene expression profiles and clinical information of HCC datasets were obtained from International Cancer Genome Consortium and The Cancer Genome Atlas.Genes with somatic mutations and copy number variations were identified by cBioPortal analysis.The differentially expressed genes with significant prognostic value were identified by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 website analysis.The Tumor Immune Estimation Resource database was used to assess the correlation between candidate antigens and the abundance of antigen-presenting cells(APCs).Tumor-associated antigens were overexpressed in tumors and associated with prognosis,genomic alterations,and APC infiltration.A consensus cluster analysis was performed with the Consensus Cluster Plus package to identify the immune subtypes.The weighted gene coexpression network analysis(WGCNA)was used to determine the candidate biomarker molecules for appropriate populations for mRNA vaccines.immune subtypes showed distinct cellular and clinical characteristics.The IS1 and IS3 immune subtypes were immunologically“cold”.The IS2 and IS4 immune subtypes were immunologically“hot”,and the immune checkpoint genes and immunogenic cell death genes were upregulated in these subtypes.IS1-related modules were identified with the WGCNA algorithm.Ultimately,five hub genes(RBP4,KNG1,METTL7A,F12,and ABAT)were identified,and they might be potential biomarkers for mRNA vaccines.CONCLUSION AURKA,CCNB1,CDC25C,CDK1,TRIP13,PES1,MCM3,PPM1G,NEK2,KIF2C,PTTG1,KPNA2,and PRC1 have been identified as candidate HCC antigens for mRNA vaccine development.The IS1 and IS3 immune subtypes are suitable populations for mRNA vaccination.RBP4,KNG1,METTL7A,F12,and ABAT are potential biomarkers for mRNA vaccines.

Personalized pancreatic cancer therapy:from the perspective of mRNA vaccine

Pancreatic cancer is characterized by inter-tumoral and intra-tumoral heterogeneity,especially in genetic alteration and microenvironment.Conventional therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer usually suffer resistance,highlighting the necessity for personalized precise treatment.Cancer vaccines have become promising alternatives for pancreatic cancer treatment because of their multifaceted advantages including multiple targeting,minimal nonspecific effects,broad therapeutic window,low toxicity,and induction of persistent immunological memory.Multiple conventional vaccines based on the cells,microorganisms,exosomes,proteins,peptides,or DNA against pancreatic cancer have been developed;however,their overall efficacy remains unsatisfactory.Compared with these vaccine modalities,messager RNA(mRNA)-based vaccines offer technical and conceptional advances in personalized precise treatment,and thus represent a potentially cutting-edge option in novel therapeutic approaches for pancreatic cancer.This review summarizes the current progress on pancreatic cancer vaccines,highlights the superiority of mRNA vaccines over other conventional vaccines,and proposes the viable tactic for designing and applying personalized mRNA vaccines for the precise treatment of pancreatic cancer.

mRNA vaccine development for cholangiocarcinoma:a precise pipeline

Cholangiocarcinoma(CHOL)is one of the most aggressive tumors worldwide and cannot be effectively treated by conventional and novel treatments,including immune checkpoint blockade therapy.The mRNA vaccine-based immunotherapeutic strategy has attracted much attention for various diseases,however,its application in CHOL is limited due to the thoughtlessness in the integration of vaccine design and patient selection.A recent study established an integrated path for identifying potent CHOL antigens for mRNA vaccine development and a precise stratification for identifying CHOL patients who can benefit from the mRNA vaccines.In spite of a promising prospect,further investigations should identify immunogenic antigens and onco-immunological characteristics of CHOL to guide the clinical application of CHOL mRNA vaccines in the future.

Molecular subtyping of hepatocellular carcinoma:A step toward precision medicine

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is one of the most prevalent and fatal digestive tumors.Treatment for this disease has been constraint by heterogeneity of this group of tumors,which has greatly limited the progress in personalized therapy.Although existing studies have revealed the genetic and epigenetic blueprints that drive HCCs,many of the molecular mechanisms that lead to HCCs remain elusive.Recent advances in techniques for studying functional genomics,such as genome sequencing and transcriptomic analyses,have led to the discovery of molecular mechanisms that participate in the initiation and evolution of HCC.Integrative multi-omics analyses have identified several molecular subtypes of HCC associated with specific molecular characteristics and clinical outcomes.Deciphering similar molecular features among highly heterogeneous HCC patients is a prerequisite to implementation of personalized therapeutics.This review summarizes the current research progresses in precision therapy on the backbone of molecular subtypes of HCC.