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B7-H3 and ICAM-1 are potentially therapeutic targets for thyroid carcinoma
Pengtao Song1,2, Yongcan Xu3,4, Guochao Ye5,6
1Department of Pathology, Fifth School of Clinical Medicine of Zhejiang, Huzhou Central Hospital, Chinese Medical University, Huzhou, People's Republic of China.
Abstract:
Although most differentiated thyroid carcinoma has a clinically favorable prognosis, some of specific types of thyroid cancer (such as anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and advanced papillary thyroid carcinoma) show fatal outcomes and require novel treatments. Immunotherapy is a promising avenue for the treatment of advanced thyroid carcinoma. B7-H3 (B7 homolog 3 protein) and ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule 1), as two important immune checkpoints (ICPs), is becoming hopeful target spots for immunotherapy. A growing amount of evidence has suggested that B7-H3 and ICAM-1 are upregulated in papillary thyroid carcinoma. However, their expression level in specific types of thyroid cancer remains largely unclear. In the present study, we explored the expression level of B7-H3 and ICAM-1 in different types of thyroid carcinoma. In the groups of the TCGA cohort, both B7-H3 and ICAM-1 mRNA were highly expressed in thyroid carcinoma. Furthermore, the patients with Stage2, 61-80y, Follicular thyroid papillary carcinoma and N0 had lower B7-H3 and ICAM-1 mRNA expression. In the groups of our cohort, PTCs and ATCs showed frequently moderate to strong expression of B7-H3 and ICAM-1 protein expression. The significant relevance of B7-H3 staining score with ICAM-1 staining score was observed in TCGA database and our cohort, which might open avenues for the combination therapy in advanced thyroid cancer.
Insights
This study investigated B7-H3 and ICAM-1 expression in thyroid cancer, finding they are upregulated in papillary and anaplastic types, suggesting potential for immunotherapy combination therapy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Differentiated thyroid carcinoma generally has a good prognosis, but aggressive subtypes like anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and advanced papillary thyroid carcinoma are fatal.
- Novel treatments, including immunotherapy targeting immune checkpoints (ICPs), are needed for advanced thyroid cancer.
- B7-H3 (B7 homolog 3 protein) and ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule 1) are ICPs increasingly recognized as potential therapeutic targets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the expression levels of B7-H3 and ICAM-1 in various types of thyroid carcinoma.
- To investigate the correlation between B7-H3 and ICAM-1 expression and clinical parameters.
- To assess the potential of targeting B7-H3 and ICAM-1 for combination immunotherapy in advanced thyroid cancer.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of B7-H3 and ICAM-1 mRNA expression in the TCGA thyroid cancer cohort.
- Evaluation of B7-H3 and ICAM-1 protein expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) from a clinical cohort.
- Statistical analysis to determine the relevance of B7-H3 and ICAM-1 expression with clinical data and their interrelation.
Main Results:
- Both B7-H3 and ICAM-1 mRNA were highly expressed in thyroid carcinoma within the TCGA cohort.
- Lower B7-H3 and ICAM-1 mRNA expression was observed in patients with Stage 2, age 61-80 years, Follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma, and N0.
- PTCs and ATCs in the clinical cohort frequently exhibited moderate to strong B7-H3 and ICAM-1 protein expression.
- A significant correlation was found between B7-H3 and ICAM-1 staining scores in both the TCGA database and the clinical cohort.
Conclusions:
- B7-H3 and ICAM-1 are frequently overexpressed in aggressive thyroid carcinomas, including PTC and ATC.
- The expression levels of B7-H3 and ICAM-1 correlate with certain clinical parameters.
- The significant association between B7-H3 and ICAM-1 suggests their potential as targets for combination immunotherapy in advanced thyroid cancer.
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