2. Academic Validation
  3. Mutual communication between radiosensitive and radioresistant esophageal cancer cells modulates their radiosensitivity

Mutual communication between radiosensitive and radioresistant esophageal cancer cells modulates their radiosensitivity

  • Cell Death Dis. 2023 Dec 19;14(12):846. doi: 10.1038/s41419-023-06307-9.
Congying Xie # 1 2,  Xiao Chen # 3 4,  Yueming Chen # 4,  Xingyue Wang # 4,  Jiwei Zuo 4,  Anqi Zheng 4,  Zhicheng Luo 4,  Xiaoxiao Cheng 4,  Shouhui Zhong 4,  Jiayu Jiang 4,  Jizao Du 4,  Yuemei Zhao 4,  Peipei Jiang 5,  Wei Zhang 5,  Didi Chen 6,  Huanle Pan 7,  Lanxiao Shen 7,  Baoling Zhu 1 2,  Qingyu Zhou 1 2,  Yunsheng Xu 8,  Kai-Fu Tang 9 10
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 325000, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
  • 2 Wenzhou key Laboratory of basic science and translational research of radiation oncology, 325000, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
  • 3 Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310009, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
  • 4 Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 325015, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
  • 5 Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 325015, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
  • 6 Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 325015, wenzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
  • 7 Department of Radiotherapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 325015, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China.
  • 8 Department of Dermatovenereology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 518107, Shenzhen, P. R. China.
  • 9 Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 325000, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P. R. China. tangkaifu@cqmu.edu.cn.
  • 10 Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology on Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, 400016, Chongqing, Chongqing, P. R. China. tangkaifu@cqmu.edu.cn.
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 38114473 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06307-9
Abstract

Radiotherapy is an important treatment modality for patients with esophageal cancer; however, the response to radiation varies among different tumor subpopulations due to tumor heterogeneity. Cancer cells that survive radiotherapy (i.e., radioresistant) may proliferate, ultimately resulting in Cancer relapse. However, the interaction between radiosensitive and radioresistant Cancer cells remains to be elucidated. In this study, we found that the mutual communication between radiosensitive and radioresistant esophageal Cancer cells modulated their radiosensitivity. Radiosensitive cells secreted more exosomal let-7a and less interleukin-6 (IL-6) than radioresistant cells. Exosomal let-7a secreted by radiosensitive cells increased the radiosensitivity of radioresistant cells, whereas IL-6 secreted by radioresistant cells decreased the radiosensitivity of radiosensitive cells. Although the serum levels of let-7a and IL-6 before radiotherapy did not vary significantly between patients with radioresistant and radiosensitive diseases, radiotherapy induced a more pronounced decrease in serum let-7a levels and a greater increase in serum IL-6 levels in patients with radioresistant Cancer compared to those with radiosensitive Cancer. The percentage decrease in serum let-7a and the percentage increase in serum IL-6 levels at the early stage of radiotherapy were inversely associated with tumor regression after radiotherapy. Our findings suggest that early changes in serum let-7a and IL-6 levels may be used as a biomarker to predict the response to radiotherapy in patients with esophageal Cancer and provide new insights into subsequent treatments.

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