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Tang R, Zhang Z, Xu J, Wang W, Meng Q, Liu Y, Du Q, Liang C, Hua J, Zhang B, Yu X, Shi S. Integration of single-nucleus and exosome RNA sequencing dissected inter-cellular communication and biomarkers in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:1689-1704. [PMID: 38689717 PMCID: PMC11059144 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Mounting evidence underscores the importance of cell communication within the tumor microenvironment, which is pivotal in tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Exosomes play a crucial role in cell-to-cell communication. Although single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides insights into individual cell transcriptional characteristics, it falls short of comprehensively capturing exosome-mediated intercellular communication. Method We analyzed Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tissues, separating supernatant and precipitate for exosome purification and single-cell nucleus suspension. We then constructed Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and small RNA-seq libraries from these components. Our bioinformatic analysis integrated these sequences with ligand-receptor analysis and public miRNA data to map the cell communication network. Results We established intercellular communication networks using bioinformatic analysis to track exosome miRNA effects and ligand-receptor pairs. Significantly, hsa-miR-1293 emerged as a prognostic biomarker for pancreatic cancer, linked to immune evasion, increased myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and poorer prognosis. Targeting this miRNA may enhance anti-tumor immunity and improve outcomes. Conclusion Our study offers a novel approach to constructing intercellular communication networks using snRNA-seq and exosome-small RNA sequencing. By integrating miRNA tracing with ligand-receptor analysis, we illuminate the complex interactions in the pancreatic cancer microenvironment, highlighting the pivotal role of miRNAs and identifying potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Tang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zifeng Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingcai Meng
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Endoscopy, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiong Du
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shangai, China
| | - Chen Liang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Hua
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianjun Yu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Si Shi
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Li M, Zuo J, Yang K, Wang P, Zhou S. Proteomics mining of cancer hallmarks on a single-cell resolution. MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS 2024; 43:1019-1040. [PMID: 37051664 DOI: 10.1002/mas.21842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulated proteome is an essential contributor in carcinogenesis. Protein fluctuations fuel the progression of malignant transformation, such as uncontrolled proliferation, metastasis, and chemo/radiotherapy resistance, which severely impair therapeutic effectiveness and cause disease recurrence and eventually mortality among cancer patients. Cellular heterogeneity is widely observed in cancer and numerous cell subtypes have been characterized that greatly influence cancer progression. Population-averaged research may not fully reveal the heterogeneity, leading to inaccurate conclusions. Thus, deep mining of the multiplex proteome at the single-cell resolution will provide new insights into cancer biology, to develop prognostic biomarkers and treatments. Considering the recent advances in single-cell proteomics, herein we review several novel technologies with particular focus on single-cell mass spectrometry analysis, and summarize their advantages and practical applications in the diagnosis and treatment for cancer. Technological development in single-cell proteomics will bring a paradigm shift in cancer detection, intervention, and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maomao Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Kailin Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Shengtao Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of MOE and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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3
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Ji G, Liu J, Zhao Z, Lan J, Yang Y, Wang Z, Feng H, Ji K, Jiang X, Xia H, Wei G, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Du X, Wang Y, Yang Y, Liu Z, Zhang K, Mei Q, Sun R, Lu H. Polyamine Anabolism Promotes Chemotherapy-Induced Breast Cancer Stem Cell Enrichment. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2404853. [PMID: 39058337 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202404853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer patients may initially benefit from cytotoxic chemotherapy but experience treatment resistance and relapse. Chemoresistant breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) play a pivotal role in cancer recurrence and metastasis, however, identification and eradication of BCSC population in patients are challenging. Here, an mRNA-based BCSC signature is developed using machine learning strategy to evaluate cancer stemness in primary breast cancer patient samples. Using the BCSC signature, a critical role of polyamine anabolism in the regulation of chemotherapy-induced BCSC enrichment, is elucidated. Mechanistically, two key polyamine anabolic enzymes, ODC1 and SRM, are directly activated by transcription factor HIF-1 in response to chemotherapy. Genetic inhibition of HIF-1-controlled polyamine anabolism blocks chemotherapy-induced BCSC enrichment in vitro and in xenograft mice. A novel specific HIF-1 inhibitor britannin is identified through a natural compound library screening, and demonstrate that coadministration of britannin efficiently inhibits chemotherapy-induced HIF-1 transcriptional activity, ODC1 and SRM expression, polyamine levels, and BCSC enrichment in vitro and in xenograft and autochthonous mouse models. The findings demonstrate the key role of polyamine anabolism in BCSC regulation and provide a new strategy for breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangyu Ji
- The Second Hospital and Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Jia Liu
- The Second Hospital and Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Zhiqun Zhao
- The Second Hospital and Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Jie Lan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - You Yang
- Department of Pediatrics (Children Hematological Oncology), Birth Defects and Childhood Hematological Oncology Laboratory, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Birth Defects, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250021, China
| | - Huijing Feng
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China
| | - Kai Ji
- Shandong Helix Matrix Data Technology, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Xiaofeng Jiang
- Youth League Committee, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Huize Xia
- The Second Hospital and Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Guangyao Wei
- The Second Hospital and Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Yajing Zhang
- The Second Hospital and Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Yuhong Zhang
- The Second Hospital and Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Xinlong Du
- The Second Hospital and Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Yawen Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Yuanyuan Yang
- Shandong Artificial Intelligence Institute, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250399, China
| | - Zhaojian Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Qi Mei
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430000, China
| | - Rong Sun
- The Second Hospital and Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Haiquan Lu
- The Second Hospital and Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Ministry of Education, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250001, China
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Peng L, Zhang Z, Du W, Zhu J, Duan W. Proteomic and Phosphoproteomic analysis of thyroid papillary carcinoma: Identification of potential biomarkers for metastasis. J Proteomics 2024; 306:105260. [PMID: 39029786 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2024.105260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
Thyroid cancer has emerged as the most rapidly proliferating solid neoplasm. In this study, we included a cohort of patients who underwent sonographic assessment and surgical intervention at the Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, associated with the School of Medicine at Zhejiang University, spanning from January 2019 to June 2020. Stratification of cases was based on a combination of preoperative ultrasonographic evaluations and postoperative histopathological diagnoses, resulting in three distinct groups: high-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) labeled as C1, low-risk PTC designated as C2, and a control group (N) composed of benign thyroid tissue adjacent to the carcinoma. Proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses were conducted on PTC specimens. The comparative assessment revealed that proteins up-regulated in the C1/N and C2/N groups were predominantly involved in functions such as amino acid binding, binding of phosphorylated compounds, and serine protease activity. Notably, proteins like NADH dehydrogenase, ATP synthase, oxidoreductases, and iron ion channels were significantly elevated in the C1 versus C2 comparative group. Through meticulous analysis of differential expression multiples, statistical significance, and involvement in metabolic pathways, this study identified eight potential biomarkers pertinent to PTC metastasis diagnostics, encompassing phosphorylated myosin 10, phosphorylated proline-directed protein kinase, leucine tRNA synthetase, 2-oxo-isovalerate dehydrogenase, succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, ADP/ATPtranslocase, pyruvate carboxylase, and fibrinogen. Therapeutic assays employing metformin, an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator, alongside the phosphorylation-specific inhibitor ML-7 targeting Myosin10, demonstrated attenuated cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion capabilities in thyroid cancer cells, accompanied by a reduction in amino acid pools. Cellular colocalization and interaction studies elucidated that AMPK activation imposes an inhibitory influence on Myosin10 levels. The findings of this research corroborate the utility of proteomic and phosphoproteomic platforms in the identification of metastatic markers for PTC and suggest that modulation of AMPK activity, coupled with the inhibition of Myosin10 phosphorylation, may forge novel therapeutic avenues in the management of thyroid carcinoma. SIGNIFICANCE: The significance of our research lies in its potential to transform the current understanding and management of thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC), particularly in its metastatic form. By integrating both proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses, our study not only sheds light on the molecular alterations associated with PTC but also identifies eight novel biomarkers that could serve as indicators of metastatic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyao Peng
- Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310007, China
| | - Zhenxian Zhang
- Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310007, China
| | - Wei Du
- Hangzhou Institute of Standardization, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Jiang Zhu
- Women's Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University, 310006 Hangzhou, China.
| | - Wenkai Duan
- Hangzhou Vocational and Technical College, Hangzhou 310018, China.
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Hong P, Xu T, Xu J, Chen W, Hu H, Chen J, Li L, Zheng C, Li B, Liu J, Dai W, Li E, Zhang F, Xu W. CD24 promotes metastasis and chemoresistance by directly targeting Arf6-ERK pathway in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Lett 2024; 594:216994. [PMID: 38801885 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests the importance of CD24 in tumor progression, but its role and mechanism in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain unclear. The present study aims to explore the potential of CD24 as a novel predictive biomarker in ESCC, as well as its mechanism and therapeutic implications in metastasis and 5-FU chemoresistance. By using tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry, we found that CD24 expression was higher in ESCC tumor tissues than paired non-tumor tissues, further indicating that CD24 was markedly associated with poor prognosis. CD24 significantly promoted metastasis and 5-FU chemoresistance in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, CD24 competes with GIT2 to bind to Arf6, and stabilizes Arf6-GTP to activate the subsequent ERK pathway, thus promoting cancer progression. In addition, a significant positive correlation between CD24 and p-ERK was observed in clinical ESCC tissues. In summary, this study not only reveals CD24 as a regulatory factor for Arf6 activity, but also uncovers CD24-Arf6-ERK signaling axis as a novel mechanism of ESCC progression. Our findings suggest CD24 as a promising biomarker and therapeutic target in ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Hong
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Taoyang Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaojiao Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenyou Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huifang Hu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jindong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lan Li
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cancan Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease and National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, Department of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Dai
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Enmin Li
- The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for the High Cancer Incidence Coastal Chaoshan Area, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Wenwen Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Modification and Degradation, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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Hassan AMIA, Zhao Y, Chen X, He C. Blockage of Autophagy for Cancer Therapy: A Comprehensive Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7459. [PMID: 39000565 PMCID: PMC11242824 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The incidence and mortality of cancer are increasing, making it a leading cause of death worldwide. Conventional treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy face significant limitations due to therapeutic resistance. Autophagy, a cellular self-degradation mechanism, plays a crucial role in cancer development, drug resistance, and treatment. This review investigates the potential of autophagy inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for cancer. A systematic search was conducted on Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases from 1967 to 2024 to identify studies on autophagy inhibitors and their mechanisms in cancer therapy. The review includes original articles utilizing in vitro and in vivo experimental methods, literature reviews, and clinical trials. Key terms used were "Autophagy", "Inhibitors", "Molecular mechanism", "Cancer therapy", and "Clinical trials". Autophagy inhibitors such as chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have shown promise in preclinical studies by inhibiting lysosomal acidification and preventing autophagosome degradation. Other inhibitors like wortmannin and SAR405 target specific components of the autophagy pathway. Combining these inhibitors with chemotherapy has demonstrated enhanced efficacy, making cancer cells more susceptible to cytotoxic agents. Clinical trials involving CQ and HCQ have shown encouraging results, although further investigation is needed to optimize their use in cancer therapy. Autophagy exhibits a dual role in cancer, functioning as both a survival mechanism and a cell death pathway. Targeting autophagy presents a viable strategy for cancer therapy, particularly when integrated with existing treatments. However, the complexity of autophagy regulation and the potential side effects necessitate further research to develop precise and context-specific therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuxin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR 999078, China (X.C.)
| | - Xiuping Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR 999078, China (X.C.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR 999078, China
| | - Chengwei He
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR 999078, China (X.C.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR 999078, China
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7
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Kong JC, Zhou F, Shi L, Wei Y, Wu C. A novel nanodrug for the sensitization of photothermal chemotherapy for breast cancer in vitro. RSC Adv 2024; 14:21292-21299. [PMID: 38974230 PMCID: PMC11225340 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra01611d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Owing to the complexity of tumor treatment, clinical tumor treatment has evolved from a single treatment mode to multiple combined treatment modes. Reducing the tolerance of tumors to heat and the toxicity of chemotherapy drugs to the body, as well as increasing the sensitivity of tumors to photothermal therapy and chemotherapy drugs, are key issues that urgently need to be addressed in the current cancer treatment. In this work, polylactic acid-based drug nanoparticles (PLA@DOX/GA/ICG) were synthesized with good photothermal conversion ability by encapsulating the water-soluble anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX), photothermal conversion agent indocyanine green (ICG) and liposoluble drug gambogic acid (GA) using a double emulsion method. The preparation process of PLA@DOX/GA/ICG was examined. Gambogic acid entrapped in PLA@DOX/GA/ICG nanoparticles could act as an HSP90 protein inhibitor to achieve bidirectional sensitization to chemotherapy and photothermal therapy under 808 nm laser irradiation for the first time, effectively ablating breast cancer cells in vitro. This nanodrug was expected to be used for the efficient treatment of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Chuan Kong
- Henan Polytechinc University Jiaozuo Henan 45400 China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Henan Polytechinc University Jiaozuo Henan 45400 China
| | - Liting Shi
- Henan Polytechinc University Jiaozuo Henan 45400 China
| | - Yihui Wei
- Henan Polytechinc University Jiaozuo Henan 45400 China
| | - Chunhong Wu
- Henan Polytechinc University Jiaozuo Henan 45400 China
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Huang J, Cao X, Wu W, Han L, Wang F. Investigating the proliferative inhibition of HepG2 cells by exosome-like nanovesicles derived from Centella asiatica extract through metabolomics. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 176:116855. [PMID: 38850651 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Nano-particles demonstrating excellent anticancer properties have gradually found application in cancer therapy. However, their widespread use is impeded by their potential toxicity, high cost, and the complexity of the preparation process. In this study, we achieved exosome-like Centella asiatica-derived nanovesicles (ADNVs) through a straightforward juicing and high-speed centrifugation process. We employed transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle flow cytometry to characterize the morphology, diameter, and stability of the ADNVs. We evaluated the in vitro anticancer effects of ADNVs using Cell Counting Kit-8 and apoptosis assays. Through sequencing and bicinchoninic acid protein analysis, we discovered the abundant presence of proteins and microRNAs in ADNVs. These microRNAs can target various diseases such as cancer and infection. Furthermore, we demonstrated the effective internalization of ADNVs by HepG2 cells, resulting in an increase in reactive oxygen species levels, mitochondrial damage, cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase, and apoptosis. Finally, we analyzed changes in cellular metabolites post-treatment using cell metabolomics techniques. Our findings indicated that ADNVs primarily influence metabolic pathways such as amino acid metabolism and lipid biosynthesis, which are closely associated with HepG2 treatment. Our results demonstrate the potential utility of ADNVs as anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- JingYi Huang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Laboratory of Production & Development of Cantonese Medicinal Materials, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine,Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - XiaoYu Cao
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Laboratory of Production & Development of Cantonese Medicinal Materials, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine,Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - WenFeng Wu
- School of Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Liang Han
- School of Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - FengYun Wang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Laboratory of Production & Development of Cantonese Medicinal Materials, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine,Guangzhou 510006, China.
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9
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Chen Z, Zhou X, Wu B, Tang H, Wei W, Zhu D, Ding Y, Chen L. Personalized SO 2 Prodrug for pH-Triggered Gas Enhancement in Anti-Tumor Radio-Immunotherapy. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:833. [PMID: 38931953 PMCID: PMC11207922 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The inhibition of the immune response in the tumor microenvironment by therapy regimens can impede the eradication of tumors, potentially resulting in tumor metastasis. As a non-invasive therapeutic method, radiotherapy is utilized for tumor ablation. In this study, we aimed to improve the therapeutic impact of radiotherapy and trigger an immune response by formulating a benzothiazole sulfinate (BTS)-loaded fusion liposome (BFL) nanoplatform, which was then combined with radiotherapy for anti-cancer treatment. The platelet cell membrane, equipped with distinctive surface receptors, enables BFL to effectively target tumors while evading the immune system and adhering to tumor cells. This facilitates BFL's engulfment by cancer cells, subsequently releasing BTS within them. Following the release, the BTS produces sulfur dioxide (SO2) for gas therapy, initiating the oxidation of intracellular glutathione (GSH). This process demonstrates efficacy in repairing damage post-radiotherapy, thereby achieving effective radiosensitization. It was revealed that an immune response was triggered following the enhanced radiosensitization facilitated by BFL. This approach facilitated the maturation of dendritic cell (DC) within lymph nodes, leading to an increase in the proportion of T cells in distant tumors. This resulted in significant eradication of primary tumors and inhibition of growth in distant tumors. In summary, the integration of personalized BFL with radiotherapy shows potential in enhancing both tumor immune response and the elimination of tumors, including metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiran Chen
- The Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, Yancheng Third People’s Hospital, Yancheng 224051, China; (Z.C.); (X.Z.); (B.W.)
| | - Xiaoxiang Zhou
- The Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, Yancheng Third People’s Hospital, Yancheng 224051, China; (Z.C.); (X.Z.); (B.W.)
| | - Bo Wu
- The Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, Yancheng Third People’s Hospital, Yancheng 224051, China; (Z.C.); (X.Z.); (B.W.)
| | - Han Tang
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China;
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, TongJi Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China;
| | - Daoming Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Gastrointestinal Tumor, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China;
| | - Yi Ding
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, TongJi Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China;
| | - Longyun Chen
- The Yancheng School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, Yancheng Third People’s Hospital, Yancheng 224051, China; (Z.C.); (X.Z.); (B.W.)
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10
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Tang J, Zhang Y, Zhou L, Song X, Wei Y, Qi J, Wu J, Song Z, Zhan L. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of indoline-maleimide conjugates as potential antitumor agents for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Bioorg Med Chem 2024; 108:117786. [PMID: 38843656 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2024.117786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/17/2024]
Abstract
An efficient protocol for direct coupling of maleimides and indolines at the C7-position was achieved under Rh(III) catalysis. Thirty four novel indoline-maleimide conjugates were prepared in good to excellent yields using this method. All compounds were evaluated for their anti-proliferative effect against colorectal cell lines. Among them, compound 3ab showed the most potent anti-proliferative activity against the CRC cells, and displayed low toxicity in the normal cell. Further investigation indicated that 3ab could effectively suppress the proliferation and migration of CRC cells, along with inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Mechanistic studies revealed that compound 3ab inhibited the proliferation of CRC cells via suppressing the AKT/GSK-3β pathway. In vivo evaluation demonstrated remarkable antitumor effect of 3ab (10 mg/kg) in the HCT116 xenograft model with no obvious toxicity, which is superior to that of 5-Fluorouracil (20 mg/kg). Therefore, conjugate 3ab could be considered as a potential CRC therapy agent for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jielin Tang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Yuxin Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Lingling Zhou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Xiangrui Song
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Yusi Wei
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China; School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Ji Qi
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China; School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Jianmin Wu
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China; School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China.
| | - Zengqiang Song
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China.
| | - Lingling Zhan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China.
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11
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Yang Z, Peng Y, Wang Y, Yang P, Huang Z, Quan T, Xu X, Sun P, Sun Y, Lv J, Wei D, Zhou GQ. KLF5 regulates actin remodeling to enhance the metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Oncogene 2024; 43:1779-1795. [PMID: 38649438 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-03033-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) engage in various cellular essential processes including differentiation, growth and migration. However, the master TF involved in distant metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains largely unclear. Here we show that KLF5 regulates actin remodeling to enhance NPC metastasis. We analyzed the msVIPER algorithm-generated transcriptional regulatory networks and identified KLF5 as a master TF of metastatic NPC linked to poor clinical outcomes. KLF5 regulates actin remodeling and lamellipodia formation to promote the metastasis of NPC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, KLF5 preferentially occupies distal enhancer regions of ACTN4 to activate its transcription, whereby decoding the informative DNA sequences. ACTN4, extensively localized within actin cytoskeleton, facilitates dense and branched actin networks and lamellipodia formation at the cell leading edge, empowering cells to migrate faster. Collectively, our findings reveal that KLF5 controls robust transcription program of ACTN4 to modulate actin remodeling and augment cell motility which enhances NPC metastasis, and provide new potential biomarkers and therapeutic interventions for NPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Yanfu Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Yaqin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Panyang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Zhuohui Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Tingqiu Quan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Xudong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Peng Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Ying Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Jiawei Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China.
| | - Denghui Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China.
| | - Guan-Qun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China.
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12
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Cervantes-Villagrana RD, Mendoza V, Hinck CS, de la Fuente-León RL, Hinck AP, Reyes-Cruz G, Vázquez-Prado J, López-Casillas F. Betaglycan sustains HGF/Met signaling in lung cancer and endothelial cells promoting cell migration and tumor growth. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30520. [PMID: 38756586 PMCID: PMC11096750 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Persistent HGF/Met signaling drives tumor growth and dissemination. Proteoglycans within the tumor microenvironment might control HGF availability and signaling by affecting its accessibility to Met (HGF receptor), likely defining whether acute or sustained HGF/Met signaling cues take place. Given that betaglycan (BG, also known as type III TGFβ receptor or TGFBR3), a multi-faceted proteoglycan TGFβ co-receptor, can be found within the tumor microenvironment, we addressed its hypothetical role in oncogenic HGF signaling. We found that HGF/Met promotes lung cancer and endothelial cells migration via PI3K and mTOR. This effect was enhanced by recombinant soluble betaglycan (solBG) via a mechanism attributable to its glycosaminoglycan chains, as a mutant without them did not modulate HGF effects. Moreover, soluble betaglycan extended the effect of HGF-induced phosphorylation of Met, Akt, and Erk, and membrane recruitment of the RhoGEF P-Rex1. Data-mining analysis of lung cancer patient datasets revealed a significant correlation between high MET receptor, HGF, and PREX1 expression and reduced patient survival. Soluble betaglycan showed biochemical interaction with HGF and, together, they increased tumor growth in immunocompetent mice. In conclusion, the oncogenic properties of the HGF/Met pathway are enhanced and sustained by GAG-containing soluble betaglycan.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valentín Mendoza
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Cynthia S. Hinck
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Andrew P. Hinck
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Fernando López-Casillas
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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13
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Zhao Y, Li X, Loscalzo J, Smelik M, Sysoev O, Wang Y, Mahmud AKMF, Mansour Aly D, Benson M. Transcript and protein signatures derived from shared molecular interactions across cancers are associated with mortality. J Transl Med 2024; 22:444. [PMID: 38734658 PMCID: PMC11088765 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05268-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Characterization of shared cancer mechanisms have been proposed to improve therapy strategies and prognosis. Here, we aimed to identify shared cell-cell interactions (CCIs) within the tumor microenvironment across multiple solid cancers and assess their association with cancer mortality. METHODS CCIs of each cancer were identified by NicheNet analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data from breast, colon, liver, lung, and ovarian cancers. These CCIs were used to construct a shared multi-cellular tumor model (shared-MCTM) representing common CCIs across cancers. A gene signature was identified from the shared-MCTM and tested on the mRNA and protein level in two large independent cohorts: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, 9185 tumor samples and 727 controls across 22 cancers) and UK biobank (UKBB, 10,384 cancer patients and 5063 controls with proteomics data across 17 cancers). Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the association of the signature with 10-year all-cause mortality, including sex-specific analysis. RESULTS A shared-MCTM was derived from five individual cancers. A shared gene signature was extracted from this shared-MCTM and the most prominent regulatory cell type, matrix cancer-associated fibroblast (mCAF). The signature exhibited significant expression changes in multiple cancers compared to controls at both mRNA and protein levels in two independent cohorts. Importantly, it was significantly associated with mortality in cancer patients in both cohorts. The highest hazard ratios were observed for brain cancer in TCGA (HR [95%CI] = 6.90[4.64-10.25]) and ovarian cancer in UKBB (5.53[2.08-8.80]). Sex-specific analysis revealed distinct risks, with a higher mortality risk associated with the protein signature score in males (2.41[1.97-2.96]) compared to females (1.84[1.44-2.37]). CONCLUSION We identified a gene signature from a comprehensive shared-MCTM representing common CCIs across different cancers and revealed the regulatory role of mCAF in the tumor microenvironment. The pathogenic relevance of the gene signature was supported by differential expression and association with mortality on both mRNA and protein levels in two independent cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yelin Zhao
- Medical Digital Twin Research Group, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xinxiu Li
- Medical Digital Twin Research Group, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joseph Loscalzo
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martin Smelik
- Medical Digital Twin Research Group, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Oleg Sysoev
- Division of Statistics and Machine Learning, Department of Computer and Information Science, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Yunzhang Wang
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A K M Firoj Mahmud
- Medical Digital Twin Research Group, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dina Mansour Aly
- Medical Digital Twin Research Group, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mikael Benson
- Medical Digital Twin Research Group, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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14
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Yamaguchi H, Miyazaki M. Heterocellular Adhesion in Cancer Invasion and Metastasis: Interactions between Cancer Cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1636. [PMID: 38730588 PMCID: PMC11082996 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16091636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer invasion is a requisite for the most malignant progression of cancer, that is, metastasis. The mechanisms of cancer invasion were originally studied using in vitro cell culture systems, in which cancer cells were cultured using artificial extracellular matrices (ECMs). However, conventional culture systems do not precisely recapitulate in vivo cancer invasion because the phenotypes of cancer cells in tumor tissues are strongly affected by the tumor microenvironment (TME). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the most abundant cell type in the TME and accelerate cancer progression through invasion, metastasis, therapy resistance, and immune suppression. Thus, the reciprocal interactions between CAFs and cancer cells have been extensively studied, leading to the identification of factors that mediate cellular interactions, such as growth factors, cytokines, and extracellular vesicles. In addition, the importance of direct heterocellular adhesion between cancer cells and CAFs in cancer progression has recently been elucidated. In particular, CAFs are directly associated with cancer cells, allowing them to invade the ECM and metastasize to distant organs. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the direct heterocellular interaction in CAF-led cancer invasion and metastasis, with an emphasis on gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideki Yamaguchi
- Department of Cancer Cell Research, Sasaki Institute, Sasaki Foundation, 2-2 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan;
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15
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Berlanga-Acosta J, Arteaga-Hernandez E, Garcia-Ojalvo A, Duvergel-Calderin D, Rodriguez-Touseiro M, Lopez-Marin L, Suarez-Alba J, Fuentes-Morales D, Mendoza-Fuentes O, Fernández-Puentes S, Nuñez-Figueredo Y, Guillen-Nieto G. Carcinogenic effect of human tumor-derived cell-free filtrates in nude mice. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1361377. [PMID: 38698774 PMCID: PMC11063718 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1361377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains a worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality. Investigational research efforts have included the administration of tumor-derived extracts to healthy animals. Having previously demonstrated that the administration of non-transmissible, human cancer-derived homogenates induced malignant tumors in mice, here, we examined the consequences of administering 50 or 100 µg of protein of crude homogenates from mammary carcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and melanoma samples in 6 inoculations per week during 2 months. The concurrent control mice received homogenates of healthy donor-skin cosmetic surgery fragments. Mammary carcinoma homogenate administration did not provoke the deterioration or mortality of the animals. Multiple foci of lung adenocarcinomas with a broad expression of malignity histomarkers coexisting with small cell-like carcinomas were found. Disseminated cells, positive to classic epithelial markers, were detected in lymphoid nodes. The administration of pancreatic tumor and melanoma homogenates progressively deteriorated animal health. Pancreatic tumor induced poorly differentiated lung adenocarcinomas and pancreatic islet hyperplasia. Melanoma affected lungs with solid pseudopapillary adenocarcinomas. Giant atypical hepatocytes were also observed. The kidney exhibited dispersed foci of neoplastic cells within a desmoplastic matrix. Nuclear overlapping with hyperchromatic nuclei, mitotic figures, and prominent nuclear atypia was identified in epidermal cells. None of these changes were ever detected in the control mice. Furthermore, the incubation of zebrafish embryos with breast tumor homogenates induced the expression of c-Myc and HER-2 as tumor markers, contrasting to embryos exposed to healthy tissue-derived material. This study confirms and extends our hypothesis that tumor homogenates contain and may act as vectors for "malignancy drivers," which ultimately implement a carcinogenesis process in otherwise healthy mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Berlanga-Acosta
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Biomedical Research Direction, Havana, Cuba
| | | | - Ariana Garcia-Ojalvo
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Biomedical Research Direction, Havana, Cuba
| | | | | | - Laura Lopez-Marin
- Department of Pathology, Institute for Arteriosclerosis Research, Institute of Nephrology “Dr. Abelardo Buch”, Havana, Cuba
| | - Jose Suarez-Alba
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Biomedical Research Direction, Havana, Cuba
| | | | - Osmany Mendoza-Fuentes
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Biomedical Research Direction, Havana, Cuba
| | | | | | - Gerardo Guillen-Nieto
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Biomedical Research Direction, Havana, Cuba
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16
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Li X, Cong J, Zhou X, Gao W, Li W, Yang Q, Li X, Liu Z, Luo A. JunD-miR494-CUL3 axis promotes radioresistance and metastasis by facilitating EMT and restraining PD-L1 degradation in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Lett 2024; 587:216731. [PMID: 38369005 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Therapy resistance and metastatic progression jointly determine the fatal outcome of cancer, therefore, elucidating their crosstalk may provide new opportunities to improve therapeutic efficacy and prevent recurrence and metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Here, we have established radioresistant ESCC cells with the remarkable metastatic capacity, and identified miR-494-3p (miR494) as a radioresistant activator. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that cullin 3 (CUL3) is a direct target of miR494, which is transcriptionally regulated by JunD, and highlighted that JunD-miR494-CUL3 axis promotes radioresistance and metastasis by facilitating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and restraining programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) degradation. In clinical specimens, miR494 is significantly up-regulated and positively associated with T stage and lymph node metastasis in ESCC tissues and serum. Notably, patients with higher serum miR494 expression have poor prognosis, and patients with higher CUL3 expression have more conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), less cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF2/4), and tumor endothelial cells (TEC2/3) infiltration than patients with lower CUL3 expression, suggesting that CUL3 may be involved in tumor microenvironment (TME). Overall, miR494 may serve as a potential prognostic predictor and therapeutic target, providing a promising strategy for ESCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Ji Cong
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Xuantong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Wenyan Gao
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Wenxin Li
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Qi Yang
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Xinyue Li
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Zhihua Liu
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
| | - Aiping Luo
- State Key Lab of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
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Breitenecker K, Heiden D, Demmer T, Weber G, Primorac AM, Hedrich V, Ortmayr G, Gruenberger T, Starlinger P, Herndler-Brandstetter D, Barozzi I, Mikulits W. Tumor-Extrinsic Axl Expression Shapes an Inflammatory Microenvironment Independent of Tumor Cell Promoting Axl Signaling in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4202. [PMID: 38673795 PMCID: PMC11050718 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase Axl by Gas6 is a major driver of tumorigenesis. Despite recent insights, tumor cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic Axl functions are poorly understood in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus, we analyzed the cell-specific aspects of Axl in liver cancer cells and in the tumor microenvironment. We show that tumor-intrinsic Axl expression decreased the survival of mice and elevated the number of pulmonary metastases in a model of resection-based tumor recurrence. Axl expression increased the invasion of hepatospheres by the activation of Akt signaling and a partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the liver tumor burden of Axl+/+ mice induced by diethylnitrosamine plus carbon tetrachloride was reduced compared to systemic Axl-/- mice. Tumors of Axl+/+ mice were highly infiltrated with cytotoxic cells, suggesting a key immune-modulatory role of Axl. Interestingly, hepatocyte-specific Axl deficiency did not alter T cell infiltration, indicating that these changes are independent of tumor cell-intrinsic Axl. In this context, we observed an upregulation of multiple chemokines in Axl+/+ compared to Axl-/- tumors, correlating with HCC patient data. In line with this, Axl is associated with a cytotoxic immune signature in HCC patients. Together these data show that tumor-intrinsic Axl expression fosters progression, while tumor-extrinsic Axl expression shapes an inflammatory microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Breitenecker
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria (D.H.); (T.D.); (G.W.); (V.H.); (G.O.); (D.H.-B.); (I.B.)
| | - Denise Heiden
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria (D.H.); (T.D.); (G.W.); (V.H.); (G.O.); (D.H.-B.); (I.B.)
| | - Tobias Demmer
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria (D.H.); (T.D.); (G.W.); (V.H.); (G.O.); (D.H.-B.); (I.B.)
| | - Gerhard Weber
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria (D.H.); (T.D.); (G.W.); (V.H.); (G.O.); (D.H.-B.); (I.B.)
| | - Ana-Maria Primorac
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria (D.H.); (T.D.); (G.W.); (V.H.); (G.O.); (D.H.-B.); (I.B.)
| | - Viola Hedrich
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria (D.H.); (T.D.); (G.W.); (V.H.); (G.O.); (D.H.-B.); (I.B.)
| | - Gregor Ortmayr
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria (D.H.); (T.D.); (G.W.); (V.H.); (G.O.); (D.H.-B.); (I.B.)
| | - Thomas Gruenberger
- Department of Surgery, HPB Center, Viennese Health Network, Clinic Favoriten and Sigmund Freud Private University, 1100 Vienna, Austria
| | - Patrick Starlinger
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Centre of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Dietmar Herndler-Brandstetter
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria (D.H.); (T.D.); (G.W.); (V.H.); (G.O.); (D.H.-B.); (I.B.)
| | - Iros Barozzi
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria (D.H.); (T.D.); (G.W.); (V.H.); (G.O.); (D.H.-B.); (I.B.)
| | - Wolfgang Mikulits
- Center for Cancer Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria (D.H.); (T.D.); (G.W.); (V.H.); (G.O.); (D.H.-B.); (I.B.)
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18
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Li M. Harnessing atomic force microscopy-based single-cell analysis to advance physical oncology. Microsc Res Tech 2024; 87:631-659. [PMID: 38053519 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell analysis is an emerging and promising frontier in the field of life sciences, which is expected to facilitate the exploration of fundamental laws of physiological and pathological processes. Single-cell analysis allows experimental access to cell-to-cell heterogeneity to reveal the distinctive behaviors of individual cells, offering novel opportunities to dissect the complexity of severe human diseases such as cancers. Among the single-cell analysis tools, atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful and versatile one which is able to nondestructively image the fine topographies and quantitatively measure multiple mechanical properties of single living cancer cells in their native states under aqueous conditions with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. Over the past few decades, AFM has been widely utilized to detect the structural and mechanical behaviors of individual cancer cells during the process of tumor formation, invasion, and metastasis, yielding numerous unique insights into tumor pathogenesis from the biomechanical perspective and contributing much to the field of cancer mechanobiology. Here, the achievements of AFM-based analysis of single cancer cells to advance physical oncology are comprehensively summarized, and challenges and future perspectives are also discussed. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Achievements of AFM in characterizing the structural and mechanical behaviors of single cancer cells are summarized, and future directions are discussed. AFM is not only capable of visualizing cellular fine structures, but can also measure multiple cellular mechanical properties as well as cell-generated mechanical forces. There is still plenty of room for harnessing AFM-based single-cell analysis to advance physical oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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19
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Khan A, Zia K, Khan SA, Khalid A, Abdalla AN, Bibi M, Ul-Haq Z. Identification of IL-2 inducible tyrosine kinase inhibitors by quantum mechanics and ligand based virtual screening approaches. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:3630-3640. [PMID: 37216319 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2214220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Interleukin-2-inducible T-cell kinase (ITK) is a crucial intracellular signaling mediator in normal and malignant T-cells and natural killer cells. Selective inhibition of ITK might be useful for treating a variety of disorders including; autoimmune, inflammatory, and neoplastic disorders. Over the past two decades, the clinical management of ITK inhibitors has progressed dramatically. So far, specific inhibitor with no off-target effects against ITK is available. Herein, we aim to discover potential virtual hits to fasten the process of drug design and development against ITK. In this regard, the key chemical characteristics of ITK inhibitors were identified using ligand-based pharmacophore modeling. The validated pharmacophore comprises one hydrogen bond donor and three hydrogen bond acceptors and was utilized as a 3D query in virtual screening using ZINC, Covalent, and in-house databases. A total of 12 hit compounds were chosen on the basis of their critical interactions with the significant amino acids of ITK. The orbital energies such as HOMO and LUMO of the hit compounds were calculated to evaluate the inhibitor's potencies. Further, molecular dynamics simulation demonstrated the stability of ITK upon binding of selected virtual hits. Binding energy using the MMGBSA method showed the potential binding affinity of all the hits with ITK. The research identifies key chemical characteristics with geometric restrictions that lead to ITK inhibition.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alamgir Khan
- H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Komal Zia
- H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Salman Ali Khan
- H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Asaad Khalid
- Substance Abuse and Toxicology Research Centre, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
- National Center for Research, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Institute, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Ashraf N Abdalla
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Marium Bibi
- Department of Biosciences, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Zaheer Ul-Haq
- H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
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20
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He M, Zhang M, Xu T, Xue S, Li D, Zhao Y, Zhi F, Ding D. Enhancing photodynamic immunotherapy by reprograming the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment with hypoxia relief. J Control Release 2024; 368:233-250. [PMID: 38395154 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Tumor hypoxia impairs the generation of reactive oxygen species and the induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD) for photodynamic therapy (PDT), thus impeding its efficacy and the subsequent immunotherapy. In addition, hypoxia plays a critical role in forming immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments (TME) by regulating the infiltration of immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and the expression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1). To simultaneously tackle these issues, a MnO2-containing albumin nanoplatform co-delivering IR780, NLG919, and a paclitaxel (PTX) dimer is designed to boost photodynamic immunotherapy. The MnO2-catalyzed oxygen supply bolsters the efficacy of PDT and PTX-mediated chemotherapy, collectively amplifying the induction of ICD and the expansion of tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). More importantly, hypoxia releif reshapes the immunosuppressive TME via down-regulating the intratumoral infiltration of M2-type TAMs and the PD-L1 expression of tumor cells to enhance the infiltration and efficacy of CTLs in combination with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) by NLG919, consequently eradicating primary tumors and almost completely preventing tumor relapse and metastasis. This study sets an example of enhanced immunotherapy for breast cancers through dual ICD induction and simultaneous immunosuppression modulation via both hypoxia relief and ICB, providing a strategy for the treatment of other hypoxic and immunosuppressive cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengying He
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Mengyao Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Tao Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), Dublin D02 NY74, Ireland
| | - Shujuan Xue
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Dazhao Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First People's Hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou 213003, China; Clinical Medical Research Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China
| | - Yanan Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Feng Zhi
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First People's Hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou 213003, China; Clinical Medical Research Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213003, China.
| | - Dawei Ding
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
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21
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Diazzi S, Ablain J. Nonepithelial cancer dissemination: specificities and challenges. Trends Cancer 2024; 10:356-368. [PMID: 38135572 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2023.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial cancers have served as a paradigm to study tumor dissemination but recent data have highlighted significant differences with nonepithelial cancers. Here, we review the current knowledge on nonepithelial tumor dissemination, drawing examples from the latest developments in melanoma, glioma, and sarcoma research. We underscore the importance of the reactivation of developmental processes during cancer progression and describe the nongenetic mechanisms driving nonepithelial tumor spread. We also outline therapeutic opportunities and ongoing clinical approaches to fight disseminating cancers. Finally, we discuss remaining challenges and emerging questions in the field. Defining the core principles underlying nonepithelial cancer dissemination may uncover actionable vulnerabilities of metastatic tumors and help improve the prognosis of patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Diazzi
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Centre Léon Bérard, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Julien Ablain
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Centre Léon Bérard, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
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22
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Liu X, Li X, Yu S. CFLAR: A novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in soft tissue sarcoma, which positively modulates the immune response in the tumor microenvironment. Oncol Lett 2024; 27:151. [PMID: 38406597 PMCID: PMC10885000 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2024.14284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Anoikis is highly associated with tumor cell apoptosis and tumor prognosis; however, the specific role of anoikis-related genes (ARGs) in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) remains to be fully elucidated. The present study aimed to use a variety of bioinformatics methods to determine differentially expressed anoikis-related genes in STS and healthy tissues. Subsequently, three machine learning algorithms, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator, Support Vector Machine and Random Forest, were used to screen genes with the highest importance score. The results of the bioinformatics analyses demonstrated that CASP8 and FADD-like apoptosis regulator (CFLAR) exhibited the highest importance score. Subsequently, the diagnostic and prognostic value of CFLAR in STS development was determined using multiple public and in-house cohorts. The results of the present study demonstrated that CFLAR may be considered a diagnostic and prognostic marker of STS, which acts as an independent prognostic factor of STS development. The present study also aimed to explore the potential role of CFLAR in the STS tumor microenvironment, and the results demonstrated that CFLAR significantly enhanced the immune response of STS, and exerted a positive effect on the infiltration of CD8+ T cells and M1 macrophages in the STS immune microenvironment. Notably, the aforementioned results were verified using multiplex immunofluorescence analysis. Collectively, the results of the present study demonstrated that CFLAR may act as a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker for STS, and may positively regulate the immune response of STS. Thus, the present study provided a novel theoretical basis for the use of CFLAR in STS diagnosis, in predicting clinical outcomes and in tailoring individualized treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyang Li
- Department of Orthopedics, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, P.R. China
| | - Shengji Yu
- Department of Orthopedics, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, P.R. China
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23
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Kim CY, Lee KH, Son KH, Shin TJ, Cho JY. Extracellular vesicle-mediated transfer of miRNA-1 from primary tumors represses the growth of distant metastases. Exp Mol Med 2024; 56:734-746. [PMID: 38531964 PMCID: PMC10985072 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-024-01181-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Metastases originate from primary tumors and reach distant organs. Growing evidence suggests that metastases are under the control of primary tumors even outside the primary site; however, the mechanisms by which primary tumors remotely control metastases remain unclear. Here, we discovered a molecular mechanism by which primary tumors suppress metastatic growth. Interestingly, we found that extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from the primary tumor can inhibit the growth of metastases both in vitro and in vivo. miR-1 was particularly enriched in primary tumor-derived EVs (pTDEs) and was found to be responsible for the suppression of metastatic growth. Mechanistically, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and DNA damage were induced, which led to cell cycle arrest. Collectively, our data demonstrate that primary tumors restrict the growth of distant metastases via miR-1 in pTDEs and that miR-1 could potentially be used as an antimetastatic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chae-Yi Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and BK21 FOUR Future Veterinary Medicine Leading Education and Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Comparative Medicine Disease Research Center (CDRC), Science Research Center (SRC), Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Kang-Hoon Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and BK21 FOUR Future Veterinary Medicine Leading Education and Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Comparative Medicine Disease Research Center (CDRC), Science Research Center (SRC), Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Keun Hong Son
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and BK21 FOUR Future Veterinary Medicine Leading Education and Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Comparative Medicine Disease Research Center (CDRC), Science Research Center (SRC), Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Jin Shin
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and BK21 FOUR Future Veterinary Medicine Leading Education and Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Comparative Medicine Disease Research Center (CDRC), Science Research Center (SRC), Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Je-Yoel Cho
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, and BK21 FOUR Future Veterinary Medicine Leading Education and Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Comparative Medicine Disease Research Center (CDRC), Science Research Center (SRC), Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
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24
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Chen Y, Zhang YH, Li J, Shi L, Xie JC, Han X, Chen YT, Xiang M, Li BW, Xing HR, Wang JY. Novel lncRNA Gm33149 modulates metastatic heterogeneity in melanoma by regulating the miR-5623-3p/Wnt axis via exosomal transfer. Cancer Gene Ther 2024; 31:364-375. [PMID: 38072970 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-023-00707-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2024]
Abstract
The high mortality rate associated with melanoma primarily results from metastasis and recurrence. However, the precise mechanisms driving these processes remain poorly understood. Intercellular communication between cancer cells and non-cancer cells significantly influences the tumor microenvironment and plays a crucial role in metastasis. Therefore, our current study aims to investigate the role and mechanism of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in regulating the interaction between melanoma cancer stem cells (CSCs) and non-CSCs during the metastatic colonization process. This study has characterized a novel lncRNA called Gm33149. Importantly, we provide evidence for the first time that Gm33149, originating from highly metastatic melanoma stem cells (OL-SD), can be packaged into exosomes and transferred to low-metastatic nonstem cells (OL). Once internalized by OL cells, Gm33149 exerts its function through a competitive endogenous RNA mechanism (ceRNA) involving miR-5623-3p. Specifically, Gm33149 competitively binds to miR-5623-3p, thereby activating the Wnt signaling pathway and promoting the acquisition of a more aggressive metastatic phenotype by OL cells. In summary, our findings suggest that targeting lncRNA Gm33149 within extracellular vesicles could potentially serve as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. Schematic representation of the mechanisms underlying the pro-metastatic activity of lncRNA Gm33149 mediated by exosomal transfer. The figure illustrates the key mechanisms involved in the pro-metastatic activity of lncRNA Gm33149 through exosomal transfer. Melanoma stem cells (OLSD) release exosomes containing lncRNA Gm33149. These exosomes are taken up by non-stem melanoma cells (OL), delivering lncRNA Gm33149 to the recipient cells. Within OL cells, lncRNA Gm33149 functions as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA), sequestering miR-5623-3p. This sequestration prevents miR-5623-3p from binding to its target genes, thereby activating the Wnt signaling pathway. The activated Wnt signaling pathway enhances the migration, invasion, and metastatic colonization capabilities of OL cells. The transfer of lncRNA Gm33149 via exosomes contributes to OL cells acquiring "metastatic competency" while promoting their metastatic colonization. These findings underscore the importance of lncRNA Gm33149 in intercellular communication and the metastatic progression of melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Yu-Han Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Jie Li
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Jia-Cheng Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Xue Han
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu-Ting Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Meng Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Bo-Wen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - H Rosie Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
| | - Jian-Yu Wang
- Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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25
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Zhang M, Zhang X, Huang S, Cao Y, Guo Y, Xu L. Programmed nanocarrier loaded with paclitaxel and dual-siRNA to reverse chemoresistance by synergistic therapy. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 261:129726. [PMID: 38290632 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Paclitaxel (PTX) is commonly used in clinical tumor therapy. However, chemoresistance and the inducement of tumor metastasis severely affect the efficacy of PTX. To develop a treatment strategy to reverse chemoresistance, the co-delivery of PTX and small interfering RNA with nanocarriers were programmed in this study. The carrier we have programmed exhibits excellent safety, stability, and delivery efficiency for co-delivery of siRNA and PTX. After rapid release of siRNA, PTX could be released within 72 h. The siBcl-xL and siMcl-1 inhibited cell migration decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential, and induced the release of reactive oxygen species while synergistically functioning with the antineoplastic effects of PTX. Our strategy reduced IC50 values by 2-5-fold in different cell lines, and the results of flow cytometry confirmed increased apoptosis rates and effectively inhibited cell migration. Synergistic therapy effectively reversed chemoresistance in PTX-resistant breast cancer cells. Similarly, the synergistic administration strategy showed significant sensitizing effects in vivo. Our study demonstrates the combined application of multiple synergistic antitumor administration strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering, The Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR China
| | - Xi Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering, The Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR China
| | - Sijun Huang
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering, The Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR China
| | - Yueming Cao
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering, The Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR China
| | - Yi Guo
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering, The Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR China.
| | - Li Xu
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering, The Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, PR China.
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26
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Lai Y, Lu X, Liao Y, Ouyang P, Wang H, Zhang X, Huang G, Qi S, Li Y. Crosstalk between glioblastoma and tumor microenvironment drives proneural-mesenchymal transition through ligand-receptor interactions. Genes Dis 2024; 11:874-889. [PMID: 37692522 PMCID: PMC10491977 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2023.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common intrinsic and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults, with a median survival of approximately 15 months. GBM heterogeneity is considered responsible for the treatment resistance and unfavorable prognosis. Proneural-mesenchymal transition (PMT) represents GBM malignant progression and recurrence, which might be a breakthrough to understand GBM heterogeneity and overcome treatment resistance. PMT is a complicated process influenced by crosstalk between GBM and tumor microenvironment, depending on intricate ligand-receptor interactions. In this review, we summarize the autocrine and paracrine pathways in the GBM microenvironment and related ligand-receptor interactions inducing PMT. We also discuss the current therapies targeting the PMT-related autocrine and paracrine pathways. Together, this review offers a comprehensive understanding of the failure of GBM-targeted therapy and ideas for future tendencies of GBM treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yancheng Lai
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Brain Disease, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- Laboratory for Precision Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Xiaole Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Brain Disease, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- Laboratory for Precision Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Yankai Liao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Brain Disease, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- Laboratory for Precision Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Pei Ouyang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Brain Disease, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- Laboratory for Precision Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Hai Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Brain Disease, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- Laboratory for Precision Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Xian Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Brain Disease, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- Laboratory for Precision Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Guanglong Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Brain Disease, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- Laboratory for Precision Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Songtao Qi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Brain Disease, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- Laboratory for Precision Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Yaomin Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Brain Disease, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
- Laboratory for Precision Neurosurgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
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27
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Han M, Zhu H, Chen X, Luo X. 6-O-endosulfatases in tumor metastasis: heparan sulfate proteoglycans modification and potential therapeutic targets. Am J Cancer Res 2024; 14:897-916. [PMID: 38455409 PMCID: PMC10915330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality. Although advances in the targeted treatment and immunotherapy have improved the management of some cancers, the prognosis of metastatic cancers remains unsatisfied. Therefore, the specific mechanisms in tumor metastasis need further investigation. 6-O-endosulfatases (SULFs), comprising sulfatase1 (SULF1) and sulfatase 2 (SULF2), play pivotal roles in the post-synthetic modifications of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). Consequently, these extracellular enzymes can regulate a variety of downstream pathways by modulating HSPGs function. During the past decades, researchers have detected the expression of SULF1 and SULF2 in most cancers and revealed their roles in tumor progression and metastasis. Herein we reviewed the metastasis steps which SULFs participated in, elucidated the specific roles and mechanisms of SULFs in metastasis process, and discussed the effects of SULFs in different types of cancers. Moreover, we summarized the role of targeting SULFs in combination therapy to treat metastatic cancers, which provided some novel strategies for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhen Han
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan 430030, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary DiseasesWuhan 430030, Hubei, China
| | - He Zhu
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan 430030, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary DiseasesWuhan 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoping Chen
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan 430030, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary DiseasesWuhan 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Xin Luo
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan 430030, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary DiseasesWuhan 430030, Hubei, China
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Pulat S, Yang I, Lee J, Hwang S, Zhou R, Gamage CDB, Varlı M, Taş İ, Yang Y, Park SY, Hong A, Kim JH, Oh DC, Kim H, Nam SJ, Kang H. Anithiactin D, a Phenylthiazole Natural Product from Mudflat-Derived Streptomyces sp., Suppresses Motility of Cancer Cells. Mar Drugs 2024; 22:88. [PMID: 38393059 PMCID: PMC10889970 DOI: 10.3390/md22020088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Anithiactin D (1), a 2-phenylthiazole class of natural products, was isolated from marine mudflat-derived actinomycetes Streptomyces sp. 10A085. The chemical structure of 1 was elucidated based on the interpretation of NMR and MS data. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by comparing the experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectral data. Anithiactin D (1) significantly decreased cancer cell migration and invasion activities at a concentration of 5 μM via downregulation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in A549, AGS, and Caco-2 cell lines. Moreover, 1 inhibited the activity of Rho GTPases, including Rac1 and RhoA in the A549 cell line, suppressed RhoA in AGS and Caco-2 cell lines, and decreased the mRNA expression levels of some matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in AGS and Caco-2 cell lines. Thus 1, which is a new entity of the 2-phenylthiazole class of natural products with a unique aniline-indole fused moiety, is a potent inhibitor of the motility of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sultan Pulat
- College of Pharmacy, Sunchon National University, Sunchon 57922, Republic of Korea; (S.P.); (R.Z.); (C.D.B.G.); (M.V.); (İ.T.); (Y.Y.); (S.-Y.P.)
| | - Inho Yang
- Department of Convergence Study on the Ocean Science and Technology, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan 49112, Republic of Korea;
| | - Jihye Lee
- Laboratories of Marine New Drugs, REDONE Seoul, Seoul 08594, Republic of Korea;
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea; (A.H.); (J.-H.K.)
| | - Sunghoon Hwang
- Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, NS-80, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; (S.H.); (D.-C.O.)
| | - Rui Zhou
- College of Pharmacy, Sunchon National University, Sunchon 57922, Republic of Korea; (S.P.); (R.Z.); (C.D.B.G.); (M.V.); (İ.T.); (Y.Y.); (S.-Y.P.)
| | - Chathurika D. B. Gamage
- College of Pharmacy, Sunchon National University, Sunchon 57922, Republic of Korea; (S.P.); (R.Z.); (C.D.B.G.); (M.V.); (İ.T.); (Y.Y.); (S.-Y.P.)
| | - Mücahit Varlı
- College of Pharmacy, Sunchon National University, Sunchon 57922, Republic of Korea; (S.P.); (R.Z.); (C.D.B.G.); (M.V.); (İ.T.); (Y.Y.); (S.-Y.P.)
| | - İsa Taş
- College of Pharmacy, Sunchon National University, Sunchon 57922, Republic of Korea; (S.P.); (R.Z.); (C.D.B.G.); (M.V.); (İ.T.); (Y.Y.); (S.-Y.P.)
| | - Yi Yang
- College of Pharmacy, Sunchon National University, Sunchon 57922, Republic of Korea; (S.P.); (R.Z.); (C.D.B.G.); (M.V.); (İ.T.); (Y.Y.); (S.-Y.P.)
| | - So-Yeon Park
- College of Pharmacy, Sunchon National University, Sunchon 57922, Republic of Korea; (S.P.); (R.Z.); (C.D.B.G.); (M.V.); (İ.T.); (Y.Y.); (S.-Y.P.)
| | - Ahreum Hong
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea; (A.H.); (J.-H.K.)
| | - Jeong-Hyeon Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea; (A.H.); (J.-H.K.)
| | - Dong-Chan Oh
- Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, NS-80, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; (S.H.); (D.-C.O.)
| | - Hangun Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Sunchon National University, Sunchon 57922, Republic of Korea; (S.P.); (R.Z.); (C.D.B.G.); (M.V.); (İ.T.); (Y.Y.); (S.-Y.P.)
| | - Sang-Jip Nam
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea; (A.H.); (J.-H.K.)
| | - Heonjoong Kang
- Laboratory of Marine Drugs, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, NS-80, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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Xu W, Yao H, Wu Z, Yan X, Jiao Z, Liu Y, Zhang M, Wang D. Oncoprotein SET-associated transcription factor ZBTB11 triggers lung cancer metastasis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1362. [PMID: 38355937 PMCID: PMC10867109 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45585-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the major cause of lung cancer-related death, but the mechanisms governing lung tumor metastasis remain incompletely elucidated. SE translocation (SET) is overexpressed in lung tumors and correlates with unfavorable prognosis. Here we uncover SET-associated transcription factor, zinc finger and BTB domain-containing protein 11 (ZBTB11), as a prometastatic regulator in lung tumors. SET interacts and collaborates with ZBTB11 to promote lung cancer cell migration and invasion, primarily through SET-ZBTB11 complex-mediated transcriptional activation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9). Additionally, by transcriptional repression of proline-rich Gla protein 2 (PRRG2), ZBTB11 links Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) activation to drive lung tumor metastasis independently of SET-ZBTB11 complex. Loss of ZBTB11 suppresses distal metastasis in a lung tumor mouse model. Overexpression of ZBTB11 is recapitulated in human metastatic lung tumors and correlates with diminished survival. Our study demonstrates ZBTB11 as a key metastatic regulator and reveals diverse mechanisms by which ZBTB11 modulates lung tumor metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases & Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences & School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100005, China
| | - Han Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases & Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences & School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100005, China
| | - Zhen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases & Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences & School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100005, China
| | - Xiaojun Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases & Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences & School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100005, China
| | - Zishan Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases & Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences & School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100005, China
| | - Yajing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases & Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences & School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100005, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases & Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences & School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100005, China
| | - Donglai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases & Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences & School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100005, China.
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Kim DE, Roh HS, Kim GH, Bhang DH, Um SH, Singh R, Baek KH. S6K1 deficiency in tumor stroma impairs lung metastasis of melanoma in mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 696:149469. [PMID: 38194806 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Accumulating data suggest that ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1), an effector in the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, plays pleiotropic roles in tumor progression. However, to date, while the tumorigenic function of S6K1 in tumor cells has been well elucidated, its role in the tumor stroma remains poorly understood. We recently showed that S6K1 mediates vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) production in macrophages, thereby supporting tumor angiogenesis and growth. As macrophage-derived VEGF-A is crucial for both tumor cell intravasation and extravasation across the vascular endothelium, our previous findings suggest that stromal S6K1 signaling is required for tumor metastatic spread. Therefore, we aimed to determine the impact of host S6K1 depletion on tumor metastasis using a murine model of pulmonary metastasis (S6k1-/- mice implanted with B16F10 melanoma). The ablation of S6K1 in the host microenvironment significantly reduced the metastasized B16F10 melanoma cells on the lung surface in both spontaneous and intravenous lung metastasis mouse models without affecting the incidence of metastasis to distant lymph nodes. In addition, stromal S6K1 loss decreased the number of tumor cells circulating in the peripheral blood of mice bearing B16F10 xenografts without affecting the vascular leakage induced by VEGF-A in vivo. These observations demonstrate that S6K1 signaling in host cells other than endothelial cells is required to modulate the host microenvironment to facilitate the metastatic spread of tumors via blood circulation, thus revealing its novel role in the tumor stroma during tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Eun Kim
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Soo Roh
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Ga-Hee Kim
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Ha Bhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Hee Um
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Rohit Singh
- Immuno-oncology Branch, Division of Rare and Refractory Cancer, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Gyeonggi, 10408, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwan-Hyuck Baek
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 16419, Republic of Korea.
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Zhang Y, Xiao B, Liu Y, Wu S, Xiang Q, Xiao Y, Zhao J, Yuan R, Xie K, Li L. Roles of PPAR activation in cancer therapeutic resistance: Implications for combination therapy and drug development. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 964:176304. [PMID: 38142851 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2023.176304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic resistance is a major obstacle to successful treatment or effective containment of cancer. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) play an essential role in regulating energy homeostasis and determining cell fate. Despite of the pleiotropic roles of PPARs in cancer, numerous studies have suggested their intricate relationship with therapeutic resistance in cancer. In this review, we provided an overview of the roles of excessively activated PPARs in promoting resistance to modern anti-cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. The mechanisms through which activated PPARs contribute to therapeutic resistance in most cases include metabolic reprogramming, anti-oxidant defense, anti-apoptosis signaling, proliferation-promoting pathways, and induction of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In addition, we discussed the mechanisms through which activated PPARs lead to multidrug resistance in cancer, including drug efflux, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and acquisition and maintenance of the cancer stem cell phenotype. Preliminary studies investigating the effect of combination therapies with PPAR antagonists have suggested the potential of these antagonists in reversing resistance and facilitating sustained cancer management. These findings will provide a valuable reference for further research on and clinical translation of PPAR-targeting treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxia Zhang
- School of Medicine, The South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Bin Xiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Yunduo Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Shunhong Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Qin Xiang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Yuhan Xiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Junxiu Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Ruanfei Yuan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Keping Xie
- School of Medicine, The South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Linhai Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, 511518, China.
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Sun M, Xie H, Zhang W, Li X, Jiang Z, Liang Y, Zhao G, Huang N, Mao J, Liu G, Zhang Z. Bioinspired Lipoproteins of Furoxans-Gemcitabine Preferentially Targets Glioblastoma and Overcomes Radiotherapy Resistance. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2306190. [PMID: 38049204 PMCID: PMC10853724 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202306190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Radiotherapy (RT) resistance is an enormous challenge in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) treatment, which is largely associated with DNA repair, poor distribution of reactive radicals in tumors, and limited delivery of radiosensitizers to the tumor sites. Inspired by the aberrant upregulation of RAD51 (a critical protein of DNA repair), scavenger receptor B type 1 (SR-B1), and C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) in GBM patients, a reduction-sensitive nitric oxide (NO) donor conjugate of gemcitabine (RAD51 inhibitor) (NG) is synthesized as radio-sensitizer and a CCL5 peptide-modified bioinspired lipoprotein system of NG (C-LNG) is rationally designed, aiming to preferentially target the tumor sites and overcome the RT resistance. C-LNG can preferentially accumulate at the orthotopic GBM tumor sites with considerable intratumor permeation, responsively release the gemcitabine and NO, and then generate abundant peroxynitrite (ONOO- ) upon X-ray radiation, thereby producing a 99.64% inhibition of tumor growth and a 71.44% survival rate at 120 days in GL261-induced orthotopic GBM tumor model. Therefore, the rationally designed bioinspired lipoprotein of NG provides an essential strategy to target GBM and overcome RT resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maoyuan Sun
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Honglei Xie
- Institute of PharmacologySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesShandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences619 Changcheng RoadTaian271016China
| | - Wenli Zhang
- Department of RadiologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Xianlu Li
- School of Pharmacy & Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery (Ministry of Education)Fudan UniversityShanghai201203China
| | - Zhan Jiang
- Department of OncologyThe Chongqing General HospitalChongqing400016China
| | - Yiyu Liang
- School of Pharmacy & Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery (Ministry of Education)Fudan UniversityShanghai201203China
| | - Guanjian Zhao
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Ning Huang
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Jinning Mao
- Health Management CenterThe Second Affiliated HospitalChongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Guodong Liu
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqing400016China
| | - Zhiwen Zhang
- School of Pharmacy & Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery (Ministry of Education)Fudan UniversityShanghai201203China
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Uehara M, Domoto T, Takenaka S, Takeuchi O, Shimasaki T, Miyashita T, Minamoto T. Glycogen synthase kinase 3β: the nexus of chemoresistance, invasive capacity, and cancer stemness in pancreatic cancer. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2024; 7:4. [PMID: 38318525 PMCID: PMC10838383 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2023.84] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
The treatment of pancreatic cancer remains a significant clinical challenge due to the limited number of patients eligible for curative (R0) surgery, failures in the clinical development of targeted and immune therapies, and the pervasive acquisition of chemotherapeutic resistance. Refractory pancreatic cancer is typified by high invasiveness and resistance to therapy, with both attributes related to tumor cell stemness. These malignant characteristics mutually enhance each other, leading to rapid cancer progression. Over the past two decades, numerous studies have produced evidence of the pivotal role of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)3β in the progression of over 25 different cancer types, including pancreatic cancer. In this review, we synthesize the current knowledge on the pathological roles of aberrant GSK3β in supporting tumor cell proliferation and invasion, as well as its contribution to gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer. Importantly, we discuss the central role of GSK3β as a molecular hub that mechanistically connects chemoresistance, tumor cell invasion, and stemness in pancreatic cancer. We also discuss the involvement of GSK3β in the formation of desmoplastic tumor stroma and in promoting anti-cancer immune evasion, both of which constitute major obstacles to successful cancer treatment. Overall, GSK3β has characteristics of a promising therapeutic target to overcome chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Uehara
- Division of Translational and Clinical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-0934, Japan
- Authors contributed equally
| | - Takahiro Domoto
- Division of Translational and Clinical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-0934, Japan
- Authors contributed equally
| | - Satoshi Takenaka
- Division of Translational and Clinical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-0934, Japan
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Transplantation, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
- Department of Surgery, Toyama City Hospital, Toyama 939-8511, Japan
| | - Osamu Takeuchi
- Biomedical Laboratory, Department of Research, Kitasato University Kitasato Institute Hospital, Tokyo 108-8642, Japan
| | - Takeo Shimasaki
- Division of Translational and Clinical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-0934, Japan
- Medical Research Institute, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada 920-0293, Japan
| | - Tomoharu Miyashita
- Division of Translational and Clinical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-0934, Japan
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Transplantation, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-8641, Japan
- Department of Surgery, Toyama City Hospital, Toyama 939-8511, Japan
| | - Toshinari Minamoto
- Division of Translational and Clinical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-0934, Japan
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Guefack MGF, Talukdar D, Mukherjee R, Guha S, Mitra D, Saha D, Das G, Damen F, Kuete V, Murmu N. Hypericum roeperianum bark extract suppresses breast cancer proliferation via induction of apoptosis, downregulation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling cascade and reversal of EMT. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 319:117093. [PMID: 37634746 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.117093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Hypericum roeperianum is a medicinal spice traditionally used in West Africa to treat female sterility, fungal infections, and cancer. It has previously been reported that H. roeperianum exhibits cytotoxic potential by reducing the viability of cancer cells involving multidrug-resistant phenotypes, but its underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY The mechanistic involvement of H. roeperianum methanolic crude extract (HRC) in attenuating breast cancer progression by exploring the effects on mitochondrial apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS In the present study, we examined the anticancer properties of HRC through MTT assay, colony formation, wound healing assay, spheroid formation, DNA fragmentation and flow cytometry for cell cycle arrest, apoptosis (Annexin V/PI staining) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) (JC-1) detection. In addition, western blot analysis of various proteins and quantitative real time PCR of various genes involved in apoptosis, EMT and the PI3K/Akt/mToR signal transduction pathway were performed. RESULTS This study revealed that HRC treatment significantly decreased breast cancer cell viability, colony forming efficiency and reduced the ability of cell migration and spheroid formation. HRC also induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 via promoting G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and induction of DNA damage. The crude extract induced apoptosis by activating the intrinsic pathway with a stronger effect that relies on the combined potency of associated molecular markers including Bax, Bad, Bcl-2, cytochrome C, caspase-9, and cleaved-PARP. It was also found that HRC regulates the PI3K/Akt/mToR pathway. In addition, HRC inhibited EMT by expressional alteration of Vimentin and E-cadherin, as well as the regulatory transcription factors such as Snail and Slug. The in vitro findings reflected similar mechanistic approach in 4T1 cell induced syngeneic mice model, indicating the reduction of tumor volume along with the significant expressional alteration of EMT and apoptotic markers. CONCLUSION Taken together the findings concluded that H. roeperianum is a potential source of cytotoxic phytochemicals that exhibit abortifacient effect on breast cancer, both in vitro and in vivo, thus could further be utilized in breast cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel-Gael F Guefack
- Department of Signal Transduction and Biogenic Amines, 37, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), Kolkata, 700026, India; Department of Biochemistry, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon, P.O. Box 67, Dschang, Cameroon.
| | - Debojit Talukdar
- Department of Signal Transduction and Biogenic Amines, 37, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), Kolkata, 700026, India.
| | - Rimi Mukherjee
- Department of Signal Transduction and Biogenic Amines, 37, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), Kolkata, 700026, India.
| | - Subhabrata Guha
- Department of Signal Transduction and Biogenic Amines, 37, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), Kolkata, 700026, India.
| | - Debarpan Mitra
- Department of Signal Transduction and Biogenic Amines, 37, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), Kolkata, 700026, India.
| | - Depanwita Saha
- Department of Signal Transduction and Biogenic Amines, 37, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), Kolkata, 700026, India.
| | - Gaurav Das
- Department of Signal Transduction and Biogenic Amines, 37, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), Kolkata, 700026, India.
| | - François Damen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon, P.O. Box 67, Dschang, Cameroon.
| | - Victor Kuete
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon, P.O. Box 67, Dschang, Cameroon.
| | - Nabendu Murmu
- Department of Signal Transduction and Biogenic Amines, 37, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI), Kolkata, 700026, India.
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Yang L, Lei Y, Huang Z, Geng M, Liu Z, Wang B, Luo D, Huang W, Liang D, Pang Z, Hu Z. An interactive nuclei segmentation framework with Voronoi diagrams and weighted convex difference for cervical cancer pathology images. Phys Med Biol 2024; 69:025021. [PMID: 37972412 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad0d44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Objective.Nuclei segmentation is crucial for pathologists to accurately classify and grade cancer. However, this process faces significant challenges, such as the complex background structures in pathological images, the high-density distribution of nuclei, and cell adhesion.Approach.In this paper, we present an interactive nuclei segmentation framework that increases the precision of nuclei segmentation. Our framework incorporates expert monitoring to gather as much prior information as possible and accurately segment complex nucleus images through limited pathologist interaction, where only a small portion of the nucleus locations in each image are labeled. The initial contour is determined by the Voronoi diagram generated from the labeled points, which is then input into an optimized weighted convex difference model to regularize partition boundaries in an image. Specifically, we provide theoretical proof of the mathematical model, stating that the objective function monotonically decreases. Furthermore, we explore a postprocessing stage that incorporates histograms, which are simple and easy to handle and prevent arbitrariness and subjectivity in individual choices.Main results.To evaluate our approach, we conduct experiments on both a cervical cancer dataset and a nasopharyngeal cancer dataset. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach achieves competitive performance compared to other methods.Significance.The Voronoi diagram in the paper serves as prior information for the active contour, providing positional information for individual cells. Moreover, the active contour model achieves precise segmentation results while offering mathematical interpretability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Yang
- Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
- College of Mathematics and Statistics, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanyuan Lei
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, 518116, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenxing Huang
- Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengxiao Geng
- Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
- College of Mathematics and Statistics, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhou Liu
- Department of Radiology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, 518116, People's Republic of China
| | - Baijie Wang
- Department of Radiology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, 518116, People's Republic of China
| | - Dehong Luo
- Department of Radiology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, 518116, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenting Huang
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, 518116, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Liang
- Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging Science and System, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhifeng Pang
- College of Mathematics and Statistics, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Computational Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhanli Hu
- Lauterbur Research Center for Biomedical Imaging, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging Science and System, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
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Harrer DC, Lüke F, Pukrop T, Ghibelli L, Gerner C, Reichle A, Heudobler D. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorα/γ agonist pioglitazone for rescuing relapsed or refractory neoplasias by unlocking phenotypic plasticity. Front Oncol 2024; 13:1289222. [PMID: 38273846 PMCID: PMC10808445 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1289222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
A series of seven clinical trials on relapsed or refractory (r/r) metastatic neoplasias followed the question: Are networks of ligand-receptor cross-talks that support tumor-specific cancer hallmarks, druggable with tumor tissue editing approaches therapeutically exploiting tumor plasticity? Differential recombinations of pioglitazone, a dual peroxisome-proliferator activated receptorα/γ (PPARα/γ) agonist, with transcriptional modulators, i.e., all-trans retinoic acid, interferon-α, or dexamethasone plus metronomic low-dose chemotherapy (MCT) or epigenetic modeling with azacitidine plus/minus cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition initiated tumor-specific reprogramming of cancer hallmarks, as exemplified by inflammation control in r/r melanoma, renal clear cell carcinoma (RCCC), Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and multisystem Langerhans cell histiocytosis (mLCH) or differentiation induction in non-promyelocytic acute myeloid leukemia (non-PML AML). Pioglitazone, integrated in differentially designed editing schedules, facilitated induction of tumor cell death as indicated by complete remission (CR) in r/r non-PML AML, continuous CR in r/r RCCC, mLCH, and in HL by addition of everolimus, or long-term disease control in melanoma by efficaciously controlling metastasis, post-therapy cancer repopulation and acquired cell-resistance and genetic/molecular-genetic tumor cell heterogeneity (M-CRAC). PPARα/γ agonists provided tumor-type agnostic biomodulatory efficacy across different histologic neoplasias. Tissue editing techniques disclose that wide-ranging functions of PPARα/γ agonists may be on-topic focused for differentially unlocking tumor phenotypes. Low-dose MCT facilitates targeted reprogramming of cancer hallmarks with transcriptional modulators, induction of tumor cell death, M-CRAC control and editing of non-oncogene addiction. Thus, pioglitazone, integrated in tumor tissue editing protocols, is an important biomodulatory drug for addressing urgent therapeutic problems, such as M-CRAC in relapsed or refractory tumor disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Christoph Harrer
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Florian Lüke
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Division of Personalized Tumor Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Pukrop
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Lina Ghibelli
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Christopher Gerner
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Albrecht Reichle
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Heudobler
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Pasquale EB. Eph receptors and ephrins in cancer progression. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:5-27. [PMID: 37996538 PMCID: PMC11015936 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00634-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Evidence implicating Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands (that together make up the 'Eph system') in cancer development and progression has been accumulating since the discovery of the first Eph receptor approximately 35 years ago. Advances in the past decade and a half have considerably increased the understanding of Eph receptor-ephrin signalling mechanisms in cancer and have uncovered intriguing new roles in cancer progression and drug resistance. This Review focuses mainly on these more recent developments. I provide an update on the different mechanisms of Eph receptor-ephrin-mediated cell-cell communication and cell autonomous signalling, as well as on the interplay of the Eph system with other signalling systems. I further discuss recent advances in elucidating how the Eph system controls tumour expansion, invasiveness and metastasis, supports cancer stem cells, and drives therapy resistance. In addition to functioning within cancer cells, the Eph system also mediates the reciprocal communication between cancer cells and cells of the tumour microenvironment. The involvement of the Eph system in tumour angiogenesis is well established, but recent findings also demonstrate roles in immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix. Lastly, I discuss strategies under evaluation for therapeutic targeting of Eph receptors-ephrins in cancer and conclude with an outlook on promising future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena B Pasquale
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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38
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Zhao Z, Chen Y, Sun T, Jiang C. Nanomaterials for brain metastasis. J Control Release 2024; 365:833-847. [PMID: 38065414 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Tumor metastasis is a significant contributor to the mortality of cancer patients. Specifically, current conventional treatments are unable to achieve complete remission of brain metastasis. This is due to the unique pathological environment of brain metastasis, which differs significantly from peripheral metastasis. Brain metastasis is characterized by high tumor mutation rates and a complex microenvironment with immunosuppression. Additionally, the presence of blood-brain barrier (BBB)/blood tumor barrier (BTB) restricts drug leakage into the brain. Therefore, it is crucial to take account of the specific characteristics of brain metastasis when developing new therapeutic strategies. Nanomaterials offer promising opportunities for targeted therapies in treating brain metastasis. They can be tailored and customized based on specific pathological features and incorporate various treatment approaches, which makes them advantageous in advancing therapeutic strategies for brain metastasis. This review provides an overview of current clinical treatment options for patients with brain metastasis. It also explores the roles and changes that different cells within the complex microenvironment play during tumor spread. Furthermore, it highlights the use of nanomaterials in current brain treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chen Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China.
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Hu J, Wu Q, Ding Q, Wu W, Li Q, Zheng Z. High Level of Adropin Promotes the Progression of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2024; 24:629-641. [PMID: 37990897 DOI: 10.2174/0115680096267203231024093601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Preliminary experiments have revealed the abnormally high expression level of adropin in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). This study investigated the role of adropin in the progression of PDA. METHODS The paraffin-embedded samples of 20 patients with PDA were obtained from the hospital biobank, and immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate adropin expression. PDA cell lines were cultured and treated with recombinant adropin or adropin knockdown. Cell behavior was assessed, and the expression of phospho-vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (p-VEGFR2) and other related proteins was detected. The cell-derived xenograft (CDX) of PDA was established, and the effects of adropin or adropin knockdown on tumor growth were observed. RESULTS The PDA cancer tissues exhibited elevated adropin protein expression compared with the paracancerous tissues, and the expression was positively correlated with carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels in patients. Adropin significantly promoted the proliferation and migration of PDA cells and upregulated the expression of p-VEGFR2, Ki67, cyclin D1, and matrix metalloprotein 2 (MMP2). After the knockdown of adropin expression or blockade of VEGFR2, the above effects of adropin were significantly reversed. Adropin supplementation significantly accelerated tumor growth in PDA CDX; upregulated the expression of p-VEGFR2, Ki67, cyclin D1, and MMP2; and promoted angiogenesis in tumor tissue microenvironment. However, CDX inoculated with adropin knockdown cells produced the opposite results. CONCLUSION Adropin overexpression in PDA promotes cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis in tumor microenvironment by continuously activating VEGFR2 signaling, thereby creating conditions for tumor progression. Thus, targeting adropin may be an effective anti-PDA strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jilong Hu
- Department of Abdominal Surgery Oncology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Qinrong Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Yingtan People's Hospital, Yingtan, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Qunhua Ding
- Department of Abdominal Surgery Oncology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Weibo Wu
- Department of Abdominal Surgery Oncology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Qiyun Li
- Department of Abdominal Surgery Oncology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Zhinan Zheng
- Department of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P.R. China
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Zhdanov VP. Kinetics of cancer metastasis. Biosystems 2024; 235:105098. [PMID: 38056592 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2023.105098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
The formation of metastases during cancer is now considered to be induced by migrating metastatic stem cells (MetSCs) in preexisting niches or niches induced by MetSCs or tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs). I propose and compare two simplest generic models describing these two scenarios. The number of tumors is predicted (i) to increase exponentially in the case of preexisting niches and (ii) to diverge during a finite time interval in the case of induced niches. The latter prediction is novel and of interest because rapid collapse in the end of a finite time interval is a well-known feature of the cancer metastasis. Two advanced models describing the two scenarios of cancer metastasis have been scrutinized as well. These models clarify the likely role of various specific factors in the metastasis. In particular, the equations derived in the framework of the advanced model with preexisting niches have been solved analytically allowing (i) to clarify the factors determining the duration of the period from the initiation of the primary tumor to the phase when the metastases start to dominate, (ii) to estimate the number of metastases in the end of this period, and (iii) to explains why the use of chemotherapy typically results in the improvement of the patient state only for a relatively short period. The equations derived in the framework of the advanced model with induced niches have no analytical solution, and their analysis merits additional attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir P Zhdanov
- Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.
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Zheng B, Niu L, Xu H, Yang Y, Chen Y, Wang C, Chen W, Huang W. Engineering redirected NF-κB/OIP5 expression programs to enhance tumor responses to chemotherapy in bladder cancer. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2023; 68:3207-3224. [PMID: 37993335 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), a pivotal transcriptional regulator, plays a crucial role in modulating downstream genes implicated in tumor drug resistance. We establish a programmable system within bladder cancer cells to tailor drug responses by employing a synthetic clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based expression strategy that emulates natural transcriptional regulators. Our investigation uncovers the functional significance of Opa-interacting protein 5 (OIP5), upregulated upon NF-κB activation, as a key regulator governing drug-resistance to vincristine (VCR) treatment in bladder cancer. Through engineered guide RNAs (sgRNAs) targeting OIP5 to integrate NF-κB aptamers, we construct a modular scaffold RNA that encodes both the target locus and regulatory functionality. This engineered CRISPR scaffold RNA effectively responds to VCR stimulus by binding with activated NF-κB. Intriguingly, it redirects NF-κB to attenuate OIP5 expression-a reversal of its original role-while concurrently obstructing multiple NF-κB-mediated drug resistance pathways. This dual action thwarts drug resistance development. Further enhancing therapeutic potential, we develop a versatile nanoparticle system capable of co-delivering CRISPR scaffold RNAs and VCR. This synergistic approach demonstrates potent anti-tumor effects in both in vitro and in vivo settings. Our nanoparticle-mediated combination presents a compelling proof-of-concept, showcasing the utility of engineered CRISPR-based synthetic expression programs to reconfigure cellular drug responses and heighten tumor cell susceptibility to chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binbin Zheng
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518039, China; Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Liman Niu
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518039, China; Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Haibo Xu
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518039, China; Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yubin Yang
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518039, China
| | - Yanping Chen
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518039, China
| | - Chenguang Wang
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518039, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen 518035, China
| | - Weiren Huang
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, International Cancer Center of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518039, China; Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen 518035, China.
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Harrer DC, Lüke F, Pukrop T, Ghibelli L, Reichle A, Heudobler D. Addressing Genetic Tumor Heterogeneity, Post-Therapy Metastatic Spread, Cancer Repopulation, and Development of Acquired Tumor Cell Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 16:180. [PMID: 38201607 PMCID: PMC10778239 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The concept of post-therapy metastatic spread, cancer repopulation and acquired tumor cell resistance (M-CRAC) rationalizes tumor progression because of tumor cell heterogeneity arising from post-therapy genetic damage and subsequent tissue repair mechanisms. Therapeutic strategies designed to specifically address M-CRAC involve tissue editing approaches, such as low-dose metronomic chemotherapy and the use of transcriptional modulators with or without targeted therapies. Notably, tumor tissue editing holds the potential to treat patients, who are refractory to or relapsing (r/r) after conventional chemotherapy, which is usually based on administering a maximum tolerable dose of a cytostatic drugs. Clinical trials enrolling patients with r/r malignancies, e.g., non-small cell lung cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, Langerhans cell histiocytosis and acute myelocytic leukemia, indicate that tissue editing approaches could yield tangible clinical benefit. In contrast to conventional chemotherapy or state-of-the-art precision medicine, tissue editing employs a multi-pronged approach targeting important drivers of M-CRAC across various tumor entities, thereby, simultaneously engaging tumor cell differentiation, immunomodulation, and inflammation control. In this review, we highlight the M-CRAC concept as a major factor in resistance to conventional cancer therapies and discusses tissue editing as a potential treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Christoph Harrer
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (D.C.H.); (F.L.); (T.P.); (D.H.)
| | - Florian Lüke
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (D.C.H.); (F.L.); (T.P.); (D.H.)
- Division of Personalized Tumor Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, 30625 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Pukrop
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (D.C.H.); (F.L.); (T.P.); (D.H.)
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Lina Ghibelli
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Albrecht Reichle
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (D.C.H.); (F.L.); (T.P.); (D.H.)
| | - Daniel Heudobler
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (D.C.H.); (F.L.); (T.P.); (D.H.)
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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Shimpi AA, Williams ED, Ling L, Tamir T, White FM, Fischbach C. Phosphoproteomic Changes Induced by Cell-Derived Matrix and Their Effect on Tumor Cell Migration and Cytoskeleton Remodeling. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:6835-6848. [PMID: 38015076 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c01034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Increased fibrotic extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition promotes tumor invasion, which is the first step of the metastatic cascade. Yet, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood as conventional studies of tumor cell migration are often performed in 2D cultures lacking the compositional and structural complexity of native ECM. Moreover, these studies frequently focus on select candidate pathways potentially overlooking other relevant changes in cell signaling. Here, we combine a cell-derived matrix (CDM) model with phosphotyrosine phosphoproteomic analysis to investigate tumor cell migration on fibrotic ECM relative to standard tissue culture plastic (TCP). Our results suggest that tumor cells cultured on CDMs migrate faster and in a more directional manner than their counterparts on TCP. These changes in migration correlate with decreased cell spreading and increased cell elongation. While the formation of phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase (pFAK)+ adhesion complexes did not vary between TCP and CDMs, time-dependent phosphoproteomic analysis identified that the SRC family kinase LYN may be differentially regulated. Pharmacological inhibition of LYN decreased tumor cell migration and cytoskeletal rearrangement on CDMs and also on TCP, suggesting that LYN regulates tumor cell migration on CDMs in combination with other mechanisms. These data highlight how the combination of physicochemically complex in vitro systems with phosphoproteomics can help identify signaling mechanisms by which the fibrotic ECM regulates tumor cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian A Shimpi
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Erik D Williams
- Department of Information Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Lu Ling
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Tigist Tamir
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 023139, United States
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 023139, United States
| | - Forest M White
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 023139, United States
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 023139, United States
| | - Claudia Fischbach
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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Wen DS, Huang LC, Bu XY, He MK, Lai ZC, Du ZF, Huang YX, Kan A, Shi M. DNA methylation-activated full-length EMX1 facilitates metastasis through EMX1-EGFR-ERK axis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:769. [PMID: 38007497 PMCID: PMC10676392 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06293-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Altered DNA methylation is a crucial epigenetic event in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development and progression. Through methylation-transcriptomic analysis, we identified a set of sixty potential DNA methylation-based epidriver genes. In this set of genes, we focused on the hypermethylation of EMX1, which is frequently observed in hepatobiliary tumors. Despite of its frequent occurrence, the function of EMX1 remains largely unknown. By utilizing bisulfite-next-generation sequencing, we have detected EMX1 DNA hypermethylation on the gene body, which is positively correlated with EMX1 mRNA expression. Further analysis revealed that EMX1 mRNA terminal exon splicing in HCC generated two protein isoforms: EMX1 full length (EMX1-FL) and alternative terminal exon splicing isoform (EMX1-X1). Cellular functional assays demonstrated that gain-of-function EMX1-FL, but not EMX1-X1, induced HCC cells migration and invasion while silencing EMX1-FL inhibited HCC cells motility. This result was further validated by in vivo tumor metastasis models. Mechanistically, EMX1-FL bound to EGFR promoter, promoting EGFR transcription and activating EGFR-ERK signaling to trigger tumor metastasis. Therefore, EGFR may be a potential therapeutic target for EMX1-high expression HCC. Our work illuminated the crucial role of gene body hypermethylation-activated EMX1-FL in promoting tumorigenesis and metastasis in HCC. These findings pave the way for targeting the EMX1-EGFR axis in HCC tumorigenicity and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Sheng Wen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Li-Chang Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Yun Bu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, P. R. China
| | - Min-Ke He
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Zhi-Cheng Lai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Ze-Feng Du
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Ye-Xing Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Anna Kan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China.
| | - Ming Shi
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China.
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Juan-Guadarrama DG, Beltrán-Navarro YM, Reyes-Cruz G, Vázquez-Prado J. Ephexin3/ARHGEF5 Together with Cell Migration Signaling Partners within the Tumor Microenvironment Define Prognostic Transcriptional Signatures in Multiple Cancer Types. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16427. [PMID: 38003617 PMCID: PMC10671824 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell migration involves a repertoire of signaling proteins that lead cytoskeleton reorganization as a critical step in metastatic dissemination. RhoGEFs are multidomain effectors that integrate signaling inputs to activate the molecular switches that orchestrate actin cytoskeleton reorganization. Ephexins, a group of five RhoGEFs, play oncogenic roles in invasive and metastatic cancer, leading to a mechanistic hypothesis about their function as signaling nodes assembling functional complexes that guide cancer cell migration. To identify clinically significant Ephexin signaling partners, we applied three systematic data mining strategies, based on the screening of essential Ephexins in multiple cancer cell lines and the identification of coexpressed signaling partners in the TCGA cancer patient datasets. Based on the domain architecture of encoded proteins and gene ontology criteria, we selected Ephexin signaling partners with a role in cytoskeletal reorganization and cell migration. We focused on Ephexin3/ARHGEF5, identified as an essential gene in multiple cancer cell types. Based on significant coexpression data and coessentiality, the signaling repertoire that accompanies Ephexin3 corresponded to three groups: pan-cancer, cancer-specific and coessential. To further select the Ephexin3 signaling partners likely to be relevant in clinical settings, we first identified those whose high expression was statistical linked to shorter patient survival. The resulting Ephexin3 transcriptional signatures represent significant accumulated risk, predictive of shorter survival, in 17 cancer types, including PAAD, LUAD, LGG, OSC, AML, KIRC, THYM, BLCA, LIHC and UCEC. The signaling landscape that accompanies Ephexin3 in various cancer types included the tyrosine kinase receptor MET and the tyrosine phosphatase receptor PTPRF, the serine/threonine kinases MARK2 and PAK6, the Rho GTPases RHOD, RHOF and RAC1, and the cytoskeletal regulator DIAHP1. Our findings set the basis to further explore the role of Ephexin3/ARHGEF5 as an essential effector and signaling hub in cancer cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dante Gustavo Juan-Guadarrama
- Department of Pharmacology, Cinvestav-IPN, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
| | - Yarely Mabell Beltrán-Navarro
- Department of Pharmacology, Cinvestav-IPN, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
| | - Guadalupe Reyes-Cruz
- Department of Cell Biology, Cinvestav-IPN, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
| | - José Vázquez-Prado
- Department of Pharmacology, Cinvestav-IPN, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
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Jing L, Zhai ME, Qian MR, Li YM, Han MW, Wang K, Huang W, Nan G, Jiang JL. Targeting the up-regulated CNOT3 reverses therapeutic resistance and metastatic progression of EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:406. [PMID: 37919290 PMCID: PMC10622567 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01701-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. CNOT3, a subunit of the CCR4-NOT complex, has recently been suggested to be overexpressed in lung cancer and involved in tumor malignancy. However, its precise role and the underlying mechanisms still need to be fully revealed. In the present study, we found in lung cancer cells the expression of CNOT3 could be regulated by EGFR signaling pathway and c-Jun, a transcription factor downstream of EGFR, transcriptionally regulated its expression. Interestingly, CNOT3 could inversely regulate the expression of c-Jun via modulating its translation. Thus, a feedback loop existed between c-Jun and CNOT3. CNOT3 reduction post EGFR blockade facilitated the drug-induced cell death, and simultaneously inhibited cell proliferation via impacting TSC1/mTOR axis. Whereas, further up-regulation of the CNOT3 expression was observed in gefitinib-resistant cells, which dampened gefitinib sensitivity. Mechanically, the elevation of CNOT3 was induced by the bypass activation of HER2/c-Jun signaling. Depleting CNOT3 in vitro and in vivo sensitized the drug-resistant cells to gefitinib treatment and inhibited metastatic progression. These results give novel insights into the role of CNOT3 in lung cancer malignancy and provide a theoretical basis for the development of therapeutic strategies to solve acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Jing
- Department of Cell Biology, National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Meng-En Zhai
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Mei-Rui Qian
- Department of Cell Biology, National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yi-Ming Li
- Department of Cell Biology, National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ming-Wei Han
- Department of Cell Biology, National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Kun Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wan Huang
- Department of Cell Biology, National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Gang Nan
- Department of Cell Biology, National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jian-Li Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology, National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, China.
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Tong Y, Gu M, Luo X, Qi H, Jiang W, Deng Y, Wei L, Liu J, Ding Y, Cai J, Hu Y. An engineered nanoplatform cascade to relieve extracellular acidity and enhance resistance-free chemotherapy. J Control Release 2023; 363:562-573. [PMID: 37797888 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Tumor extracellular acidity and chemoresistance are regarded as the main obstacles to achieving optimal chemotherapeutic efficacy in tumor therapy. Herein, a new kind of acid-cascade P-S-Z nanoparticles (NPs) is developed to relieve extracellular acidosis and enhance chemotherapy without causing drug resistance. The P-S-Z NPs selectively accumulate in tumors and then regulate the release of S-Z NPs containing syrosingopine (Syr) and acid-activated prodrug ZMC1-Pt depending on the extracellular acidity. Benefiting from their small size and positive surface charge, S-Z NPs are easily internalized by tumor cells in deep tumor tissue, facilitating the release of Syr to inhibit lactic acid excretion and ultimately enhance cell acidosis. The prolonged intracellular acidosis not only inhibits tumor cell proliferation, but also continuously triggers the activation of ZMC1-Pt prodrug, a platinum-based chemotherapeutic drug that effectively eliminates cancer cells and restores wild-type p53 function to prevent tumor chemoresistance. As a proof of concept, this is a promising strategy to transfer the adverse effect of intracellular acidosis to facilitate chemotherapy. This well-designed delivery system effectively kills tumor cells without causing significant tumor drug resistance, thus opening a new window to treat cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Tong
- College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials & Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210033, China
| | - Meng Gu
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Xingyu Luo
- College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials & Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210033, China
| | - Haifeng Qi
- College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials & Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210033, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials & Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210033, China
| | - Yu Deng
- College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials & Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210033, China
| | - Lulu Wei
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Wuxi No. 5 People's Hospital Affiliated Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214005, China
| | - Yin Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210033, China.
| | - Jianfeng Cai
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
| | - Yong Hu
- College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials & Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210033, China.
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Zaarour RF, Ribeiro M, Azzarone B, Kapoor S, Chouaib S. Tumor microenvironment-induced tumor cell plasticity: relationship with hypoxic stress and impact on tumor resistance. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1222575. [PMID: 37886168 PMCID: PMC10598765 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1222575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of tumor interaction with stromal components during carcinogenesis is crucial for the design of efficient cancer treatment approaches. It is widely admitted that tumor hypoxic stress is associated with tumor aggressiveness and thus impacts susceptibility and resistance to different types of treatments. Notable biological processes that hypoxia functions in include its regulation of tumor heterogeneity and plasticity. While hypoxia has been reported as a major player in tumor survival and dissemination regulation, the significance of hypoxia inducible factors in cancer stem cell development remains poorly understood. Several reports indicate that the emergence of cancer stem cells in addition to their phenotype and function within a hypoxic tumor microenvironment impacts cancer progression. In this respect, evidence showed that cancer stem cells are key elements of intratumoral heterogeneity and more importantly are responsible for tumor relapse and escape to treatments. This paper briefly reviews our current knowledge of the interaction between tumor hypoxic stress and its role in stemness acquisition and maintenance. Our review extensively covers the influence of hypoxia on the formation and maintenance of cancer stem cells and discusses the potential of targeting hypoxia-induced alterations in the expression and function of the so far known stem cell markers in cancer therapy approaches. We believe that a better and integrated understanding of the effect of hypoxia on stemness during carcinogenesis might lead to new strategies for exploiting hypoxia-associated pathways and their targeting in the clinical setting in order to overcome resistance mechanisms. More importantly, at the present time, efforts are oriented towards the design of innovative therapeutical approaches that specifically target cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- RF. Zaarour
- Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - M. Ribeiro
- Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - B. Azzarone
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - S. Kapoor
- Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - S. Chouaib
- Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Gustave Roussy, Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France
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Bezerra LS, Santos-Veloso MAO. Ketogenic diet and metastasis: A critical review of the literature and possible mechanisms. Clin Nutr ESPEN 2023; 57:207-212. [PMID: 37739657 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2023.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
The ketogenic diet (KD) is a low-carb diet that has been indicated as a possible coadjuvant in cancer therapy, mainly due to its capacity to reduce glycolysis production, inflammation, and oxidative stress. However, KD's role in metastasis remains poorly explored. This study aims to provide a critical review of the literature about KD's efficacy in metastasis therapy and the possible molecular mechanisms behind it. Initially, general concepts on KD and metastasis are discussed. Then, it delves deeper into the main cancer mechanisms explored by KD experimental studies, discussing the central results obtained in metastasis research and their main limiting conditions. Following, there is a critical analysis of clinical trials, including those in the grey literature. In the end, there is a summary of the actual studies' limitations and barriers to future research. To date, it is possible to conclude that there is not enough evidence supporting the efficacy of KD in the treatment of metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Soares Bezerra
- Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; Postgraduate Program in Therapeutic Innovation, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
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50
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Zhou Y, Chen K, Lin WK, Liu J, Kang W, Zhang Y, Yang R, Jin L, Cheng Y, Xu A, Wang W. Photo-Enhanced Synergistic Induction of Ferroptosis for Anti-Cancer Immunotherapy. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2300994. [PMID: 37432874 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202300994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Ferroptosis as programmed cell death received considerable attention in cancer research. Recently, studies have associated ferroptosis with photodynamic therapy (PDT) because PDT promotes glutathione (GSH) deletion, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) degradation, and lipid peroxide accumulation. However, PDT-induced ferroptosis may be potentially prevented by ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1). To address this limitation, herein, a novel strategy is developed to trigger ferroptosis by PDT and FSP1 inhibition. For enhancement of this strategy, a photoresponsive nanocomplex, self-assembled by BODIPY-modified poly(amidoamine) (BMP), is utilized to stably encapsulate the inhibitor of FSP1 (iFSP1) and chlorin e6 (Ce6). The nanosystem promotes intracellular delivery, penetration, and accumulation of ferroptosis inducers in tumors with light irradiation. The nanosystem presents high-performance triggering of ferroptosis and immunogenic cell death (ICD) in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, the nanoparticles increase tumor infiltration of CD8+ T cells and further enhance the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy. The study suggests the potential of photo-enhanced synergistic induction of ferroptosis by the photoresponsive nanocomplexes in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wing Kak Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jinzhao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Weirong Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yaming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ranyao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Leigang Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yiyun Cheng
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Aimin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Weiping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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