51
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Lambert AW, Fiore C, Chutake Y, Verhaar ER, Strasser PC, Chen MW, Farouq D, Das S, Li X, Eaton EN, Zhang Y, Liu Donaher J, Engstrom I, Reinhardt F, Yuan B, Gupta S, Wollison B, Eaton M, Bierie B, Carulli J, Olson ER, Guenther MG, Weinberg RA. ΔNp63/p73 drive metastatic colonization by controlling a regenerative epithelial stem cell program in quasi-mesenchymal cancer stem cells. Dev Cell 2022; 57:2714-2730.e8. [PMID: 36538894 PMCID: PMC10002472 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) may serve as the cellular seeds of tumor recurrence and metastasis, and they can be generated via epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs). Isolating pure populations of CSCs is difficult because EMT programs generate multiple alternative cell states, and phenotypic plasticity permits frequent interconversions between these states. Here, we used cell-surface expression of integrin β4 (ITGB4) to isolate highly enriched populations of human breast CSCs, and we identified the gene regulatory network operating in ITGB4+ CSCs. Specifically, we identified ΔNp63 and p73, the latter of which transactivates ΔNp63, as centrally important transcriptional regulators of quasi-mesenchymal CSCs that reside in an intermediate EMT state. We found that the transcriptional program controlled by ΔNp63 in CSCs is largely distinct from the one that it orchestrates in normal basal mammary stem cells and, instead, it more closely resembles a regenerative epithelial stem cell response to wounding. Moreover, quasi-mesenchymal CSCs repurpose this program to drive metastatic colonization via autocrine EGFR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur W Lambert
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | | | - Elisha R Verhaar
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | | | | | - Sunny Das
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Elinor Ng Eaton
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Yun Zhang
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; State Key Laboratory 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
| | - Joana Liu Donaher
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ian Engstrom
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ferenc Reinhardt
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Bingbing Yuan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Sumeet Gupta
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | | | - Brian Bierie
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | | | | | - Robert A Weinberg
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; MIT Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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52
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Wei J, Yao J, Yang C, Mao Y, Zhu D, Xie Y, Liu P, Yan M, Ren L, Lin Y, Zheng Q, Li X. Heterogeneous matrix stiffness regulates the cancer stem-like cell phenotype in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Transl Med 2022; 20:555. [PMID: 36463272 PMCID: PMC9719217 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03778-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Solid tumors are stiffer than their surrounding normal tissues; however, their interior stiffness is not uniform. Under certain conditions, cancer cells can acquire stem-like phenotypes. However, it remains unclear how the heterogeneous physical microenvironment affects stemness expression in cancer cells. Here, we aimed to evaluate matrix stiffness heterogeneity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and to explore the regulation effect of the tumor microenvironment on stem-like phenotypic changes through mechanical transduction. METHODS First, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to evaluate the elastic modulus of HCC tissues. We then used hydrogel with adjustable stiffness to investigate the effect of matrix stiffness on the stem-like phenotype expression of HCC cells. Moreover, cells cultured on hydrogel with different stiffness were subjected to morphology, real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence analyses to explore the mechanotransduction pathway. Finally, animal models were used to validate in vitro results. RESULTS AFM results confirmed the heterogenous matrix stiffness in HCC tissue. Cancer cells adhered to hydrogel with varying stiffness (1.10 ± 0.34 kPa, 4.47 ± 1.19 kPa, and 10.61 kPa) exhibited different cellular and cytoskeleton morphology. Higher matrix stiffness promoted the stem-like phenotype expression and reduced sorafenib-induced apoptosis. In contrast, lower stiffness induced the expression of proliferation-related protein Ki67. Moreover, mechanical signals were transmitted into cells through the integrin-yes-associated protein (YAP) pathway. Higher matrix stiffness did not affect YAP expression, however, reduced the proportion of phosphorylated YAP, promoted YAP nuclear translocation, and regulated gene transcription. Finally, application of ATN-161 (integrin inhibitor) and verteporfin (YAP inhibitor) effectively blocked the stem-like phenotype expression regulated by matrix stiffness. CONCLUSIONS Our experiments provide new insights into the interaction between matrix stiffness, cancer cell stemness, and heterogeneity, while also providing a novel HCC therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayun Wei
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Jia Yao
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Chendong Yang
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Civil Engineering and Mechanics College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Yongcui Mao
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Dan Zhu
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Ye Xie
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Pinyan Liu
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Mengchao Yan
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Longfei Ren
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482General Surgery Department, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Yan Lin
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Qiuxia Zheng
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China
| | - Xun Li
- grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 1st West Donggang Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000 China ,grid.32566.340000 0000 8571 0482General Surgery Department, First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 China
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53
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Englund JI, Bui H, Dinç DD, Paavolainen O, McKenna T, Laitinen S, Munne P, Klefström J, Peuhu E, Katajisto P. Laminin matrix adhesion regulates basal mammary epithelial cell identity. J Cell Sci 2022; 135:285829. [DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Mammary epithelium is a bilayered ductal network composed of luminal and basal epithelial cells, which together drive the growth and functional differentiation of the gland. Basal mammary epithelial cells (MECs) exhibit remarkable plasticity and progenitor activity that facilitate epithelial expansion. However, their activity must be tightly regulated to restrict excess basal cell activity. Here, we show that adhesion of basal cells to laminin α5-containing basement membrane matrix, which is produced by luminal cells, presents such a control mechanism. Adhesion to laminin α5 directs basal cells towards a luminal cell fate, and thereby results in a marked decrease of basal MEC progenitor activity in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, these effects are mediated through β4-integrin and activation of p21 (encoded by CDKN1A). Thus, we demonstrate that laminin matrix adhesion is a key determinant of basal identity and essential to building and maintaining a functional multicellular epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna I. Englund
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki 1 , Helsinki FI-00014 , Finland
| | - Hien Bui
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki 1 , Helsinki FI-00014 , Finland
| | - Defne D. Dinç
- Institute of Biomedicine, Cancer Laboratory FICAN west, University of Turku 2 , Turku FI-20014 , Finland
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University 3 , Turku FI-20014 , Finland
| | - Oona Paavolainen
- Institute of Biomedicine, Cancer Laboratory FICAN west, University of Turku 2 , Turku FI-20014 , Finland
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University 3 , Turku FI-20014 , Finland
| | - Tomás McKenna
- Karolinska Institutet 4 Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) , , Stockholm SE-171 77 , Sweden
| | - Suvi Laitinen
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki 1 , Helsinki FI-00014 , Finland
| | - Pauliina Munne
- Finnish Cancer Institute, FICAN South Helsinki University Hospital & Translational Cancer Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki 5 , Helsinki FI-00014 , Finland
| | - Juha Klefström
- Finnish Cancer Institute, FICAN South Helsinki University Hospital & Translational Cancer Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki 5 , Helsinki FI-00014 , Finland
| | - Emilia Peuhu
- Institute of Biomedicine, Cancer Laboratory FICAN west, University of Turku 2 , Turku FI-20014 , Finland
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University 3 , Turku FI-20014 , Finland
| | - Pekka Katajisto
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki 1 , Helsinki FI-00014 , Finland
- Karolinska Institutet 4 Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) , , Stockholm SE-171 77 , Sweden
- University of Helsinki 6 Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences , , Helsinki FI-00014 , Finland
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54
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Kilmister EJ, Koh SP, Weth FR, Gray C, Tan ST. Cancer Metastasis and Treatment Resistance: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Targeting of Cancer Stem Cells and the Tumor Microenvironment. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10112988. [PMID: 36428556 PMCID: PMC9687343 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10112988] [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: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer metastasis and treatment resistance are the main causes of treatment failure and cancer-related deaths. Their underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated and have been attributed to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs)-a small population of highly tumorigenic cancer cells with pluripotency and self-renewal properties, at the apex of a cellular hierarchy. CSCs drive metastasis and treatment resistance and are sustained by a dynamic tumor microenvironment (TME). Numerous pathways mediate communication between CSCs and/or the surrounding TME. These include a paracrine renin-angiotensin system and its convergent signaling pathways, the immune system, and other signaling pathways including the Notch, Wnt/β-catenin, and Sonic Hedgehog pathways. Appreciation of the mechanisms underlying metastasis and treatment resistance, and the pathways that regulate CSCs and the TME, is essential for developing a durable treatment for cancer. Pre-clinical and clinical studies exploring single-point modulation of the pathways regulating CSCs and the surrounding TME, have yielded partial and sometimes negative results. This may be explained by the presence of uninhibited alternative signaling pathways. An effective treatment of cancer may require a multi-target strategy with multi-step inhibition of signaling pathways that regulate CSCs and the TME, in lieu of the long-standing pursuit of a 'silver-bullet' single-target approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sabrina P. Koh
- Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, Wellington 6242, New Zealand
| | - Freya R. Weth
- Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, Wellington 6242, New Zealand
| | - Clint Gray
- Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, Wellington 6242, New Zealand
| | - Swee T. Tan
- Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, Wellington 6242, New Zealand
- Wellington Regional Plastic, Maxillofacial & Burns Unit, Hutt Hospital, Lower Hutt 5010, New Zealand
- Department of Surgery, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Correspondence:
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55
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Xu H, Zhang F, Gao X, Zhou Q, Zhu L. Fate decisions of breast cancer stem cells in cancer progression. Front Oncol 2022; 12:968306. [PMID: 36046046 PMCID: PMC9420991 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.968306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer has a marked recurrence and metastatic trait and is one of the most prevalent malignancies affecting women’s health worldwide. Tumor initiation and progression begin after the cell goes from a quiescent to an activated state and requires different mechanisms to act in concert to regulate t a specific set of spectral genes for expression. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been proven to initiate and drive tumorigenesis due to their capability of self-renew and differentiate. In addition, CSCs are believed to be capable of causing resistance to anti-tumor drugs, recurrence and metastasis. Therefore, exploring the origin, regulatory mechanisms and ultimate fate decision of CSCs in breast cancer outcomes has far-reaching clinical implications for the development of breast cancer stem cell (BCSC)-targeted therapeutic strategies. In this review, we will highlight the contribution of BCSCs to breast cancer and explore the internal and external factors that regulate the fate of BCSCs.
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56
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Burkhardt DB, San Juan BP, Lock JG, Krishnaswamy S, Chaffer CL. Mapping Phenotypic Plasticity upon the Cancer Cell State Landscape Using Manifold Learning. Cancer Discov 2022; 12:1847-1859. [PMID: 35736000 PMCID: PMC9353259 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-21-0282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Phenotypic plasticity describes the ability of cancer cells to undergo dynamic, nongenetic cell state changes that amplify cancer heterogeneity to promote metastasis and therapy evasion. Thus, cancer cells occupy a continuous spectrum of phenotypic states connected by trajectories defining dynamic transitions upon a cancer cell state landscape. With technologies proliferating to systematically record molecular mechanisms at single-cell resolution, we illuminate manifold learning techniques as emerging computational tools to effectively model cell state dynamics in a way that mimics our understanding of the cell state landscape. We anticipate that "state-gating" therapies targeting phenotypic plasticity will limit cancer heterogeneity, metastasis, and therapy resistance. SIGNIFICANCE Nongenetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic plasticity have emerged as significant drivers of tumor heterogeneity, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Herein, we discuss new experimental and computational techniques to define phenotypic plasticity as a scaffold to guide accelerated progress in uncovering new vulnerabilities for therapeutic exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B. Burkhardt
- Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Cellarity, Somerville, Massachusetts
| | - Beatriz P. San Juan
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John G. Lock
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Smita Krishnaswamy
- Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Computer Science, Computational Biology Bioinformatics Program, Applied Math Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Christine L. Chaffer
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
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Macrophage induced ERK-TGF-β1 signaling in MCF7 breast cancer cells result in reversible cancer stem cell plasticity and epithelial mesenchymal transition. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2022; 1866:130215. [PMID: 35905921 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2022.130215] [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: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is a heterogenous disease composed of multiple clonal populations and the mechanism by which the tumor microenvironment induces cancer stem cell plasticity is not fully understood. METHODS MCF7 breast cancer cells were treated with macrophage conditioned medium (MɸCM). PD98059 and SB431542 were used for ERK and TGF-βR inhibition respectively. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cell markers (CSC) were studied using qRT-PCR and flowcytometry. SCID mice were used for animal experiments. RESULTS MɸCM- induced ERK/TGF-β1 signaling led to enrichment of CSC and EMT in MCF7 cells and mammospheres. These effects were abrogated by both MEK inhibitor PD98059 (TGF-β1 synthesis) and SB431542 (TGF-β1 signaling). The increase in CSC was both hybrid (ALDH1+) and mesenchymal (CD44+ CD24- cells). Increase in hybrid E/M state was at a single cell level as confirmed by the increase in both claudin-1 (E) and vimentin (M). This did not have any growth advantage in SCID mice and monitoring of CSC and EMT markers before and after growth in SCID mice indicated reversal of these markers in tumor cells recovered from mice. Removal of MɸCM and neutralization of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in MɸCM abrogated ERK phosphorylation, TGF-β and CSC enrichment indicating the requirement of continuous signaling for maintenance. CONCLUSIONS ERK signaling plays an important role in MɸCM- induced EMT and CSC plasticity which is completely reversible upon withdrawal of signals. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Our experimental observations support the semi-independent nature of EMT-stemness connection which is very dynamic and reversible depending on the microenvironment.
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58
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Blondy S, Durand S, Lacroix A, Christou N, Bouchaud C, Peyny M, Battu S, Chauvanel A, Carré V, Jauberteau MO, Lalloué F, Mathonnet M. Detection of Glycosylated Markers From Cancer Stem Cells With ColoSTEM Dx Kit for Earlier Prediction of Colon Cancer Aggressiveness. Front Oncol 2022; 12:918702. [PMID: 35936672 PMCID: PMC9355573 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.918702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, colon cancer prognosis still difficult to predict, especially in the early stages. Recurrences remain elevated, even in the early stages after curative surgery. Carcidiag Biotechnologies has developed an immunohistochemistry (IHC) kit called ColoSTEM Dx, based on a MIX of biotinylated plant lectins that specifically detects colon cancer stem cells (CSCs) through glycan patterns that they specifically (over)express. A retrospective clinical study was carried out on tumor tissues from 208 non-chemotherapeutic-treated and 21 chemotherapeutic-treated patients with colon cancer, which were stained by IHC with the MIX. Clinical performances of the kit were determined, and prognostic and predictive values were evaluated. With 78.3% and 70.6% of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity respectively, our kit shows great clinical performances. Moreover, patient prognosis is significantly poorer when the MIX staining is “High” compared to “Low”, especially at 5-years of overall survival and for early stages. The ColoSTEM Dx kit allows an earlier and a more precise determination of patients’ outcome. Thus, it affords an innovating clinical tool for predicting tumor aggressiveness earlier and determining prognosis value regarding therapeutic response in colon cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stéphanie Durand
- INSERM U1308 - CAPTuR “Control of cell activation, Tumor progression and Therapeutic resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
- *Correspondence: Fabrice Lalloué, ; Stéphanie Durand, ; Muriel Mathonnet,
| | - Aurélie Lacroix
- INSERM U1308 - CAPTuR “Control of cell activation, Tumor progression and Therapeutic resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Niki Christou
- INSERM U1308 - CAPTuR “Control of cell activation, Tumor progression and Therapeutic resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
- Department of Digestive Surgery, Dupuytren University Hospital, Limoges, France
| | | | - Maud Peyny
- Carcidiag Biotechnologies company, Guéret, France
| | - Serge Battu
- INSERM U1308 - CAPTuR “Control of cell activation, Tumor progression and Therapeutic resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Limoges, France
| | - Alain Chauvanel
- INSERM U1308 - CAPTuR “Control of cell activation, Tumor progression and Therapeutic resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
- Department of Pathology, Dupuytren University Hospital, Limoges, France
| | | | - Marie-Odile Jauberteau
- INSERM U1308 - CAPTuR “Control of cell activation, Tumor progression and Therapeutic resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
- Department of Immunology, Dupuytren University Hospital, Limoges, France
| | - Fabrice Lalloué
- INSERM U1308 - CAPTuR “Control of cell activation, Tumor progression and Therapeutic resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
- *Correspondence: Fabrice Lalloué, ; Stéphanie Durand, ; Muriel Mathonnet,
| | - Muriel Mathonnet
- INSERM U1308 - CAPTuR “Control of cell activation, Tumor progression and Therapeutic resistance”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
- Department of Digestive Surgery, Dupuytren University Hospital, Limoges, France
- *Correspondence: Fabrice Lalloué, ; Stéphanie Durand, ; Muriel Mathonnet,
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59
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Feng T, Wu T, Zhang Y, Zhou L, Liu S, Li L, Li M, Hu E, Wang Q, Fu X, Zhan L, Xie Z, Xie W, Huang X, Shang X, Yu G. Stemness Analysis Uncovers That The Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Signaling Pathway Can Mediate Fatty Acid Homeostasis In Sorafenib-Resistant Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells. Front Oncol 2022; 12:912694. [PMID: 35957896 PMCID: PMC9361019 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.912694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stem cells are regarded as an important part of individualized HCC treatment and sorafenib resistance. However, there is lacking systematic assessment of stem-like indices and associations with a response of sorafenib in HCC. Our study thus aimed to evaluate the status of tumor dedifferentiation for HCC and further identify the regulatory mechanisms under the condition of resistance to sorafenib. Datasets of HCC, including messenger RNAs (mRNAs) expression, somatic mutation, and clinical information were collected. The mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi), which can represent degrees of dedifferentiation of HCC samples, was calculated to predict drug response of sorafenib therapy and prognosis. Next, unsupervised cluster analysis was conducted to distinguish mRNAsi-based subgroups, and gene/geneset functional enrichment analysis was employed to identify key sorafenib resistance-related pathways. In addition, we analyzed and confirmed the regulation of key genes discovered in this study by combining other omics data. Finally, Luciferase reporter assays were performed to validate their regulation. Our study demonstrated that the stemness index obtained from transcriptomic is a promising biomarker to predict the response of sorafenib therapy and the prognosis in HCC. We revealed the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway (the PPAR signaling pathway), related to fatty acid biosynthesis, that was a potential sorafenib resistance pathway that had not been reported before. By analyzing the core regulatory genes of the PPAR signaling pathway, we identified four candidate target genes, retinoid X receptor beta (RXRB), nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group H member 3 (NR1H3), cytochrome P450 family 8 subfamily B member 1 (CYP8B1) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), as a signature to distinguish the response of sorafenib. We proposed and validated that the RXRB and NR1H3 could directly regulate NR1H3 and SCD, respectively. Our results suggest that the combined use of SCD inhibitors and sorafenib may be a promising therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingze Feng
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tianzhi Wu
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanxia Zhang
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lang Zhou
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shanshan Liu
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Country Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Hepatology Unit and Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Erqiang Hu
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qianwen Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaocong Fu
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Zhan
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zijing Xie
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenqin Xie
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xianying Huang
- Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xianying Huang, ; Xuan Shang, ; Guangchuang Yu,
| | - Xuan Shang
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xianying Huang, ; Xuan Shang, ; Guangchuang Yu,
| | - Guangchuang Yu
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xianying Huang, ; Xuan Shang, ; Guangchuang Yu,
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Guo Q, Spasic M, Maynard AG, Goreczny GJ, Bizuayehu A, Olive JF, van Galen P, McAllister SS. Clonal barcoding with qPCR detection enables live cell functional analyses for cancer research. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3837. [PMID: 35788590 PMCID: PMC9252988 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31536-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell analysis methods are valuable tools; however, current approaches do not easily enable live cell retrieval. That is a particular issue when further study of cells that were eliminated during experimentation could provide critical information. We report a clonal molecular barcoding method, called SunCatcher, that enables longitudinal tracking and live cell functional analysis. From complex cell populations, we generate single cell-derived clonal populations, infect each with a unique molecular barcode, and retain stocks of individual barcoded clones (BCs). We develop quantitative PCR-based and next-generation sequencing methods that we employ to identify and quantify BCs in vitro and in vivo. We apply SunCatcher to various breast cancer cell lines and combine respective BCs to create versions of the original cell lines. While the heterogeneous BC pools reproduce their original parental cell line proliferation and tumor progression rates, individual BCs are phenotypically and functionally diverse. Early spontaneous metastases can also be identified and quantified. SunCatcher thus provides a rapid and sensitive approach for studying live single-cell clones and clonal evolution, and performing functional analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuchen Guo
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Milos Spasic
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Adam G Maynard
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Gregory J Goreczny
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Amanuel Bizuayehu
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jessica F Olive
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Peter van Galen
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Sandra S McAllister
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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61
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Angelini E, Wang Y, Zhou JX, Qian H, Huang S. A model for the intrinsic limit of cancer therapy: Duality of treatment-induced cell death and treatment-induced stemness. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010319. [PMID: 35877695 PMCID: PMC9352192 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Intratumor cellular heterogeneity and non-genetic cell plasticity in tumors pose a recently recognized challenge to cancer treatment. Because of the dispersion of initial cell states within a clonal tumor cell population, a perturbation imparted by a cytocidal drug only kills a fraction of cells. Due to dynamic instability of cellular states the cells not killed are pushed by the treatment into a variety of functional states, including a "stem-like state" that confers resistance to treatment and regenerative capacity. This immanent stress-induced stemness competes against cell death in response to the same perturbation and may explain the near-inevitable recurrence after any treatment. This double-edged-sword mechanism of treatment complements the selection of preexisting resistant cells in explaining post-treatment progression. Unlike selection, the induction of a resistant state has not been systematically analyzed as an immanent cause of relapse. Here, we present a generic elementary model and analytical examination of this intrinsic limitation to therapy. We show how the relative proclivity towards cell death versus transition into a stem-like state, as a function of drug dose, establishes either a window of opportunity for containing tumors or the inevitability of progression following therapy. The model considers measurable cell behaviors independent of specific molecular pathways and provides a new theoretical framework for optimizing therapy dosing and scheduling as cancer treatment paradigms move from "maximal tolerated dose," which may promote therapy induced-stemness, to repeated "minimally effective doses" (as in adaptive therapies), which contain the tumor and avoid therapy-induced progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Angelini
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, Bures-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Joseph Xu Zhou
- Immuno-Oncology Department, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Hong Qian
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Sui Huang
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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Brutovský B. Scales of Cancer Evolution: Selfish Genome or Cooperating Cells? Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14133253. [PMID: 35805025 PMCID: PMC9264996 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cancer continuously evolves its ability to survive in time-varying microenvironment, which results, regarding the therapeutic context, in its therapeutic resistance. As it is accepted that the development of resistance is the direct consequence of intratumour heterogeneity, its evolutionary etiology is intensively studied. Models of carinogenesis are often assessed accordingly to how well they fit into the evolutionary scenario. In the paper, the relevant observations and concepts in cancer research, such as intratumour heterogeneity, cell plasticity, and Markov cell state dynamics, are reviewed and integrated into an evolutionary model. The possibility that the interaction between cancer cells can be interpreted as cooperation is proposed. Abstract The exploitation of the evolutionary modus operandi of cancer to steer its progression towards drug sensitive cancer cells is a challenging research topic. Integrating evolutionary principles into cancer therapy requires properly identified selection level, the relevant timescale, and the respective fitness of the principal selection unit on that timescale. Interpretation of some features of cancer progression, such as increased heterogeneity of isogenic cancer cells, is difficult from the most straightforward evolutionary view with the cancer cell as the principal selection unit. In the paper, the relation between the two levels of intratumour heterogeneity, genetic, due to genetic instability, and non-genetic, due to phenotypic plasticity, is reviewed and the evolutionary role of the latter is outlined. In analogy to the evolutionary optimization in a changing environment, the cell state dynamics in cancer clones are interpreted as the risk diversifying strategy bet hedging, optimizing the balance between the exploitation and exploration of the cell state space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branislav Brutovský
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Jesenná 5, 041 54 Košice, Slovakia
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63
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Zheng H, Liu H, Li H, Dou W, Wang J, Zhang J, Liu T, Wu Y, Liu Y, Wang X. Characterization of stem cell landscape and identification of stemness-relevant prognostic gene signature to aid immunotherapy in colorectal cancer. Stem Cell Res Ther 2022; 13:244. [PMID: 35681225 PMCID: PMC9185878 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-022-02913-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background It is generally accepted that colorectal cancer (CRC) originates from cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are responsible for CRC progression, metastasis and therapy resistance. The high heterogeneity of CSCs has precluded clinical application of CSC-targeting therapy. Here, we aimed to characterize the stemness landscapes and screen for certain patients more responsive to immunotherapy. Methods Twenty-six stem cell gene sets were acquired from StemChecker database. Consensus clustering algorithm was applied for stemness subtypes identification on 1,467 CRC samples from TCGA and GEO databases. The differences in prognosis, tumor microenvironment (TME) components, therapy responses were evaluated among subtypes. Then, the stemness-risk model was constructed by weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA), Cox regression and random survival forest analyses, and the most important marker was experimentally verified. Results Based on single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) enrichments scores, CRC patients were classified into three subtypes (C1, C2 and C3). C3 subtype exhibited the worst prognosis, highest macrophages M0 and M2 infiltrations, immune and stromal scores, and minimum sensitivity to immunotherapies, but was more sensitive to drugs like Bosutinib, Docetaxel, Elesclomol, Gefitinib, Lenalidomide, Methotrexate and Sunitinib. The turquoise module was identified by WGCNA that it was most positively correlated with C3 but most negatively with C2, and five hub genes in turquoise module were identified for stemness model construction. CRC patients with higher stemness scores exhibited worse prognosis, more immunosuppressive components in TME and lower immunotherapeutic responses. Additionally, the model’s immunotherapeutic prediction efficacy was further confirmed from two immunotherapy cohorts (anti-PD-L1 in IMvigor210 cohort and anti-PD-1 in GSE78220 cohort). Mechanistically, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) results revealed high stemness score group was enriched in interferon gamma response, interferon alpha response, P53 pathway, coagulation, apoptosis, KRAS signaling upregulation, complement, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and IL6-mediated JAK-STAT signaling gene sets. Conclusions Our study characterized three stemness-related subtypes with distinct prognosis and TME patterns in CRC patients, and a 5-gene stemness-risk model was constructed by comprehensive bioinformatic analyses. We suggest our stemness model has prospective clinical implications for prognosis evaluation and might facilitate physicians selecting prospective responders for preferential use of current immune checkpoint inhibitors. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-022-02913-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Zheng
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Heshu Liu
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Huayu Li
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Weidong Dou
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingui Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Junling Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingchao Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yucun Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
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Role of CD44 isoforms in epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and metastasis. Clin Exp Metastasis 2022; 39:391-406. [PMID: 35023031 PMCID: PMC10042269 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-022-10146-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Cellular plasticity lies at the core of cancer progression, metastasis, and resistance to treatment. Stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in cancer are concepts that represent a cancer cell's ability to coopt and adapt normal developmental programs to promote survival and expansion. The cancer stem cell model states that a small subset of cancer cells with stem cell-like properties are responsible for driving tumorigenesis and metastasis while remaining especially resistant to common chemotherapeutic drugs. Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity describes a cancer cell's ability to transition between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes which drives invasion and metastasis. Recent research supports the existence of stable epithelial/mesenchymal hybrid phenotypes which represent highly plastic states with cancer stem cell characteristics. The cell adhesion molecule CD44 is a widely accepted marker for cancer stem cells, and it lies at a functional intersection between signaling networks regulating both stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. CD44 expression is complex, with alternative splicing producing many isoforms. Interestingly, not only does the pattern of isoform expression change during transitions between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes in cancer, but these isoforms have distinct effects on cell behavior including the promotion of metastasis and stemness. The role of CD44 both downstream and upstream of signaling pathways regulating epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and stemness make this protein a valuable target for further research and therapeutic intervention.
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65
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Chowdhury F, Huang B, Wang N. Forces in stem cells and cancer stem cells. Cells Dev 2022; 170:203776. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2022.203776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Dedifferentiation-mediated stem cell niche maintenance in early-stage ductal carcinoma in situ progression: insights from a multiscale modeling study. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:485. [PMID: 35597788 PMCID: PMC9124196 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04939-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We present a multiscale agent-based model of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to study how key phenotypic and signaling pathways are involved in the early stages of disease progression. The model includes a phenotypic hierarchy, and key endocrine and paracrine signaling pathways, and simulates cancer ductal growth in a 3D lattice-free domain. In particular, by considering stochastic cell dedifferentiation plasticity, the model allows for study of how dedifferentiation to a more stem-like phenotype plays key roles in the maintenance of cancer stem cell populations and disease progression. Through extensive parameter perturbation studies, we have quantified and ranked how DCIS is sensitive to perturbations in several key mechanisms that are instrumental to early disease development. Our studies reveal that long-term maintenance of multipotent stem-like cell niches within the tumor are dependent on cell dedifferentiation plasticity, and that disease progression will become arrested due to dilution of the multipotent stem-like population in the absence of dedifferentiation. We have identified dedifferentiation rates necessary to maintain biologically relevant multipotent cell populations, and also explored quantitative relationships between dedifferentiation rates and disease progression rates, which may potentially help to optimize the efficacy of emerging anti-cancer stem cell therapeutics.
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67
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Vipparthi K, Hari K, Chakraborty P, Ghosh S, Patel AK, Ghosh A, Biswas NK, Sharan R, Arun P, Jolly MK, Singh S. Emergence of hybrid states of stem-like cancer cells correlates with poor prognosis in oral cancer. iScience 2022; 25:104317. [PMID: 35602941 PMCID: PMC9114525 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell state transitions emerged as powerful mechanisms responsible for drug tolerance and overall poor prognosis; however, evidences were largely missing in oral cancer. Here, by multiplexing phenotypic markers of stem-like cancer cells (SLCCs); CD44, CD24 and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), we characterized diversity among multiple oral tumor tissues and cell lines. Two distinct patterns of spontaneous transitions with stochastic bidirectional interconversions on ‘ALDH-axis’, and unidirectional non-interconvertible transitions on ‘CD24-axis’ were observed. Interestingly, plastic ‘ALDH-axis’ was harnessed by cells to adapt to a Cisplatin tolerant state. Furthermore, phenotype-specific RNA sequencing suggested the possible maintenance of intermediate hybrid cell states maintaining stemness within the differentiating subpopulations. Importantly, survival analysis with subpopulation-specific gene sets strongly suggested that cell-state transitions may drive non-genetic heterogeneity, resulting in poor prognosis. Therefore, we have described the phenotypic-composition of heterogeneous subpopulations critical for global tumor behavior in oral cancer; which may provide prerequisite knowledge for treatment strategies. Demonstrated population trajectory driven non-genetic heterogeneity in oral cancer Created transition maps for subpopulations using discrete time Markov chain model Demonstrated maintenance of stemness in cells undergoing differentiation Uniquely expressed genes of these subpopulations associated with disease prognosis
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavya Vipparthi
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani, West Bengal 741251, India
| | - Kishore Hari
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, India Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India
| | - Priyanka Chakraborty
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, India Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India
| | - Subhashis Ghosh
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani, West Bengal 741251, India
| | - Ankit Kumar Patel
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani, West Bengal 741251, India
| | - Arnab Ghosh
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani, West Bengal 741251, India
| | - Nidhan Kumar Biswas
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani, West Bengal 741251, India
| | - Rajeev Sharan
- Head and Neck Surgery, Tata Medical Center, Kolkata, West Bengal 700160, India
| | - Pattatheyil Arun
- Head and Neck Surgery, Tata Medical Center, Kolkata, West Bengal 700160, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, India Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India
| | - Sandeep Singh
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani, West Bengal 741251, India
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Saunus JM, De Luca XM, Northwood K, Raghavendra A, Hasson A, McCart Reed AE, Lim M, Lal S, Vargas AC, Kutasovic JR, Dalley AJ, Miranda M, Kalaw E, Kalita-de Croft P, Gresshoff I, Al-Ejeh F, Gee JMW, Ormandy C, Khanna KK, Beesley J, Chenevix-Trench G, Green AR, Rakha EA, Ellis IO, Nicolau DV, Simpson PT, Lakhani SR. Epigenome erosion and SOX10 drive neural crest phenotypic mimicry in triple-negative breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer 2022; 8:57. [PMID: 35501337 PMCID: PMC9061835 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-022-00425-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Intratumoral heterogeneity is caused by genomic instability and phenotypic plasticity, but how these features co-evolve remains unclear. SOX10 is a neural crest stem cell (NCSC) specifier and candidate mediator of phenotypic plasticity in cancer. We investigated its relevance in breast cancer by immunophenotyping 21 normal breast and 1860 tumour samples. Nuclear SOX10 was detected in normal mammary luminal progenitor cells, the histogenic origin of most TNBCs. In tumours, nuclear SOX10 was almost exclusive to TNBC, and predicted poorer outcome amongst cross-sectional (p = 0.0015, hazard ratio 2.02, n = 224) and metaplastic (p = 0.04, n = 66) cases. To understand SOX10’s influence over the transcriptome during the transition from normal to malignant states, we performed a systems-level analysis of co-expression data, de-noising the networks with an eigen-decomposition method. This identified a core module in SOX10’s normal mammary epithelial network that becomes rewired to NCSC genes in TNBC. Crucially, this reprogramming was proportional to genome-wide promoter methylation loss, particularly at lineage-specifying CpG-island shores. We propose that the progressive, genome-wide methylation loss in TNBC simulates more primitive epigenome architecture, making cells vulnerable to SOX10-driven reprogramming. This study demonstrates potential utility for SOX10 as a prognostic biomarker in TNBC and provides new insights about developmental phenotypic mimicry—a major contributor to intratumoral heterogeneity.
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Sun M, Chen X, Yang Z. Single cell mass spectrometry studies reveal metabolomic features and potential mechanisms of drug-resistant cancer cell lines. Anal Chim Acta 2022; 1206:339761. [PMID: 35473873 PMCID: PMC9046687 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.339761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Irinotecan (Iri) is a key drug to treat metastatic colorectal cancer, but its clinical activity is often limited by de novo and acquired drug resistance. Studying the underlying mechanisms of drug resistance is necessary for developing novel therapeutic strategies. In this study, we used both regular and irinotecan-resistant (Iri-resistant) colorectal cell lines as models, and performed single cell mass spectrometry (SCMS) metabolomics studies combined with analyses from cytotoxicity assay, western blot, flow cytometry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Our SCMS results indicate that Iri-resistant cancer cells possess higher levels of unsaturated lipids compared with the regular cancer cells. In addition, multiple protein biomarkers and their corresponding mRNAs of colon cancer stem cells are overexpressed in Iri-resistance cells. Particularly, stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) is upregulated with the development of drug resistance in Iri-resistant cells, whereas inhibiting the activity of SCD1 efficiently increase their sensitivity to Iri treatment. In addition, we demonstrated that SCD1 directly regulates the expression of ALDH1A1, which contributes to the cancer stemness and ROS level in Iri-resistant cell lines.
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Wang Y, Zhao J, Park HJ, Zhou D. Effect of dedifferentiation on noise propagation in cellular hierarchy. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:054409. [PMID: 35706189 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.054409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Many fast renewing tissues have a hierarchical structure. Tissue-specific stem cells are at the root of this cellular hierarchy, which give rive to a whole range of specialized cells via cellular differentiation. However, increasing evidence shows that the hierarchical structure can be broken due to cellular dedifferentiation in which cells at differentiated stages can revert to the stem cell stage. Dedifferentiation has significant impacts on many aspects of hierarchical tissues. Here we investigate the effect of dedifferentiation on noise propagation by developing a stochastic model composed of different cell types. The moment equations are derived, via which we systematically investigate how the noise in the cell number is changed by dedifferentiation. Our results suggest that dedifferentiation have different effects on the noises in the numbers of stem cells and nonstem cells. Specifically, the noise in the number of stem cells is significantly reduced by increasing dedifferentiation probability. Due to the dual effect of dedifferentiation on nonstem cells, however, more complex changes could happen to the noise in the number of nonstem cells by increasing dedifferentiation probability. Furthermore, it is found that even though dedifferentiation could turn part of the noise propagation process into a noise-amplifying step, it is very unlikely to turn the entire process into a noise-amplifying cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuman Wang
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Jintong Zhao
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Hye Jin Park
- Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
- Department of Physics, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Da Zhou
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
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Kumar VE, Nambiar R, De Souza C, Nguyen A, Chien J, Lam KS. Targeting Epigenetic Modifiers of Tumor Plasticity and Cancer Stem Cell Behavior. Cells 2022; 11:cells11091403. [PMID: 35563709 PMCID: PMC9102449 DOI: 10.3390/cells11091403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor heterogeneity poses one of the greatest challenges to a successful treatment of cancer. Tumor cell populations consist of different subpopulations that have distinct phenotypic and genotypic profiles. Such variability poses a challenge in successfully targeting all tumor subpopulations at the same time. Relapse after treatment has been previously explained using the cancer stem cell model and the clonal evolution model. Cancer stem cells are an important subpopulation of tumor cells that regulate tumor plasticity and determine therapeutic resistance. Tumor plasticity is controlled by genetic and epigenetic changes of crucial genes involved in cancer cell survival, growth and metastasis. Targeting epigenetic modulators associated with cancer stem cell survival can unlock a promising therapeutic approach in completely eradicating cancer. Here, we review various factors governing epigenetic dysregulation of cancer stem cells ranging from the role of epigenetic mediators such as histone and DNA methyltransferases, histone deacetylases, histone methyltransferases to various signaling pathways associated with cancer stem cell regulation. We also discuss current treatment regimens targeting these factors and other promising inhibitors in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vigneshwari Easwar Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (V.E.K.); (R.N.); (C.D.S.); (A.N.); (K.S.L.)
| | - Roshni Nambiar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (V.E.K.); (R.N.); (C.D.S.); (A.N.); (K.S.L.)
| | - Cristabelle De Souza
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (V.E.K.); (R.N.); (C.D.S.); (A.N.); (K.S.L.)
- Department of Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Audrey Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (V.E.K.); (R.N.); (C.D.S.); (A.N.); (K.S.L.)
| | - Jeremy Chien
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (V.E.K.); (R.N.); (C.D.S.); (A.N.); (K.S.L.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Kit S. Lam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (V.E.K.); (R.N.); (C.D.S.); (A.N.); (K.S.L.)
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Ungefroren H, Thürling I, Färber B, Kowalke T, Fischer T, De Assis LVM, Braun R, Castven D, Oster H, Konukiewitz B, Wellner UF, Lehnert H, Marquardt JU. The Quasimesenchymal Pancreatic Ductal Epithelial Cell Line PANC-1-A Useful Model to Study Clonal Heterogeneity and EMT Subtype Shifting. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092057. [PMID: 35565186 PMCID: PMC9101310 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Malignant tumors often escape therapy due to clonal propagation of a subfraction of drug-resistant cancer cells. The underlying phenomenon of intratumoral heterogeneity is driven by epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) involving the developmental programs, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), in which epithelial cells are converted to invasive mesenchymal cells, and the reverse process, mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET), which allows for metastatic outgrowth at distant sites. For therapeutic targeting of EMP, a better understanding of this process is required; however, cellular models with which to study EMP in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are scarce. Using single-cell clonal analysis, we have found the PDAC cell line, PANC-1, to consist of cells with different E/M phenotypes and functional attributes. Parental PANC-1 cultures could be induced in vitro to shift towards either a more mesenchymal or a more epithelial phenotype, and this bidirectional shift was controlled by the small GTPases RAC1 and RAC1b, together identifying PANC-1 cells as a useful model with which to study EMP. Abstract Intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) is an intrinsic feature of malignant tumors that eventually allows a subfraction of resistant cancer cells to clonally evolve and cause therapy failure or relapse. ITH, cellular plasticity and tumor progression are driven by epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the reverse process, MET. During these developmental programs, epithelial (E) cells are successively converted to invasive mesenchymal (M) cells, or back to E cells, by passing through a series of intermediate E/M states, a phenomenon termed E–M plasticity (EMP). The induction of MET has clinical potential as it can block the initial EMT stages that favor tumor cell dissemination, while its inhibition can curb metastatic outgrowth at distant sites. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), cellular models with which to study EMP or MET induction are scarce. Here, we have generated single cell-derived clonal cultures of the quasimesenchymal PDAC-derived cell line, PANC-1, and found that these differ strongly with respect to cell morphology and EMT marker expression, allowing for their tentative classification as E, E/M or M. Interestingly, the different EMT phenotypes were found to segregate with differences in tumorigenic potential in vitro, as measured by colony forming and invasive activities, and in circadian clock function. Moreover, the individual clones the phenotypes of which remained stable upon prolonged culture also responded differently to treatment with transforming growth factor (TGF)β1 in regard to regulation of growth and individual TGFβ target genes, and to culture conditions that favour ductal-to-endocrine transdifferentiation as a more direct measure for cellular plasticity. Of note, stimulation with TGFβ1 induced a shift in parental PANC-1 cultures towards a more extreme M and invasive phenotype, while exposing the cells to a combination of the proinflammatory cytokines IFNγ, IL1β and TNFα (IIT) elicited a shift towards a more E and less invasive phenotype resembling a MET-like process. Finally, we show that the actions of TGFβ1 and IIT both converge on regulating the ratio of the small GTPase RAC1 and its splice isoform, RAC1b. Our data provide strong evidence for dynamic EMT–MET transitions and qualify this cell line as a useful model with which to study EMP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Ungefroren
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (I.T.); (T.K.); (T.F.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
- Clinic for Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (B.F.); (R.B.); (U.F.W.)
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany;
- Correspondence:
| | - Isabel Thürling
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (I.T.); (T.K.); (T.F.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
| | - Benedikt Färber
- Clinic for Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (B.F.); (R.B.); (U.F.W.)
| | - Tanja Kowalke
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (I.T.); (T.K.); (T.F.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
| | - Tanja Fischer
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (I.T.); (T.K.); (T.F.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
| | - Leonardo Vinícius Monteiro De Assis
- Institute for Neurobiology, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (L.V.M.D.A.); (H.O.)
| | - Rüdiger Braun
- Clinic for Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (B.F.); (R.B.); (U.F.W.)
| | - Darko Castven
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (I.T.); (T.K.); (T.F.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
| | - Henrik Oster
- Institute for Neurobiology, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (L.V.M.D.A.); (H.O.)
| | - Björn Konukiewitz
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany;
| | - Ulrich Friedrich Wellner
- Clinic for Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (B.F.); (R.B.); (U.F.W.)
| | | | - Jens-Uwe Marquardt
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (I.T.); (T.K.); (T.F.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
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Detroja TS, Gil-Henn H, Samson AO. Text-Mining Approach to Identify Hub Genes of Cancer Metastasis and Potential Drug Repurposing to Target Them. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11082130. [PMID: 35456223 PMCID: PMC9029557 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11082130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis accounts for the majority of cancer-related deaths. Despite decades of research, the prevention and suppression of metastasis remain an elusive goal, and to date, only a few metastasis-related genes have been targeted therapeutically. Thus, there is a strong need to find potential genes involved in key driver traits of metastasis and their available drugs. In this study, we identified genes associated with metastasis and repurposable drugs that potentially target them. First, we use text mining of PubMed citations to identify candidate genes associated with metastatic processes, such as invadopodia, motility, movement, metastasis, invasion, wound healing, EMT (epithelial to mesenchymal transition), and podosome. Next, we annotated the top genes involved in each process as a driver, tumor suppressor, or oncogene. Then, a total of 185 unique cancer genes involved in metastasis-related processes were used for hub gene analysis using bioinformatics tools. Notably, a total of 77 hub genes were identified. Further, we used virtual screening data of druggable candidate hub genes involved in metastasis and identified potential drugs that can be repurposed as anti-metastatic drugs. Remarkably, we found a total of 50 approved drugs that have the potential to be repurposed against 19 hub genes involved in metastasis-related processes. These 50 drugs were also found to be validated in different cancer cell lines, such as dasatinib, captopril, leflunomide, and dextromethorphan targeting SRC, MMP2, PTK2B, and RAC1 hub genes, respectively. These repurposed drugs potentially target metastasis, provide pharmacodynamic insight, and offer a window of opportunity for the development of much-needed antimetastatic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trishna Saha Detroja
- Cell Migration and Invasion Lab, The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed 1311502, Israel
- Drug Discovery Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Safed 1311502, Israel;
- Correspondence: (T.S.D.); (H.G.-H.)
| | - Hava Gil-Henn
- Cell Migration and Invasion Lab, The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed 1311502, Israel
- Correspondence: (T.S.D.); (H.G.-H.)
| | - Abraham O. Samson
- Drug Discovery Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Safed 1311502, Israel;
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Zhang Y, Donaher JL, Das S, Li X, Reinhardt F, Krall JA, Lambert AW, Thiru P, Keys HR, Khan M, Hofree M, Wilson MM, Yedier-Bayram O, Lack NA, Onder TT, Bagci-Onder T, Tyler M, Tirosh I, Regev A, Lees JA, Weinberg RA. Genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies PRC2 and KMT2D-COMPASS as regulators of distinct EMT trajectories that contribute differentially to metastasis. Nat Cell Biol 2022; 24:554-564. [PMID: 35411083 PMCID: PMC9037576 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-00877-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) programs operate within carcinoma cells, where they generate phenotypes associated with malignant progression. In their various manifestations, EMT programs enable epithelial cells to enter into a series of intermediate states arrayed along the E-M phenotypic spectrum. At present, we lack a coherent understanding of how carcinoma cells control their entrance into and continued residence in these various states, and which of these states favour the process of metastasis. Here we characterize a layer of EMT-regulating machinery that governs E-M plasticity (EMP). This machinery consists of two chromatin-modifying complexes, PRC2 and KMT2D-COMPASS, which operate as critical regulators to maintain a stable epithelial state. Interestingly, loss of these two complexes unlocks two distinct EMT trajectories. Dysfunction of PRC2, but not KMT2D-COMPASS, yields a quasi-mesenchymal state that is associated with highly metastatic capabilities and poor survival of patients with breast cancer, suggesting that great caution should be applied when PRC2 inhibitors are evaluated clinically in certain patient cohorts. These observations identify epigenetic factors that regulate EMP, determine specific intermediate EMT states and, as a direct consequence, govern the metastatic ability of carcinoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhang
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | | | - Sunny Das
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Jordan A Krall
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Prathapan Thiru
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Heather R Keys
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mehreen Khan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Matan Hofree
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Molly M Wilson
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ozlem Yedier-Bayram
- Koç University School of Medicine, Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nathan A Lack
- Koç University School of Medicine, Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey
- Vancouver Prostate Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tamer T Onder
- Koç University School of Medicine, Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Tugba Bagci-Onder
- Koç University School of Medicine, Rumelifeneri Yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Michael Tyler
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Itay Tirosh
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Aviv Regev
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Lees
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Robert A Weinberg
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- MIT Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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75
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Liu H, Du J, Chao S, Li S, Cai H, Zhang H, Chen G, Liu P, Bu P. Fusobacterium nucleatum Promotes Colorectal Cancer Cell to Acquire Stem Cell-Like Features by Manipulating Lipid Droplet-Mediated Numb Degradation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2105222. [PMID: 35170250 PMCID: PMC9035998 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202105222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Fusobacterium nucleatum is a critical microbe that contributes to colorectal cancer progression and chemoresistance. However, whether and how F. nucleatum regulates colorectal cancer stem-like cells (CCSCs) remains unknown. Here, the authors show that F. nucleatum promotes CCSC self-renewal, and non-CCSCs to acquire CCSC features by manipulating cellular lipid accumulation. F. nucleatum infection decreases lipid accumulation in CCSCs by enhancing fatty acid oxidation, thus promoting CCSC self-renewal. In contrast, F. nucleatum increases lipid accumulation in non-CCSCs by promoting fatty acid formation. Lipids are deposited as lipid droplets, which recruits Numb, a key cell fate regulator, through the AP2A/ACSL3 complex, and MDM2, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, though VCP and UBXD8. On lipid droplets, Numb is degraded by MDM2, activating Notch signaling, thus promoting gain of stem-like cell features. Their findings demonstrate that F. nucleatum directly manipulates colorectal cancer cell fate and reveal the mechanism of lipid droplet-mediated Numb degradation for activating Notch signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Liu
- Key Laboratory of RNA BiologyKey Laboratory of Protein and Peptide PharmaceuticalInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Junfeng Du
- Department of General Surgerythe 7th Medical CenterChinese PLA General HospitalBeijing100700China
- The 2nd School of Clinical MedicineSouthern Medical UniversityGuangdong510515China
- Medical Department of General Surgerythe 1st Medical CenterChinese PLA General HospitalBeijing100853China
| | - Shanshan Chao
- Key Laboratory of RNA BiologyKey Laboratory of Protein and Peptide PharmaceuticalInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Shuoguo Li
- Center for Biological ImagingInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Huiyun Cai
- Department of General Surgerythe 7th Medical CenterChinese PLA General HospitalBeijing100700China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- The core facilityInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of General Surgerythe 7th Medical CenterChinese PLA General HospitalBeijing100700China
- Medical Department of General Surgerythe 1st Medical CenterChinese PLA General HospitalBeijing100853China
| | - Pingsheng Liu
- National Laboratory of BiomacromoleculesInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- Center for Excellence in BiomacromoleculesChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
| | - Pengcheng Bu
- Key Laboratory of RNA BiologyKey Laboratory of Protein and Peptide PharmaceuticalInstitute of BiophysicsChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
- College of Life SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
- Center for Excellence in BiomacromoleculesChinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100101China
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76
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Liu K, Gao X, Kang B, Liu Y, Wang D, Wang Y. The Role of Tumor Stem Cell Exosomes in Cancer Invasion and Metastasis. Front Oncol 2022; 12:836548. [PMID: 35350566 PMCID: PMC8958025 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.836548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Exosomes are lipid membrane bilayer-encapsulated vesicles secreted by cells into the extracellular space. They carry abundant inclusions (such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids) that play pivotal roles in intercellular communication. Tumor stem cells are capable of self-renewal and are crucial for survival, proliferation, drug resistance, metastasis, and recurrence of tumors. The miRNAs (microRNAs) in exosomes have various functions, such as participating in inflammatory response, cell migration, proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Tumor stem cells secrete exosomes that act as important messengers involved in various tumor processes and several studies provide increasing evidence supporting the importance of these exosomes in tumor recurrence and metastasis. This review primarily focuses on the production and secretion of exosomes from tumors and tumor stem cells and their effects on cancer progression. Cancer stem cancer derived exosome play an important massager in the tumor microenvironment. It also emphasizes on the study of tumor stem cell exosomes in the light of cancer metastasis and recurrence aiming to provide valuable insights and novel perspectives, which could be beneficial for developing effective diagnostic and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Liu
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, ChangChun, China
| | - Xin Gao
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, ChangChun, China
| | - Baoqiang Kang
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, ChangChun, China
| | - Yunpeng Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Dingding Wang
- School of Biosciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, ChangChun, China
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77
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Saha T, Lukong KE. Breast Cancer Stem-Like Cells in Drug Resistance: A Review of Mechanisms and Novel Therapeutic Strategies to Overcome Drug Resistance. Front Oncol 2022; 12:856974. [PMID: 35392236 PMCID: PMC8979779 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.856974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most frequent type of malignancy in women worldwide, and drug resistance to the available systemic therapies remains a major challenge. At the molecular level, breast cancer is heterogeneous, where the cancer-initiating stem-like cells (bCSCs) comprise a small yet distinct population of cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) that can differentiate into cells of multiple lineages, displaying varying degrees of cellular differentiation, enhanced metastatic potential, invasiveness, and resistance to radio- and chemotherapy. Based on the expression of estrogen and progesterone hormone receptors, expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and/or BRCA mutations, the breast cancer molecular subtypes are identified as TNBC, HER2 enriched, luminal A, and luminal B. Management of breast cancer primarily involves resection of the tumor, followed by radiotherapy, and systemic therapies including endocrine therapies for hormone-responsive breast cancers; HER2-targeted therapy for HER2-enriched breast cancers; chemotherapy and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors for TNBC, and the recent development of immunotherapy. However, the complex crosstalk between the malignant cells and stromal cells in the breast TME, rewiring of the many different signaling networks, and bCSC-mediated processes, all contribute to overall drug resistance in breast cancer. However, strategically targeting bCSCs to reverse chemoresistance and increase drug sensitivity is an underexplored stream in breast cancer research. The recent identification of dysregulated miRNAs/ncRNAs/mRNAs signatures in bCSCs and their crosstalk with many cellular signaling pathways has uncovered promising molecular leads to be used as potential therapeutic targets in drug-resistant situations. Moreover, therapies that can induce alternate forms of regulated cell death including ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and immunotherapy; drugs targeting bCSC metabolism; and nanoparticle therapy are the upcoming approaches to target the bCSCs overcome drug resistance. Thus, individualizing treatment strategies will eliminate the minimal residual disease, resulting in better pathological and complete response in drug-resistant scenarios. This review summarizes basic understanding of breast cancer subtypes, concept of bCSCs, molecular basis of drug resistance, dysregulated miRNAs/ncRNAs patterns in bCSCs, and future perspective of developing anticancer therapeutics to address breast cancer drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taniya Saha
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Kiven Erique Lukong
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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78
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Casciati A, Tanori M, Gianlorenzi I, Rampazzo E, Persano L, Viola G, Cani A, Bresolin S, Marino C, Mancuso M, Merla C. Effects of Ultra-Short Pulsed Electric Field Exposure on Glioblastoma Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23063001. [PMID: 35328420 PMCID: PMC8950115 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common brain cancer in adults. GBM starts from a small fraction of poorly differentiated and aggressive cancer stem cells (CSCs) responsible for aberrant proliferation and invasion. Due to extreme tumor heterogeneity, actual therapies provide poor positive outcomes, and cancers usually recur. Therefore, alternative approaches, possibly targeting CSCs, are necessary against GBM. Among emerging therapies, high intensity ultra-short pulsed electric fields (PEFs) are considered extremely promising and our previous results demonstrated the ability of a specific electric pulse protocol to selectively affect medulloblastoma CSCs preserving normal cells. Here, we tested the same exposure protocol to investigate the response of U87 GBM cells and U87-derived neurospheres. By analyzing different in vitro biological endpoints and taking advantage of transcriptomic and bioinformatics analyses, we found that, independent of CSC content, PEF exposure affected cell proliferation and differentially regulated hypoxia, inflammation and P53/cell cycle checkpoints. PEF exposure also significantly reduced the ability to form new neurospheres and inhibited the invasion potential. Importantly, exclusively in U87 neurospheres, PEF exposure changed the expression of stem-ness/differentiation genes. Our results confirm this physical stimulus as a promising treatment to destabilize GBM, opening up the possibility of developing effective PEF-mediated therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Casciati
- Italian National Agency for Energy New Technologies and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Division of Health Protection Technologies, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.T.); (C.M.)
| | - Mirella Tanori
- Italian National Agency for Energy New Technologies and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Division of Health Protection Technologies, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.T.); (C.M.)
| | - Isabella Gianlorenzi
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Largo dell’Università, snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy;
| | - Elena Rampazzo
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health (SDB), University of Padova, via Giustiniani 3, 35128 Padova, Italy; (E.R.); (L.P.); (G.V.); (A.C.); (S.B.)
- Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Hematopoietic Cell & Gene Therapy, Pediatric Research Institute (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy
| | - Luca Persano
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health (SDB), University of Padova, via Giustiniani 3, 35128 Padova, Italy; (E.R.); (L.P.); (G.V.); (A.C.); (S.B.)
- Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Hematopoietic Cell & Gene Therapy, Pediatric Research Institute (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health (SDB), University of Padova, via Giustiniani 3, 35128 Padova, Italy; (E.R.); (L.P.); (G.V.); (A.C.); (S.B.)
- Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Hematopoietic Cell & Gene Therapy, Pediatric Research Institute (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy
| | - Alice Cani
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health (SDB), University of Padova, via Giustiniani 3, 35128 Padova, Italy; (E.R.); (L.P.); (G.V.); (A.C.); (S.B.)
- Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Hematopoietic Cell & Gene Therapy, Pediatric Research Institute (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Bresolin
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health (SDB), University of Padova, via Giustiniani 3, 35128 Padova, Italy; (E.R.); (L.P.); (G.V.); (A.C.); (S.B.)
- Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Hematopoietic Cell & Gene Therapy, Pediatric Research Institute (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy
| | - Carmela Marino
- Italian National Agency for Energy New Technologies and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Division of Health Protection Technologies, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.T.); (C.M.)
| | - Mariateresa Mancuso
- Italian National Agency for Energy New Technologies and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Division of Health Protection Technologies, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.T.); (C.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (C.M.)
| | - Caterina Merla
- Italian National Agency for Energy New Technologies and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Division of Health Protection Technologies, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (M.T.); (C.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (C.M.)
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Co-targeting leukemia-initiating cells and leukemia bulk leads to disease eradication. Leukemia 2022; 36:1306-1312. [PMID: 35246604 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-022-01530-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
According to a hierarchical model, targeting leukemia-initiating cells (LICs) was speculated to achieve complete remission (CR) or cure. Nonetheless, increasing evidence emphasized the plasticity of differentiated blasts undergoing interconversion into LICs. We exploited murine models of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia driven by the promyelocytic leukemia/retinoic acid receptor (PML-RARα) oncofusion protein, which recruits histone deacetylase (HDAC)-containing complexes. We studied APLs with different LIC frequencies and investigated the effect of two HDAC inhibitors: valproic acid (VPA), with relative selectivity towards class I HDAC enzymes and vorinostat/suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) (pan-HDAC inhibitor) in combination with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), on the bulk APL cells and APL LICs. Indeed, we found that while VPA differentiates the bulk APL cells, SAHA selectively targets LICs. ATRA + VPA + SAHA combination efficiently induced CR in an APL model with lower LIC frequency. Substituting ATRA with synthetic retinoids as etretinate which promotes APL differentiation without downregulating PML/RARα compromised the therapeutic benefit of ATRA + VPA + SAHA regimen. Altogether, our study emphasizes the therapeutic power of co-targeting the plasticity and heterogeneity of cancer -herein demonstrated by tackling LICs and bulk leukemic blasts - to achieve and maintain CR.
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80
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Paul R, Dorsey JF, Fan Y. Cell plasticity, senescence, and quiescence in cancer stem cells: Biological and therapeutic implications. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 231:107985. [PMID: 34480963 PMCID: PMC8844041 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.107985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a distinct population of cells within tumors with capabilities of self-renewal and tumorigenicity. CSCs play a pivotal role in cancer progression, metastasis, and relapse and tumor resistance to cytotoxic therapy. Emerging scientific evidence indicates that CSCs adopt several mechanisms, driven by cellular plasticity, senescence and quiescence, to maintain their self-renewal capability and to resist tumor microenvironmental stress and treatments. These pose major hindrances for CSC-targeting anti-cancer therapies: cell plasticity maintains stemness in CSCs and renders tumor cells to acquire stem-like phenotypes, contributing to tumor heterogeneity and CSC generation; cellular senescence induces genetic reprogramming and stemness activation, leading to CSC-mediated tumor progression and metastasis; cell quienscence facilitates CSC to overcome their intrinsic vulnerabilities and therapeutic stress, inducing tumor relapse and therapy resistance. These mechanisms are subjected to spatiotemporal regulation by hypoxia, CSC niche, and extracellular matrix in the tumor microenvironment. Here we integrate the recent advances and current knowledge to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the regulation of plasticity, senescence and quiescence of CSCs and the potential therapeutic implications for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritama Paul
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 19104
| | - Jay F. Dorsey
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 19104
| | - Yi Fan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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81
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Bazina F, Brouxhon SM, Kyrkanides S. Partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition during enamel development. Clin Exp Dent Res 2022; 8:513-518. [PMID: 35182458 PMCID: PMC9033535 DOI: 10.1002/cre2.543] [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: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives We set out to investigate whether a hybrid stem‐like p‐EMT phenotype develops during murine molar enamel development in vivo. Setting and Sample Population Histology specimens incorporating molar tooth buds harvested from mice at post‐natal day 4 (P4) were included in our studies. Materials and Methods We employed double immunofluorescence staining to analyze the simultaneous expression of the epithelial marker E‐cadherin and the mesenchymal marker N‐cadherin in histology specimens with tooth buds harvested from P4 mice. Moreover, we evaluated the expression of the core master stem cell markers Oct4 and Sox2, as well as the mature ameloblast marker amelogenin. Results Here we document the co‐expression of E‐cadherin and N‐cadherin in a sub‐population of pre‐ameloblasts in the inner enamel epithelium suggestive of the presence of a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype resulting from p‐EMT. Moreover, the core stem cell factors Oct4 and Sox2 colocalized with E‐cadherin expressing pre‐ameloblasts, whereas the mesenchymal marker N‐cadherin was expressed specifically by amelogenin–positive mature secretory ameloblasts. Conclusions The differentiation of E‐cadherin–positive pre‐ameloblasts towards N‐cadherin–positive mature secretory ameloblasts transition through a previously unidentified epithelial/mesenchymal stage derived through p‐EMT, co‐expressing the master transcription factors Oct4 and Sox2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fayrouz Bazina
- Program in Oral Biology and Pathology, School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.,Translational Scientist, Center for Oral Health Research, College of Dentistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Sabine M Brouxhon
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Stephanos Kyrkanides
- Department of Oral Health Science, College of Dentistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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82
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Ponomarev A, Gilazieva Z, Solovyeva V, Allegrucci C, Rizvanov A. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors Impacting Cancer Stemness and Tumor Progression. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:970. [PMID: 35205716 PMCID: PMC8869813 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14040970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor heterogeneity represents an important limitation to the development of effective cancer therapies. The presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their differentiation hierarchies contribute to cancer complexity and confer tumors the ability to grow, resist treatment, survive unfavorable conditions, and invade neighboring and distant tissues. A large body of research is currently focusing on understanding the properties of CSCs, including their cellular and molecular origin, as well as their biological behavior in different tumor types. In turn, this knowledge informs strategies for targeting these tumor initiating cells and related cancer stemness. Cancer stemness is modulated by the tumor microenvironment, which influences CSC function and survival. Several advanced in vitro models are currently being developed to study cancer stemness in order to advance new knowledge of the key molecular pathways involved in CSC self-renewal and dormancy, as well as to mimic the complexity of patients' tumors in pre-clinical drug testing. In this review, we discuss CSCs and the modulation of cancer stemness by the tumor microenvironment, stemness factors and signaling pathways. In addition, we introduce current models that allow the study of CSCs for the development of new targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Ponomarev
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia; (A.P.); (Z.G.); (V.S.)
| | - Zarema Gilazieva
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia; (A.P.); (Z.G.); (V.S.)
| | - Valeriya Solovyeva
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia; (A.P.); (Z.G.); (V.S.)
| | - Cinzia Allegrucci
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science (SVMS) and Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK;
| | - Albert Rizvanov
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia; (A.P.); (Z.G.); (V.S.)
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83
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Pasha N, Turner NC. Understanding and overcoming tumor heterogeneity in metastatic breast cancer treatment. NATURE CANCER 2022; 2:680-692. [PMID: 35121946 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-021-00229-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Rational development of targeted therapies has revolutionized metastatic breast cancer outcomes, although resistance to treatment remains a major challenge. Advances in molecular profiling and imaging technologies have provided evidence for the impact of clonal diversity in cancer treatment resistance, through the outgrowth of resistant clones. In this Review, we focus on the genomic processes that drive tumoral heterogeneity and the mechanisms of resistance underlying metastatic breast cancer treatment and discuss implications for future treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nida Pasha
- Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Nicholas C Turner
- Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK. .,Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research and Breast Unit, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.
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84
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DiNatale A, Kaur R, Qian C, Zhang J, Marchioli M, Ipe D, Castelli M, McNair CM, Kumar G, Meucci O, Fatatis A. Subsets of cancer cells expressing CX3CR1 are endowed with metastasis-initiating properties and resistance to chemotherapy. Oncogene 2022; 41:1337-1351. [PMID: 34999735 PMCID: PMC8941631 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-02174-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Metastasis-initiating cells (MICs) display stem cell-like features, cause metastatic recurrences and defy chemotherapy, which leads to patients' demise. Here we show that prostate and breast cancer patients harbor contingents of tumor cells with high expression of CX3CR1, OCT4a (POU5F1), and NANOG. Impairing CX3CR1 expression or signaling hampered the formation of tumor spheroids by cell lines from which we isolated small subsets co-expressing CX3CR1 and stemness-related markers, similarly to patients' tumors. These rare CX3CR1High cells show transcriptomic profiles enriched in pathways that regulate pluripotency and endowed with metastasis-initiating behavior in murine models. Cancer cells lacking these features (CX3CR1Low) were capable of re-acquiring CX3CR1-associated features over time, implying that MICs can continuously emerge from non-stem cancer cells. CX3CR1 expression also conferred resistance to docetaxel, and prolonged treatment with docetaxel selected CX3CR1High phenotypes with de-enriched transcriptomic profiles for apoptotic pathways. These findings nominate CX3CR1 as a novel marker of stem-like tumor cells and provide conceptual ground for future development of approaches targeting CX3CR1 signaling and (re)expression as therapeutic means to prevent or contain metastasis initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony DiNatale
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Ramanpreet Kaur
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Champions Oncology, 1330 Piccard Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Chen Qian
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Samuel Oschin Cancer Center, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Jieyi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Michael Marchioli
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Darin Ipe
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Maria Castelli
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Chris M McNair
- Department of Cancer Biology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
- Cancer Informatics, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Gaurav Kumar
- Department of Cancer Biology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Olimpia Meucci
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Program in Immune Cell Regulation & Targeting, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Alessandro Fatatis
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
- Program in Translational and Cellular Oncology at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
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85
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Mo J, Moye SL, McKay RM, Le LQ. Neurofibromin and suppression of tumorigenesis: beyond the GAP. Oncogene 2022; 41:1235-1251. [PMID: 35066574 PMCID: PMC9063229 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-02156-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease and one of the most common inherited tumor predisposition syndromes, affecting 1 in 3000 individuals worldwide. The NF1 gene encodes neurofibromin, a large protein with RAS GTP-ase activating (RAS-GAP) activity, and loss of NF1 results in increased RAS signaling. Neurofibromin contains many other domains, and there is considerable evidence that these domains play a role in some manifestations of NF1. Investigating the role of these domains as well as the various signaling pathways that neurofibromin regulates and interacts with will provide a better understanding of how neurofibromin acts to suppress tumor development and potentially open new therapeutic avenues. In this review, we discuss what is known about the structure of neurofibromin, its interactions with other proteins and signaling pathways, its role in development and differentiation, and its function as a tumor suppressor. Finally, we discuss the latest research on potential therapeutics for neurofibromin-deficient neoplasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Mo
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, 75390-9069, USA
| | - Stefanie L Moye
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, 75390-9069, USA
| | - Renee M McKay
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, 75390-9069, USA
| | - Lu Q Le
- Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, 75390-9069, USA.
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, 75390-9069, USA.
- UTSW Comprehensive Neurofibromatosis Clinic, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, 75390-9069, USA.
- Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, 75390-9069, USA.
- O'Donnell Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, 75390-9069, USA.
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86
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Döhla J, Kuuluvainen E, Gebert N, Amaral A, Englund JI, Gopalakrishnan S, Konovalova S, Nieminen AI, Salminen ES, Torregrosa Muñumer R, Ahlqvist K, Yang Y, Bui H, Otonkoski T, Käkelä R, Hietakangas V, Tyynismaa H, Ori A, Katajisto P. Metabolic determination of cell fate through selective inheritance of mitochondria. Nat Cell Biol 2022; 24:148-154. [PMID: 35165416 PMCID: PMC7612378 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-021-00837-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic characteristics of adult stem cells are distinct from their differentiated progeny, and cellular metabolism is emerging as a potential driver of cell fate conversions1-4. How these metabolic features are established remains unclear. Here we identified inherited metabolism imposed by functionally distinct mitochondrial age-classes as a fate determinant in asymmetric division of epithelial stem-like cells. While chronologically old mitochondria support oxidative respiration, the electron transport chain of new organelles is proteomically immature and they respire less. After cell division, selectively segregated mitochondrial age-classes elicit a metabolic bias in progeny cells, with oxidative energy metabolism promoting differentiation in cells that inherit old mitochondria. Cells that inherit newly synthesized mitochondria with low levels of Rieske iron-sulfur polypeptide 1 have a higher pentose phosphate pathway activity, which promotes de novo purine biosynthesis and redox balance, and is required to maintain stemness during early fate determination after division. Our results demonstrate that fate decisions are susceptible to intrinsic metabolic bias imposed by selectively inherited mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Döhla
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emilia Kuuluvainen
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nadja Gebert
- Leibniz Institute on Aging-Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Jena, Germany
| | - Ana Amaral
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johanna I Englund
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Svetlana Konovalova
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anni I Nieminen
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ella S Salminen
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rubén Torregrosa Muñumer
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kati Ahlqvist
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yang Yang
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hien Bui
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Timo Otonkoski
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Reijo Käkelä
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ville Hietakangas
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Henna Tyynismaa
- Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alessandro Ori
- Leibniz Institute on Aging-Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Jena, Germany
| | - Pekka Katajisto
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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87
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Comparison of Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells and Oxaliplatin-Resistant Cells Unveils Functional Similarities. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030511. [PMID: 35159320 PMCID: PMC8833894 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in women, the third in men, and an important cause of cancer-related mortality. Recurrence and the development of chemotherapy resistance are major hindrances for patients’ treatment. The presence of cancer stem cells with chemotherapy resistance able to generate proliferating tumor cells contributes to tumor recurrence and resistance. In addition, tumor cells can develop chemoresistance through adaptation mechanisms. In this article, cancer stem cells were isolated from HT29 and SW620 colorectal cancer cell lines. Oxaliplatin resistance was induced by a single drug treatment simulating the usual guidelines of patient treatment. A comparison of these two populations showed similarities since cancer stem cells presented increased oxaliplatin resistance, and resistant cells contained an increased number of cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells isolated from resistant cells showed increased oxaliplatin resistance. Cell invasion capacity and epithelial-mesenchymal transition were increased both in cancer stem cells and oxaliplatin-resistant cells. mRNA expression analysis showed that both cell types shared a significant proportion of commonly regulated genes. In summary, the data presented indicate that colorectal cancer stem cells and oxaliplatin-resistant cells are highly related cell populations that might have interesting implications in the development of tumor recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy.
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88
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Kaltschmidt B, Witte KE, Greiner JFW, Weissinger F, Kaltschmidt C. Targeting NF-κB Signaling in Cancer Stem Cells: A Narrative Review. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10020261. [PMID: 35203471 PMCID: PMC8869483 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the cell populations existing within a tumor, cancer stem cells are responsible for metastasis formation and chemotherapeutic resistance. In the present review, we focus on the transcription factor NF-κB, which is present in every cell type including cancer stem cells. NF-κB is involved in pro-tumor inflammation by its target gene interleukin 1 (IL1) and can be activated by a feed-forward loop in an IL1-dependent manner. Here, we summarize current strategies targeting NF-κB by chemicals and biologicals within an integrated cancer therapy. Specifically, we start with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting epidermal growth factor (EGF)-receptor-mediated phosphorylation. Furthermore, we summarize current strategies of multiple myeloma treatment involving lenalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone as potential NF-κB inhibitors. Finally, we discuss programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) as an NF-κB target gene and its role in checkpoint therapy. We conclude, that NF-κB inhibition by specific inhibitors of IκB kinase was of no clinical use but inhibition of upstream and downstream targets with drugs or biologicals might be a fruitful way to treat cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Kaltschmidt
- Molecular Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany;
- Forschungsverbund BioMedizin Bielefeld FBMB e.V., Maraweg 21, 33617 Bielefeld, Germany; (K.E.W.); (J.F.W.G.); (F.W.)
| | - Kaya E. Witte
- Forschungsverbund BioMedizin Bielefeld FBMB e.V., Maraweg 21, 33617 Bielefeld, Germany; (K.E.W.); (J.F.W.G.); (F.W.)
- Department of Cell Biology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Johannes F. W. Greiner
- Forschungsverbund BioMedizin Bielefeld FBMB e.V., Maraweg 21, 33617 Bielefeld, Germany; (K.E.W.); (J.F.W.G.); (F.W.)
- Department of Cell Biology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Florian Weissinger
- Forschungsverbund BioMedizin Bielefeld FBMB e.V., Maraweg 21, 33617 Bielefeld, Germany; (K.E.W.); (J.F.W.G.); (F.W.)
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Internal Medicine, Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation, Palliative Medicine, and Tumor Center, Protestant Hospital of Bethel Foundation, University Hospital OWL of Bielefeld University, Schildescher Str. 99, 33611 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Christian Kaltschmidt
- Forschungsverbund BioMedizin Bielefeld FBMB e.V., Maraweg 21, 33617 Bielefeld, Germany; (K.E.W.); (J.F.W.G.); (F.W.)
- Department of Cell Biology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-521-106-5625
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89
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Heft Neal ME, Brenner JC, Prince MEP, Chinn SB. Advancement in Cancer Stem Cell Biology and Precision Medicine-Review Article Head and Neck Cancer Stem Cell Plasticity and the Tumor Microenvironment. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:660210. [PMID: 35047489 PMCID: PMC8762309 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.660210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and Neck cancer survival has continued to remain around 50% despite treatment advances. It is thought that cancer stem cells play a key role in promoting tumor heterogeneity, treatment resistance, metastasis, and recurrence in solid malignancies including head and neck cancer. Initial studies identified cancer stem cell markers including CD44 and ALDH in head and neck malignancies and found that these cells show aggressive features in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Recent evidence has now revealed a key role of the tumor microenvironment in maintaining a cancer stem cell niche and promoting cancer stem cell plasticity. There is an increasing focus on identifying and targeting the crosstalk between cancer stem cells and surrounding cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) as new therapeutic potential, however understanding how CSC maintain a stem-like state is critical to understanding how to therapeutically alter their function. Here we review the current evidence for cancer stem cell plasticity and discuss how interactions with the TME promote the cancer stem cell niche, increase tumor heterogeneity, and play a role in treatment resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly E Heft Neal
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - J Chad Brenner
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Mark E P Prince
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Steven B Chinn
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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90
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Liquid Biopsies: Flowing Biomarkers. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1379:341-368. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-04039-9_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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91
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Li X, Thirumalai D. A mathematical model for phenotypic heterogeneity in breast cancer with implications for therapeutic strategies. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20210803. [PMID: 35078336 PMCID: PMC8790361 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Inevitably, almost all cancer patients develop resistance to targeted therapy. Intratumour heterogeneity is a major cause of drug resistance. Mathematical models that explain experiments quantitatively are useful in understanding the origin of intratumour heterogeneity, which then could be used to explore scenarios for efficacious therapy. Here, we develop a mathematical model to investigate intratumour heterogeneity in breast cancer by exploiting the observation that HER2+ and HER2- cells could divide symmetrically or asymmetrically. Our predictions for the evolution of cell fractions are in quantitative agreement with single-cell experiments. Remarkably, the colony size of HER2+ cells emerging from a single HER2- cell (or vice versa), which occurs in about four cell doublings, also agrees with experimental results, without tweaking any parameter in the model. The theory explains experimental data on the responses of breast tumours under different treatment protocols. We then used the model to predict that, not only the order of two drugs, but also the treatment period for each drug and the tumour cell plasticity could be manipulated to improve the treatment efficacy. Mathematical models, when integrated with data on patients, make possible exploration of a broad range of parameters readily, which might provide insights in devising effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - D. Thirumalai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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92
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Naz F, Shi M, Sajid S, Yang Z, Yu C. Cancer stem cells: a major culprit of intra-tumor heterogeneity. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:5782-5811. [PMID: 35018226 PMCID: PMC8727794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is recognized as a preeminent factor of the world's mortality. Although various modalities have been designed to cure this life-threatening ailment, a significant impediment in the effective output of cancer treatment is heterogeneity. Cancer is characterized as a heterogeneous health disorder that comprises a distinct group of transformed cells to assist anomalous proliferation of affected cells. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a leading cause of cancer heterogeneity that is continually transformed by cellular extrinsic and intrinsic factors. They intensify neoplastic cells aggressiveness by strengthening their dissemination, relapse and therapy resistance. Considering this viewpoint, in this review article we have discussed some intrinsic (transcription factors, cell signaling pathways, genetic alterations, epigenetic modifications, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and epitranscriptomics) and extrinsic factors (tumor microenvironment (TME)) that contribute to CSC heterogeneity and plasticity, which may help scientists to meddle these processes and eventually improve cancer research and management. Besides, the potential role of CSCs heterogeneity in establishing metastasis and therapy resistance has been articulated which signifies the importance of developing novel anticancer therapies to target CSCs along with targeting bulk tumor mass to achieve an effective output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiza Naz
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijing 100029, China
| | - Mengran Shi
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijing 100029, China
| | - Salvia Sajid
- Department of Biotechnology, Jinnah University for WomenKarachi 74600, Pakistan
| | - Zhao Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijing 100029, China
- College of Life Science, Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Biological Resources in Tarim Basin of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Tarim UniversityAlar 843300, Xinjiang, China
| | - Changyuan Yu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical TechnologyBeijing 100029, China
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93
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Errington TM, Denis A, Perfito N, Iorns E, Nosek BA. Challenges for assessing replicability in preclinical cancer biology. eLife 2021. [DOI: 10.10.7554/elife.67995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We conducted the Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology to investigate the replicability of preclinical research in cancer biology. The initial aim of the project was to repeat 193 experiments from 53 high-impact papers, using an approach in which the experimental protocols and plans for data analysis had to be peer reviewed and accepted for publication before experimental work could begin. However, the various barriers and challenges we encountered while designing and conducting the experiments meant that we were only able to repeat 50 experiments from 23 papers. Here we report these barriers and challenges. First, many original papers failed to report key descriptive and inferential statistics: the data needed to compute effect sizes and conduct power analyses was publicly accessible for just 4 of 193 experiments. Moreover, despite contacting the authors of the original papers, we were unable to obtain these data for 68% of the experiments. Second, none of the 193 experiments were described in sufficient detail in the original paper to enable us to design protocols to repeat the experiments, so we had to seek clarifications from the original authors. While authors were extremely or very helpful for 41% of experiments, they were minimally helpful for 9% of experiments, and not at all helpful (or did not respond to us) for 32% of experiments. Third, once experimental work started, 67% of the peer-reviewed protocols required modifications to complete the research and just 41% of those modifications could be implemented. Cumulatively, these three factors limited the number of experiments that could be repeated. This experience draws attention to a basic and fundamental concern about replication – it is hard to assess whether reported findings are credible.
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94
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Errington TM, Denis A, Perfito N, Iorns E, Nosek BA. Challenges for assessing replicability in preclinical cancer biology. eLife 2021; 10:e67995. [PMID: 34874008 PMCID: PMC8651289 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We conducted the Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology to investigate the replicability of preclinical research in cancer biology. The initial aim of the project was to repeat 193 experiments from 53 high-impact papers, using an approach in which the experimental protocols and plans for data analysis had to be peer reviewed and accepted for publication before experimental work could begin. However, the various barriers and challenges we encountered while designing and conducting the experiments meant that we were only able to repeat 50 experiments from 23 papers. Here we report these barriers and challenges. First, many original papers failed to report key descriptive and inferential statistics: the data needed to compute effect sizes and conduct power analyses was publicly accessible for just 4 of 193 experiments. Moreover, despite contacting the authors of the original papers, we were unable to obtain these data for 68% of the experiments. Second, none of the 193 experiments were described in sufficient detail in the original paper to enable us to design protocols to repeat the experiments, so we had to seek clarifications from the original authors. While authors were extremely or very helpful for 41% of experiments, they were minimally helpful for 9% of experiments, and not at all helpful (or did not respond to us) for 32% of experiments. Third, once experimental work started, 67% of the peer-reviewed protocols required modifications to complete the research and just 41% of those modifications could be implemented. Cumulatively, these three factors limited the number of experiments that could be repeated. This experience draws attention to a basic and fundamental concern about replication - it is hard to assess whether reported findings are credible.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Brian A Nosek
- Center for Open ScienceCharlottesvilleUnited States
- University of VirginiaCharlottesvilleUnited States
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95
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Liu M, Yang J, Xu B, Zhang X. Tumor metastasis: Mechanistic insights and therapeutic interventions. MedComm (Beijing) 2021; 2:587-617. [PMID: 34977870 PMCID: PMC8706758 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer metastasis is responsible for the vast majority of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In contrast to numerous discoveries that reveal the detailed mechanisms leading to the formation of the primary tumor, the biological underpinnings of the metastatic disease remain poorly understood. Cancer metastasis is a complex process in which cancer cells escape from the primary tumor, settle, and grow at other parts of the body. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition and anoikis resistance of tumor cells are the main forces to promote metastasis, and multiple components in the tumor microenvironment and their complicated crosstalk with cancer cells are closely involved in distant metastasis. In addition to the three cornerstones of tumor treatment, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, novel treatment approaches including targeted therapy and immunotherapy have been established in patients with metastatic cancer. Although the cancer survival rate has been greatly improved over the years, it is still far from satisfactory. In this review, we provided an overview of the metastasis process, summarized the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the dissemination and distant metastasis of cancer cells, and reviewed the important advances in interventions for cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Liu
- Melanoma and Sarcoma Medical Oncology UnitState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineSun Yat‐sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineSun Yat‐sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Jing Yang
- Melanoma and Sarcoma Medical Oncology UnitState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineSun Yat‐sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineSun Yat‐sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Bushu Xu
- Melanoma and Sarcoma Medical Oncology UnitState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineSun Yat‐sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineSun Yat‐sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Xing Zhang
- Melanoma and Sarcoma Medical Oncology UnitState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineSun Yat‐sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
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96
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Silva VR, Santos LDS, Dias RB, Quadros CA, Bezerra DP. Emerging agents that target signaling pathways to eradicate colorectal cancer stem cells. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2021; 41:1275-1313. [PMID: 34791817 PMCID: PMC8696218 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The modern concept of cancer biology indicates that cancer is formed of a small population of cells called cancer stem cells (CSCs), which present both pluripotency and self-renewal properties. These cells are considered responsible for the progression of the disease, recurrence and tumor resistance. Interestingly, some cell signaling pathways participate in CRC survival, proliferation, and self-renewal properties, and most of them are dysregulated in CSCs, including the Wingless (Wnt)/β-catenin, Notch, Hedgehog, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase/Akt/mechanistic target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smad pathways. In this review, we summarize the strategies for eradicating CRC stem cells by modulating these dysregulated pathways, which will contribute to the study of potential therapeutic schemes, combining conventional drugs with CSC-targeting drugs, and allowing better cure rates in anti-CRC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valdenizia R Silva
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Luciano de S Santos
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Rosane B Dias
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Claudio A Quadros
- São Rafael Hospital, Rede D'Or/São Luiz, Salvador, Bahia, 41253-190, Brazil.,Bahia State University, Salvador, Bahia, 41150-000, Brazil
| | - Daniel P Bezerra
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Bahia, 40296-710, Brazil
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97
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Qi D, Liu Y, Li J, Huang JH, Hu X, Wu E. Salinomycin as a potent anticancer stem cell agent: State of the art and future directions. Med Res Rev 2021; 42:1037-1063. [PMID: 34786735 PMCID: PMC9298915 DOI: 10.1002/med.21870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation of cells within a tumor that can both self‐renew and differentiate into other cell types forming the heterogeneous tumor bulk. Since CSCs are involved in all aspects of cancer development, including tumor initiation, cell proliferation, metastatic dissemination, therapy resistance, and recurrence, they have emerged as attractive targets for cancer treatment and management. Salinomycin, a widely used antibiotic in poultry farming, was identified by the Weinberg group as a potent anti‐CSC agent in 2009. As a polyether ionophore, salinomycin exerts broad‐spectrum activities, including the important anti‐CSC function. Studies on the mechanism of action of salinomycin against cancer have been continuously and rapidly published since then. Thus, it is imperative for us to update its literature of recent research findings in this area. We here summarize the notable work reported on salinomycin's anticancer activities, intracellular binding target(s), effects on tumor microenvironment, safety, derivatives, and tumor‐specific drug delivery; after that we also discuss the translational potential of salinomycin toward clinical application based on current multifaceted understandings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Qi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, Texas, USA.,Neuroscience Institute, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, Texas, USA
| | - Yunyi Liu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Molecular Engineering for Theranostics, Hunan University, Changsha, China
| | - Juan Li
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Molecular Engineering for Theranostics, Hunan University, Changsha, China
| | - Jason H Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, Texas, USA.,Neuroscience Institute, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, Texas, USA.,Department of Surgery, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, Temple, Texas, USA
| | - Xiaoxiao Hu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Molecular Engineering for Theranostics, Hunan University, Changsha, China.,Shenzhen Research Institute, Hunan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Erxi Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, Texas, USA.,Neuroscience Institute, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, Texas, USA.,Department of Surgery, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, Temple, Texas, USA.,LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes and Department of Oncology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Pharmacy, College Station, Texas, USA
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98
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Torres-Montaner A. The telomere complex and the origin of the cancer stem cell. Biomark Res 2021; 9:81. [PMID: 34736527 PMCID: PMC8567692 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-021-00339-z] [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: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Exquisite regulation of telomere length is essential for the preservation of the lifetime function and self-renewal of stem cells. However, multiple oncogenic pathways converge on induction of telomere attrition or telomerase overexpression and these events can by themselves trigger malignant transformation. Activation of NFκB, the outcome of telomere complex damage, is present in leukemia stem cells but absent in normal stem cells and can activate DOT1L which has been linked to MLL-fusion leukemias. Tumors that arise from cells of early and late developmental stages appear to follow two different oncogenic routes in which the role of telomere and telomerase signaling might be differentially involved. In contrast, direct malignant transformation of stem cells appears to be extremely rare. This suggests an inherent resistance of stem cells to cancer transformation which could be linked to a stem cell’specific mechanism of telomere maintenance. However, tumor protection of normal stem cells could also be conferred by cell extrinsic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Torres-Montaner
- Department of Pathology, Queen's Hospital, Rom Valley Way, London, Romford, RM7 OAG, UK. .,Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
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99
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Ghuwalewala S, Ghatak D, Das S, Roy S, Das P, Butti R, Gorain M, Nath S, Kundu GC, Roychoudhury S. MiRNA-146a/AKT/β-Catenin Activation Regulates Cancer Stem Cell Phenotype in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Targeting CD24. Front Oncol 2021; 11:651692. [PMID: 34712602 PMCID: PMC8546321 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.651692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
CD44highCD24low population has been previously reported as cancer stem cells (CSCs) in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC). Increasing evidence suggests potential involvement of microRNA (miRNA) network in modulation of CSC properties. MiRNAs have thus emerged as crucial players in tumor development and maintenance. However, their role in maintenance of OSCC stem cells remains unclear. Here we report an elevated expression of miR-146a in the CD44highCD24low population within OSCC cells and primary HNSCC tumors. Moreover, over-expression of miR-146a results in enhanced stemness phenotype by augmenting the CD44highCD24low population. We demonstrate that miR-146a stabilizes β-catenin with concomitant loss of E-cadherin and CD24. Interestingly, CD24 is identified as a novel functional target of miR-146a and ectopic expression of CD24 abrogates miR-146a driven potential CSC phenotype. Mechanistic analysis reveals that higher CD24 levels inhibit AKT phosphorylation leading to β-catenin degradation. Using stably expressing miR-146a/CD24 OSCC cell lines, we also validate that the miR-146a/CD24/AKT loop significantly alters tumorigenic ability in vivo. Furthermore, we confirmed that β-catenin trans-activates miR-146a, thereby forming a positive feedback loop contributing to stem cell maintenance. Collectively, our study demonstrates that miR-146a regulates CSCs in OSCC through CD24-AKT-β-catenin axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangeeta Ghuwalewala
- Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorder Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | - Dishari Ghatak
- Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorder Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | - Sumit Das
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Angiogenesis and Nanomedicine Research, National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, India
| | - Stuti Roy
- Division of Research, Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre and Research Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Pijush Das
- Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorder Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | - Ramesh Butti
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Angiogenesis and Nanomedicine Research, National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, India
| | - Mahadeo Gorain
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Angiogenesis and Nanomedicine Research, National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, India
| | - Somsubhra Nath
- Division of Research, Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre and Research Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Gopal C Kundu
- Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Angiogenesis and Nanomedicine Research, National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, India
| | - Susanta Roychoudhury
- Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorder Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India.,Division of Research, Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre and Research Institute, Kolkata, India
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100
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Basu M, Philipp LM, Baines JF, Sebens S. The Microbiome Tumor Axis: How the Microbiome Could Contribute to Clonal Heterogeneity and Disease Outcome in Pancreatic Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:740606. [PMID: 34631577 PMCID: PMC8495218 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.740606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most malignant cancers. It is characterized by a poor prognosis with a 5-year survival rate of only around 10% and an ongoing increase in death rate. Due to the lack of early and specific symptoms, most patients are diagnosed at an advanced or even metastasized stage, essentially limiting curative treatment options. However, even curative resection of the primary tumor and adjuvant therapy often fails to provide a long-term survival benefit. One reason for this dismal situation can be seen in the evolution of therapy resistances. Furthermore, PDAC is characterized by high intratumor heterogeneity, pointing towards an abundance of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are regarded as essential for tumor initiation and drug resistance. Additionally, it was shown that the gut microbiome is altered in PDAC patients, promotes Epithelial-Mesenchymal-Transition (EMT), determines responses towards chemotherapy, and affects survival in PDAC patients. Given the established links between CSCs and EMT as well as drug resistance, and the emerging role of the microbiome in PDAC, we postulate that the composition of the microbiome of PDAC patients is a critical determinant for the abundance and plasticity of CSC populations and thus tumor heterogeneity in PDAC. Unravelling this complex interplay might pave the way for novel treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghna Basu
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.,Section of Evolutionary Medicine, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lisa-Marie Philipp
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) Campus Kiel, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - John F Baines
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany.,Section of Evolutionary Medicine, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Susanne Sebens
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) Campus Kiel, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
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