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Faddaoui A, Sheta R, Bachvarova M, Plante M, Gregoire J, Renaud MC, Sebastianelli A, Gobeil S, Morin C, Ghani K, Bachvarov D. Suppression of the grainyhead transcription factor 2 gene (GRHL2) inhibits the proliferation, migration, invasion and mediates cell cycle arrest of ovarian cancer cells. Cell Cycle 2017; 16:693-706. [PMID: 28278050 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2017.1295181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously, we have identified the Grainyhead transcription factor 2 gene (GRHL2) as notably hypomethylated in high-grade (HG) serous epithelial ovarian tumors, compared with normal ovarian tissues. GRHL2 is known for its functions in normal tissue development and wound healing. In the context of cancer, the role of GRHL2 is still ambiguous as both tumorigenic and tumor suppressive functions have been reported for this gene, although a role of GRHL2 in maintaining the epithelial status of cancer cells has been suggested. In this study, we report that GRHL2 is strongly overexpressed in both low malignant potential (LMP) and HG serous epithelial ovarian tumors, which probably correlates with its hypomethylated status. Suppression of the GRHL2 expression led to a sharp decrease in cell proliferation, migration and invasion and induced G1 cell cycle arrest in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells displaying either epithelial (A2780s) or mesenchymal (SKOV3) phenotypes. However, no phenotypic alterations were observed in these EOC cell lines following GRHL2 silencing. Gene expression profiling and consecutive canonical pathway and network analyses confirmed these data, as in both these EOC cell lines, GRHL2 ablation was associated with the downregulation of various genes and pathways implicated in cell growth and proliferation, cell cycle control and cellular metabolism. Taken together, our data are indicative for a strong oncogenic potential of the GRHL2 gene in EOC progression and support recent findings on the role of GRHL2 as one of the major phenotypic stability factors (PSFs) that stabilize the highly aggressive/metastatic hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) phenotype of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adnen Faddaoui
- a Department of Molecular Medicine , Université Laval , Québec , Canada.,b Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec , L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec , Québec , Canada
| | - Razan Sheta
- a Department of Molecular Medicine , Université Laval , Québec , Canada.,b Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec , L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec , Québec , Canada
| | - Magdalena Bachvarova
- b Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec , L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec , Québec , Canada
| | - Marie Plante
- b Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec , L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec , Québec , Canada.,c Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Université Laval , Québec , Canada
| | - Jean Gregoire
- b Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec , L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec , Québec , Canada.,c Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Université Laval , Québec , Canada
| | - Marie-Claude Renaud
- b Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec , L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec , Québec , Canada.,c Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Université Laval , Québec , Canada
| | - Alexandra Sebastianelli
- b Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec , L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec , Québec , Canada.,c Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Université Laval , Québec , Canada
| | - Stephane Gobeil
- a Department of Molecular Medicine , Université Laval , Québec , Canada.,d Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec , CHUL , Québec , Canada
| | - Chantale Morin
- b Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec , L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec , Québec , Canada
| | - Karim Ghani
- b Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec , L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec , Québec , Canada
| | - Dimcho Bachvarov
- a Department of Molecular Medicine , Université Laval , Québec , Canada.,b Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec , L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec , Québec , Canada
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102
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Ortiz-Quintero B. Cell-free microRNAs in blood and other body fluids, as cancer biomarkers. Cell Prolif 2017; 49:281-303. [PMID: 27218664 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of cell-free microRNAs (miRNAs) in serum, plasma and other body fluids has yielded an invaluable potential source of non-invasive biomarkers for cancer and other non-malignant diseases. miRNAs in the blood and other body fluids are highly stable in biological samples and are resistant to environmental conditions, such as freezing, thawing or enzymatic degradation, which makes them convenient as potential biomarkers. In addition, they are more easily sampled than tissue miRNAs. Altered levels of cell-free miRNAs have been found in every type of cancer analysed, and increasing evidence indicates that they may participate in carcinogenesis by acting as cell-to-cell signalling molecules. This review summarizes the biological characteristics and mechanisms of release of cell-free miRNAs that make them promising candidates as non-invasive biomarkers of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Ortiz-Quintero
- Research Unit, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Ismael Cosio Villegas, 14080, Mexico City, Mexico
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103
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Terry S, Buart S, Tan TZ, Gros G, Noman MZ, Lorens JB, Mami-Chouaib F, Thiery JP, Chouaib S. Acquisition of tumor cell phenotypic diversity along the EMT spectrum under hypoxic pressure: Consequences on susceptibility to cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Oncoimmunology 2017; 6:e1271858. [PMID: 28344883 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2016.1271858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor escape to immunosurveillance and resistance to immune attacks present a major hurdle in cancer therapy, especially in the current era of new cancer immunotherapies. We report here that hypoxia, a hallmark of most solid tumors, orchestrates carcinoma cell heterogeneity through the induction of phenotypic diversity and the acquisition of distinct epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) states. Using lung adenocarcinoma cells derived from a non-metastatic patient, we demonstrated that hypoxic stress induced phenotypic diversity along the EMT spectrum, with induction of EMT transcription factors (EMT-TFs) SNAI1, SNAI2, TWIST1, and ZEB2 in a hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1A)-dependent or -independent manner. Analysis of hypoxia-exposed tumor subclones, with pronounced epithelial or mesenchymal phenotypes, revealed that mesenchymal subclones exhibited an increased propensity to resist cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), and natural killer (NK) cell-mediated lysis by a mechanism involving defective immune synapse signaling. Additionally, targeting EMT-TFs, or inhibition of TGF-β signaling, attenuated mesenchymal subclone susceptibility to immune attack. Together, these findings uncover hypoxia-induced EMT and heterogeneity as a novel driving escape mechanism to lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity, with the potential to provide new therapeutic opportunities for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Terry
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Genetic Oncology, Gustave Roussy, EPHE, Fac. de médecine - Univ. Paris-Sud, University Paris-Saclay , Villejuif, France
| | - Stéphanie Buart
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Genetic Oncology, Gustave Roussy, EPHE, Fac. de médecine - Univ. Paris-Sud, University Paris-Saclay , Villejuif, France
| | - Tuan Zea Tan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore , Singapore
| | - Gwendoline Gros
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Genetic Oncology, Gustave Roussy, EPHE, Fac. de médecine - Univ. Paris-Sud, University Paris-Saclay , Villejuif, France
| | - Muhammad Zaeem Noman
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Genetic Oncology, Gustave Roussy, EPHE, Fac. de médecine - Univ. Paris-Sud, University Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France; Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (L.I.H), Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - James B Lorens
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen , Bergen, Norway
| | - Fathia Mami-Chouaib
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Genetic Oncology, Gustave Roussy, EPHE, Fac. de médecine - Univ. Paris-Sud, University Paris-Saclay , Villejuif, France
| | - Jean Paul Thiery
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Genetic Oncology, Gustave Roussy, EPHE, Fac. de médecine - Univ. Paris-Sud, University Paris-Saclay, Villejuif, France; Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A-STAR, Singapore
| | - Salem Chouaib
- INSERM UMR 1186, Integrative Tumor Immunology and Genetic Oncology, Gustave Roussy, EPHE, Fac. de médecine - Univ. Paris-Sud, University Paris-Saclay , Villejuif, France
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104
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Abstract
The significant parallels between cell plasticity during embryonic development and carcinoma progression have helped us understand the importance of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human disease. Our expanding knowledge of EMT has led to a clarification of the EMT program as a set of multiple and dynamic transitional states between the epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes, as opposed to a process involving a single binary decision. EMT and its intermediate states have recently been identified as crucial drivers of organ fibrosis and tumor progression, although there is some need for caution when interpreting its contribution to metastatic colonization. Here, we discuss the current state-of-the-art and latest findings regarding the concept of cellular plasticity and heterogeneity in EMT. We raise some of the questions pending and identify the challenges faced in this fast-moving field.
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105
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Senfter D, Madlener S, Krupitza G, Mader RM. The microRNA-200 family: still much to discover. Biomol Concepts 2016; 7:311-319. [DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2016-0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractIn the last decade, microRNAs (miRs or miRNAs) became of great interest in cancer research due to their multifunctional and active regulation in a variety of vital cellular processes. In this review, we discuss the miR-200 family, which is composed of five members (miR-141, miR-200a/200b/200c and miR-429). Although being among the best investigated miRNAs in the field, there are still many open issues. Here, we describe the potential role of miR-200 as prognostic and/or predictive biomarker, its influence on motility and cell migration as well as its role in epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis formation in different tumour types. Recent studies also demonstrated the influence of miR-200 on drug resistance and described a correlation between miR-200 expression levels and overall survival of patients. Despite intense research in this field, the full role of the miR-200 family in cancer progression and metastasis is not completely understood and seems to differ between different tumour types and different cellular backgrounds. To elucidate these differences further, a finer characterisation of the role of the individual miRNA-200 family members is currently under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Senfter
- 1Department of Paediatrics, Molecular Neuro-Oncology Research Unit, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sibylle Madlener
- 1Department of Paediatrics, Molecular Neuro-Oncology Research Unit, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Krupitza
- 2Institute of Clinical Pathology, Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert M. Mader
- 3Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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106
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Gui Z, Luo F, Yang Y, Shen C, Li S, Xu J. Oridonin inhibition and miR‑200b‑3p/ZEB1 axis in human pancreatic cancer. Int J Oncol 2016; 50:111-120. [PMID: 27878247 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2016.3772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship among oridonin, miR-200b-3p and pancreatic cancer on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was investigated for the molecular mechanism or signaling pathways on the migration in pancreatic cancer. BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells were cultivated and the IC50 of oridonin in BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells were obtained by the CCK-8 array. The expression of miR‑200b-3p was verified by using real-time PCR and its target gene was predicted. BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells were treated with oridonin or transfected by miR-200b-3p, those cells were used for western blot assay, Transwell assay, ELISA, immunofluorescence staining, tumorigenesis assay in nude mice and immunohistochemical assay to verify the effects of oridonin or miR-200b-3p on pancreatic cancer. We found that oridonin inhibited the proliferation of BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. miR-200b-3p was downregulated by oridonin in BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells. ZEB1 was a target gene for miR-200b-3p. Oridonin or overexpression of miR‑200b-3p can inhibit the cell migration in BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells. miR-200b-3p can inhibit the EMT and oridonin can inhibit the expression of ZEB1, N-cadherin and fibronectin but not increase the expression of E-cadherin, while the cell adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were decreased by oridonin in BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells and the cytoskeleton was altered by oridonin in PANC-1 cells compared with the control. In summary, the results demonstrate that miR‑200b-3p was able to inhibit the EMT of human pancreatic cancer in vivo and in vitro by targeted ZEB1. In vitro, oridonin had a certain effect on the migration in BxPC-3 and PANC-1 cells, but not though type III EMT by miR-200-3p/ZEB1 axis, and may be related to type Ⅱ EMT, tumor microenvironment or altering the cytoskeleton. In vivo, oridonin inhibited the cancer migration in the nude mouse model though inhibiting EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifang Gui
- Medical Technology College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Feng Luo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006, P.R. China
| | - Yayang Yang
- Medical Technology College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Can Shen
- Medical Technology College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Shuquan Li
- Medical Technology College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Jian Xu
- Medical Technology College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
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107
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Lin L, Wang Z, Jin H, Shi H, Lu Z, Qi Z. MiR-212/132 is epigenetically downregulated by SOX4/EZH2-H3K27me3 feedback loop in ovarian cancer cells. Tumour Biol 2016; 37:10.1007/s13277-016-5339-9. [PMID: 27812929 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-016-5339-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Both miR-212 and miR-132 are usually downregulated in ovarian cancer and act as tumor suppressors. However, the mechanism of their downregulation in ovarian cancer is not clear. In this study, we investigated the regulative effects of miR-212 and miR-132 on SOX4 expression in ovarian cancer cells and also studied whether there is a feedback regulation between miR-212/miR-132 and SOX4 via an epigenetic mechanism. The results showed that both EZH2 and SOX4 overexpressions significantly repressed miR-212 and miR-132 expressions in SKOV3 and OV2008 cells. Immunoprecipitation assay showed that there are interactions among SOX4, EZH2, and H3K27me3, and ChIP assay confirmed significant enrichment of EZH2 and H3K27me3 in the promoter region of miR-212/132. Both pri-miR-212 and pri-miR-132 expressions decreased after enforced EZH2 or SOX4 expression. Western blot and dual-luciferase assay confirmed that miR-212 and miR-132 can target the same sites in the 3'UTR of SOX4 mRNA and suppress its expression in ovarian cancer cells. MiR-132 or miR-212 overexpression or knockdown of endogenous SOX4 reduced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like properties. Therefore, we infer that the SOX4/EZH2 complex can silence miR-212 and miR-132 expressions via binding to the promoter region and promoting H3K27me3, while miR-212 and miR-132 can directly bind to the 3'UTR of SOX4 and suppress its expression. This forms a MiR-132/212-SOX4/EZH2-H3K27me3 feedback loop in ovarian cancer cells. Functionally, SOX4 is a downstream effector of miR-212/132 modulating EMT of ovarian cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Lin
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, 066000, China
| | - Zhiwen Wang
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, 066000, China.
| | - Haihong Jin
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, 066000, China
| | - Hongzhen Shi
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, 066000, China
| | - Zhihong Lu
- Department of Infectious Disease, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, 066000, China
| | - Zhenqin Qi
- B-ultrasound Room, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, 066000, China
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108
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Yun-Ju Huang R, Yo-Yan Huang T. A new dimension in drug discovery: reversing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Cell Death Dis 2016; 7:e2417. [PMID: 27735942 PMCID: PMC5133983 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2016.316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ruby Yun-Ju Huang
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore.,Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, National University Health System, Singapore 119228, Singapore.,Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,National University Cancer Institute of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore 119228, Singapore
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109
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Antony J, Tan TZ, Kelly Z, Low J, Choolani M, Recchi C, Gabra H, Thiery JP, Huang RYJ. The GAS6-AXL signaling network is a mesenchymal (Mes) molecular subtype-specific therapeutic target for ovarian cancer. Sci Signal 2016; 9:ra97. [PMID: 27703030 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aaf8175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is a complex disease with heterogeneity among the gene expression molecular subtypes (GEMS) between patients. Patients with tumors of a mesenchymal ("Mes") subtype have a poorer prognosis than patients with tumors of an epithelial ("Epi") subtype. We evaluated GEMS of ovarian cancer patients for molecular signaling profiles and assessed how the differences in these profiles could be leveraged to improve patient clinical outcome. Kinome enrichment analysis identified AXL as a particularly abundant kinase in Mes-subtype tumor tissue and cell lines. In Mes cells, upon activation by its ligand GAS6, AXL coclustered with and transactivated the receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) cMET, EGFR, and HER2, producing sustained extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation. In Epi-A cells, AXL was less abundant and induced a transient activation of ERK without evidence of RTK transactivation. AXL-RTK crosstalk also stimulated sustained activation of the transcription factor FRA1, which correlated with the induction of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated transcription factor SLUG and stimulation of motility exclusively in Mes-subtype cells. The AXL inhibitor R428 attenuated RTK and ERK activation and reduced cell motility in Mes cells in culture and reduced tumor growth in a chick chorioallantoic membrane model. A higher concentration of R428 was needed to inhibit ERK activation and cell motility in Epi-A cells. Silencing AXL in Mes-subtype cells reversed the mesenchymal phenotype in culture and abolished tumor formation in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model. Thus, AXL-targeted therapy may improve clinical outcome for patients with Mes-subtype ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Antony
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore. NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117456, Singapore. Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London W120NN, U.K
| | - Tuan Zea Tan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Zoe Kelly
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London W120NN, U.K
| | - Jeffrey Low
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National University Health System, Singapore 119228, Singapore
| | - Mahesh Choolani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National University Health System, Singapore 119228, Singapore
| | - Chiara Recchi
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London W120NN, U.K
| | - Hani Gabra
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London W120NN, U.K
| | - Jean Paul Thiery
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore. Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117596, Singapore. Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Ruby Yun-Ju Huang
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National University Health System, Singapore 119228, Singapore. Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
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110
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An epithelial marker promoter induction screen identifies histone deacetylase inhibitors to restore epithelial differentiation and abolishes anchorage independence growth in cancers. Cell Death Discov 2016; 2:16041. [PMID: 27551531 PMCID: PMC4979427 DOI: 10.1038/cddiscovery.2016.41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a crucial mechanism in development, mediates aggressiveness during carcinoma progression and therapeutic refractoriness. The reversibility of EMT makes it an attractive strategy in designing novel therapeutic approaches. Therefore, drug discovery pipelines for EMT reversal are in need to discover emerging classes of compounds. Here, we outline a pre-clinical drug screening platform for EMT reversal that consists of three phases of drug discovery and validation. From the Phase 1 epithelial marker promoter induction (EpI) screen on a library consisting of compounds being approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Vorinostat (SAHA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), is identified to exert EMT reversal effects by restoring the expression of an epithelial marker, E-cadherin. An expanded screen on 41 HDACi further identifies 28 compounds, such as class I-specific HDACi Mocetinosat, Entinostat and CI994, to restore E-cadherin and ErbB3 expressions in ovarian, pancreatic and bladder carcinoma cells. Mocetinostat is the most potent HDACi to restore epithelial differentiation with the lowest concentration required for 50% induction of epithelial promoter activity (EpIC-50).The HDACi exerts paradoxical effects on EMT transcriptional factors such as SNAI and ZEB family and the effects are context-dependent in epithelial- and mesenchymal-like cells. In vitro functional studies further show that HDACi induced significant increase in anoikis and decrease in spheroid formation in ovarian and bladder carcinoma cells with mesenchymal features. This study demonstrates a robust drug screening pipeline for the discovery of compounds capable of restoring epithelial differentiation that lead to significant functional lethality.
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