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Tumor Milieu Controlled by RB Tumor Suppressor. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21072450. [PMID: 32244804 PMCID: PMC7177274 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The RB gene is one of the most frequently mutated genes in human cancers. Canonically, RB exerts its tumor suppressive activity through the regulation of the G1/S transition during cell cycle progression by modulating the activity of E2F transcription factors. However, aberration of the RB gene is most commonly detected in tumors when they gain more aggressive phenotypes, including metastatic activity or drug resistance, rather than accelerated proliferation. This implicates RB controls' malignant progression to a considerable extent in a cell cycle-independent manner. In this review, we highlight the multifaceted functions of the RB protein in controlling tumor lineage plasticity, metabolism, and the tumor microenvironment (TME), with a focus on the mechanism whereby RB controls the TME. In brief, RB inactivation in several types of cancer cells enhances production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including CCL2, through upregulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. These factors not only accelerate the growth of cancer cells in a cell-autonomous manner, but also stimulate non-malignant cells in the TME to generate a pro-tumorigenic niche in a non-cell-autonomous manner. Here, we discuss the biological and pathological significance of the non-cell-autonomous functions of RB and attempt to predict their potential clinical relevance to cancer immunotherapy.
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152
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The p38 Pathway: From Biology to Cancer Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21061913. [PMID: 32168915 PMCID: PMC7139330 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21061913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The p38 MAPK pathway is well known for its role in transducing stress signals from the environment. Many key players and regulatory mechanisms of this signaling cascade have been described to some extent. Nevertheless, p38 participates in a broad range of cellular activities, for many of which detailed molecular pictures are still lacking. Originally described as a tumor-suppressor kinase for its inhibitory role in RAS-dependent transformation, p38 can also function as a tumor promoter, as demonstrated by extensive experimental data. This finding has prompted the development of specific inhibitors that have been used in clinical trials to treat several human malignancies, although without much success to date. However, elucidating critical aspects of p38 biology, such as isoform-specific functions or its apparent dual nature during tumorigenesis, might open up new possibilities for therapy with unexpected potential. In this review, we provide an extensive description of the main biological functions of p38 and focus on recent studies that have addressed its role in cancer. Furthermore, we provide an updated overview of therapeutic strategies targeting p38 in cancer and promising alternatives currently being explored.
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153
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Ishak CA, De Carvalho DD. Reactivation of Endogenous Retroelements in Cancer Development and Therapy. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CANCER BIOLOGY-SERIES 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-030419-033525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Domesticated retroelements contribute extensively as regulatory elements within host gene networks. Upon germline integration, retroelement mobilization is restricted through epigenetic silencing, mutational degradation, and innate immune defenses described as the viral mimicry response. Recent discoveries reveal how early events in tumorigenesis reactivate retroelements to facilitate onco-exaptation, replication stress, retrotransposition, mitotic errors, and sterile inflammation, which collectively disrupt genome integrity. The characterization of altered epigenetic homeostasis at retroelements in cancer cells also reveals new epigenetic targets whose inactivation can bolster responses to cancer therapies. Recent discoveries reviewed here frame reactivated retroelements as both drivers of tumorigenesis and therapy responses, where their reactivation by emerging epigenetic therapies can potentiate immune checkpoint blockade, cancer vaccines, and other standard therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles A. Ishak
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M9, Canada
| | - Daniel D. De Carvalho
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M9, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2M9, Canada
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154
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Hu J, Shen J, Sun J. CDK4/RB/E2Fs axis as potential therapeutic target of endometrial cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 125:109870. [PMID: 32032891 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.109870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing incidence rate and decreasing patients' five-year survival rate for endometrial cancer (EC) in recent decades highlight the necessity for further investigation of the molecular characteristics involved in cancer initiation and progression. In this study, we found that the pathways associated with mitotic cell cycle were enriched in primary EC samples versus normal endometrial samples through analyzing RNA-seq data of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of three activator E2Fs (E2F1, E2F2, and E2F3) and their target genes increased significantly in EC samples. Additionally, the high transcriptional activity of activator E2Fs was associated with poor survival, advanced clinical stage, high histologic grade, and aggressive histological type. We further demonstrated that E2Fs hyperactivation correlated with DNA hypomethylation and high cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) expression. Moreover, abemaciclib, a selective CDK4 inhibitor, significantly inhibited the proliferation rates of human EC cell lines in vitro. And, abemaciclib also obviously inhibited EC cell growth in nude mice model. Collectively, our data suggest that the misregulation of CDK4/RB/E2Fs axis is associated with EC oncogenesis, and abemaciclib is a potential targeted drug for EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Hu
- Department of Gynecology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201204, China
| | - Junwei Shen
- Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120, China.
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Gynecology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201204, China.
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155
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Wu W, Jing D, Meng Z, Hu B, Zhong B, Deng X, Jin X, Shao Z. FGD1 promotes tumor progression and regulates tumor immune response in osteosarcoma via inhibiting PTEN activity. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:2859-2871. [PMID: 32194840 PMCID: PMC7052884 DOI: 10.7150/thno.41279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Mesenchymal cell-derived osteosarcoma is a rare malignant bone tumor affecting children and adolescents. PTEN down-regulation or function-loss mutation is associated with the aggressive of osteosarcoma. Explicating the regulatory mechanism of PTEN might highlight new targets for improving the survival rate of osteosarcoma patients. Methods: The clinical relevance of FGD1 was examined by the TCGA data set, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry of osteosarcoma microarray slides. Functional assays, such as the MTS assay, colony formation assay and xenografts, were used to determine the biological role of FGD1 in osteosarcoma. The protein-protein interaction between FGD1 and PTEN was detected via co-immunoprecipitation. The relationship between FGD1 and PD-L1 was examined by Western blot analysis, RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Results: In this study, analysis of the TCGA data set of sarcomas revealed that FGD1 was over-expressed with the highest P values. Then, we demonstrated that FGD1 was also abnormally up-regulated in osteosarcoma with unfavorable prognosis. Aberrant expressed FGD1 promoted the osteosarcoma tumor cell proliferation and invasion. Moreover, we found that FGD1 was participated in activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by interacting with PTEN. Finally, we showed that FGD1 was capable of regulating the tumor immune response via the PTEN/PD-L1 axis in osteosarcoma. Conclusions: Our data suggested that abnormally over-expressed FGD1 functions as an oncogenic protein to promote osteosarcoma progression through inhibiting PTEN activity and activating PI3K/AKT signaling. Notably, FGD1 increased PD-L1 expression in a PTEN dependent manner and modulated the sensitivity of immune checkpoint-based immunotherapy in osteosarcoma. Thus, FGD1 might be a potential target for improving the survival rate of osteosarcomas.
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156
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Cong M, Wang Y, Yang Y, Lian C, Zhuang X, Li X, Zhang P, Liu Y, Tang J, Yang Q, Zhang X, Xiong H, Hu R, Hu G. MTSS1 suppresses mammary tumor-initiating cells by enhancing RBCK1-mediated p65 ubiquitination. NATURE CANCER 2020; 1:222-234. [PMID: 35122005 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-019-0021-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Tumor-initiating cells (TICs) are considered the culprits of cancer development and progression. Dysregulation of metastasis suppressor protein 1 (MTSS1) has been widely observed in tumor metastasis, but its functional contribution and mechanism in cancer is poorly understood. Here we report a role of MTSS1 in suppressing TICs in breast cancer. Mtss1 knockout (KO) enhances the mammary epithelial TIC subpopulation in both luminal and basal-like breast cancer mouse models. MTSS1 also suppresses tumorsphere formation in breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, MTSS1 interacts with the E3 ligase RanBP2-type and C3HC4-type zinc finger containing 1 (RBCK1) to facilitate RBCK1-mediated p65 ubiquitination and degradation, thus suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway and tumorigenesis. In addition, actin beta-like 2 (ACTBL2) competes with RBCK1 for MTSS1 binding, leading to p65 stabilization. Importantly, MTSS1 silencing promotes patient-derived organoid formation and xenograft growth. MTSS1 downregulation in clinical tumors is also linked to worse prognosis. Overall our data reveal a new paradigm of NF-κB regulation and may have important implications in therapeutics targeting TICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Cong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Lian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xueqian Zhuang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoxun Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Peiyuan Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingjie Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Department of Breast Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qifeng Yang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua Xiong
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Ronggui Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
| | - Guohong Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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157
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Li J, Jin C, Zou C, Qiao X, Ma P, Hu D, Li W, Jin J, Jin X, Fan P. GNG12 regulates PD-L1 expression by activating NF-κB signaling in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. FEBS Open Bio 2020; 10:278-287. [PMID: 31898405 PMCID: PMC6996305 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.12784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive solid tumors in the digestive system. A greater understanding of the pathogenesis of PDAC may facilitate the search for new therapeutic targets. Guanine nucleotide-binding protein subunit gamma-12 (GNG12) belongs to the G protein family and participates in the modulation of the inflammatory signaling cascade. However, the cancer-related function and clinical relevance of GNG12 in PDAC have not previously been reported. Here, we investigated the clinical significance of GNG12 in PDAC using the Oncomine web tool, the gene expression profiling interactive analysis tool and tissue microarray (TMA). GNG12 expression was observed to be higher in PDAC patient specimens than in nontumor pancreatic tissues, and high expression of GNG12 was associated with poor prognosis. We subsequently show that GNG12 promotes pancreatic cancer cell growth in vivo and in vitro, as evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt assays, colony formation assays and a xenograft mouse model. Furthermore, our results suggest that GNG12 activates nuclear factor-κB signaling and modulates the immune response. Collectively, our findings suggest that GNG12 may be suitable as a new prognosis-related biomarker and a promising target for treatment of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Li
- Department of General MedicineThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJingzhou Central HospitalYangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Can Jin
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJingzhou Central HospitalYangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Chuanxin Zou
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJingzhou Central HospitalYangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Xu Qiao
- Digestive Endoscopy CenterThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJingzhou Central HospitalYangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Peng Ma
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJingzhou Central HospitalYangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Di Hu
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJingzhou Central HospitalYangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Wenqin Li
- Department of GastroenterologyThe Second Clinical Medical CollegeJingzhou Central HospitalYangtze UniversityJingzhouChina
| | - Jun Jin
- Department of OncologyNo. 99 Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLAZhangzhouChina
| | - Xin Jin
- Cancer CenterTongji Medical CollegeUnion HospitalHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Ping Fan
- Cancer CenterTongji Medical CollegeUnion HospitalHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
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158
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Wang Y, Wang P, Xu J. Phosphorylation: A Fast Switch For Checkpoint Signaling. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1248:347-398. [PMID: 32185718 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-3266-5_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Checkpoint signaling involves a variety of upstream and downstream factors that participate in the regulation of checkpoint expression, activation, and degradation. During the process, phosphorylation plays a critical role. Phosphorylation is one of the most well-documented post-translational modifications of proteins. Of note, the importance of phosphorylation has been emphasized in aspects of cell activities, including proliferation, metabolism, and differentiation. Here we summarize how phosphorylation of specific molecules affects the immune activities with preference in tumor immunity. Of course, immune checkpoints are given extra attention in this book. There are many common pathways that are involved in signaling of different checkpoints. Some of them are integrated and presented as common activities in the early part of this chapter, especially those associated with PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4, because investigations concerning them are particularly abundant and variant. Their distinct regulation is supplementarily discussed in their respective section. As for checkpoints that are so far not well explored, their related phosphorylation modulations are listed separately in the later part. We hope to provide a clear and systematic view of the phosphorylation-modulated immune signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiting Wang
- School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University Cancer Center, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Jie Xu
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Zhongshan-Xuhui Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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159
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Wang B, Zhou Y, Zhang J, Jin X, Wu H, Huang H. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase loss modulates STAT3-dependent expression of PD-L1 and cancer immunity. Theranostics 2020; 10:1033-1045. [PMID: 31938049 PMCID: PMC6956820 DOI: 10.7150/thno.38137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Abnormal expression of programmed death-1 (PD-1) ligand-1(PD-L1) in cancer cells plays a crucial role in cancer immune evasion and progression. The immune checkpoint molecules PD-1 and PD-L1 have been targeted for cancer treatment with significant benefits for cancer patients. However, the response rate is relatively low in certain types of cancer and the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Better understanding of the molecular mechanism of PD-L1 expression regulation in cancer cells is urgently needed to improve the treatment response rate and overall survival of patients. Fructose-1, 6-biphosphatase (FBP1) is a key enzyme in gluconeogenesis and is implicated in human cancer due to its frequent loss in various cancer types. Methods: Expression of FBP1 and PD-L1 was analyzed in various cancer cell lines. Western blot and RT-qPCR were performed to determine whether FBP1 regulates PD-L1 expression. Co-immunoprecipitation and glutathione S-transferase (GST) pulldown assay were employed to define the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to determine the correlation between FBP1 and PD-L1 expression in a cohort of patients. A cancer syngeneic mouse model was utilized to examine how FBP1 affects tumor immunity. Results: We demonstrated that in a manner independent of its enzymatic activity FBP1 downregulates the expression of PD-L1 in various cell lines of different cancer types including pancreatic and prostate cancer. We further showed that this regulation occurs at the transcriptional level and is mediated by FBP1 inhibition of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3)-dependent PD-L1 transcription. Moreover, FBP1 and PD-L1 protein expression were negatively correlated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) specimens from a cohort of patients. Most importantly, we demonstrated that decreased FBP1 expression promotes tumor growth and resistance to immune checkpoint blockade therapy in mice. Conclusions: Our findings reveal a new tumor suppressor function of FBP1 in inhibiting PD-L1 expression and enhancing cancer immunity. They also suggest that FBP1-deficient human cancers could be therapeutically targeted by PD-1/PD-L1-based immune checkpoint blockade therapy.
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160
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Salmonella Breaks Tumor Immune Tolerance by Downregulating Tumor Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Expression. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 12:cancers12010057. [PMID: 31878272 PMCID: PMC7017279 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12010057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is becoming a popular treatment modality in combat against cancer, one of the world’s leading health problems. While tumor cells influence host immunity via expressing immune inhibitory signaling proteins, some bacteria possess immunomodulatory activities that counter the symptoms of tumors. The accumulation of Salmonella in tumor sites influences tumor protein expression, resulting in T cell infiltration. However, the molecular mechanism by which Salmonella activates T cells remains elusive. Many tumors have been reported to have high expressions of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), which is an important immune checkpoint molecule involved in tumor immune escape. In this study, Salmonella reduced the expression of PD-L1 in tumor cells. The expression levels of phospho-protein kinase B (P-AKT), phospho-mammalian targets of rapamycin (P-mTOR), and the phospho-p70 ribosomal s6 kinase (P-p70s6K) pathway were revealed to be involved in the Salmonella-mediated downregulation of PD-L1. In a tumor-T cell coculture system, Salmonella increased T cell number and reduced T cell apoptosis. Systemic administration of Salmonella reduced the expressions of PD-L-1 in tumor-bearing mice. In addition, tumor growth was significantly inhibited along with an enhanced T cell infiltration following Salmonella treatment. These findings suggest that Salmonella acts upon the immune checkpoint, primarily PD-L1, to incapacitate protumor effects and thereby inhibit tumor growth.
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161
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Ren D, Zhao J, Sun Y, Li D, Meng Z, Wang B, Fan P, Liu Z, Jin X, Wu H. Overexpressed ITGA2 promotes malignant tumor aggression by up-regulating PD-L1 expression through the activation of the STAT3 signaling pathway. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2019; 38:485. [PMID: 31818309 PMCID: PMC6902401 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-019-1496-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Background Recent studies have reported that Integrin alpha 2 (ITGA2) plays an essential role in tumor cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. An abnormally expressed ITGA2 correlates with unfavorable prognoses in multiple types of cancer. However, the specific mechanism of how ITGA2 contributes to tumorigenesis remains unclear. Methods The GEPIA web tool was used to find the clinical relevance of ITGA2 in cancer, and this significance was verified using Western blotting analysis of paired patient tissues and immunohistochemistry of the pancreatic cancer tissue. Functional assays, such as the MTS assay, colony formation assay, and transwell assay, were used to determine the biological role of ITGA2 in human cancer. The relationship between ITGA2 and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) was examined using Western blot analysis, RT-qPCR assay, and immunohistochemistry. The protein-protein interaction between ITGA2 and STAT3 was detected via co-immunoprecipitation. Results Our study showed that ITGA2 was markedly overexpressed in several malignant tumor cells and clinical tissues. Blocking ITGA2 inhibited the proliferation and invasion ability of cancer cells significantly, whereas overexpressed ITGA2 increased the degree of those processes considerably. Additionally, the RNA-seq assay indicated that ITGA2 transcriptionally regulated the expression of PD-L1 in pancreatic cancer. We also demonstrated that ITGA2 interacted with STAT3 and up-regulated the phosphorylation of STAT3; this interaction might involve the mechanism of ITGA2 inducing PD-L1 expression in cancer cells. Our results suggest that ITGA2 plays a critical role in cancer cell progression and the regulation of PD-L1 by activating the STAT3 pathway. Conclusions We identified a novel mechanism by which ITGA2 plays a critical role in modulating cancer immune response by transcriptionally increasing the expression of PD-L1 in cancer cells. Thus, targeting ITGA2 is an effective method to enhance the efficacy of checkpoint immunotherapy against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianyun Ren
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Jingyuan Zhao
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Dan Li
- Cardiovascular medicine department, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Zibo Meng
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Ping Fan
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Zhiqiang Liu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Xin Jin
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China. .,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China. .,Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
| | - Heshui Wu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China. .,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
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162
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AEG-1/miR-221 Axis Cooperatively Regulates the Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Targeting PTEN/PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20225526. [PMID: 31698701 PMCID: PMC6888527 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20225526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading malignancy worldwide, causing mortality in children and adults. AEG-1 is functioned as a scaffold protein for the proper assembly of RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) to optimize or increase its activity. The increased activity of oncogenic miRNAs leads to the degradation of target tumor suppressor genes. miR-221 is an oncogenic miRNA, that plays a seminal role in carcinogenesis regulation of HCC. However, the molecular mechanism and biological functions of the miR-221/AEG-1 axis have not been investigated extensively in HCC. Here, the expression of miR-221/AEG-1 and their target/associate genes was analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blot. The role of the miR-221/AEG-1 axis in HCC was evaluated by proliferation assay, migration assay, invasion assay, and flow cytometry analysis. The expression level of miR-221 decreased in AEG-1 siRNA transfected HCC cells. On the other hand, there were no significant expression changes of AEG-1 in miR-221 mimic and miR-221 inhibitor transfected HCC cells and inhibition of miR-221/AEG-1 axis decreased cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and angiogenesis and induced apoptosis, cell cycle arrest by upregulating p57, p53, PTEN, and RB and downregulating LSF, MMP9, OPN, Bcl-2, PI3K, AKT, and LC3A in HCC cells. Furthermore, these findings suggest that the miR-221/AEG-1 axis plays a seminal oncogenic role by modulating PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in HCC. In conclusion, the miR-221/AEG-1 axis may serve as a potential target for therapeutics, diagnostics, and prognostics of HCC.
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163
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Bonelli M, La Monica S, Fumarola C, Alfieri R. Multiple effects of CDK4/6 inhibition in cancer: From cell cycle arrest to immunomodulation. Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 170:113676. [PMID: 31647925 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.113676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the cell cycle is a hallmark of cancer that leads to aberrant cellular proliferation. CDK4/6 are cyclin-dependent kinases activated in response to proliferative signaling, which induce RB hyper-phosphorylation and hence activation of E2F transcription factors, thus promoting cell cycle progression through the S phase. Pharmacologic inhibition of CDK4/6 by palbociclib, ribociclib, or abemaciclib has been showing promising activity in multiple cancers with the best results achieved in combination with other agents. Indeed, CDK4/6 inhibitors are currently approved in combination with endocrine therapy for the treatment of estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Moreover, a number of clinical trials are currently underway to test the efficacy of combining CDK4/6 inhibitors with different drugs not only in breast but also in other types of cancer. Beyond the inhibition of cell proliferation, CDK4/6 inhibitors have recently revealed new effects on cancer cells and on tumor microenvironment. In particular, it has been reported that these agents induce a senescent-like phenotype, impact on cell metabolism and exert both immunomodulatory and immunogenic effects. Here we describe recent data on the anti-tumor effects of CDK4/6 inhibitors as single agents or in combined therapies, focusing in particular on their metabolic and immunomodulatory activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Bonelli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
| | - Silvia La Monica
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
| | - Claudia Fumarola
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
| | - Roberta Alfieri
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
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164
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Testa U, Castelli G, Pelosi E. Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Prostate Cancer Development: Therapeutic Implications. MEDICINES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 6:E82. [PMID: 31366128 PMCID: PMC6789661 DOI: 10.3390/medicines6030082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the most frequent nonskin cancer and second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in man. Prostate cancer is a clinically heterogeneous disease with many patients exhibiting an aggressive disease with progression, metastasis, and other patients showing an indolent disease with low tendency to progression. Three stages of development of human prostate tumors have been identified: intraepithelial neoplasia, adenocarcinoma androgen-dependent, and adenocarcinoma androgen-independent or castration-resistant. Advances in molecular technologies have provided a very rapid progress in our understanding of the genomic events responsible for the initial development and progression of prostate cancer. These studies have shown that prostate cancer genome displays a relatively low mutation rate compared with other cancers and few chromosomal loss or gains. The ensemble of these molecular studies has led to suggest the existence of two main molecular groups of prostate cancers: one characterized by the presence of ERG rearrangements (~50% of prostate cancers harbor recurrent gene fusions involving ETS transcription factors, fusing the 5' untranslated region of the androgen-regulated gene TMPRSS2 to nearly the coding sequence of the ETS family transcription factor ERG) and features of chemoplexy (complex gene rearrangements developing from a coordinated and simultaneous molecular event), and a second one characterized by the absence of ERG rearrangements and by the frequent mutations in the E3 ubiquitin ligase adapter SPOP and/or deletion of CDH1, a chromatin remodeling factor, and interchromosomal rearrangements and SPOP mutations are early events during prostate cancer development. During disease progression, genomic and epigenomic abnormalities accrued and converged on prostate cancer pathways, leading to a highly heterogeneous transcriptomic landscape, characterized by a hyperactive androgen receptor signaling axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Testa
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Vaile Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Germana Castelli
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Vaile Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Elvira Pelosi
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Vaile Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
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165
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Kabacaoglu D, Ruess DA, Ai J, Algül H. NF-κB/Rel Transcription Factors in Pancreatic Cancer: Focusing on RelA, c-Rel, and RelB. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:E937. [PMID: 31277415 PMCID: PMC6679104 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11070937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulation of Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB)/Rel transcription factors (TFs) is extremely cell-type-specific owing to their ability to act disparately in the context of cellular homeostasis driven by cellular fate and the microenvironment. This is also valid for tumor cells in which every single component shows heterogenic effects. Whereas many studies highlighted a per se oncogenic function for NF-κB/Rel TFs across cancers, recent advances in the field revealed their additional tumor-suppressive nature. Specifically, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), as one of the deadliest malignant diseases, shows aberrant canonical-noncanonical NF-κB signaling activity. Although decades of work suggest a prominent oncogenic activity of NF-κB signaling in PDAC, emerging evidence points to the opposite including anti-tumor effects. Considering the dual nature of NF-κB signaling and how it is closely linked to many other cancer related signaling pathways, it is essential to dissect the roles of individual Rel TFs in pancreatic carcinogenesis and tumor persistency and progression. Here, we discuss recent knowledge highlighting the role of Rel TFs RelA, RelB, and c-Rel in PDAC development and maintenance. Next to providing rationales for therapeutically harnessing Rel TF function in PDAC, we compile strategies currently in (pre-)clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derya Kabacaoglu
- Internal Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Dietrich A Ruess
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jiaoyu Ai
- Internal Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Hana Algül
- Internal Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany.
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166
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Shen X, Zhang L, Li J, Li Y, Wang Y, Xu ZX. Recent Findings in the Regulation of Programmed Death Ligand 1 Expression. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1337. [PMID: 31258527 PMCID: PMC6587331 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
With the recent approvals for the application of monoclonal antibodies that target the well-characterized immune checkpoints, immune therapy shows great potential against both solid and hematologic tumors. The use of these therapeutic monoclonal antibodies elicits inspiring clinical results with durable objective responses and improvements in overall survival. Agents targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1; also known as PDCD1) and its ligand (PD-L1) achieve a great success in immune checkpoints therapy. However, the majority of patients fail to respond to PD-1/PD-L1 axis inhibitors. Expression of PD-L1 on the membrane of tumor and immune cells has been shown to be associated with enhanced objective response rates to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition. Thus, an improved understanding of how PD-L1 expression is regulated will enable us to better define its role as a predictive marker. In this review, we summarize recent findings in the regulation of PD-L1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangfeng Shen
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Norman Bethune College of Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lihong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Norman Bethune College of Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jicheng Li
- Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yulin Li
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Norman Bethune College of Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yishu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Norman Bethune College of Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhi-Xiang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Norman Bethune College of Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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167
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Indovina P, Pentimalli F, Conti D, Giordano A. Translating RB1 predictive value in clinical cancer therapy: Are we there yet? Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 166:323-334. [PMID: 31176618 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The retinoblastoma RB1 gene has been identified in the 80s as the first tumor suppressor. RB1 loss of function, as well alterations in its pathway, occur in most human cancers and often have prognostic value. RB1 has a key role in restraining cell cycle entry and, along with its family members, regulates a myriad of cellular processes and affects cell response to a variety of stimuli, ultimately determining cell fate. Consistently, RB1 status is a crucial determinant of the cell response to antitumoral therapies, impacting on the outcome of both traditional and modern anti-cancer strategies, including precision medicine approaches, such as kinase inhibitors, and immunotherapy. Despite many efforts however, the predictive value of RB1 status in the clinical practice is still underused, mainly owing to the complexity of RB1 function, to differences depending on the cellular context and on the therapeutic strategies, and, not-lastly, to technical issues. Here, we provide an overview of studies analyzing the role of RB1 in response to conventional cytotoxic and cytostatic therapeutic agents in different cancer types, including hormone dependent ones. We also review RB1 predictive value in the response to the last generation CDK4/6 inhibitors, other kinase inhibitors, and immunotherapy and discuss new emerging non-canonical roles of RB1 that could impact on the response to antitumoral treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Indovina
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Francesca Pentimalli
- Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli 80131, Italy
| | - Daniele Conti
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA; Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA; Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy.
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168
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Kim SJ, Asfaha S, Dick FA. CDK4 Inhibitors Thwart Immunity by Inhibiting Phospho-RB-NF-κB Complexes. Mol Cell 2019; 73:1-2. [PMID: 30609388 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PD-L1 plays a central role in immune recognition of cancer cells. In this issue of Molecular Cell, Jin et al. (2019) report that a phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein contacts the DNA-binding domain of p65 NF-κB, thereby blocking transcription of PD-L1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung J Kim
- London Regional Cancer Program, London, ON, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Samuel Asfaha
- London Regional Cancer Program, London, ON, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada; Department of Medicine, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Frederick A Dick
- London Regional Cancer Program, London, ON, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
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169
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Wang X, Wu WKK, Gao J, Li Z, Dong B, Lin X, Li Y, Li Y, Gong J, Qi C, Peng Z, Yu J, Shen L. Autophagy inhibition enhances PD-L1 expression in gastric cancer. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2019; 38:140. [PMID: 30925913 PMCID: PMC6440013 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-019-1148-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Background Autophagy, a process for degrading intracellular substances to maintain basal metabolic turnover, is known to be perturbed in gastric cancer. Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) with its ligand (PD-L1) are important immune checkpoint proteins and their regulation by autophagy has been reported in mouse melanoma and human ovarian cancer. Here, we explored the interplay between autophagy and the PD1/PD-L1 axis in gastric cancer. Methods The expression of PD-L1 in gastric cancer cells was detected by Western blot and flow cytometry analysis. The effect of autophagy inhibition on PD-L1 expression was examined in vitro and in vivo. The molecular mechanisms of the regulation of PD-L1 by autophagy were evaluated in gastric cancer cell lines. The clinical relevance of autophagy-related markers p62/SQSTM1 and LC3 with PD-L1 was evaluated in 137 patients with gastric cancer. Results We found that inhibition of autophagy by pharmacological inhibitors or small interfering RNAs increased the levels of PD-L1 in cultured gastric cancer cells and in xenografts. Interferon (IFN)-γ also promoted PD-L1 gene transcription, whose action was enhanced by autophagy inhibition. Mechanistically, autophagy inhibition led to the accumulation of p62/SQSTM1 and activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, in which NF-κB inhibition or p62/SQSTM1 knockdown attenuated PD-L1 induction by autophagy inhibition. Immunohistochemical staining of primary tumor tissues of 137 patients with gastric cancer showed that LC3 and p62/SQSTM1 protein levels were positively correlated with PD-L1 (LC3, p < 0.001; p62/SQSTM1, p < 0.05). The expression of PD-L1 was also positively correlated with tumor lymphocyte infiltration (p < 0.001). Conclusions We discovered that autophagy regulates PD-L1 expression in gastric cancer through the p62/SQSTM1-NF-κB pathway. Pharmacological modulation of autophagy may thus influence the therapeutic efficacy of PD-L1 blockade in gastric cancer. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-019-1148-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojuan Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - William K K Wu
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jing Gao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Zhongwu Li
- Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Dong
- Central Laboratory, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoting Lin
- Department of Pathology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Yilin Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Yanyan Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Jifang Gong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Changsong Qi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Zhi Peng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Jun Yu
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lin Shen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China.
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170
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Zhu J, Li Y, Luo Y, Xu J, Liufu H, Tian Z, Huang C, Li J, Huang C. A Feedback Loop Formed by ATG7/Autophagy, FOXO3a/miR-145 and PD-L1 Regulates Stem-Like Properties and Invasion in Human Bladder Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:E349. [PMID: 30871066 PMCID: PMC6468999 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11030349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand PD-L1 blockade have been identified to target immune checkpoints to treat human cancers with durable clinical benefit. Several studies reveal that the response to PD-1-PD-L1 blockade might correlate with PD-L1 expression levels in tumor cells. However, the mechanistic pathways that regulate PD-L1 protein expression are not understood. Here, we reported that PD-L1 protein is regulated by ATG7-autophagy with an ATG7-initiated positive feedback loop in bladder cancer (BC). Mechanistic studies revealed that ATG7 overexpression elevates PD-L1 protein level mainly through promoting autophagy-mediated degradation of FOXO3a, thereby inhibiting its initiated miR-145 transcription. The lower expression of miR-145 increases pd-l1 mRNA stability due to the reduction of its direct binding to 3'-UTR of pd-l1 mRNA, in turn leading to increasing in pd-l1 mRNA stability and expression, and finally enhancing stem-like property and invasion of BC cells. Notably, overexpression of PD-L1 in ATG7 knockdown cells can reverse the defect of autophagy activation, FOXO3A degradation, and miR-145 transcription attenuation. Collectively, our results revealed a positive feedback loop to promoting PD-L1 expression in human BC cells. Our study uncovers a novel molecular mechanism for regulating pd-l1 mRNA stability and expression via ATG7/autophagy/FOXO3A/miR-145 axis and reveals the potential for using combination treatment with autophagy inhibitors and PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade to enhance therapeutic efficacy for human BCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junlan Zhu
- Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA.
| | - Yang Li
- Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA.
| | - Yisi Luo
- Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA.
| | - Jiheng Xu
- Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA.
| | - Huating Liufu
- Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA.
| | - Zhongxian Tian
- Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA.
| | - Chao Huang
- Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA.
| | - Jingxia Li
- Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA.
| | - Chuanshu Huang
- Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10010, USA.
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171
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Hu G, He N, Cai C, Cai F, Fan P, Zheng Z, Jin X. HDAC3 modulates cancer immunity via increasing PD-L1 expression in pancreatic cancer. Pancreatology 2019; 19:383-389. [PMID: 30670333 DOI: 10.1016/j.pan.2019.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite immune checkpoints based immunotherapy highlights a new therapeutic strategy and achieves a remarkable therapeutic effect in various types of malignant tumors. Pancreatic cancer is one of the non-immunogenic cancers and is resistant to immunotherapy. Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is expressed on the surface of tumor cells and its level is a key determinant of the checkpoint immunotherapy efficacy. Here, we reported that the specific inhibitor of histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) decreased the protein and mRNA level of PD-L1 in pancreatic cancer cells. Furthermore, we showed that HDAC3 was critical for PD-L1 regulation and positively correlated with PD-L1 in PDAC patient specimens. Finally, we demonstrated that HDAC3/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway transcriptionally regulated PD-L1 expression. Collectively, our data contributes to a better understanding of the function of HDAC3 in cancer immunity and the regulatory mechanism of PD-L1. More importantly, these data suggest that the HDAC3 inhibitors might be used to improve immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guofu Hu
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Nan He
- Department of Digestive Surgical Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Chuanqi Cai
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Fei Cai
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Ping Fan
- Department of Digestive Surgical Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Zhikun Zheng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
| | - Xin Jin
- Department of Digestive Surgical Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
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The Role of RB in Prostate Cancer Progression. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1210:301-318. [PMID: 31900914 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-32656-2_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The RB tumor suppressor is one of the most commonly deleted/mutated genes in human cancers. In prostate cancer specifically, mutation of RB is most frequently observed in aggressive, metastatic disease. As one of the earliest tumor suppressors to be identified, the molecular functions of RB that are lost in tumor development have been studied for decades. Earlier work focused on the canonical RB pathway connecting mitogenic signaling to the cell cycle via Cyclin/CDK inactivation of RB, thereby releasing the E2F transcription factors. More in-depth analysis revealed that RB-E2F complexes regulate cellular processes beyond proliferation. Most recently, "non-canonical" roles for RB function have been expanded beyond its E2F interactions, which may play a particular role in advanced prostate cancer. For example, in mouse models of prostate cancer, loss of RB has been shown to induce lineage plasticity, which enables resistance to androgen deprivation therapy. This increased understanding of the potential downstream functions of RB in prostate cancer may lead the way to identifying therapeutic vulnerabilities in cells following RB loss.
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