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Kamal A, Awan AR, Rabbani M, Sheikh HR, Tayyab M, Firyal S, Khan IH, Wasim M. The interplay of PTEN and AKT nexus in breast cancer: a molecular perspective. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:345. [PMID: 38400870 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09223-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is a highly prevalent and life-threatening ailment that is commonly detected among the females. The downregulation of PTEN in breast cancer is associated with a poor prognosis, aggressive tumor type, and metastasis to lymph nodes, as it activates the pro-survival pathway PI3K/AKT, which is considered the ultimate proliferative pathway. MATERIAL AND METHODS The mRNA expression of PTEN and AKT genes was investigated using RT-qPCR and TaqMan primer probe chemistry. Moreover DNA was also isolated from the same tissue samples and exonic regions of both genes were amplified for mutational analysis. The proteins expression of PTEN and AKT from seven human breast cancer cell lines was checked through western blot experiments. RESULT The study revealed a decrease in PTEN expression in 73.3% of the samples, whereas an increase in AKT expression in 40% of samples was observed when compared to the distant normal breast tissue. Conversely, the remaining 60% of samples exhibited a decrease in AKT mRNA expression. There was no observed alteration in the genetic sequence of AKT and PTEN within the targeted amplified regions of breast cancer samples. The high levels of PTEN protein in T-47D and MDA-MB-453 resulted in a lower p-AKT. Two cell lines ZR-75-1 and MDA-MB-468 appeared to be PTEN negative on western blot but mRNA was detected on RT-qPCR. CONCLUSION In breast cancer the status/expression of PTEN & AKT at mRNA and protein level might be obliging in forecasting the path of disease progression, treatment and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anum Kamal
- Lahore Garrison University, Lahore, Pakistan
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ali Raza Awan
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Masood Rabbani
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Muhammad Tayyab
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Sehrish Firyal
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Imran H Khan
- Clinical Proteomics Core Lab, Department of Medical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Muhammad Wasim
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
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Rood K, Begum K, Wang H, Wangworawat YC, Davis R, Yamauchi CR, Perez MC, Simental AA, Laxa RT, Wang C, Roy S, Khan S. Differential Expression of Non-Coding RNA Signatures in Thyroid Cancer between Two Ethnic Groups. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 28:3610-3628. [PMID: 34590612 PMCID: PMC8482137 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol28050309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Filipino Americans show higher thyroid cancer recurrence rates compared to European Americans. Although they are likely to die of this malignancy, the molecular mechanism has not yet been determined. Recent studies demonstrated that small non-coding RNAs could be utilized to assess thyroid cancer prognosis in tumor models. The goal of this study is to determine whether microRNA (miRNA) signatures are differentially expressed in thyroid cancer in two different ethnic groups. We also determined whether these miRNA signatures are related to cancer staging. This is a retrospective study of archival samples from patients with thyroid cancer (both sexes) in the pathology division from the last ten years at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, California. Deidentified patient demographics were extracted from the patient chart. Discarded formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues were collected post-surgeries. We determined the differential expressions of microRNA in archival samples from Filipino Americans compared to European Americans using the state-of-the-art technique, HiSeq4000. By ingenuity pathway analysis, we determined miRNA targets and the pathways that those targets are involved in. We validated their expressions by real-time quantitative PCR and correlated them with the clinicopathological status in a larger cohort of miRNA samples from both ethnicities. We identified the differentially upregulated/downregulated miRNA clusters in Filipino Americans compared to European Americans. Some of these miRNA clusters are known to target genes that are linked to cancer invasion and metastasis. In univariate analysis, ethnicity and tumor staging were significant factors predicting miR-4633-5p upregulation. When including these factors in a multivariate logistic regression model, ethnicity and tumor staging remained significant independent predictors of miRNA upregulation, whereas the interaction of ethnicity and tumor staging was not significant. In contrast, ethnicity remained an independent predictor of significantly downregulated miR-491-5p and let-7 family. We provide evidence that Filipino Americans showed differentially expressed tumor-tissue-derived microRNA clusters. The functional implications of these miRNAs are under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristiana Rood
- Division of Biochemistry, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; (K.R.); (H.W.); (R.D.); (C.R.Y.); (R.T.L.)
- Center for Health Disparities & Molecular Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Khodeza Begum
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA;
- Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Hanmin Wang
- Division of Biochemistry, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; (K.R.); (H.W.); (R.D.); (C.R.Y.); (R.T.L.)
| | - Yan C. Wangworawat
- Department of Pathology & Human Anatomy, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; (Y.C.W.); (M.C.P.)
| | - Ryan Davis
- Division of Biochemistry, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; (K.R.); (H.W.); (R.D.); (C.R.Y.); (R.T.L.)
- Division of Otolaryngology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA;
| | - Celina R. Yamauchi
- Division of Biochemistry, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; (K.R.); (H.W.); (R.D.); (C.R.Y.); (R.T.L.)
- Division of Otolaryngology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA;
| | - Mia C. Perez
- Department of Pathology & Human Anatomy, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; (Y.C.W.); (M.C.P.)
- Division of Otolaryngology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA;
| | - Alfred A. Simental
- Division of Otolaryngology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA;
| | - Ria T. Laxa
- Division of Biochemistry, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; (K.R.); (H.W.); (R.D.); (C.R.Y.); (R.T.L.)
- Division of Otolaryngology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA;
| | - Charles Wang
- Center for Genomics, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA;
| | - Sourav Roy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA;
- Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
- Correspondence: (S.R.); (S.K.)
| | - Salma Khan
- Division of Biochemistry, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; (K.R.); (H.W.); (R.D.); (C.R.Y.); (R.T.L.)
- Center for Health Disparities & Molecular Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
- Division of Otolaryngology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA;
- Department of Internal Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
- Correspondence: (S.R.); (S.K.)
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Ramadan A, Hashim M, Abouzid A, Swellam M. Clinical impact of PTEN methylation status as a prognostic marker for breast cancer. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2021; 19:66. [PMID: 33970384 PMCID: PMC8110663 DOI: 10.1186/s43141-021-00169-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background Aberrant DNA methylation of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene has been found in many cancers. The object of this study was to evaluate the clinical impact of PTEN methylation as a prognostic marker in breast cancer. The study includes 153 newly diagnosed females, and they were divided according to their clinical diagnosis into breast cancer patients (n = 112) and females with benign breast lesion (n = 41). A group of healthy individuals (n = 25) were recruited as control individuals. Breast cancer patients were categorized into early stage (0–I, n = 48) and late stage (II–III, n = 64), and graded into low grade (I–II, n = 42) and high grade (III, n = 70). Their pathological types were invasive duct carcinoma (IDC) (n = 66) and duct carcinoma in situ (DCI) (n = 46). Tumor markers (CEA and CA15.3) were detected using ELISA. DNA was taken away from the blood, and the PTEN promoter methylation level was evaluated using the EpiTect Methyl II PCR method. Results The findings revealed the superiority of PTEN methylation status as a good discriminator of the cancer group from the other two groups (benign and control) with its highest AUC and increased sensitivity (96.4%) and specificity (100%) over tumor markers (50% and 84% for CEA and 49.1% and 86.4% for CA15.3), respectively. The frequency of PTEN methylation was 96.4% of breast cancer patients and none of the benign and controls showed PTEN methylation and the means of PTEN methylation (87 ± 0.6) were significantly increased in blood samples of breast cancer group as compared to both benign and control groups (25 ± 0.7 and 12.6 ± 0.3), respectively. Methylation levels of PTEN were higher in the blood of patients with ER-positive than in patients with ER-negative cancers (P = 0.007) and in HER2 positive vs. HER2 negative tumors (P = 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier analysis recognizes PTEN methylation status as a significant forecaster of bad progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), after 40 months follow-up. Conclusions PETN methylation could be supposed as one of the epigenetic aspects influencing the breast cancer prognosis that might foretell more aggressive actions and worse results in breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amal Ramadan
- Biochemistry Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Division, National Research Centre, El-Bohouth Street, Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt. .,High Throughput Molecular and Genetic Laboratory, Center for Excellence for Advanced Sciences, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.
| | - Maha Hashim
- Biochemistry Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Division, National Research Centre, El-Bohouth Street, Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt.,High Throughput Molecular and Genetic Laboratory, Center for Excellence for Advanced Sciences, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Amr Abouzid
- Surgical Oncology Department, Mansoura Oncology Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Menha Swellam
- Biochemistry Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Division, National Research Centre, El-Bohouth Street, Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt.,High Throughput Molecular and Genetic Laboratory, Center for Excellence for Advanced Sciences, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
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Mull B, Davis R, Munir I, Perez MC, Simental AA, Khan S. Differential expression of Vitamin D binding protein in thyroid cancer health disparities. Oncotarget 2021; 12:596-607. [PMID: 33868582 PMCID: PMC8021030 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Thyroid cancer incidence, recurrence, and death rates are higher among Filipino Americans than European Americans. We propose that vitamin D binding protein (DBP) with multifunctionality with ethnic variability plays a key role within different ethnicities. In this study, we determined the correlation between differential DBP expression in tumor tissues and cancer staging in Filipino Americans versus European Americans. We assayed DBP expression by immunohistochemistry and analyzed the data with confocal microscopy on 200 thyroid cancer archival tissue samples obtained from both ethnicities. DBP-stable knockdown/gain-in-function assays were done by using DBP-shRNA/DBP-cDNA-expression in vitro. The majority of Filipino Americans presented with advanced tumor staging. In contrast, European Americans showed early staging and very few advanced tumors. A significantly low to no DBP staining was detected and correlated to the advanced staging in Filipino Americans. On the contrary, in the tumor tissues derived from European Americans, moderate to strong DBP staining was detected and correlated to early staging. When downregulation of the DBP gene in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) cell lines was observed, tumor proliferation and migration were enhanced. On the other hand, the upregulation of the DBP gene decreased cell proliferation and migration in PTC cells. In conclusion, we determined a differential expression of an essential biological molecule (DBP) is linked to cancer staging in thyroid cancer health disparities in two ethnicities. Loss-of-DBP/gain-in-DBP-function influenced tumor progression. A future study is underway to determine the DBP regulation and its downstream pathways to elucidate strategies to eliminate the observed thyroid cancer health disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ryan Davis
- Division of Biochemistry, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA.,Center for Health Disparities & Molecular Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Iqbal Munir
- Riverside University Health System, Moreno Valley, CA 92555, USA
| | - Mia C Perez
- Department of Pathology & Human Anatomy, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
| | - Alfred A Simental
- Department of Otolaryngology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
| | - Salma Khan
- Division of Biochemistry, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA.,Center for Health Disparities & Molecular Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
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Sar P, Dalai S. CRISPR/Cas9 in epigenetics studies of health and disease. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2021; 181:309-343. [PMID: 34127198 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2021.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetics is the heritable phenotypic changes without altering the genotype. Epigenetic processes are such as histone methylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, sumoylation, phosphorylation, ADP ribosylation, DNA methylation and non-coding RNAs interactions associated with structural changes in chromatin. The change of structure is either open chromatin for "active" state or closed chromatin for "inactive" state, that regulates important biological phenomenon like chromatin condensation, gene expression, DNA repair, cellular development, differentiation and homeostasis, etc. However, dysregulation of epigenetic patterns causes diseases like cancer, diabetes, neurological disorder, infectious diseases, autoimmunity etc. Besides, the most important clinical uses of Epigenetics studies are i. identification of disease biomarkers and ii. development of their therapeutics. Epigenetic therapies include epi-drugs, combinatorial therapy, nanocarriers, plant-derived products that are being used for changing the epigenetic pattern to reverse gene expression. However, the developed epi- drugs cause off-target gene and transposable elements activation; promote mutagenesis and carcinogenesis in normal cells, are the major hurdles regarding their clinical use. Therefore, advanced epigenetic therapeutics are required to develop target-specific epigenetic modifications to reverse gene expression pattern. CRISPR-Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindrome Repeats-associated protein 9) system-mediated gene activation mechanism paves new methods of target-specific epigenetic therapeutics to cure diseases. In this chapter, we discuss how CRISPR/Cas9 and dCas9 have recently been engineered for epigenome editing. Different strategies have been discussed used for epigenome editing based on their efficacy and complexity. Last but not least we have discussed the limitations, different uses of CRISPR/Cas9 and dCas9 in the area of genetic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranati Sar
- Institute of Science, NIRMA University, Ahmedabad, India.
| | - Sarat Dalai
- Institute of Science, NIRMA University, Ahmedabad, India.
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Xia Q, Ali S, Liu L, Li Y, Liu X, Zhang L, Dong L. Role of Ubiquitination in PTEN Cellular Homeostasis and Its Implications in GB Drug Resistance. Front Oncol 2020; 10:1569. [PMID: 32984016 PMCID: PMC7492558 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common and aggressive brain malignancy, characterized by heterogeneity and drug resistance. PTEN, a crucial tumor suppressor, exhibits phosphatase-dependent (PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway)/independent (nucleus stability) activities to maintain the homeostatic regulation of numerous physiological processes. Premature and absolute loss of PTEN activity usually tends to cellular senescence. However, monoallelic loss of PTEN is frequently observed at tumor inception, and absolute loss of PTEN activity also occurs at the late stage of gliomagenesis. Consequently, aberrant PTEN homeostasis, mainly regulated at the post-translational level, renders cells susceptible to tumorigenesis and drug resistance. Ubiquitination-mediated degradation or deregulated intracellular localization of PTEN hijacks cell growth rheostat control for neoplastic remodeling. Functional inactivation of PTEN mediated by the overexpression of ubiquitin ligases (E3s) renders GB cells adaptive to PTEN loss, which confers resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunotherapies. In this review, we discuss how glioma cells develop oncogenic addiction to the E3s-PTEN axis, promoting their growth and proliferation. Antitumor strategies involving PTEN-targeting E3 ligase inhibitors can restore the tumor-suppressive environment. E3 inhibitors collectively reactivate PTEN and may represent next-generation treatment against deadly malignancies such as GB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Xia
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Sakhawat Ali
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Liqun Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Li
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Xuefeng Liu
- School of Electronic and Optical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Lingqiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Dong
- School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
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Ashrafizadeh M, Najafi M, Ang HL, Moghadam ER, Mahabady MK, Zabolian A, Jafaripour L, Bejandi AK, Hushmandi K, Saleki H, Zarrabi A, Kumar AP. PTEN, a Barrier for Proliferation and Metastasis of Gastric Cancer Cells: From Molecular Pathways to Targeting and Regulation. Biomedicines 2020; 8:E264. [PMID: 32756305 PMCID: PMC7460532 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8080264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the life-threatening disorders that, in spite of excellent advances in medicine and technology, there is no effective cure for. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are extensively applied in cancer therapy, but their efficacy in eradication of cancer cells, suppressing metastasis, and improving overall survival of patients is low. This is due to uncontrolled proliferation of cancer cells and their high migratory ability. Finding molecular pathways involved in malignant behavior of cancer cells can pave the road to effective cancer therapy. In the present review, we focus on phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) signaling as a tumor-suppressor molecular pathway in gastric cancer (GC). PTEN inhibits the PI3K/Akt pathway from interfering with the migration and growth of GC cells. Its activation leads to better survival of patients with GC. Different upstream mediators of PTEN in GC have been identified that can regulate PTEN in suppressing growth and invasion of GC cells, such as microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs. It seems that antitumor agents enhance the expression of PTEN in overcoming GC. This review focuses on aforementioned topics to provide a new insight into involvement of PTEN and its downstream and upstream mediators in GC. This will direct further studies for evaluation of novel signaling networks and their targeting for suppressing GC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milad Ashrafizadeh
- Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166616471, Iran;
| | - Masoud Najafi
- Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Department, School of Paramedical Sciences, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah 6715847141, Iran;
| | - Hui Li Ang
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore and Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore;
| | - Ebrahim Rahmani Moghadam
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 7134814336, Iran;
- Kazerun Health Technology Incubator, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 6461665145, Iran
| | - Mahmood Khaksary Mahabady
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan 8715988141, Iran;
| | - Amirhossein Zabolian
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1916893813, Iran; (A.Z.); (A.K.B.); (H.S.)
| | - Leila Jafaripour
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Dezful University of Medical Sciences, Dezful 3419759811, Iran;
| | - Atefe Kazemzade Bejandi
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1916893813, Iran; (A.Z.); (A.K.B.); (H.S.)
| | - Kiavash Hushmandi
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Division of Epidemiology & Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417414418, Iran;
| | - Hossein Saleki
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1916893813, Iran; (A.Z.); (A.K.B.); (H.S.)
| | - Ali Zarrabi
- Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Tuzla 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
- Center of Excellence for Functional Surfaces and Interfaces (EFSUN), Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Tuzla 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Alan Prem Kumar
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore and Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore;
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Lapthanasupkul P, Klongnoi B, Mutirangura A, Kitkumthorn N. Investigation of PTEN promoter methylation in ameloblastoma. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal 2020; 25:e481-e487. [PMID: 32134893 PMCID: PMC7338066 DOI: 10.4317/medoral.23498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) acts as a tumor suppressor gene. Inactivation of PTEN has been reported in various types of cancers. PTEN promoter methylation possibly underlies PTEN inactivation, which results in tumorigenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether PTEN promoter methylation contributes to PTEN inactivation in ameloblastoma and its associated protein expression.
Material and Methods In total, 20 fresh-frozen ameloblastoma samples were evaluated for PTEN promoter methylation using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MS-PCR). A subset of 10 paraffin-embedded ameloblastoma samples was examined for PTEN expression through immunohistochemistry. Four primary cultured ameloblastoma cells were investigated for PTEN promoter methylation and PTEN transcriptional expression via reverse transcription PCR.
Results PTEN promoter methylation was detected in 65% (13/20) of the ameloblastoma samples. Of 10 ameloblastoma samples, 4 exhibited reduced PTEN expression. Of 5 samples with methylated PTEN, 3 (60%) were associated with loss of PTEN expression. However, PTEN expression was detected in 4 (80%) of 5 samples with unmethylated PTEN. In addition, 3 (75%) of 4 primary ameloblastoma cell cultures exhibited an inverse correlation between PTEN promoter methylation and PTEN transcription level.
Conclusions PTEN promoter methylation is found in a number of ameloblastomas but not significantly correlated with loss of PTEN expression. Genetic or epigenetic mechanisms other than PTEN promoter methylation may contribute to PTEN inactivation in ameloblastoma tumor cells. Key words:PTEN, promoter methylation, ameloblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Lapthanasupkul
- Department of Oral Biology Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University 6 Yothi Street, Bangkok, Thailand
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Venniyoor A. PTEN: A Thrifty Gene That Causes Disease in Times of Plenty? Front Nutr 2020; 7:81. [PMID: 32582754 PMCID: PMC7290048 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2020.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The modern obesity epidemic with associated disorders of metabolism and cancer has been attributed to the presence of "thrifty genes". In the distant past, these genes helped the organism to improve energy efficiency and store excess energy safely as fat to survive periods of famine, but in the present day obesogenic environment, have turned detrimental. I propose PTEN as the likely gene as it has functions that span metabolism, cancer and reproduction, all of which are deranged in obesity and insulin resistance. The activity of PTEN can be calibrated in utero by availability of nutrients by the methylation arm of the epigenetic pathway. Deficiency of protein and choline has been shown to upregulate DNA methyltransferases (DNMT), especially 1 and 3a; these can then methylate promoter region of PTEN and suppress its expression. Thus, the gene is tuned like a metabolic rheostat proportional to the availability of specific nutrients, and the resultant "dose" of the protein, which sits astride and negatively regulates the insulin-PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, decides energy usage and proliferation. This "fixes" the metabolic capacity of the organism periconceptionally to a specific postnatal level of nutrition, but when faced with a discordant environment, leads to obesity related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajit Venniyoor
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Oncology Centre, The Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman
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Liu Y, Yang EJ, Shi C, Mou PK, Zhang B, Wu C, Lyu J, Shim JS. Histone Acetyltransferase (HAT) P300/CBP Inhibitors Induce Synthetic Lethality in PTEN-Deficient Colorectal Cancer Cells through Destabilizing AKT. Int J Biol Sci 2020; 16:1774-1784. [PMID: 32398948 PMCID: PMC7211175 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.42197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
PTEN, a tumor suppressor, is found loss of function in many cancers, including colorectal cancer. To identify the synthetic lethal compounds working with PTEN deficiency, we performed a synthetic lethality drug screening with PTEN-isogenic colorectal cancer cells. From the screening, we found that PTEN-/- colorectal cancer cells were sensitive to anacardic acid, a p300/CBP histone acetyltransferase (HAT) inhibitor. Anacardic acid significantly reduced the viability of PTEN-/- cells not in PTEN+/+ cells via inducing apoptosis. Inhibition of HAT activity of p300/CBP by anacardic acid reduced the acetylation of histones at the promoter region and inhibited the transcription of Hsp70 family of proteins. The down-regulation of Hsp70 family proteins led to the reduction of AKT-Hsp70 complex formation, AKT destabilization and decreased the level of phosphorylated AKT at Ser473, all of which are vital for the survival of PTEN-/- colorectal cells. The synthetic lethality effect of anacardic acid was further validated in tumor xenograft mice models, where PTEN-/- colorectal tumors showed greater sensitivity to anacardic acid treatment than PTEN+/+ tumors. These data suggest that anacardic acid induced synthetic lethality by inhibiting HAT activity of p300/CBP, thereby reducing Hsp70 transcription and destabilizing AKT in PTEN deficient colorectal cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Joong Sup Shim
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, 999078, Macau
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Chang H, Cai Z, Roberts TM. The Mechanisms Underlying PTEN Loss in Human Tumors Suggest Potential Therapeutic Opportunities. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9110713. [PMID: 31703360 PMCID: PMC6921025 DOI: 10.3390/biom9110713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we will first briefly describe the diverse molecular mechanisms associated with PTEN loss of function in cancer. We will then proceed to discuss the molecular mechanisms linking PTEN loss to PI3K activation and demonstrate how these mechanisms suggest possible therapeutic approaches for patients with PTEN-null tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeyoun Chang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (H.C.); (Z.C.)
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- KIST-DFCI On-Site Lab, Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Zhenying Cai
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (H.C.); (Z.C.)
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Thomas M. Roberts
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (H.C.); (Z.C.)
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-617-632-3049
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12
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Gkountakos A, Sartori G, Falcone I, Piro G, Ciuffreda L, Carbone C, Tortora G, Scarpa A, Bria E, Milella M, Rosell R, Corbo V, Pilotto S. PTEN in Lung Cancer: Dealing with the Problem, Building on New Knowledge and Turning the Game Around. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11081141. [PMID: 31404976 PMCID: PMC6721522 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11081141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the most common malignancy and cause of cancer deaths worldwide, owing to the dismal prognosis for most affected patients. Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted in chromosome 10 (PTEN) acts as a powerful tumor suppressor gene and even partial reduction of its levels increases cancer susceptibility. While the most validated anti-oncogenic duty of PTEN is the negative regulation of the PI3K/mTOR/Akt oncogenic signaling pathway, further tumor suppressor functions, such as chromosomal integrity and DNA repair have been reported. PTEN protein loss is a frequent event in lung cancer, but genetic alterations are not equally detected. It has been demonstrated that its expression is regulated at multiple genetic and epigenetic levels and deeper delineation of these mechanisms might provide fertile ground for upgrading lung cancer therapeutics. Today, PTEN expression is usually determined by immunohistochemistry and low protein levels have been associated with decreased survival in lung cancer. Moreover, available data involve PTEN mutations and loss of activity with resistance to targeted treatments and immunotherapy. This review discusses the current knowledge about PTEN status in lung cancer, highlighting the prevalence of its alterations in the disease, the regulatory mechanisms and the implications of PTEN on available treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios Gkountakos
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Section of Pathology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Giulia Sartori
- Medical Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Italia Falcone
- Medical Oncology 1, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Geny Piro
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Medical Oncology, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Ludovica Ciuffreda
- SAFU Laboratory, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Carmine Carbone
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Medical Oncology, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giampaolo Tortora
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Medical Oncology, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Aldo Scarpa
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Section of Pathology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
- Center for Applied Research on Cancer (ARC-NET), University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Emilio Bria
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Medical Oncology, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Milella
- Medical Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Rafael Rosell
- Germans Trias i Pujol, Health Sciences Institute and Hospital, Campus Can Ruti, 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Vincenzo Corbo
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Section of Pathology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy.
- Center for Applied Research on Cancer (ARC-NET), University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy.
| | - Sara Pilotto
- Medical Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy.
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13
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Luongo F, Colonna F, Calapà F, Vitale S, Fiori ME, De Maria R. PTEN Tumor-Suppressor: The Dam of Stemness in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:E1076. [PMID: 31366089 PMCID: PMC6721423 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11081076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
PTEN is one of the most frequently inactivated tumor suppressor genes in cancer. Loss or variation in PTEN gene/protein levels is commonly observed in a broad spectrum of human cancers, while germline PTEN mutations cause inherited syndromes that lead to increased risk of tumors. PTEN restrains tumorigenesis through different mechanisms ranging from phosphatase-dependent and independent activities, subcellular localization and protein interaction, modulating a broad array of cellular functions including growth, proliferation, survival, DNA repair, and cell motility. The main target of PTEN phosphatase activity is one of the most significant cell growth and pro-survival signaling pathway in cancer: PI3K/AKT/mTOR. Several shreds of evidence shed light on the critical role of PTEN in normal and cancer stem cells (CSCs) homeostasis, with its loss fostering the CSC compartment in both solid and hematologic malignancies. CSCs are responsible for tumor propagation, metastatic spread, resistance to therapy, and relapse. Thus, understanding how alterations of PTEN levels affect CSC hallmarks could be crucial for the development of successful therapeutic approaches. Here, we discuss the most significant findings on PTEN-mediated control of CSC state. We aim to unravel the role of PTEN in the regulation of key mechanisms specific for CSCs, such as self-renewal, quiescence/cell cycle, Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal-Transition (EMT), with a particular focus on PTEN-based therapy resistance mechanisms and their exploitation for novel therapeutic approaches in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Luongo
- Istituto di Patologia Generale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Colonna
- Istituto di Patologia Generale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Calapà
- Istituto di Patologia Generale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Vitale
- Istituto di Patologia Generale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Micol E Fiori
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Ruggero De Maria
- Istituto di Patologia Generale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
- Scientific Vice-Direction, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli"-I.R.C.C.S., Largo Francesco Vito 1-8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
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14
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Moses C, Nugent F, Waryah CB, Garcia-Bloj B, Harvey AR, Blancafort P. Activating PTEN Tumor Suppressor Expression with the CRISPR/dCas9 System. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2018; 14:287-300. [PMID: 30654190 PMCID: PMC6348769 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
PTEN expression is lost in many cancers, and even small changes in PTEN activity affect susceptibility and prognosis in a range of highly aggressive malignancies, such as melanoma and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Loss of PTEN expression occurs via multiple mechanisms, including mutation, transcriptional repression and epigenetic silencing. Transcriptional repression of PTEN contributes to resistance to inhibitors used in the clinic, such as B-Raf inhibitors in BRAF mutant melanoma. We aimed to activate PTEN expression using the CRISPR system, specifically dead (d) Cas9 fused to the transactivator VP64-p65-Rta (VPR). dCas9-VPR was directed to the PTEN proximal promoter by single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs), in cancer cells that exhibited low levels of PTEN expression. The dCas9-VPR system increased PTEN expression in melanoma and TNBC cell lines, without transcriptional regulation at predicted off-target sgRNA binding sites. PTEN activation significantly repressed downstream oncogenic pathways, including AKT, mTOR, and MAPK signaling. BRAF V600E mutant melanoma cells transduced with dCas9-VPR displayed reduced migration, as well as diminished colony formation in the presence of B-Raf inhibitors, PI3K/mTOR inhibitors, and with combined PI3K/mTOR and B-Raf inhibition. CRISPR-mediated targeted activation of PTEN may provide an alternative therapeutic approach for highly aggressive cancers that are refractory to current treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colette Moses
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, 6 Verdun Street, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Fiona Nugent
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, 6 Verdun Street, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; School of Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Charlene Babra Waryah
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, 6 Verdun Street, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Benjamin Garcia-Bloj
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, 6 Verdun Street, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; School of Medicine, Faculty of Science, Universidad Mayor, Camino la Piramide 5750, Huechuraba 8580745, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alan R Harvey
- School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, 8 Verdun Street, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Pilar Blancafort
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, 6 Verdun Street, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
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Novel Clofarabine-Based Combinations with Polyphenols Epigenetically Reactivate Retinoic Acid Receptor Beta, Inhibit Cell Growth, and Induce Apoptosis of Breast Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19123970. [PMID: 30544666 PMCID: PMC6321577 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19123970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
An epigenetic component, especially aberrant DNA methylation pattern, has been shown to be frequently involved in sporadic breast cancer development. A growing body of literature demonstrates that combination of agents, i.e. nucleoside analogues with dietary phytochemicals, may provide enhanced therapeutic effects in epigenetic reprogramming of cancer cells. Clofarabine (2-chloro-2′-fluoro-2′-deoxyarabinosyladenine, ClF), a second-generation 2′-deoxyadenosine analogue, has numerous anti-cancer effects, including potential capacity to regulate epigenetic processes. Our present study is the first to investigate the combinatorial effects of ClF (used at IC50 concentration) with epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG, tea catechin) or genistein (soy phytoestrogen), at physiological concentrations, on breast cancer cell growth, apoptosis, and epigenetic regulation of retinoic acid receptor beta (RARB) transcriptional activity. In MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, RARB promoter methylation and expression of RARB, modifiers of DNA methylation reaction (DNMT1, CDKN1A, TP53), and potential regulator of RARB transcription, PTEN, were estimated using methylation-sensitive restriction analysis (MSRA) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), respectively. The combinatorial exposures synergistically or additively inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis of breast cancer cells, followed by RARB hypomethylation with concomitant multiple increase in RARB, PTEN, and CDKN1A transcript levels. Taken together, our results demonstrate the ability of ClF-based combinations with polyphenols to promote cancer cell death and reactivate DNA methylation-silenced tumor suppressor genes in breast cancer cells with different invasive potential.
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16
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Zhao CN, Li Y, Meng X, Li S, Liu Q, Tang GY, Gan RY, Li HB. Insight into the roles of vitamins C and D against cancer: Myth or truth? Cancer Lett 2018; 431:161-170. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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17
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Liu Y, Yang EJ, Zhang B, Miao Z, Wu C, Lyu J, Tan K, Poon TCW, Shim JS. PTEN deficiency confers colorectal cancer cell resistance to dual inhibitors of FLT3 and aurora kinase A. Cancer Lett 2018; 436:28-37. [PMID: 30118842 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PTEN is a tumor suppressor found mutated in many cancers. From a synthetic lethality drug screen with PTEN-isogenic colorectal cancer cells, we found that mutant-PTEN cells were resistant to dual inhibitors of FLT3 and aurora kinase-A, including KW2449 and ENMD-2076. KW2449 significantly reduced the viability of wildtype-PTEN cells causing apoptosis, while little effect was observed in mutant-PTEN counterparts. Transcriptome profiling showed that members of PI3K-AKT signaling pathway were strongly changed in cells after KW2449 treatment, indicating a potential role of the pathway in drug resistance. We found that KW2449 caused a dose-dependent, biphasic induction of AKT phosphorylation at Ser473 in mutant-PTEN cells. Co-treatment with the inhibitors of its upstream signaling completely abolished the reactivation of AKT phosphorylation by KW2449 and reversed the drug resistant phenotype. These data suggest that reactivation of AKT phosphorylation at Ser473 is a key factor to confer drug resistant phenotype of mutant-PTEN cells to the dual inhibitors and that proper drug combinations that shut down AKT reactivation is necessary for the effective treatment of mutant-PTEN cancer with the dual inhibitors in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Liu
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, 999078, Macau SAR, China
| | - Eun Ju Yang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, 999078, Macau SAR, China
| | - Baoyuan Zhang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, 999078, Macau SAR, China
| | - Zhengqiang Miao
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, 999078, Macau SAR, China
| | - Changjie Wu
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, 999078, Macau SAR, China
| | - Junfang Lyu
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, 999078, Macau SAR, China
| | - Kaeling Tan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, 999078, Macau SAR, China
| | - Terence Chuen Wai Poon
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, 999078, Macau SAR, China
| | - Joong Sup Shim
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, 999078, Macau SAR, China.
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18
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Lee YR, Chen M, Pandolfi PP. The functions and regulation of the PTEN tumour suppressor: new modes and prospects. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2018; 19:547-562. [DOI: 10.1038/s41580-018-0015-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 399] [Impact Index Per Article: 66.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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19
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Firek AA, Perez MC, Gonda A, Lei L, Munir I, Simental AA, Carr FE, Becerra BJ, De Leon M, Khan S. Pathologic significance of a novel oncoprotein in thyroid cancer progression. Head Neck 2017; 39:2459-2469. [PMID: 29024261 DOI: 10.1002/hed.24913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing worldwide, and there is an emerging need to develop accurate tools for diagnosis. Fine needle aspiration biopsy has greatly improved evaluation of thyroid nodules, but challenges with indeterminate lesions remain in up to 25% of biopsies. Novel tissue biomarkers may assist in improved nodule characterization. Microcalcifications occurring in thyroid cancers suggest proteins involved in bone formation may play a role in thyroid carcinogenesis. We evaluated the expression of the known osteogenic protein, Enigma, in thyroid cancer as a candidate oncoprotein and role in carcinogenesis based on association with other known oncoproteins such as bone morphogenetic protein-1 (BMP-1). METHODS The expression of both Enigma and BMP-1 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in an equal number of benign (n = 120) and different histological subtypes of malignant (n = 120) human archival thyroid nodules with and without calcification. The colocalization of Enigma with BMP-1 was evaluated by confocal microscopy using the BZ analyzer. RESULTS Enigma was strongly expressed in thyroid cancer tissue with a higher immunoreactive score in advanced thyroid cancer compared to less advanced and benign nodules. Enigma was localized either in cytoplasm or nucleus depending on the histological subtypes. Higher expression of Enigma was associated with the tumor size and lymph node involvement. There was clear and strong colocalization signal of Enigma and that of BMP-1. Expression of Enigma occurred without regard to calcification in cancer tissue. CONCLUSION Enigma may serve as an oncoprotein marker, identifying benign from malignant thyroid tissue on FNA. Enigma may have a role in carcinogenesis of thyroid cancer independent of tissue calcification, possibly in relation to interaction with BMP-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony A Firek
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Riverside University Health System (RUHS), Moreno Valley, California.,Division of Biochemistry, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, California
| | - Mia C Perez
- Department of Pathology and Human Anatomy, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California.,Division of Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - Amber Gonda
- Department of Pathology and Human Anatomy, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California.,Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - Li Lei
- Department of Pathology and Human Anatomy, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - Iqbal Munir
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Riverside University Health System (RUHS), Moreno Valley, California
| | - Alfred A Simental
- Division of Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - Frances E Carr
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Benjamin J Becerra
- School of Allied Health Professionals, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California
| | - Marino De Leon
- Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California
| | - Salma Khan
- Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California.,Division of Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, California.,Division of Biochemistry, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, California.,Department of Internal Medicine, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, California
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20
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Kim SB, Dent R, Im SA, Espié M, Blau S, Tan AR, Isakoff SJ, Oliveira M, Saura C, Wongchenko MJ, Kapp AV, Chan WY, Singel SM, Maslyar DJ, Baselga J. Ipatasertib plus paclitaxel versus placebo plus paclitaxel as first-line therapy for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (LOTUS): a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial. Lancet Oncol 2017; 18:1360-1372. [PMID: 28800861 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(17)30450-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 349] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The oral AKT inhibitor ipatasertib is being investigated in cancers with a high prevalence of PI3K/AKT pathway activation, including triple-negative breast cancer. The LOTUS trial investigated the addition of ipatasertib to paclitaxel as first-line therapy for triple-negative breast cancer. METHODS In this randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, phase 2 trial, women aged 18 years or older with measurable, inoperable, locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer previously untreated with systemic therapy were recruited from 44 hospitals in South Korea, the USA, France, Spain, Taiwan, Singapore, Italy, and Belgium. Enrolled patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive intravenous paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 (days 1, 8, 15) with either ipatasertib 400 mg or placebo once per day (days 1-21) every 28 days until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Randomisation was by stratified permuted blocks (block size of four) using an interactive web-response system with three stratification criteria: previous (neo)adjuvant therapy, chemotherapy-free interval, and tumour PTEN status. The co-primary endpoints were progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population and progression-free survival in the PTEN-low (by immunohistochemistry) population. This ongoing trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02162719). FINDINGS Between Sept 2, 2014, and Feb 4, 2016, 166 patients were assessed for eligibility and 124 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to paclitaxel plus ipatasertib (n=62) or paclitaxel plus placebo (n=62). Median follow-up was 10·4 months (IQR 6·5-14·1) in the ipatasertib group and 10·2 months (6·0-13·6) in the placebo group. Median progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population was 6·2 months (95% CI 3·8-9·0) with ipatasertib versus 4·9 months (3·6-5·4) with placebo (stratified hazard ratio [HR] 0·60, 95% CI 0·37-0·98; p=0·037) and in the 48 patients with PTEN-low tumours, median progression-free survival was 6·2 months (95% CI 3·6-9·1) with ipatasertib versus 3·7 months (1·9-7·3) with placebo (stratified HR 0·59, 95% CI 0·26-1·32, p=0·18). The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events were diarrhoea (14 [23%] of 61 ipatasertib-treated patients vs none of 62 placebo-treated patients), neutrophil count decreased (five [8%] vs four [6%]), and neutropenia (six [10%] vs one [2%]). No colitis, grade 4 diarrhoea, or treatment-related deaths were reported with ipatasertib. One treatment-related death occurred in the placebo group. Serious adverse events were reported in 17 (28%) of 61 patients in the ipatasertib group and nine (15%) of 62 patients in the placebo group. INTERPRETATION Progression-free survival was longer in patients who received ipatasertib than in those who received placebo. To our knowledge, these are the first results supporting AKT-targeted therapy for triple-negative breast cancer. Ipatasertib warrants further investigation for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. FUNDING F Hoffmann-La Roche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Bae Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Rebecca Dent
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Seock-Ah Im
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Marc Espié
- Breast Disease Center, Hospital Saint Louis, Paris, France
| | - Sibel Blau
- Northwest Medical Specialties and Division of Oncology, University of Washington, Washington, WA, USA
| | - Antoinette R Tan
- Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | | | - Mafalda Oliveira
- Medical Oncology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Saura
- Medical Oncology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Amy V Kapp
- Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Wai Y Chan
- Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Daniel J Maslyar
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - José Baselga
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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21
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Prostate cancer, PI3K, PTEN and prognosis. Clin Sci (Lond) 2017; 131:197-210. [PMID: 28057891 DOI: 10.1042/cs20160026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 11/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Loss of function of the PTEN tumour suppressor, resulting in dysregulated activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signalling network, is recognized as one of the most common driving events in prostate cancer development. The observed mechanisms of PTEN loss are diverse, but both homozygous and heterozygous genomic deletions including PTEN are frequent, and often accompanied by loss of detectable protein as assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The occurrence of PTEN loss is highest in aggressive metastatic disease and this has driven the development of PTEN as a prognostic biomarker, either alone or in combination with other factors, to distinguish indolent tumours from those likely to progress. Here, we discuss these factors and the consequences of PTEN loss, in the context of its role as a lipid phosphatase, as well as current efforts to use available inhibitors of specific components of the PI3K/PTEN/TOR signalling network in prostate cancer treatment.
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22
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Gupta I, Burney I, Al-Moundhri MS, Tamimi Y. Molecular genetics complexity impeding research progress in breast and ovarian cancers. Mol Clin Oncol 2017; 7:3-14. [PMID: 28685067 PMCID: PMC5492732 DOI: 10.3892/mco.2017.1275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast and ovarian cancer are heterogeneous diseases. While breast cancer accounts for 25% of cancers worldwide, ovarian cancer accounts for 3.5% of all cancers and it is considered to be the most lethal type of cancer among women. In Oman, breast cancer accounts for 25% and ovarian cancer for 4.5% of all cancer cases. Various risk factors, including variable biological and clinical traits, are involved in the onset of breast and ovarian cancer. Although highly developed diagnostic and therapeutic methods have paved the way for better management, targeted therapy against specific biomarkers has not yet shown any significant improvement, particularly in triple-negative breast cancer and epithelial ovarian cancer, which are associated with high mortality rates. Thus, elucidating the mechanisms underlying the pathology of these diseases is expected to improve their prevention, prognosis and management. The aim of the present study was to provide a comprehensive review and updated information on genomics and proteomics alterations associated with cancer pathogenesis, as reported by several research groups worldwide. Furthermore, molecular research in our laboratory, aimed at identifying new pathways involved in the pathogenesis of breast and ovarian cancer using microarray and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), is discussed. Relevant candidate genes were found to be either up- or downregulated in a cohort of breast cancer cases. Similarly, ChIP analysis revealed that relevant candidate genes were regulated by the E2F5 transcription factor in ovarian cancer tissue. An ongoing study aims to validate these genes with a putative role as biological markers that may contribute to the development of targeted therapies for breast and ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishita Gupta
- Department of Genetics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Ikram Burney
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Mansour S Al-Moundhri
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Yahya Tamimi
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
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Spitzwieser M, Entfellner E, Werner B, Pulverer W, Pfeiler G, Hacker S, Cichna-Markl M. Hypermethylation of CDKN2A exon 2 in tumor, tumor-adjacent and tumor-distant tissues from breast cancer patients. BMC Cancer 2017; 17:260. [PMID: 28403857 PMCID: PMC5389179 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3244-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast carcinogenesis is a multistep process involving genetic and epigenetic changes. Tumor tissues are frequently characterized by gene-specific hypermethylation and global DNA hypomethylation. Aberrant DNA methylation levels have, however, not only been found in tumors, but also in tumor-surrounding tissue appearing histologically normal. This phenomenon is called field cancerization. Knowledge of the existence of a cancer field and its spread are of clinical relevance. If the tissue showing pre-neoplastic lesions is not removed by surgery, it may develop into invasive carcinoma. METHODS We investigated the prevalence of gene-specific and global DNA methylation changes in tumor-adjacent and tumor-distant tissues in comparison to tumor tissues from the same breast cancer patients (n = 18) and normal breast tissues from healthy women (n = 4). Methylation-sensitive high resolution melting (MS-HRM) analysis was applied to determine methylation levels in the promoters of APC, BRCA1, CDKN2A (p16), ESR1, HER2/neu and PTEN, in CDKN2A exon 2 and in LINE-1, as indicator for the global DNA methylation extent. The methylation status of the ESR2 promoter was determined by pyrosequencing. RESULTS Tumor-adjacent and tumor-distant tissues frequently showed pre-neoplastic gene-specific and global DNA methylation changes. The APC promoter (p = 0.003) and exon 2 of CDKN2A (p < 0.001) were significantly higher methylated in tumors than in normal breast tissues from healthy women. For both regions, significant differences were also found between tumor and tumor-adjacent tissues (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively) and tumor and tumor-distant tissues (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively) from breast cancer patients. In addition, tumor-adjacent (p = 0.002) and tumor-distant tissues (p = 0.005) showed significantly higher methylation levels of CDKN2A exon 2 than normal breast tissues serving as control. Significant correlations were found between the proliferative activity and the methylation status of CDKN2A exon 2 in tumor (r = -0.485, p = 0.041) and tumor-distant tissues (r = -0.498, p = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS From our results we can conclude that methylation changes in CDKN2A exon 2 are associated with breast carcinogenesis. Further investigations are, however, necessary to confirm that hypermethylation of CDKN2A exon 2 is associated with tumor proliferative activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Spitzwieser
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Entfellner
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bettina Werner
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Walter Pulverer
- Molecular Diagnostics, Austrian Institute of Technology, Muthgasse 11, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Pfeiler
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecology and Gynecological Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Hacker
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Margit Cichna-Markl
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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Masunaga A, Omatsu M, Kunimura T, Uematsu S, Kamio Y, Kitami A, Miyagi Y, Hiroshima K, Suzuki T. Expression of PTEN and its pseudogene PTENP1, and promoter methylation of PTEN in non-tumourous thymus and thymic tumours. J Clin Pathol 2017; 70:690-696. [PMID: 28119349 DOI: 10.1136/jclinpath-2016-204220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 12/27/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Mutation or promoter methylation of the phosphatase tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 tumour suppressor gene (PTEN) promotes some cancers. Moreover, PTENP1 (PTEN pseudogene) transcript regulates PTEN expression and is thought to be associated with tumourigenesis in some cancers. Here, we investigated PTEN expression in thymic epithelium and thymic epithelial tumours. METHODS Immunohistochemical analysis of PTEN was performed on two non-tumourous thymus (NT) samples, 33 thymomas (three type A, eight type AB, 11 type B1, six type B2, and five type B3), and four thymic carcinomas (TCs). In 16 cases (two NT, three A, five B1, two B2, one B3 and three TC), analyses of mutations, promoter methylation and comparisons of PTEN mRNA and PTENP1 transcripts were undertaken using PCR-direct sequencing, methylation-specific PCR, and reverse-transcription real-time PCR after target cell collection with laser microdissection. RESULTS PTEN protein was not immunohistochemically detected in NT epithelium or types B1 or B2 thymoma cells, but was expressed in type A thymoma and carcinoma cells. Neither PTEN mutations nor promoter methylation were detected in any samples. Statistical analysis revealed that PTEN mRNA expression was highest in NT epithelium and lowest in type A thymoma cells. PTENP1 transcript expression did not significantly differ among NT, thymoma and TC samples. CONCLUSIONS We speculated that NT epithelium and types B1/B2 thymoma cells have a mechanism of PTEN translation repression and/or acceleration of protein degradation, whereas type A thymoma cells exhibit transcriptional repression of PTEN mRNA and accelerated translation and/or protein accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuko Masunaga
- Respiratory Disease Center, Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Mutsuko Omatsu
- Department of Clinicodiagnostic Pathology, Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Kunimura
- Department of Clinicodiagnostic Pathology, Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shugo Uematsu
- Respiratory Disease Center, Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yoshito Kamio
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Akihiko Kitami
- Respiratory Disease Center, Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yohei Miyagi
- Molecular Pathology & Genetics Division, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kenzo Hiroshima
- Department of Pathology, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, Yachiyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Suzuki
- Respiratory Disease Center, Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan
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25
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The association between phosphatase and tensin homolog hypermethylation and patients with breast cancer, a meta-analysis and literature review. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32723. [PMID: 27620353 PMCID: PMC5020353 DOI: 10.1038/srep32723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) protein is a negative regulator of the Akt pathway, leading to suppression of apoptois and increased cell survival. Its role as a tumor-suppressor gene has been adequately substantiated, and PTEN hypermethylation has been demonstrated in familial and sporadic cancers. However, the association and clinical significance between PTEN hypermethylation and breast cancer remains unclear. In this study, we systematically reviewed studies of PTEN hypermethylation and breast cancer and quantify the association between PTEN hypermethylation and breast cancer using meta-analysis methods. The pooled OR, 22.30, 95% confidential intervals, CI = 1.98–251.51, P = 0.01, which demonstrates that loss of PTEN expression by hypermethylation plays a critical role in the early tumorigenesis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). In addition, PTEN hypermethylation also is detected in invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs) and is significantly higher than in normal controls, OR = 23.32, 95% CI = 10.43–52.13, P < 0.00001. Further analysis did not show significant correlation between PTEN hypermethylation and the progression of breast cancer, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), as well as HER2 status. These results indicate the PTEN hypermethylation is significantly associated with both DCIS and IDCs. The detection of PTEN hypermethylation could be an early tumorigenesis marker for breast cancer patients.
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26
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Luo S, Chen J, Mo X. The association of PTEN hypermethylation and breast cancer: a meta-analysis. Onco Targets Ther 2016; 9:5643-50. [PMID: 27672335 PMCID: PMC5026181 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s111684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) deleted on chromosome 10, as a tumor suppressor gene, is crucial for the development of both familial and sporadic breast cancer (BC). The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the clinicopathological significance of PTEN promoter hypermethylation in BC. METHODS A comprehensive literature search was made in PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, Chinese database (China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI]), and Web of Science. The analysis of pooled data was performed with Review Manager 5.2. The fixed-effects or random-effects models were used to evaluate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS The meta-analysis included eight studies and a total of 923 patients. The frequency of PTEN promoter hypermethylation was significantly increased in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) compared to normal breast tissues (OR =22.53, P=0.0002 and OR =22.86, P<0.00001, respectively). However, the frequency of PTEN promoter hypermethylation was similar between IDC and DCIS. Additionally, PTEN methylation was not significantly correlated to estrogen receptor (ER) or human epidermal growth factor type 2 (HER-2) status in patients with BC. CONCLUSION PTEN promoter hypermethylation is significantly associated with the risk of DCIS and IDC, suggesting PTEN promoter hypermethylation is a valuable biomarker for diagnosis of BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Luo
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiansi Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianwei Mo
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
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27
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Peng H, Chen Y, Gong P, Cai L, Lyu X, Jiang Q, Wang J, Lu J, Yao K, Liu K, Li J, Li X. Higher methylation intensity induced by EBV LMP1 via NF-κB/DNMT3b signaling contributes to silencing of PTEN gene. Oncotarget 2016; 7:40025-40037. [PMID: 27223069 PMCID: PMC5129989 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.9474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is a major tumor suppressor and usually silenced via the deletion, insertion and mutation. We previously discovered its inactivation via aberrant CpG island methylation. Here, we provide further evidence that EBV latent membrane protein 1(LMP1) can induce a higher intensity of DNA methylation at PTEN CpG islands, inactivating PTEN at the cellular and molecular level. Initially, increased methylation intensity of PTEN CpG islands was observed in EBV-infected nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells, accompanied by decreased PTEN expression. In NPC tissue samples showing the methylation at PTEN promoter, LMP1 was highly expressed in higher methylation intensity group relative to lower intensity group, and DNA methyltransferase 3b (DNMT3b) expression was positively correlated with LMP1 expression. Moreover, transfection of LMP1 gene into EBV-negative NPC cells demonstrated that LMP1 up-regulated DNMT3b expression, leading to a higher intensity of PTEN CpG island methylation. Mechanistically, computational prediction and luciferase reporter assay identified a functional NF-κB binding site on DNMT3b promoter and the mutated NF-κB binding site abolished LMP1-mediated DNMT3b activation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation displayed that NF-κB p65 subunit constitutively bound to DNMT3b promoter, supporting the activation of DNMT3b by EBV LMP1 via NF-κB signaling. Furthermore, the expression level of DNMT3b was observed to be increased in the nuclei of LMP1-expressing NPC cells, and a NF-κB inhibitor, PDTC, counteracted LMP1-mediated DNMT3b overexpression. Thus, this study first reports that LMP1-mediated NF-κB can up-regulate DNMT3b transcription, thereby leading to relatively higher methylation intensity at PTEN CpG islands, and ultimately silencing major tumor suppressor PTEN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Peng
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Nanfang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yuxiang Chen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Nanfang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Pinggui Gong
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Nanfang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Longmei Cai
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Nanfang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xiaoming Lyu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Nanfang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Qiang Jiang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Nanfang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jianguo Wang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Nanfang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Juan Lu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Nanfang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Kaitai Yao
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Nanfang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Kunping Liu
- Department of Pathology, the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan 511518, China
| | - Jinbang Li
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Nanfang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Department of Pathology, the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan 511518, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Nanfang Hospital, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
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28
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Alzohairy MA. Therapeutics Role of Azadirachta indica (Neem) and Their Active Constituents in Diseases Prevention and Treatment. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2016; 2016:7382506. [PMID: 27034694 PMCID: PMC4791507 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7382506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Revised: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Neem (Azadirachta indica) is a member of the Meliaceae family and its role as health-promoting effect is attributed because it is rich source of antioxidant. It has been widely used in Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Unani medicines worldwide especially in Indian Subcontinent in the treatment and prevention of various diseases. Earlier finding confirmed that neem and its constituents play role in the scavenging of free radical generation and prevention of disease pathogenesis. The studies based on animal model established that neem and its chief constituents play pivotal role in anticancer management through the modulation of various molecular pathways including p53, pTEN, NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, Bcl-2, and VEGF. It is considered as safe medicinal plants and modulates the numerous biological processes without any adverse effect. In this review, I summarize the role of Azadirachta indica in the prevention and treatment of diseases via the regulation of various biological and physiological pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad A. Alzohairy
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, P.O. Box 6699, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
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29
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Hat B, Kochańczyk M, Bogdał MN, Lipniacki T. Feedbacks, Bifurcations, and Cell Fate Decision-Making in the p53 System. PLoS Comput Biol 2016; 12:e1004787. [PMID: 26928575 PMCID: PMC4771203 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The p53 transcription factor is a regulator of key cellular processes including DNA repair, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. In this theoretical study, we investigate how the complex circuitry of the p53 network allows for stochastic yet unambiguous cell fate decision-making. The proposed Markov chain model consists of the regulatory core and two subordinated bistable modules responsible for cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The regulatory core is controlled by two negative feedback loops (regulated by Mdm2 and Wip1) responsible for oscillations, and two antagonistic positive feedback loops (regulated by phosphatases Wip1 and PTEN) responsible for bistability. By means of bifurcation analysis of the deterministic approximation we capture the recurrent solutions (i.e., steady states and limit cycles) that delineate temporal responses of the stochastic system. Direct switching from the limit-cycle oscillations to the “apoptotic” steady state is enabled by the existence of a subcritical Neimark—Sacker bifurcation in which the limit cycle loses its stability by merging with an unstable invariant torus. Our analysis provides an explanation why cancer cell lines known to have vastly diverse expression levels of Wip1 and PTEN exhibit a broad spectrum of responses to DNA damage: from a fast transition to a high level of p53 killer (a p53 phosphoform which promotes commitment to apoptosis) in cells characterized by high PTEN and low Wip1 levels to long-lasting p53 level oscillations in cells having PTEN promoter methylated (as in, e.g., MCF-7 cell line). Cancers are diseases of signaling networks. Transcription factor p53 is a pivotal node of a network that integrates a variety of stress signals and governs critical processes of DNA repair, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. Somewhat paradoxically, despite the fact that carcinogenesis is prevalently caused by p53 network malfunction, most of our knowledge about p53 signaling is based on cancer or immortalized cell lines. In this paper, we construct a mathematical model of intact p53 network to understand dynamics of non-cancerous cells and then dynamics of cancerous cells by introducing perturbations to the regulatory system. Cell fate decisions are enabled by the presence of interlinked feedback loops which give rise to a rich repertoire of behaviors. We explain and analyze by means of numerical simulations how the dynamical structure of the regulatory system allows for generating unambiguous single-cell fate decisions, also in the case when the cell population splits into an apoptotic and a surviving subpopulation. Perturbation analysis provides an explanation why cancer cell lines known to have vastly diverse expression levels of p53 regulators can exhibit a broad spectrum of responses to DNA damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Hat
- Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marek Kochańczyk
- Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta N. Bogdał
- Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Lipniacki
- Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Statistics, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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30
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Siddiqui S, Akhter N, Deo SVS, Shukla NK, Husain SA. A study on promoter methylation of PTEN in sporadic breast cancer patients from North India. Breast Cancer 2016; 23:922-931. [PMID: 26754093 DOI: 10.1007/s12282-015-0665-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic silencing of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) through DNA methylation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. Present study investigates the contribution of PTEN promoter methylation and its associated protein expression in sporadic breast cancer patients from North India. METHODS A total of 360 paired breast carcinoma and adjacent normal tissue samples from 180 sporadic breast cancer patients were included in the present study and examined for PTEN promoter methylation status by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. Immunohistochemistry method was used for determining PTEN protein expression. Molecular findings were statistically correlated with various clinicopathological parameters to identify associations of clinical relevance. RESULTS Presence of PTEN promoter methylation (39.44 %) significantly correlated with its expression downregulation (45.56 %) in breast tumors (P = 0.0001). Furthermore, their interaction with various clinical parameters was evidenced in stratified analysis. Correlation of PTEN promoter methylation with histologically more malignant grade and PTEN expression loss with triple negative tumor status remained significant even after Bonferroni correction (P < 0.003). CONCLUSIONS Results implicate promoter methylation to be a mechanism partially responsible for PTEN silencing in sporadic breast cancer for North Indian women. Besides, methylation and expression loss of PTEN exhibited promising potential as candidate biomarkers of risk assessment in subcategorized breast tumors with critical pathologic parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Siddiqui
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Naseem Akhter
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - S V S Deo
- Department of Surgical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - N K Shukla
- Department of Surgical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Syed Akhtar Husain
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025, India.
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31
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Yari K, Payandeh M, Rahimi Z. Association of the hypermethylation status of PTEN tumor suppressor gene with the risk of breast cancer among Kurdish population from Western Iran. Tumour Biol 2015; 37:8145-52. [PMID: 26715274 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-015-4731-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer with high morbidity and mortality among women worldwide. Aberrant hypermethylation in promoter regions of the tumor suppressor genes such as PTEN gene is a key event in the progression and development of breast cancer. The aim of the present study was to evaluate an association between PTEN gene methylation status with the risk of breast cancer in an Iranian population. We studied 255 individuals, including 103 patients with breast cancer, 102 first-degree female relatives of patients (mother, sister, or daughter of patients), and 50 healthy individuals as a control group. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes, and the PTEN promoter methylation status was detected using methylation-specific PCR (MSP) method with specific methylated and unmethylated primers. In some samples, direct DNA sequencing was used to confirm the results obtained by the MSP method. The frequency of PTEN-methylated (MM) genotype was 6 % in the healthy control group, 23.3 % in relatives of patients, and 41.7 % in patients (χ (2) = 24.62, p < 0.001). There were significant differences in the frequency of PTEN-methylated genotype between healthy control compared to that in patients (χ (2) = 15.1, p < 0.001) and also compared to that in relatives of patients (χ (2) = 6.9, p = 0.009). In the presence of PTEN MM genotype, there was a 3.1-fold susceptibility to breast cancer compared to the UU genotype (p < 0.001). Also, in the presence of PTEN M allele, the risk of breast cancer was 2.71-fold compared to the presence of U allele (p < 0.001). Our findings indicated increased frequency of hypermethylation of PTEN promoter in the studied patients and their relatives that could be considered as one of the epigenetic factors affecting the risk of breast cancer in Iranians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kheirollah Yari
- Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Payandeh
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Zohreh Rahimi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. .,Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
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32
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Kala R, Shah HN, Martin SL, Tollefsbol TO. Epigenetic-based combinatorial resveratrol and pterostilbene alters DNA damage response by affecting SIRT1 and DNMT enzyme expression, including SIRT1-dependent γ-H2AX and telomerase regulation in triple-negative breast cancer. BMC Cancer 2015; 15:672. [PMID: 26459286 PMCID: PMC4603342 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-015-1693-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Nutrition is believed to be a primary contributor in regulating gene expression by affecting epigenetic pathways such as DNA methylation and histone modification. Resveratrol and pterostilbene are phytoalexins produced by plants as part of their defense system. These two bioactive compounds when used alone have been shown to alter genetic and epigenetic profiles of tumor cells, but the concentrations employed in various studies often far exceed physiologically achievable doses. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an often fatal condition that may be prevented or treated through novel dietary-based approaches. Methods HCC1806 and MDA-MB-157 breast cancer cells were used as TNBC cell lines in this study. MCF10A cells were used as control breast epithelial cells to determine the safety of this dietary regimen. CompuSyn software was used to determine the combination index (CI) for drug combinations. Results Combinatorial resveratrol and pterostilbene administered at close to physiologically relevant doses resulted in synergistic (CI <1) growth inhibition of TNBCs. SIRT1, a type III histone deacetylase (HDAC), was down-regulated in response to this combinatorial treatment. We further explored the effects of this novel combinatorial approach on DNA damage response by monitoring γ-H2AX and telomerase expression. With combination of these two compounds there was a significant decrease in these two proteins which might further resulted in significant growth inhibition, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in HCC1806 and MDA-MB-157 breast cancer cells, while there was no significant effect on cellular viability, colony forming potential, morphology or apoptosis in control MCF10A breast epithelial cells. SIRT1 knockdown reproduced the effects of combinatorial resveratrol and pterostilbene-induced SIRT1 down-regulation through inhibition of both telomerase activity and γ-H2AX expression in HCC1806 breast cancer cells. As a part of the repair mechanisms and role of SIRT1 in recruiting DNMTs, the effects of this combination treatment was also explored on DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) expression. Interestingly, the compounds resulted in a significant down-regulation of DNMT enzymes with no significant effects on DNMT enzyme expression in MCF10A control cells. Conclusion Collectively, these results provide new insights into the epigenetic mechanisms of a novel combinatorial nutrient control strategy that exhibits synergy and may contribute to future recalcitrant TNBC prevention and/or therapy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1693-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rishabh Kala
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
| | - Harsh N Shah
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
| | - Samantha L Martin
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
| | - Trygve O Tollefsbol
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA. .,Comprehensive Center for Healthy Aging, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1530 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA. .,Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1802 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA. .,Nutrition Obesity Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1675 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. .,Comprehensive Diabetes Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1825 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
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Chiang KC, Chen HY, Hsu SY, Pang JHS, Wang SY, Hsu JT, Yeh TS, Chen LW, Kuo SF, Sun CC, Lee JM, Yeh CN, Juang HH. PTEN insufficiency modulates ER+ breast cancer cell cycle progression and increases cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Drug Des Devel Ther 2015; 9:4631-8. [PMID: 26316702 PMCID: PMC4541544 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s86184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a well-known tumor suppressor gene and frequently mutated or lost in breast cancer, possesses the negative regulation function over the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. PTEN insufficiency has been associated with advanced breast cancer and poor prognosis of breast cancer patients. Recently, target therapies aimed at PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway to treat breast cancer have got popularity. However, the exact effect of PTEN on breast cancer cells is still not well understood. This study demonstrated that PTEN knockdown in MCF-7 cells strengthened the downstream gene expressions, including p-Akt, p-ERK1/2, p-mTOR, p-p70s6k, and p-GSK3β. PTEN knockdown MCF-7 cells had increased cell growth and Ki-67 expression. Further Western blot demonstrated that p27 was repressed obviously with p21 slightly inhibited and CDK1, 2, 4, 6, cyclin A, and Cdc25C were upregulated in MCF-7 PTEN knockdown cells, leading to the higher growth rate. More importantly, PTEN knockdown MCF-7 cells had higher tumorigenesis and tumor growth in vivo. From our current work, we provided more detailed PTEN-mediated mechanisms to stimulate ER+ breast cancer cell growth. Our result may pave the way for further target therapy development used alone or in combination with other drugs for ER+ breast cancer with PTEN insufficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun-Chun Chiang
- Department of General Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Republic of China
- Department of General Surgery, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Huang-Yang Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Republic of China
| | - Shu-Yuan Hsu
- Department of Anatomy, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Jong-Hwei S Pang
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Shang-Yu Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Jun-Te Hsu
- Department of General Surgery, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Ta-Sen Yeh
- Department of General Surgery, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Li-Wei Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Sheng-Fong Kuo
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Chi-Chin Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Jim-Ming Lee
- Department of General Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Republic of China
| | - Chun-Nan Yeh
- Department of General Surgery, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Horng-Heng Juang
- Department of Anatomy, Chang Gung University, Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China
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Milella M, Falcone I, Conciatori F, Cesta Incani U, Del Curatolo A, Inzerilli N, Nuzzo CMA, Vaccaro V, Vari S, Cognetti F, Ciuffreda L. PTEN: Multiple Functions in Human Malignant Tumors. Front Oncol 2015; 5:24. [PMID: 25763354 PMCID: PMC4329810 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2015.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 323] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
PTEN is the most important negative regulator of the PI3K signaling pathway. In addition to its canonical, PI3K inhibition-dependent functions, PTEN can also function as a tumor suppressor in a PI3K-independent manner. Indeed, the PTEN network regulates a broad spectrum of biological functions, modulating the flow of information from membrane-bound growth factor receptors to nuclear transcription factors, occurring in concert with other tumor suppressors and oncogenic signaling pathways. PTEN acts through its lipid and protein phosphatase activity and other non-enzymatic mechanisms. Studies conducted over the past 10 years have expanded our understanding of the biological role of PTEN, showing that in addition to its ability to regulate proliferation and cell survival, it also plays an intriguing role in regulating genomic stability, cell migration, stem cell self-renewal, and tumor microenvironment. Changes in PTEN protein levels, location, and enzymatic activity through various molecular mechanisms can generate a continuum of functional PTEN levels in inherited syndromes, sporadic cancers, and other diseases. PTEN activity can indeed, be modulated by mutations, epigenetic silencing, transcriptional repression, aberrant protein localization, and post-translational modifications. This review will discuss our current understanding of the biological role of PTEN, how PTEN expression and activity are regulated, and the consequences of PTEN dysregulation in human malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Milella
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome , Italy
| | - Italia Falcone
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome , Italy
| | - Fabiana Conciatori
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome , Italy
| | - Ursula Cesta Incani
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome , Italy
| | - Anais Del Curatolo
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome , Italy
| | - Nicola Inzerilli
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome , Italy
| | - Carmen M A Nuzzo
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome , Italy
| | - Vanja Vaccaro
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome , Italy
| | - Sabrina Vari
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome , Italy
| | - Francesco Cognetti
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome , Italy
| | - Ludovica Ciuffreda
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute , Rome , Italy
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Abstract
Most recent investigations into cancer etiology have identified a key role played by epigenetics. Specifically, aberrant DNA and histone modifications which silence tumor suppressor genes or promote oncogenes have been demonstrated in multiple cancer models. While the role of epigenetics in several solid tumor cancers such as colorectal cancer are well established, there is emerging evidence that epigenetics also plays a critical role in breast and prostate cancer. In breast cancer, DNA methylation profiles have been linked to hormone receptor status and tumor progression. Similarly in prostate cancer, epigenetic patterns have been associated with androgen receptor status and response to therapy. The regulation of key receptor pathways and activities which affect clinical therapy treatment options by epigenetics renders this field high priority for elucidating mechanisms and potential targets. A new set of methylation arrays are now available to screen epigenetic changes and provide the cutting-edge tools needed to perform such investigations. The role of nutritional interventions affecting epigenetic changes particularly holds promise. Ultimately, determining the causes and outcomes from epigenetic changes will inform translational applications for utilization as biomarkers for risk and prognosis as well as candidates for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyuan Wu
- Division of Cancer Research and Training, Center to Eliminate Cancer Health Disparities, Department of Internal Medicine, Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marianna Sarkissyan
- Division of Cancer Research and Training, Center to Eliminate Cancer Health Disparities, Department of Internal Medicine, Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jaydutt V. Vadgama
- Division of Cancer Research and Training, Center to Eliminate Cancer Health Disparities, Department of Internal Medicine, Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Corresponding Author Contact Information: Division of Cancer Research and Training, Center to Eliminate Cancer Health Disparities, Department of Internal Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, 1731 East 120th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA. Tele: 323-563-4853. Fax: 323-563-4859 ;
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Elumalai P, Arunakaran J. Review on molecular and chemopreventive potential of nimbolide in cancer. Genomics Inform 2014; 12:156-64. [PMID: 25705153 PMCID: PMC4330249 DOI: 10.5808/gi.2014.12.4.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2014] [Revised: 11/09/2014] [Accepted: 11/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is the most dreaded disease in human and also major health problem worldwide. Despite its high occurrence, the exact molecular mechanisms of the development and progression are not fully understood. The existing cancer therapy based on allopathic medicine is expensive, exhibits side effects; and may also alter the normal functioning of genes. Thus, a non-toxic and effective mode of treatment is needed to control cancer development and progression. Some medicinal plants offer a safe, effective and affordable remedy to control the cancer progression. Nimbolide, a limnoid derived from the neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves and flowers of neem, is widely used in traditional medical practices for treating various human diseases. Nimbolide exhibits several pharmacological effects among which its anticancer activity is the most promising. The previous studies carried out over the decades have shown that nimbolide inhibits cell proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells. This review highlights the current knowledge on the molecular targets that contribute to the observed anticancer activity of nimbolide related to induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest; and inhibition of signaling pathways related to cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perumal Elumalai
- Department of Endocrinology, Dr. ALM Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Chennai 600113, India
| | - Jagadeesan Arunakaran
- Department of Endocrinology, Dr. ALM Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Chennai 600113, India
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Ciuffreda L, Falcone I, Incani UC, Del Curatolo A, Conciatori F, Matteoni S, Vari S, Vaccaro V, Cognetti F, Milella M. PTEN expression and function in adult cancer stem cells and prospects for therapeutic targeting. Adv Biol Regul 2014; 56:66-80. [PMID: 25088603 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2014.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) is a non-redundant lipid phosphatase that restrains and fine tunes the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway. PTEN is involved in inherited syndromes, which predispose to different types of cancers and is among the most frequently inactivated tumor suppressor genes in sporadic cancers. Indeed, loss of PTEN function occurs in a wide spectrum of human cancers through a variety of mechanisms, including mutations, deletions, transcriptional silencing, or protein instability. PTEN prevents tumorigenesis through multiple mechanisms and regulates a plethora of cellular processes, including survival, proliferation, energy metabolism and cellular architecture. Moreover, recent studies have demonstrated that PTEN is able to exit, exist, and function outside the cell, allowing for inhibition of the PI3K pathway in neighboring cells in a paracrine fashion. Most recently, studies have shown that PTEN is also critical for stem cell maintenance and that PTEN loss can lead to the emergence and proliferation of cancer stem cell (CSC) clones. Depending on the cellular and tissue context of origin, PTEN deletion may result in increased self-renewal capacity or normal stem cell exhaustion and PTEN-defìcient stem and progenitor cells have been reported in prostate, lung, intestinal, and pancreatic tissues before tumor formation; moreover, reversible or irreversible PTEN loss is frequently observed in CSC from a variety of solid and hematologic malignancies, where it may contribute to the functional phenotype of CSC. In this review, we will focus on the role of PTEN expression and function and downstream pathway activation in cancer stem cell biology and regulation of the tumorigenic potential; the emerging role of PTEN in mediating the crosstalk between the PI3K and MAPK pathways will also be discussed, together with prospects for the therapeutic targeting of tumors lacking PTEN expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovica Ciuffreda
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
| | - Italia Falcone
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Ursula Cesta Incani
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Anais Del Curatolo
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabiana Conciatori
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Matteoni
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabrina Vari
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Vanja Vaccaro
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Cognetti
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Milella
- Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
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Current clinical regulation of PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR signalling in treatment of human cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2014; 141:671-89. [PMID: 25146530 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-014-1803-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE PTEN is an essential tumour suppressor gene which encodes a phosphatase protein that antagonises the PI3K/Akt/mTOR antiapoptotic pathway. Impairment of this tumour suppressor pathway potentially becomes a causal factor for development of malignancies. This review aims to assess current understanding of mechanisms of dysfunction involving the PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR pathway linked to tumorigenesis and evaluate the evidence for targeted therapy directed at this signalling axis. METHODS Relevant articles in scientific databases were identified using a combination of search terms, including "malignancies", "targeted therapy", "PTEN", and "combination therapy". These databases included Medline, Embase, Cochrane Review, Pubmed, and Scopus. RESULTS PI3K/PTEN expression is frequently deregulated in a majority of malignancies through genetic, epigenetic, and post-transcriptional modifications. This contributes to the upregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway which has been the focus of intense clinical studies. Targeted agents aimed at this pathway offer a novel treatment approach in a variety of haematologic malignancies and solid tumours. Compared to single-agent use, greater response rates were obtained in combination regimens, supporting further investigation of suitable drug combinations in a broad spectrum of malignancies. CONCLUSION Activation of the PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTOR pathway is implicated both in the pathogenesis of malignancies and development of resistance to anticancer therapies. Therefore, PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors are a promising therapeutic option, in association with systemic cytotoxic and biological therapies, to enable sustained clinical outcomes in cancer treatment. Therapeutic strategies could be tailored according to appropriate biomarkers and patient-specific mutation profiles to maximise benefit of combination therapies.
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Lindqvist BM, Wingren S, Motlagh PB, Nilsson TK. Whole genome DNA methylation signature of HER2-positive breast cancer. Epigenetics 2014; 9:1149-62. [PMID: 25089541 DOI: 10.4161/epi.29632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to obtain a comprehensive DNA methylation signature of HER2-positive breast cancer (HER2+ breast cancer), we performed a genome-wide methylation analysis on 17 HER2+ breast cancer and compared with ten normal breast tissue samples using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip (450K). In HER2+ breast cancer, we found altered DNA methylation in genes involved in multicellular development, differentiation and transcription. Within these genes, we observed an overrepresentation of homeobox family genes, including several genes that have not been previously reported in relation to cancer (DBX1, NKX2-6, SIX6). Other affected genes included several belonging to the PI3K and Wnt signaling pathways. Notably, HER2, AKT3, HK1, and PFKP, genes for which altered methylation has not been previously reported, were also identified in this analysis. In total, we report 69 candidate biomarker genes with maximum differential methylation in HER2+ breast cancer. External validation of gene expression in a selected group of these genes (n = 13) revealed lowered mean gene expression in HER2+ breast cancer. We analyzed DNA methylation in six top candidate genes (AKR1B1, INA, FOXC2, NEUROD1, CDKL2, IRF4) using EpiTect Methyl II Custom PCR Array and confirmed the 450K array findings. Future clinical studies focusing on these genes, as well as on homeobox-containing genes and HER2, AKT3, HK1, and PFKP, are warranted which could provide further insights into the biology of HER2+ breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breezy M Lindqvist
- School of Health and Medical Sciences; Örebro University; Örebro, Sweden
| | - Sten Wingren
- School of Health and Medical Sciences; Örebro University; Örebro, Sweden
| | - Parviz B Motlagh
- Department of Medical Biosciences/Clinical Chemistry; Umeå University; Umeå, Sweden
| | - Torbjörn K Nilsson
- Department of Medical Biosciences/Clinical Chemistry; Umeå University; Umeå, Sweden
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Khan S, Bennit HF, Turay D, Perez M, Mirshahidi S, Yuan Y, Wall NR. Early diagnostic value of survivin and its alternative splice variants in breast cancer. BMC Cancer 2014. [PMID: 24620748 DOI: 10.1186/1471‐2407‐14‐176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) protein Survivin and its splice variants are differentially expressed in breast cancer tissues. Our previous work showed Survivin is released from tumor cells via small membrane-bound vesicles called exosomes. We, therefore, hypothesize that analysis of serum exosomal Survivin and its splice variants may provide a novel biomarker for early diagnosis of breast cancer. METHODS We collected sera from forty breast cancer patients and ten control patients who were disease free for 5 years after treatment. In addition, twenty-three paired breast cancer tumor tissues from those same 40 patients were analyzed for splice variants. Serum levels of Survivin were analyzed using ELISA and exosomes were isolated from this serum using the commercially available ExoQuick kit, with subsequent Western blots and immunohistochemistry performed. RESULTS Survivin levels were significantly higher in all the breast cancer samples compared to controls (p < 0.05) with exosome amounts significantly higher in cancer patient sera compared to controls (p < 0.01). While Survivin and Survivin-∆Ex3 splice variant expression and localization was identical in serum exosomes, differential expression of Survivin-2B protein existed in the exosomes. Similarly, Survivin and Survivin-∆Ex3 proteins were the predominant forms detected in all of the breast cancer tissues evaluated in this study, whereas a more variable expression of Survivin-2B level was found at different cancer stages. CONCLUSION In this study we show for the first time that like Survivin, the Survivin splice variants are also exosomally packaged in the breast cancer patients' sera, mimicking the survivin splice variant pattern that we also report in breast cancer tissues. Differential expression of exosomal-Survivin, particularly Survivin-2B, may serve as a diagnostic and/or prognostic marker, a "liquid biopsy" if you will, in early breast cancer patients. Furthermore, a more thorough understanding of the role of this prominent antiapoptotic pathway could lead to the development of potential therapeutics for breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Nathan R Wall
- Department of Biochemistry, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA.
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Khan S, Bennit HF, Turay D, Perez M, Mirshahidi S, Yuan Y, Wall NR. Early diagnostic value of survivin and its alternative splice variants in breast cancer. BMC Cancer 2014; 14:176. [PMID: 24620748 PMCID: PMC3995700 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 02/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) protein Survivin and its splice variants are differentially expressed in breast cancer tissues. Our previous work showed Survivin is released from tumor cells via small membrane-bound vesicles called exosomes. We, therefore, hypothesize that analysis of serum exosomal Survivin and its splice variants may provide a novel biomarker for early diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods We collected sera from forty breast cancer patients and ten control patients who were disease free for 5 years after treatment. In addition, twenty-three paired breast cancer tumor tissues from those same 40 patients were analyzed for splice variants. Serum levels of Survivin were analyzed using ELISA and exosomes were isolated from this serum using the commercially available ExoQuick kit, with subsequent Western blots and immunohistochemistry performed. Results Survivin levels were significantly higher in all the breast cancer samples compared to controls (p < 0.05) with exosome amounts significantly higher in cancer patient sera compared to controls (p < 0.01). While Survivin and Survivin-∆Ex3 splice variant expression and localization was identical in serum exosomes, differential expression of Survivin-2B protein existed in the exosomes. Similarly, Survivin and Survivin-∆Ex3 proteins were the predominant forms detected in all of the breast cancer tissues evaluated in this study, whereas a more variable expression of Survivin-2B level was found at different cancer stages. Conclusion In this study we show for the first time that like Survivin, the Survivin splice variants are also exosomally packaged in the breast cancer patients’ sera, mimicking the survivin splice variant pattern that we also report in breast cancer tissues. Differential expression of exosomal-Survivin, particularly Survivin-2B, may serve as a diagnostic and/or prognostic marker, a “liquid biopsy” if you will, in early breast cancer patients. Furthermore, a more thorough understanding of the role of this prominent antiapoptotic pathway could lead to the development of potential therapeutics for breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Nathan R Wall
- Department of Biochemistry, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, USA.
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Huemer F, Bartsch R, Gnant M. The PI3K/AKT/MTOR Signaling Pathway: The Role of PI3K and AKT Inhibitors in Breast Cancer. CURRENT BREAST CANCER REPORTS 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s12609-014-0139-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Dillon LM, Miller TW. Therapeutic targeting of cancers with loss of PTEN function. Curr Drug Targets 2014; 15:65-79. [PMID: 24387334 PMCID: PMC4310752 DOI: 10.2174/1389450114666140106100909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2013] [Revised: 09/30/2013] [Accepted: 11/02/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is one of the most frequently disrupted tumor suppressors in cancer. The lipid phosphatase activity of PTEN antagonizes the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mTOR pathway to repress tumor cell growth and survival. In the nucleus, PTEN promotes chromosome stability and DNA repair. Consequently, loss of PTEN function increases genomic instability. PTEN deficiency is caused by inherited germline mutations, somatic mutations, epigenetic and transcriptional silencing, post-translational modifications, and protein-protein interactions. Given the high frequency of PTEN deficiency across cancer subtypes, therapeutic approaches that exploit PTEN loss-of-function could provide effective treatment strategies. Herein, we discuss therapeutic strategies aimed at cancers with loss of PTEN function, and the challenges involved in treating patients afflicted with such cancers. We review preclinical and clinical findings, and highlight novel strategies under development to target PTENdeficient cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Todd W Miller
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Dr. HB-7936, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.
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Clofarabine, a novel adenosine analogue, reactivates DNA methylation-silenced tumour suppressor genes and inhibits cell growth in breast cancer cells. Eur J Pharmacol 2013; 723:276-87. [PMID: 24296317 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2013.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2013] [Revised: 09/07/2013] [Accepted: 11/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Clofarabine (2-chloro-2'-fluoro-2'-deoxyarabinosyladenine, ClF) is a second-generation 2'-deoxyadenosine analogue that is structurally related to cladribine (2-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine, 2CdA) and fludarabine (9-beta-d-arabinosyl-2-fluoroadenine, F-ara-A). It demonstrates potent antitumour activity at much lower doses than parent compounds with high therapeutic efficacy in paediatric blood cancers. Our previous studies in breast cancer cells indicate that 2CdA and F-ara-A are involved in epigenetic regulation of gene transcription. We therefore investigated whether ClF influences methylation and expression of selected tumour suppressor genes, such as adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN), and retinoic acid receptor beta 2 (RARbeta2), as well as expression of p53, p21 and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines with different invasive potential. Promoter methylation and gene expression were estimated using methylation-sensitive restriction analysis (MSRA) and real-time PCR, respectively. ClF demonstrated potent growth inhibitory activity in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells after 96h treatment with IC50 determined as equal to 640nM and 50nM, respectively. In both breast cancer cell lines, ClF led to hypomethylation and up-regulation of APC, PTEN and RARbeta2 as well as increase in p21 expression. Only in non-invasive MCF-7 cells, these changes were associated with down-regulation of DNMT1. Our results provide first evidence of ClF implications in epigenetic regulation of transcriptional activity of selected tumour suppressor genes in breast cancer. It seems to be a new important element of ClF anticancer activity and may indicate its potential efficacy in epigenetic therapy of solid tumours, especially at early stages of carcinogenesis.
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Ng EKO, Li R, Shin VY, Siu JM, Ma ESK, Kwong A. MicroRNA-143 is downregulated in breast cancer and regulates DNA methyltransferases 3A in breast cancer cells. Tumour Biol 2013; 35:2591-8. [PMID: 24218337 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-013-1341-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 10/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-protein-coding RNAs that regulate expression of a wide variety of genes including those involved in cancer development. Here, we investigate the role of miR-143 in breast cancer. In this study, we showed that miR-143 was frequently downregulated in 80% of breast carcinoma tissues compared to their adjacent noncancerous tissues. Ectopic expression of miR-143 inhibited proliferation and soft agar colony formation of breast cancer cells and also downregulated DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) expression on both mRNA and protein levels. Restoration of miR-143 expression in breast cancer cells reduces PTEN hypermethylation and increases TNFRSF10C methylation. DNMT3A was demonstrated to be a direct target of miR-143 by luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, miR-143 expression was observed to be inversely correlated with DNMT3A mRNA and protein expression in breast cancer tissues. Our findings suggest that miR-143 regulates DNMT3A in breast cancer cells. These findings elucidated a tumor-suppressive role of miR-143 in epigenetic aberration of breast cancer, providing a potential development of miRNA-based treatment for breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enders K O Ng
- Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong
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Klajic J, Fleischer T, Dejeux E, Edvardsen H, Warnberg F, Bukholm I, Lønning PE, Solvang H, Børresen-Dale AL, Tost J, Kristensen VN. Quantitative DNA methylation analyses reveal stage dependent DNA methylation and association to clinico-pathological factors in breast tumors. BMC Cancer 2013; 13:456. [PMID: 24093668 PMCID: PMC3819713 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-13-456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 10/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aberrant DNA methylation of regulatory genes has frequently been found in human breast cancers and correlated to clinical outcome. In the present study we investigate stage specific changes in the DNA methylation patterns in order to identify valuable markers to understand how these changes affect breast cancer progression. Methods Quantitative DNA methylation analyses of 12 candidate genes ABCB1, BRCCA1, CDKN2A, ESR1, GSTP1, IGF2, MGMT, HMLH1, PPP2R2B, PTEN, RASSF1A and FOXC1 was performed by pyrosequencing a series of 238 breast cancer tissue samples from DCIS to invasive tumors stage I to IV. Results Significant differences in methylation levels between the DCIS and invasive stage II tumors were observed for six genes RASSF1A, CDKN2A, MGMT, ABCB1, GSTP1 and FOXC1. RASSF1A, ABCB1 and GSTP1 showed significantly higher methylation levels in late stage compared to the early stage breast carcinoma. Z-score analysis revealed significantly lower methylation levels in DCIS and stage I tumors compared with stage II, III and IV tumors. Methylation levels of PTEN, PPP2R2B, FOXC1, ABCB1 and BRCA1 were lower in tumors harboring TP53 mutations then in tumors with wild type TP53. Z-score analysis showed that TP53 mutated tumors had significantly lower overall methylation levels compared to tumors with wild type TP53. Methylation levels of RASSF1A, PPP2R2B, GSTP1 and FOXC1 were higher in ER positive vs. ER negative tumors and methylation levels of PTEN and CDKN2A were higher in HER2 positive vs. HER2 negative tumors. Z-score analysis also showed that HER2 positive tumors had significantly higher z-scores of methylation compared to the HER2 negative tumors. Univariate survival analysis identifies methylation status of PPP2R2B as significant predictor of overall survival and breast cancer specific survival. Conclusions In the present study we report that the level of aberrant DNA methylation is higher in late stage compared with early stage of invasive breast cancers and DCIS for genes mentioned above.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jovana Klajic
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology and Laboratory Science (EpiGen), Akershus University hospital, Division of Medicine, 1476 Lørenskog, Norway.
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Gabriel K, Ingram A, Austin R, Kapoor A, Tang D, Majeed F, Qureshi T, Al-Nedawi K. Regulation of the tumor suppressor PTEN through exosomes: a diagnostic potential for prostate cancer. PLoS One 2013; 8:e70047. [PMID: 23936141 PMCID: PMC3723640 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
PTEN is a potent tumor-suppressor protein. Aggressive and metastatic prostate cancer (PC) is associated with a reduction or loss of PTEN expression. PTEN reduction often occurs without gene mutations, and its downregulation is not fully understood. Herein, we show that PTEN is incorporated in the cargo of exosomes derived from cancer cells. PTEN is not detected in exosomes derived from normal, noncancerous cells. We found that PTEN can be transferred to other cells through exosomes. In cells that have a reduction or complete loss of PTEN expression, the transferred PTEN is competent to confer tumor-suppression activity to acceptor cells. In PC patients, we show that PTEN is incorporated in the cargo of exosomes that circulate in their blood. Interestingly, normal subjects have no PTEN expression in their blood exosomes. Further, we found that the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is incorporated in PC patients’ and normal subjects’ blood exosomes. These data suggest that exosomal PTEN can compensate for PTEN loss in PTEN deficient cells, and may have diagnostic value for prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Gabriel
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Hamilton Centre for Kidney Research (HCKR), St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alistair Ingram
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Hamilton Centre for Kidney Research (HCKR), St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Austin
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Hamilton Centre for Kidney Research (HCKR), St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anil Kapoor
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Damu Tang
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Hamilton Centre for Kidney Research (HCKR), St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fadwa Majeed
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Hamilton Centre for Kidney Research (HCKR), St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Talha Qureshi
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Hamilton Centre for Kidney Research (HCKR), St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Khalid Al-Nedawi
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Hamilton Centre for Kidney Research (HCKR), St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Cancer associated E17K mutation causes rapid conformational drift in AKT1 pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. PLoS One 2013; 8:e64364. [PMID: 23741320 PMCID: PMC3669323 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 04/12/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AKT1 (v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homologue 1) kinase is one of the most frequently activated proliferated and survival pathway of cancer. Recently it has been shown that E17K mutation in the Pleckstrin Homology (PH) domain of AKT1 protein leads to cancer by amplifying the phosphorylation and membrane localization of protein. The mutant has shown resistance to AKT1/2 inhibitor VIII drug molecule. In this study we have demonstrated the detailed structural and molecular consequences associated with the activity regulation of mutant protein. METHODS The docking score exhibited significant loss in the interaction affinity to AKT1/2 inhibitor VIII drug molecule. Furthermore, the molecular dynamics simulation studies presented an evidence of rapid conformational drift observed in mutant structure. RESULTS There was no stability loss in mutant as compared to native structure and the major cation-π interactions were also shown to be retained. Moreover, the active residues involved in membrane localization of protein exhibited significant rise in NHbonds formation in mutant. The rise in NHbond formation in active residues accounts for the 4-fold increase in the membrane localization potential of protein. CONCLUSION The overall result suggested that, although the mutation did not induce any stability loss in structure, the associated pathological consequences might have occurred due to the rapid conformational drifts observed in the mutant AKT1 PH domain. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE The methodology implemented and the results obtained in this work will facilitate in determining the core molecular mechanisms of cancer-associated mutations and in designing their potential drug inhibitors.
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Zhang HY, Liang F, Jia ZL, Song ST, Jiang ZF. PTEN mutation, methylation and expression in breast cancer patients. Oncol Lett 2013; 6:161-168. [PMID: 23946797 PMCID: PMC3742525 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2013.1331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2012] [Accepted: 04/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor suppressor gene, PTEN, has previously been demonstrated to be involved in breast tumorigenesis and tumor progression. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and significance of PTEN in breast carcinomas, to detect the mutation frequency of PTEN in sporadic breast carcinoma tissues and to determine the association between PTEN promoter methylation and gene expression. Immunohistochemical methods were used to analyze the expression of the PTEN gene in 146 cases of breast carcinoma and 10 cases of normal breast tissue closely adjacent to the carcinoma. Polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis was used to analyze conformation polymorphisms in 45 breast carcinoma and 10 normal breast tissues. Point mutations of abnormal single stranded conformation were detected by DNA sequencing. The methylation of the PTEN promoter was analyzed by methylation-specific PCR. Expression of PTEN was detected in 57.5% (84/146) of patients with breast carcinoma. By contrast, PTEN expression was detected in 100% of normal samples. Expression of PTEN was found to negatively correlate with the tumor size, the pathological stage and the expression of the estrogen receptor (ER) and the progesterone receptor (PR) in breast cancer. The 2-year disease-free survival of patients with a high expression of PTEN was higher compared with those with low PTEN expression (P<0.05). Missense mutations in exon 2 of PTEN were identified in 1/45 breast cancer cases. PTEN promoter methylation was detected in 31.1% (14/45) of breast carcinomas, of which 64.3% (9/14) were associated with a loss of PTEN expression. The tumor suppressor gene, PTEN, was abnormally expressed in the breast carcinomas. The number of PTEN mutations were low (1/45) in the sporadic breast cancer cases analyzed in the present study and PTEN promoter methylation may have been the main mechanism leading to the decreased expression of PTEN. These results indicate that PTEN is important for the tumorigenesis, development and prognosis of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Yan Zhang
- Department of Oncology, General Hospital of Beijing Military Area, Beijing 100700
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Jones N, Bonnet F, Sfar S, Lafitte M, Lafon D, Sierankowski G, Brouste V, Banneau G, Tunon de Lara C, Debled M, MacGrogan G, Longy M, Sevenet N. Comprehensive analysis of PTEN status in breast carcinomas. Int J Cancer 2013; 133:323-34. [PMID: 23319441 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
PTEN plays a well-established role in the negative regulation of the PI3K pathway, which is frequently activated in several cancer types, including breast cancer. A nuclear function in the maintenance of chromosomal stability has been proposed for PTEN but is yet to be clearly defined. In order to improve understanding of the role of PTEN in mammary tumorigenesis in terms of a possible gene dosage effect, its PI3K pathway function and its association with p53, we undertook comprehensive analysis of PTEN status in 135 sporadic invasive ductal carcinomas. Four PTEN status groups were defined; complete loss (19/135, 14%), reduced copy number (19/135, 14%), normal (86/135, 64%) and complex (11/135, 8%). Whereas the PTEN complete loss status was significantly associated with estrogen receptor (ER) negativity (p=0.006) and in particular the basal-like phenotype (p<0.0001), a reduced PTEN copy number was not associated with hormone receptor status or a particular breast cancer subtype. Overall, PI3K pathway alteration was suggested to be involved in 59% (79/134) of tumors as assessed by human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression, PIK3CA mutation or a complete loss of PTEN. A complex PTEN status was identified in a tumor subgroup which displayed a specific, complex DNA profile at the PTEN locus with a strikingly similar highly rearranged pan-genomic profile. All of these tumors had relapsed and were associated with a poorer prognosis in the context of node negative disease (p=1.4 × 10(-13) ) thus may represent a tumor subgroup with a common molecular alteration which could be targeted to improve clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Jones
- INSERM U916 VINCO, University of Bordeaux, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France
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