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Sobhiafshar U, Çakici B, Yilmaz E, Yildiz Ayhan N, Hedaya L, Ayhan MC, Yerinde C, Alankuş YB, Gürkaşlar HK, Firat-Karalar EN, Emre NCT. Interferon regulatory factor 4 modulates epigenetic silencing and cancer-critical pathways in melanoma cells. Mol Oncol 2024. [PMID: 38880659 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) was initially identified as a key controller in lymphocyte differentiation and function, and subsequently as a dependency factor and therapy target in lymphocyte-derived cancers. In melanocytes, IRF4 takes part in pigmentation. Although genetic studies have implicated IRF4 in melanoma, how IRF4 functions in melanoma cells has remained largely elusive. Here, we confirmed prevalent IRF4 expression in melanoma and showed that high expression is linked to dependency in cells and mortality in patients. Analysis of genes activated by IRF4 uncovered, as a novel target category, epigenetic silencing factors involved in DNA methylation (DNMT1, DNMT3B, UHRF1) and histone H3K27 methylation (EZH2). Consequently, we show that IRF4 controls the expression of tumour suppressor genes known to be silenced by these epigenetic modifications, for instance cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors CDKN1A and CDKN1B, the PI3-AKT pathway regulator PTEN, and primary cilium components. Furthermore, IRF4 modulates activity of key downstream oncogenic pathways, such as WNT/β-catenin and AKT, impacting cell proliferation and survival. Accordingly, IRF4 modifies the effectiveness of pertinent epigenetic drugs on melanoma cells, a finding that encourages further studies towards therapeutic targeting of IRF4 in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulduz Sobhiafshar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Betül Çakici
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Erdem Yilmaz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nalan Yildiz Ayhan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Laila Hedaya
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Can Ayhan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Cansu Yerinde
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - H Kübra Gürkaşlar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - N C Tolga Emre
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Center for Life Sciences and Technologies, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
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2
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Vatanmakanian M, Steffan JJ, Koul S, Ochoa AC, Chaturvedi LS, Koul HK. Regulation of SPDEF expression by DNA methylation in advanced prostate cancer. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1156120. [PMID: 37900138 PMCID: PMC10600024 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1156120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Prostate cancer (PCa) presents a significant health challenge in men, with a substantial number of deaths attributed to metastatic castration resistant PCa (mCRPC). Moreover, African American men experience disproportionately high mortality rates due to PCa. This study delves into the pivotal role of SPDEF, a prostate specific Ets transcription factor, and its regulation by DNA methylation in the context of PCa progression. Methods We performed Epigenetic reprogramming using daily treatment with non-toxic dose of 5Aza-2-deoxycytidine (5Aza-dC) for two weeks to assess its impact on PDEF expression in prostate cancer cells. Next, we conducted functional studies on reprogrammed cells, including cell migration (wound-healing assay), invasion (Boyden-Chamber test), and proliferation (MTT assay) to comprehensively evaluate the consequences of altered PDEF expression. We used bisulfite sequencing (BSP) to examine DNA methylation at SPDEF promoter. Simultaneously, we utilized siRNA-mediated targeting of key DNMTs (DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B) to elucidate their specific role in regulating PDEF. We measured mRNA and protein expressions using qRT-PCR and immune-blotting techniques, respectively. Results In this report, we observed that: a) there is a gradual decrease in SPDEF expression with a concomitant increase in methylated CpG sites within the SPDEF gene during prostate cancer progression from lower to higher Gleason grade; b) Expression of DNMT's (DNMT1, 3a and 3b) is increased during prostate cancer progression, and there is an inverse correlation between SPDEF and DNMT expression; c) SPDEF levels are decreased in RC77/T, a line of PCa cells from African American origin similar to PC3 and DU145 cells (CRPC cells), as compared to LNCaP cells , a line of androgen dependent cells,; d) the 5' CpG island of SPDEF gene are hypermethylated in SPDEF-negative CRPC ( PC3, DU145 and RC77/T) cell lines but the same regions are hypomethylated in SPDEF-positive castrate sensitive (LNCaP) cell line ; (e) expression of SPDEF in PCa cells lacking SPDEF decreases cell migration and invasion, but has no significant effect on cell proliferation, and; (f) treatment with the demethylating agent, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, or silencing of the DNMT's by siRNA, partially restores SPDEF expression in SPDEF-negative PCa cell lines, and decreases cell migration and invasion. Discussion These results indicate hypermethylation is a prevalent mechanism for decreasing SPDEF expression during prostate cancer progression. The data demonstrate that loss of SPDEF expression in prostate cancer cells, a critical step in cellular plasticity, results from a potentially reversible process of aberrant DNA methylation. These studies suggest DMNT activity as a potential therapeutic vulnerability that can be exploited for limiting cellular plasticity, tumor progression, and therapy resistance in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mousa Vatanmakanian
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- LSU-LCMC (Louisiana Children's Medical Center) Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Joshua J. Steffan
- Program in Urosciences, Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Sweaty Koul
- LSU-LCMC (Louisiana Children's Medical Center) Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Augusto C. Ochoa
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- LSU-LCMC (Louisiana Children's Medical Center) Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Lakshmi S. Chaturvedi
- LSU-LCMC (Louisiana Children's Medical Center) Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Hari K. Koul
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- LSU-LCMC (Louisiana Children's Medical Center) Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, United States
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3
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Gomez S, Cox OL, Walker RR, Rentia U, Hadley M, Arthofer E, Diab N, Grundy EE, Kanholm T, McDonald JI, Kobyra J, Palmer E, Noonepalle S, Villagra A, Leitenberg D, Bollard CM, Saunthararajah Y, Chiappinelli KB. Inhibiting DNA methylation and RNA editing upregulates immunogenic RNA to transform the tumor microenvironment and prolong survival in ovarian cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-004974. [PMID: 36343976 PMCID: PMC9644370 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Novel therapies are urgently needed for ovarian cancer (OC), the fifth deadliest cancer in women. Preclinical work has shown that DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTis) can reverse the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in OC. Inhibiting DNA methyltransferases activate transcription of double-stranded (ds)RNA, including transposable elements. These dsRNAs activate sensors in the cytoplasm and trigger type I interferon (IFN) signaling, recruiting host immune cells to kill the tumor cells. Adenosine deaminase 1 (ADAR1) is induced by IFN signaling and edits mammalian dsRNA with an A-to-I nucleotide change, which is read as an A-to-G change in sequencing data. These edited dsRNAs cannot be sensed by dsRNA sensors, and thus ADAR1 inhibits the type I IFN response in a negative feedback loop. We hypothesized that decreasing ADAR1 editing would enhance the DNMTi-induced immune response. METHODS Human OC cell lines were treated in vitro with DNMTi and then RNA-sequenced to measure RNA editing. Adar1 was stably knocked down in ID8 Trp53-/- mouse OC cells. Control cells (shGFP) or shAdar1 cells were tested with mock or DNMTi treatment. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells were immunophenotyped using flow cytometry and cell culture supernatants were analyzed for secreted chemokines/cytokines. Mice were injected with syngeneic shAdar1 ID8 Trp53-/- cells and treated with tetrahydrouridine/DNMTi while given anti-interferon alpha and beta receptor 1, anti-CD8, or anti-NK1.1 antibodies every 3 days. RESULTS We show that ADAR1 edits transposable elements in human OC cell lines after DNMTi treatment in vitro. Combining ADAR1 knockdown with DNMTi significantly increases pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine production and sensitivity to IFN-β compared with either perturbation alone. Furthermore, DNMTi treatment and Adar1 loss reduces tumor burden and prolongs survival in an immunocompetent mouse model of OC. Combining Adar1 loss and DNMTi elicited the most robust antitumor response and transformed the immune microenvironment with increased recruitment and activation of CD8+ T cells. CONCLUSION In summary, we showed that the survival benefit from DNMTi plus ADAR1 inhibition is dependent on type I IFN signaling. Thus, epigenetically inducing transposable element transcription combined with inhibition of RNA editing is a novel therapeutic strategy to reverse immune evasion in OC, a disease that does not respond to current immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Gomez
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Olivia L Cox
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Reddick R Walker
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Uzma Rentia
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Melissa Hadley
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Elisa Arthofer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Noor Diab
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Erin E Grundy
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Tomas Kanholm
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - James I McDonald
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Julie Kobyra
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Erica Palmer
- Department of Biochemistry, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Satish Noonepalle
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Alejandro Villagra
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - David Leitenberg
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Catherine M Bollard
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Children's National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Yogen Saunthararajah
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Katherine B Chiappinelli
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University Cancer Center, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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4
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Bar-Hai N, Ishay-Ronen D. Engaging plasticity: Differentiation therapy in solid tumors. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:944773. [PMID: 36034865 PMCID: PMC9410762 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.944773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a systemic heterogeneous disease that can undergo several rounds of latency and activation. Tumor progression evolves by increasing diversity, adaptation to signals from the microenvironment and escape mechanisms from therapy. These dynamic processes indicate necessity for cell plasticity. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a major role in facilitating cell plasticity in solid tumors by inducing dedifferentiation and cell type transitions. These two practices, plasticity and dedifferentiation enhance tumor heterogeneity creating a key challenge in cancer treatment. In this review we will explore cancer cell plasticity and elaborate treatment modalities that aspire to overcome such dynamic processes in solid tumors. We will further discuss the therapeutic potential of utilizing enhanced cell plasticity for differentiation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neta Bar-Hai
- Cancer Research Center, Oncology Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Affiliated with Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dana Ishay-Ronen
- Cancer Research Center, Oncology Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Affiliated with Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- *Correspondence: Dana Ishay-Ronen,
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5
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Heppt MV, Wessely A, Hornig E, Kammerbauer C, Graf SA, Besch R, French LE, Matthies A, Kuphal S, Kappelmann-Fenzl M, Bosserhoff AK, Berking C. HDAC2 Is Involved in the Regulation of BRN3A in Melanocytes and Melanoma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23020849. [PMID: 35055045 PMCID: PMC8778714 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural crest transcription factor BRN3A is essential for the proliferation and survival of melanoma cells. It is frequently expressed in melanoma but not in normal melanocytes or benign nevi. The mechanisms underlying the aberrant expression of BRN3A are unknown. Here, we investigated the epigenetic regulation of BRN3A in melanocytes and melanoma cell lines treated with DNA methyltransferase (DNMT), histone acetyltransferase (HAT), and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. DNMT and HAT inhibition did not significantly alter BRN3A expression levels, whereas panHDAC inhibition by trichostatin A led to increased expression. Treatment with the isoform-specific HDAC inhibitor mocetinostat, but not with PCI-34051, also increased BRN3A expression levels, suggesting that class I HDACs HDAC1, HDAC2, and HDAC3, and class IV HDAC11, were involved in the regulation of BRN3A expression. Transient silencing of HDACs 1, 2, 3, and 11 by siRNAs revealed that, specifically, HDAC2 inhibition was able to increase BRN3A expression. ChIP-Seq analysis uncovered that HDAC2 inhibition specifically increased H3K27ac levels at a distal enhancer region of the BRN3A gene. Altogether, our data suggest that HDAC2 is a key epigenetic regulator of BRN3A in melanocytes and melanoma cells. These results highlight the importance of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating melanoma oncogenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus V. Heppt
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (A.W.); (C.B.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-9131-85-35747
| | - Anja Wessely
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (A.W.); (C.B.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Eva Hornig
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany; (E.H.); (C.K.); (S.A.G.); (R.B.); (L.E.F.)
| | - Claudia Kammerbauer
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany; (E.H.); (C.K.); (S.A.G.); (R.B.); (L.E.F.)
| | - Saskia A. Graf
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany; (E.H.); (C.K.); (S.A.G.); (R.B.); (L.E.F.)
| | - Robert Besch
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany; (E.H.); (C.K.); (S.A.G.); (R.B.); (L.E.F.)
| | - Lars E. French
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany; (E.H.); (C.K.); (S.A.G.); (R.B.); (L.E.F.)
| | - Alexander Matthies
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (A.M.); (S.K.); (A.K.B.)
| | - Silke Kuphal
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (A.M.); (S.K.); (A.K.B.)
| | | | - Anja K. Bosserhoff
- Institute of Biochemistry, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (A.M.); (S.K.); (A.K.B.)
| | - Carola Berking
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany; (A.W.); (C.B.)
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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6
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Zhao G, Wang Q, Li S, Wang X. Resistance to Hypomethylating Agents in Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Acute Myeloid Leukemia From Clinical Data and Molecular Mechanism. Front Oncol 2021; 11:706030. [PMID: 34650913 PMCID: PMC8505973 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.706030] [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: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleoside analogs decitabine (5-AZA-dC) and azacitidine (5-AZA) have been developed as targeted therapies to reverse DNA methylation in different cancer types, and they significantly improve the survival of patients who are not suitable for traditional intensive chemotherapies or other treatment regimens. However, approximately 50% of patients have a response to hypomethylating agents (HMAs), and many patients have no response originally or in the process of treatment. Even though new combination regimens have been tested to overcome the resistance to 5-AZA-dC or 5-AZA, only a small proportion of patients benefited from these strategies, and the outcome was very poor. However, the mechanisms of the resistance remain unknown. Some studies only partially described management after failure and the mechanisms of resistance. Herein, we will review the clinical and molecular signatures of the HMA response, alternative treatment after failure, and the causes of resistance in hematological malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xiaoqin Wang
- Department of Hematology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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7
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Modulating cell differentiation in cancer models. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:1803-1816. [PMID: 34436513 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cancer has been traditionally viewed as a disease characterised by excessive and uncontrolled proliferation, leading to the development of cytotoxic therapies against highly proliferating malignant cells. However, tumours frequently relapse due to the presence of slow-cycling cancer stem cells eluding chemo and radiotherapy. Since these malignant stem cells are largely undifferentiated, inducing their lineage commitment has been proposed as a potential intervention strategy to deplete tumours from their most resistant components. Pro-differentiation approaches have thus far yielded clinical success in the reversion of acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL), and new developments are fast widening their therapeutic applicability to solid carcinomas. Recent advances in cancer differentiation discussed here highlight the potential and outstanding challenges of differentiation-based approaches.
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8
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Ultimate Precision: Targeting Cancer But Not Normal Self-Replication. Lung Cancer 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-74028-3_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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9
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Khouri J, Faiman BM, Grabowski D, Mahfouz RZ, Khan SN, Wei W, Valent J, Dean R, Samaras C, Jha BK, Lazarus H, Campagnaro EL, Malek E, Reed J, Karam MA, Hamilton K, Fada S, Kalaycio M, Liu H, Sobecks R, Saunthararajah Y, Chew Y, Orloff M, Reu FJ. DNA methylation inhibition in myeloma: Experience from a phase 1b study of low-dose continuous azacitidine in combination with lenalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Semin Hematol 2020; 58:45-55. [PMID: 33509443 DOI: 10.1053/j.seminhematol.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The DNA methyltransferase inhibitor azacytidine (aza) may reactivate pathways associated with plasma cell differentiation, cell cycle control, apoptosis, and immune recognition and thereby restore sensitivity to lenalidomide (len) and dexamethasone (dex) in relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). We aimed to develop an aza regimen that reaches epigenetically active levels 8 times in 28 days with less bone marrow toxicity than the myeloid malignancy standard of 7 consecutive doses to enable safe combination with len. Aza was escalated from 30 mg/m2 once a week up to a predefined maximum of 50 mg/m2 twice a week in combination with GFR-adjusted len (≥ 60 mL/min: 25 mg, 3059 mL/min: 10 mg) day 1 to 21 every 28 days and dex 40 mg once a week followed by a limited expansion study to a total N of 23 at the highest tolerated dose. Fifty-one patients (pts) with RRMM were screened, 42 were treated and 41 were evaluable for response based on at least 1 response assessment or progression after treatment start. The median number of prior lines of therapy was 5 (1-11) and 81% (34) were refractory to len and/or pomalidomide (pom). Two DLTs occurred in different cohorts, 1 neutropenic fever in 1/6 pts on the aza 40 mg/m2 twice a week GFR ≥ 60 mL/min cohort and 1 GGT elevation in 1/6 pts on the aza 50 mg/m2 GFR 30-59 mL/min cohort. An MTD was not reached and aza 50 mg/m2 SC twice a week was chosen for the expansion study. At least possibly related Grade 3/4 AEs occurred in 28 pts (67%) with the following in > 1 pt: neutropenia (N = 16, 38%), anemia (N = 6, 14%), lymphopenia (N = 5, 12%), thrombocytopenia (N = 4, 10%), leukopenia (N = 4, 10%), febrile neutropenia (N = 4, 10%), fatigue (N = 3, 7%), fever (N = 2, 5%), and infection (N = 2, 5%). At a median follow up time for alive pts of 60.2 months (range: 36.1-82.5 months), the overall response rate (≥ partial response) and clinical benefit response rate (≥ minor response) was 22 and 32%, respectively, with 4 very good partial responses (10%), 5 partial responses (12%), and 4 minor responses (10%). The median PFS was 3.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.1-5.1 months), median TTP 2.7 months (95% CI: 2.1-7.5 months), and median OS 18.6 months (95% CI: 12.9-33.0 months). Achieving at least minor response and reaching TTP > 6 months was associated with approximately 35% lower median plasma levels of the enzyme that inactivates aza, plasma cytidine deaminase (CDA, P< .0001). Two of the len refractory pts achieved longer disease control than with any prior regimen and 1 responded immediately after progression on len, bortezomib, and prednisone. Analyses of the methylation state of over 480,000 CpG sites in purified myeloma cells at screening were possible in 11 pts and on day 28 in 8 of them. As in other studies, the majority of differentially methylated CpGs compared to normal plasma cells were hypomethylated in myeloma. Treatment decreased the number of CpGs that were differentially methylated in normal plasma cells by > 0.5% in 6 and by > 5% in 3 of the 8 pts, most pronounced in 2 pts with clinically convincing aza contribution who achieved a reduction in overall differentially methylated CpGs by 23 and 68%, respectively, associated with increased expression of immunoglobulin genes. The study demonstrated tolerability of twice a week SC aza at 50 mg/m2 with len and dex in RRMM and suggested aza may help overcome the len/pom refractory state, possibly by activating differentiation pathways. Relatively low response rates and association of clinical benefit with low plasma levels of the aza inactivating enzyme CDA suggest the aza regimen will need to be optimized further and pt selection may be required to maximize benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Khouri
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH
| | - Beth M Faiman
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH
| | - Dale Grabowski
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
| | - Reda Z Mahfouz
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Department of Clinical Pathology, Menoufia University, Shebin-Elkom, Egypt
| | - Shahper N Khan
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Interdisciplinary Nanotechnology Centre, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Wei Wei
- Taussig Cancer Institute, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
| | - Jason Valent
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH
| | - Robert Dean
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH
| | - Christy Samaras
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH
| | - Babal K Jha
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
| | - Hillard Lazarus
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals, Cleveland, OH
| | - Erica L Campagnaro
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals, Cleveland, OH; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI
| | - Ehsan Malek
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals, Cleveland, OH
| | - Janice Reed
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
| | - Mary Ann Karam
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
| | - Kimberly Hamilton
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
| | - Sherry Fada
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
| | - Matt Kalaycio
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH
| | - Hien Liu
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Department of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL
| | - Ronald Sobecks
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH
| | - Yogen Saunthararajah
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH; Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
| | | | - Mohammed Orloff
- Lerner Research Institute, Genomic Core Facility, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Department of Epidemiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR; Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
| | - Frederic J Reu
- Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH; Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Department of Malignant Hematology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL; Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.
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10
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Huang KCY, Chiang SF, Chen WTL, Chen TW, Hu CH, Yang PC, Ke TW, Chao KSC. Decitabine Augments Chemotherapy-Induced PD-L1 Upregulation for PD-L1 Blockade in Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12020462. [PMID: 32079180 PMCID: PMC7072566 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12020462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) has demonstrated impressive clinical outcomes in several malignancies, but its therapeutic efficacy in the majority of colorectal cancers is still low. Therefore, methods to improve its therapeutic efficacy in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients need further investigation. Here, we demonstrate that immunogenic chemotherapeutic agents trigger the induction of tumor PD-L1 expression in vitro and in vivo, a fact which was validated in metastatic CRC patients who received preoperatively neoadjuvant chemotherapy (neoCT) treatment, suggesting that tumor PD-L1 upregulation by chemotherapeutic regimen is more feasible via PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy. However, we found that the epigenetic control of tumor PD-L1 via DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) significantly influenced the response to chemotherapy. We demonstrate that decitabine (DAC) induces DNA hypomethylation, which not only directly enhances tumor PD-L1 expression but also increases the expression of immune-related genes and intratumoral T cell infiltration in vitro and in vivo. DAC was found to profoundly enhance the therapeutic efficacy of PD-L1 immunotherapy to inhibit tumor growth and prolong survival in vivo. Therefore, it can be seen that DAC remodels the tumor microenvironment to improve the effect of PD-L1 immunotherapy by directly triggering tumor PD-L1 expression and eliciting stronger anti-cancer immune responses, providing potential clinical benefits to CRC patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Chih-Yang Huang
- Translation Research Core, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan;
- Department of Nutrition, HungKuang University, Taichung 43302, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Fen Chiang
- Lab of Precision Medicine, Feng-Yuan Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taichung 42055, Taiwan;
- Cancer Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan; (C.-H.H.); (P.-C.Y.)
| | - William Tzu-Liang Chen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan;
| | - Tsung-Wei Chen
- Department of Pathology, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan;
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Science, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Han Hu
- Cancer Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan; (C.-H.H.); (P.-C.Y.)
| | - Pei-Chen Yang
- Cancer Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan; (C.-H.H.); (P.-C.Y.)
| | - Tao-Wei Ke
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan;
- Correspondence: (T.-W.K.); (K.S.C.C.); Tel.: +886-4-22052121 (ext. 2976) (K.S.C.C.); Fax: +886-4-22075011 (K.S.C.C.)
| | - K. S. Clifford Chao
- Cancer Center, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan; (C.-H.H.); (P.-C.Y.)
- Correspondence: (T.-W.K.); (K.S.C.C.); Tel.: +886-4-22052121 (ext. 2976) (K.S.C.C.); Fax: +886-4-22075011 (K.S.C.C.)
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11
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Miranda Furtado CL, Dos Santos Luciano MC, Silva Santos RD, Furtado GP, Moraes MO, Pessoa C. Epidrugs: targeting epigenetic marks in cancer treatment. Epigenetics 2019; 14:1164-1176. [PMID: 31282279 PMCID: PMC6791710 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2019.1640546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that aberrant epigenetic regulation of gene function is strongly related to the genesis of cancer. Unlike genetic mutations, the ability to reprogram the epigenetic landscape in the cancer epigenome is one of the most promising target therapies in both treatment and reversibility of drug resistance. Epigenetic alterations in cancer development and progression may be the basis for the individual variation in drug response. Thus, this review focuses on the emerging area of pharmaco(epi)genomics, specifically highlighting epigenetic reprogramming during tumorigenesis and how epigenetic markers are targeted as a therapy (epidrugs) and the clinical implications of this for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Renan Da Silva Santos
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | | | - Manoel Odorico Moraes
- Department of Surgery, Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Claudia Pessoa
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
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12
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Chiang TC, Koss B, Su LJ, Washam CL, Byrum SD, Storey A, Tackett AJ. Effect of Sulforaphane and 5-Aza-2'-Deoxycytidine on Melanoma Cell Growth. MEDICINES 2019; 6:medicines6030071. [PMID: 31252639 PMCID: PMC6789461 DOI: 10.3390/medicines6030071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background: UV exposure-induced oxidative stress is implicated as a driving mechanism for melanoma. Increased oxidative stress results in DNA damage and epigenetic dysregulation. Accordingly, we explored whether a low dose of the antioxidant sulforaphane (SFN) in combination with the epigenetic drug 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine (DAC) could slow melanoma cell growth. SFN is a natural bioactivated product of the cruciferous family, while DAC is a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor. Methods: Melanoma cell growth characteristics, gene transcription profiles, and histone epigenetic modifications were measured after single and combination treatments with SFN and DAC. Results: We detected melanoma cell growth inhibition and specific changes in gene expression profiles upon combinational treatments with SFN and DAC, while no significant alterations in histone epigenetic modifications were observed. Dysregulated gene transcription of a key immunoregulator cytokine—C-C motif ligand 5 (CCL-5)—was validated. Conclusions: These results indicate a potential combinatorial effect of a dietary antioxidant and an FDA-approved epigenetic drug in controlling melanoma cell growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tung-Chin Chiang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
| | - Brian Koss
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - L Joseph Su
- Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences Program & Department of Epidemiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Charity L Washam
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
- Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
| | - Stephanie D Byrum
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
- Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA
| | - Aaron Storey
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Alan J Tackett
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
- Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA.
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13
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Abstract
Bone cancer metastasis is extremely painful and decreases the quality of life of the affected patients. Available pharmacological treatments are not able to sufficiently ameliorate the pain, and as patients with cancer are living longer, new treatments for pain management are needed. Decitabine (5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine), a DNA methyltransferases inhibitor, has analgesic properties in preclinical models of postsurgical and soft-tissue oral cancer pain by inducing an upregulation of endogenous opioids. In this study, we report that daily treatment with decitabine (2 µg/g, intraperitoneally) attenuated nociceptive behavior in the 4T1-luc2 mouse model of bone cancer pain. We hypothesized that the analgesic mechanism of decitabine involved activation of the endogenous opioid system through demethylation and reexpression of the transcriptionally silenced endothelin B receptor gene, Ednrb. Indeed, Ednrb was hypermethylated and transcriptionally silenced in the mouse model of bone cancer pain. We demonstrated that expression of Ednrb in the cancer cells lead to release of β-endorphin in the cell supernatant, which reduced the number of responsive dorsal root ganglia neurons in an opioid-dependent manner. Our study supports a role of demethylating drugs, such as decitabine, as unique pharmacological agents targeting the pain in the cancer microenvironment.
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14
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Monitoring tumour burden and therapeutic response through analysis of circulating tumour DNA and extracellular RNA in multiple myeloma patients. Leukemia 2019; 33:2022-2033. [PMID: 30992504 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-019-0469-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Monitoring tumour burden and therapeutic response through analyses of circulating cell-free tumour DNA (ctDNA) and extracellular RNA (exRNA) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients were performed in a Phase Ib trial of 24 relapsed/refractory patients receiving oral azacitidine in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone. Mutational characterisation of paired BM and PL samples at study entry identified that patients with a higher number of mutations or a higher mutational fractional abundance in PL had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) (p = 0.005 and p = 0.018, respectively). A decrease in ctDNA levels at day 5 of cycle 1 of treatment (C1D5) correlated with superior progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.017). Evaluation of exRNA transcripts of candidate biomarkers indicated that high CRBN levels coupled with low levels of SPARC at baseline were associated with shorter OS (p = 0.000003). IKZF1 fold-change <0.05 at C1D5 was associated with shorter PFS (p = 0.0051) and OS (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, patients with high baseline CRBN coupled with low fold-change at C1D5 were at the highest risk of progression (p = 0.0001). In conclusion, this exploratory analysis has provided the first demonstration in MM of ctDNA for predicting disease outcome and of the utility of exRNA as a biomarker of therapeutic response.
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15
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Yu G, Wu Y, Wang W, Xu J, Lv X, Cao X, Wan T. Low-dose decitabine enhances the effect of PD-1 blockade in colorectal cancer with microsatellite stability by re-modulating the tumor microenvironment. Cell Mol Immunol 2019; 16:401-409. [PMID: 29622799 PMCID: PMC6461874 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-018-0026-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
PD-1 blockade has demonstrated impressive clinical outcomes in colorectal cancers that have high microsatellite instability. However, the therapeutic efficacy for patients with tumors with low microsatellite instability or stable microsatellites needs further improvement. Here, we have demonstrated that low-dose decitabine could increase the expression of immune-related genes such as major histocompatibility complex genes and cytokine-related genes as well as the number of lymphocytes at the tumor site in CT26 colorectal cancer-bearing mice. A more significant inhibition of tumor growth and a prolongation of survival were observed in the CT26 mouse model after treatment with a combination of PD-1 blockade and decitabine than in mice treated with decitabine or PD-1 blockade alone. The anti-tumor effect of the PD-1 blockade was enhanced by low-dose decitabine. The results of RNA sequencing and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of decitabine-treated CT26 cells and tumor samples with microsatellite stability from the patient tumor-derived xenograft model have shown that many immune-related genes, including antigen-processing and antigen-presenting genes, were upregulated, whereas the promoter demethylation was downregulated after decitabine exposure. Therefore, decitabine-based tumor microenvironment re-modulation could improve the effect of the PD-1 blockade. The application of decitabine in PD-1 blockade-based immunotherapy may elicit more potent immune responses, which can provide clinical benefits to the colorectal cancer patients with low microsatellite instability or stable microsatellites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganjun Yu
- National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology & Institute of Immunology, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Yanfeng Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology & Institute of Immunology, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Wenying Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology & Institute of Immunology, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Jia Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology & Institute of Immunology, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xiaoping Lv
- National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology & Institute of Immunology, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xuetao Cao
- National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology & Institute of Immunology, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Tao Wan
- National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology & Institute of Immunology, Second Military Medical University, 800 Xiangyin Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
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16
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Wu M, Sheng L, Cheng M, Zhang H, Jiang Y, Lin S, Liang Y, Zhu F, Liu Z, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Gao Q, Chen D, Li J, Li Y. Low doses of decitabine improve the chemotherapy efficacy against basal-like bladder cancer by targeting cancer stem cells. Oncogene 2019; 38:5425-5439. [PMID: 30918330 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-0799-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Low dose treatment with the DNA methylation inhibitor decitabine has been shown to be applicable for the management of certain types of cancer. However, its antitumor effect and mechanisms are context dependent and its activity has never been systematically studied in bladder cancer treatment. We used mouse models, cultured cell lines and patient-derived xenografts to demonstrate that low dose decitabine treatment remarkably enhanced the effects of cisplatin and gemcitabine on basal-like bladder cancer both in vivo and in vitro. Genetic lineage tracing revealed that the stemness of a bladder cancer stem cell population was inhibited by decitabine treatment in mice. These effects were accompanied by decreases in genome-wide DNA methylation, gene re-expression, and changes in key cellular regulatory pathways such as STAT3 signaling. These results indicate that this DNA-demethylating reagent is a promising therapeutic approach for basal-like bladder cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingqing Wu
- Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, China
| | - Lu Sheng
- Department of Urology, Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Maosheng Cheng
- Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, China
| | - Haojie Zhang
- Department of Urology, Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Yizhou Jiang
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, China
| | - Shuibin Lin
- Center for Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Yu Liang
- Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, China
| | - Fengyu Zhu
- Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, China
| | - Zhenqing Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Signaling, Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry and Broad Stem Cell Research Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Yingyin Zhang
- Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, China
| | - Xiuhong Zhang
- Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, China
| | - Qian Gao
- Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, China
| | - Demeng Chen
- Center for Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Jiong Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Signaling, Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry and Broad Stem Cell Research Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. .,Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, 800 E Leigh Street, Richmond, VA, USA.
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Genetics, School of Life Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, China.
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17
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Allyl isothiocyanate regulates lysine acetylation and methylation marks in an experimental model of malignant melanoma. Eur J Nutr 2019; 59:557-569. [PMID: 30762097 PMCID: PMC7058602 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-019-01925-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Objective(s) Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are biologically active plant secondary metabolites capable of mediating various biological effects including modulation of the epigenome. Our aim was to characterize the effect of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) on lysine acetylation and methylation marks as a potential epigenetic-induced anti-melanoma strategy. Methods Our malignant melanoma model consisted of (1) human (A375) and murine (B16-F10) malignant melanoma as well as of human; (2) brain (VMM1) and lymph node (Hs 294T) metastatic melanoma; (3) non-melanoma epidermoid carcinoma (A431) and (4) immortalized keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells subjected to AITC. Cell viability, histone deacetylases (HDACs) and acetyltransferases (HATs) activities were evaluated by the Alamar blue, Epigenase HDAC Activity/Inhibition and EpiQuik HAT Activity/Inhibition assay kits, respectively, while their expression levels together with those of lysine acetylation and methylation marks by western immunoblotting. Finally, apoptotic gene expression was assessed by an RT-PCR-based gene expression profiling methodology. Results AITC reduces cell viability, decreases HDACs and HATs activities and causes changes in protein expression levels of various HDACs, HATs, and histone methyl transferases (HMTs) all of which have a profound effect on specific lysine acetylation and methylation marks. Moreover, AITC regulates the expression of a number of genes participating in various apoptotic cascades thus indicating its involvement in apoptotic induction. Conclusions AITC exerts a potent epigenetic effect suggesting its potential involvement as a promising epigenetic-induced bioactive for the treatment of malignant melanoma.
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18
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Desjobert C, Carrier A, Delmas A, Marzese DM, Daunay A, Busato F, Pillon A, Tost J, Riond J, Favre G, Etievant C, Arimondo PB. Demethylation by low-dose 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine impairs 3D melanoma invasion partially through miR-199a-3p expression revealing the role of this miR in melanoma. Clin Epigenetics 2019; 11:9. [PMID: 30651148 PMCID: PMC6335767 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-018-0600-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efficient treatments against metastatic melanoma dissemination are still lacking. Here, we report that low-cytotoxic concentrations of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, a DNA demethylating agent, prevent in vitro 3D invasiveness of metastatic melanoma cells and reduce lung metastasis formation in vivo. RESULTS We unravelled that this beneficial effect is in part due to MIR-199A2 re-expression by promoter demethylation. Alone, this miR showed an anti-invasive and anti-metastatic effect. Throughout integration of micro-RNA target prediction databases with transcriptomic analysis after 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatments, we found that miR-199a-3p downregulates set of genes significantly involved in invasion/migration processes. In addition, analysis of data from melanoma patients showed a stage- and tissue type-dependent modulation of MIR-199A2 expression by DNA methylation. CONCLUSIONS Thus, our data suggest that epigenetic- and/or miR-based therapeutic strategies can be relevant to limit metastatic dissemination of melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Desjobert
- FRE no. 3600 CNRS, Epigenetic Targeting of Cancer (ETaC), Toulouse, France
| | - Arnaud Carrier
- FRE no. 3600 CNRS, Epigenetic Targeting of Cancer (ETaC), Toulouse, France
| | - Audrey Delmas
- Cancer Research Center of Toulouse, CRCT, Toulouse, France
| | - Diego M Marzese
- Department of Translational Molecular Medicine, John Wayne Cancer Institute, Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Antoine Daunay
- Laboratory for Functional Genomics, Fondation Jean Dausset - CEPH, Paris, France
| | - Florence Busato
- Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment, Centre National de la Recherche en Génomique Humaine, CEA, Evry, France
| | - Arnaud Pillon
- Institut de Recherche Pierre Fabre, CRDPF, Toulouse, France
| | - Jörg Tost
- Laboratory for Epigenetics and Environment, Centre National de la Recherche en Génomique Humaine, CEA, Evry, France
| | - Joëlle Riond
- FRE no. 3600 CNRS, Epigenetic Targeting of Cancer (ETaC), Toulouse, France.,UMR 1037 INSERM/Université Toulouse III, CRCT, Toulouse, France
| | - Gilles Favre
- Cancer Research Center of Toulouse, CRCT, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Paola B Arimondo
- FRE no. 3600 CNRS, Epigenetic Targeting of Cancer (ETaC), Toulouse, France. .,Institut Pasteur CNRS UMR3523, Epigenetic Chemical Biology, Paris, France.
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19
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Velcheti V, Schrump D, Saunthararajah Y. Ultimate Precision: Targeting Cancer but Not Normal Self-replication. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book 2018; 38:950-963. [PMID: 30231326 DOI: 10.1200/edbk_199753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Self-replication is the engine that drives all biologic evolution, including neoplastic evolution. A key oncotherapy challenge is to target this, the heart of malignancy, while sparing the normal self-replication mandatory for health and life. Self-replication can be demystified: it is activation of replication, the most ancient of cell programs, uncoupled from activation of lineage-differentiation, metazoan programs more recent in origin. The uncoupling can be physiologic, as in normal tissue stem cells, or pathologic, as in cancer. Neoplastic evolution selects to disengage replication from forward-differentiation where intrinsic replication rates are the highest, in committed progenitors that have division times measured in hours versus weeks for tissue stem cells, via partial loss of function in master transcription factors that activate terminal-differentiation programs (e.g., GATA4) or in the coactivators they use for this purpose (e.g., ARID1A). These loss-of-function mutations bias master transcription factor circuits, which normally regulate corepressor versus coactivator recruitment, toward corepressors (e.g., DNMT1) that repress rather than activate terminal-differentiation genes. Pharmacologic inhibition of the corepressors rebalances to coactivator function, activating lineage-differentiation genes that dominantly antagonize MYC (the master transcription factor coordinator of replication) to terminate malignant self-replication. Physiologic self-replication continues, because the master transcription factors in tissue stem cells activate stem cell, not terminal-differentiation, programs. Druggable corepressor proteins are thus the barriers between self-replicating cancer cells and the terminal-differentiation fates intended by their master transcription factor content. This final common pathway to oncogenic self-replication, being separate and distinct from the normal, offers the favorable therapeutic indices needed for clinical progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vamsidhar Velcheti
- From the Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - David Schrump
- From the Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Yogen Saunthararajah
- From the Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
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20
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Luther C, Swami U, Zhang J, Milhem M, Zakharia Y. Advanced stage melanoma therapies: Detailing the present and exploring the future. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2018; 133:99-111. [PMID: 30661664 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastatic melanoma therapies have proliferated over the last ten years. Prior to this, decades passed with only very few drugs available to offer our patients, and even then, those few drugs had minimal survival benefits. Many treatment options emerged over the last ten years with diverse mechanisms of action. Further, combination regimens have demonstrated superiority over monotherapy, especially for targeted agents. Each therapeutic combination possesses different advantages and side effect profiles. In this review, we outline the United States Food and Drug Administration-approved melanoma treatment agents and therapies currently in clinical development, focusing on combination approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Luther
- Department of Dermatology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Umang Swami
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Mohammed Milhem
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Yousef Zakharia
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, United States.
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21
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Enane FO, Saunthararajah Y, Korc M. Differentiation therapy and the mechanisms that terminate cancer cell proliferation without harming normal cells. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:912. [PMID: 30190481 PMCID: PMC6127320 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-0919-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Chemotherapeutic drugs have a common intent to activate apoptosis in tumor cells. However, master regulators of apoptosis (e.g., p53, p16/CDKN2A) are frequently genetically inactivated in cancers, resulting in multidrug resistance. An alternative, p53-independent method for terminating malignant proliferation is to engage terminal-differentiation. Normally, the exponential proliferation of lineage-committed progenitors, coordinated by the master transcription factor (TF) MYC, is self-limited by forward-differentiation to terminal lineage-fates. In cancers, however, this exponential proliferation is disengaged from terminal-differentiation. The mechanisms underlying this decoupling are mostly unknown. We performed a systematic review of published literature (January 2007-June 2018) to identify gene pathways linked to differentiation-failure in three treatment-recalcitrant cancers: hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), ovarian cancer (OVC), and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We analyzed key gene alterations in various apoptosis, proliferation and differentiation pathways to determine whether it is possible to predict treatment outcomes and suggest novel therapies. Poorly differentiated tumors were linked to poorer survival across histologies. Our analyses suggested loss-of-function events to master TF drivers of lineage-fates and their cofactors as being linked to differentiation-failure: genomic data in TCGA and ICGC databases demonstrated frequent haploinsufficiency of lineage master TFs (e.g., GATA4/6) in poorly differentiated tumors; the coactivators that these TFs use to activate genes (e.g. ARID1A, PBRM1) were also frequently inactivated by genetic mutation and/or deletion. By contrast, corepressor components (e.g., DNMT1, EED, UHRF1, and BAZ1A/B), that oppose coactivators to repress or turn off genes, were frequently amplified instead, and the level of amplification was highest in poorly differentiated lesions. This selection by neoplastic evolution towards unbalanced activity of transcriptional corepressors suggests these enzymes as candidate targets for inhibition aiming to re-engage forward-differentiation. This notion is supported by both pre-clinical and clinical trial literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis O Enane
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
| | - Yogen Saunthararajah
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Murray Korc
- Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
- The Pancreatic Cancer Signature Center at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and Indiana University Simon Cancer, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
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22
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Gailhouste L, Liew LC, Hatada I, Nakagama H, Ochiya T. Epigenetic reprogramming using 5-azacytidine promotes an anti-cancer response in pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:468. [PMID: 29700299 PMCID: PMC5920091 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-0487-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Curative management of pancreatic adenocarcinoma is limited because this malignancy remains resistant to most chemotherapeutic drugs. Strategies that reverse epigenetic alterations offer a unique opportunity for cancer cell reprogramming, which is valuable for development of new treatments. The aim of this work was to reprogram pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells toward a less aggressive and drug-responsive phenotype. The process applied is called "epigenetic reprogramming". To evaluate the efficiency of PDAC epigenetic reprogramming, we assessed tumor growth and drug response in PANC-1 cells after exposure to non-cytotoxic doses of the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine (5-AZA). Here, we showed that an epigenetic regimen using 5-AZA promoted an anti-cancer response by inhibiting PDAC tumor growth in vivo after the engraftment of treated cells. Remarkably, the subsequent addition of gemcitabine (GEM) to the 5-AZA-mediated reprogramming resulted in a marked growth inhibition effect in GEM-resistant pancreatic cancer cells. We observed that various characteristic peptides expressed in the pancreas, which included the antiproliferative hormone somatostatin (SST) and the SST receptor 2 (SSTR2), were significantly upregulated in the epigenetically reprogrammed PDAC cells. The inhibitory effect of octreotide (OCT), an SST analog, was tested on PDAC cells and found to be improved after cell reprogramming. Furthermore, we found that SST gene expression restoration following 5-AZA treatment or following knockdown of the DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 1 enzyme was associated with the reversion of SST epigenetic silencing through regional CpG demethylation. Lastly, we confirmed the efficacy of 5-AZA-based epigenetic reprogramming in vivo using a PDAC tumor growth model. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that epigenetic reprogramming using the demethylating compound 5-AZA shows anti-cancer effects in PANC-1 cells and is potentially attractive for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc Gailhouste
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Lee Chuen Liew
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Izuho Hatada
- Laboratory of Genome Science, Biosignal Genome Resource Center, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Nakagama
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ochiya
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
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Gailhouste L, Liew LC, Yasukawa K, Hatada I, Tanaka Y, Nakagama H, Ochiya T. Differentiation Therapy by Epigenetic Reconditioning Exerts Antitumor Effects on Liver Cancer Cells. Mol Ther 2018; 26:1840-1854. [PMID: 29759938 PMCID: PMC6035736 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2018.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary liver tumors are mainly represented by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most aggressive and resistant forms of cancer. Liver tumorigenesis is characterized by an accumulation of epigenetic abnormalities, leading to gene extinction and loss of hepatocyte differentiation. The aim of this work was to investigate the feasibility of converting liver cancer cells toward a less aggressive and differentiated phenotype using a process called epigenetic reconditioning. Here, we showed that an epigenetic regimen with non-cytotoxic doses of the demethylating compound 5-azacytidine (5-AZA) promoted an anti-cancer response by inhibiting HCC cell tumorigenicity. Furthermore, epigenetic reconditioning improved sorafenib response. Remarkably, epigenetic treatment was associated with a significant restoration of differentiation, as attested by the increased expression of characteristic hepatocyte markers in reconditioned cells. In particular, we showed that reexpression of these epigenetically silenced liver genes following 5-AZA treatment or after knockdown of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) was the result of regional CpG demethylation. Lastly, we confirmed the efficacy of HCC differentiation therapy by epigenetic reconditioning using an in vivo tumor growth model. In summary, this work demonstrates that epigenetic reconditioning using the demethylating compound 5-AZA shows therapeutic significance for liver cancer and is potentially attractive for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc Gailhouste
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Lee Chuen Liew
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan; Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ken Yasukawa
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Izuho Hatada
- Laboratory of Genome Science, Biosignal Genome Resource Center, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Yasuhito Tanaka
- Department of Virology and Liver Unit, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Nakagama
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ochiya
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
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24
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Budden T, van der Westhuizen A, Bowden NA. Sequential decitabine and carboplatin treatment increases the DNA repair protein XPC, increases apoptosis and decreases proliferation in melanoma. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:100. [PMID: 29373959 PMCID: PMC5787239 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4010-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melanoma has two key features, an over-representation of UV-induced mutations and resistance to DNA damaging chemotherapy agents. Both of these features may result from dysfunction of the nucleotide excision repair pathway, in particular the DNA damage detection branch, global genome repair (GGR). The key GGR component XPC does not respond to DNA damage in melanoma, the cause of this lack of response has not been investigated. In this study, we investigated the role of methylation in reduced XPC in melanoma. METHODS To reduce methylation and induce DNA-damage, melanoma cell lines were treated with decitabine and carboplatin, individually and sequentially. Global DNA methylation levels, XPC mRNA and protein expression and methylation of the XPC promoter were examined. Apoptosis, cell proliferation and senescence were also quantified. XPC siRNA was used to determine that the responses seen were reliant on XPC induction. RESULTS Treatment with high-dose decitabine resulted in global demethylation, including the the shores of the XPC CpG island and significantly increased XPC mRNA expression. Lower, clinically relevant dose of decitabine also resulted in global demethylation including the CpG island shores and induced XPC in 50% of cell lines. Decitabine followed by DNA-damaging carboplatin treatment led to significantly higher XPC expression in 75% of melanoma cell lines tested. Combined sequential treatment also resulted in a greater apoptotic response in 75% of cell lines compared to carboplatin alone, and significantly slowed cell proliferation, with some melanoma cell lines going into senescence. Inhibiting the increased XPC using siRNA had a small but significant negative effect, indicating that XPC plays a partial role in the response to sequential decitabine and carboplatin. CONCLUSIONS Demethylation using decitabine increased XPC and apoptosis after sequential carboplatin. These results confirm that sequential decitabine and carboplatin requires further investigation as a combination treatment for melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Budden
- Hunter Medical Research Institute and Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Nikola A Bowden
- Hunter Medical Research Institute and Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
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Velcheti V, Radivoyevitch T, Saunthararajah Y. Higher-Level Pathway Objectives of Epigenetic Therapy: A Solution to the p53 Problem in Cancer. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book 2017; 37:812-824. [PMID: 28561650 DOI: 10.1200/edbk_174175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Searches for effective yet nontoxic oncotherapies are searches for exploitable differences between cancer and normal cells. In its core of cell division, cancer resembles normal life, coordinated by the master transcription factor MYC. Outside of this core, apoptosis and differentiation programs, which dominantly antagonize MYC to terminate cell division, necessarily differ between cancer and normal cells, as apoptosis is suppressed by biallelic inactivation of the master regulator of apoptosis, p53, or its cofactor p16/CDKN2A in approximately 80% of cancers. These genetic alterations impact therapy: conventional oncotherapy applies stress upstream of p53 to upregulate it and causes apoptosis (cytotoxicity)-a toxic, futile intent when it is absent or nonfunctional. Differentiation, on the other hand, cannot be completely suppressed because it is a continuum along which all cells exist. Neoplastic evolution stalls advances along this continuum at its most proliferative points-in lineage-committed progenitors that have division times measured in hours compared with weeks for tissue stem cells. This differentiation arrest is by mutations/deletions in differentiation-driving transcription factors or their coactivators that shift balances of gene-regulating protein complexes toward corepressors that repress instead of activate hundreds of terminal differentiation genes. That is, malignant proliferation without differentiation, also referred to as cancer "stem" cell self-renewal, hinges on druggable corepressors. Inhibiting these corepressors (e.g., DNMT1) releases p53-independent terminal differentiation in cancer stem cells but preserves self-renewal of normal stem cells that express stem cell transcription factors. Thus, epigenetic-differentiation therapies exploit a fundamental distinction between cancer and normal stem cell self-renewal and have a pathway of action downstream of genetic defects in cancer, affording favorable therapeutic indices needed for clinical progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vamsidhar Velcheti
- From the Department of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Department of Translational Hematology & Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
| | - Tomas Radivoyevitch
- From the Department of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Department of Translational Hematology & Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
| | - Yogen Saunthararajah
- From the Department of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH; Department of Translational Hematology & Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
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26
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Gailhouste L, Liew LC, Yasukawa K, Hagiwara K, Iwazaki N, Yamada Y, Hatada I, Ochiya T. Epigenetic Reprogramming of Human Hepatoma Cells: A Low-Cost Option for Drug Metabolism Assessment. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2017; 5:454-457.e1. [PMID: 29675460 PMCID: PMC5904034 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luc Gailhouste
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan,Corresponding author:
| | - Lee Chuen Liew
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan,Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ken Yasukawa
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan,Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keitaro Hagiwara
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norihiko Iwazaki
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics Research Laboratories, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Yamada
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics Research Laboratories, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Saitama, Japan
| | - Izuho Hatada
- Laboratory of Genome Science, Biosignal Genome Resource Center, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ochiya
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan,Corresponding author:
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Decitabine-Induced Changes in Human Myelodysplastic Syndrome Cell Line SKM-1 Are Mediated by FOXO3A Activation. J Immunol Res 2017; 2017:4302320. [PMID: 29124072 PMCID: PMC5662805 DOI: 10.1155/2017/4302320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) can potentially confer a growth advantage to individual cellular clones. Currently, the recommended treatment for patients with high-risk MDS is the methylation agent decitabine (DAC), a drug that can induce the reexpression of silenced tumor suppressor genes. We investigated the effects of DAC treatment on the myeloid MDS cell line SKM-1 and investigated the role of FOXO3A, a potentially tumor-suppressive transcription factor, by silencing its expression prior to DAC treatment. We found that FOXO3A exists in an inactive, hyperphosphorylated form in SKM-1 cells, but that DAC both induces FOXO3A expression and reactivates the protein by reducing its phosphorylation level. Furthermore, we show that this FOXO3A activation is responsible for the DAC-induced differentiation of SKM-1 cells into monocytes, as well as for SKM-1 cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy. Collectively, these results suggest that FOXO3A reactivation may contribute to the therapeutic effects of DAC in MDS.
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28
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Zakharia Y, Monga V, Swami U, Bossler AD, Freesmeier M, Frees M, Khan M, Frydenlund N, Srikantha R, Vanneste M, Henry M, Milhem M. Targeting epigenetics for treatment of BRAF mutated metastatic melanoma with decitabine in combination with vemurafenib: A phase lb study. Oncotarget 2017; 8:89182-89193. [PMID: 29179510 PMCID: PMC5687680 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Epigenetic modifications play an important role in progression and development of resistance in V600EBRAF positive metastatic melanoma. Therefore, we hypothesized that the action of vemurafenib (BRAF inhibitor) can be made more effective by combining with low dose decitabine (a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor). The primary objective of this phase lb study was to determine the dose limiting toxicity and maximum tolerated dose of combination of subcutaneous decitabine with oral vemurafenib in patients with V600EBRAF positive metastatic melanoma with or without any prior treatment. Experimental Design The study employed 3+3 dose escalation combining subcutaneous decitabine at different doses and schedules (4 cohorts) with the standard oral dose of vemurafenib 960 mg twice daily. Preclinical assessment and further analysis were also performed in A375 melanoma cell line. Results Fourteen patients received study treatment. No dose limiting toxicity was encountered and maximum tolerated dose was not reached. Important toxicities included fatigue, increased creatinine, neutropenia, leucopenia, hypophosphatemia, rash and hyperuricemia. Three patients achieved complete response, three had partial response and five had stable disease. Preclinical assessment demonstrated action of the combination which delayed the development of acquired resistance and improved duration of treatment sensitivity. Conclusions The combination of oral vemurafenib with subcutaneous decitabine is safe and showed activity in V600EBRAF positive metastatic melanoma. Since most responses were seen in cohort 1, which utilized low-dose, long-term decitabine, future studies of this combination treatment should utilize longer duration of decitabine, at the lowest dose of 0.1 mg/kg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousef Zakharia
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation and the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Varun Monga
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation and the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Umang Swami
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation and the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Aaron D Bossler
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Michele Freesmeier
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation and the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Melanie Frees
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation and the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Mirza Khan
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Noah Frydenlund
- The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Rithu Srikantha
- The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Marion Vanneste
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Michael Henry
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Mohammed Milhem
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation and the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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29
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Molokie R, Lavelle D, Gowhari M, Pacini M, Krauz L, Hassan J, Ibanez V, Ruiz MA, Ng KP, Woost P, Radivoyevitch T, Pacelli D, Fada S, Rump M, Hsieh M, Tisdale JF, Jacobberger J, Phelps M, Engel JD, Saraf S, Hsu LL, Gordeuk V, DeSimone J, Saunthararajah Y. Oral tetrahydrouridine and decitabine for non-cytotoxic epigenetic gene regulation in sickle cell disease: A randomized phase 1 study. PLoS Med 2017; 14:e1002382. [PMID: 28880867 PMCID: PMC5589090 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sickle cell disease (SCD), a congenital hemolytic anemia that exacts terrible global morbidity and mortality, is driven by polymerization of mutated sickle hemoglobin (HbS) in red blood cells (RBCs). Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) interferes with this polymerization, but HbF is epigenetically silenced from infancy onward by DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1). METHODS AND FINDINGS To pharmacologically re-induce HbF by DNMT1 inhibition, this first-in-human clinical trial (NCT01685515) combined 2 small molecules-decitabine to deplete DNMT1 and tetrahydrouridine (THU) to inhibit cytidine deaminase (CDA), the enzyme that otherwise rapidly deaminates/inactivates decitabine, severely limiting its half-life, tissue distribution, and oral bioavailability. Oral decitabine doses, administered after oral THU 10 mg/kg, were escalated from a very low starting level (0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08, or 0.16 mg/kg) to identify minimal doses active in depleting DNMT1 without cytotoxicity. Patients were SCD adults at risk of early death despite standard-of-care, randomized 3:2 to THU-decitabine versus placebo in 5 cohorts of 5 patients treated 2X/week for 8 weeks, with 4 weeks of follow-up. The primary endpoint was ≥ grade 3 non-hematologic toxicity. This endpoint was not triggered, and adverse events (AEs) were not significantly different in THU-decitabine-versus placebo-treated patients. At the decitabine 0.16 mg/kg dose, plasma concentrations peaked at approximately 50 nM (Cmax) and remained elevated for several hours. This dose decreased DNMT1 protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by >75% and repetitive element CpG methylation by approximately 10%, and increased HbF by 4%-9% (P < 0.001), doubling fetal hemoglobin-enriched red blood cells (F-cells) up to approximately 80% of total RBCs. Total hemoglobin increased by 1.2-1.9 g/dL (P = 0.01) as reticulocytes simultaneously decreased; that is, better quality and efficiency of HbF-enriched erythropoiesis elevated hemoglobin using fewer reticulocytes. Also indicating better RBC quality, biomarkers of hemolysis, thrombophilia, and inflammation (LDH, bilirubin, D-dimer, C-reactive protein [CRP]) improved. As expected with non-cytotoxic DNMT1-depletion, platelets increased and neutrophils concurrently decreased, but not to an extent requiring treatment holds. As an early phase study, limitations include small patient numbers at each dose level and narrow capacity to evaluate clinical benefits. CONCLUSION Administration of oral THU-decitabine to patients with SCD was safe in this study and, by targeting DNMT1, upregulated HbF in RBCs. Further studies should investigate clinical benefits and potential harms not identified to date. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01685515.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Molokie
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Donald Lavelle
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Michel Gowhari
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Michael Pacini
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Lani Krauz
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Johara Hassan
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Vinzon Ibanez
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Maria A. Ruiz
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Kwok Peng Ng
- Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Philip Woost
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Tomas Radivoyevitch
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Daisy Pacelli
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Sherry Fada
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Matthew Rump
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Matthew Hsieh
- Molecular and Clinical Hematology Section, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - John F. Tisdale
- Molecular and Clinical Hematology Section, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - James Jacobberger
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Mitch Phelps
- College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - James Douglas Engel
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Santhosh Saraf
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Lewis L. Hsu
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Victor Gordeuk
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Joseph DeSimone
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Yogen Saunthararajah
- Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
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Guon TE, Chung HS. Moringa oleifera fruit induce apoptosis via reactive oxygen species-dependent activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases in human melanoma A2058 cells. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:1703-1710. [PMID: 28789398 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.6288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study was performed to determine the effect of Moringa oleifera fruit extract on the apoptosis of human melanoma A2058 cells. A2058 cells were treated for 72 h with Moringa oleifera fruit extract at 50-100 µg/ml, and cell viability with apoptotic changes was examined. The involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) was examined. It was revealed that Moringa oleifera fruit extract significantly inhibited the cell viability and promoted apoptosis of A2058 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Moringa oleifera fruit extract-treated A2058 cells exhibited increased activities of cleaved caspase-9 and caspase-3. It also caused an enhancement of MAPK phosphorylation and ROS production. The pro-apoptotic activity of Moringa oleifera fruit extract was significantly reversed by pretreatment with the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor SP600125, extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor PD98058 or ROS inhibitor N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Taken together, Moringa oleifera fruit extract is effective in inducing mitochondrial apoptosis of A2058 cells, which is mediated through induction of ROS formation, and JNK and ERK activation. Moringa oleifera fruit extract may thus have therapeutic benefits for human melanoma A2058 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Eun Guon
- Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Natural Sciences, Duksung Women's University, Seoul 01369, Republic of Korea
| | - Ha Sook Chung
- Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Natural Sciences, Duksung Women's University, Seoul 01369, Republic of Korea
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Naz A, Cui Y, Collins CJ, Thompson DH, Irudayaraj J. PLGA-PEG nano-delivery system for epigenetic therapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2017; 90:586-597. [PMID: 28407579 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.03.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient delivery of cytidine analogues such as Azacitidine (AZA) into solid tumors constitutes a primary challenge in epigenetic therapies. We developed a di-block nano-vector based on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) for stabilization of the conjugated AZA under physiological conditions. With equimolar drug content, our nano-conjugate could elicit a better anti-proliferative effect over free drug in breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo, through reactivation of p21 and BRCA1 to restrict cell proliferation. In addition, we applied single-molecule fluorescence tools to characterize the intracellular behavior of the AZA-PLGE-PEG nano-micelles at a finer spatiotemporal resolution. Our results suggest that the nano-micelles could effectively enrich in cancer cells and may not be limited by nucleoside transporters. Afterwards, the internalized nano-micelles exhibit pH-dependent release and resistance to active efflux. Altogether, our work describes a delivery strategy for DNA demethylating agents with nanoscale tunability, providing a cost-effective option for pharmaceutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asia Naz
- Bindley Bioscience Center and Purdue Center for Cancer Research, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan
| | - Yi Cui
- Bindley Bioscience Center and Purdue Center for Cancer Research, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
| | | | - David H Thompson
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Joseph Irudayaraj
- Bindley Bioscience Center and Purdue Center for Cancer Research, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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32
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Noguchi S, Mori T, Igase M, Mizuno T. A novel apoptosis-inducing mechanism of 5-aza-2′-deoxycitidine in melanoma cells: Demethylation of TNF-α and activation of FOXO1. Cancer Lett 2015; 369:344-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2015.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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AP2α controls the dynamic balance between miR-126&126* and miR-221&222 during melanoma progression. Oncogene 2015; 35:3016-26. [PMID: 26434590 PMCID: PMC4908437 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Revised: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidences have shown the association between aberrantly expressed microRNAs (miRs) and cancer, where these small regulatory RNAs appear to dictate the cell fate by regulating all the main biological processes. We demonstrated the responsibility of the circuitry connecting the oncomiR-221&222 with the tumor suppressors miR-126&126* in melanoma development and progression. According to the inverse correlation between endogenous miR-221&222 and miR-126&126*, respectively increasing or decreasing with malignancy, their enforced expression or silencing was sufficient for a reciprocal regulation. In line with the opposite roles of these miRs, protein analyses confirmed the reverse expression pattern of miR-126&126*-targeted genes that were induced by miR-221&222. Looking for a central player in this complex network, we revealed the dual regulation of AP2α, on one side directly targeted by miR-221&222 and on the other a transcriptional activator of miR-126&126*. We showed the chance of restoring miR-126&126* expression in metastatic melanoma to reduce the amount of mature intracellular heparin-binding EGF like growth factor, thus preventing promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger delocalization and maintaining its repression on miR-221&222 promoter. Thus, the low-residual quantity of these two miRs assures the release of AP2α expression, which in turn binds to and induces miR-126&126* transcription. All together these results point to an unbalanced ratio functional to melanoma malignancy between these two couples of miRs. During progression this balance gradually moves from miR-126&126* toward miR-221&222. This circuitry, besides confirming the central role of AP2α in orchestrating melanoma development and/or progression, further displays the significance of these miRs in cancer and the option of utilizing them for novel therapeutics.
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Stewart ML, Tamayo P, Wilson AJ, Wang S, Chang YM, Kim JW, Khabele D, Shamji AF, Schreiber SL. KRAS Genomic Status Predicts the Sensitivity of Ovarian Cancer Cells to Decitabine. Cancer Res 2015; 75:2897-906. [PMID: 25968887 PMCID: PMC4506246 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-14-2860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Decitabine, a cancer therapeutic that inhibits DNA methylation, produces variable antitumor response rates in patients with solid tumors that might be leveraged clinically with identification of a predictive biomarker. In this study, we profiled the response of human ovarian, melanoma, and breast cancer cells treated with decitabine, finding that RAS/MEK/ERK pathway activation and DNMT1 expression correlated with cytotoxic activity. Further, we showed that KRAS genomic status predicted decitabine sensitivity in low-grade and high-grade serous ovarian cancer cells. Pretreatment with decitabine decreased the cytotoxic activity of MEK inhibitors in KRAS-mutant ovarian cancer cells, with reciprocal downregulation of DNMT1 and MEK/ERK phosphorylation. In parallel with these responses, decitabine also upregulated the proapoptotic BCL-2 family member BNIP3, which is known to be regulated by MEK and ERK, and heightened the activity of proapoptotic small-molecule navitoclax, a BCL-2 family inhibitor. In a xenograft model of KRAS-mutant ovarian cancer, combining decitabine and navitoclax heightened antitumor activity beyond administration of either compound alone. Our results define the RAS/MEK/DNMT1 pathway as a determinant of sensitivity to DNA methyltransferase inhibition, specifically implicating KRAS status as a biomarker of drug response in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pablo Tamayo
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Andrew J Wilson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Stephanie Wang
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Yun Min Chang
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Jong W Kim
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Dineo Khabele
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Alykhan F Shamji
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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Xu XJ, Gao S, Wang M, Qian H, Gu GY, Zhang K, Xu WR. Methylation status of the FHIT gene in the transformed human mesenchymal F6 stem cell line. Oncol Lett 2015; 9:2661-2666. [PMID: 26137124 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2015.3092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene is known to be a tumor suppressor gene and the abnormal methylation of FHIT has been identified in leukemia and several solid tumors. The transformation of the tumor F6 cell line from human fetal mesenchymal stem cells (FMSCs) was first reported in a previous study that also identified the presence of a population of cancer stem cells in the F6 cell line. However, the existence of the epigenetic changes during the transformation process have yet to be elucidated. To confirm the role of the FHIT gene in the transformation process of FMSC, the expression level and methylation status of the FHIT gene was examined in F6 tumor cells and FMSCs. Additionally, the alteration in cell morphology, the cell cycle and apoptosis in F6 cells following 5-Aza-CdR treatment was assessed. It was found that the FHIT gene was expressed in FMSCs, but not in F6 cells. The methylation-specific PCR results demonstrated that the promoter methylation of FHIT genes existed in the F6 cell line. Subsequent to treatment with 5-Aza-CdR the expression of FHIT genes was restored in F6 cells. In addition, the morphology of F6 cells was altered, and the cell cycle was arrested in the G2 phase, with the initiation of apoptosis. Overall, the present findings demonstrated that the FHIT gene was methylated in F6 cells and demethylation treatment lead to changes in the biological characteristics, thereby promoting the apoptosis of F6 cells. FHIT gene methylation may be one of the molecular events involved in the development and transformation of FMSCs into F6 tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Jing Xu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, P.R. China
| | - Shuo Gao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, P.R. China
| | - Mei Wang
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
| | - Hui Qian
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
| | - Guang-Yu Gu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, P.R. China
| | - Kui Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, P.R. China
| | - Wen-Rong Xu
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, P.R. China
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36
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The potential role of DNA methylation in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Atherosclerosis 2015; 241:121-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Revised: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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38
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Erfle H, Pashayeva K, Harder N, Zhang L, Rohr K, Schadendorf D, Ugurel S, Keese M. Targeting mitosis-regulating genes in cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant melanoma cells: A live-cell RNAi screen displays differential nucleus-derived phenotypes. Biotechnol J 2015; 10:1467-77. [PMID: 25880279 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201400501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2014] [Revised: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Chemoresistance in malignant melanoma remains an unresolved clinical issue. In the search for novel molecular targets, a live-cell high-content RNAi screen based on gene expression data was performed in cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin-resistant MeWo melanoma cells, Mel-28 cells and a melanocyte cell line. Cells were exposed to 91 siRNAs and distinct nucleus-derived phenotypes such as cell division, cell death and migration phenotypes were detected by time-lapse microscopy over 60 h. Using this approach, cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin-resistant melanoma cells were compared by automated image analysis and visual inspection. In cisplatin-sensitive MeWo melanoma cells, 14 genes were identified that showed distinct phenotype abnormalities after exposure to gene-specific siRNAs. In cisplatin-resistant MeWo cells, five genes were detected. Nine genes were detected whose knock-down led to differential nuclear phenotypes in cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant cells. In Mel-28 cells, nine genes were identified which induced nuclear phenotypes including all eight genes which were identified in cisplatin-resistant MeWo cells. An analogous RNAi screen on melanocytes revealed no detectable phenotype abnormalities after RNAi. Pathway analysis showed in cisplatin-sensitive MeWo cells and Mel-28 cells an enrichment of at least three genes in major mitotic pathways. We hereby show that siRNA screening may help to identify tumor-specific genes leading to phenotype abnormalities. These genes may serve as potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Erfle
- BioQuant, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - K Pashayeva
- BioQuant, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinic for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - N Harder
- BioQuant and IPMB, University of Heidelberg and DKFZ, Biomedical Computer Vision Group, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - L Zhang
- Clinic for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - K Rohr
- BioQuant and IPMB, University of Heidelberg and DKFZ, Biomedical Computer Vision Group, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - D Schadendorf
- Department of Dermatology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - S Ugurel
- Department of Dermatology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - M Keese
- Clinic for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany.
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Goldufsky J, Wood S, Hajihossainlou B, Rehman T, Majdobeh O, Kaufman HL, Ruby CE, Shafikhani SH. Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin T induces potent cytotoxicity against a variety of murine and human cancer cell lines. J Med Microbiol 2015; 64:164-73. [PMID: 25627204 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.000003-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In patients with malignancy, the major barrier to achieving complete response is emergence of resistance to current chemotherapeutic agents. One of the major mechanisms by which tumour cells become resistant to therapies is by altering cellular drug targets through mutations and/or deletions. Resistance by this mechanism is achieved more easily if the drug has limited cellular targets and/or processes. We hypothesized that as Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin T (ExoT) targets six proteins that are required for cancer cell survival and proliferation, it is highly unlikely for cancer cells to develop resistance to this toxin. We assessed ExoT's cytotoxicity against multiple invasive and highly resistant tumour cell lines in order to evaluate its potential as a chemotherapeutic agent. Our data demonstrated that ExoT induced potent cytotoxicity in all tumour cell lines that we examined. Collectively, our data highlighted the potential of ExoT as a possible chemotherapeutic candidate for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe Goldufsky
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Stephen Wood
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Behnam Hajihossainlou
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Tooba Rehman
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Omar Majdobeh
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Carl E Ruby
- Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA Sarepta Therapeutics, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Sasha H Shafikhani
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA Rush University Cancer Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
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Saunthararajah Y, Sekeres M, Advani A, Mahfouz R, Durkin L, Radivoyevitch T, Englehaupt R, Juersivich J, Cooper K, Husseinzadeh H, Przychodzen B, Rump M, Hobson S, Earl M, Sobecks R, Dean R, Reu F, Tiu R, Hamilton B, Copelan E, Lichtin A, Hsi E, Kalaycio M, Maciejewski J. Evaluation of noncytotoxic DNMT1-depleting therapy in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. J Clin Invest 2015; 125:1043-55. [PMID: 25621498 PMCID: PMC4362268 DOI: 10.1172/jci78789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mutational inactivation in cancer of key apoptotic pathway components, such as TP53/p53, undermines cytotoxic therapies that aim to increase apoptosis. Accordingly, TP53 mutations are reproducibly associated with poor treatment outcomes. Moreover, cytotoxic treatments destroy normal stem cells with intact p53 systems, a problem especially for myeloid neoplasms, as these cells reverse the low blood counts that cause morbidity and death. Preclinical studies suggest that noncytotoxic concentrations of the DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) inhibitor decitabine produce p53-independent cell-cycle exits by reversing aberrant epigenetic repression of proliferation-terminating (MYC-antagonizing) differentiation genes in cancer cells. METHODS In this clinical trial, patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (n=25) received reduced decitabine dosages (0.1-0.2 mg/kg/day compared with the FDA-approved 20-45 mg/m2/day dosage, a 75%-90% reduction) to avoid cytotoxicity. These well-tolerated doses were frequently administered 1-3 days per week, instead of pulse cycled for 3 to 5 days over a 4- to 6-week period, to increase the probability that cancer S-phase entries would coincide with drug exposure, which is required for S-phase-dependent DNMT1 depletion. RESULTS The median subject age was 73 years (range, 46-85 years), 9 subjects had relapsed disease or were refractory to 5-azacytidine and/or lenalidomide, and 3 had received intensive chemoradiation to treat other cancers. Adverse events were related to neutropenia present at baseline: neutropenic fever (13 of 25 subjects) and septic death (1 of 25 subjects). Blood count improvements meeting the International Working Group criteria for response occurred in 11 of 25 (44%) subjects and were highly durable. Treatment-induced freedom from transfusion lasted a median of 1,025 days (range, 186-1,152 days; 3 ongoing), and 20% of subjects were treated for more than 3 years. Mutations and/or deletions of key apoptosis genes were frequent (present in 55% of responders and in 36% of nonresponders). Noncytotoxic DNMT1 depletion was confirmed by serial BM γ-H2AX (DNA repair/damage marker) and DNMT1 analyses. MYC master oncoprotein levels were markedly decreased. CONCLUSION Decitabine regimens can be redesigned to minimize cytotoxicity and increase exposure time for DNMT1 depletion, to safely and effectively circumvent mutational apoptotic defects. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01165996. FUNDING NIH (R01CA138858, CA043703); Department of Defense (PR081404); Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) (UL1RR024989); and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (Translational Research Program).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogen Saunthararajah
- Department of Hematology and Oncology
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute
| | - Mikkael Sekeres
- Department of Hematology and Oncology
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute
| | | | - Reda Mahfouz
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute
| | - Lisa Durkin
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Tomsich Pathology Institute, and
| | - Tomas Radivoyevitch
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | | | | | | | - Holleh Husseinzadeh
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute
| | | | | | | | - Marc Earl
- Department of Hematology and Oncology
| | | | | | - Frederic Reu
- Department of Hematology and Oncology
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute
| | - Ramon Tiu
- Department of Hematology and Oncology
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute
| | - Betty Hamilton
- Department of Hematology and Oncology
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute
| | - Edward Copelan
- Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Eric Hsi
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Tomsich Pathology Institute, and
| | | | - Jaroslaw Maciejewski
- Department of Hematology and Oncology
- Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Taussig Cancer Institute
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Methylation-dependent SOX9 expression mediates invasion in human melanoma cells and is a negative prognostic factor in advanced melanoma. Genome Biol 2015; 16:42. [PMID: 25885555 PMCID: PMC4378455 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-015-0594-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Melanoma is the most fatal skin cancer displaying a high degree of molecular heterogeneity. Phenotype switching is a mechanism that contributes to melanoma heterogeneity by altering transcription profiles for the transition between states of proliferation/differentiation and invasion/stemness. As phenotype switching is reversible, epigenetic mechanisms, like DNA methylation, could contribute to the changes in gene expression. Results Integrative analysis of methylation and gene expression datasets of five proliferative and five invasion melanoma cell cultures reveal two distinct clusters. SOX9 is methylated and lowly expressed in the highly proliferative group. SOX9 overexpression results in decreased proliferation but increased invasion in vitro. In a B16 mouse model, sox9 overexpression increases the number of lung metastases. Transcriptional analysis of SOX9-overexpressing melanoma cells reveals enrichment in epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways. Survival analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas melanoma dataset shows that metastatic patients with high expression levels of SOX9 have significantly worse survival rates. Additional survival analysis on the targets of SOX9 reveals that most SOX9 downregulated genes have survival benefit for metastatic patients. Conclusions Our genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression study of 10 early passage melanoma cell cultures reveals two phenotypically distinct groups. One of the genes regulated by DNA methylation between the two groups is SOX9. SOX9 induces melanoma cell invasion and metastasis and decreases patient survival. A number of genes downregulated by SOX9 have a negative impact on patient survival. In conclusion, SOX9 is an important gene involved in melanoma invasion and negatively impacts melanoma patient survival. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-015-0594-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Goldufsky J, Wood S, Hajihossainlou B, Rehman T, Majdobeh O, Kaufman HL, Ruby CE, Shafikhani SH. Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin T induces potent cytotoxicity against a variety of murine and human cancer cell lines. J Med Microbiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.000003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joe Goldufsky
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Stephen Wood
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Behnam Hajihossainlou
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Tooba Rehman
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Omar Majdobeh
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Carl E. Ruby
- Sarepta Therapeutics, Corvallis, OR, USA
- Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sasha H. Shafikhani
- Rush University Cancer Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
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Li X, Mei Q, Nie J, Fu X, Han W. Decitabine: a promising epi-immunotherapeutic agent in solid tumors. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2015; 11:363-75. [DOI: 10.1586/1744666x.2015.1002397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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44
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Perotti A, Rossi V, Mutti A, Buschini A. Methy-sens Comet assay and DNMTs transcriptional analysis as a combined approach in epigenotoxicology. Biomarkers 2014; 20:64-70. [DOI: 10.3109/1354750x.2014.992813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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45
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Garrisi VM, Strippoli S, De Summa S, Pinto R, Perrone A, Guida G, Azzariti A, Guida M, Stefania T. Proteomic profile and in silico analysis in metastatic melanoma with and without BRAF mutation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112025. [PMID: 25437182 PMCID: PMC4249853 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Accepted: 10/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Selective inhibitors of BRAF, vemurafenib and dabrafenib are the standard of care for metastatic melanoma patients with BRAF V600, while chemotherapy continued to be widely used in BRAF wild type patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS In order to discover novel candidate biomarkers predictive to treatment, serum of 39 metastatic melanoma vemurafenib (n = 19) or chemotherapy (n = 20) treated patients at baseline, at disease control and at progression, were analyzed using SELDI-TOF technology. In silico analysis was used to identify more significant peaks. RESULTS In patients with different BRAF status, we found 5 peptides significantly deregulated, with the down-regulation of the m/z 9176 peak strongly associated with BRAF mutation. At baseline as predictive biomarkers we identified 2 peptides - m/z 6411, 4075 - as significantly up-regulated in responders to chemotherapy and 4 peaks - m/z 5900, 12544, 49124 and 11724 - significantly up-regulated in longer vs shorter responders to vemurafenib. After response, 3 peptides (m/z 4658, 18639, and 9307) resulted significantly down regulated while 3 peptides m/z 9292, 7765 and 9176 appeared up-regulated respectively in chemotherapy and vemurafenib responder patients. In vemurafenib treated patients, 16 peaks appeared deregulated at progression compared to baseline time. In silico analysis identified proteins involved in invasiveness (SLAIN1) and resistance (ABCC12) as well as in the pathway of detoxification (NQO1) and apoptosis (RBM10, TOX3, MTEFD1, TSPO2). Proteins associated with the modulation of neuronal plasticity (RIN1) and regulatory activity factors of gene transcription (KLF17, ZBTB44) were also highlighted. CONCLUSION Our exploratory study highlighted some factors that deserve to be further investigated in order to provide a framework for improving melanoma treatment management through the development of biomarkers which could act as the strongest surrogates of the key biological events in stage IV melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vito Michele Garrisi
- National Cancer Research Centre, Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II”, Bari, Italy
| | - Sabino Strippoli
- National Cancer Research Centre, Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II”, Bari, Italy
| | - Simona De Summa
- National Cancer Research Centre, Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II”, Bari, Italy
| | - Rosamaria Pinto
- National Cancer Research Centre, Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II”, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonella Perrone
- National Cancer Research Centre, Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II”, Bari, Italy
| | - Gabriella Guida
- Dept. of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Amalia Azzariti
- National Cancer Research Centre, Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II”, Bari, Italy
| | - Michele Guida
- National Cancer Research Centre, Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II”, Bari, Italy
| | - Tommasi Stefania
- National Cancer Research Centre, Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II”, Bari, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
The cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis postulates that there is a hierarchy of cellular differentiation within cancers and that the bulk population of tumor cells is derived from a relatively small population of multi-potent neoplastic stem-like cells (CSCs). This tumor-initiating cell population plays an important role in maintaining tumor growth through their unlimited self-renewal, therapeutic resistance, and capacity to propagate tumors through asymmetric cell division. Recent findings from multiple laboratories show that cancer progenitor cells have the capacity to de-differentiate and acquire a stem-like phenotype in response to either genetic manipulation or environmental cues. These findings suggest that CSCs and relatively differentiated progenitors coexist in dynamic equilibrium and are subject to bidirectional conversion. In this review, we discuss emerging concepts regarding the stem-like phenotype, its acquisition by cancer progenitor cells, and the molecular mechanisms involved. Understanding the dynamic equilibrium between CSCs and cancer progenitor cells is critical for the development of novel therapeutic strategies that focus on depleting tumors of their tumor-propagating cell population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yunqing Li
- Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, USA; Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - John Laterra
- Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, USA; Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Triozzi PL, Singh AD. Adjuvant Therapy of Uveal Melanoma: Current Status. Ocul Oncol Pathol 2014; 1:54-62. [PMID: 27175362 PMCID: PMC4864524 DOI: 10.1159/000367715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Revised: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The survival of patients with uveal melanoma remains poor because of the development of metastatic disease. Adjuvant therapy after treatment of the primary tumor has been tested but has not been shown to prevent the development of metastasis. Several new approaches are being developed. Cytotoxic and immunotherapeutic regimens are being more rationally applied using tumor genetic criteria to better identify patients at risk. Trials in the adjuvant setting of novel immunotherapeutic and targeted agents active in the metastatic setting are being developed, as are approaches to promote cellular differentiation and dormancy. The rarity and biology of uveal melanoma present challenges. Participation in well-designed, scientifically sound clinical trials is critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre L. Triozzi
- Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C., Ohio, USA
| | - Arun D. Singh
- Department of Ophthalmic Oncology, Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Xia C, Leon-Ferre R, Laux D, Deutsch J, Smith BJ, Frees M, Milhem M. Treatment of resistant metastatic melanoma using sequential epigenetic therapy (decitabine and panobinostat) combined with chemotherapy (temozolomide). Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2014; 74:691-7. [PMID: 25062770 PMCID: PMC4175037 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-014-2501-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2013] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Purpose To explore the safety and tolerability of combining two epigenetic drugs: decitabine (a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor) and panobinostat (a histone deacetylase inhibitor), with chemotherapy with temozolomide (an alkylating agent). The purpose of such combination is to evaluate the use of epigenetic priming to overcome resistance of melanoma to chemotherapy. Methods A Phase I clinical trial enrolling patients aged 18 years or older, with recurrent or unresectable stage III or IV melanoma of any site. This trial was conducted with full Institutional Review Board approval and was registered with the National Institutes of Health under the clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT00925132. Patients were treated with subcutaneous decitabine 0.1 or 0.2 mg/kg three times weekly for 2 weeks (starting on day 1), in combination with oral panobinostat 10, 20, or 30 mg every 96 h (starting on day 8), and oral temozolomide 150 mg/m2/day on days 9 through 13. In cycle 2, temozolomide was increased to 200 mg/m2/day if neutropenia or thrombocytopenia had not occurred. Each cycle lasted 6 weeks, and patients could receive up to six cycles. Patients who did not demonstrate disease progression were eligible to enter a maintenance protocol with combination of weekly panobinostat and thrice-weekly decitabine until tumor progression, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal of consent. Results Twenty patients were initially enrolled, with 17 receiving treatment. The median age was 56 years. Eleven (65 %) were male, and 6 (35 %) were female. Eleven (64.7 %) had cutaneous melanoma, 4 (23.5 %) had ocular melanoma, and 2 (11.8 %) had mucosal melanoma. All patients received at least one treatment cycle and were evaluable for toxicity. Patients received a median of two 6-week treatment cycles (range 1–6). None of the patients experienced DLT. MTD was not reached. Adverse events attributed to treatment included grade 3 lymphopenia (24 %), anemia (12 %), neutropenia (12 %), and fatigue (12 %), as well as grade 2 leukopenia (30 %), neutropenia (23 %), nausea (23 %), and lymphopenia (18 %). The most common reason for study discontinuation was disease progression. Conclusions This triple agent of dual epigenetic therapy in combination with traditional chemotherapy was generally well tolerated by the cohort and appeared safe to be continued in a Phase II trial. No DLTs were observed, and MTD was not reached.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Xia
- Division of Hematology, Oncology and Bone and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
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Hu K, Xu C, Ni H, Xu Z, Wang Y, Xu S, Ji K, Xiong J, Liu H. Mir-218 contributes to the transformation of 5-Aza/GF induced umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into hematopoietic cells through the MITF pathway. Mol Biol Rep 2014; 41:4803-16. [DOI: 10.1007/s11033-014-3351-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2013] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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50
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Sharifulina SA, Komandirov MA, Uzdensky AB. Epigenetic regulation of death of crayfish glial cells but not neurons induced by photodynamic impact. Brain Res Bull 2014; 102:15-21. [PMID: 24502940 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2014.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2013] [Revised: 01/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic processes are involved in regulation of cell functions and survival, but their role in responses of neurons and glial cells to oxidative injury is insufficiently explored. Here, we studied the role of DNA methylation and histone deacetylation in reactions of neurons and surrounding glial cells to photodynamic treatment that induces oxidative stress and cell death. Isolated crayfish stretch receptor consisting of a single mechanoreceptor neuron surrounded by glial cells was photosensitized with aluminum phthalocyanine Photosens that induced neuron inactivation, necrosis of the neuron and glia, and glial apoptosis. Inhibitors of DNA methylation 5-azacytidine and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (decitabine) reduced the level of PDT-induced necrosis of glial cells but not neurons by 1.3 and 2.0 times, respectively, and did not significantly influence apoptosis of glial cells. Histone deacetylase inhibitors valproic acid and trichostatin A inhibited PDT-induced both necrosis and apoptosis of satellite glial cells but not neurons by 1.6-2.7 times. Thus, in the crayfish stretch receptor DNA methylation and histone deacetylation are involved in epigenetic control of glial but not neuronal necrosis. Histone deacetylation also participates in glial apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Sharifulina
- A.B. Kogan Research Institute for Neurocybernetics, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don 344090, Russia
| | - M A Komandirov
- Department of Biophysics and Biocybernetics, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don 344090, Russia
| | - A B Uzdensky
- A.B. Kogan Research Institute for Neurocybernetics, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don 344090, Russia; Department of Biophysics and Biocybernetics, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don 344090, Russia.
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