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MacLean MR, Walker OL, Arun RP, Fernando W, Marcato P. Informed by Cancer Stem Cells of Solid Tumors: Advances in Treatments Targeting Tumor-Promoting Factors and Pathways. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4102. [PMID: 38612911 PMCID: PMC11012648 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25074102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a subpopulation within tumors that promote cancer progression, metastasis, and recurrence due to their self-renewal capacity and resistance to conventional therapies. CSC-specific markers and signaling pathways highly active in CSCs have emerged as a promising strategy for improving patient outcomes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the therapeutic targets associated with CSCs of solid tumors across various cancer types, including key molecular markers aldehyde dehydrogenases, CD44, epithelial cellular adhesion molecule, and CD133 and signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, and Sonic Hedgehog. We discuss a wide array of therapeutic modalities ranging from targeted antibodies, small molecule inhibitors, and near-infrared photoimmunotherapy to advanced genetic approaches like RNA interference, CRISPR/Cas9 technology, aptamers, antisense oligonucleotides, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, CAR natural killer cells, bispecific T cell engagers, immunotoxins, drug-antibody conjugates, therapeutic peptides, and dendritic cell vaccines. This review spans developments from preclinical investigations to ongoing clinical trials, highlighting the innovative targeting strategies that have been informed by CSC-associated pathways and molecules to overcome therapeutic resistance. We aim to provide insights into the potential of these therapies to revolutionize cancer treatment, underscoring the critical need for a multi-faceted approach in the battle against cancer. This comprehensive analysis demonstrates how advances made in the CSC field have informed significant developments in novel targeted therapeutic approaches, with the ultimate goal of achieving more effective and durable responses in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya R. MacLean
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; (M.R.M.); (O.L.W.); (R.P.A.); (W.F.)
| | - Olivia L. Walker
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; (M.R.M.); (O.L.W.); (R.P.A.); (W.F.)
| | - Raj Pranap Arun
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; (M.R.M.); (O.L.W.); (R.P.A.); (W.F.)
| | - Wasundara Fernando
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; (M.R.M.); (O.L.W.); (R.P.A.); (W.F.)
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Paola Marcato
- Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; (M.R.M.); (O.L.W.); (R.P.A.); (W.F.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
- Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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2
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Guha A, Goswami KK, Sultana J, Ganguly N, Choudhury PR, Chakravarti M, Bhuniya A, Sarkar A, Bera S, Dhar S, Das J, Das T, Baral R, Bose A, Banerjee S. Cancer stem cell-immune cell crosstalk in breast tumor microenvironment: a determinant of therapeutic facet. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1245421. [PMID: 38090567 PMCID: PMC10711058 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1245421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is globally one of the leading killers among women. Within a breast tumor, a minor population of transformed cells accountable for drug resistance, survival, and metastasis is known as breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). Several experimental lines of evidence have indicated that BCSCs influence the functionality of immune cells. They evade immune surveillance by altering the characteristics of immune cells and modulate the tumor landscape to an immune-suppressive type. They are proficient in switching from a quiescent phase (slowly cycling) to an actively proliferating phenotype with a high degree of plasticity. This review confers the relevance and impact of crosstalk between immune cells and BCSCs as a fate determinant for BC prognosis. It also focuses on current strategies for targeting these aberrant BCSCs that could open avenues for the treatment of breast carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aishwarya Guha
- Department of Immunoregulation and Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | | | - Jasmine Sultana
- Department of Immunoregulation and Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Nilanjan Ganguly
- Department of Immunoregulation and Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Pritha Roy Choudhury
- Department of Immunoregulation and Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Mohona Chakravarti
- Department of Immunoregulation and Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Avishek Bhuniya
- Department of Immunoregulation and Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Anirban Sarkar
- Department of Immunoregulation and Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Saurav Bera
- Department of Immunoregulation and Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Sukanya Dhar
- Department of Immunoregulation and Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Juhina Das
- Department of Immunoregulation and Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Tapasi Das
- Department of Immunoregulation and Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Rathindranath Baral
- Department of Immunoregulation and Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Anamika Bose
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology Biotechnology National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Sahibzada Ajit Singh (S.A.S.) Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Saptak Banerjee
- Department of Immunoregulation and Immunodiagnostics, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata, India
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3
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Lučić I, Kurtović M, Mlinarić M, Piteša N, Čipak Gašparović A, Sabol M, Milković L. Deciphering Common Traits of Breast and Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells and Possible Therapeutic Approaches. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10683. [PMID: 37445860 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310683] [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: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) and ovarian cancer (OC) are among the most common and deadly cancers affecting women worldwide. Both are complex diseases with marked heterogeneity. Despite the induction of screening programs that increase the frequency of earlier diagnosis of BC, at a stage when the cancer is more likely to respond to therapy, which does not exist for OC, more than 50% of both cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Initial therapy can put the cancer into remission. However, recurrences occur frequently in both BC and OC, which are highly cancer-subtype dependent. Therapy resistance is mainly attributed to a rare subpopulation of cells, named cancer stem cells (CSC) or tumor-initiating cells, as they are capable of self-renewal, tumor initiation, and regrowth of tumor bulk. In this review, we will discuss the distinctive markers and signaling pathways that characterize CSC, their interactions with the tumor microenvironment, and the strategies they employ to evade immune surveillance. Our focus will be on identifying the common features of breast cancer stem cells (BCSC) and ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSC) and suggesting potential therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Lučić
- Laboratory for Oxidative Stress, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Matea Kurtović
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Monika Mlinarić
- Laboratory for Oxidative Stress, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nikolina Piteša
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Čipak Gašparović
- Laboratory for Oxidative Stress, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maja Sabol
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Lidija Milković
- Laboratory for Oxidative Stress, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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4
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Nairuz T, Mahmud Z, Manik RK, Kabir Y. Cancer stem cells: an insight into the development of metastatic tumors and therapy resistance. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2023:10.1007/s12015-023-10529-x. [PMID: 37129728 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-023-10529-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The term "cancer stem cells" (CSCs) refers to cancer cells that exhibit traits parallel to normal stem cells, namely the potential to give rise to every type of cell identified in a tumor microenvironment. It has been found that CSCs usually develops from other neoplastic cells or non-cancerous somatic cells by acquiring stemness and malignant characteristics through particular genetic modifications. A trivial number of CSCs, identified in solid and liquid cancer, can give rise to an entire tumor population with aggressive anticancer drug resistance, metastasis, and invasiveness. Besides, cancer stem cells manipulate their intrinsic and extrinsic features, regulate the metabolic pattern of the cell, adjust efflux-influx efficiency, modulate different signaling pathways, block apoptotic signals, and cause genetic and epigenetic alterations to retain their pluripotency and ability of self-renewal. Notably, to keep the cancer stem cells' ability to become malignant cells, mesenchymal stem cells, tumor-associated fibroblasts, immune cells, etc., interact with one another. Furthermore, CSCs are characterized by the expression of particular molecular markers that carry significant diagnostic and prognostic significance. Because of this, scientific research on CSCs is becoming increasingly imperative, intending to understand the traits and behavior of cancer stem cells and create more potent anticancer therapeutics to fight cancer at the CSC level. In this review, we aimed to elucidate the critical role of CSCs in the onset and spread of cancer and the characteristics of CSCs that promote severe resistance to targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahsin Nairuz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Zimam Mahmud
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Rasel Khan Manik
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Yearul Kabir
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh.
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5
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Preclinical and Clinical Trials of New Treatment Strategies Targeting Cancer Stem Cells in Subtypes of Breast Cancer. Cells 2023; 12:cells12050720. [PMID: 36899854 PMCID: PMC10001180 DOI: 10.3390/cells12050720] [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: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) can be classified into various histological subtypes, each associated with different prognoses and treatment options, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy. Despite advances in this area, many patients still face treatment failure, the risk of metastasis, and disease recurrence, which can ultimately lead to death. Mammary tumors, like other solid tumors, contain a population of small cells known as cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) that have high tumorigenic potential and are involved in cancer initiation, progression, metastasis, tumor recurrence, and resistance to therapy. Therefore, designing therapies specifically targeting at CSCs could help to control the growth of this cell population, leading to increased survival rates for BC patients. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of CSCs, their surface biomarkers, and the active signaling pathways associated with the acquisition of stemness in BC. We also cover preclinical and clinical studies that focus on evaluating new therapy systems targeted at CSCs in BC through various combinations of treatments, targeted delivery systems, and potential new drugs that inhibit the properties that allow these cells to survive and proliferate.
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6
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Chen L, Chen F, Niu H, Li J, Pu Y, Yang C, Wang Y, Huang R, Li K, Lei Y, Huang Y. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T Cell Immunotherapy Against Thoracic Malignancies: Challenges and Opportunities. Front Immunol 2022; 13:871661. [PMID: 35911706 PMCID: PMC9334018 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.871661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Different from surgery, chemical therapy, radio-therapy and target therapy, Chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CAR-T) cells, a novel adoptive immunotherapy strategy, have been used successfully against both hematological tumors and solid tumors. Although several problems have reduced engineered CAR-T cell therapeutic outcomes in clinical trials for the treatment of thoracic malignancies, including the lack of specific antigens, an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, a low level of CAR-T cell infiltration into tumor tissues, off-target toxicity, and other safety issues, CAR-T cell treatment is still full of bright future. In this review, we outline the basic structure and characteristics of CAR-T cells among different period, summarize the common tumor-associated antigens in clinical trials of CAR-T cell therapy for thoracic malignancies, and point out the current challenges and new strategies, aiming to provide new ideas and approaches for preclinical experiments and clinical trials of CAR-T cell therapy for thoracic malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Chen
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Fukun Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Huatao Niu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Jindan Li
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Yongzhu Pu
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Conghui Yang
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Rong Huang
- Department of PET/CT Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
| | - Ke Li
- Department of Cancer Biotherapy Center, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Yunchao Huang, ; Yujie Lei, ; Ke Li,
| | - Yujie Lei
- Department of Thoracic Surgery I, Key Laboratory of Lung Cancer of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Yunchao Huang, ; Yujie Lei, ; Ke Li,
| | - Yunchao Huang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery I, Key Laboratory of Lung Cancer of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Cancer Center of Yunnan Province, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Yunchao Huang, ; Yujie Lei, ; Ke Li,
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7
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Wang L, Jin Z, Master RP, Maharjan CK, Carelock ME, Reccoppa TBA, Kim MC, Kolb R, Zhang W. Breast Cancer Stem Cells: Signaling Pathways, Cellular Interactions, and Therapeutic Implications. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:3287. [PMID: 35805056 PMCID: PMC9265870 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) constitute a small population of cells within breast cancer and are characterized by their ability to self-renew, differentiate, and recapitulate the heterogeneity of the tumor. Clinically, BCSCs have been correlated with cancer progression, metastasis, relapse, and drug resistance. The tumorigenic roles of BCSCs have been extensively reviewed and will not be the major focus of the current review. Here, we aim to highlight how the crucial intrinsic signaling pathways regulate the fate of BCSCs, including the Wnt, Notch, Hedgehog, and NF-κB signaling pathways, as well as how different cell populations crosstalk with BCSCs within the TME, including adipocytes, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells. Based on the molecular and cellular activities of BCSCs, we will also summarize the targeting strategies for BCSCs and related clinical trials. This review will highlight that BCSC development in breast cancer is impacted by both BCSC endogenous signaling and external factors in the TME, which provides an insight into how to establish a comprehensively therapeutic strategy to target BCSCs for breast cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
- Immunology Concentration, Biomedical Graduate Program, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Zeng Jin
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
- Cancer Biology Concentration, Biomedical Graduate Program, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Rohan P. Master
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Chandra K. Maharjan
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Madison E. Carelock
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
- Cancer Biology Concentration, Biomedical Graduate Program, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Tiffany B. A. Reccoppa
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
- Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Myung-Chul Kim
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Ryan Kolb
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Weizhou Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; (L.W.); (Z.J.); (R.P.M.); (C.K.M.); (M.E.C.); (T.B.A.R.); (M.-C.K.); (R.K.)
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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8
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Rong Z, Zhang L, Li Z, Xiao Z, Duan Y, Ren X, Zi Y, Gao J, Mu Y, Guan Y, Cao Z, Wang X, Pei Q, Zeng Y, Fan Q, Zeng Z, Ou D, He J, Nie Y, Tan R, Weng L, Li Y, Xiang R, Deng Y, Sun L. SIK2 maintains breast cancer stemness by phosphorylating LRP6 and activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Oncogene 2022; 41:2390-2403. [PMID: 35277657 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02259-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are the main drivers of recurrence and metastasis. However, commonly used drugs rarely target BCSCs. Via screenings, we found that Salt-inducible kinase 2 (SIK2) participated in breast cancer (BC) stemness maintenance and zebrafish embryos development. SIK2 was upregulated in recurrence samples. Knockdown of SIK2 expression reduced the proportion of BCSCs and the tumor initiation of BC cells. Mechanistically, SIK2, phosphorylated by CK1α, directly phosphorylated LRP6 in a SIK2 kinase activity-dependent manner, leading to Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activation. ARN-3236 and HG-9-91-01, inhibitors of SIK2, inhibited LRP6 phosphorylation and β-catenin accumulation and disturbed stemness maintenance. In addition, the SIK2-activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling led to induction of IDH1 expression, causing metabolic reprogramming in BC cells. These findings demonstrate a novel mechanism whereby Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is regulated by different kinases in response to metabolic requirement of CSCs, and suggest that SIK2 inhibition may potentially be a strategy for eliminating BCSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoxian Rong
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China.,Institute of Gerontological Cancer Research, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, Changsha, 410008, China.,Hunan International Science and Technology Collaboration Base of Precision Medicine for Cancer, Changsha, 410008, China.,Center for Molecular Imaging of Central South University, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Zhi Li
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China.,Institute of Gerontological Cancer Research, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, Changsha, 410008, China.,Hunan International Science and Technology Collaboration Base of Precision Medicine for Cancer, Changsha, 410008, China.,Center for Molecular Imaging of Central South University, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Zhi Xiao
- Deparment of Breast Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yumei Duan
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Xinxin Ren
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yuyuan Zi
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Jie Gao
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yun Mu
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yidi Guan
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Zhen Cao
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Xitao Wang
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Qian Pei
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yu Zeng
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Qi Fan
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Zimei Zeng
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Danmin Ou
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Jiang He
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China.,Institute of Gerontological Cancer Research, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yingjie Nie
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immune-related Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, 550000, China
| | - Rong Tan
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China.,Institute of Gerontological Cancer Research, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, Changsha, 410008, China.,Hunan International Science and Technology Collaboration Base of Precision Medicine for Cancer, Changsha, 410008, China.,Center for Molecular Imaging of Central South University, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Liang Weng
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China.,Institute of Gerontological Cancer Research, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, Changsha, 410008, China.,Hunan International Science and Technology Collaboration Base of Precision Medicine for Cancer, Changsha, 410008, China.,Center for Molecular Imaging of Central South University, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yuhao Li
- College of Medicine, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Rong Xiang
- College of Medicine, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yuezhen Deng
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China. .,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China. .,Institute of Gerontological Cancer Research, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, Changsha, 410008, China. .,Hunan International Science and Technology Collaboration Base of Precision Medicine for Cancer, Changsha, 410008, China. .,Center for Molecular Imaging of Central South University, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, 410008, China.
| | - Lunquan Sun
- Xiangya Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China. .,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan Province, Changsha, 410008, China. .,Institute of Gerontological Cancer Research, National Clinical Research Center for Gerontology, Changsha, 410008, China. .,Hunan International Science and Technology Collaboration Base of Precision Medicine for Cancer, Changsha, 410008, China. .,Center for Molecular Imaging of Central South University, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, 410008, China.
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9
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Kalantari E, Taheri T, Fata S, Abolhasani M, Mehrazma M, Madjd Z, Asgari M. Significant co-expression of putative cancer stem cell markers, EpCAM and CD166, correlates with tumor stage and invasive behavior in colorectal cancer. World J Surg Oncol 2022; 20:15. [PMID: 35016698 PMCID: PMC8751119 DOI: 10.1186/s12957-021-02469-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The crucial oncogenic role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in tumor maintenance, progression, drug resistance, and relapse has been clarified in different cancers, particularly in colorectal cancer (CRC). The current study was conducted to evaluate the co-expression pattern and clinical significance of epithelial cell adhesion molecules (EpCAM) and activated leukocyte cell adhesion (CD166 or ALCAM) in CRC patients. METHODS This study was carried out on 458 paraffin-embedded CRC specimens by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarray (TMA) slides. RESULTS Elevated expression of EpCAM and CD166 was observed in 61.5% (246/427) and 40.5% (164/405) of CRC cases. Our analysis showed a significant positive association of EpCAM expression with tumor size (P = 0.02), tumor stage (P = 0.007), tumor differentiate (P = 0.005), vascular (P = 0.01), neural (P = 0.01), and lymph node (P = 0.001) invasion. There were no significant differences between CD166 expression and clinicopathological parameters. Moreover, the combined analysis demonstrated a reciprocal significant correlation between EpCAM and CD166 expression (P = 0.02). Interestingly, there was a significant positive correlation between EpCAM/CD166 phenotypes expression and tumor stage (P = 0.03), tumor differentiation (P = 0.05), neural, and lymph node invasion (P =0.01). CONCLUSIONS The significant correlation of EpCAM and CD166 expression and their association with tumor progression and aggressive behavior is the reason for the suggestion of these two CSC markers as promising targets to promote novel effective targeted-therapy strategies for cancer treatment in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Kalantari
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
| | - Tahereh Taheri
- Department of Pathology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saba Fata
- Department of Pathology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Abolhasani
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
- Department of Pathology, Hasheminejad kidney Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mitra Mehrazma
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
| | - Zahra Madjd
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran.
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mojgan Asgari
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran.
- Department of Pathology, Hasheminejad kidney Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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10
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Yang H, Cao Y, Li D, Li F, Ma J, Peng S, Liu P. AS1411 and EpDT3-conjugated silver nanotriangle-mediated photothermal therapy for breast cancer and cancer stem cells. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2021; 16:2503-2519. [PMID: 34812051 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2021-0257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to construct AS1411 and EpDT3-conjugated PEGylated silver nanotriangles (AENTs) and assess their ability to target breast cancer and cancer stem cells, as well as the antitumor and antimetastatic effects of AENT-mediated photothermal therapy. Materials & methods: AENTs were constructed and characterized. The targeting properties, as well as antitumor and antimetastatic activities, were evaluated in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, cancer stem cells and breast cancer-bearing mice. Results: AENTs displayed excellent targeting property to breast cancer cells and cancer stem cells. AENT-mediated photothermal therapy greatly inhibited (>45%) the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells, as well as tumor growth and lung metastasis in the mice. Conclusion: AENT-mediated photothermal therapy might be an effective strategy for the treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiquan Yang
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuyu Cao
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongdong Li
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Li
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Ma
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Siqi Peng
- School of Life Science & Technology, Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes & Human Disease, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Peidang Liu
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biomaterials & Devices, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
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11
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Isolation and Establishment of a Highly Proliferative, Cancer Stem Cell-Like, and Naturally Immortalized Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Line, KAIMRC2. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061303. [PMID: 34073849 PMCID: PMC8225085 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro studies of a disease are key to any in vivo investigation in understanding the disease and developing new therapy regimens. Immortalized cancer cell lines are the best and easiest model for studying cancer in vitro. Here, we report the establishment of a naturally immortalized highly tumorigenic and triple-negative breast cancer cell line, KAIMRC2. This cell line is derived from a Saudi Arabian female breast cancer patient with invasive ductal carcinoma. Immunocytochemistry showed a significant ratio of the KAIMRC2 cells’ expressing key breast epithelial and cancer stem cells (CSCs) markers, including CD47, CD133, CD49f, CD44, and ALDH-1A1. Gene and protein expression analysis showed overexpression of ABC transporter and AKT-PI3Kinase as well as JAK/STAT signaling pathways. In contrast, the absence of the tumor suppressor genes p53 and p73 may explain their high proliferative index. The mice model also confirmed the tumorigenic potential of the KAIMRC2 cell line, and drug tolerance studies revealed few very potent candidates. Our results confirmed an aggressive phenotype with metastatic potential and cancer stem cell-like characteristics of the KAIMR2 cell line. Furthermore, we have also presented potent small molecule inhibitors, especially Ryuvidine, that can be further developed, alone or in synergy with other potent inhibitors, to target multiple cancer-related pathways.
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12
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Mal A, Bukhari AB, Singh RK, Kapoor A, Barai A, Deshpande I, Wadasadawala T, Ray P, Sen S, De A. EpCAM-Mediated Cellular Plasticity Promotes Radiation Resistance and Metastasis in Breast Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:597673. [PMID: 33490064 PMCID: PMC7815650 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.597673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Substantial number of breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT) develop local recurrence over time. During RT therapy, cells can gradually acquire resistance implying adaptive radioresistance. Here we probe the mechanisms underlying this acquired resistance by first establishing radioresistant lines using ZR-75-1 and MCF-7 BC cells through repeated exposure to sub-lethal fractionated dose of 2Gy up to 15 fractions. Radioresistance was found to be associated with increased cancer stem cells (CSCs), and elevated EpCAM expression in the cell population. A retrospective analysis of TCGA dataset indicated positive correlation of high EpCAM expression with poor response to RT. Intriguingly, elevated EpCAM expression in the radioresistant CSCs raise the bigger question of how this biomarker expression contributes during radiation treatment in BC. Thereafter, we establish EpCAM overexpressing ZR-75-1 cells (ZR-75-1EpCAM), which conferred radioresistance, increased stemness through enhanced AKT activation and induced a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype with enhanced contractility and invasiveness. In line with these observations, orthotopic implantation of ZR-75-1EpCAM cells exhibited faster growth, lesser sensitivity to radiation therapy and increased lung metastasis than baseline ZR-75-1 cells in mice. In summary, this study shows that similar to radioresistant BC cells, EpCAM overexpressing cells show high degree of plasticity and heterogeneity which ultimately induces radioresistant and metastatic behavior of cancer cells, thus aggravating the disease condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arijit Mal
- Molecular Functional Imaging Laboratory, ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India.,Life Science, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Amirali B Bukhari
- Molecular Functional Imaging Laboratory, ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
| | - Ram K Singh
- Imaging Cell Signaling & Therapeutics Lab, ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
| | - Aastha Kapoor
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Amlan Barai
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Ishan Deshpande
- Molecular Functional Imaging Laboratory, ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
| | | | - Pritha Ray
- Life Science, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India.,Imaging Cell Signaling & Therapeutics Lab, ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
| | - Shamik Sen
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Abhijit De
- Molecular Functional Imaging Laboratory, ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India.,Life Science, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
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13
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Ospina-Muñoz N, Vernot JP. Partial acquisition of stemness properties in tumorspheres obtained from interleukin-8-treated MCF-7 cells. Tumour Biol 2020; 42:1010428320979438. [PMID: 33325322 DOI: 10.1177/1010428320979438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The interleukin-8 is an important regulator of the tumor microenvironment, promoting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the acquisition of stem-like cell properties in cancer cells. The tumorsphere-formation assay has been used for the identification of cancer stem cell. Interleukin-8 induces the formation of larger tumorspheres in Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cells, suggesting cancer stem cell enrichment. In this work, we aimed to study the phenotypic and functional characteristics of the cells present within the tumorspheres of MCF-7 cells previously treated with interleukin-8. MCF-7 cells treated for 5 days or not with this cytokine were further cultivated in ultralow attachment plates for another 5 days to allow tumorspheres formation. We showed that the enhanced sphere formation by MCF-7 cells was not a consequence of higher cell proliferation by interleukin-8 stimulation. Despite maintaining an epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype with the presence of epithelial and mesenchymal markers, basic stemness properties were impaired in tumorspheres and in those treated with interleukin-8, while others were increased. Self-renewal capacity was increased in interleukin-8-treated cells only in the first generation of tumorspheres but was not sustained in consecutive assays. Accordingly, self-renewal and reprogramming gene expression, differentiation capacity to adipocytes, and clonogenicity were also impaired. We showed also that tumorspheres were enriched in differentiated luminal cells (EpCAM+/CD49f-). Nevertheless, cells were more quiescent and maintain a partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition, consistent with their increased resistance to Paclitaxel and Doxorubicin. They also presented higher migration and interleukin-8-directed invasion. Therefore, the breast cancer cell line MCF-7, having a low stemness index, might partially acquire some stem-like cell attributes after interleukin-8 stimulation, increasing its aggressiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Ospina-Muñoz
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology Group, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - Jean-Paul Vernot
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology Group, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, DC, Colombia.,Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
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14
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Gao X, Dong QZ. Advance in metabolism and target therapy in breast cancer stem cells. World J Stem Cells 2020; 12:1295-1306. [PMID: 33312399 PMCID: PMC7705469 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v12.i11.1295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer, like many other cancers, is believed to be driven by a population of cells that display stem cell properties. Recent studies suggest that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are essential for tumor progression, and tumor relapse is thought to be caused by the presence of these cells. CSC-targeted therapies have also been proposed to overcome therapeutic resistance in breast cancer after the traditional therapies. Additionally, the metabolic properties of cancer cells differ markedly from those of normal cells. The efficacy of metabolic targeted therapy has been shown to enhance anti-cancer treatment or overcome therapeutic resistance of breast cancer cells. Metabolic targeting of breast CSCs (BCSCs) may be a very effective strategy for anti-cancer treatment of breast cancer cells. Thus, in this review, we focus on discussing the studies involving metabolism and targeted therapy in BCSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Gao
- Department of Breast Surgery, Yiwu Maternity and Children Hospital, Yiwu 322000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Qiong-Zhu Dong
- Department of General Surgery, Cancer Metastasis Institute, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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15
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Dionísio MR, Vieira AF, Carvalho R, Conde I, Oliveira M, Gomes M, Pinto MT, Pereira P, Pimentel J, Souza C, Marques MMC, Duval da Silva V, Barroso A, Preto D, Cameselle-Teijeiro JF, Schmitt F, Ribeiro AS, Paredes J. BR-BCSC Signature: The Cancer Stem Cell Profile Enriched in Brain Metastases that Predicts a Worse Prognosis in Lymph Node-Positive Breast Cancer. Cells 2020; 9:cells9112442. [PMID: 33182375 PMCID: PMC7695320 DOI: 10.3390/cells9112442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases remain an unmet clinical need in breast oncology, being frequently found in HER2-overexpressing and triple-negative carcinomas. These tumors were reported to be highly cancer stem-like cell-enriched, suggesting that brain metastases probably arise by the seeding of cancer cells with stem features. Accordingly, we found that brain-tropic breast cancer cells show increased stem cell activity and tumorigenic capacity in the chick embryo choriallantoic membrane when compared to the parental cell line. These observations were supported by a significant increase in their stem cell frequency and by the enrichment for the breast cancer stem cell (BCSC) phenotype CD44+CD24−/low. Based on this data, the expression of BCSC markers (CD44, CD49f, P-cadherin, EpCAM, and ALDH1) was determined and found to be significantly enriched in breast cancer brain metastases when compared to primary tumors. Therefore, a brain (BR)-BCSC signature was defined (3–5 BCSC markers), which showed to be associated with decreased brain metastases-free and overall survival. Interestingly, this signature significantly predicted a worse prognosis in lymph node-positive patients, acting as an independent prognostic factor. Thus, an enrichment of a BCSC signature was found in brain metastases, which can be used as a new prognostic factor in clinically challenging breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rita Dionísio
- Epithelial Interactions in Cancer (EPIC) group, i3S, Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.R.D.); (A.F.V.); (R.C.); (I.C.); (M.O.); (M.G.); (M.T.P.); (F.S.); (A.S.R.)
- IPATIMUP- Institute of Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Norte, 1649-035 Lisboa, Portugal; (P.P.); (J.P.)
| | - André F. Vieira
- Epithelial Interactions in Cancer (EPIC) group, i3S, Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.R.D.); (A.F.V.); (R.C.); (I.C.); (M.O.); (M.G.); (M.T.P.); (F.S.); (A.S.R.)
- IPATIMUP- Institute of Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rita Carvalho
- Epithelial Interactions in Cancer (EPIC) group, i3S, Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.R.D.); (A.F.V.); (R.C.); (I.C.); (M.O.); (M.G.); (M.T.P.); (F.S.); (A.S.R.)
- IPATIMUP- Institute of Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Inês Conde
- Epithelial Interactions in Cancer (EPIC) group, i3S, Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.R.D.); (A.F.V.); (R.C.); (I.C.); (M.O.); (M.G.); (M.T.P.); (F.S.); (A.S.R.)
- IPATIMUP- Institute of Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mónica Oliveira
- Epithelial Interactions in Cancer (EPIC) group, i3S, Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.R.D.); (A.F.V.); (R.C.); (I.C.); (M.O.); (M.G.); (M.T.P.); (F.S.); (A.S.R.)
- IPATIMUP- Institute of Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Madalena Gomes
- Epithelial Interactions in Cancer (EPIC) group, i3S, Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.R.D.); (A.F.V.); (R.C.); (I.C.); (M.O.); (M.G.); (M.T.P.); (F.S.); (A.S.R.)
- IPATIMUP- Institute of Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Marta T. Pinto
- Epithelial Interactions in Cancer (EPIC) group, i3S, Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.R.D.); (A.F.V.); (R.C.); (I.C.); (M.O.); (M.G.); (M.T.P.); (F.S.); (A.S.R.)
- IPATIMUP- Institute of Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- In vivo CAM assays, i3S - Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro Pereira
- Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Norte, 1649-035 Lisboa, Portugal; (P.P.); (J.P.)
| | - José Pimentel
- Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Norte, 1649-035 Lisboa, Portugal; (P.P.); (J.P.)
| | - Cristiano Souza
- Department of Breast and Gynecologic Oncology, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos-SP 14784-400, Brazil; (C.S.); (A.B.); (D.P.)
| | - Márcia M. C. Marques
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos-SP 14784-400, Brazil;
- Barretos School of Health Sciences - FACISB, Barretos-SP 14784-400, Brazil
| | | | - Alison Barroso
- Department of Breast and Gynecologic Oncology, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos-SP 14784-400, Brazil; (C.S.); (A.B.); (D.P.)
| | - Daniel Preto
- Department of Breast and Gynecologic Oncology, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos-SP 14784-400, Brazil; (C.S.); (A.B.); (D.P.)
| | | | - Fernando Schmitt
- Epithelial Interactions in Cancer (EPIC) group, i3S, Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.R.D.); (A.F.V.); (R.C.); (I.C.); (M.O.); (M.G.); (M.T.P.); (F.S.); (A.S.R.)
- IPATIMUP- Institute of Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of Porto University (FMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Sofia Ribeiro
- Epithelial Interactions in Cancer (EPIC) group, i3S, Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.R.D.); (A.F.V.); (R.C.); (I.C.); (M.O.); (M.G.); (M.T.P.); (F.S.); (A.S.R.)
- IPATIMUP- Institute of Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Joana Paredes
- Epithelial Interactions in Cancer (EPIC) group, i3S, Institute of Investigation and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.R.D.); (A.F.V.); (R.C.); (I.C.); (M.O.); (M.G.); (M.T.P.); (F.S.); (A.S.R.)
- IPATIMUP- Institute of Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of Porto University (FMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +35-12-2557-0700
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16
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Noman ASM, Parag RR, Rashid MI, Islam S, Rahman MZ, Chowdhury AA, Sultana A, Jerin C, Siddiqua A, Rahman L, Nayeem J, Akther S, Baidya S, Shil RK, Rahman M, Shirin A, Mahmud R, Hossain SMI, Sumi SA, Chowdhury A, Basher SB, Hasan A, Bithy S, Aklima J, Chowdhury N, Hasan MN, Banu T, Chowdhury S, Hossain MM, Yeger H, Farhat WA, Islam SS. Chemotherapeutic resistance of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is mediated by EpCAM induction driven by IL-6/p62 associated Nrf2-antioxidant pathway activation. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:663. [PMID: 32814771 PMCID: PMC7438524 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-02907-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Overexpression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) has been associated with chemotherapeutic resistance, leads to aggressive tumor behavior, and results in an adverse clinical outcome. The molecular mechanism by which EpCAM enrichment is linked to therapeutic resistance via Nrf2, a key regulator of antioxidant genes is unknown. We have investigated the link between EpCAM and the Nrf2 pathway in light of therapeutic resistance using head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patient tumor samples and cell lines. We report that EpCAM was highly expressed in Nrf2-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC cells. In addition, cisplatin-resistant tumor cells consisted of a higher proportion of EpCAMhigh cells compared to the cisplatin sensitive counterpart. EpCAMhigh populations exhibited resistance to cisplatin, a higher efficiency in colony formation, sphere growth and invasion capacity, and demonstrated reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity. Furthermore, Nrf2 expression was significantly higher in EpCAMhigh populations. Mechanistically, expression of Nrf2 and its target genes were most prominently observed in EpCAMhigh populations. Silencing of EpCAM expression resulted in the attenuation of expressions of Nrf2 and SOD1 concomitant with a reduction of Sox2 expression. On the other hand, silencing of Nrf2 expression rendered EpCAMhigh populations sensitive to cisplatin treatment accompanied by the inhibition of colony formation, sphere formation, and invasion efficiency and increased ROS activity. The molecular mechanistic link between EpCAM expression and activation of Nrf2 was found to be a concerted interaction of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and p62. Silencing of p62 expression in EpCAMhigh populations resulted in the attenuation of Nrf2 pathway activation suggesting that Nrf2 pathway activation promoted resistance to cisplatin in EpCAMhigh populations. We propose that therapeutic targeting the Nrf2-EpCAM axis might be an excellent approach to modulate stress resistance and thereby survival of HNSCC patients enriched in EpCAMhigh populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abu Shadat M Noman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh.,Department of Pathology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Rashed R Parag
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Muhammad I Rashid
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Shafiqul Islam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Z Rahman
- Department of Pathology, Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Ali A Chowdhury
- Department of Radiotherapy, Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Afrin Sultana
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Chandsultana Jerin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Ayesha Siddiqua
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Lutfur Rahman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Junayed Nayeem
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Sonam Akther
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Sunanda Baidya
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Rajib K Shil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Mizanur Rahman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh.,Department of Biochemistry, Rangamati Medical College, Rangamati, Bangladesh
| | - Afsana Shirin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Reaz Mahmud
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - S M Ikram Hossain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Sharmin A Sumi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Arfina Chowdhury
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Shabnam B Basher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Abul Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Shammy Bithy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Jannatul Aklima
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Nabila Chowdhury
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Muhammad N Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Tahmina Banu
- Chittagong Research Institute for Children Surgery (CRICS), Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Srikanta Chowdhury
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Muhammad M Hossain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Herman Yeger
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Walid A Farhat
- Division of Pediatric Urology, American Family Children's Hospital, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Syed S Islam
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. .,School of Medicine, Al-Faisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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17
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Walcher L, Kistenmacher AK, Suo H, Kitte R, Dluczek S, Strauß A, Blaudszun AR, Yevsa T, Fricke S, Kossatz-Boehlert U. Cancer Stem Cells-Origins and Biomarkers: Perspectives for Targeted Personalized Therapies. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1280. [PMID: 32849491 PMCID: PMC7426526 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 421] [Impact Index Per Article: 105.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of biomarkers in diagnosis, therapy and prognosis has gained increasing interest over the last decades. In particular, the analysis of biomarkers in cancer patients within the pre- and post-therapeutic period is required to identify several types of cells, which carry a risk for a disease progression and subsequent post-therapeutic relapse. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of tumor cells that can drive tumor initiation and can cause relapses. At the time point of tumor initiation, CSCs originate from either differentiated cells or adult tissue resident stem cells. Due to their importance, several biomarkers that characterize CSCs have been identified and correlated to diagnosis, therapy and prognosis. However, CSCs have been shown to display a high plasticity, which changes their phenotypic and functional appearance. Such changes are induced by chemo- and radiotherapeutics as well as senescent tumor cells, which cause alterations in the tumor microenvironment. Induction of senescence causes tumor shrinkage by modulating an anti-tumorigenic environment in which tumor cells undergo growth arrest and immune cells are attracted. Besides these positive effects after therapy, senescence can also have negative effects displayed post-therapeutically. These unfavorable effects can directly promote cancer stemness by increasing CSC plasticity phenotypes, by activating stemness pathways in non-CSCs, as well as by promoting senescence escape and subsequent activation of stemness pathways. At the end, all these effects can lead to tumor relapse and metastasis. This review provides an overview of the most frequently used CSC markers and their implementation as biomarkers by focussing on deadliest solid (lung, stomach, liver, breast and colorectal cancers) and hematological (acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia) cancers. Furthermore, it gives examples on how the CSC markers might be influenced by therapeutics, such as chemo- and radiotherapy, and the tumor microenvironment. It points out, that it is crucial to identify and monitor residual CSCs, senescent tumor cells, and the pro-tumorigenic senescence-associated secretory phenotype in a therapy follow-up using specific biomarkers. As a future perspective, a targeted immune-mediated strategy using chimeric antigen receptor based approaches for the removal of remaining chemotherapy-resistant cells as well as CSCs in a personalized therapeutic approach are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia Walcher
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Kistenmacher
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Huizhen Suo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Reni Kitte
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sarah Dluczek
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alexander Strauß
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - André-René Blaudszun
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tetyana Yevsa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Stephan Fricke
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Uta Kossatz-Boehlert
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
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18
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Eslami-S Z, Cortés-Hernández LE, Alix-Panabières C. Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule: An Anchor to Isolate Clinically Relevant Circulating Tumor Cells. Cells 2020; 9:cells9081836. [PMID: 32764280 PMCID: PMC7464831 DOI: 10.3390/cells9081836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last few decades, the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) has received increased attention as the main membrane marker used in many enrichment technologies to isolate circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Although there has been a great deal of progress in the implementation of EpCAM-based CTC detection technologies in medical settings, several issues continue to limit their clinical utility. The biology of EpCAM and its role are not completely understood but evidence suggests that the expression of this epithelial cell-surface protein is crucial for metastasis-competent CTCs and may not be lost completely during the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. In this review, we summarize the most significant advantages and disadvantages of using EpCAM as a marker for CTC enrichment and its potential biological role in the metastatic cascade.
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19
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Non-Invasive Delivery of Therapeutics into the Brain: The Potential of Aptamers for Targeted Delivery. Biomedicines 2020; 8:biomedicines8050120. [PMID: 32422973 PMCID: PMC7277349 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines8050120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a highly specialised network of blood vessels that effectively separates the brain environment from the circulatory system. While there are benefits, in terms of keeping pathogens from entering the brain, the BBB also complicates treatments of brain pathologies by preventing efficient delivery of macromolecular drugs to diseased brain tissue. Although current non-invasive strategies of therapeutics delivery into the brain, such as focused ultrasound and nanoparticle-mediated delivery have shown various levels of successes, they still come with risks and limitations. This review discusses the current approaches of therapeutic delivery into the brain, with a specific focus on non-invasive methods. It also discusses the potential for aptamers as alternative delivery systems and several reported aptamers with promising preliminary results.
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20
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Tavsan Z, Kayali HA. Protein Kinase C regulates the complex between cell membrane molecules in ovarian cancer. Process Biochem 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2020.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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21
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Identification of a stemness-related gene panel associated with BET inhibition in triple negative breast cancer. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2020; 43:431-444. [PMID: 32166583 PMCID: PMC7214516 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-020-00497-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are enriched in cells bearing stem-like features, i.e., cancer stem cells (CSCs), which underlie cancer progression. Thus, targeting stemness may be an interesting treatment approach. The epigenetic machinery is crucial for maintaining the stemness phenotype. Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) epigenetic reader family members are emerging as novel targets for cancer therapy, and have already shown preclinical effects in breast cancer. Here, we aimed to evaluate the effect of the BET inhibitor JQ1 on stemness in TNBC. Methods Transcriptomic, functional annotation and qRT-PCR studies were performed on JQ1-exposed TNBC cells in culture. The results obtained were confirmed in spheroids and spheroid-derived tumours. In addition, limiting dilution, secondary and tertiary tumour sphere formation, matrigel invasion, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry assays were performed to evaluate the effect of JQ1 on CSC features. For clinical outcome analyses, the online tool Kaplan-Meier Plotter and an integrated response database were used. Results We found that JQ1 modified the expression of stemness-related genes in two TNBC-derived cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and BT549. Among these changes, the CD44 Antigen/CD24 Antigen (CD44/CD24) ratio and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family Member A1 (ALDH1A1) expression level, i.e., both classical stemness markers, were found to be decreased by JQ1. Using a validated spheroid model to mimic the intrinsic characteristics of CSCs, we found that JQ1 decreased surface CD44 expression, inhibited self-renewal and invasion, and induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1, thereby altering the stemness phenotype. We also found associations between four of the identified stemness genes, Gap Junction Protein Alpha 1 (GJA1), CD24, Epithelial Adhesion Molecule (EPCAM) and SRY-related HMG-box gene 9 (SOX9), and a worse TNBC patient outcome. The expression of another two of the stemness-related genes was found to be decreased by JQ1, i.e., ATP Binding Cassette Subfamily G Member 2 (ABCG2) and RUNX2, and predicted a low response to chemotherapy in TNBC patients, which supports a role for RUNX2 as a potential predictive marker for chemotherapy response in TNBC. Conclusions We identified a stemness-related gene panel associated with JQ1 and describe how this inhibitor modifies the stemness landscape in TNBC. Therefore, we propose a novel role for JQ1 as a stemness-targeting drug. Loss of the stem cell phenotype via JQ1 treatment could lead to less aggressive and more chemo-sensitive tumours, reflecting a better patient prognosis. Thus, the identified gene panel may be of interest for the clinical management of patients with aggressive TNBC. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s13402-020-00497-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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22
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Ohshima H, Amizuka N. Oral biosciences: The annual review 2019. J Oral Biosci 2020; 62:1-8. [PMID: 32109566 DOI: 10.1016/j.job.2020.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Journal of Oral Biosciences is devoted to the advancement and dissemination of fundamental knowledge concerning every aspect of oral biosciences. HIGHLIGHT This review features review articles in the fields of "Bone Cell Biology," "Microbiology," "Oral Heath," "Biocompatible Materials," "Mouth Neoplasm," and "Biological Evolution" in addition to the review articles by winners of the Lion Dental Research Award ("Role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors for modulation of microcircuits in the agranular insular cortex" and "Phospholipase C-related catalytically inactive protein: A novel signaling molecule for modulating fat metabolism and energy expenditure") and the Rising Members Award ("Pain mechanism of oral ulcerative mucositis and the therapeutic traditional herbal medicine hangeshashinto," "Mechanisms underlying the induction of regulatory T cells by sublingual immunotherapy," and "Regulation of osteoclast function via Rho-Pkn3-c-Src pathways"), presented by the Japanese Association for Oral Biology. CONCLUSION These reviews in the Journal of Oral Biosciences have inspired the readers of the journal to broaden their knowledge regarding various aspects of oral biosciences. The current editorial review introduces these exciting review articles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayato Ohshima
- Division of Anatomy and Cell Biology of the Hard Tissue, Department of Tissue Regeneration and Reconstruction, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, 2-5274 Gakkocho-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8514, Japan.
| | - Norio Amizuka
- Department of Developmental Biology of Hard Tissue, Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 13 Nishi 7 Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8586, Japan
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23
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Neves MI, Araújo M, Moroni L, da Silva RM, Barrias CC. Glycosaminoglycan-Inspired Biomaterials for the Development of Bioactive Hydrogel Networks. Molecules 2020; 25:E978. [PMID: 32098281 PMCID: PMC7070556 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25040978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycosaminoglycans (GAG) are long, linear polysaccharides that display a wide range of relevant biological roles. Particularly, in the extracellular matrix (ECM) GAG specifically interact with other biological molecules, such as growth factors, protecting them from proteolysis or inhibiting factors. Additionally, ECM GAG are partially responsible for the mechanical stability of tissues due to their capacity to retain high amounts of water, enabling hydration of the ECM and rendering it resistant to compressive forces. In this review, the use of GAG for developing hydrogel networks with improved biological activity and/or mechanical properties is discussed. Greater focus is given to strategies involving the production of hydrogels that are composed of GAG alone or in combination with other materials. Additionally, approaches used to introduce GAG-inspired features in biomaterials of different sources will also be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana I. Neves
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.I.N.); (M.A.)
- INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- FEUP-Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica e de Materiais, Rua Dr Roberto Frias s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Marco Araújo
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.I.N.); (M.A.)
- INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Lorenzo Moroni
- MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, 6229 ET Maastricht, The Netherlands;
| | - Ricardo M.P. da Silva
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.I.N.); (M.A.)
- INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Cristina C. Barrias
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.I.N.); (M.A.)
- INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- ICBAS-Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
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24
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Mohtar MA, Syafruddin SE, Nasir SN, Yew LT. Revisiting the Roles of Pro-Metastatic EpCAM in Cancer. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10020255. [PMID: 32046162 PMCID: PMC7072682 DOI: 10.3390/biom10020255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a cell surface protein that was discovered as a tumour marker of epithelial origins nearly four decades ago. EpCAM is expressed at basal levels in the basolateral membrane of normal epithelial cells. However, EpCAM expression is upregulated in solid epithelial cancers and stem cells. EpCAM can also be found in disseminated tumour cells and circulating tumour cells. Various OMICs studies have demonstrated that EpCAM plays roles in several key biological processes such as cell adhesion, migration, proliferation and differentiation. Additionally, EpCAM can be detected in the bodily fluid of cancer patients suggesting that EpCAM is a pathophysiologically relevant anti-tumour target as well as being utilized as a diagnostic/prognostic agent for a variety of cancers. This review will focus on the structure-features of EpCAM protein and discuss recent evidence on the pathological and physiological roles of EpCAM in modulating cell adhesion and signalling pathways in cancers as well as deliberating the clinical implication of EpCAM as a therapeutic target.
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25
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Bone metastasis: Interaction between cancer cells and bone microenvironment. J Oral Biosci 2019; 61:95-98. [PMID: 31109867 DOI: 10.1016/j.job.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bone is one of the most common target organs for cancer metastasis, especially in patients with advanced breast and prostate cancers. Despite recent advances in therapeutic approaches, bone metastases remain incurable and produce multiple complications called skeletal-related events, including hypercalcemia, pathological fractures, spinal compression, and bone pain, which are associated with poor prognosis. HIGHLIGHT Although the precise mechanisms are yet to be fully elucidated, accumulating evidence suggests that bone provides a favorable microenvironment that enables circulating cancer cells to home, proliferate, and colonize, resulting in the formation of metastasis. Cancer cells that metastasize to bone also possess unique features, enabling them to utilize the bone microenvironment. Thus, communication between cancer cells and bone is believed to be critical for the development and progression of bone metastases. CONCLUSION Continued studies are warranted to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying bone metastases and to develop mechanism-based and effective therapeutic interventions.
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26
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Oliphant MUJ, Vincent MY, Galbraith MD, Pandey A, Zaberezhnyy V, Rudra P, Johnson KR, Costello JC, Ghosh D, DeGregori J, Espinosa JM, Ford HL. SIX2 Mediates Late-Stage Metastasis via Direct Regulation of SOX2 and Induction of a Cancer Stem Cell Program. Cancer Res 2019; 79:720-734. [PMID: 30606720 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-1791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The capacity for tumor cells to metastasize efficiently is directly linked to their ability to colonize secondary sites. Here we identify Six2, a developmental transcription factor, as a critical regulator of a breast cancer stem cell program that enables metastatic colonization. In several triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) models, Six2 enhanced the expression of genes associated with embryonic stem cell programs. Six2 directly bound the Sox2 Srr2 enhancer, promoting Sox2 expression and downstream expression of Nanog, which are both key pluripotency factors. Regulation of Sox2 by Six2 enhanced cancer stem cell properties and increased metastatic colonization. Six2 and Sox2 expression correlated highly in breast cancers including TNBC, where a Six2 expression signature was predictive of metastatic burden and poor clinical outcome. Our findings demonstrate that a SIX2/SOX2 axis is required for efficient metastatic colonization, underscoring a key role for stemness factors in outgrowth at secondary sites. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings provide novel mechanistic insight into stemness and the metastatic outgrowth of triple-negative breast cancer cells.Graphical Abstract: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/79/4/720/F1.large.jpg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael U J Oliphant
- Integrated Physiology Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Melanie Y Vincent
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Matthew D Galbraith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Ahwan Pandey
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Vadym Zaberezhnyy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Pratyaydipta Rudra
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Katherine R Johnson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont
| | - James C Costello
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Debashis Ghosh
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - James DeGregori
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Joaquin M Espinosa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.,Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Heide L Ford
- Integrated Physiology Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
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27
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Cancer stem cells: Road to therapeutic resistance and strategies to overcome resistance. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2018; 1866:165339. [PMID: 30481586 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2018.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Unlike other normal cells, a subpopulation of cells often termed as "stem cells" are long-lived and generate cellular progeny throughout life. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are rare immortal cells within a tumor that can both self-renew by dividing and giving rise to many cell types that constitute the tumor. CSCs also have been shown to be involved in fundamental processes of cell proliferation and metastatic dissemination. CSCs are generally resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, a subset of remaining CSCs after therapy can survive and promote cancer relapse and resistance to therapies. Understanding the biological characteristics of CSCs, the pathways leading to their sustainability and proliferation, and the CSCs role in drug resistance is crucial for establishing novel tumor diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. In this review, we address the pathways that regulate CSCs, the role of CSCs in the resistance to therapy, and strategies to overcome therapeutic resistance.
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28
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Hiraga T. Hypoxic Microenvironment and Metastatic Bone Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19113523. [PMID: 30423905 PMCID: PMC6274963 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19113523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors and is associated with an increased risk of metastasis and a poor prognosis. Recent imaging techniques revealed that bone marrow contains a quite hypoxic microenvironment. Low oxygen levels activate hypoxia signaling pathways such as hypoxia-inducible factors, which play critical roles in the key stages of metastatic dissemination including angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion, maintenance of cancer stem cells, tumor cell dormancy, release of extracellular vesicles, and generation of pre-metastatic niches. Hypoxia also affects bone cells, such as osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and immune cells, which also act to support the development and progression of bone metastases. Paradoxically, hypoxia and related signaling molecules are recognized as high-priority therapeutic targets and many candidate drugs are currently under preclinical and clinical investigation. The present review focuses on our current knowledge of the potential roles of hypoxia in cancer metastasis to bone by considering the interaction between metastatic cancer cells and the bone microenvironment. Current therapeutic approaches targeting hypoxia are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Hiraga
- Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Matsumoto Dental University, 1780 Gobara-Hirooka, Shiojiri, Nagano 399-0781, Japan.
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29
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Liu X, Yang L, Zhang D, Liu T, Yan Q, Yang X. Deglycosylation of epithelial cell adhesion molecule affects epithelial to mesenchymal transition in breast cancer cells. J Cell Physiol 2018; 234:4504-4514. [DOI: 10.1002/jcp.27256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xue Liu
- Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and Glycoengineering, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University Dalian China
| | - Liu Yang
- Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and Glycoengineering, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University Dalian China
| | - Dandan Zhang
- Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and Glycoengineering, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University Dalian China
| | - Tingjiao Liu
- Department of Oral Pathology, College of Stomatology, Dalian Medical University Dalian China
| | - Qiu Yan
- Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and Glycoengineering, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University Dalian China
| | - Xuesong Yang
- Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and Glycoengineering, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University Dalian China
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30
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Dittmer J. Breast cancer stem cells: Features, key drivers and treatment options. Semin Cancer Biol 2018; 53:59-74. [PMID: 30059727 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2018.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The current view is that breast cancer is a stem cell disease characterized by the existence of cancer cells with stem-like features and tumor-initiating potential. These cells are made responsible for tumor dissemination and metastasis. Common therapies by chemotherapeutic drugs fail to eradicate these cells and rather increase the pool of cancer stem cells in tumors, an effect that may increase the likelyhood of recurrence. Fifteen years after the first evidence for a small stem-like subpopulation playing a major role in breast cancer initiation has been published a large body of knowledge has been accumulated regarding the signaling cascades and proteins involved in maintaining stemness in breast cancer. Differences in the stem cell pool size and in mechanisms regulating stemness in the different breast cancer subtypes have emerged. Overall, this knowledge offers new approaches to intervene with breast cancer stem cell activity. New options are particularly needed for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer subtype, which is particularly rich in cancer stem cells and is also the subtype for which specific therapies are still not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Dittmer
- Clinic for Gynecology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany.
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31
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Wang MH, Sun R, Zhou XM, Zhang MY, Lu JB, Yang Y, Zeng LS, Yang XZ, Shi L, Xiao RW, Wang HY, Mai SJ. Epithelial cell adhesion molecule overexpression regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via the PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:2. [PMID: 29305578 PMCID: PMC5849035 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-017-0013-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is known to be highly expressed in a variety of epithelial carcinomas, and it is involved in cell adhesion and proliferation. However, its expression profile and biological function in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear. In this study, higher expression of EpCAM was found in NPC samples compared with non-cancer nasopharyngeal mucosa by qRT-PCR. Additionally, immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis of NPC specimens from 64 cases showed that high EpCAM expression was associated with metastasis and shorter survival. Multivariate survival analysis identified high EpCAM expression as an independent prognostic factor. Ectopic EpCAM expression in NPC cells promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), induced a cancer stem cell (CSC)-like phenotype, and enhanced metastasis in vitro and in vivo without an effect on cell proliferation. Notably, EpCAM overexpression reduced PTEN expression and increased the level of AKT, mTOR, p70S6K and 4EBP1 phosphorylation. Correspondingly, an AKT inhibitor and rapamycin blocked the effect of EpCAM on NPC cell invasion and stem-like phenotypes, and siRNA targeting PTEN rescued the oncogenic activities in EpCAM knockdown NPC cells. Our data demonstrate that EpCAM regulates EMT, stemness and metastasis of NPC cells via the PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-He Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Sun
- Department of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Min Zhou
- Zhoukou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhoukou, China
| | - Mei-Yin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Bin Lu
- Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Si Zeng
- Cancer Center of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xian-Zi Yang
- Cancer Center of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruo-Wen Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui-Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China. .,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Shi-Juan Mai
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China. .,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
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32
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Grillet F, Bayet E, Villeronce O, Zappia L, Lagerqvist EL, Lunke S, Charafe-Jauffret E, Pham K, Molck C, Rolland N, Bourgaux JF, Prudhomme M, Philippe C, Bravo S, Boyer JC, Canterel-Thouennon L, Taylor GR, Hsu A, Pascussi JM, Hollande F, Pannequin J. Circulating tumour cells from patients with colorectal cancer have cancer stem cell hallmarks in ex vivo culture. Gut 2017; 66:1802-1810. [PMID: 27456153 PMCID: PMC5595103 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2016-311447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although counting of circulating tumour cells (CTC) has attracted a broad interest as potential markers of tumour progression and treatment response, the lack of functional characterisation of these cells had become a bottleneck in taking these observations to the clinic. Our objective was to culture these cells in order to understand them and exploit their therapeutic potential to the full. DESIGN Here, hypothesising that some CTC potentially have cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype, we generated several CTC lines from the blood of patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) based on their self-renewal abilities. Multiple standard tests were then employed to characterise these cells. RESULTS Our CTC lines self-renew, express CSC markers and have multilineage differentiation ability, both in vitro and in vivo. Patient-derived CTC lines are tumorigenic in subcutaneous xenografts and are also able to colonise the liver after intrasplenic injection. RNA sequencing analyses strikingly demonstrate that drug metabolising pathways represent the most upregulated feature among CTC lines in comparison with primary CRC cells grown under similar conditions. This result is corroborated by the high resistance of the CTC lines to conventional cytotoxic compounds. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our results directly demonstrate the existence of patient-derived colorectal CTCs that bear all the functional attributes of CSCs. The CTC culture model described here is simple and takes <1 month from blood collection to drug testing, therefore, routine clinical application could facilitate access to personalised medicine. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrial.gov NCT01577511.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Grillet
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR5203, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U661, Montpellier, France,Université de Montpellier, UMR5203, Montpellier, France
| | - Elsa Bayet
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR5203, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U661, Montpellier, France,Université de Montpellier, UMR5203, Montpellier, France
| | - Olivia Villeronce
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR5203, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U661, Montpellier, France,Université de Montpellier, UMR5203, Montpellier, France
| | - Luke Zappia
- Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ebba Louise Lagerqvist
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR5203, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U661, Montpellier, France,Université de Montpellier, UMR5203, Montpellier, France
| | - Sebastian Lunke
- Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Kym Pham
- Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia,Center for Translational Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christina Molck
- Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | - Sophie Bravo
- Laboratoire de Biochimie, CHU Carémeau, Nîmes, France
| | | | | | - Graham Roy Taylor
- Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Arthur Hsu
- Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jean Marc Pascussi
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR5203, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U661, Montpellier, France,Université de Montpellier, UMR5203, Montpellier, France
| | - Frédéric Hollande
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR5203, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U661, Montpellier, France,Université de Montpellier, UMR5203, Montpellier, France,Department of Pathology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Julie Pannequin
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR5203, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U661, Montpellier, France,Université de Montpellier, UMR5203, Montpellier, France
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33
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CD24, CD44 and EpCAM enrich for tumour-initiating cells in a newly established patient-derived xenograft of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12372. [PMID: 28959019 PMCID: PMC5620042 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12045-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Subpopulations of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) contain cells with differential tumourigenic properties. Our study evaluates the tumourigenic potential of CD24, CD44, EpCAM and combination of EpCAM/CD44 cells in NPC. CD44br and EpCAMbr cells enriched for higher S-phase cell content, faster-growing tumourigenic cells leading to tumours with larger volume and higher mitotic figures. Although CD44br and EpCAMbr cells significantly enriched for tumour-initiating cells (TICs), all cells could retain self-renewal property for at least four generations. Compared to CD44 marker alone, EpCAM/CD44dbr marker did not enhance for cells with faster-growing ability or higher TIC frequency. Cells expressing high CD44 or EpCAM had lower KLF4 and p21 in NPC subpopulations. KLF4-overexpressed EpCAMbr cells had slower growth while Kenpaullone inhibition of KLF4 transcription increased in vitro cell proliferation. Compared to non-NPC, NPC specimens had increased expression of EPCAM, of which tumours from advanced stage of NPC had higher expression. Together, our study provides evidence that EpCAM is a potentially important marker in NPC.
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34
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Liu X, Gao J, Sun Y, Zhang D, Liu T, Yan Q, Yang X. Mutation of N-linked glycosylation in EpCAM affected cell adhesion in breast cancer cells. Biol Chem 2017; 398:1119-1126. [DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2016-0232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expression is elevated in breast cancer tissue, and correlates with the cancer metastasis and cell adhesion. Although EpCAM glycosylation is supposed to be associated with its function, the contribution of N-glycosylation to its function remains unclear. Here we analyzed cell adhesion ability of EpCAM in breast cancer cells. The results showed that EpCAM expression was associated with cell adhesion and N-glycosylation mutation of EpCAM decreased adhesion capacity. N-glycosylation mutation of EpCAM was correlated with lower levels of integrin β1 and fibronectin. We also found that effect of N-glycosylation of EpCAM on cell adhesion was regulated via FAK/Akt/Gsk-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway, which further adjusted MMP2/9 expression and activities. Our studies identified the characteristics and function of EpCAM glycosylation sites on breast cancer cell adhesion. These data could potentially clarify molecular regulation of EpCAM by N-glycosylation and intensify our understanding of the utility of glycosylated EpCAM as a target for breast cancer therapy.
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35
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Brugnoli F, Grassilli S, Lanuti P, Marchisio M, Al-Qassab Y, Vezzali F, Capitani S, Bertagnolo V. Up-modulation of PLC-β2 reduces the number and malignancy of triple-negative breast tumor cells with a CD133 +/EpCAM + phenotype: a promising target for preventing progression of TNBC. BMC Cancer 2017; 17:617. [PMID: 28870198 PMCID: PMC5584040 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3592-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The malignant potential of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is also dependent on a sub-population of cells with a stem-like phenotype. Among the cancer stem cell markers, CD133 and EpCAM strongly correlate with breast tumor aggressiveness, suggesting that simultaneous targeting of the two surface antigens may be beneficial in treatment of TNBC. Since in TNBC-derived cells we demonstrated that PLC-β2 induces the conversion of CD133high to CD133low cells, here we explored its possible role in down-modulating the expression of both CD133 and EpCAM and, ultimately, in reducing the number of TNBC cells with a stem-like phenotype. Methods A magnetic step-by-step cell isolation with antibodies directed against CD133 and/or EpCAM was performed on the TNBC-derived MDA-MB-231 cell line. In the same cell model, PLC-β2 was over-expressed or down-modulated and cell proliferation and invasion capability were evaluated by Real-time cell assays. The surface expression of CD133, EpCAM and CD44 in the different experimental conditions were measured by multi-color flow cytometry immunophenotyping. Results A CD133+/EpCAM+ sub-population with high proliferation rate and invasion capability is present in the MDA-MB-231 cell line. Over-expression of PLC-β2 in CD133+/EpCAM+ cells reduced the surface expression of both CD133 and EpCAM, as well as proliferation and invasion capability of this cellular subset. On the other hand, the up-modulation of PLC-β2 in the whole MDA-MB-231 cell population reduced the number of cells with a CD44+/CD133+/EpCAM+ stem-like phenotype. Conclusions Since selective targeting of the cells with the highest aggressive potential may have a great clinical importance for TNBC, the up-modulation of PLC-β2, reducing the number of cells with a stem-like phenotype, may be a promising goal for novel therapies aimed to prevent the progression of aggressive breast tumors. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-017-3592-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Brugnoli
- Signal Transduction Unit, Division of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Silvia Grassilli
- Signal Transduction Unit, Division of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paola Lanuti
- Department of Medicine and Aging Science, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.,Center of Aging Sciences and Translational Medicine (CeSI-MeT), "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Marco Marchisio
- Department of Medicine and Aging Science, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.,Center of Aging Sciences and Translational Medicine (CeSI-MeT), "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Yasamin Al-Qassab
- Signal Transduction Unit, Division of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.,College of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Federica Vezzali
- Signal Transduction Unit, Division of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Silvano Capitani
- Signal Transduction Unit, Division of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.,LTTA Centre, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Valeria Bertagnolo
- Signal Transduction Unit, Division of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara, 70, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.
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36
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Pedrol E, Garcia-Algar M, Massons J, Nazarenus M, Guerrini L, Martínez J, Rodenas A, Fernandez-Carrascal A, Aguiló M, Estevez LG, Calvo I, Olano-Daza A, Garcia-Rico E, Díaz F, Alvarez-Puebla RA. Optofluidic device for the quantification of circulating tumor cells in breast cancer. Sci Rep 2017. [PMID: 28623262 PMCID: PMC5473916 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04033-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic cancer patients require a continuous monitoring during the sequential treatment cycles to carefully evaluate their disease evolution. Repetition of biopsies is very invasive and not always feasible. Herein, we design and demonstrate a 3D-flow focusing microfluidic device, where all optics are integrated into the chip, for the fluorescence quantification of CTCs in real samples. To test the chip performance, two cell membrane targets, the epithelial cell adhesion molecule, EpCAM, and the receptor tyrosine-protein kinase, HER2, are selected. The efficiency of the platform is demonstrated on cell lines and in a variety of healthy donors and metastatic-breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Pedrol
- Física i Cristal•lografia de Materials i Nanomaterials and EmaS. Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer Marcel•lí Domingo 1, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Manuel Garcia-Algar
- Departamento de Química Física e Inorgánica and EmaS, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer Marcel•lí Domingo 1, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Jaume Massons
- Física i Cristal•lografia de Materials i Nanomaterials and EmaS. Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer Marcel•lí Domingo 1, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Moritz Nazarenus
- Departamento de Química Física e Inorgánica and EmaS, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer Marcel•lí Domingo 1, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Luca Guerrini
- Departamento de Química Física e Inorgánica and EmaS, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer Marcel•lí Domingo 1, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Javier Martínez
- Física i Cristal•lografia de Materials i Nanomaterials and EmaS. Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer Marcel•lí Domingo 1, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Airan Rodenas
- Física i Cristal•lografia de Materials i Nanomaterials and EmaS. Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer Marcel•lí Domingo 1, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Ana Fernandez-Carrascal
- Departamento de Química Física e Inorgánica and EmaS, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer Marcel•lí Domingo 1, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Magdalena Aguiló
- Física i Cristal•lografia de Materials i Nanomaterials and EmaS. Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer Marcel•lí Domingo 1, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Laura G Estevez
- Fundacion de Investigacion HM Hospitales, San Bernardo 101, 28015, Madrid, Spain.,Centro Integral Oncologico Clara Campal (CIOCC), Oña 10, 28050, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Calvo
- Fundacion de Investigacion HM Hospitales, San Bernardo 101, 28015, Madrid, Spain.,Centro Integral Oncologico Clara Campal (CIOCC), Oña 10, 28050, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Olano-Daza
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario HM Torrelodones, Castillo de Olivares s/n, 28250, Torrelodones, Spain
| | - Eduardo Garcia-Rico
- Fundacion de Investigacion HM Hospitales, San Bernardo 101, 28015, Madrid, Spain. .,Centro Integral Oncologico Clara Campal (CIOCC), Oña 10, 28050, Madrid, Spain. .,Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario HM Torrelodones, Castillo de Olivares s/n, 28250, Torrelodones, Spain. .,School of Medicine, San Pablo CEU, Calle Julián Romea, 18, 28003, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Francesc Díaz
- Física i Cristal•lografia de Materials i Nanomaterials and EmaS. Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer Marcel•lí Domingo 1, 43007, Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Ramon A Alvarez-Puebla
- Departamento de Química Física e Inorgánica and EmaS, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer Marcel•lí Domingo 1, 43007, Tarragona, Spain. .,ICREA, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain.
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37
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Zhang D, Liu X, Gao J, Sun Y, Liu T, Yan Q, Yang X. The role of epithelial cell adhesion molecule N-glycosylation on apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Tumour Biol 2017; 39:1010428317695973. [DOI: 10.1177/1010428317695973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycosylation of cell surface proteins plays an important role in the regulation of apoptosis. It has been demonstrated that knockdown of epithelial cell adhesion molecule promoted apoptosis, inhibited cell proliferation, and caused cell-cycle arrest. In this study, we investigated whether and how N-glycosylation of epithelial cell adhesion molecule influenced the apoptosis in breast cancer cells. We applied the N-glycosylation mutation epithelial cell adhesion molecule plasmid to express deglycosylation of epithelial cell adhesion molecule and then to study its function. Our results showed that deglycosylation of epithelial cell adhesion molecule promoted apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation. Deglycosylation of epithelial cell adhesion molecule enhanced the cytotoxic effect of 5-fluorouracil, promoting apoptosis by downregulating the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and upregulating the expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Caspase 3 via the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings are important for a better understanding of epithelial cell adhesion molecule apoptosis regulation and suggest epithelial cell adhesion molecule as a potential target for the treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Zhang
- Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and Glycoengineering, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xue Liu
- Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and Glycoengineering, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiujiao Gao
- Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Nephrology, Hematology and Rheumatology, Yantai Affiliated Hospital, Binzhou Medical College, Yantai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tingjiao Liu
- Section of Oral Pathology, College of Stomatology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiu Yan
- Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and Glycoengineering, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xuesong Yang
- Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and Glycoengineering, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
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38
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Qiao S, Zhao Y, Geng S, Li Y, Hou X, Liu Y, Lin FH, Yao L, Tian W. A novel double-targeted nondrug delivery system for targeting cancer stem cells. Int J Nanomedicine 2016; 11:6667-6678. [PMID: 27994463 PMCID: PMC5154727 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s116230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Instead of killing cancer stem cells (CSCs), the conventional chemotherapy used for cancer treatment promotes the enrichment of CSCs, which are responsible for tumor growth, metastasis, and recurrence. However, most therapeutic agents are only able to kill a small proportion of CSCs by targeting one or two cell surface markers or dysregulated CSC pathways, which are usually shared with normal stem cells (NSCs). In this study, we developed a novel nondrug delivery system for the dual targeting of CSCs by conjugating hyaluronic acid (HA) and grafting the doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) monoclonal antibody to the surface of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)–poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs), which can specifically target CD44 receptors and the DCLK1 surface marker – the latter was shown to possess the capacity to distinguish between CSCSs and NSCs. The size and morphology of these NPs were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This was followed by studies of NP encapsulation efficiency and in vitro drug release properties. Then, the cytotoxicity of the NPs was tested via Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Finally, the 4T1 CSCs were obtained from the alginate-based platform, which we developed as an in vitro tumor model. Tumor-bearing nude mice were used as in vivo models to systematically detect the ability of NPs to target CSCs. Our results showed that the DCLK1–HA–PEG–PLGA NPs exhibited a targeting effect toward CSCs both in vitro and in vivo. These findings have important implications for the rational design of drug delivery systems that target CSCs with high efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shupei Qiao
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology
| | - Yufang Zhao
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology
| | - Shuai Geng
- Department of Pharmacology, Harbin Medical University
| | - Yong Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology
| | - Xiaolu Hou
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology; Department of Cardiology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology
| | - Feng-Huei Lin
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Lifen Yao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiming Tian
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology
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