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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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Shinoda-Ito Y, Omori K, Ito T, Nakayama M, Ikeda A, Ito M, Ohara T, Takashiba S. Novel Iron Chelators, Super-Polyphenols, Show Antimicrobial Effects against Cariogenic Streptococcus mutans. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1562. [PMID: 37998764 PMCID: PMC10668666 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12111562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Dental caries are an oral infectious disease that can affect human health both orally and systemically. It remains an urgent issue to establish a novel antibacterial method to prevent oral infection for a healthy life expectancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effects of novel iron chelators, super-polyphenols (SPs), on the cariogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans, in vitro. SPs were developed to reduce the side effects of iron chelation therapy and were either water-soluble or insoluble depending on their isoforms. We found that SP6 and SP10 inhibited bacterial growth equivalent to povidone-iodine, and viability tests indicated that their effects were bacteriostatic. These results suggest that SP6 and SP10 have the potential to control oral bacterial infections such as Streptococcus mutans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Shinoda-Ito
- Department of Pathophysiology-Periodontal Science, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8525, Japan (S.T.)
| | - Kazuhiro Omori
- Department of Pathophysiology-Periodontal Science, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8525, Japan (S.T.)
| | - Takashi Ito
- Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Masaaki Nakayama
- Department of Oral Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8525, Japan
| | - Atsushi Ikeda
- Department of Periodontics & Endodontics, Division of Dentistry, Okayama University Hospital, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan;
| | - Masahiro Ito
- Department of Pathophysiology-Periodontal Science, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8525, Japan (S.T.)
| | - Toshiaki Ohara
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan;
| | - Shogo Takashiba
- Department of Pathophysiology-Periodontal Science, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8525, Japan (S.T.)
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Knipper K, Damanakis AI, Lyu SI, Simon AG, Wahler I, Bruns CJ, Schröder W, Schmidt T, Quaas A. High NANOG expression correlates with worse patients' survival in esophageal adenocarcinoma. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:669. [PMID: 37461005 PMCID: PMC10351130 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11146-0] [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: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer demonstrate a low overall survival even despite the established multimodal therapy as the current standard of care. Therefore, further biomarkers for patients with high-risk and additional therapy options are needed. NANOG is a transcription factor, which can be found in stem cells and is known to support tumorigenesis. METHODS Six hundred sixty patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, who were operated at the University of Cologne with a curative intent, were included. Immunohistochemical stainings for NANOG were performed. The study population was divided into NANOG-positive and -negative subgroups. RESULTS Positive NANOG expression correlates significantly with worse overall survival (p = 0.002) and could be confirmed as an independent risk factor for worse patient survival in multivariate analysis (HR = 1.40, 95%CI = 1.09-1.80, p = 0.006). This effect could be detected in the subgroup of primarily operated patients, but not in patients after neoadjuvant therapy. CONCLUSIONS We describe a NANOG-positive subgroup of patients with esophageal cancer, who exhibit worse overall survival in a large patient cohort. This discovery suggests the potential use of NANOG as a biomarker for both intensified therapy and stricter follow-up regimes. Additionally, NANOG-positive stem cell-like cancer cells could be used as a new antitumoral treatment target if validated in mechanistic and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Knipper
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Alexander I Damanakis
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Su Ir Lyu
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Adrian Georg Simon
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Isabell Wahler
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christiane J Bruns
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Schröder
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmidt
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander Quaas
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Han Y, He Y, Jin X, Xie J, Yu P, Gao G, Chang S, Zhang J, Chang YZ. CHIR99021 Maintenance of the Cell Stemness by Regulating Cellular Iron Metabolism. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12020377. [PMID: 36829936 PMCID: PMC9952287 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12020377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
CHIR99021 is an aminopyrimidine derivative, which can efficiently inhibit the activity of glycogen synthesis kinase 3α (GSK-3α) and GSK-3β. As an essential component of stem cell culture medium, it plays an important role in maintaining cell stemness. However, the mechanism of its role is not fully understood. In the present study, we first found that removal of CHIR99021 from embryonic stem cell culture medium reduced iron storage in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). CHIR99021-treated Neuro-2a cells led to an upregulation of ferritin expression and an increase in intracellular iron levels, along with GSK3β inhibition and Wnt/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway activation. In addition, iron treatment activated the classical Wnt pathway by affecting the expression of β-catenin in the Neuro-2a cells. Our data link the role of iron in the maintenance of cell stemness via the Wnt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway, and identify intermediate molecules, including Steap1, Bola2, and Kdm6bos, which may mediate the upregulation of ferritin expression by CHIR99021. These findings reveal novel mechanisms of the maintenance of cell stemness and differentiation and provide a theoretical basis for the development of new strategies in stem cell treatment in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Han
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism, Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Yong He
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Xiaofang Jin
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism, Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Jiayi Xie
- Department of Automatic, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Peng Yu
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism, Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Guofen Gao
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism, Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
| | - Shiyang Chang
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
- Correspondence: (S.C.); (J.Z.); (Y.-Z.C.); Tel./Fax: +86-311-80787539 (Y.-Z.C.)
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism, Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Correspondence: (S.C.); (J.Z.); (Y.-Z.C.); Tel./Fax: +86-311-80787539 (Y.-Z.C.)
| | - Yan-Zhong Chang
- Laboratory of Molecular Iron Metabolism, Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
- Correspondence: (S.C.); (J.Z.); (Y.-Z.C.); Tel./Fax: +86-311-80787539 (Y.-Z.C.)
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Highly Metastatic Subpopulation of TNBC Cells Has Limited Iron Metabolism and Is a Target of Iron Chelators. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15020468. [PMID: 36672419 PMCID: PMC9856351 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Excess iron is known to be a risk factor of carcinogenesis. Although iron chelators show anti-cancer effects, they have not been used successfully to treat cancer patients. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a disease with poor prognosis without effective treatments. Thus, we aimed to evaluate a possibility of iron chelators as a therapy for TNBC. Deferasirox (DFX), an iron chelator, suppressed the growth of 4T1 murine TNBC cell line cells in vitro and in vivo. Lung metastasis was further significantly reduced, leading to the hypothesis that iron metabolism between metastatic and non-metastatic cells may be different. An analysis of existing database demonstrated that the expression of iron-uptake genes was significantly suppressed in TNBC cells that metastasized to lymph nodes or lungs compared to those in primary tumors. A highly metastatic clone of the murine 4T1 TNBC cells (4T1-HM) did not proliferate well under iron-rich or iron-depleted conditions by iron chelators compared to a low-metastatic clone (4T1-LM). Bulk RNA-seq analysis of RNA from 4T1-HM and 4T1-LM cells suggested that the PI3K-AKT pathway might be responsible for this difference. Indeed, DFX suppressed the proliferation via the AKT-mTOR pathway in 4T1-HM and the human MDA-MB-231 cells, a human mesenchymal-like TNBC cell line. DFX also suppressed the growth of 4T1-HM tumors in comparison to 4T1-LM tumors, and reduced lung metastases after surgical resection of primary 4T1 tumors. These results indicated, for the first time, that highly metastatic TNBC cells have limited iron metabolism, and they can be more effectively targeted by iron chelators.
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Abedi M, Rahgozar S. Puzzling Out Iron Complications in Cancer Drug Resistance. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2022; 178:103772. [PMID: 35914667 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2022.103772] [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: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron metabolism are frequently disrupted in cancer. Patients with cancer are prone to anemia and receive transfusions frequently; the condition which results in iron overload, contributing to serious therapeutic complications. Iron is introduced as a carcinogen that may increase tumor growth. However, investigations regarding its impact on response to chemotherapy, particularly the induction of drug resistance are still limited. Here, iron contribution to cell signaling and various molecular mechanisms underlying iron-mediated drug resistance are described. A dual role of this vital element in cancer treatment is also addressed. On one hand, the need to administer iron chelators to surmount iron overload and improve the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapy is discussed. On the other hand, the necessary application of iron as a therapeutic option by iron-oxide nanoparticles or ferroptosis inducers is explained. Authors hope that this paper can help unravel the clinical complications related to iron in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjan Abedi
- Department of Cell and Molecular biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Soheila Rahgozar
- Department of Cell and Molecular biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
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Isoliquiritigenin Inhibits Gastric Cancer Stemness, Modulates Tumor Microenvironment, and Suppresses Tumor Growth through Glucose-Regulated Protein 78 Downregulation. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061350. [PMID: 35740372 PMCID: PMC9220208 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for gastric cancer; however, the currently available therapeutic drugs for treatment have limited efficacy. Cancer stemness and the tumor microenvironment may play crucial roles in tumor growth and chemoresistance. Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) is an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone facilitating protein folding and cell homeostasis during stress and may participate in chemoresistance. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is a bioactive flavonoid found in licorice. In this study, we demonstrated the role of GRP78 in gastric cancer stemness and evaluated GRP78-mediated stemness inhibition, tumor microenvironment regulation, and chemosensitivity promotion by ISL. ISL not only suppressed GRP78-mediated gastric cancer stem cell–like characteristics, stemness-related protein expression, and cancer-associated fibroblast activation but also gastric tumor growth in xenograft animal studies. The findings indicated that ISL is a promising candidate for clinical use in combination chemotherapy.
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Liu S, Cao X, Wang D, Zhu H. Iron metabolism: State of the art in hypoxic cancer cell biology. Arch Biochem Biophys 2022; 723:109199. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2022.109199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Szymonik J, Wala K, Górnicki T, Saczko J, Pencakowski B, Kulbacka J. The Impact of Iron Chelators on the Biology of Cancer Stem Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:ijms23010089. [PMID: 35008527 PMCID: PMC8745085 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neoplastic diseases are still a major medical challenge, requiring a constant search for new therapeutic options. A serious problem of many cancers is resistance to anticancer drugs and disease progression in metastases or local recurrence. These characteristics of cancer cells may be related to the specific properties of cancer stem cells (CSC). CSCs are involved in inhibiting cells’ maturation, which is essential for maintaining their self-renewal capacity and pluripotency. They show increased expression of transcription factor proteins, which were defined as stemness-related markers. This group of proteins includes OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, Nanog, and SALL4. It has been noticed that the metabolism of cancer cells is changed, and the demand for iron is significantly increased. Iron chelators have been proven to have antitumor activity and influence the expression of stemness-related markers, thus reducing chemoresistance and the risk of tumor cell progression. This prompts further investigation of these agents as promising anticancer novel drugs. The article presents the characteristics of stemness markers and their influence on the development and course of neoplastic disease. Available iron chelators were also described, and their effects on cancer cells and expression of stemness-related markers were analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Szymonik
- Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (J.S.); (K.W.); (T.G.)
| | - Kamila Wala
- Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (J.S.); (K.W.); (T.G.)
| | - Tomasz Górnicki
- Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (J.S.); (K.W.); (T.G.)
| | - Jolanta Saczko
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Bartosz Pencakowski
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Julita Kulbacka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-71-784-06-88
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Ohya S, Kajikuri J, Endo K, Kito H, Matsui M. K Ca1.1 K + Channel Inhibition Overcomes Resistance to Antiandrogens and Doxorubicin in a Human Prostate Cancer LNCaP Spheroid Model. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:13553. [PMID: 34948357 PMCID: PMC8706449 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Several types of K+ channels play crucial roles in tumorigenicity, stemness, invasiveness, and drug resistance in cancer. Spheroid formation of human prostate cancer (PC) LNCaP cells with ultra-low attachment surface cultureware induced the up-regulation of cancer stem cell markers, such as NANOG, and decreased the protein degradation of the Ca2+-activated K+ channel KCa1.1 by down-regulating the E3 ubiquitin ligase, FBXW7, compared with LNCaP monolayers. Accordingly, KCa1.1 activator-induced hyperpolarizing responses were larger in isolated cells from LNCaP spheroids. The pharmacological inhibition of KCa1.1 overcame the resistance of LNCaP spheroids to antiandrogens and doxorubicin (DOX). The protein expression of androgen receptors (AR) was significantly decreased by LNCaP spheroid formation and reversed by KCa1.1 inhibition. The pharmacological and genetic inhibition of MDM2, which may be related to AR protein degradation in PC stem cells, revealed that MDM2 was responsible for the acquisition of antiandrogen resistance in LNCaP spheroids, which was overcome by KCa1.1 inhibition. Furthermore, a member of the multidrug resistance-associated protein subfamily of ABC transporters, MRP5 was responsible for the acquisition of DOX resistance in LNCaP spheroids, which was also overcome by KCa1.1 inhibition. Collectively, the present results suggest the potential of KCa1.1 in LNCaP spheroids, which mimic PC stem cells, as a therapeutic target for overcoming antiandrogen- and DOX-resistance in PC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susumu Ohya
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (J.K.); (K.E.); (H.K.); (M.M.)
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Jiang Q, Chen L, Chen H, Tang Z, Liu F, Sun Y. Integrated Analysis of Stemness-Related LncRNAs Helps Predict the Immunotherapy Responsiveness of Gastric Cancer Patients. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:739509. [PMID: 34589496 PMCID: PMC8473797 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.739509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune microenvironment plays a critical role in tumor biology. As a critical feature of cancers, stemness is acknowledged as a contributor to the development of drug resistance in gastric cancers (GCs). Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been revealed to participate in this process. In this study, we aimed to develop a stemness-related lncRNA signature (SRLncSig) with guiding significance for immunotherapy. Three cohorts (TCGA, Zhongshan, and IMvigor210) were enrolled for analysis. A list of stemness-related lncRNAs (SRlncRNAs) was collected by co-expression strategy under the threshold of coefficient value >0.35 and p-value < 0.05. Cox and Lasso regression analysis was further applied to find out the SRlncRNAs with prognosis-predictive value to establish the SRLncSig in the TCGA cohort. IPS and TIDE algorithms were further applied to predict the efficacy of SRLncSig in TCGA and Zhongshan cohorts. IMvigor210 was composed of patients with clinical outcomes of immunotherapy. The results indicated that SRLncSig not only was confirmed as an independent risk factor for GCs but also identified as a robust indicator for immunotherapy. The patient with a lower SRLncSig score was more likely to benefit from immunotherapy, and the results were highly consistent in three cohorts. In conclusion, our study not only could clarify the correlations between stemness and immunotherapy in GC patients but also provided a model to guide the applications of immunotherapy in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lingli Chen
- Department of Pathology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhaoqing Tang
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fenglin Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yihong Sun
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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