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Lanzi C, Favini E, Dal Bo L, Tortoreto M, Arrighetti N, Zaffaroni N, Cassinelli G. Upregulation of ERK-EGR1-heparanase axis by HDAC inhibitors provides targets for rational therapeutic intervention in synovial sarcoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2021; 40:381. [PMID: 34857011 PMCID: PMC8638516 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02150-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Synovial sarcoma (SS) is an aggressive soft tissue tumor with limited therapeutic options in advanced stage. SS18-SSX fusion oncogenes, which are the hallmarks of SS, cause epigenetic rewiring involving histone deacetylases (HDACs). Promising preclinical studies supporting HDAC targeting for SS treatment were not reflected in clinical trials with HDAC inhibitor (HDACi) monotherapies. We investigated pathways implicated in SS cell response to HDACi to identify vulnerabilities exploitable in combination treatments and improve the therapeutic efficacy of HDACi-based regimens. METHODS Antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of the HDACi SAHA and FK228 were examined in SS cell lines in parallel with biochemical and molecular analyses to bring out cytoprotective pathways. Treatments combining HDACi with drugs targeting HDACi-activated prosurvival pathways were tested in functional assays in vitro and in a SS orthotopic xenograft model. Molecular mechanisms underlying synergisms were investigated in SS cells through pharmacological and gene silencing approaches and validated by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS SS cell response to HDACi was consistently characterized by activation of a cytoprotective and auto-sustaining axis involving ERKs, EGR1, and the β-endoglycosidase heparanase, a well recognized pleiotropic player in tumorigenesis and disease progression. HDAC inhibition was shown to upregulate heparanase by inducing expression of the positive regulator EGR1 and by hampering negative regulation by p53 through its acetylation. Interception of HDACi-induced ERK-EGR1-heparanase pathway by cell co-treatment with a MEK inhibitor (trametinib) or a heparanase inhibitor (SST0001/roneparstat) enhanced antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects. HDAC and heparanase inhibitors had opposite effects on histone acetylation and nuclear heparanase levels. The combination of SAHA with SST0001 prevented the upregulation of ERK-EGR1-heparanase induced by the HDACi and promoted caspase-dependent cell death. In vivo, the combined treatment with SAHA and SST0001 potentiated the antitumor efficacy against the CME-1 orthotopic SS model as compared to single agent administration. CONCLUSIONS The present study provides preclinical rationale and mechanistic insights into drug combinatory strategies based on the use of ERK pathway and heparanase inhibitors to improve the efficacy of HDACi-based antitumor therapies in SS. The involvement of classes of agents already clinically available, or under clinical evaluation, indicates the transferability potential of the proposed approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Lanzi
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Enrica Favini
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Dal Bo
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Tortoreto
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Noemi Arrighetti
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Nadia Zaffaroni
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuliana Cassinelli
- Department of Applied Research and Technological Development, Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Amadeo 42, 20133, Milan, Italy.
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Ahrens TD, Bang-Christensen SR, Jørgensen AM, Løppke C, Spliid CB, Sand NT, Clausen TM, Salanti A, Agerbæk MØ. The Role of Proteoglycans in Cancer Metastasis and Circulating Tumor Cell Analysis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:749. [PMID: 32984308 PMCID: PMC7479181 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are accessible by liquid biopsies via an easy blood draw. They represent not only the primary tumor site, but also potential metastatic lesions, and could thus be an attractive supplement for cancer diagnostics. However, the analysis of rare CTCs in billions of normal blood cells is still technically challenging and novel specific CTC markers are needed. The formation of metastasis is a complex process supported by numerous molecular alterations, and thus novel CTC markers might be found by focusing on this process. One example of this is specific changes in the cancer cell glycocalyx, which is a network on the cell surface composed of carbohydrate structures. Proteoglycans are important glycocalyx components and consist of a protein core and covalently attached long glycosaminoglycan chains. A few CTC assays have already utilized proteoglycans for both enrichment and analysis of CTCs. Nonetheless, the biological function of proteoglycans on clinical CTCs has not been studied in detail so far. Therefore, the present review describes proteoglycan functions during the metastatic cascade to highlight their importance to CTCs. We also outline current approaches for CTC assays based on targeting proteoglycans by their protein cores or their glycosaminoglycan chains. Lastly, we briefly discuss important technical aspects, which should be considered for studying proteoglycans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa D. Ahrens
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sara R. Bang-Christensen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VarCT Diagnostics, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Caroline Løppke
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Charlotte B. Spliid
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Nicolai T. Sand
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas M. Clausen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Ali Salanti
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mette Ø. Agerbæk
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- VarCT Diagnostics, Copenhagen, Denmark
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