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Liu Z, Chen L, Zhang J, Yang J, Xiao X, Shan L, Mao W. Recent discovery and development of AXL inhibitors as antitumor agents. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 272:116475. [PMID: 38714043 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116475] [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: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
AXL, a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), plays a pivotal role in various cellular functions. It is primarily involved in processes such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumor cells, angiogenesis, apoptosis, immune regulation, and chemotherapy resistance mechanisms. Therefore, targeting AXL is a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer. AXL inhibitors that have entered clinical trials, such as BGB324(1), have shown promising efficacy in the treatment of melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer. Additionally, novel AXL-targeted drugs, such as AXL degraders, offer a potential solution to overcome the limitations of traditional small-molecule AXL inhibitors targeting single pathways. We provide an overview of the structure and biological functions of AXL, discusses its correlation with various cancers, and critically analyzes the structure-activity relationship of AXL small-molecule inhibitors in cellular contexts. Additionally, we summarize multiple research and development strategies, offering insights for the future development of innovative AXL inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihang Liu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & Precision Medicine Center, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Laboratory of Neuro-system and Multimorbidity, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, Sichuan, China
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & Precision Medicine Center, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Laboratory of Neuro-system and Multimorbidity, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China; Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610072, Sichuan, China
| | - Jifa Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & Precision Medicine Center, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Laboratory of Neuro-system and Multimorbidity, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & Precision Medicine Center, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Laboratory of Neuro-system and Multimorbidity, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Xue Xiao
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
| | - Lianhai Shan
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, Sichuan, China.
| | - Wuyu Mao
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & Precision Medicine Center, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Laboratory of Neuro-system and Multimorbidity, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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Teshigawara T, Meguro A, Takeuchi M, Ishido M, Soejima Y, Hirahara L, Kirino Y, Ohno S, Mizuki N. Replication Study of the Association of GAS6 and PROS1 Polymorphisms with Behçet's Disease in a Japanese Population. Ocul Immunol Inflamm 2024; 32:447-453. [PMID: 37133403 DOI: 10.1080/09273948.2023.2173239] [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: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate whether polymorphisms of GAS6 and PROS1, which each encode protein ligands for a family of tyrosine kinase receptors, are associated with Behçet's disease (BD) in a Japanese population. METHODS We recruited 734 Japanese patients with BD and 1789 Japanese healthy controls. In all participants, we genotyped two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) reportedly associated with BD: rs9577873 in GAS6 and rs4857037 in PROS1. RESULTS We found that GAS6 rs9577873 was not significantly associated with BD. In contrast, PROS1 rs4857037, specifically the A allele, was associated with increased risk for BD. The A allele was also significantly associated with BD under additive and recessive genetic models. Expression analysis revealed that this allele was significantly associated with increased PROS1 expression. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that increased PROS1 expression related to the A risk allele of rs4857037 affects tyrosine kinase receptor signaling, contributing to the development of BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Teshigawara
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Advanced Medicine for Ocular Diseases, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yokosuka Chuoh Eye Clinic, Yokosuka, Japan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tsurumi Chuoh Eye Clinic, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Akira Meguro
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Advanced Medicine for Ocular Diseases, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Masaki Takeuchi
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Advanced Medicine for Ocular Diseases, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Mizuho Ishido
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Advanced Medicine for Ocular Diseases, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yutaro Soejima
- Department of Stem Cell and Immune Regulation, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Lisa Hirahara
- Department of Stem Cell and Immune Regulation, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yohei Kirino
- Department of Stem Cell and Immune Regulation, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shigeaki Ohno
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Nobuhisa Mizuki
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Advanced Medicine for Ocular Diseases, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
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Moreira RS, da Silva MM, de Melo Vasconcelos CF, da Silva TD, Cordeiro GG, Mattos-Jr LAR, da Rocha Pitta MG, de Melo Rêgo MJB, Pereira MC. Siglec 15 as a biomarker or a druggable molecule for non-small cell lung cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:17651-17661. [PMID: 37843557 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05437-z] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Lung cancer has been the main cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Furthermore, lung cancer rates of new cases per year evidenced a large incidence of this neoplasm in both men and women. Because there is no biomarker for early detection, it is frequently detected late, at an advanced state. The introduction of multiple lines of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with EGFR, ALK, ROS1, and NTRK mutations has modified the therapy of lung cancer. Immunotherapy advances have resulted in substantial improvements in overall survival and disease-free survival, making immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) a potential option for lung cancer treatment. Current PD-1/PD-L1/CTLA-4 immunotherapies have resulted in important response and survival rates. However, existing medicines only function in around 20% of unselected, advanced NSCLC patients, and primary and acquired resistance remain unsolved obstacles. Therefore, precise predictive indicators must be identified to choose the best patients for ICI treatment. Thus, Sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin 15 (Siglec-15) stands out as a potential tumor biomarker, with distinctive expression in normal tissues, in tumor immune involvement, and a high structural similarity to PD-L1. Understanding the tumor immune response and the search for new therapeutic targets leads to the improvement of therapeutic pathways directed at the tumor microenvironment. The present review aims to analyze Siglec-15 potential as a diagnostic, prognostic, and response biomarker in lung cancer, considering its results evidenced in the current literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Santiago Moreira
- Suely-Galdino Therapeutic Innovation Research Center (NUPIT-SG), Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Marillya Morais da Silva
- Suely-Galdino Therapeutic Innovation Research Center (NUPIT-SG), Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | | | - Thiago Douberin da Silva
- Suely-Galdino Therapeutic Innovation Research Center (NUPIT-SG), Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | | | - Luiz Alberto Reis Mattos-Jr
- Department of Clinic Medicine, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Maira Galdino da Rocha Pitta
- Suely-Galdino Therapeutic Innovation Research Center (NUPIT-SG), Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | | | - Michelly Cristiny Pereira
- Suely-Galdino Therapeutic Innovation Research Center (NUPIT-SG), Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
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Borea F, Franczak MA, Garcia M, Perrino M, Cordua N, Smolenski RT, Peters GJ, Dziadziuszko R, Santoro A, Zucali PA, Giovannetti E. Target Therapy in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Hope or Mirage? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119165. [PMID: 37298116 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare neoplasm that is typically diagnosed in a locally advanced stage, making it not eligible for radical surgery and requiring systemic treatment. Chemotherapy with platinum compounds and pemetrexed has been the only approved standard of care for approximately 20 years, without any relevant therapeutic advance until the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Nevertheless, the prognosis remains poor, with an average survival of only 18 months. Thanks to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor biology, targeted therapy has become an essential therapeutic option in several solid malignancies. Unfortunately, most of the clinical trials evaluating potentially targeted drugs for MPM have failed. This review aims to present the main findings of the most promising targeted therapies in MPM, and to explore possible reasons leading to treatments failures. The ultimate goal is to determine whether there is still a place for continued preclinical/clinical research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Borea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20090 Milan, Italy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marika A Franczak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Maria Garcia
- Faculty of Experimental Science, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, 28223 Madrid, Spain
| | - Matteo Perrino
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Humanitas Cancer Center, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Nadia Cordua
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Humanitas Cancer Center, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Ryszard T Smolenski
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Godefridus J Peters
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Rafal Dziadziuszko
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy and Early Phase Clinical Trials Centre, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Armando Santoro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20090 Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Humanitas Cancer Center, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo A Zucali
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20090 Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Humanitas Cancer Center, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Giovannetti
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza, 56017 Pisa, Italy
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Macrophages Are a Double-Edged Sword: Molecular Crosstalk between Tumor-Associated Macrophages and Cancer Stem Cells. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12060850. [PMID: 35740975 PMCID: PMC9221070 DOI: 10.3390/biom12060850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subset of highly tumorigenic cells in tumors. They have enhanced self-renewal properties, are usually chemo-radioresistant, and can promote tumor recurrence and metastasis. They can recruit macrophages into the tumor microenvironment and differentiate them into tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). TAMs maintain CSC stemness and construct niches that are favorable for CSC survival. However, how CSCs and TAMs interact is not completely understood. An understanding on these mechanisms can provide additional targeting strategies for eliminating CSCs. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the reported mechanisms of crosstalk between CSCs and TAMs and update the related signaling pathways involved in tumor progression. In addition, we discuss potential therapies targeting CSC–TAM interaction, including targeting macrophage recruitment and polarization by CSCs and inhibiting the TAM-induced promotion of CSC stemness. This review also provides the perspective on the major challenge for developing potential therapeutic strategies to overcome CSC-TAM crosstalk.
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Patel N, Ghali L, Roitt I, Munoz LP, Bayford R. Exploiting the efficacy of Tyro3 and folate receptors to enhance the delivery of gold nanoparticles into colorectal cancer cells in vitro. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2021; 3:5373-5386. [PMID: 36132641 PMCID: PMC9419080 DOI: 10.1039/d1na00318f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common cancer in the world. Due to its asymptomatic nature, CRC is diagnosed at an advanced stage where the survival rate is <5%. Besides, CRC treatment using chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery often causes undesirable side-effects. As such, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are envisaged in the field for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC. GNPs have unique physical, chemical and electrical properties at the nanoscale which make them suitable for application in biomedicine. However, for GNPs to become clinically effective, their internalisation efficiency in cancer cells must be enhanced. Folate receptor-α (FR) is overexpressed in CRC cells wherein FR helps in the uptake of folic acid within the cells. Tyro3, a novel tyrosine kinase receptor, drives cell proliferation and its overexpression is correlated with poor prognosis in CRC. Their upregulated expression in CRC cells relative to normal cells makes them an ideal target for GNPs using active targeting. Therefore, in this study receptors FR and Tyro3 were simultaneously targeted using specific antibody-coated GNPs in order to enhance the uptake and internalisation of GNPs in CRC cells in vitro. Four different types of coated-GNPs were synthesised GNPs-PEG, GNPs-anti-FR, GNPs-anti-Tyro3 and GNPs-anti-(FR + Tyro3) and incubated (0-50 ng) with three CRC cell lines namely CRL1790, CRL2159 and HCT116. Simultaneous targeting of these receptors by GNPs-anti-(FR + Tyro3) was found to be the most effective in internalisation in CRC cells compared with GNPs targeted singly to FR or Tyro3 (p <0.05). Besides this, results show that Tyro3 mediated similar internalisation efficacy to FR (p <0.05) in CRC cells using ICP-OES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nakul Patel
- Department of Science and Technology, Middlesex University The Burroughs, Hendon NW4 4BT London UK
| | - Lucy Ghali
- Department of Science and Technology, Middlesex University The Burroughs, Hendon NW4 4BT London UK
| | - Ivan Roitt
- Department of Science and Technology, Middlesex University The Burroughs, Hendon NW4 4BT London UK
| | - Leonardo Puntoja Munoz
- Department of Science and Technology, Middlesex University The Burroughs, Hendon NW4 4BT London UK
| | - Richard Bayford
- Department of Science and Technology, Middlesex University The Burroughs, Hendon NW4 4BT London UK
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Wang Y, Liu Y, Xiang L, Han L, Yao X, Hu Y, Wu F. Cyclin D1b induces changes in the macrophage phenotype resulting in promotion of tumor metastasis. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2021; 246:2559-2569. [PMID: 34514884 DOI: 10.1177/15353702211038511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In breast cancer, tumor-associated macrophages with activated phenotypes promote tumor invasion and metastasis. The more aggressive mesenchymal-like breast cancer cells have a selective advantage, skewing macrophages toward the more immunosuppressive subtype. However, the mechanism underlying this shift is poorly understood. Cyclin D1b is a highly oncogenic variant of cyclin D1. Our previous study showed that non-metastatic epithelial-like breast cancer cells were highly metastatic in vivo when cyclin D1b was overexpressed. The present study determined whether cyclin D1b contributed to the interaction between breast cancer cells and macrophages. The results showed that cyclin D1b promoted the invasion of breast cancer cells in vitro. Specifically, through overexpression of cyclin D1b, breast cancer cells regulated the differentiation of macrophages into a more immunosuppressive M2 phenotype. Notably, tumor cells overexpressing cyclin D1b activated macrophages and induced migration of breast cancer cells. Further investigations indicated that SDF-1 mediated macrophage activation through breast cancer cells overexpressing cyclin D1b. These results revealed a previously unknown link between aggressive breast cancer cells and Tumor-associated macrophages, and highlighted the importance of cyclin D1b activity in the breast cancer microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxue Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065, P.R. China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Physiology, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065, P.R. China
| | - Lei Xiang
- Department of Physiology, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065, P.R. China
| | - Lintao Han
- Department of Physiology, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065, P.R. China
| | - Xiaowei Yao
- Department of Physiology, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065, P.R. China
| | - Yibing Hu
- Department of Physiology, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065, P.R. China
| | - Fenghua Wu
- Department of Physiology, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430065, P.R. China
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8
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Mutant KRAS triggers functional reprogramming of tumor-associated macrophages in colorectal cancer. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:144. [PMID: 33833221 PMCID: PMC8032794 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00534-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic KRAS has been previously identified to act in a cell-intrinsic manner to modulate multiple biological functions of colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, we demonstrate a cell-extrinsic role of KRAS, where KRAS engages with the tumor microenvironment by functional reprogramming of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). In human CRC specimens, mutant KRAS positively correlates with the presence of TAMs. Mutationally activated KRAS in tumor cells reprograms macrophages to a TAM-like phenotype via a combination effect of tumor-derived CSF2 and lactate. In turn, KRAS-reprogrammed macrophages were shown to not only promote tumor progression but also induce the resistance of tumor cells to cetuximab therapy. Mechanistically, KRAS drives the production of CSF2 and lactate in tumor cells by stabilizing hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), a transcription factor that controls the expression of CSF2 and glycolytic genes. Mutant KRAS increased the production of reactive oxygen species, an inhibitor of prolyl hydroxylase activity which decreases HIF-1α hydroxylation, leading to enhanced HIF-1α stabilization. This cell-extrinsic mechanism awards KRAS a critical role in engineering a permissive microenvironment to promote tumor malignancy, and may present new insights on potential therapeutic defense strategies against mutant KRAS tumors.
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Targeting AXL kinase sensitizes leukemic stem and progenitor cells to venetoclax treatment in acute myeloid leukemia. Blood 2021; 137:3641-3655. [PMID: 33786587 PMCID: PMC8462401 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020007651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
AXL activity is upregulated in AML stem/progenitor cells, so a novel AXL inhibitor with favorable pharmaceutical properties was developed. AXL inhibition sensitizes AML cells to venetoclax, with strong synergistic effects via AXL/BCL-2–mediated oxidative phosphorylation signaling pathways.
The abundance of genetic abnormalities and phenotypic heterogeneities in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) poses significant challenges to the development of improved treatments. Here, we demonstrated that a key growth arrest-specific gene 6/AXL axis is highly activated in cells from patients with AML, particularly in stem/progenitor cells. We developed a potent selective AXL inhibitor that has favorable pharmaceutical properties and efficacy against preclinical patient-derived xenotransplantation (PDX) models of AML. Importantly, inhibition of AXL sensitized AML stem/progenitor cells to venetoclax treatment, with strong synergistic effects in vitro and in PDX models. Mechanistically, single-cell RNA-sequencing and functional validation studies uncovered that AXL inhibition, alone or in combination with venetoclax, potentially targets intrinsic metabolic vulnerabilities of AML stem/progenitor cells and shows a distinct transcriptomic profile and inhibits mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Inhibition of AXL or BCL-2 also differentially targets key signaling proteins to synergize in leukemic cell killing. These findings have a direct translational impact on the treatment of AML and other cancers with high AXL activity.
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10
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Wang N, Wang S, Wang X, Zheng Y, Yang B, Zhang J, Pan B, Gao J, Wang Z. Research trends in pharmacological modulation of tumor-associated macrophages. Clin Transl Med 2021; 11:e288. [PMID: 33463063 PMCID: PMC7805405 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
As one of the most abundant immune cell populations in the tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play important roles in multiple solid malignancies, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer. TAMs could contribute to carcinogenesis, neoangiogenesis, immune-suppressive TME remodeling, cancer chemoresistance, recurrence, and metastasis. Therefore, reprogramming of the immune-suppressive TAMs by pharmacological approaches has attracted considerable research attention in recent years. In this review, the promising pharmaceutical targets, as well as the existing modulatory strategies of TAMs were summarized. The chemokine-chemokine receptor signaling, tyrosine kinase receptor signaling, metabolic signaling, and exosomal signaling have been highlighted in determining the biological functions of TAMs. Besides, both preclinical research and clinical trials have suggested the chemokine-chemokine receptor blockers, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, bisphosphonates, as well as the exosomal or nanoparticle-based targeting delivery systems as the promising pharmacological approaches for TAMs deletion or reprogramming. Lastly, the combined therapies of TAMs-targeting strategies with traditional treatments or immunotherapies as well as the exosome-like nanovesicles for cancer therapy are prospected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neng Wang
- The Research Center for Integrative MedicineSchool of Basic Medical SciencesGuangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- The Research Center of Integrative Cancer MedicineDiscipline of Integrated Chinese and Western MedicineThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease ResearchGuangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Shengqi Wang
- The Research Center of Integrative Cancer MedicineDiscipline of Integrated Chinese and Western MedicineThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease ResearchGuangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine SyndromeGuangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese MedicineGuangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Xuan Wang
- The Research Center of Integrative Cancer MedicineDiscipline of Integrated Chinese and Western MedicineThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease ResearchGuangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine SyndromeGuangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese MedicineGuangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Yifeng Zheng
- The Research Center of Integrative Cancer MedicineDiscipline of Integrated Chinese and Western MedicineThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease ResearchGuangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine SyndromeGuangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese MedicineGuangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Bowen Yang
- The Research Center of Integrative Cancer MedicineDiscipline of Integrated Chinese and Western MedicineThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease ResearchGuangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine SyndromeGuangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese MedicineGuangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Juping Zhang
- The Research Center of Integrative Cancer MedicineDiscipline of Integrated Chinese and Western MedicineThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease ResearchGuangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine SyndromeGuangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese MedicineGuangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Bo Pan
- The Research Center of Integrative Cancer MedicineDiscipline of Integrated Chinese and Western MedicineThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease ResearchGuangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine SyndromeGuangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese MedicineGuangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Jianli Gao
- Academy of Traditional Chinese MedicineZhejiang Chinese Medical UniversityHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Zhiyu Wang
- The Research Center for Integrative MedicineSchool of Basic Medical SciencesGuangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- The Research Center of Integrative Cancer MedicineDiscipline of Integrated Chinese and Western MedicineThe Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong‐Hong Kong‐Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease ResearchGuangzhou University of Chinese MedicineGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine SyndromeGuangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese MedicineGuangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical SciencesGuangzhouGuangdongChina
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11
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Targeting Signaling Pathways in Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12092479. [PMID: 32883032 PMCID: PMC7563157 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), although rare, is the most aggressive type of breast cancer. Only 2-4% of breast cancer cases are classified as IBC, but-owing to its high rate of metastasis and poor prognosis-8% to 10% of breast cancer-related mortality occur in patients with IBC. Currently, IBC-specific targeted therapies are not available, and there is a critical need for novel therapies derived via understanding novel targets. In this review, we summarize the biological functions of critical signaling pathways in the progression of IBC and the preclinical and clinical studies of targeting these pathways in IBC. We also discuss studies of crosstalk between several signaling pathways and the IBC tumor microenvironment.
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12
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Nagamalla L, Kumar JVS. In silico screening of FDA approved drugs on AXL kinase and validation for breast cancer cell line. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 39:2056-2070. [PMID: 32178589 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1742791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
AXL kinase has been over expressed in many tumors and its involvement in cell proliferation, migration, survival, and resistance makes the kinase as attractive therapeutic target for many cancers. In this study, we performed a virtual screening of the food and drug administration (FDA) approved drug molecule database against AXL kinase for repurposing studies of breast cancer. We have identified three non-cancer drugs with good binding energies were subjected to in vitro breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines. Three drug molecules showing the activity with good IC50 values toward the cancer cell line. We also carried out a 2 dimensional (2 D) quantitative structure activity relation (QSAR) studies on N-[4-(Quinolin-4-yloxy)phenyl]benzenesulfonamides derivatives to design potent inhibitors for AXL kinase. The final QSAR equation was robust with good predictivity and the statistical validation having R2 and Q2 values are 0.91 and 0.86, respectively. QSAR equation descriptors informs about the chemical properties of AXL inhibitors and helpful for designing novel inhibitors. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavanya Nagamalla
- Department of Chemistry, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Vaddeswaram, India
| | - J V Shanmukha Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Vaddeswaram, India
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13
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Novitskiy SV, Zaynagetdinov R, Vasiukov G, Gutor S, Han W, Serezani A, Matafonov A, Gleaves LA, Sherrill TP, Polosukhin VV, Blackwell TS. Gas6/MerTK signaling is negatively regulated by NF-κB and supports lung carcinogenesis. Oncotarget 2019; 10:7031-7042. [PMID: 31903163 PMCID: PMC6925028 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Growth arrest-specific 6 (Gas6) has been implicated in carcinogenesis through activation of its receptors, particularly MerTK. To investigate whether Gas6 plays a role in resistance to NF-κB inhibitors, which have not proven to be effective agents for lung cancer therapy, we studied lung cancer models induced by urethane injection or expression of mutant Kras (KrasG12D). We found that Gas6 is primarily produced by macrophages during tumorigenesis and that Gas6 is negatively regulated by NF-κB. Since Gas6 is a vitamin K dependent protein, we used low-dose warfarin to block Gas6 production and showed that this treatment inhibited tumorigenesis in both the urethane and KrasG12D models, most prominently in mice with targeted deletion of IKKβ in myeloid cells (IKKβΔMye mice). In addition, MerTK deficient mice had reduced urethane-induced tumorigenesis. Inhibition of the Gas6-MerTK pathway in all these models reduced macrophages and neutrophils in the lungs of tumor-bearing mice. Analysis of mouse lung tumors revealed MerTK staining on tumor cells and in vitro studies showed that Gas6 increased proliferation of human lung cancer cell lines. To assess the therapeutic potential for combination treatment targeting NF-κB and Gas6-MerTK, we injected Lewis Lung Carcinoma cells subcutaneously and treated mice with Bay 11-70852 (NF-κB inhibitor) and/or Foretinib (MerTK inhibitor). While individual treatments were ineffective, combination therapy markedly reduced tumor growth, blocked tumor cell proliferation, reduced tumor-associated macrophages, and increased CD4+ T cells. Together, our studies unmask a role for Gas6-MerTK signaling in lung carcinogenesis and indicate that up-regulation of Gas6 production in macrophages could be a major mechanism of resistance to NF-κB inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey V Novitskiy
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Rinat Zaynagetdinov
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Georgii Vasiukov
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Sergey Gutor
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Wei Han
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Ana Serezani
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Anton Matafonov
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Linda A Gleaves
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Taylor P Sherrill
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Vasiliy V Polosukhin
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
| | - Timothy S Blackwell
- Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37212, USA.,Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
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14
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Freire Valls A, Knipper K, Giannakouri E, Sarachaga V, Hinterkopf S, Wuehrl M, Shen Y, Radhakrishnan P, Klose J, Ulrich A, Schneider M, Augustin HG, Ruiz de Almodovar C, Schmidt T. VEGFR1 + Metastasis-Associated Macrophages Contribute to Metastatic Angiogenesis and Influence Colorectal Cancer Patient Outcome. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 25:5674-5685. [PMID: 31239322 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-2123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the clinical relevance of macrophages in liver metastasis of colorectal cancer and their influence on angiogenesis and patient survival. Moreover to evaluate specific blood monocytes as markers of disease recurrence.Experimental design: In a mouse model with spontaneous liver metastasis, the angiogenic characteristics of tumor- and metastasis (MAM)-associated macrophages were evaluated. Macrophages and the vasculature from 130 primary tumor (pTU) and 123 patients with liver metastasis were assessed. In vivo and in human samples, the clinical relevance of macrophage VEGFR1 expression was analyzed. Blood samples from patients (n = 157, 80 pTU and 77 liver metastasis) were analyzed for assessing VEGFR1-positive (VEGFR1+) cells as suitable biomarkers of disease recurrence. RESULTS The number of macrophages positively correlated with vascularization in metastasis. Both in the murine model as well as in primary isolated human cells, a subpopulation of MAMs expressing VEGFR1 were found highly angiogenic. While VEGFR1 expression in pTU patients did not predict prognosis; high percentage of VEGFR1+ cells in liver metastasis was associated with worse patient outcome. Interestingly, VEGFR1+-circulating monocytes in blood samples from patients with liver metastasis not only predicted progression but also site of recurrence. CONCLUSIONS Our findings identify a new subset of proangiogenic VEGFR1+ MAMs in colorectal cancer that support metastatic growth and may become a liquid biomarker to predict disease recurrence in the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Freire Valls
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Biochemistry Center Heidelberg (BZH), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Karl Knipper
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Evangelia Giannakouri
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Víctor Sarachaga
- Biochemistry Center Heidelberg (BZH), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sascha Hinterkopf
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Wuehrl
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ying Shen
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Praveenkumar Radhakrishnan
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Klose
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexis Ulrich
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Schneider
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hellmut G Augustin
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Carmen Ruiz de Almodovar
- Biochemistry Center Heidelberg (BZH), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,European Center for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Immunology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Thomas Schmidt
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
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15
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A model of NSCLC microenvironment predicts optimal receptor targets. QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40484-019-0171-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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16
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Lee CH, Su SC, Hsu YJ, Lu CH, Hsieh CH, Hung YJ, Liu JS, Li PF, Shen PH. Plasma growth arrest-specific protein 6 expression in uremic patients with type 2 diabetes. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.4103/jmedsci.jmedsci_21_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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17
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Dynamics of Axl Receptor Shedding in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Its Implication for Theranostics. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19124111. [PMID: 30567378 PMCID: PMC6321118 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19124111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Signaling of the receptor tyrosine kinase Axl and its ligand Gas6 is crucially involved in the development of liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by activation of hepatic stellate cells and modulation of hepatocyte differentiation. Shedding of Axl’s ectodomain leads to the release of soluble Axl (sAxl), which is increased in advanced fibrosis and in early-to-late stage HCC in the presence and absence of cirrhosis. Here, we focus on the dynamics of Axl receptor shedding and delineate possible scenarios how Axl signaling might act as driver of fibrosis progression and HCC development. Based on experimental and clinical data, we discuss the consequences of modifying Axl signaling by sAxl cleavage, as well as cellular strategies to escape from antagonizing effects of Axl shedding by the involvement of the hepatic microenvironment. We emphasize a correlation between free Gas6 and free sAxl levels favoring abundant Gas6/Axl signaling in advanced fibrosis and HCC. The raised scenario provides a solid basis for theranostics allowing the use of sAxl as an accurate diagnostic biomarker of liver cirrhosis and HCC, as well as Axl receptor signaling for therapeutic intervention in stratified HCC patients.
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18
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Smart SK, Vasileiadi E, Wang X, DeRyckere D, Graham DK. The Emerging Role of TYRO3 as a Therapeutic Target in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2018; 10:cancers10120474. [PMID: 30501104 PMCID: PMC6316664 DOI: 10.3390/cancers10120474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The TAM family (TYRO3, AXL, MERTK) tyrosine kinases play roles in diverse biological processes including immune regulation, clearance of apoptotic cells, platelet aggregation, and cell proliferation, survival, and migration. While AXL and MERTK have been extensively studied, less is known about TYRO3. Recent studies revealed roles for TYRO3 in cancer and suggest TYRO3 as a therapeutic target in this context. TYRO3 is overexpressed in many types of cancer and functions to promote tumor cell survival and/or proliferation, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy. In addition, higher levels of TYRO3 expression have been associated with decreased overall survival in patients with colorectal, hepatocellular, and breast cancers. Here we review the physiological roles for TYRO3 and its expression and functions in cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment, with emphasis on the signaling pathways that are regulated downstream of TYRO3 and emerging roles for TYRO3 in the immune system. Translational agents that target TYRO3 are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherri K Smart
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Eleana Vasileiadi
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
| | - Deborah DeRyckere
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Douglas K Graham
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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19
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Lim B, Woodward WA, Wang X, Reuben JM, Ueno NT. Inflammatory breast cancer biology: the tumour microenvironment is key. Nat Rev Cancer 2018; 18:485-499. [PMID: 29703913 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-018-0010-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive disease that accounts for ~2-4% of all breast cancers. However, despite its low incidence rate, IBC is responsible for 7-10% of breast cancer-related mortality in Western countries. Thus, the discovery of robust biological targets and the development of more effective therapeutics in IBC are crucial. Despite major international efforts to understand IBC biology, genomic studies have not led to the discovery of distinct biological mechanisms in IBC that can be translated into novel therapeutic strategies. In this Review, we discuss these molecular profiling efforts and highlight other important aspects of IBC biology. We present the intrinsic characteristics of IBC, including stemness, metastatic potential and hormone receptor positivity; the extrinsic features of the IBC tumour microenvironment (TME), including various constituent cell types; and lastly, the communication between these intrinsic and extrinsic components. We summarize the latest perspectives on the key biological features of IBC, with particular emphasis on the TME as an important contributor to the aggressive nature of IBC. On the basis of the current understanding of IBC, we hope to develop the next generation of translational studies, which will lead to much-needed survival improvements in patients with this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bora Lim
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Wendy A Woodward
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - James M Reuben
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Naoto T Ueno
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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20
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Kim D, Lee KW, Jung H, Kim M, Lee JY, Lee Y, Hwang JY, Min Y, Lee CH, Cho SY. Design and Synthesis of Novel 2,4-Diamino-5-pyrazol-4-yl Pyrimidine Derivatives as Selective Tyro3 Kinase Inhibitors. B KOREAN CHEM SOC 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/bkcs.11541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dukwoon Kim
- Department of Chemistry; Sungkyunkwan University; Suwon 440-746 South Korea
| | - Kyung Won Lee
- Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology; Daejeon 34141 South Korea
- Bio & Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology; Daejeon 34114 South Korea
| | - Hyunseok Jung
- Department of Chemistry; Sungkyunkwan University; Suwon 440-746 South Korea
| | - Miok Kim
- Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology; Daejeon 34141 South Korea
- Bio & Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology; Daejeon 34114 South Korea
| | - Joo-Youn Lee
- Drug Information Platform Center, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology; Daejeon 34114 South Korea
| | - Yeonkyung Lee
- College of Pharmacy; Chungnam National University; Daejeon 34134 South Korea
| | - Jong Yeon Hwang
- Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology; Daejeon 34141 South Korea
- Bio & Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology; Daejeon 34114 South Korea
- Department of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry; University of Science and Technology; Daejeon 305-550 South Korea
| | - Youngki Min
- Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology; Daejeon 34141 South Korea
- Bio & Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology; Daejeon 34114 South Korea
| | - Chang Hoon Lee
- Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology; Daejeon 34141 South Korea
- Bio & Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology; Daejeon 34114 South Korea
| | - Sung Yun Cho
- Immunotherapy Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology; Daejeon 34141 South Korea
- Bio & Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology; Daejeon 34114 South Korea
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21
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TAM receptors Tyro3 and Mer as novel targets in colorectal cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 7:56355-56370. [PMID: 27486820 PMCID: PMC5302919 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose CRC remains the third most common cancer worldwide with a high 5-year mortality rate in advanced cases. Combined with chemotherapy, targeted therapy is an additional treatment option. However as CRC still escapes targeted therapy the vigorous search for new targets is warranted to increase patients' overall survival. Results In this study we describe a new role for Gas6/protein S-TAM receptor interaction in CRC. Gas6, expressed by tumor-infiltrating M2-like macrophages, enhances malignant properties of tumor cells including proliferation, invasion and colony formation. Upon chemotherapy macrophages increase Gas6 synthesis, which significantly attenuates the cytotoxic effect of 5-FU chemotherapy on tumor cells. The anti-coagulant protein S has similar effects as Gas6. In CRC patient samples Tyro3 was overexpressed within the tumor. In-vitro inhibition of Tyro3 and Mer reduces tumor cell proliferation and sensitizes tumor cells to chemotherapy. Moreover high expression of Tyro3 and Mer in tumor tissue significantly shortens CRC patients' survival. Experimental design Various in vitro models were used to investigate the role of Gas6 and its TAM receptors in human CRC cells, by stimulation (rhGas6) and knockdown (siRNA) of Axl, Tyro3 and Mer. In terms of a translational research, we additionally performed an expression analysis in human CRC tissue and analyzed the medical record of these patients. Conclusions Tyro3 and Mer represent novel therapeutic targets in CRC and warrant further preclinical and clinical investigation in the future.
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22
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Ben-Batalla I, Erdmann R, Jørgensen H, Mitchell R, Ernst T, von Amsberg G, Schafhausen P, Velthaus JL, Rankin S, Clark RE, Koschmieder S, Schultze A, Mitra S, Vandenberghe P, Brümmendorf TH, Carmeliet P, Hochhaus A, Pantel K, Bokemeyer C, Helgason GV, Holyoake TL, Loges S. Axl Blockade by BGB324 Inhibits BCR-ABL Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor-Sensitive and -Resistant Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Clin Cancer Res 2016; 23:2289-2300. [PMID: 27856601 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-16-1930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: BCR-ABL kinase inhibitors are employed successfully for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treatment. However, resistant disease and persistence of BCR-ABL1-independent leukemia stem and progenitor cells (LSPC) remain clinical challenges. The receptor tyrosine kinase Axl can mediate survival and therapy resistance of different cancer cells. We investigated the therapeutic potential of Axl inhibition in CML.Experimental Design: We used primary cells from patients with CML and TKI-sensitive and -resistant BCR-ABL1+ CML cell lines and a novel ponatinib-resistant cell line KCL-22 PonR. We analyzed the effects of genetic and pharmacologic Axl blockade by the small-molecule Axl inhibitor BGB324 in vitro and in vivo In BCR-ABL1-unmutated cells, we also investigated BGB324 in combination with imatinib.Results: We demonstrate overexpression of Axl receptor tyrosine kinase in primary cells of patients with CML compared with healthy individuals and a further increase of Axl expression in BCR-ABL TKI-resistant patients. We show that Axl blockage decreased growth of BCR-ABL TKI-sensitive CML cells including CD34+ cells and exerts additive effects with imatinib via inhibition of Stat5 activation. BGB324 also inhibits BCR-ABL TKI-resistant cells, including T315I-mutated and ponatinib-resistant primary cells. BGB324 exerted therapeutic effects in BCR-ABL1 T315I-mutated and ponatinib-resistant preclinical mouse models. Notably, BGB324 does not inhibit BCR-ABL1 and consequently inhibits CML independent of BCR-ABL1 mutational status.Conclusions: Our data show that Axl inhibition has therapeutic potential in BCR-ABL TKI-sensitive as well as -resistant CML and support the need for clinical trials. Clin Cancer Res; 23(9); 2289-300. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Ben-Batalla
- Department of Hematology and Oncology with Sections BMT and Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Robert Erdmann
- Department of Hematology and Oncology with Sections BMT and Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Heather Jørgensen
- Paul O'Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Mitchell
- Paul O'Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Ernst
- Hematology/Oncology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Gunhild von Amsberg
- Department of Hematology and Oncology with Sections BMT and Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Philippe Schafhausen
- Department of Hematology and Oncology with Sections BMT and Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Janna L Velthaus
- Department of Hematology and Oncology with Sections BMT and Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephen Rankin
- Paul O'Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Richard E Clark
- Department of Haematology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Steffen Koschmieder
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Hemostaseology, and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Alexander Schultze
- Department of Hematology and Oncology with Sections BMT and Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Subir Mitra
- Department of Haematology, Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tim H Brümmendorf
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, Hemostaseology, and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Peter Carmeliet
- Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Neurovascular Link, Vesalius Research Center, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.,Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Neurovascular Link, Vesalius Research Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Klaus Pantel
- Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Carsten Bokemeyer
- Department of Hematology and Oncology with Sections BMT and Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - G Vignir Helgason
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Tessa L Holyoake
- Paul O'Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Sonja Loges
- Department of Hematology and Oncology with Sections BMT and Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. .,Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Myers SH, Brunton VG, Unciti-Broceta A. AXL Inhibitors in Cancer: A Medicinal Chemistry Perspective. J Med Chem 2015; 59:3593-608. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel H. Myers
- Edinburgh Cancer Research
UK Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, U.K
| | - Valerie G. Brunton
- Edinburgh Cancer Research
UK Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, U.K
| | - Asier Unciti-Broceta
- Edinburgh Cancer Research
UK Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, U.K
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Ocal O, Pashkov V, Kollipara RK, Zolghadri Y, Cruz VH, Hale MA, Heath BR, Artyukhin AB, Christie AL, Tsoulfas P, Lorens JB, Swift GH, Brekken RA, Wilkie TM. A rapid in vivo screen for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma therapeutics. Dis Model Mech 2015; 8:1201-11. [PMID: 26438693 PMCID: PMC4610235 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.020933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and is projected to be second by 2025. It has the worst survival rate among all major cancers. Two pressing needs for extending life expectancy of affected individuals are the development of new approaches to identify improved therapeutics, addressed herein, and the identification of early markers. PDA advances through a complex series of intercellular and physiological interactions that drive cancer progression in response to organ stress, organ failure, malnutrition, and infiltrating immune and stromal cells. Candidate drugs identified in organ culture or cell-based screens must be validated in preclinical models such as KIC (p48(Cre);LSL-Kras(G12D);Cdkn2a(f/f)) mice, a genetically engineered model of PDA in which large aggressive tumors develop by 4 weeks of age. We report a rapid, systematic and robust in vivo screen for effective drug combinations to treat Kras-dependent PDA. Kras mutations occur early in tumor progression in over 90% of human PDA cases. Protein kinase and G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling activates Kras. Regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins are coincidence detectors that can be induced by multiple inputs to feedback-regulate GPCR signaling. We crossed Rgs16::GFP bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice with KIC mice and show that the Rgs16::GFP transgene is a Kras(G12D)-dependent marker of all stages of PDA, and increases proportionally to tumor burden in KIC mice. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis of cultured primary PDA cells reveals characteristics of embryonic progenitors of pancreatic ducts and endocrine cells, and extraordinarily high expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase Axl, an emerging cancer drug target. In proof-of-principle drug screens, we find that weanling KIC mice with PDA treated for 2 weeks with gemcitabine (with or without Abraxane) plus inhibitors of Axl signaling (warfarin and BGB324) have fewer tumor initiation sites and reduced tumor size compared with the standard-of-care treatment. Rgs16::GFP is therefore an in vivo reporter of PDA progression and sensitivity to new chemotherapeutic drug regimens such as Axl-targeted agents. This screening strategy can potentially be applied to identify improved therapeutics for other cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozhan Ocal
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Victor Pashkov
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Rahul K Kollipara
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Yalda Zolghadri
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA Department of Basic Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Victoria H Cruz
- Department of Surgery and Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Michael A Hale
- Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Blake R Heath
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Alex B Artyukhin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Alana L Christie
- Simmons Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Pantelis Tsoulfas
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - James B Lorens
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, N-5009 Bergen, Norway
| | - Galvin H Swift
- Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Rolf A Brekken
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA Department of Surgery and Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Thomas M Wilkie
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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Jiang T, Liu G, Wang L, Liu H. Elevated Serum Gas6 Is a Novel Prognostic Biomarker in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26207647 PMCID: PMC4514879 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective This study explored the level and clinical significance of serum Gas6 in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods A total of 128 OSCC patients and 145 normal controls were selected. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect Gas6 concentration in sera from the OSCC patients and controls. The correlations of serum Gas6 concentration and clinicopathological characteristics of OSCC patients were assessed, and the prognostic significance of serum Gas6 was evaluated with a Kaplan–Meier curve and log-rank test. Results The results showed that serum Gas6 concentration was significantly higher in OSCC patients than in controls (P < 0.05). OSCC patients with late TNM stage (III, IV) had a relatively high serum Gas6 concentration compared with those with early stage (I, II) (P < 0.01) and patients with poorly differentiated tumors had a higher level of serum Gas6 than those with well-differentiated tumors (P < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that high serum Gas6 was an independent risk factor for lymph nodal metastases in OSCC patients (OR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.72–4.48). For predicting OSCC development, ROC curve analysis showed a sensitivity of 0.63 with a specificity of 0.92 (AUC = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.74–0.85). Cox analysis revealed that high serum Gas6 was an independent biomarker for predicting poor overall survival in OSCC patients (HR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.79–3.62). In addition, we found that Gas6 expression was increased in OSCC tissues and it may significantly decrease E-cadherin expression, and increase P-cadherin and N-cadherin expression, in OSCC cells. Further, Gas6 could promote the migratory and invasive ability of OSCC cells in vitro. Conclusion Taken together, these results suggest that Gas6 increases the metastatic capacity of OSCC cells and serum Gas6 could be a candidate biomarker for diagnostic and prognostic use in OSCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Jiang
- Department of Stomatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Department of General Dentistry, Jinan Stomatological Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guoxia Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jinan Stomatological Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Stomatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hongchen Liu
- Department of Stomatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- * E-mail:
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Hu HL, Bai HS, Pan HX. Correlation between TAMs and proliferation and invasion of type I endometrial carcinoma. ASIAN PAC J TROP MED 2015; 8:643-50. [PMID: 26321518 DOI: 10.1016/j.apjtm.2015.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Revised: 06/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the correlation between tumor-associated macrophages and the proliferation and invasion of type I endometrial carcinoma. METHODS Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the infiltration of macrophages in normal and different types of hyperplastic endometrial lesions. The proliferation and invasion ability of type I endometrial carcinoma cell line RL95-2 influenced by mononuclear macrophage cell line THP-1 (constructed M2 type macrophages) was detected by CCK8 and transwell technologies respectively. Transwell was used to evaluate the recruiting ability of RL95-2 on THP-1 cells. Otherwise, the western blot was also used to detect the expression of CyclinD1 and MMP-2 in RL95-2 with the influence of THP-1. RESULTS Immunohistochemistry result showed a positive correlation between the number of infiltrating macrophages and the progression of endometrial hyperplasia. THP-1 recruited by RL95-2 could promote its proliferation and invasion and enhance the expression of the CyclinD1 and MMP-2 protein in a time dependent manner (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Increase of the number of infiltrating macrophages and its contribution to the tumor inflammatory microenvironment may result in the development of the type I endometrial carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Lin Hu
- Department of Oncology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Han-Song Bai
- Department of Oncology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China; Graduate School, Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi 563000, China
| | - Hai-Xia Pan
- Department of Oncology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China.
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Wu X, Liu X, Koul S, Lee CY, Zhang Z, Halmos B. AXL kinase as a novel target for cancer therapy. Oncotarget 2015; 5:9546-63. [PMID: 25337673 PMCID: PMC4259419 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The AXL receptor tyrosine kinase and its major ligand, GAS6 have been demonstrated to be overexpressed and activated in many human cancers (such as lung, breast, and pancreatic cancer) and have been correlated with poor prognosis, promotion of increased invasiveness/metastasis, the EMT phenotype and drug resistance. Targeting AXL in different model systems with specific small molecule kinase inhibitors or antibodies alone or in combination with other drugs can lead to inactivation of AXL-mediated signaling pathways and can lead to regained drug sensitivity and improved therapeutic efficacy, defining AXL as a promising novel target for cancer therapeutics. This review highlights the data supporting AXL as a novel treatment candidate in a variety of cancers as well as the current status of drug development targeting the AXL/GAS6 axis and future perspectives in this emerging field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoliang Wu
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuewen Liu
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. Division of Hematology/Oncology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sanjay Koul
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chang Youl Lee
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital Hallym University Medical Center, Chuncheon-si Gangwon-do 200-704 Republic of Korea
| | - Zhenfeng Zhang
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Balazs Halmos
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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Chiu KC, Lee CH, Liu SY, Yeh CT, Huang RY, Yuh DY, Cheng JC, Chou YT, Shieh YS. Protumoral effect of macrophage through Axl activation on mucoepidermoid carcinoma. J Oral Pathol Med 2015; 43:538-44. [PMID: 25184164 DOI: 10.1111/jop.12163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aims to test the potential involvement of Axl signaling in the protumoral effect of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC). MATERIALS AND METHODS We carried out cocultured experiments by incubation of MEC cells (UTMUC-1) and macrophages (THP-1) and examined Axl activation status. The expression of MMPs and behavior change were examined in UT-MUC-1 cells. The effect of Axl signaling on co-cultured cancer cells was further investigated by knockdown Axl expression and suppression by Axl-specific inhibitor R428. RESULTS Activation of Axl signaling and increased expression and activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 along with increased invasion/migration ability in MEC cells were observed when co-cultured with TAMs. Upon knockdown of Axl in MEC or addition of R428 in the co-cultured system, these co-cultured effects were diminished. CONCLUSION TAMs play a protumoral role in MEC via activation of the Axl signaling pathway, up-regulating MMPs expression, and increasing invasion/migration ability.
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Mer tyrosine kinase promotes the survival of t(1;19)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in the central nervous system (CNS). Blood 2015; 125:820-30. [DOI: 10.1182/blood-2014-06-583062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Key Points
Mer mediates quiescence and chemotherapy resistance in a CNS coculture model and causes CNS infiltration in immunodeficient mice. Mer expression correlates with CNS positivity upon initial diagnosis in t(1;19)-positive pediatric ALL patients.
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Janning M, Ben-Batalla I, Loges S. Axl inhibition: a potential road to a novel acute myeloid leukemia therapy? Expert Rev Hematol 2015; 8:135-8. [PMID: 25578023 DOI: 10.1586/17474086.2015.997704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Novel treatment options in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are urgently needed; treatment has not changed significantly over the past decades and survival is still dismal, especially in elderly patients. Axl, a member of the Tyro3, Axl, Mer (TAM) receptor family, mediates proliferation and survival of AML cells and is upregulated upon cytostatic treatment. In addition, AML cells induce expression of the Axl ligand growth arrest-specific gene 6 (Gas6) in bone marrow stroma cells, which further amplifies their growth and therapy resistance. Interruption of Axl signaling by pharmacological approaches, including the small molecule Axl inhibitor BGB324, decreased disease burden and prolonged survival of AML mice. The Gas6-Axl pathway has translational relevance because Axl is expressed by approximately 50% of AML patients and Axl-targeting approaches can block growth of primary human AML cells. Thus, Axl represents a potential novel target in AML and BGB324 is now in clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Janning
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, BMT with Section of Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Waizenegger JS, Ben-Batalla I, Weinhold N, Meissner T, Wroblewski M, Janning M, Riecken K, Binder M, Atanackovic D, Taipaleenmaeki H, Schewe D, Sawall S, Gensch V, Cubas-Cordova M, Seckinger A, Fiedler W, Hesse E, Kröger N, Fehse B, Hose D, Klein B, Raab MS, Pantel K, Bokemeyer C, Loges S. Role of Growth arrest-specific gene 6-Mer axis in multiple myeloma. Leukemia 2014; 29:696-704. [PMID: 25102945 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2014.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Revised: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Multiple myeloma is a mostly incurable malignancy characterized by the expansion of a malignant plasma cell (PC) clone in the human bone marrow (BM). Myeloma cells closely interact with the BM stroma, which secretes soluble factors that foster myeloma progression and therapy resistance. Growth arrest-specific gene 6 (Gas6) is produced by BM-derived stroma cells and can promote malignancy. However, the role of Gas6 and its receptors Axl, Tyro3 and Mer (TAM receptors) in myeloma is unknown. We therefore investigated their expression in myeloma cell lines and in the BM of myeloma patients and healthy donors. Gas6 showed increased expression in sorted BMPCs of myeloma patients compared with healthy controls. The fraction of Mer(+) BMPCs was increased in myeloma patients in comparison with healthy controls whereas Axl and Tyro3 were not expressed by BMPCs in the majority of patients. Downregulation of Gas6 and Mer inhibited the proliferation of different myeloma cell lines, whereas knocking down Axl or Tyro3 had no effect. Inhibition of the Gas6 receptor Mer or therapeutic targeting of Gas6 by warfarin reduced myeloma burden and improved survival in a systemic model of myeloma. Thus, the Gas6-Mer axis represents a novel candidate for therapeutic intervention in this incurable malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Waizenegger
- 1] Department of Hematology and Oncology, BMT with Section of Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany [2] Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - I Ben-Batalla
- 1] Department of Hematology and Oncology, BMT with Section of Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany [2] Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N Weinhold
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - T Meissner
- Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - M Wroblewski
- 1] Department of Hematology and Oncology, BMT with Section of Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany [2] Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - M Janning
- 1] Department of Hematology and Oncology, BMT with Section of Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany [2] Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - K Riecken
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - M Binder
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, BMT with Section of Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - D Atanackovic
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, BMT with Section of Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - H Taipaleenmaeki
- Heisenberg-Group for Molecular Skeletal Biology, Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - D Schewe
- Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - S Sawall
- 1] Department of Hematology and Oncology, BMT with Section of Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany [2] Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - V Gensch
- 1] Department of Hematology and Oncology, BMT with Section of Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany [2] Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - M Cubas-Cordova
- 1] Department of Hematology and Oncology, BMT with Section of Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany [2] Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - A Seckinger
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - W Fiedler
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, BMT with Section of Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - E Hesse
- Heisenberg-Group for Molecular Skeletal Biology, Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - N Kröger
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - B Fehse
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - D Hose
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - B Klein
- Institute of Research in Biotherapy, University Hospital of Montpellier (CHU), Montpellier, France
| | - M S Raab
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - K Pantel
- Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - C Bokemeyer
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, BMT with Section of Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - S Loges
- 1] Department of Hematology and Oncology, BMT with Section of Pneumology, Hubertus Wald Tumorzentrum, University Comprehensive Cancer Center Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany [2] Department of Tumor Biology, Center of Experimental Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Lee CH, Liu SY, Chou KC, Yeh CT, Shiah SG, Huang RY, Cheng JC, Yen CY, Shieh YS. Tumor-associated macrophages promote oral cancer progression through activation of the Axl signaling pathway. Ann Surg Oncol 2014; 21:1031-7. [PMID: 24276640 DOI: 10.1245/s10434-013-3400-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies suggest that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) promote tumor growth and metastasis. Our previous report demonstrated that Axl signaling promotes carcinogenesis and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study aims to test the potential involvement of growth arrest-specific gene 6 (Gas6)/Axl signaling in the protumoral effect of TAMs. METHODS Co-culture experiments by incubation of OSCC cells (YD38 and OE) and macrophages (THP-1) were performed. The expression of Gas6/Axl and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) genes were examined in YD38 and OE cells. The effect of Gas6/Axl signaling on co-cultured cancer cells was further investigated by knocking down Axl expression and neutralizing Gas6. Axl and TAM distribution were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in OSCC tissues. RESULTS Activation of Axl signaling and increased expression of mesenchymal markers, along with increased invasion/migration ability of OSCC cells, was noted upon co-culture with THP-1. Neutralization of Gas6 in the co-culture system or knockdown of Axl in YD38 caused the co-culture effects to be diminished. Co-culture with THP-1 increased nuclear factor (NF)-κB nuclear translocation and transcription activity in YD38 cells. A significant association between the TAM count and expression of phosphorylated Axl (P = 0.004) was found in vivo cancer tissues. CONCLUSIONS TAMs play a protumor role in OSCC and likely promote tumor progression through activation of the Gas6/Axl-NF-κB signaling pathway. Therefore, Gas6/Axl and NF-κB signaling in OSCC cells may be a putative target for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Hsing Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine,Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
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GAS6 expression identifies high-risk adult AML patients: potential implications for therapy. Leukemia 2013; 28:1252-1258. [PMID: 24326683 PMCID: PMC4047202 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2013.371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2013] [Revised: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Emerging data demonstrate important roles for the TYRO3/AXL/MERTK receptor tyrosine kinase (TAM RTK) family in diverse cancers. We investigated the prognostic relevance of GAS6 expression, encoding the common TAM RTK ligand, in 270 adults (n=71 aged <60 years; n=199 aged ≥60 years) with de novo cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML). Patients expressing GAS6 (GAS6+), especially those aged ≥60 years, more often failed to achieve a complete remission (CR). In all patients, GAS6+ patients had shorter disease-free (DFS) and overall (OS) survival than patients without GAS6 expression (GAS6−). After adjusting for other prognostic markers, GAS6+ predicted CR failure (P=0.02), shorter DFS (P=0.004) and OS (P=0.04). To gain further biologic insights, we derived a GAS6-associated gene-expression signature (P<0.001) that in GAS6+ patients included overexpressed BAALC and MN1, known to confer adverse prognosis in CN-AML, and overexpressed CXCL12, encoding stromal cell-derived factor, and its receptor genes, CXCR4 and CXCR7. This study reports for the first time that GAS6 expression is an adverse prognostic marker in CN-AML. Although GAS6 decoy receptors are not yet available in the clinic for GAS6+ CN-AML therapy, potential alternative therapies targeting GAS6+-associated pathways, e.g., CXCR4 antagonists may be considered for GAS6+ patients to sensitize them to chemotherapy.
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Axl, a prognostic and therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukemia mediates paracrine crosstalk of leukemia cells with bone marrow stroma. Blood 2013; 122:2443-52. [PMID: 23982172 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2013-03-491431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represents a clonal disease of hematopoietic progenitors characterized by acquired heterogenous genetic changes that alter normal mechanisms of proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation.(1) Although 40% to 45% of patients younger than 65 years of age can be cured with current therapies, only 10% of older patients reach long-term survival.(1) Because only very few novel AML drugs were approved in the past 2 decades, there is an urgent need to identify novel targets and therapeutic strategies to treat underserved AML patients. We report here that Axl, a member of the Tyro3, Axl, Mer receptor tyrosine kinase family,(2-4) represents an independent prognostic marker and therapeutic target in AML. AML cells induce expression and secretion of the Axl ligand growth arrest-specific gene 6 (Gas6) by bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMDSCs). Gas6 in turn mediates proliferation, survival, and chemoresistance of Axl-expressing AML cells. This Gas6-Axl paracrine axis between AML cells and BMDSCs establishes a chemoprotective tumor cell niche that can be abrogated by Axl-targeting approaches. Axl inhibition is active in FLT3-mutated and FLT3 wild-type AML, improves clinically relevant end points, and its efficacy depends on presence of Gas6 and Axl. Axl inhibition alone or in combination with chemotherapy might represent a novel therapeutic avenue for AML.
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Abstract
Axl is a tyrosine kinase receptor that was first identified as a transforming gene in human myeloid leukemia. Recent converging evidence suggests its implication in cancer progression and invasion for several solid tumors, including lung, breast, brain, thyroid, and pancreas. In the last decade, Axl has thus become an attractive target for therapeutic development of more aggressive cancers. An emerging class of therapeutic inhibitors is now represented by short nucleic acid aptamers. These molecules act as high affinity ligands with several advantages over conventional antibodies for their use in vivo, including their small size and negligible immunogenicity. Furthermore, these molecules can easily form conjugates able to drive the specific delivery of interfering RNAs, nanoparticles, or chemotherapeutics. We have thus generated and characterized a selective RNA-based aptamer, GL21.T that binds the extracellular domain of Axl at high affinity (12 nmol/l) and inhibits its catalytic activity. GL21.T blocked Axl-dependent transducing events in vitro, including Erk and Akt phosphorylation, cell migration and invasion, as well as in vivo lung tumor formation in mice xenografts. In this respect, the GL21.T aptamer represents a promising therapeutic molecule for Axl-dependent cancers whose importance is highlighted by the paucity of available Axl-specific inhibitory molecules.
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El-Nikhely N, Larzabal L, Seeger W, Calvo A, Savai R. Tumor–stromal interactions in lung cancer: novel candidate targets for therapeutic intervention. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2012; 21:1107-22. [DOI: 10.1517/13543784.2012.693478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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