Impaired immunomodulatory function of chronic myeloid leukemia cancer stem cells and the possible mechanism involved in it

EB-virus latent membrane protein 1 potentiates the stemness of nasopharyngeal carcinoma via preferential activation of PI3K/AKT pathway by a positive feedback loop

Our previous study reported that Epstein-Barr virus(EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) could induce development of CD44(+/High) stem-like cells in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie modulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in NPC remain unclear. Here, we show that LMP1 induced CSC-like properties through promotion of the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like cellular markers and through alterations in differentiation markers. Furthermore, LMP1 activated and triggered phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway, which subsequently stimulated expression of CSC markers, development of side population and tumor sphere formation. This suggests that PI3K/AKT pathway has an important role in the induction and maintenance of CSC properties in NPC. Similarly, PI3K/AKT pathway was also activated by phosphorylase in LMP1-induced CD44(+/High) cells. In addition, LMP1 greatly increased expression of miR-21 and downregulated expression of the miR-21 target, PTEN. Overexpression of miR-21 by transfection of miR-21 mimics into LMP1-transformed cells led to phosphorylase-mediated activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway and induction of CSCs. On the contrary, phosphorylation of the PI3K/AKT pathway and the expression of CSC were reversed by an miR-21 inhibitor. The specific inhibitor (Ly294002) of PI3K/AKT pathway significantly decreased expression of miR-21 and CSC markers and upregulated the expression of PTEN, which indicates that miR-21 and PTEN are the downstream effectors of PI3K/AKT and that expression of these two effectors are related to the development of NPC CSCs. Taken together, our novel findings indicate that LMP1, PI3K/AKT, miR-21 and PTEN constitute a positive feedback loop and have a key role in LMP1-induced CSCs in NPC.

MicroRNA-320a acts as a tumor suppressor by targeting BCR/ABL oncogene in chronic myeloid leukemia

Accumulating evidences demonstrated that the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with tumorigenesis, tumor progression, metastasis and relapse in cancers, including chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We found that miR-320a expression was reduced in K562 and in CML cancer stem cells. Moreover, we found that miR-320a inhibited K562 cell migration, invasion, proliferation and promoted apoptosis by targeting BCR/ABL oncogene. As an upstream regulator of BCR/ABL, miR-320a directly targets BCR/ABL. The enhanced expression of miR-320a inhibited the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT and NF-κB; however, the expression of phosphorylated PI3K, AKT and NF-κB were restored by the overexpression of BCR/ABL. In K562, infected with miR-320a or transfected with SiBCR/ABL, the protein levels of fibronectin, vimentin, and N-cadherin were decreased, but the expression of E-cadherin was increased. The expression of mesenchymal markers in miR-320a-expressing cells was restored to normal levels by the restoration of BCR/ABL expression. Generally speaking, miR-320a acts as a novel tumor suppressor gene in CML and miR-320a can decrease migratory, invasive, proliferative and apoptotic behaviors, as well as CML EMT, by attenuating the expression of BCR/ABL oncogene.

Simvastatin induces NFκB/p65 down-regulation and JNK1/c-Jun/ATF-2 activation, leading to matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) but not MMP-2 down-regulation in human leukemia cells

The aim of the present study was to explore the signaling pathways associated with the effect of simvastatin on matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2)/MMP-9 expression in human leukemia K562 cells. In sharp contrast to its insignificant effect on MMP-2, simvastatin down-regulated MMP-9 protein expression and mRNA levels in K562 cells. Simvastatin-induced Pin1 down-regulation evoked NFκB/p65 degradation. Meanwhile, simvastatin induced JNK-mediated c-Jun and ATF-2 activation. Over-expression of Pin1 suppressed simvastatin-induced MMP-9 down-regulation. Treatment with SP600125 (a JNK inhibitor) or knock-down of JNK1 reduced MMP-2 expression in simvastatin-treated cells. Simvastatin enhanced the binding of c-Jun/ATF-2 with the MMP-2 promoter. Down-regulation of c-Jun or ATF-2 by siRNA revealed that c-Jun/ATF-2 activation was crucial for MMP-2 expression. Suppression of p65 activation or knock-down of Pin1 by shRNA reduced MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in K562 cells. Over-expression of constitutively active JNK1 rescued MMP-2 expression in Pin1 shRNA-transfected cells. Simvastatin treatment also suppressed MMP-9 but not MMP-2 expression in human leukemia U937 and KU812 cells. Taken together, our data indicate that simvastatin-induced p65 instability leads to MMP-9 down-regulation in leukemia cells, while simvastatin-induced JNK1/c-Jun/ATF-2 activation maintains the MMP-2 expression underlying p65 down-regulation.

The malignancy suppression role of miR-23a by targeting the BCR/ABL oncogene in chromic myeloid leukemia

The aim of this study was to investigate the role and mechanism of miR-23a in the regulation of BCR/ABL and to provide a new prognostic biomarker for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The expression levels of miR-23a and BCR/ABL were assessed in 42 newly diagnosed CML patients, 37 CML patients in first complete remission and 25 healthy controls. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blot analysis and colony formation assay were used to evaluate changes induced by overexpression or inhibition of miR-23a or BCR/ABL. MiR-23a mimic or negative control mimic was transfected into a CML cell line (K562) and two lung cancer cell lines (H157 and SKMES1) using Lipofectamine 2000, and the cells were used for real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis. We found that the downregulation of miR-23a expression was a frequent event in both leukemia cell lines and primary leukemic cells from patients with de novo CML. The microarray results showed that most of the CML patients expressed high levels of BCR/ABL and low levels of miR-23a. Real-time RT-PCR and western blot analysis showed that the BCR/ABL levels in miR-23a-transfected cells were lower than those in the control groups. Ectopic expression of miR-23a in K562 cells led to cellular senescence. Moreover, when K562 cells were treated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, a DNA methylation inhibitor, BCR/ABL expression was upregulated, which indicates epigenetic silencing of miR-23a in leukemic cells. BCR/ABL and miR-23a expressions were inversely related to CML, and BCR/ABL expression was regulated by miR-23a in leukemic cells. The epigenetic silencing of miR-23a led to derepression of BCR/ABL expression, and consequently contributes to CML development and progression.

Studies on microRNAs that are correlated with the cancer stem cells in chronic myeloid leukemia

Accumulating data indicate that cancer stem cells play an important role in tumorigenesis and are underlying cause of tumor recurrence and metastasis, specifically in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We aim to detect the miRNAs that are correlated with the cancer stem cells in CML to provide theoretical basis for clinical application. We first analyzed microRNA expression profiles of CML leukemia patients compared with normal controls by microarray analysis and validated the results by real-time PCR. A single microRNA signature classified CML from normal was detected. We also determined the absolute copy numbers of these three microRNAs in normal adults. The results showed that three microRNAs (miR-150, miR-23a, and miR-130a) were identified to significantly decrease in expanded 38 CML patients compared with 90 normal controls. Molecular and statistical analysis showed that the decreased microRNAs were significant in clinical analysis. All these results indicated that those three microRNAs could act as a tumor suppressor and their decreased expression might be one of the causes of leukemia. Accordingly, clarifying their regulatory mechanisms might delineate their potentials as drug targets of gene therapy for CML.