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Moreira MP, Franco EP, Barros BAF, Anjos BRD, Almada DDG, Barbosa INT, Braga LDC, Cassali GD, Silva LM. Standard chemotherapy impacts on in vitro cellular heterogeneity in spheroids enriched with cancer stem cells (CSCs) derived from triple-negative breast cancer cell line. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 734:150765. [PMID: 39357337 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150765] [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: 07/30/2024] [Revised: 09/27/2024] [Accepted: 09/28/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with high recurrence and mortality, linked to cancer stem cells (CSCs). Our study characterized distinct cell subpopulations and signaling pathways to explore chemoresistance. We observed cellular heterogeneity among and within the cells regarding phenotyping and drug response. In untreated BT-549 cells, we noted plasticity properties in both CD44+/CD24+/CD146+ hybrid cells and CD44-/CD24+/CD146+ epithelial cells, enabling phenotypic conversion into CD44+/CD24-/CD146- epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like like breast CSCs (BCSCs). Additionally, non-BCSCs may give rise to ALDH+ epithelial-like BCSCs. Enriched BCSCs demonstrated the potential to differentiation into CD44-/CD24-/CD146- cells and exhibited self-renewal capabilities. Similar phenotypic plasticity was not observed in untreated Hs 578T and HMT-3522 S1 cells. BT-549 cells were more resistant to paclitaxel/PTX than to doxorubicin/DOX, a phenomenon potentially linked to the presence of CD24+ cells prior to treatment. Under the CSCs-enriched spheroids model, BT-549 demonstrated extreme resistance to DOX, likely due to the enrichment of BCSCs CD44+/CD24-/CD146- and the tumor cells CD44-/CD24-/CD146-. Additionally, DOX treatment induced the enrichment of plastic and chemoresistant cells, further exacerbating resistance mechanisms. BT-549 exhibited high heterogeneity, leading to significant alterations in cell subpopulations under BCSCs enrichment, demonstrating increased phenotypic plasticity during EMT. This phenomenon appears to play a major role in DOX resistance, as indicated by the presence of the refractory cells CD44+/CD24-/CD146- BCSCs EMT-like, CD44-/CD24-/CD146- tumor cells, and elevated STAT3 expression. Gene expression data from BT-549 CSCs-enriched spheroids suggests that ferroptosis may be occurring via autophagic regulation triggered by RAB7A, highlighting this gene as a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milene Pereira Moreira
- Serviço de Biologia Celular, Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias - Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, Gameleira, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30510-010, Brazil.
| | - Eliza Pereira Franco
- Serviço de Biologia Celular, Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias - Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, Gameleira, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30510-010, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Avelar Ferreira Barros
- Serviço de Biologia Celular, Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias - Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, Gameleira, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30510-010, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Bianca Rocha Dos Anjos
- Serviço de Biologia Celular, Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias - Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, Gameleira, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30510-010, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Daniela de Gouvêa Almada
- Serviço de Biologia Celular, Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias - Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, Gameleira, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30510-010, Brazil
| | - Isabela Nery Tavares Barbosa
- Serviço de Biologia Celular, Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias - Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, Gameleira, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30510-010, Brazil
| | - Letícia da Conceição Braga
- Serviço de Biologia Celular, Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias - Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, Gameleira, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30510-010, Brazil
| | - Geovanni Dantas Cassali
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada, Departamento de Patologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Luciana Maria Silva
- Serviço de Biologia Celular, Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias - Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, Gameleira, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30510-010, Brazil
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Ahmadi S, Yazdi F, Khastar S, Kaur I, Ahmed MH, Kumar A, Rathore G, Kaur P, Shahsavan M, Dehghani-Ghorbi M, Akhavan-Sigari R. Molecular Mechanism of lncRNAs in Regulation of Breast Cancer Metastasis; a Comprehensive Review. Cell Biochem Biophys 2024:10.1007/s12013-024-01535-y. [PMID: 39367197 DOI: 10.1007/s12013-024-01535-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2024] [Indexed: 10/06/2024]
Abstract
Although the number of breast cancer deaths has decreased, and there have been developments in targeted therapies and combination treatments for the management of metastatic illness, metastatic breast cancer is still the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in U.S. women. Numerous phases and a vast number of proteins and signaling molecules are involved in the invasion-metastasis cascade. The tumor cells penetrate and enter the blood or lymphatic vessels, and travel to distant organs via the lymphatic or blood vessels. Tumor cells enter cell cycle arrest, adhere to capillary beds in the target organ, and then disseminate throughout the organ's parenchyma, proliferating and enhancing angiogenesis. Each of these processes is regulated by changes in the expression of different genes, in which lncRNAs play a role in this regulation. Transcripts that are longer than 200 nucleotides and do not translate into proteins are called RNAs. LncRNA molecules, whose function depends on their unique molecular structure, play significant roles in controlling the expression of genes at various epigenetic levels, transcription, and so on. LncRNAs have essential functions in regulating the expression of genes linked to cell development in healthy and pathological processes, specialization, programmed cell death, cell division, invasion, DNA damage, and spread to other parts of the body. A number of cancer types have been shown to exhibit aberrant expression of lncRNAs. In this review, we describe the general characteristics, potential molecular mechanisms and targeted therapy of lncRNAs and discuss the emerging functions of lncRNAs in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shokoufeh Ahmadi
- Department of Microbiology, Rabe'Rashidi University, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Yazdi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Sahar Khastar
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Irwanjot Kaur
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetics, Jain (Deemed-to-be) University, Bengaluru, Karnataka-560069, India
- Department of Allied Healthcare and Sciences, Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur, Rajasthan-303012, India
| | | | - Abhishek Kumar
- School of Pharmacy-Adarsh Vijendra Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shobhit University, Gangoh, Uttar Pradesh-247341, India
- Department of Pharmacy, Arka Jain University, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand-831001, India
| | - Gulshan Rathore
- Department of Pharmaceutics, NIMS Institute of Pharmacy, NIMS University Rajasthan, Jaipur, India
| | - Parjinder Kaur
- Chandigarh Pharmacy College, Chandigarh Group of Colleges-Jhanjeri, Mohali 140307, Punjab, India
| | - Mohammad Shahsavan
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Mahmoud Dehghani-Ghorbi
- Hematology-Oncology Department, Imam Hossein Educational Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Akhavan-Sigari
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center, Tuebingen, Germany
- Department of Health Care Management and Clinical Research, Collegium Humanum Warsaw Management University Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Wang Y, Jia J, Wang F, Fang Y, Yang Y, Zhou Q, Yuan W, Gu X, Hu J, Yang S. Pre-metastatic niche: formation, characteristics and therapeutic implication. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:236. [PMID: 39317708 PMCID: PMC11422510 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01937-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Distant metastasis is a primary cause of mortality and contributes to poor surgical outcomes in cancer patients. Before the development of organ-specific metastasis, the formation of a pre-metastatic niche is pivotal in promoting the spread of cancer cells. This review delves into the intricate landscape of the pre-metastatic niche, focusing on the roles of tumor-derived secreted factors, extracellular vesicles, and circulating tumor cells in shaping the metastatic niche. The discussion encompasses cellular elements such as macrophages, neutrophils, bone marrow-derived suppressive cells, and T/B cells, in addition to molecular factors like secreted substances from tumors and extracellular vesicles, within the framework of pre-metastatic niche formation. Insights into the temporal mechanisms of pre-metastatic niche formation such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition, immunosuppression, extracellular matrix remodeling, metabolic reprogramming, vascular permeability and angiogenesis are provided. Furthermore, the landscape of pre-metastatic niche in different metastatic organs like lymph nodes, lungs, liver, brain, and bones is elucidated. Therapeutic approaches targeting the cellular and molecular components of pre-metastatic niche, as well as interventions targeting signaling pathways such as the TGF-β, VEGF, and MET pathways, are highlighted. This review aims to enhance our understanding of pre-metastatic niche dynamics and provide insights for developing effective therapeutic strategies to combat tumor metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhang Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 East Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Jiachi Jia
- College of Medicine, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Fuqi Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 East Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Yingshuai Fang
- College of Medicine, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Yabing Yang
- College of Medicine, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Quanbo Zhou
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 East Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Weitang Yuan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 East Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Xiaoming Gu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 East Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
| | - Junhong Hu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 East Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
| | - Shuaixi Yang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 East Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450000, China.
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Ramalho S, Dopler A, Faller W. Ribosome specialization in cancer: a spotlight on ribosomal proteins. NAR Cancer 2024; 6:zcae029. [PMID: 38989007 PMCID: PMC11231584 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcae029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In the past few decades, our view of ribosomes has changed substantially. Rather than passive machines without significant variability, it is now acknowledged that they are heterogeneous, and have direct regulatory capacity. This 'ribosome heterogeneity' comes in many flavors, including in both the RNA and protein components of ribosomes, so there are many paths through which ribosome specialization could arise. It is easy to imagine that specialized ribosomes could have wide physiological roles, through the translation of specific mRNA populations, and there is now evidence for this in several contexts. Translation is highly dysregulated in cancer, needed to support oncogenic phenotypes and to overcome cellular stress. However, the role of ribosome specialization in this is not clear. In this review we focus on specialized ribosomes in cancer. Specifically, we assess the impact that post-translational modifications and differential ribosome incorporation of ribosomal proteins (RPs) have in this disease. We focus on studies that have shown a ribosome-mediated change in translation of specific mRNA populations, and hypothesize how such a process could be driving other phenotypes. We review the impact of RP-mediated heterogeneity in both intrinsic and extrinsic oncogenic processes, and consider how this knowledge could be leveraged to benefit patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Ramalho
- Division of Oncogenomics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anna Dopler
- Division of Oncogenomics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - William James Faller
- Division of Oncogenomics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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5
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Sankhe CS, Sacco JL, Lawton J, Fair RA, Soares DVR, Aldahdooh MKR, Gomez ED, Gomez EW. Breast Cancer Cells Exhibit Mesenchymal-Epithelial Plasticity Following Dynamic Modulation of Matrix Stiffness. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024; 8:e2400087. [PMID: 38977422 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202400087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) is essential for tissue and organ development and is thought to contribute to cancer by enabling the establishment of metastatic lesions. Despite its importance in both health and disease, there is a lack of in vitro platforms to study MET and little is known about the regulation of MET by mechanical cues. Here, hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels with dynamic and tunable stiffnesses mimicking that of normal and tumorigenic mammary tissue are synthesized. The platform is then utilized to examine the response of mammary epithelial cells and breast cancer cells to dynamic modulation of matrix stiffness. Gradual softening of the hydrogels reduces proliferation and increases apoptosis of breast cancer cells. Moreover, breast cancer cells exhibit temporal changes in cell morphology, cytoskeletal organization, and gene expression that are consistent with mesenchymal-epithelial plasticity as the stiffness of the matrix is reduced. A reduction in matrix stiffness attenuates the expression of integrin-linked kinase, and inhibition of integrin-linked kinase impacts proliferation, apoptosis, and gene expression in cells cultured on stiff and dynamic hydrogels. Overall, these findings reveal intermediate epithelial/mesenchymal states as cells move along a matrix stiffness-mediated MET trajectory and suggest an important role for matrix mechanics in regulating mesenchymal-epithelial plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinmay S Sankhe
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Jessica L Sacco
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Jacob Lawton
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Ryan A Fair
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | | | - Mohammed K R Aldahdooh
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Enrique D Gomez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Esther W Gomez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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Khan MS, Wong GL, Zhuang C, Najjar MK, Lo HW. Crosstalk between breast cancer-derived microRNAs and brain microenvironmental cells in breast cancer brain metastasis. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1436942. [PMID: 39175471 PMCID: PMC11338853 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1436942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy in women, constituting 15.2% of all new cancers diagnosed in the United States. Distant breast cancer metastasis accounts for the majority of breast cancer-related deaths; brain metastasis is the third most common site for metastatic breast cancer but is associated with worst prognosis of approximately eight months of survival. Current treatment options for breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) are limited and ineffective. To help identify new and effective therapies for BCBM, it is important to investigate the mechanisms by which breast cancer cells metastasize to the brain and thrive in the brain microenvironment. To this end, studies have reported that primary breast tumor cells can prime brain microenvironmental cells, including, astrocytes and microglia, to promote the formation of BCBM through the release of extracellular vesicle-microRNAs (miRNAs). Breast tumor-derived miRNAs can also promote breast cancer cell invasion through the blood-brain barrier by disrupting the integrity of the brain microvascular endothelial cells. In this review, we summarize current literature on breast cancer-derived BCBM-promoting miRNAs, cover their roles in the complex steps of BCBM particularly their interactions with microenvironmental cells within the brain metastatic niche, and finally discuss their therapeutic applications in the management of BCBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munazza S. Khan
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Grace L. Wong
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Chuling Zhuang
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mariana K. Najjar
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Hui-Wen Lo
- Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
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Rea M, Kimmerer G, Mittendorf S, Xiong X, Green M, Chandler D, Saintilnord W, Blackburn J, Gao T, Fondufe-Mittendorf YN. A dynamic model of inorganic arsenic-induced carcinogenesis reveals an epigenetic mechanism for epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 347:123586. [PMID: 38467368 PMCID: PMC11005477 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Inorganic arsenic (iAs) causes cancer by initiating dynamic transitions between epithelial and mesenchymal cell phenotypes. These transitions transform normal cells into cancerous cells, and cancerous cells into metastatic cells. Most in vitro models assume that transitions between states are binary and complete, and do not consider the possibility that intermediate, stable cellular states might exist. In this paper, we describe a new, two-hit in vitro model of iAs-induced carcinogenesis that extends to 28 weeks of iAs exposure. Through week 17, the model faithfully recapitulates known and expected phenotypic, genetic, and epigenetic characteristics of iAs-induced carcinogenesis. By 28 weeks, however, exposed cells exhibit stable, intermediate phenotypes and epigenetic properties, and key transcription factor promoters (SNAI1, ZEB1) enter an epigenetically poised or bivalent state. These data suggest that key epigenetic transitions and cellular states exist during iAs-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and that it is important for our in vitro models to encapsulate all aspects of EMT and the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET). In so doing, and by understanding the epigenetic systems controlling these transitions, we might find new, unexpected opportunities for developing targeted, cell state-specific therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Rea
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, 49502, USA
| | - Greg Kimmerer
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA
| | - Shania Mittendorf
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA
| | - Xiaopeng Xiong
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA; Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Meghan Green
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA; Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Darrell Chandler
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, 49502, USA
| | - Wesley Saintilnord
- Department of Epigenetics, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, 49502, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Jessica Blackburn
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA; Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Tianyan Gao
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA; Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
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Wang R, Yan Z. Cancer spreading patterns based on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1259953. [PMID: 38665432 PMCID: PMC11043583 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1259953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Metastasis is a major cause of cancer-related deaths, underscoring the necessity to discern the rules and patterns of cancer cell spreading. Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity contributes to cancer aggressiveness and metastasis. Despite establishing key determinants of cancer aggressiveness and metastatic ability, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanism is unknown. We aimed to propose a classification system for cancer cells based on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, focusing on hysteresis of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype. Methods: We extensively reviewed the concept of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, specifically considering the hysteresis of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype. Results: In this review and hypothesis article, based on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, especially the hysteresis of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype, we proposed a classification of cancer cells, indicating that cancer cells with epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity potential could be classified into four types: irreversible hysteresis, weak hysteresis, strong hysteresis, and hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype. These four types of cancer cells had varied biology, spreading features, and prognoses. Discussion: Our results highlight that the proposed classification system offers insights into the diverse behaviors of cancer cells, providing implications for cancer aggressiveness and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhaopeng Yan
- Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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Van Stiphout CM, Kelly G, Pallegar NK, Elbakry E, Vilchis-Celis AV, Christian SL, Viloria-Petit AM. Identification of lysyl oxidase as an adipocyte-secreted mediator that promotes a partial mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition in MDA-MB-231 cells. EXPLORATION OF TARGETED ANTI-TUMOR THERAPY 2024; 5:1-19. [PMID: 38468823 PMCID: PMC10927314 DOI: 10.37349/etat.2024.00201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women worldwide, where adiposity has been linked to BC morbidity. In general, obese premenopausal women diagnosed with triple-negative BC (TNBC) tend to have larger tumours with more metastases, particularly to the bone marrow, and worse prognosis. Previous work using a 3-dimensional (3D) co-culture system consisting of TNBC cells, adipocytes and the laminin-rich extracellular matrix (ECM) trademarked as Matrigel, demonstrated that adipocytes and adipocyte-derived conditioned media (CM) caused a partial mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET). Given that MET has been associated with secondary tumour formation, this study sought to identify molecular mediators responsible for this phenotypic change. Methods Adipocytes were cultured with and without Matrigel, where semi-quantitative proteomics was used to identify proteins whose presence in the CM was induced or enhanced by Matrigel, which were referred to as adipocyte-secreted ECM-induced proteins (AEPs). The AEPs identified were assessed for association with prognosis in published proteomic datasets and prior literature. Of these, 4 were evaluated by the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), followed by a functional and MET marker analysis of 1 AEP on MDA-MB-231 cells grown on Matrigel or as monolayers. Results The 4 AEPs showed a positive correlation between protein expression and poor prognosis. RT-qPCR analysis reported no significant change in AEPs mRNA expression. However, lysyl oxidase (LOX) was increased in CM of ECM-exposed adipocytes. Recombinant LOX (rLOX) caused the mesenchymal MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells to form less branched 3D structures and reduced the expression of vimentin. Conclusions The data suggest that adipocyte-secreted LOX changes the mesenchymal phenotype of BC cells in a manner that could promote secondary tumour formation, particularly at sites high in adipocytes such as the bone marrow. Future efforts should focus on determining whether targeting LOX could reduce BC metastasis in obese individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassidy M. Van Stiphout
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Grant Kelly
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Nikitha K. Pallegar
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Eman Elbakry
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Ana Valeria Vilchis-Celis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
- Department of Morphology, National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, CDMX 07738, Mexico
| | - Sherri L. Christian
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada
- Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Alicia M. Viloria-Petit
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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10
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Karacosta LG, Pancirer D, Preiss JS, Benson JA, Trope W, Shrager JB, Sung AW, Neal JW, Bendall SC, Wakelee H, Plevritis SK. Phenotyping EMT and MET cellular states in lung cancer patient liquid biopsies at a personalized level using mass cytometry. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21781. [PMID: 38065965 PMCID: PMC10709404 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46458-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) can be utilized as liquid biopsy for phenotyping malignant cells and for precision immunotherapy, yet MPEs are inadequately studied at the single-cell proteomic level. Here we leverage mass cytometry to interrogate immune and epithelial cellular profiles of primary tumors and pleural effusions (PEs) from early and late-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, with the goal of assessing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) states in patient specimens. By using the EMT-MET reference map PHENOSTAMP, we observe a variety of EMT states in cytokeratin positive (CK+) cells, and report for the first time MET-enriched CK+ cells in MPEs. We show that these states may be relevant to disease stage and therapy response. Furthermore, we found that the fraction of CD33+ myeloid cells in PEs was positively correlated to the fraction of CK+ cells. Longitudinal analysis of MPEs drawn 2 months apart from a patient undergoing therapy, revealed that CK+ cells acquired heterogeneous EMT features during treatment. We present this work as a feasibility study that justifies deeper characterization of EMT and MET states in malignant cells found in PEs as a promising clinical platform to better evaluate disease progression and treatment response at a personalized level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loukia G Karacosta
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77054, USA
| | - Danny Pancirer
- Stanford Cancer Institute - Clinical Trials Office, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jordan S Preiss
- Stanford Cancer Institute - Clinical Trials Office, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jalen A Benson
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Winston Trope
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Joseph B Shrager
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Palo Alto VA Health Care System, Palo Alto, USA
| | - Arthur Wai Sung
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Joel W Neal
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Sean C Bendall
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Heather Wakelee
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Sylvia K Plevritis
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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11
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Wu S, Luwor RB, Zhu HJ. Dynamics of transforming growth factor β signaling and therapeutic efficacy. Growth Factors 2023; 41:82-100. [PMID: 37229558 DOI: 10.1080/08977194.2023.2215335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) is a multifunctional cytokine, and its signalling responses are exerted via integrated intracellular pathways and complex regulatory mechanisms. Due to its high potency, TGFβ signalling is tightly controlled under normal circumstances, while its dysregulation in cancer favours metastasis. The recognised potential of TGFβ as a therapeutic target led to emerging development of anti-TGFβ reagents with preclinical success, yet these therapeutics failed to recapitulate their efficacy in experimental settings. In this review, possible reasons for this inconsistency are discussed, addressing the knowledge gap between theoretical and actual behaviours of TGFβ signalling. Previous studies on oncogenic cells have demonstrated the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of TGFβ signalling intensity. Under feedback mechanisms and exosomal ligand recycling, cancer cells may achieve cyclic TGFβ signalling to facilitate dissemination and colonisation. This challenges the current presumption of persistently high TGFβ signalling in cancer, pointing to a new direction of research on TGFβ-targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Wu
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Rodney Brian Luwor
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute, Ballarat, Australia
- Health, Innovation and Transformation Centre, Federation University, Ballarat, Australia
| | - Hong-Jian Zhu
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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12
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Yellapu NK, Pei D, Nissen E, Thompson JA, Koestler DC. Comprehensive exploration of JQ1 and GSK2801 targets in breast cancer using network pharmacology and molecular modeling approaches. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:3224-3233. [PMID: 38213901 PMCID: PMC10781883 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
JQ1 and GSK2801 are bromo domain inhibitors (BDI) known to exhibit enhanced anti-cancer activity when combined with other agents. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms behind such enhanced activity remain unclear. We used network-pharmacology approaches to understand the shared molecular mechanisms behind the enhanced activity of JQ1 and GSK2801 when used together to treat breast cancer (BC). The gene targets of JQ1 and GSK2801 were intersected with known BC-targets and their putative targets against BC were derived. The key genes were explored through gene-ontology-enrichment, Protein-Protein-Interaction (PPI) networking, survival analysis, and molecular modeling simulations. The genes, CTSB, MAPK14, MET, PSEN2 and STAT3, were found to be common targets for both drugs. In total, 49 biological processes, five molecular functions and 61 metabolic pathways were similarly enriched for JQ1 and GSK2801 BC targets among which several terms are related to cancer: IL-17, TNF and JAK-STAT signaling pathways. Survival analyses revealed that all five putative synergistic targets are significantly associated with survival in BC (log-rank p < 0.05). Molecular modeling studies showed stable binding of JQ1 and GSK2801 against their targets. In conclusion, this study explored and illuminated the possible molecular mechanisms behind the enhanced activity of JQ1 and GSK2801 against BC and suggests synergistic action through their similar BC-targets and gene-ontologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanda Kumar Yellapu
- Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, University of Kansas, Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Dong Pei
- Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, University of Kansas, Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Emily Nissen
- Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, University of Kansas, Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Jeffrey A. Thompson
- Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, University of Kansas, Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Devin C. Koestler
- Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, University of Kansas, Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
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13
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Warrier NM, Kelkar N, Johnson CT, Govindarajan T, Prabhu V, Kumar P. Understanding cancer stem cells and plasticity: Towards better therapeutics. Eur J Cell Biol 2023; 102:151321. [PMID: 37137199 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2023.151321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of cancer cells to finally overcome various lines of treatment in due course has always baffled the scientific community. Even with the most promising therapies, relapse is ultimately seen, and this resilience has proved to be a major hurdle in the management of cancer. Accumulating evidence now attributes this resilience to plasticity. Plasticity is the ability of cells to change their properties and is substantial as it helps in normal tissue regeneration or post-injury repair processes. It also helps in the overall maintenance of homeostasis. Unfortunately, this critical ability of cells, when activated incorrectly, can lead to numerous diseases, including cancer. Therefore, in this review, we focus on the plasticity aspect with an emphasis on cancer stem cells (CSCs). We discuss the various forms of plasticity that provide survival advantages to CSCs. Moreover, we explore various factors that affect plasticity. Furthermore, we provide the therapeutic implications of plasticity. Finally, we provide an insight into the future targeted therapies involving plasticity for better clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neerada Meenakshi Warrier
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Nachiket Kelkar
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Carol Tresa Johnson
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Vijendra Prabhu
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India.
| | - Praveen Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India.
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14
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Gredler ML, Zallen JA. Multicellular rosettes link mesenchymal-epithelial transition to radial intercalation in the mouse axial mesoderm. Dev Cell 2023:S1534-5807(23)00134-X. [PMID: 37080203 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Mesenchymal-epithelial transitions are fundamental drivers of development and disease, but how these behaviors generate epithelial structure is not well understood. Here, we show that mesenchymal-epithelial transitions promote epithelial organization in the mouse node and notochordal plate through the assembly and radial intercalation of three-dimensional rosettes. Axial mesoderm rosettes acquire junctional and apical polarity, develop a central lumen, and dynamically expand, coalesce, and radially intercalate into the surface epithelium, converting mesenchymal-epithelial transitions into higher-order tissue structure. In mouse Par3 mutants, axial mesoderm rosettes establish central tight junction polarity but fail to form an expanded apical domain and lumen. These defects are associated with altered rosette dynamics, delayed radial intercalation, and formation of a small, fragmented surface epithelial structure. These results demonstrate that three-dimensional rosette behaviors translate mesenchymal-epithelial transitions into collective radial intercalation and epithelial formation, providing a strategy for building epithelial sheets from individual self-organizing units in the mammalian embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa L Gredler
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer A Zallen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA.
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15
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Monti N, Dinicola S, Querqui A, Fabrizi G, Fedeli V, Gesualdi L, Catizone A, Unfer V, Bizzarri M. Myo-Inositol Reverses TGF-β1-Induced EMT in MCF-10A Non-Tumorigenic Breast Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15082317. [PMID: 37190245 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), triggered by external and internal cues in several physiological and pathological conditions, elicits the transformation of epithelial cells into a mesenchymal-like phenotype. During EMT, epithelial cells lose cell-to-cell contact and acquire unusual motility/invasive capabilities. The associated architectural and functional changes destabilize the epithelial layer consistency, allowing cells to migrate and invade the surrounding tissues. EMT is a critical step in the progression of inflammation and cancer, often sustained by a main driving factor as the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Antagonizing EMT has recently gained momentum as an attractive issue in cancer treatment and metastasis prevention. Herein, we demonstrate the capability of myo-inositol (myo-Ins) to revert the EMT process induced by TGF-β1 on MCF-10A breast cells. Upon TGF-β1 addition, cells underwent a dramatic phenotypic transformation, as witnessed by structural (disappearance of the E-cadherin-β-catenin complexes and the emergence of a mesenchymal shape) and molecular modifications (increase in N-cadherin, Snai1, and vimentin), including the release of increased collagen and fibronectin. However, following myo-Ins, those changes were almost completely reverted. Inositol promotes the reconstitution of E-cadherin-β-catenin complexes, decreasing the expression of genes involved in EMT, while promoting the re-expression of epithelial genes (keratin-18 and E-cadherin). Noticeably, myo-Ins efficiently inhibits the invasiveness and migrating capability of TGF-β1 treated cells, also reducing the release of metalloproteinase (MMP-9) altogether with collagen synthesis, allowing for the re-establishment of appropriate cell-to-cell junctions, ultimately leading the cell layer back towards a more compact state. Inositol effects were nullified by previous treatment with an siRNA construct to inhibit CDH1 transcripts and, hence, E-cadherin synthesis. This finding suggests that the reconstitution of E-cadherin complexes is an irreplaceable step in the inositol-induced reversion of EMT. Overall, such a result advocates for the useful role of myo-Ins in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Monti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Systems Biology Group Laboratory, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Dinicola
- Systems Biology Group Laboratory, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Querqui
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Systems Biology Group Laboratory, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Fabrizi
- Systems Biology Group Laboratory, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Fedeli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Systems Biology Group Laboratory, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Luisa Gesualdi
- Section of Histology and Embryology, Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Catizone
- Section of Histology and Embryology, Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Vittorio Unfer
- Systems Biology Group Laboratory, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
- The Experts Group on Inositol in Basic and Clinical Research (EGOI), 00161 Rome, Italy
- Gynecology Department, UniCamillus-Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Mariano Bizzarri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Systems Biology Group Laboratory, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy
- The Experts Group on Inositol in Basic and Clinical Research (EGOI), 00161 Rome, Italy
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16
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Abboud Asleh M, Zaher M, Asleh J, Jadon J, Shaulov L, Yelin R, Schultheiss TM. A morphogenetic wave in the chick embryo lateral mesoderm generates mesenchymal-epithelial transition through a 3D-rosette intermediate. Dev Cell 2023:S1534-5807(23)00133-8. [PMID: 37080204 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Formation of epithelia through mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) is essential for embryonic development and for many physiological and pathological processes. This study investigates MET in vivo in the chick embryo lateral mesoderm, where a multilayered mesenchyme transforms into two parallel epithelial sheets that constitute the coelomic lining of the embryonic body cavity. Prior to MET initiation, mesenchymal cells exhibit non-polarized distribution of multiple polarity markers, albeit not aPKC. We identified an epithelializing wave that sweeps across the lateral mesoderm, the wavefront of which is characterized by the accumulation of basal fibronectin and a network of 3D rosettes composed of polarized, wedge-shaped cells surrounding a central focus of apical markers, now including aPKC. Initiation of the MET process is dependent on extracellular matrix-integrin signaling acting through focal adhesion kinase and talin, whereas progression through the rosette phase requires aPKC function. We present a stepwise model for MET, comprising polarization, 3D-rosette, and epithelialization stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manar Abboud Asleh
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Mira Zaher
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Jad Asleh
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Julian Jadon
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Lihi Shaulov
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Ronit Yelin
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Thomas M Schultheiss
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel.
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17
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Janke EK, Chalmers SB, Roberts-Thomson SJ, Monteith GR. Intersection between calcium signalling and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in the context of cancer. Cell Calcium 2023; 112:102741. [PMID: 37060674 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2023.102741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a form of cellular phenotypic plasticity and is considered a crucial step in the progression of many cancers. The calcium ion (Ca2+) acts as a ubiquitous second messenger and is implicated in many cellular processes, including cell death, migration, invasion and more recently EMT. Throughout this review, the complex interplay between Ca2+ signalling and EMT will be explored. An overview of the Ca2+ pathways that are remodelled as a consequence of EMT is provided and the role of Ca2+ signalling in regulating EMT and its significance is considered. Ca2+ signalling pathways may represent a therapeutic opportunity to regulate EMT. However, as will be described in this review, the complexity of these signalling pathways represents significant challenges that must be considered if Ca2+ signalling is to be manipulated with the aim of therapeutic intervention in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen K Janke
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia
| | - Silke B Chalmers
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Nordre Ringgade 1, Aarhus C, 8000, Denmark
| | - Sarah J Roberts-Thomson
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia
| | - Gregory R Monteith
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia.
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18
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Subhadarshini S, Markus J, Sahoo S, Jolly MK. Dynamics of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity: What Have Single-Cell Investigations Elucidated So Far? ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:11665-11673. [PMID: 37033874 PMCID: PMC10077445 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) is a key driver of cancer metastasis and therapeutic resistance, through which cancer cells can reversibly and dynamically alter their molecular and functional traits along the epithelial-mesenchymal spectrum. While cells in the epithelial phenotype are usually tightly adherent, less metastatic, and drug-sensitive, those in the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal and/or mesenchymal state are more invasive, migratory, drug-resistant, and immune-evasive. Single-cell studies have emerged as a powerful tool in gaining new insights into the dynamics of EMP across various cancer types. Here, we review many recent studies that employ single-cell analysis techniques to better understand the dynamics of EMP in cancer both in vitro and in vivo. These single-cell studies have underlined the plurality of trajectories cells can traverse during EMP and the consequent heterogeneity of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypes seen at both preclinical and clinical levels. They also demonstrate how diverse EMP trajectories may exhibit hysteretic behavior and how the rate of such cell-state transitions depends on the genetic/epigenetic background of recipient cells, as well as the dose and/or duration of EMP-inducing growth factors. Finally, we discuss the relationship between EMP and patient survival across many cancer types. We also present a next set of questions related to EMP that could benefit much from single-cell observations and pave the way to better tackle phenotypic switching and heterogeneity in clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joel Markus
- Centre
for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre
for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre
for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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19
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"Pulsed Hypoxia" Gradually Reprograms Breast Cancer Fibroblasts into Pro-Tumorigenic Cells via Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032494. [PMID: 36768815 PMCID: PMC9916667 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia arises in most growing solid tumors and can lead to pleotropic effects that potentially increase tumor aggressiveness and resistance to therapy through regulation of the expression of genes associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET). The main goal of the current work was to obtain and investigate the intermediate phenotype of tumor cells undergoing the hypoxia-dependent transition from fibroblast to epithelial morphology. Primary breast cancer fibroblasts BrC4f, being cancer-associated fibroblasts, were subjected to one or two rounds of "pulsed hypoxia" (PH). PH induced transformation of fibroblast-shaped cells to semi-epithelial cells. Western blot analysis, fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry of transformed cells demonstrated the decrease in the mesenchymal markers vimentin and N-cad and an increase in the epithelial marker E-cad. These cells kept mesenchymal markers αSMA and S100A4 and high ALDH activity. Real-time PCR data of the cells after one (BrC4f_Hyp1) and two (BrC4f_Hyp2) rounds of PH showed consistent up-regulation of TWIST1 gene as an early response and ZEB1/2 and SLUG transcriptional activity as a subsequent response. Reversion of BrC4f_Hyp2 cells to normoxia conditions converted them to epithelial-like cells (BrC4e) with decreased expression of EMT genes and up-regulation of MET-related OVOL2 and c-MYC genes. Transplantation of BrC4f and BrC4f_Hyp2 cells into SCID mice showed the acceleration of tumor growth up to 61.6% for BrC4f_Hyp2 cells. To summarize, rounds of PH imitate the MET process of tumorigenesis in which cancer-associated fibroblasts pass through intermediate stages and become more aggressive epithelial-like tumor cells.
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20
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Yang J, Aljitawi O, Van Veldhuizen P. Prostate Cancer Stem Cells: The Role of CD133. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:5448. [PMID: 36358865 PMCID: PMC9656005 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14215448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs), possessing self-renewal properties and resistance to anticancer treatment, are possibly the leading cause of distant metastasis and treatment failure in prostate cancer (PC). CD133 is one of the most well-known and valuable cell surface markers of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in many cancers, including PC. In this article, we focus on reviewing the role of CD133 in PCSC. Any other main stem cell biomarkers in PCSC reported from key publications, as well as about vital research progress of CD133 in CSCs of different cancers, will be selectively reviewed to help us inform the main topic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Omar Aljitawi
- Department of Medicine, Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Peter Van Veldhuizen
- Department of Medicine, Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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21
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Liu C, Mohan SC, Wei J, Seki E, Liu M, Basho R, Giuliano AE, Zhao Y, Cui X. Breast cancer liver metastasis: Pathogenesis and clinical implications. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1043771. [PMID: 36387238 PMCID: PMC9641291 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1043771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease in female patients worldwide and can spread to almost every place in the human body, most frequently metastasizing to lymph nodes, bones, lungs, liver and brain. The liver is a common metastatic location for solid cancers as a whole, and it is also the third most common metastatic site for breast cancer. Breast cancer liver metastasis (BCLM) is a complex process. Although the hepatic microenvironment and liver sinusoidal structure are crucial factors for the initial arrest of breast cancer and progression within the liver, the biological basis of BCLM remains to be elucidated. Importantly, further understanding of the interaction between breast cancer cells and hepatic microenvironment in the liver metastasis of breast cancer will suggest ways for the development of effective therapy and prevention strategies for BCLM. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the hepatic microenvironment in BCLM formation and discuss current systemic therapies for treating patients with BCLM as well as potential therapeutic development based on the liver microenvironment-associated signaling proteins governing BCLM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiwei Liu
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Srivarshini C. Mohan
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jielin Wei
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ekihiro Seki
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Manran Liu
- Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medical Diagnostics, Chinese Ministry of Education, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Reva Basho
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- The Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Armando E. Giuliano
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yanxia Zhao
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaojiang Cui
- Department of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Micalizzi DS, Che D, Nicholson BT, Edd JF, Desai N, Lang ER, Toner M, Maheswaran S, Ting DT, Haber DA. Targeting breast and pancreatic cancer metastasis using a dual-cadherin antibody. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2209563119. [PMID: 36256815 PMCID: PMC9618049 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209563119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The successful application of antibody-based therapeutics in either primary or metastatic cancer depends upon the selection of rare cell surface epitopes that distinguish cancer cells from surrounding normal epithelial cells. By contrast, as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) transit through the bloodstream, they are surrounded by hematopoietic cells with dramatically distinct cell surface proteins, greatly expanding the number of targetable epitopes. Here, we show that an antibody (23C6) against cadherin proteins effectively suppresses blood-borne metastasis in mouse isogenic and xenograft models of triple negative breast and pancreatic cancers. The 23C6 antibody is remarkable in that it recognizes both the epithelial E-cadherin (CDH1) and mesenchymal OB-cadherin (CDH11), thus overcoming considerable heterogeneity across tumor cells. Despite its efficacy against single cells in circulation, the antibody does not suppress primary tumor formation, nor does it elicit detectable toxicity in normal epithelial organs, where cadherins may be engaged within intercellular junctions and hence inaccessible for antibody binding. Antibody-mediated suppression of metastasis is comparable in matched immunocompetent and immunodeficient mouse models. Together, these studies raise the possibility of antibody targeting CTCs within the vasculature, thereby suppressing blood-borne metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas S. Micalizzi
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Dante Che
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Benjamin T. Nicholson
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Jon F. Edd
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129
- Center for Bioengineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Shriners Hospital for Children, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Niyati Desai
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Evan R. Lang
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Mehmet Toner
- Center for Bioengineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Shriners Hospital for Children, Boston, MA 02114
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Shyamala Maheswaran
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - David T. Ting
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Daniel A. Haber
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
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Breast MRI Tumor Automatic Segmentation and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Discrimination Algorithm Based on Deep Learning. COMPUTATIONAL AND MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN MEDICINE 2022; 2022:2541358. [PMID: 36092784 PMCID: PMC9453096 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2541358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Background Breast cancer is a kind of cancer that starts in the epithelial tissue of the breast. Breast cancer has been on the rise in recent years, with a younger generation developing the disease. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in breast tumor detection and treatment planning in today's clinical practice. As manual segmentation grows more time-consuming and the observed topic becomes more diversified, automated segmentation becomes more appealing. Methodology. For MRI breast tumor segmentation, we propose a CNN-SVM network. The labels from the trained convolutional neural network are output using a support vector machine in this technique. During the testing phase, the convolutional neural network's labeled output, as well as the test grayscale picture, is passed to the SVM classifier for accurate segmentation. Results We tested on the collected breast tumor dataset and found that our proposed combined CNN-SVM network achieved 0.93, 0.95, and 0.92 on DSC coefficient, PPV, and sensitivity index, respectively. We also compare with the segmentation frameworks of other papers, and the comparison results prove that our CNN-SVM network performs better and can accurately segment breast tumors. Conclusion Our proposed CNN-SVM combined network achieves good segmentation results on the breast tumor dataset. The method can adapt to the differences in breast tumors and segment breast tumors accurately and efficiently. It is of great significance for identifying triple-negative breast cancer in the future.
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Montero-Calle A, Gómez de Cedrón M, Quijada-Freire A, Solís-Fernández G, López-Alonso V, Espinosa-Salinas I, Peláez-García A, Fernández-Aceñero MJ, Ramírez de Molina A, Barderas R. Metabolic Reprogramming Helps to Define Different Metastatic Tropisms in Colorectal Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:903033. [PMID: 35957902 PMCID: PMC9358964 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.903033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 25% of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients experience systemic metastases, with the most frequent target organs being the liver and lung. Metabolic reprogramming has been recognized as one of the hallmarks of cancer. Here, metabolic and functional differences between two CRC cells with different metastatic organotropisms (metastatic KM12SM CRC cells to the liver and KM12L4a to the lung when injected in the spleen and in the tail vein of mice) were analysed in comparison to their parental non-metastatic isogenic KM12C cells, for a subsequent investigation of identified metabolic targets in CRC patients. Meta-analysis from proteomic and transcriptomic data deposited in databases, qPCR, WB, in vitro cell-based assays, and in vivo experiments were used to survey for metabolic alterations contributing to their different organotropism and for the subsequent analysis of identified metabolic markers in CRC patients. Although no changes in cell proliferation were observed between metastatic cells, KM12SM cells were highly dependent on oxidative phosphorylation at mitochondria, whereas KM12L4a cells were characterized by being more energetically efficient with lower basal respiration levels and a better redox management. Lipid metabolism-related targets were found altered in both cell lines, including LDLR, CD36, FABP4, SCD, AGPAT1, and FASN, which were also associated with the prognosis of CRC patients. Moreover, CD36 association with lung metastatic tropism of CRC cells was validated in vivo. Altogether, our results suggest that LDLR, CD36, FABP4, SCD, FASN, LPL, and APOA1 metabolic targets are associated with CRC metastatic tropism to the liver or lung. These features exemplify specific metabolic adaptations for invasive cancer cells which stem at the primary tumour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Montero-Calle
- Functional Proteomics Unit, Chronic Disease Programme, UFIEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Gómez de Cedrón
- Precision Nutrition and Cancer Program, Molecular Oncology Group, IMDEA Food Institute, Campus of International Excellence (CEI) University Autonomous of Madrid (UAM) + Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Rodrigo Barderas, ; Ana Ramírez de Molina, ; Marta Gómez de Cedrón,
| | - Adriana Quijada-Freire
- Precision Nutrition and Cancer Program, Molecular Oncology Group, IMDEA Food Institute, Campus of International Excellence (CEI) University Autonomous of Madrid (UAM) + Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Guillermo Solís-Fernández
- Molecular Imaging and Photonics Division, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Victoria López-Alonso
- Unidad de Biología Computacional, Chronic Disease Programme, UFIEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Espinosa-Salinas
- Platform for Clinical Trials in Nutrition and Health (GENYAL), IMDEA Food Institute, Campus of International Excellence (CEI) University Autonomous of Madrid (UAM) + Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Peláez-García
- Molecular Pathology and Therapeutic Targets Group, La Paz University Hospital (IdiPAZ), Madrid, Spain
| | - María Jesús Fernández-Aceñero
- Servicio de Anatomía Patológica Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Departamento de Anatomía Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Ramírez de Molina
- Precision Nutrition and Cancer Program, Molecular Oncology Group, IMDEA Food Institute, Campus of International Excellence (CEI) University Autonomous of Madrid (UAM) + Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Rodrigo Barderas, ; Ana Ramírez de Molina, ; Marta Gómez de Cedrón,
| | - Rodrigo Barderas
- Functional Proteomics Unit, Chronic Disease Programme, UFIEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Rodrigo Barderas, ; Ana Ramírez de Molina, ; Marta Gómez de Cedrón,
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Siegl F, Vecera M, Roskova I, Smrcka M, Jancalek R, Kazda T, Slaby O, Sana J. The Significance of MicroRNAs in the Molecular Pathology of Brain Metastases. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14143386. [PMID: 35884446 PMCID: PMC9322877 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14143386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain metastases are the most frequent intracranial tumors in adults and the cause of death in almost one-fourth of cases. The incidence of brain metastases is steadily increasing. The main reason for this increase could be the introduction of new and more efficient therapeutic strategies that lead to longer survival but, at the same time, cause a higher risk of brain parenchyma infiltration. In addition, the advances in imaging methodology, which provide earlier identification of brain metastases, may also be a reason for the higher recorded number of patients with these tumors. Metastasis is a complex biological process that is still largely unexplored, influenced by many factors and involving many molecules. A deeper understanding of the process will allow the discovery of more effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that could improve the quality and length of patient survival. Recent studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) are essential molecules that are involved in specific steps of the metastatic cascade. MiRNAs are endogenously expressed small non-coding RNAs that act as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and thus regulate most cellular processes. The dysregulation of these molecules has been implicated in many cancers, including brain metastases. Therefore, miRNAs represent promising diagnostic molecules and therapeutic targets in brain metastases. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the importance of miRNAs in brain metastasis, focusing on their involvement in the metastatic cascade and their potential clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frantisek Siegl
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (F.S.); (M.V.); (O.S.)
| | - Marek Vecera
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (F.S.); (M.V.); (O.S.)
| | - Ivana Roskova
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (I.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Martin Smrcka
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (I.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Radim Jancalek
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Annes University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic;
| | - Tomas Kazda
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic;
| | - Ondrej Slaby
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (F.S.); (M.V.); (O.S.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Sana
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (F.S.); (M.V.); (O.S.)
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, 656 53 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Brno, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +420-549-495-246
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Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity Induced by Discontinuous Exposure to TGFβ1 Promotes Tumour Growth. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11071046. [PMID: 36101425 PMCID: PMC9312510 DOI: 10.3390/biology11071046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary In this manuscript, we used a non-genetically manipulated EMT/MET cell line model to demonstrate that epithelial mesenchymal plasticity occurring in normal cells generates co-existing phenotypically and functionally divergent cell subpopulations which result in fast growing tumours in vivo. Abstract Transitions between epithelial and mesenchymal cellular states (EMT/MET) contribute to cancer progression. We hypothesize that EMT followed by MET promotes cell population heterogeneity, favouring tumour growth. We developed an EMT model by on and off exposure of epithelial EpH4 cells (E-cells) to TGFβ1 that mimics phenotypic EMT (M-cells) and MET. We aimed at understanding whether phenotypic MET is accompanied by molecular and functional reversion back to epithelia by using RNA sequencing, immunofluorescence (IF), proliferation, wound healing, focus formation and mamosphere formation assays as well as cell xenografts in nude mice. Phenotypic reverted epithelial cells (RE-cells) obtained after MET induction presented epithelial morphologies and proliferation rates resembling E cells. However, the RE transcriptomic profile and IF staining of epithelial and mesenchymal markers revealed a uniquely heterogeneous mixture of cell subpopulations with a high self-renewal ability. RE cell heterogeneity was stably maintained for long periods after TGFβ1 removal both in vitro and in large tumours derived from the nude mice. Overall, we show that phenotypic reverted epithelial cells (RE cells) do not return to the molecular and functional epithelial state and present mesenchymal features related to aggressiveness and cellular heterogeneity that favour tumour growth in vivo. This work strengthens epithelial cell reprogramming and cellular heterogeneity fostered by inflammatory cues as a tumour growth-promoting factor in vivo.
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Biomimetic Nanotherapeutics: Employing Nanoghosts to fight Melanoma. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2022; 177:157-174. [PMID: 35787429 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2022.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Melanoma is a cancer of melanocytes present at the basal layer of the skin. Nanomedicine has armed us with competent platform to manage such fatal neoplastic diseases. Nevertheless, it suffers from numerous pitfalls such as rapid clearance and opsonization of surface-functionalized carriers, biocompatibility and idiopathic reactions which could be difficult to predict in the patient. Biomimetic approach, a novel step towards personalized medicine bridges these drawbacks by employing endogenous cell membranes to traverse physiological barriers. Camouflaged carriers coated with natural cell membranes possess unique characteristics such as high circulatory periods, and the absence of allogenic and xenogenic responses. Proteins residing on the cell membranes render a diverse range of utilities to the coated nanoparticles including natural efficiency to identify cellular targets, homologous targeting, reticuloendothelial system evasion, biocompatibility and reduced adverse and idiopathic effects. In the present article, we have focused on cell membrane camouflaged nanocarriers for melanoma management. We have discussed various types of biomimetic systems, their processing and coating approaches, and their characterization. We have also enumerated novel avenues in melanoma treatment and the combination of biomimetic systems with smart nanoparticulate systems with the potential to bring breakthroughs in the near future. Additionally, immunotherapy-based biomimetic systems to combat melanoma have been highlighted. Hurdles towards clinical translation and ways to overcome them have been explained in detail.
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Beyond Genetics: Metastasis as an Adaptive Response in Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116271. [PMID: 35682953 PMCID: PMC9181003 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic disease represents the primary cause of breast cancer (BC) mortality, yet it is still one of the most enigmatic processes in the biology of this tumor. Metastatic progression includes distinct phases: invasion, intravasation, hematogenous dissemination, extravasation and seeding at distant sites, micro-metastasis formation and metastatic outgrowth. Whole-genome sequencing analyses of primary BC and metastases revealed that BC metastatization is a non-genetically selected trait, rather the result of transcriptional and metabolic adaptation to the unfavorable microenvironmental conditions which cancer cells are exposed to (e.g., hypoxia, low nutrients, endoplasmic reticulum stress and chemotherapy administration). In this regard, the latest multi-omics analyses unveiled intra-tumor phenotypic heterogeneity, which determines the polyclonal nature of breast tumors and constitutes a challenge for clinicians, correlating with patient poor prognosis. The present work reviews BC classification and epidemiology, focusing on the impact of metastatic disease on patient prognosis and survival, while describing general principles and current in vitro/in vivo models of the BC metastatic cascade. The authors address here both genetic and phenotypic intrinsic heterogeneity of breast tumors, reporting the latest studies that support the role of the latter in metastatic spreading. Finally, the review illustrates the mechanisms underlying adaptive stress responses during BC metastatic progression.
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Chen R, Gan Q, Zhao S, Zhang D, Wang S, Yao L, Yuan M, Cheng J. DNA methylation of miR-138 regulates cell proliferation and EMT in cervical cancer by targeting EZH2. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:488. [PMID: 35505294 PMCID: PMC9063191 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09477-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging evidence has identified miR-138 as a tumor suppressor that can suppress the proliferation of various cancers. Meanwhile, the cause of abnormal miR-138 expression in cervical cancer remains uncertain. This study clarified the mechanism by which miR-138 regulates proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and EMT in cervical cancer cells. RESULTS miR-138 expression in human cervical cancer and adjacent normal tissue was measured using qPCR. SiHa and C33A cells were used to determine the function of miR-138 via miR-138 mimic or inhibitor transfection, followed by wound healing, Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometry, and Transwell assays. Epithelial and mesenchymal marker expression was analyzed using Western blotting. DNA methylation in the miR-138 promoter was examined using bisulfite sequencing PCR. The downstream target genes of miR-138 were identified via bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays. A tumor xenograft model was employed to validate DNA methylation-induced miR-138 downregulation and tumor growth inhibition in cervical cancer in vivo. miR-138 levels were significantly lower in cervical cancer tissues than in adjacent control tissues. Furthermore, lower miR-138 expression and higher CpG methylation in the miR-138 promoter were identified in lymph node-positive metastatic cervical cancer tumors versus that in non-metastatic tumor tissues. Upon miR-138 overexpression, cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion, and EMT were suppressed. miR-138 agomir transfection and demethylating drug treatment significantly inhibited cervical tumor growth and EMT in tumor xenograft models. DNA methylation inhibited miR-138 transcription, and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) downregulation mediated the tumor suppressor function of miR-138 in cervical cancer. CONCLUSION We demonstrated that miR-138 suppresses tumor progression by targeting EZH2 in cervical cancer and uncovered the role of DNA methylation in the miR-138 promoter in its downregulation. These findings demonstrated the potential of miR-138 to predict disease metastasis and/or function as a therapeutic target in cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiyu Gan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuting Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongrui Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120, People's Republic of China
| | - Shunli Wang
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120, People's Republic of China
| | - Lili Yao
- Department of Gynecology, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830011, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Yuan
- Department of Gynecology, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830011, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jingxin Cheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200120, People's Republic of China.
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Capeloa T, Krzystyniak J, d’Hose D, Canas Rodriguez A, Payen VL, Zampieri LX, Van de Velde JA, Benyahia Z, Pranzini E, Vazeille T, Fransolet M, Bouzin C, Brusa D, Michiels C, Gallez B, Murphy MP, Porporato PE, Sonveaux P. MitoQ Inhibits Human Breast Cancer Cell Migration, Invasion and Clonogenicity. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14061516. [PMID: 35326667 PMCID: PMC8946220 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
To successfully generate distant metastases, metastatic progenitor cells must simultaneously possess mesenchymal characteristics, resist to anoïkis, migrate and invade directionally, resist to redox and shear stresses in the systemic circulation, and possess stem cell characteristics. These cells primarily originate from metabolically hostile areas of the primary tumor, where oxygen and nutrient deprivation, together with metabolic waste accumulation, exert a strong selection pressure promoting evasion. Here, we followed the hypothesis according to which metastasis as a whole implies the existence of metabolic sensors. Among others, mitochondria are singled out as a major source of superoxide that supports the metastatic phenotype. Molecularly, stressed cancer cells increase mitochondrial superoxide production, which activates the transforming growth factor-β pathway through src directly within mitochondria, ultimately activating focal adhesion kinase Pyk2. The existence of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants constitutes an opportunity to interfere with the metastatic process. Here, using aggressive triple-negative and HER2-positive human breast cancer cell lines as models, we report that MitoQ inhibits all the metastatic traits that we tested in vitro. Compared to other mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, MitoQ already successfully passed Phase I safety clinical trials, which provides an important incentive for future preclinical and clinical evaluations of this drug for the prevention of breast cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Capeloa
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (J.A.V.d.V.); (Z.B.); (E.P.); (T.V.); (P.E.P.)
| | - Joanna Krzystyniak
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (J.A.V.d.V.); (Z.B.); (E.P.); (T.V.); (P.E.P.)
| | - Donatienne d’Hose
- Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Unit, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (D.d.); (B.G.)
| | - Amanda Canas Rodriguez
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (J.A.V.d.V.); (Z.B.); (E.P.); (T.V.); (P.E.P.)
| | - Valery L. Payen
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (J.A.V.d.V.); (Z.B.); (E.P.); (T.V.); (P.E.P.)
| | - Luca X. Zampieri
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (J.A.V.d.V.); (Z.B.); (E.P.); (T.V.); (P.E.P.)
| | - Justine A. Van de Velde
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (J.A.V.d.V.); (Z.B.); (E.P.); (T.V.); (P.E.P.)
| | - Zohra Benyahia
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (J.A.V.d.V.); (Z.B.); (E.P.); (T.V.); (P.E.P.)
| | - Erica Pranzini
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (J.A.V.d.V.); (Z.B.); (E.P.); (T.V.); (P.E.P.)
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences Mario Serio, University of Florence, Via le Morgagni 50, 50134 Firenze, Italy
| | - Thibaut Vazeille
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (J.A.V.d.V.); (Z.B.); (E.P.); (T.V.); (P.E.P.)
| | - Maude Fransolet
- Faculty of Sciences, Bology, Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Cellulaire, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium; (M.F.); (C.M.)
| | - Caroline Bouzin
- IREC Imaging Platform (2IP), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Davide Brusa
- IREC Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Platform, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Carine Michiels
- Faculty of Sciences, Bology, Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Cellulaire, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium; (M.F.); (C.M.)
| | - Bernard Gallez
- Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Unit, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (D.d.); (B.G.)
| | - Michael P. Murphy
- MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK;
| | - Paolo E. Porporato
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (J.A.V.d.V.); (Z.B.); (E.P.); (T.V.); (P.E.P.)
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Science, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Via Nizza 52, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Pierre Sonveaux
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 1200 Brussels, Belgium; (T.C.); (J.K.); (A.C.R.); (V.L.P.); (L.X.Z.); (J.A.V.d.V.); (Z.B.); (E.P.); (T.V.); (P.E.P.)
- Correspondence:
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31
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Jin Y, Kang Y, Wang M, Wu B, Su B, Yin H, Tang Y, Li Q, Wei W, Mei Q, Hu G, Lukacs-Kornek V, Li J, Wu K, Yuan X, Wang W. Targeting polarized phenotype of microglia via IL6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling to reduce NSCLC brain metastasis. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:52. [PMID: 35194016 PMCID: PMC8864012 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-00872-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages have emerged as crucial factors for metastases. Microglia are indispensable components of the brain microenvironment and play vital roles in brain metastasis (BM). However, the underlying mechanism of how activated microglia promote brain metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains elusive. Here, we purified cell lines with brain-metastatic tropism and employed a co-culture system to reveal their communication with microglia. By single-cell RNA-sequencing and transcriptome difference analysis, we identified IL6 as the key regulator in brain-metastatic cells (A549-F3) to induce anti-inflammatory microglia via JAK2/STAT3 signaling, which in turn promoted the colonization process in metastatic A549-F3 cells. In our clinical samples, patients with higher levels of IL6 in serum showed higher propensity for brain metastasis. Additionally, the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) data revealed that NSCLC patients with a lower level of IL6 had a longer overall survival time compared to those with a higher level of IL6. Overall, our data indicate that the targeting of IL6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling in activated microglia may be a promising new approach for inhibiting brain metastasis in NSCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Jin
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yalin Kang
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Minghuan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Bili Wu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Beibei Su
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Han Yin
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yang Tang
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qianxia Li
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Wenjie Wei
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qi Mei
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Guangyuan Hu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Veronika Lukacs-Kornek
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University Clinic of Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jian Li
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University Clinic of Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kongming Wu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xianglin Yuan
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China.
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China.
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32
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Russo GI, Musso N, Romano A, Caruso G, Petralia S, Lanzanò L, Broggi G, Camarda M. The Role of Dielectrophoresis for Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 14:198. [PMID: 35008359 PMCID: PMC8750463 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid biopsy is emerging as a potential diagnostic tool for prostate cancer (PC) prognosis and diagnosis. Unfortunately, most circulating tumor cells (CTC) technologies, such as AdnaTest or Cellsearch®, critically rely on the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) marker, limiting the possibility of detecting cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) and mesenchymal-like cells (EMT-CTCs) that are present during PC progression. In this context, dielectrophoresis (DEP) is an epCAM independent, label-free enrichment system that separates rare cells simply on the basis of their specific electrical properties. As compared to other technologies, DEP may represent a superior technique in terms of running costs, cell yield and specificity. However, because of its higher complexity, it still requires further technical as well as clinical development. DEP can be improved by the use of microfluid, nanostructured materials and fluoro-imaging to increase its potential applications. In the context of cancer, the usefulness of DEP lies in its capacity to detect CTCs in the bloodstream in their epithelial, mesenchymal, or epithelial-mesenchymal phenotype forms, which should be taken into account when choosing CTC enrichment and analysis methods for PC prognosis and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicolò Musso
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science (BIOMETEC), University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
- STLab s.r.l., Via Anapo 53, 95126 Catania, Italy;
| | - Alessandra Romano
- Haematological Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Caruso
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy; (G.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Salvatore Petralia
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy; (G.C.); (S.P.)
| | - Luca Lanzanò
- Department of Physics and Astronomy “Ettore Majorana”, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Broggi
- Pathology Section, Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy;
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Basu B, Karmakar S. The Role of Extracellular Vesicles in the Progression of Tumors towards Metastasis. Physiology (Bethesda) 2021. [DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.101635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived lipid membrane bound vesicles that serve as mediators of intercellular communication. EVs have been found to regulate a wide range of cellular processes through the transference of genetic, protein and lipid messages from the host cell to the recipient cell. Unsurprisingly, this major mode of intracellular communication would be abrogated in cancer. Ever increasing evidence points towards a key role of EVs in promoting tumor development and in contributing to the various stages of metastasis. Tumor released EVs have been shown to facilitate the transference of oncogenic proteins and nucleic acids to other tumor cells and to the surrounding stromal cells, thereby setting up a tumor permissive microenvironment. EVs released from tumor cells have been shown to promote extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling through the modulation of neighboring tumor cells and stromal cells. EVs released from disseminated tumor cells have been reported to attract circulating tumor cells (CTCs) via chemotaxis and induce the production of specific extracellular matrix components from neighboring stromal cells so as to support the growth of metastatic cells at the secondary tumor site. Circulating levels of tumor derived EVs of patients have been correlated with incidence of metastasis and disease relapse.
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Multicellular mechanochemical hybrid cellular Potts model of tissue formation during epithelial‐mesenchymal transition. COMPUTATIONAL AND SYSTEMS ONCOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/cso2.1031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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35
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Lee HW, Jose CC, Cuddapah S. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition: Insights into nickel-induced lung diseases. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 76:99-109. [PMID: 34058338 PMCID: PMC8627926 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Nickel compounds are environmental toxicants, prevalent in the atmosphere due to their widespread use in several industrial processes, extensive consumption of nickel containing products, as well as burning of fossil fuels. Exposure to nickel is associated with a multitude of chronic inflammatory lung diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, nickel exposure is implicated in the development of nasal and lung cancers. Interestingly, a common pathogenic mechanism underlying the development of diseases associated with nickel exposure is epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is a process by which the epithelial cells lose their junctions and polarity and acquire mesenchymal traits, including increased ability to migrate and invade. EMT is a normal and essential physiological process involved in differentiation, development and wound healing. However, EMT also contributes to a number of pathological conditions, including fibrosis, cancer and metastasis. Growing evidence suggest that EMT induction could be an important outcome of nickel exposure. In this review, we discuss the role of EMT in nickel-induced lung diseases and the mechanisms associated with EMT induction by nickel exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Wook Lee
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | - Cynthia C Jose
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | - Suresh Cuddapah
- Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10010, USA.
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36
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Shaikh J, Patel K, Khan T. Advances in Pyrazole Based Scaffold as Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Cancer. Mini Rev Med Chem 2021; 22:1197-1215. [PMID: 34711160 DOI: 10.2174/1389557521666211027104957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The transformation of a normal cell into a tumor cell is one of the initial steps in cell cycle deregulation. The cell cycle is regulated by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) that belong to the protein kinase family. CDK2 is an enchanting target for specific genotypes tumors since cyclin E is selective for CDK2 and the deregulation of specific cancer forms. Thus, CDKs inhibitor specifically CDK2/cyclin A-E has the potential to be a valid cancer target as per the currently undergoing clinical trials. Mostly pyrazole scaffolds have shown selectivity and potency for CDK2 inhibitors. This review demonstrates pyrazole and pyrazole fused with other heterocyclic rings for anti-proliferative activity. Based on the in vitro and molecular docking studies, the IC50 value of various hybrids is revealed to display the most potent analogs for CDK2 inhibition. Thus, the review emphasizes various lead analogs of pyrazole hybrids which can be found to be very potent and selective for anti-cancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jahara Shaikh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry & Quality Assurance, SVKM'S Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai-56. India
| | - Kavitkumar Patel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry & Quality Assurance, SVKM'S Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai-56. India
| | - Tabassum Khan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry & Quality Assurance, SVKM'S Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai-56. India
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Carissimi F, Barbaglia MN, Salmi L, Ciulli C, Roccamatisi L, Cordaro G, Mallela VR, Minisini R, Leone BE, Donadon M, Torzilli G, Pirisi M, Romano F, Famularo S. Finding the seed of recurrence: Hepatocellular carcinoma circulating tumor cells and their potential to drive the surgical treatment. World J Gastrointest Surg 2021; 13:967-978. [PMID: 34621473 PMCID: PMC8462072 DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v13.i9.967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) relies on liver resection, which is, however, burdened by a high rate of recurrence after surgery, up to 60% at 5 years. No pre-operative tools are currently available to assess the recurrence risk tailored to every single patient. Recently liquid biopsy has shown interesting results in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment allocation strategies in other types of cancers, since its ability to identify circulating tumor cells (CTCs) derived from the primary tumor. Those cells were advocated to be responsible for the majority of cases of recurrence and cancer-related deaths for HCC. In fact, after being modified by the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, CTCs circulate as “seeds” in peripheral blood, then reach the target organ as dormant cells which could be subsequently “awakened” and activated, and then initiate metastasis. Their presence may justify the disagreement registered in terms of efficacy of anatomic vs non-anatomic resections, particularly in the case of microvascular invasion, which has been recently pointed as a histological sign of the spread of those cells. Thus, their presence, also in the early stages, may justify the recurrence event also in the contest of liver transplant. Understanding the mechanism behind the tumor progression may allow improving the treatment selection according to the biological patient-based characteristics. Moreover, it may drive the development of novel biological tailored tests which could address a specific patient to neoadjuvant or adjuvant strategies, and in perspective, it could also become a new method to allocate organs for transplantation, according to the risk of relapse after liver transplant. The present paper will describe the most recent evidence on the role of CTCs in determining the relapse of HCC, highlighting their potential clinical implication as novel tumor behavior biomarkers able to influence the surgical choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Carissimi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
| | | | - Livia Salmi
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara 28100, Italy
| | - Cristina Ciulli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
| | - Linda Roccamatisi
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cordaro
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
| | - Venkata Ramana Mallela
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara 28100, Italy
| | - Rosalba Minisini
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara 28100, Italy
| | - Biagio Eugenio Leone
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
- Unit of Pathology, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza 20900, Italy
| | - Matteo Donadon
- Department of Hepatobiliary and General Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital-Department of Biomedical Science, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele 20090, Italy
| | - Guido Torzilli
- Department of Hepatobiliary and General Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital-Department of Biomedical Science, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele 20090, Italy
| | - Mario Pirisi
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara 28100, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Romano
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milan-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
| | - Simone Famularo
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
- Department of Hepatobiliary and General Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital-Department of Biomedical Science, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele 20090, Italy
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Terceiro LEL, Edechi CA, Ikeogu NM, Nickel BE, Hombach-Klonisch S, Sharif T, Leygue E, Myal Y. The Breast Tumor Microenvironment: A Key Player in Metastatic Spread. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4798. [PMID: 34638283 PMCID: PMC8507966 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in the tumorigenesis, progression, and metastatic spread of many cancers including breast. There is now increasing evidence to support the observations that a bidirectional interplay between breast cancer cells and stromal cells exists within the tumor and the tumor microenvironment both at the primary tumor site and at the metastatic site. This interaction occurs through direct cell to cell contact, or by the release of autocrine or paracrine factors which can activate pro-tumor signaling pathways and modulate tumor behavior. In this review, we will highlight recent advances in our current knowledge about the multiple interactions between breast cancer cells and neighboring cells (fibroblasts, endothelial cells, adipocytes, innate and adaptive immune cells) in the tumor microenvironment that coordinate to regulate metastasis. We also highlight the role of exosomes and circulating tumor cells in facilitating breast cancer metastasis. We discuss some key markers associated with stromal cells in the breast tumor environment and their potential to predict patient survival and guide treatment. Finally, we will provide some brief perspectives on how current technologies may lead to the development of more effective therapies for the clinical management of breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas E. L. Terceiro
- Department of Pathology, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P5, Canada; (L.E.L.T.); (C.A.E.); (T.S.)
| | - Chidalu A. Edechi
- Department of Pathology, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P5, Canada; (L.E.L.T.); (C.A.E.); (T.S.)
| | - Nnamdi M. Ikeogu
- Department of Immunology, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T5, Canada;
| | - Barbara E. Nickel
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6, Canada;
| | - Sabine Hombach-Klonisch
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada;
| | - Tanveer Sharif
- Department of Pathology, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P5, Canada; (L.E.L.T.); (C.A.E.); (T.S.)
| | - Etienne Leygue
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T5, Canada;
| | - Yvonne Myal
- Department of Pathology, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P5, Canada; (L.E.L.T.); (C.A.E.); (T.S.)
- Senior Scientist, CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
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Fukada I, Ito Y, Kondo N, Ohtani S, Hattori M, Tokunaga E, Matsunami N, Mashino K, Kosaka T, Tanabe M, Yotsumoto D, Yamanouchi K, Sawaki M, Kashiwaba M, Kawabata H, Kuroi K, Morita S, Ohno S, Toi M, Masuda N. A phase II study of sequential treatment with anthracycline and taxane followed by eribulin in patients with HER2-negative, locally advanced breast cancer (JBCRG-17). Breast Cancer Res Treat 2021; 190:425-434. [PMID: 34554370 PMCID: PMC8558278 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-021-06396-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Purpose The sequence of taxanes (T) followed by anthracyclines (A) as neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been the standard of care for almost 20 years for locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Sequential administration of eribulin (E) following A/T could provide a greater response rate for women with LABC. Methods In this single-arm, multicenter, Phase II prospective study, the patients received 4 cycles of the FEC regimen and 4 cycles of taxane. After the A/T-regimen, 4 cycles of E were administered followed by surgical resection. The primary endpoint was the clinical response rate. Eligible patients were women aged 20 years or older, with histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer, clinical Stage IIIA (T2–3 and N2 only), Stage IIIB, and Stage IIIC, HER2-negative. Results A preplanned interim analysis aimed to validate the trial assumptions was conducted after treatment of 20 patients and demonstrated that clinical progressive disease rates in the E phase were significantly higher (30%) than assumed. Therefore, the Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended stopping the study. Finally, 53 patients were enrolled, and 26 patients received the A/T/E-regimen. The overall observed clinical response rate (RR) was 73% (19/26); RRs were 77% (20/26) in the AT phase and 23% (6/26) in the E phase. Thirty percent (8/26) of patients had PD in the E phase, 6 of whom had achieved cCR/PR in the AT phase. Reported grade ≥ 3 AEs related to E were neutropenia (42%), white blood cell count decrease (27%), febrile neutropenia (7.6%), weight gain (3.8%), and weight loss (3.8%). Conclusion Sequential administration of eribulin after the A/T-regimen provided no additional effect for LABC patients. Future research should continue to focus on identifying specific molecular biomarkers that can improve response rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ippei Fukada
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Breast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
| | - Yoshinori Ito
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Breast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan
| | - Naoto Kondo
- Department of Breast Surgery, Nagoya City University Hospital, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shoichiro Ohtani
- Department of Breast Surgery, Hiroshima City Hiroshima Citizens Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Masaya Hattori
- Department of Breast Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Eriko Tokunaga
- Department of Breast Oncology, National Kyusyu Cancer Center, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Nobuki Matsunami
- Department of Breast Surgery, Osaka Rosai Hospital, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Breast Surgery, Shuto General Hospital, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Kohjiro Mashino
- Department of Surgery, Oita Prefectural Hospital, Oita, Japan
| | - Taijiro Kosaka
- Department of Breast Surgery, Juntendo University Nerima Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Breast Surgery, Hito Medical Center, Ehime, Japan
| | - Masahiko Tanabe
- Department of Breast Oncology, Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Yotsumoto
- Department of Breast Surgery, Social Medical Corporation Hakuaikai, Sagara Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Kosho Yamanouchi
- Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Masataka Sawaki
- Department of Breast Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Masahiro Kashiwaba
- Department of Breast Oncology, Breastopia Miyazaki Hospital, Miyazaki, Japan.,Adachi Breast Clinic, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hidetaka Kawabata
- Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Katsumasa Kuroi
- Department of Breast Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center, Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.,Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Hospitals Corporation Ebara Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Morita
- Department of Biomedical Statistics and Bioinformatics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shinji Ohno
- Breast Oncology Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masakazu Toi
- Breast Surgery, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Norikazu Masuda
- Department of Surgery, Breast Oncology, NHO Osaka National Hospital, Osaka, Japan
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40
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Yuzhalin AE. Parallels between the extracellular matrix roles in developmental biology and cancer biology. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 128:90-102. [PMID: 34556419 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Interaction of a tumor with its microenvironment is an emerging field of investigation, and the crosstalk between cancer cells and the extracellular matrix is of particular interest, since cancer patients with abundant and stiff extracellular matrices display a poorer prognosis. At the post-juvenile stage, the extracellular matrix plays predominantly a structural role by providing support to cells and tissues; however, during development, matrix proteins exert a plethora of diverse signals to guide the movement and determine the fate of pluripotent cells. Taking a closer look at the communication between the extracellular matrix and cells of a developing body may bring new insights into cancer biology and identify cancer weaknesses. This review discusses parallels between the extracellular matrix roles during development and tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arseniy E Yuzhalin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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41
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Atorvastatin facilitates chemotherapy effects in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Br J Cancer 2021; 125:1285-1298. [PMID: 34462586 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01529-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) is treated mainly with chemotherapy. However, resistance frequently occurs as tumours enter dormancy. Statins have been suggested as effective against cancer but as they prolong and promote dormancy, it is an open question of whether the concomitant use would interfere with chemotherapy in primary and mTNBC. We examined this question in animal models and clinical correlations. METHODS We used a xenograft model of spontaneous metastasis to the liver from an ectopic tumour employing a mTNBC cell line. Atorvastatin was provided to sensitise metastatic cells, followed by chemotherapy. The effects of statin usage on outcomes in women with metastatic breast cancer was assessed respectively by querying a database of those diagnosed from 1999 to 2019. RESULTS Atorvastatin had limited influence on tumour growth or chemotherapy effects in ectopic primary tumours. Interestingly, atorvastatin was additive with doxorubicin (but not paclitaxel) when targeting liver metastases. E-cadherin-expressing, dormant, breast cancer cells were resistant to the use of either statins or chemotherapy as compared to wild-type cells; however, the combination of both did lead to increased cell death. Although prospective randomised studies are needed for validation, our retrospective clinical analysis suggested that patients on statin treatment could experience prolonged dormancy and overall survival; still once the tumour recurred progression was not affected by statin use. CONCLUSION Atorvastatin could be used during adjuvant chemotherapy and also in conjunction with metastatic chemotherapy to reduce mTNBC cancer progression. These preclinical data establish a rationale for the development of randomised studies.
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Allen SC, Widman JA, Datta A, Suggs LJ. Dynamic extracellular matrix stiffening induces a phenotypic transformation and a migratory shift in epithelial cells. Integr Biol (Camb) 2021; 12:161-174. [PMID: 32472133 DOI: 10.1093/intbio/zyaa012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Soft tissue tumors, including breast cancer, become stiffer throughout disease progression. This increase in stiffness has been shown to correlate to malignant phenotype and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro. Unlike current models, utilizing static increases in matrix stiffness, our group has previously created a system that allows for dynamic stiffening of an alginate-matrigel composite hydrogel to mirror the native dynamic process. Here, we utilize this system to evaluate the role of matrix stiffness on EMT and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Epithelial cells were seen to lose normal morphology and become protrusive and migratory after stiffening. This shift corresponded to a loss of epithelial markers and gain of mesenchymal markers in both the cell clusters and migrated cells. Furthermore, stiffening in a murine model reduced tumor burden and increased migratory behavior prior to tumor formation. Inhibition of FAK and PI3K in vitro abrogated the morphologic and migratory transformation of epithelial cell clusters. This work demonstrates the key role extracellular matrix stiffening has in tumor progression through integrin signaling and, in particular, its ability to drive EMT-related changes and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane C Allen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jessica A Widman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Anisha Datta
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Laura J Suggs
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
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Ahram M, Bawadi R, Abdullah MS, Alsafadi DB, Abaza H, Abdallah S, Mustafa E. Involvement of β-catenin in Androgen-induced Mesenchymal Transition of Breast MDA-MB-453 Cancer Cells. Endocr Res 2021; 46:114-128. [PMID: 33703980 DOI: 10.1080/07435800.2021.1895829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Purpose The cellular and molecular dynamics of DHT-induced EMT in MDA-MB-453 cells were investigated.Methods:PCR arrays were used to examine the expression of EMT-regulatory genes. Immunoblotting was used to detect protein levels and confirm protein-protein interaction following immunoprecipitation. Immunofluorescence was used to observe rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton and cell morphology. Cell migration was assessed by transwell assayResults: Change of cell morphology was concomitant with increased cell migration after treating cells with DHT. Exposure of cells to DHT for one hour was sufficient to induce changes in cell morphology and actin cytoskeleton after 72 hours indicating altered gene expression. A long-term lasting nuclear translocation of AR was observed after a short exposure of cells to DHT. Investigating the expression of 84 EMT-related genes revealed down-expression of β-catenin, N-cadherin, and TCF-4 and increased expression of Slug, all of which were confirmed at the protein level. Yet, not only early interaction of AR and β-catenin was observed following AR activation, inhibition of β-catenin blocked DHT-induced mesenchymal transition and migration. Wnt signaling was found to be partially important in DHT-induced morphological alteration. The mesenchymal transition of cells could be induced by treating cells with an inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase-3β, an enzyme that inhibits β-catenin; this morphological transition could be reversed by antagonizing AR suggesting that AR functions downstream of β-catenin.Conclusions: These results suggest that MDA-MB-453 cells undergo partial EMT induced by DHT, β-catenin is critical for this phenotypic change, and AR probably reciprocally mediates the mesenchymal transition of these cells upon activation of GSK-3 β.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamoun Ahram
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Randa Bawadi
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Mohammad S Abdullah
- Department of Microbiology, Pathology, and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Dana B Alsafadi
- Department of Microbiology, Pathology, and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Haneen Abaza
- Department of Microbiology, Pathology, and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Sallam Abdallah
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Ebtihal Mustafa
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
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Zhou M, Lai W, Li G, Wang F, Liu W, Liao J, Yang H, Liu Y, Zhang Q, Tang Q, Hu C, Huang J, Zhang R. Platelet Membrane-Coated and VAR2CSA Malaria Protein-Functionalized Nanoparticles for Targeted Treatment of Primary and Metastatic Cancer. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:25635-25648. [PMID: 34038097 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c02581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Metastasis is the main cause of death in cancer patients. The efficacy of pharmacological therapy for cancer is limited by the heterogeneous nature of cancer cells and the lack of knowledge of microenvironments in metastasis. Evidence has shown that activated platelets possess both tumor-homing and metastasis-targeting properties via intrinsic cell adhesion molecules on platelets, and malaria protein VAR2CSA is able to specifically bind to oncofetal chondroitin sulfate, which is overexpressed on cancer cells with both epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes. Inspired by these mechanisms, we developed a recombinant VAR2CSA peptide (rVAR2)-modified activated platelet-mimicking nanoparticles (rVAR2-PM/PLGA-ss-HA) by coating the surface of disulfide-containing biodegradable PLGA conjugate nanoparticles (PLGA-ss-HA) with an activated platelet membrane. The results demonstrated that the engineered 122 nm rVAR2-PM/PLGA-ss-HA inherited the innate properties of the activated platelet membrane and achieved enhanced homing to both primary and metastatic foci. The nanoparticles were endocytosed and responded to a high intracellular concentration of reduced glutathione, resulting in nanoparticle disintegration and the release of chemotherapeutic drugs to kill tumor cells. Thus, rVAR2-decorated activated platelet-targeting nanoparticles with controlled drug release provide a promising drug delivery strategy for efficient treatment of primary and metastatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhou
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, ChongQing 400037, China
| | - Wenjing Lai
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, ChongQing 400037, China
| | - Guobing Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, ChongQing 400037, China
| | - Fengling Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, ChongQing 400037, China
| | - Wuyi Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, ChongQing 400037, China
| | - Jiaxing Liao
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, ChongQing 400037, China
| | - Haibo Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, ChongQing 400037, China
| | - Yali Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, ChongQing 400037, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, ChongQing 400037, China
| | - Qin Tang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, ChongQing 400037, China
| | - Changpeng Hu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, ChongQing 400037, China
| | - Jingbin Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, ChongQing 400037, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, ChongQing 400037, China
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Brown SR, Bates JC, Avera AD, Kim Y. Relationship between Stemness, Reactive Oxygen Species, and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Model Circulating Tumor Cells. Cells Tissues Organs 2021; 211:282-293. [PMID: 34077929 DOI: 10.1159/000516574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Most cancer deaths are caused by secondary metastasized tumors. The cells that spread these tumors are known as circulating tumor cells (CTCs). They exist in a dynamic environment, including exposure to fluid shear stress (FSS) that makes them susceptible to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. There are questions about the similarities of CTCs to cancer stem cells (CSCs) and whether the stem cell-like characteristics of CTCs allow them to proliferate and spread despite the biophysical obstacles during the metastatic process. One of those qualities is the ability to undergo the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Here, MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 were modeled as CTCs by prolonged exposure to FSS using a spinner flask. They were tested for ROS generation, CSC, EMT, and Hippo pathway gene and protein markers using qRT-PCR and flow cytometry. MDA-MB-231 did not show significant changes in CSC markers, but did show significant changes in ROS, EMT, and Hippo markers (p < 0.05). Similarly, MCF7 showed significant changes in ROS and EMT markers (p < 0.05). Furthermore, both cell lines demonstrated the reverse mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition signature when allowed to recover after FSS. These results suggest that the degree of their stemness or aggressiveness affects their responses to externally applied biophysical forces and demonstrates a potential link between mechanotransduction, the Hippo pathway, and the induction of EMT in breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spenser R Brown
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Juliana C Bates
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Alexandra D Avera
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Yonghyun Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
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Chen F, Han Y, Kang Y. Bone marrow niches in the regulation of bone metastasis. Br J Cancer 2021; 124:1912-1920. [PMID: 33758331 PMCID: PMC8184962 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01329-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The bone marrow has been widely recognised to host a unique microenvironment that facilitates tumour colonisation. Bone metastasis frequently occurs in the late stages of malignant diseases such as breast, prostate and lung cancers. The biology of bone metastasis is determined by tumour-cell-intrinsic traits as well as their interaction with the microenvironment. The bone marrow is a dynamic organ in which various stages of haematopoiesis, osteogenesis, osteolysis and different kinds of immune response are precisely regulated. These different cellular components constitute specialised tissue microenvironments-niches-that play critical roles in controlling tumour cell colonisation, including initial seeding, dormancy and outgrowth. In this review, we will dissect the dynamic nature of the interactions between tumour cells and bone niches. By targeting certain steps of tumour progression and crosstalk with the bone niches, the development of potential therapeutic approaches for the clinical treatment of bone metastasis might be feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenfang Chen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Yujiao Han
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Yibin Kang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Cancer Metabolism and Growth Program, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
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Clark AM, Heusey HL, Griffith LG, Lauffenburger DA, Wells A. IP-10 (CXCL10) Can Trigger Emergence of Dormant Breast Cancer Cells in a Metastatic Liver Microenvironment. Front Oncol 2021; 11:676135. [PMID: 34123844 PMCID: PMC8190328 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.676135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastatic breast cancer remains a largely incurable and fatal disease with liver involvement bearing the worst prognosis. The danger is compounded by a subset of disseminated tumor cells that may lie dormant for years to decades before re-emerging as clinically detectable metastases. Pathophysiological signals can drive these tumor cells to emerge. Prior studies indicated CXCR3 ligands as being the predominant signals synergistically and significantly unregulated during inflammation in the gut-liver axis. Of the CXCR3 ligands, IP-10 (CXCL10) was the most abundant, correlated significantly with shortened survival of human breast cancer patients with metastatic disease and was highest in those with triple negative (TNBC) disease. Using a complex ex vivo all-human liver microphysiological (MPS) model of dormant-emergent metastatic progression, CXCR3 ligands were found to be elevated in actively growing populations of metastatic TNBC breast cancer cells whereas they remained similar to the tumor-free hepatic niche in those with dormant breast cancer cells. Subsequent stimulation of dormant breast cancer cells in the ex vivo metastatic liver MPS model with IP-10 triggered their emergence in a dose-dependent manner. Emergence was indicated to occur indirectly possibly via activation of the resident liver cells in the surrounding metastatic microenvironment, as stimulation of breast cancer cells with exogenous IP-10 did not significantly change their migratory, invasive or proliferative behavior. The findings reveal that IP-10 is capable of triggering the emergence of dormant breast cancer cells within the liver metastatic niche and identifies the IP-10/CXCR3 as a candidate targetable pathway for rational approaches aimed at maintaining dormancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M. Clark
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Pittsburgh VA Medical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Haley L. Heusey
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Pittsburgh VA Medical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Linda G. Griffith
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Douglas. A. Lauffenburger
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Alan Wells
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Pittsburgh VA Medical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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Murphy RJ, Buenzli PR, Tambyah TA, Thompson EW, Hugo HJ, Baker RE, Simpson MJ. The role of mechanical interactions in EMT. Phys Biol 2021; 18. [PMID: 33789261 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/abf425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The detachment of cells from the boundary of an epithelial tissue and the subsequent invasion of these cells into surrounding tissues is important for cancer development and wound healing, and is strongly associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Chemical signals, such as TGF-β, produced by surrounding tissue can be uptaken by cells and induce EMT. In this work, we present a novel cell-based discrete mathematical model of mechanical cellular relaxation, cell proliferation, and cell detachment driven by chemically-dependent EMT in an epithelial tissue. A continuum description of the model is then derived in the form of a novel nonlinear free boundary problem. Using the discrete and continuum models we explore how the coupling of chemical transport and mechanical interactions influences EMT, and postulate how this could be used to help control EMT in pathological situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Murphy
- Queensland University of Technology, Mathematical Sciences, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Pascal R Buenzli
- Queensland University of Technology, Mathematical Sciences, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Tamara A Tambyah
- Queensland University of Technology, Mathematical Sciences, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Erik W Thompson
- Queensland University of Technology, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Brisbane, Australia.,Queensland University of Technology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Brisbane, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Honor J Hugo
- Queensland University of Technology, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Brisbane, Australia.,Queensland University of Technology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Brisbane, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ruth E Baker
- University of Oxford, Mathematical Institute, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Simpson
- Queensland University of Technology, Mathematical Sciences, Brisbane, Australia
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49
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Dzobo K, Sinkala M. Cancer Stem Cell Marker CD44 Plays Multiple Key Roles in Human Cancers: Immune Suppression/Evasion, Drug Resistance, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, and Metastasis. OMICS-A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2021; 25:313-332. [PMID: 33961518 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2021.0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
One of the most frequently utilized cancer stem cell markers in human cancers, including colorectal cancer and breast cancer, is CD44. A glycoprotein, CD44, traverses the cell membrane and binds to many ligands, including hyaluronan, resulting in activation of signaling cascades. There are conflicting data, however, on expression of CD44 in relationship to subtypes of cancers. Moreover, the associations of CD44 expression with drug resistance, immune infiltration, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastasis, and clinical prognosis in several cancer types are not clear and call for further studies. We report here an original study on CD44 expression in several human cancers and its relationship with tumorigenesis. We harnessed data from the publicly available databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, Oncomine, Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer, and the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource. Our analysis reveals that CD44 expression varies across cancer types and is significantly associated with cancer patients' survival, in gastric and pancreatic cancers (p < 0.05). In addition, CD44 expression is closely linked with immune infiltration and immune suppressive features in pancreatic, colon adenocarcinoma, and stomach cancer. High CD44 expression was significantly correlated with the expression of drug resistance, EMT, and metastasis associated genes. Tumors expressing high CD44 have higher mutation burden and afflict older patients compared to tumors expressing low CD44. Cell lines expressing high CD44 are more resistant to anticancer drugs compared to those expressing low CD44. Protein-protein interaction investigations and functional enrichment analysis showed that CD44 interacts with gene products related to cell-substrate adhesion, migration, platelet activation, and cellular response to stress. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that these genes play key roles in biological adhesion, cell component organization, locomotion, G-α-signaling, and the response to stimulus. In summary, these findings lend evidence for the multiple key roles played by CD44 in tumorigenesis and suggest that CD44 is considered further in future studies of cancer pathogenesis and the search for novel molecular targets and personalized medicine biomarkers in clinical oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Dzobo
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town Component, Cape Town, South Africa.,Division of Medical Biochemistry, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Musalula Sinkala
- Division of Computational Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
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50
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Das A, Haque I, Ray P, Ghosh A, Dutta D, Quadir M, De A, Gunewardena S, Chatterjee I, Banerjee S, Weir S, Banerjee SK. CCN5 activation by free or encapsulated EGCG is required to render triple-negative breast cancer cell viability and tumor progression. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2021; 9:e00753. [PMID: 33745223 PMCID: PMC7981588 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has been considered an anticancer agent despite conflicting and discrepant bioavailability views. EGCG impairs the viability and self-renewal capacity of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and makes them sensitive to estrogen via activating ER-α. Surprisingly, the mechanism of EGCG's action on TNBC cells remains unclear. CCN5/WISP-2 is a gatekeeper gene that regulates viability, ER-α, and stemness in TNBC and other types of cancers. This study aimed to investigate whether EGCG (free or encapsulated in nanoparticles) interacts with the CCN5 protein by emphasizing its bioavailability and enhancing its anticancer effect. We demonstrate that EGCG activates CCN5 to inhibit in vitro cell viability through apoptosis, the sphere-forming ability via reversing TNBC cells' stemness, and suppressing tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, we found EGCG-loaded nanoparticles to be functionally more active and superior in their tumor-suppressing ability than free-EGCG. Together, these studies identify EGCG (free or encapsulated) as a novel activator of CCN5 in TNBC cells and hold promise as a future therapeutic option for TNBC with upregulated CCN5 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amlan Das
- Cancer Research UnitVA Medical CenterKansas CityMOUSA
- Present address:
National Institute of Biomedical GenomicsKalyaniWest BengalIndia
| | - Inamul Haque
- Cancer Research UnitVA Medical CenterKansas CityMOUSA
| | - Priyanka Ray
- Department of Chemical Biochemical Environmental Engineering (CBEEUniversity of MarylandBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Arnab Ghosh
- Cancer Research UnitVA Medical CenterKansas CityMOUSA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKSUSA
| | - Debasmita Dutta
- Department of Coatings and Polymeric MaterialsNorth Dakota State UniversityFargoNDUSA
| | - Mohiuddin Quadir
- Department of Coatings and Polymeric MaterialsNorth Dakota State UniversityFargoNDUSA
| | - Archana De
- Cancer Research UnitVA Medical CenterKansas CityMOUSA
| | - Sumedha Gunewardena
- Department of Molecular and Integrative PhysiologyUniversity of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKSUSA
| | - Indranil Chatterjee
- Cancer Research UnitVA Medical CenterKansas CityMOUSA
- Present address:
Department of Life SciencesCentral University of Tamil NaduThiruvarurIndia
| | - Snigdha Banerjee
- Cancer Research UnitVA Medical CenterKansas CityMOUSA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKSUSA
| | - Scott Weir
- Department of PharmacologyToxicology and TherapeuticsUniversity of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKSUSA
| | - Sushanta K. Banerjee
- Cancer Research UnitVA Medical CenterKansas CityMOUSA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKSUSA
- Lead contact, SKB, Cancer Research UnitKansas CityMOUSA
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