Hyaluronan in aged collagen matrix increases prostate epithelial cell proliferation

The multifaceted role of the stroma in the healthy prostate and prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PC) is an age-related disease and represents, after lung cancer, the second cause of cancer death in males worldwide. Mortality is due to the metastatic disease, which mainly involves the bones, lungs, and liver. In the last 20 years, the incidence of metastatic PC has increased in Western Countries, and a further increase is expected in the near future, due to the population ageing. Current treatment options, including state of the art cancer immunotherapy, need to be more effective to achieve long-term disease control. The most significant anatomical barrier to overcome to improve the effectiveness of current and newly designed drug strategies consists of the prostatic stroma, in particular the fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix, which are the most abundant components of both the normal and tumor prostatic microenvironment. By weaving a complex communication network with the glandular epithelium, the immune cells, the microbiota, the endothelium, and the nerves, in the healthy prostatic microenvironment, the fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix support organ development and homeostasis. However, during inflammation, ageing and prostate tumorigenesis, they undergo dramatic phenotypic and genotypic changes, which impact on tumor growth and progression and on the development of therapy resistance. Here, we focus on the characteristics and functions of the prostate associated fibroblasts and of the extracellular matrix in health and cancer. We emphasize their roles in shaping tumor behavior and the feasibility of manipulating and/or targeting these stromal components to overcome the limitations of current treatments and to improve precision medicine's chances of success.

Collagen and Discoidin Domain Receptor 1 Partnership: A Multifaceted Role in the Regulation of Breast Carcinoma Cell Phenotype

Type I collagen, the major components of breast interstitial stroma, is able to regulate breast carcinoma cell behavior. Discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) is a type I collagen receptor playing a key role in this process. In fact, collagen/DDR1 axis is able to trigger the downregulation of cell proliferation and the activation of BIK-mediated apoptosis pathway. The aim of this review is to discuss the role of two important factors that regulate these processes. The first factor is the level of DDR1 expression. DDR1 is highly expressed in epithelial-like breast carcinoma cells, but poorly in basal-like ones. Moreover, DDR1 undergoes cleavage by MT1-MMP, which is highly expressed in basal-like breast carcinoma cells. The second factor is type I collagen remodeling since DDR1 activation depends on its fibrillar organization. Collagen remodeling is involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis through age- and proteolysis-related modifications.

Pao Pereira extract suppresses benign prostatic hyperplasia by inhibiting inflammation-associated NFκB signaling

BACKGROUND

Our previous study revealed the extract from the bark of an Amazonian tree Pao Pereira can suppress benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in a rat model. Herein, we examined its inhibitory effects on human BPH cells and dissect its molecular mechanism.

METHODS

We applied Pao extract to human BPH epithelial BPH-1 and prostate myofibroblast WPMY-1 cells. Cell viability, apoptosis and immunoblotting were performed, followed by gene expression profiling and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to detect the differentially expressed genes and signaling pathway induced by Pao extract. Human ex vivo BPH explant organ culture was also used to examine the effects of Pao extract on human BPH tissues.

RESULTS

Pao extract treatment inhibited viability and induced apoptosis in human BPH-1 and WPMY-1 cells. Gene expression profiling and the following validation indicated that the expression levels of pro-apoptotic genes (eg. PCDC4, CHOP and FBXO32) were induced by Pao extract in both two cell lines. GSEA further revealed that Pao extract treatment was negatively associated with the activation of NFκB signaling. Pao extract suppressed the transcriptional activity of NFκB and down-regulated its target genes involved in inflammation (CXCL5, CXCL6 and CXCL12) and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling (HAS2, TNC and MMP13) in both cultured cells and human ex vivo BPH explants.

CONCLUSION

In both BPH epithelial and stromal cells, Pao extract induces apoptosis by upregulating the pro-apoptotic genes and inhibiting the inflammation-associated NFκB signaling via reducing phosphorylation of NFκB subunit RelA. Our data suggest that Pao extract may be a promising phytotherapeutic agent for BPH.

Type I collagen aging impairs discoidin domain receptor 2-mediated tumor cell growth suppression

Tumor cells are confronted to a type I collagen rich environment which regulates cell proliferation and invasion. Biological aging has been associated with structural changes of type I collagen. Here, we address the effect of collagen aging on cell proliferation in a three-dimensional context (3D).

We provide evidence for an inhibitory effect of adult collagen, but not of the old one, on proliferation of human fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells. This effect involves both the activation of the tyrosine kinase Discoidin Domain Receptor 2 (DDR2) and the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2. DDR2 and SHP-2 were less activated in old collagen. DDR2 inhibition decreased SHP-2 phosphorylation in adult collagen and increased cell proliferation to a level similar to that observed in old collagen.

In the presence of old collagen, a high level of JAK2 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation was observed while expression of the cell cycle negative regulator p21^CIP1 was decreased. Inhibition of DDR2 kinase function also led to an increase in ERK1/2 phosphorylation and a decrease in p21^CIP1 expression. Similar signaling profile was observed when DDR2 was inhibited in adult collagen. Altogether, these data suggest that biological collagen aging could increase tumor cell proliferation by reducingthe activation of the key matrix sensor DDR2.

Association Study of Polymorphisms of Epidermal Growth Factor and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor With Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in a Korean Population

Purpose

Recent studies have suggested that specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) contribute to the clinical features of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In this study, we investigated the relationships of genetic polymorphisms of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) gene and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene with BPH.

Methods

A total of 218 patients with BPH were enrolled in this study. We evaluated the relationship between eight SNPs in the EGF and EGFR genes and prostate volume, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and International Prostate Symptom Score of BPH patients. Each SNP was genotyped by direct sequencing. Statistical analysis applying codominant, dominant, recessive, and log-additive models was performed via logistic regression.

Results

The rs11568943 and rs11569017 SNPs in the EGF gene showed significant associations with prostate volume (rs11568943: P=0.038 in the log-additive model, P=0.024 in the allele distribution; rs11569017, P=0.031 in the dominant model, P=0.028 in the log-additive model, P=0.020 in the allele distribution). Additionally, the rs3756261, rs11568943, and rs11569017 SNPs of the EGF gene and the rs2293347 SNP of the EGFR gene were associated with PSA levels (P<0.05 in each model, respectively).

Conclusions

These results suggest that the EGF gene may affect prostate volume. In addition, the EGF and EGFR genes may be associated with PSA levels in patients with BPH.

Decreased Laminin Expression by Human Lung Epithelial Cells and Fibroblasts Cultured in Acellular Lung Scaffolds from Aged Mice

The lung changes functionally and structurally with aging. However, age-related effects on the extracellular matrix (ECM) and corresponding effects on lung cell behavior are not well understood. We hypothesized that ECM from aged animals would induce aging-related phenotypic changes in healthy inoculated cells. Decellularized whole organ scaffolds provide a powerful model for examining how ECM cues affect cell phenotype. The effects of age on ECM composition in both native and decellularized mouse lungs were assessed as was the effect of young vs old acellular ECM on human bronchial epithelial cells (hBECs) and lung fibroblasts (hLFs). Native aged (1 year) lungs demonstrated decreased expression of laminins α3 and α4, elastin and fibronectin, and elevated collagen, compared to young (3 week) lungs. Proteomic analyses of decellularized ECM demonstrated similar findings, and decellularized aged lung ECM contained less diversity in structural proteins compared to young ECM. When seeded in old ECM, hBECs and hLFs demonstrated lower gene expression of laminins α3 and α4, respectively, as compared to young ECM, paralleling the laminin deficiency of aged ECM. ECM changes appear to be important factors in potentiating aging-related phenotypes and may provide clues to mechanisms that allow for aging-related lung diseases.