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Linville RM, Maressa J, Guo Z, Chung TD, Farrell A, Jha R, Searson PC. A tissue-engineered model of the blood-tumor barrier during metastatic breast cancer. Fluids Barriers CNS 2023; 20:80. [PMID: 37924145 PMCID: PMC10623725 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-023-00482-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic brain cancer has poor prognosis due to challenges in both detection and treatment. One contributor to poor prognosis is the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which severely limits the transport of therapeutic agents to intracranial tumors. During the development of brain metastases from primary breast cancer, the BBB is modified and is termed the 'blood-tumor barrier' (BTB). A better understanding of the differences between the BBB and BTB across cancer types and stages may assist in identifying new therapeutic targets. Here, we utilize a tissue-engineered microvessel model with induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived brain microvascular endothelial-like cells (iBMECs) and surrounded by human breast metastatic cancer spheroids with brain tropism. We directly compare BBB and BTB in vitro microvessels to unravel both physical and chemical interactions occurring during perivascular cancer growth. We determine the dynamics of vascular co-option by cancer cells, modes of vascular degeneration, and quantify the endothelial barrier to antibody transport. Additionally, using bulk RNA sequencing, ELISA of microvessel perfusates, and related functional assays, we probe early brain endothelial changes in the presence of cancer cells. We find that immune cell adhesion and endothelial turnover are elevated within the metastatic BTB, and that macrophages exert a unique influence on BTB identity. Our model provides a novel three-dimensional system to study mechanisms of cancer-vascular-immune interactions and drug delivery occurring within the BTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raleigh M Linville
- Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 100 Croft Hall, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joanna Maressa
- Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 100 Croft Hall, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Zhaobin Guo
- Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 100 Croft Hall, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Tracy D Chung
- Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 100 Croft Hall, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alanna Farrell
- Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 100 Croft Hall, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Ria Jha
- Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 100 Croft Hall, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter C Searson
- Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 100 Croft Hall, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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McDonald B, Barth K, Schmidt MHH. The origin of brain malignancies at the blood-brain barrier. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:282. [PMID: 37688612 PMCID: PMC10492883 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04934-1] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Despite improvements in extracranial therapy, survival rate for patients suffering from brain metastases remains very poor. This is coupled with the incidence of brain metastases continuing to rise. In this review, we focus on core contributions of the blood-brain barrier to the origin of brain metastases. We first provide an overview of the structure and function of the blood-brain barrier under physiological conditions. Next, we discuss the emerging idea of a pre-metastatic niche, namely that secreted factors and extracellular vesicles from a primary tumor site are able to travel through the circulation and prime the neurovasculature for metastatic invasion. We then consider the neurotropic mechanisms that circulating tumor cells possess or develop that facilitate disruption of the blood-brain barrier and survival in the brain's parenchyma. Finally, we compare and contrast brain metastases at the blood-brain barrier to the primary brain tumor, glioma, examining the process of vessel co-option that favors the survival and outgrowth of brain malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brennan McDonald
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden School of Medicine, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Kathrin Barth
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden School of Medicine, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mirko H H Schmidt
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden School of Medicine, Dresden, Germany
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Proteins Found in the Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Secretome and Their Therapeutic Potential. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032100. [PMID: 36768435 PMCID: PMC9916912 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The cancer secretome comprises factors secreted by tumors, including cytokines, growth factors, proteins from the extracellular matrix (ECM), proteases and protease inhibitors, membrane and extracellular vesicle proteins, peptide hormones, and metabolic proteins. Secreted proteins provide an avenue for communication with other tumor cells and stromal cells, and these in turn promote tumor growth and progression. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the US and worldwide. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by its aggressiveness and its lack of expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2, making it unable to be treated with therapies targeting these protein markers, and leaving patients to rely on standard chemotherapy. In order to develop more effective therapies against TNBC, researchers are searching for targetable molecules specific to TNBC. Proteins in the TNBC secretome are involved in wide-ranging cancer-promoting processes, including tumor growth, angiogenesis, inflammation, the EMT, drug resistance, invasion, and development of the premetastatic niche. In this review, we catalog the currently known proteins in the secretome of TNBC tumors and correlate these secreted molecules with potential therapeutic opportunities to facilitate translational research.
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Zlotnik D, Rabinski T, Halfon A, Anzi S, Plaschkes I, Benyamini H, Nevo Y, Gershoni OY, Rosental B, Hershkovitz E, Ben-Zvi A, Vatine GD. P450 oxidoreductase regulates barrier maturation by mediating retinoic acid metabolism in a model of the human BBB. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:2050-2063. [PMID: 35961311 PMCID: PMC9481905 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.07.010] [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: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) selectively regulates the entry of molecules into the central nervous system (CNS). A crosstalk between brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) and resident CNS cells promotes the acquisition of functional tight junctions (TJs). Retinoic acid (RA), a key signaling molecule during embryonic development, is used to enhance in vitro BBB models’ functional barrier properties. However, its physiological relevance and affected pathways are not fully understood. P450 oxidoreductase (POR) regulates the enzymatic activity of microsomal cytochromes. POR-deficient (PORD) patients display impaired steroid homeostasis and cognitive disabilities. Here, we used both patient-specific POR-deficient and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated POR-depleted induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived BMECs (iBMECs) to study the role of POR in the acquisition of functional barrier properties. We demonstrate that POR regulates cellular RA homeostasis and that POR deficiency leads to the accumulation of RA within iBMECs, resulting in the impaired acquisition of TJs and, consequently, to dysfunctional development of barrier properties. Retinoic acid (RA) promotes functional barrier properties POR-deficient iPS-brain endothelial-like cells display impaired barrier development POR mediates CYP26-dependent cellular RA catabolism RA accumulation induces a pro-inflammatory response
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Affiliation(s)
- Dor Zlotnik
- The Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; The Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell (RMSC) Research Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; The Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Tatiana Rabinski
- The Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell (RMSC) Research Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Aviv Halfon
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Shira Anzi
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Inbar Plaschkes
- Bioinformatics Unit of the I-CORE Computation Center, the Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Hadar Benyamini
- Bioinformatics Unit of the I-CORE Computation Center, the Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Yuval Nevo
- Bioinformatics Unit of the I-CORE Computation Center, the Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Orly Yahalom Gershoni
- The Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell (RMSC) Research Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Benyamin Rosental
- The Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell (RMSC) Research Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Eli Hershkovitz
- Israel Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Ayal Ben-Zvi
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Gad D Vatine
- The Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; The Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell (RMSC) Research Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; The Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel.
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Marin J, Journe F, Ghanem GE, Awada A, Kindt N. Cytokine Landscape in Central Nervous System Metastases. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10071537. [PMID: 35884845 PMCID: PMC9313120 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10071537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system is the location of metastases in more than 40% of patients with lung cancer, breast cancer and melanoma. These metastases are associated with one of the poorest prognoses in advanced cancer patients, mainly due to the lack of effective treatments. In this review, we explore the involvement of cytokines, including interleukins and chemokines, during the development of brain and leptomeningeal metastases from the epithelial-to-mesenchymal cell transition and blood–brain barrier extravasation to the interaction between cancer cells and cells from the brain microenvironment, including astrocytes and microglia. Furthermore, the role of the gut–brain axis on cytokine release during this process will also be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Marin
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Oncology (LOCE), Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, Belgium; (J.M.); (F.J.); (G.E.G.); (A.A.)
| | - Fabrice Journe
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Oncology (LOCE), Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, Belgium; (J.M.); (F.J.); (G.E.G.); (A.A.)
- Laboratory of Human Anatomy and Experimental Oncology, Institut Santé, Université de Mons (UMons), 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Ghanem E. Ghanem
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Oncology (LOCE), Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, Belgium; (J.M.); (F.J.); (G.E.G.); (A.A.)
| | - Ahmad Awada
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Oncology (LOCE), Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, Belgium; (J.M.); (F.J.); (G.E.G.); (A.A.)
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nadège Kindt
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Oncology (LOCE), Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, Belgium; (J.M.); (F.J.); (G.E.G.); (A.A.)
- Correspondence:
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