AMPK increases expression of ATM through transcriptional factor Sp1 and induces radioresistance under severe hypoxia in glioblastoma cell lines

An anti-neoplastic tale of metformin through its transport

Metformin is an attractive candidate drug among all the repurposed drugs for cancer. Extensive preclinical and clinical research has evaluated its efficacy in cancer therapy, revealing a mixed outcome in clinical settings. To fully exploit metformin's therapeutic potential, understanding cellular factors relevant to its transport and accumulation in cancer cells needs to be understood. This review highlights the relevance of metformin transporter status towards its anti-cancer potential. Metformin transporters are regulated at pre-transcriptional, transcriptional, and post-translational levels. Moreover, the tumour microenvironment can also influence metformin accumulation in cancer cells. Also, Metformin treatment can regulate its transporters by altering global DNA methylation, protein acetylation, and transcription factors. Importantly, metformin transporters not only influence chemotherapeutic drug toxicity but are also associated with the prognosis and survival of individuals having cancer. Strategic decisions based on the expression and regulation of metformin transporters holds promise for its therapeutic implications and relevance.

Datamining approaches for examining the low prevalence of N-acetylglutamate synthase deficiency and understanding transcriptional regulation of urea cycle genes

Ammonia, which is toxic to the brain, is converted into non-toxic urea, through a pathway of six enzymatically catalyzed steps known as the urea cycle. In this pathway, N-acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS, EC 2.3.1.1) catalyzes the formation of N-acetylglutamate (NAG) from glutamate and acetyl coenzyme A. NAGS deficiency (NAGSD) is the rarest of the urea cycle disorders, yet is unique in that ureagenesis can be restored with the drug N-carbamylglutamate (NCG). We investigated whether the rarity of NAGSD could be due to low sequence variation in the NAGS genomic region, high NAGS tolerance for amino acid replacements, and alternative sources of NAG and NCG in the body. We also evaluated whether the small genomic footprint of the NAGS catalytic domain might play a role. The small number of patients diagnosed with NAGSD could result from the absence of specific disease biomarkers and/or short NAGS catalytic domain. We screened for sequence variants in NAGS regulatory regions in patients suspected of having NAGSD and found a novel NAGS regulatory element in the first intron of the NAGS gene. We applied the same datamining approach to identify regulatory elements in the remaining urea cycle genes. In addition to the known promoters and enhancers of each gene, we identified several novel regulatory elements in their upstream regions and first introns. The identification of cis-regulatory elements of urea cycle genes and their associated transcription factors holds promise for uncovering shared mechanisms governing urea cycle gene expression and potentially leading to new treatments for urea cycle disorders.

Shedding light on function of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in glioblastoma

The brain tumors and especially glioblastoma, are affecting life of many people worldwide and due to their high mortality and morbidity, their treatment is of importance and has gained attention in recent years. The abnormal expression of genes is commonly observed in GBM and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have demonstrated dysregulation in this tumor. LncRNAs have length more than 200 nucleotides and they have been located in cytoplasm and nucleus. The current review focuses on the role of lncRNAs in GBM. There two types of lncRNAs in GBM including tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressor lncRNAs and overexpression of oncogenic lncRNAs increases progression of GBM. LncRNAs can regulate proliferation, cell cycle arrest and metastasis of GBM cells. Wnt, STAT3 and EZH2 are among the molecular pathways affected by lncRNAs in GBM and for regulating metastasis of GBM cells, these RNA molecules mainly affect EMT mechanism. LncRNAs are involved in drug resistance and can induce resistance of GBM cells to temozolomide chemotherapy. Furthermore, lncRNAs stimulate radio-resistance in GBM cells. LncRNAs increase PD-1 expression to mediate immune evasion. LncRNAs can be considered as diagnostic and prognostic tools in GBM and researchers have developed signature from lncRNAs in GBM.

Understanding the Significance of Hypoxia-Inducible Factors (HIFs) in Glioblastoma: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

The study aims to investigate the role of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) in the development, progression, and therapeutic potential of glioblastomas.

METHODOLOGY

The study, following PRISMA guidelines, systematically examined hypoxia and HIFs in glioblastoma using MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, and Scopus. A total of 104 relevant studies underwent data extraction.

RESULTS

Among the 104 studies, global contributions were diverse, with China leading at 23.1%. The most productive year was 2019, accounting for 11.5%. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1α) was frequently studied, followed by hypoxia-inducible factor 2 alpha (HIF2α), osteopontin, and cavolin-1. Commonly associated factors and pathways include glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) receptors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt-mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). HIF expression correlates with various glioblastoma hallmarks, including progression, survival, neovascularization, glucose metabolism, migration, and invasion.

CONCLUSION

Overcoming challenges such as treatment resistance and the absence of biomarkers is critical for the effective integration of HIF-related therapies into the treatment of glioblastoma with the aim of optimizing patient outcomes.

Forkhead box transcription factors (FOXOs and FOXM1) in glioma: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutics

Glioma is the most aggressive and malignant type of primary brain tumor, comprises the majority of central nervous system deaths, and is categorized into different subgroups according to its histological characteristics, including astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), and mixed tumors. The forkhead box (FOX) transcription factors comprise a collection of proteins that play various roles in numerous complex molecular cascades and have been discovered to be differentially expressed in distinct glioma subtypes. FOXM1 and FOXOs have been recognized as crucial transcription factors in tumor cells, including glioma cells. Accumulating data indicates that FOXM1 acts as an oncogene in various types of cancers, and a significant part of studies has investigated its function in glioma. Although recent studies considered FOXO subgroups as tumor suppressors, there are pieces of evidence that they may have an oncogenic role. This review will discuss the subtle functions of FOXOs and FOXM1 in gliomas, dissecting their regulatory network with other proteins, microRNAs and their role in glioma progression, including stem cell differentiation and therapy resistance/sensitivity, alongside highlighting recent pharmacological progress for modulating their expression.

Pleckstrin-2 promotes tumour immune escape from NK cells by activating the MT1-MMP-MICA signalling axis in gastric cancer

Immune escape is a major challenge in tumour immunotherapy. Pleckstrin-2(PLEK2) plays a critical role in tumour progression, but its role in immune escape in gastric cancer (GC) remains uncharacterized. RNA sequencing was used to explore the differentially expressed genes in a GC cell line that was resistant to the antitumor effect of Natural killer (NK) cells. Apoptosis and the expression of IFN-γ and TNF-α were detected by flow cytometry (FCM). PLEK2 expression was examined by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC). PLEK2 was upregulated in MGC803R cells that were resistant to the antitumor effect of NK cells. PLEK2 knockout increased the sensitivity of GC cells to NK cell killing. PLEK2 expression was negatively correlated with MICA and positively correlated with MT1-MMP expression both in vitro and in vivo. PLEK2 promoted Sp1 phosphorylation through the PI3K-AKT pathway, thereby upregulating MT1-MMP expression, which ultimately led to MICA shedding. In mouse xenograft models, PLEK2 knockout inhibited intraperitoneal metastasis of GC cells and promoted NK cell infiltration. In summary, PLEK2 suppressed NK cell immune surveillance by promoting MICA shedding, which serves as a potential therapeutic target for GC.

AMPK/FOXO3a Pathway Increases Activity and/or Expression of ATM, DNA-PKcs, Src, EGFR, PDK1, and SOD2 and Induces Radioresistance under Nutrient Starvation

Most solid tumors contain hypoxic and nutrient-deprived microenvironments. The cancer cells in these microenvironments have been reported to exhibit radioresistance. We have previously reported that nutrient starvation increases the expression and/or activity of ATM and DNA-PKcs, which are involved in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks induced by ionizing radiation. In the present study, to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these phenomena, we investigated the roles of AMPK and FOXO3a, which play key roles in the cellular response to nutrient starvation. Nutrient starvation increased clonogenic cell survival after irradiation and increased the activity and/or expression of AMPKα, FOXO3a, ATM, DNA-PKcs, Src, EGFR, PDK1, and SOD2 in MDA-MB-231 cells. Knockdown of AMPKα using siRNA suppressed the activity and/or expression of FOXO3a, ATM, DNA-PKcs, Src, EGFR, PDK1, and SOD2 under nutrient starvation. Knockdown of FOXO3a using siRNA suppressed the activity and/or expression of AMPKα, ATM, DNA-PKcs, FOXO3a, Src, EGFR, PDK1, and SOD2 under nutrient starvation. Nutrient starvation decreased the incidence of apoptosis after 8 Gy irradiation. Knockdown of FOXO3a increased the incidence of apoptosis after irradiation under nutrient starvation. AMPK and FOXO3a appear to be key molecules that induce radioresistance under nutrient starvation and may serve as targets for radiosensitization.

Mitochondrial Metabolism: A New Dimension of Personalized Oncology

Energy is needed by cancer cells to stay alive and communicate with their surroundings. The primary organelles for cellular metabolism and energy synthesis are mitochondria. Researchers recently proved that cancer cells can steal immune cells' mitochondria using nanoscale tubes. This finding demonstrates the dependence of cancer cells on normal cells for their living and function. It also denotes the importance of mitochondria in cancer cells' biology. Emerging evidence has demonstrated how mitochondria are essential for cancer cells to survive in the harsh tumor microenvironments, evade the immune system, obtain more aggressive features, and resist treatments. For instance, functional mitochondria can improve cancer resistance against radiotherapy by scavenging the released reactive oxygen species. Therefore, targeting mitochondria can potentially enhance oncological outcomes, according to this notion. The tumors' responses to anticancer treatments vary, ranging from a complete response to even cancer progression during treatment. Therefore, personalized cancer treatment is of crucial importance. So far, personalized cancer treatment has been based on genomic analysis. Evidence shows that tumors with high mitochondrial content are more resistant to treatment. This paper illustrates how mitochondrial metabolism can participate in cancer resistance to chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy. Pretreatment evaluation of mitochondrial metabolism can provide additional information to genomic analysis and can help to improve personalized oncological treatments. This article outlines the importance of mitochondrial metabolism in cancer biology and personalized treatments.

Mitochondrial metabolism: a predictive biomarker of radiotherapy efficacy and toxicity

INTRODUCTION

Radiotherapy is a mainstay of cancer treatment. Clinical studies revealed a heterogenous response to radiotherapy, from a complete response to even disease progression. To that end, finding the relative prognostic factors of disease outcomes and predictive factors of treatment efficacy and toxicity is essential. It has been demonstrated that radiation response depends on DNA damage response, cell cycle phase, oxygen concentration, and growth rate. Emerging evidence suggests that altered mitochondrial metabolism is associated with radioresistance.

METHODS

This article provides a comprehensive evaluation of the role of mitochondria in radiotherapy efficacy and toxicity. In addition, it demonstrates how mitochondria might be involved in the famous 6Rs of radiobiology.

RESULTS

In terms of this idea, decreasing the mitochondrial metabolism of cancer cells may increase radiation response, and enhancing the mitochondrial metabolism of normal cells may reduce radiation toxicity. Enhancing the normal cells (including immune cells) mitochondrial metabolism can potentially improve the tumor response by enhancing immune reactivation. Future studies are invited to examine the impacts of mitochondrial metabolism on radiation efficacy and toxicity. Improving radiotherapy response with diminishing cancer cells' mitochondrial metabolism, and reducing radiotherapy toxicity with enhancing normal cells' mitochondrial metabolism.

The addition of arginine deiminase potentiates Mithramycin A-induced cell death in patient-derived glioblastoma cells via ATF4 and cytochrome C

BACKGROUND

Arginine auxotrophy constitutes a shortcoming for ~ 30% of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Indeed, arginine-depleting therapy using arginine deiminase from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpyADI) has proven activity against GBM in preclinical studies. The good safety profile of SpyADI renders this agent an ideal combination partner for cytostatic therapy.

METHODS

In this study, we combined the antineoplastic antibiotic Mithramycin A (MitA) with SpyADI to boost single-agent activity and analyzed underlying response mechanisms in-depth.

RESULTS

MitA monotherapy induced a time- and dose-dependent cytotoxicity in eight patient-derived GBM cell lines and had a radiosensitizing effect in all but one cell line. Combination treatment boosted the effects of the monotherapy in 2D- and 3D models. The simultaneous approach was superior to the sequential application and significantly impaired colony formation after repetitive treatment. MitA monotherapy significantly inhibited GBM invasiveness. However, this effect was not enhanced in the combination. Functional analysis identified SpyADI-triggered senescence induction accompanied by increased mitochondrial membrane polarization upon mono- and combination therapy. In HROG63, induction of lysosomes was seen after both monotherapies, indicative of autophagy. These cells seemed swollen and had a more pronounced cortically formed cytoskeleton. Also, cytochrome C and endoplasmatic reticulum-stress-associated proteins ATF4 and Calnexin were enhanced in the combination, contributing to apoptosis. Notably, no significant increases in glioma-stemness marker were seen.

CONCLUSIONS

Therapeutic utilization of a metabolic defect in GBM along with cytostatic therapy provides a novel combination approach. Whether this SpyADI/MitA regimen will provide a safe alternative to combat GBM, will have to be addressed in subsequent (pre-)clinical trials.

Identification of Genes Related to DNA Repair Mechanism in Glioblastoma by Bioinformatics Methods

Objective: Aberrant expression of genes involved in DNA repair mechanisms (DRM) have been associated with radiation sensitivity of glioblastoma (GBM) cells. Identification of genes in DRM through bioinformatics methods may help identify potential novel therapeutic targets that can be used in GBM treatment. This study aims to identify genes that play a role in DRM in GBM using bioinformatics methods. Methods: Genes associated with DRM were identified using the “Reactome” and “KEGG” databases. The mRNA expression profiles of DRM related genes were analyzed in the GEO GDS1813 and GDS2853 datasets including GBM tumor samples using the "Orange Canvas" software. Genetic changes of genes were identified in GBM TCGA cases using the cBioPortal database. The GEPIA2 was used to show the effect of altered expression profiles of these genes on patient survival. Results: The mRNA expression profiles of ERCC6, FAN1, MBD4, PARP1 and UNG genes were found to be altered in GBM tumors. Mutations and copy number alterations for the identified genes were observed in TCGA GBM cases. The overall survival and disease-free survival of TCGA GBM patients were not significantly different between high and low expression groups. Conclusion: ERCC6, PARP1 and UNG genes identified in the current study may be potential therapeutic targets that can increase the efficacy of radiotherapy in GBM in case of their suppression.