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Spinos T, Zografos E, Koutsoukos K, Zagouri F, Kosmas C, Driva TS, Goutas D, Gakiopoulou C, Agrogiannis G, Theochari E, Tzavara C, Lazaris AC. Predictive tissue markers in testicular germ cell tumors: Immunohistochemical expression of MLH1 and REV-7 proteins. Int Urol Nephrol 2024; 56:1887-1898. [PMID: 38285100 PMCID: PMC11090952 DOI: 10.1007/s11255-023-03933-2] [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: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Testicular Germ Cell Tumors (TGCTs) are the most frequent solid malignancies in young adult men. Regardless of differences in their cell of origin, all TGCTs are considered highly curable malignancies. However, approximately 3-5% of all TGCTs do not respond to platinum-based chemotherapies. The purpose of our paper is to investigate whether immunohistochemical expression of MLH1 and REV-7 can be used as predictive tissue markers for TGCTs. MATERIAL AND METHODS The main demographic and clinicopathological characteristics of 64 male patients with TGCTs who underwent orchiectomy from 2007 to 2022 were retrospectively obtained from two large Oncology Clinics in Greece. Both patients with chemosensitive and chemoresistant disease were included. Immunohistochemical staining for MLH1 and REV-7 proteins was applied in specimens of these patients. RESULTS 31 seminomas and 33 non-seminomas were included. 48 patients had chemosensitive disease, while 16 had chemoresistant disease. 53 specimens showed preserved MLH1 expression, while 11 specimens had lost MLH1 expression. Expression of MLH1 was only significantly associated with patients' age. 16 specimens showed positive REV-7 expression, while 48 specimens were REV-7 negative. Interestingly, 50% of patients with chemoresistant disease and 16,7% of patients with chemosensitive disease were REV-7 positive. This difference was statistically significant. Moreover, REV-7 positivity was significantly associated with chemoresistance, various clinicopathological parameters and patients' prognosis and survival. CONCLUSION Loss of MLH1 expression was only found to be significantly associated with lower patients' age. Positive immunohistochemical REV-7 expression was significantly associated with various clinicopathological parameters, while it was also associated with significantly lower survival and greater hazard. REV-7 positive percentages were significantly higher in patients with chemoresistant disease. Our findings imply that immunohistochemical staining for REV-7 could potentially be used as a predictive tissue marker for TGCT tumors. Moreover, targeting of REV-7 protein, could represent a potential therapeutic strategy for chemoresistant TGCT cases. The implementation of well-designed studies on a larger scale is of utmost importance, in order to draw safer conclusions. Additional studies are needed so as to draw safer conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros Spinos
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str., 115 27, Goudi, Athens, Greece.
| | - Eleni Zografos
- Oncology Unit, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, National and Apodistrian University of Athens, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Koutsoukos
- Oncology Unit, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, National and Apodistrian University of Athens, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Flora Zagouri
- Oncology Unit, Department of Clinical Therapeutics, National and Apodistrian University of Athens, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Christos Kosmas
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Unit, Metaxa Memorial Cancer Hospital, Piraeus, Greece
| | - Tatiana S Driva
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str., 115 27, Goudi, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Goutas
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str., 115 27, Goudi, Athens, Greece
| | - Charikleia Gakiopoulou
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str., 115 27, Goudi, Athens, Greece
| | - George Agrogiannis
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str., 115 27, Goudi, Athens, Greece
| | - Eirini Theochari
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str., 115 27, Goudi, Athens, Greece
| | - Chara Tzavara
- Department of Biostatistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Andreas C Lazaris
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Str., 115 27, Goudi, Athens, Greece
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2
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Luo Y, Zhou Q, Zhu F, Fan L, Bo H, Wang X. Hypomethylation-driven AKT Serine/Threonine Kinase 3 promotes testicular germ cell tumors proliferation and negatively correlates to immune infiltration. Bioengineered 2021; 12:11288-11302. [PMID: 34882061 PMCID: PMC8810072 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.2002621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
AKT Serine/Threonine Kinase 3 (AKT3) has been reported to play an important role in different tumors. However, its clinical value, biological function, and molecular mechanism in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) remains unclear. In the current study, we applied the Gene Set Cancer Analysis (GSCA), UCSC XENA, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), the Human Protein Atlas (HPA), LinkedOmics, DiseaseMeth version 2.0, TISIDB, and other databases for TGCT data mining. Then, we investigated AKT3’s mechanism of action and clinical survival significance via bioinformatics followed by in vitro experiments. We found that AKT3 was upregulated and had frequent copy number amplifications in TGCT, which were associated with poor survival outcomes of patients. On the other hand, mutations that led to AKT3 loss-of-function were correlated to a better prognosis in patients. Moreover, AKT3 silencing significantly inhibited the proliferation, DNA synthesis and colony formation of NCCIT cells (a TGCT cell line). AKT3 might participate in TGCT progression through multiple signaling pathways, such as ErbB, oxidative phosphorylation, and affecting tumor immune infiltration. Also, the upregulation of AKT3 mRNA expression might be driven by the hypomethylation of its promoter region. Overall, AKT3 is a potential TGCT oncogene and can be further used as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Luo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine of Guangdong Province, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qianyin Zhou
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Fang Zhu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Liqing Fan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hao Bo
- NHC Key Laboratory of Human Stem Cell and Reproductive Engineering, Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xingming Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine (Pet Center), Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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3
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Chen S, Xiao L, Peng H, Wang Z, Xie J. Methylation gene KCNC1 is associated with overall survival in patients with seminoma. Oncol Rep 2021; 45:73. [PMID: 34105734 PMCID: PMC8020201 DOI: 10.3892/or.2021.8024] [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: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to explore and verify the potential mechanism of seminoma progression. Data on 132 RNA-seq and 156 methylation sites from stage II/III and I seminoma specimens were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. An initial filter of |fold-change| >2 and false discovery rate <0.05 were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) which were associated with differential methylation site genes; these genes were considered potential candidates for further investigation by survival analysis. Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily C member 1 (KCNC1) expression was verified in seminoma human tissues and three seminoma cell lines. The invasive, proliferative and apoptotic abilities of the human testicular tumor Ntera-2 and normal human testis Hs1.Tes cell lines were assessed following aberrant KCNC1 expression. KCNC1 was identified as a DEG, in which hypermethylation inhibited its expression and it was associated with poor overall survival in patients with seminoma. The present results demonstrated that KCNC1 is negatively correlated with methylation. Due to the abnormal expression of KCNC1 in seminoma cells, it was suggested that KCNC1 could be used as a diagnostic indicator and therapeutic target for the progression of seminoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saipeng Chen
- Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, Fujian 351100, P.R. China.,Department of Reproductive Medicine, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang, Hubei 441000, P.R. China
| | - Longfei Xiao
- Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, Fujian 351100, P.R. China.,Department of Reproductive Medicine, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang, Hubei 441000, P.R. China
| | - Huahong Peng
- Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300211, P.R. China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Taixing People's Hospital, Taixing, Jiangsu 225400, P.R. China
| | - Jianbing Xie
- Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, Fujian 351100, P.R. China.,Department of Reproductive Medicine, Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang, Hubei 441000, P.R. China
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4
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Germ Cell Tumor Cell Culture Techniques. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 32852757 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0860-9_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Optimization of cell culture protocol for a given cell line is critical for the proper conduct of in vitro experiments. Because germ cell tumors can be so heterogeneous, optimal culture conditions can vary widely between cell lines. Here, we describe our experience in routine culture and cryopreservation of germ cell tumor cell culture. Additionally, methods for measuring cell viability and proliferation validated on these lines are provided.
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5
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Differential gene expression in cisplatin-resistant and -sensitive testicular germ cell tumor cell lines. Oncotarget 2020; 11:4735-4753. [PMID: 33473258 PMCID: PMC7771712 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) represent a well curable malignity due to their exceptional response to cisplatin (CDDP). Despite remarkable treatment results, approximately 5% of TGCT patients develop CDDP resistance and die. Exceptional curability makes TGCTs a highly valuable model system for studying the molecular mechanisms of CDDP sensitivity. Our study was aimed at revealing difference in gene expression between the CDDP-resistant and -sensitive TGCT cell lines, and hence at identifying candidate genes that could serve as potential biomarkers of CDDP response. Using gene expression array, we identified 281 genes that are differentially expressed in CDDP-resistant compared to -sensitive TGCT cell lines. The expression of 25 genes with the highest fold change was validated by RT-qPCR. Of them, DNMT3L, GAL, IGFBP2, IGFBP7, L1TD1, NANOG, NTF3, POU5F1, SOX2, WNT6, ZFP42, ID2, PCP4, SLC40A1 and TRIB3, displayed comparable expression change in gene expression array and RT-qPCR, when all CDDP-resistant TGCT cell lines were pairwise combined with all -sensitive ones. Products of the identified genes are pluripotency factors, or are involved in processes, such as cell metabolism, proliferation or migration. We propose that, after clinical validation, these genes could serve as prognostic biomarkers for early detection of CDDP response in TGCT patients.
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de Vries G, Rosas-Plaza X, van Vugt MATM, Gietema JA, de Jong S. Testicular cancer: Determinants of cisplatin sensitivity and novel therapeutic opportunities. Cancer Treat Rev 2020; 88:102054. [PMID: 32593915 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2020.102054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Testicular cancer (TC) is the most common solid tumor among men aged between 15 and 40 years. TCs are highly aneuploid and the 12p isochromosome is the most frequent chromosomal abnormality. The mutation rate is of TC is low, with recurrent mutations in KIT and KRAS observed only at low frequency in seminomas. Overall cure rates are high, even in a metastatic setting, resulting from excellent cisplatin sensitivity of TCs. Factors contributing to the observed cisplatin sensitivity include defective DNA damage repair and a hypersensitive apoptotic response to DNA damage. Nonetheless, around 10-20% of TC patients with metastatic disease cannot be cured by cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Resistance mechanisms include downregulation of OCT4 and failure to induce PUMA and NOXA, elevated levels of MDM2, and hyperactivity of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Several pre-clinical approaches have proven successful in overcoming cisplatin resistance, including specific targeting of PARP, MDM2 or AKT/mTOR combined with cisplatin. Finally, patient-derived xenograft models hold potential for mechanistic studies and pre-clinical validation of novel therapeutic strategies in TC. While clinical trials investigating targeted drugs have been disappointing, pre-clinical successes with chemotherapy and targeted drug combinations fuel the need for further investigation in clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerda de Vries
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ximena Rosas-Plaza
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel A T M van Vugt
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jourik A Gietema
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Steven de Jong
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Center Groningen, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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7
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Parimi S, Rauw JM, Ko JJ. Systemic Therapies for Metastatic Testicular Germ Cell Tumors: Past, Present and Future. CURRENT CANCER THERAPY REVIEWS 2019. [DOI: 10.2174/1573394714666180706150427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are unique to that of most other solid tumors because
they are highly curable in the metastatic setting. While the use of cisplatin-based chemotherapy
continues to drive cure in this patient population, important improvements in the delivery
of therapy, creation of risk-adjusted treatment paradigms, and salvage-therapy options have further
enhanced survival as well. The future holds promise for a more multidisciplinary approach to
care, through advancements in biochemical markers and a better understanding of how surgical
and radiotherapy approaches can integrate into our existing management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Parimi
- BC Cancer Agency, 2410 Lee Avenue, Victoria, BC, V8R 4X1, Canada
| | - Jennifer M. Rauw
- BC Cancer Agency, 2410 Lee Avenue, Victoria, BC, V8R 4X1, Canada
| | - Jenny J. Ko
- BC Cancer Agency, 32900 Marshall Rd, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 0C2, Canada
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8
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Singh R, Fazal Z, Corbet AK, Bikorimana E, Rodriguez JC, Khan EM, Shahid K, Freemantle SJ, Spinella MJ. Epigenetic Remodeling through Downregulation of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 Mediates Chemotherapy Resistance in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11060796. [PMID: 31181810 PMCID: PMC6627640 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11060796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A greater understanding of the hypersensitivity and curability of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) has the potential to inform strategies to sensitize other solid tumors to conventional chemotherapies. The mechanisms of cisplatin hypersensitivity and resistance in embryonal carcinoma (EC), the stem cells of TGCTs, remain largely undefined. To study the mechanisms of cisplatin resistance we generated a large panel of independently derived, acquired resistant clones from three distinct parental EC models employing a protocol designed to match standard of care regimens of TGCT patients. Transcriptomics revealed highly significant expression changes shared between resistant cells regardless of their parental origin. This was dominated by a highly significant enrichment of genes normally repressed by H3K27 methylation and the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) which correlated with a substantial decrease in global H3K27me3, H2AK119 ubiquitination, and expression of BMI1. Importantly, repression of H3K27 methylation with the EZH2 inhibitor GSK-126 conferred cisplatin resistance to parental cells while induction of H3K27 methylation with the histone lysine demethylase inhibitor GSK-J4 resulted in increased cisplatin sensitivity to resistant cells. A gene signature based on H3K27me gene enrichment was associated with an increased rate of recurrent/progressive disease in testicular cancer patients. Our data indicates that repression of H3K27 methylation is a mechanism of cisplatin acquired resistance in TGCTs and that restoration of PRC2 complex function is a viable approach to overcome treatment failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratnakar Singh
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Zeeshan Fazal
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Andrea K Corbet
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Emmanuel Bikorimana
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Jennifer C Rodriguez
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Ema M Khan
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Khadeeja Shahid
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Sarah J Freemantle
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Michael J Spinella
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
- Carle Illinois College of Medicine and Cancer Center of Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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9
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Bergamo A, Dyson PJ, Sava G. The mechanism of tumour cell death by metal-based anticancer drugs is not only a matter of DNA interactions. Coord Chem Rev 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2018.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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10
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Romano FJ, Rossetti S, Conteduca V, Schepisi G, Cavaliere C, Di Franco R, La Mantia E, Castaldo L, Nocerino F, Ametrano G, Cappuccio F, Malzone G, Montanari M, Vanacore D, Quagliariello V, Piscitelli R, Pepe MF, Berretta M, D'Aniello C, Perdonà S, Muto P, Botti G, Ciliberto G, Veneziani BM, De Falco F, Maiolino P, Caraglia M, Montella M, De Giorgi U, Facchini G. Role of DNA repair machinery and p53 in the testicular germ cell cancer: a review. Oncotarget 2018; 7:85641-85649. [PMID: 27821802 PMCID: PMC5356765 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Notwithstanding the peculiar sensitivity to cisplatin-based treatment, resulting in a very high percentage of cures even in advanced stages of the disease, still we do not know the biological mechanisms that make Testicular Germ Cell Tumor (TGCT) “unique” in the oncology scene. p53 and MDM2 seem to play a pivotal role, according to several in vitro observations, but no correlation has been found between their mutational or expression status in tissue samples and patients clinical outcome. Furthermore, other players seem to be on stage: DNA Damage Repair Machinery (DDR) , especially Homologous Recombination (HR) proteins, above all Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM), cooperates with p53 in response to DNA damage, activating apoptotic cascade and contributing to cell “fate”. Homologous Recombination deficiency has been assumed to be a Germ Cell Tumor characteristic underlying platinum-sensitivity, whereby Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), an enzyme involved in HR DNA repair, is an intriguing target: PARP inhibitors have already entered in clinical practice of other malignancies and trials are recruiting TGCT patients in order to validate their role in this disease. This paper aims to summarize evidence, trying to outline an overview of DDR implications not only in TGCT curability, but also in resistance to chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Jacopo Romano
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy
| | - Sabrina Rossetti
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Uro-Gynaecological Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori 'Fondazione G. Pascale', IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Vincenza Conteduca
- Department of Medical Oncology, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori IRCCS, Meldola, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Schepisi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori IRCCS, Meldola, Italy
| | - Carla Cavaliere
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Department of Onco-Ematology Medical Oncology, S.G. Moscati Hospital of Taranto, Taranto, Italy
| | - Rossella Di Franco
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Radiation Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori 'Fondazione Giovanni Pascale', IRCCS, Napoli, Italy
| | - Elvira La Mantia
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale"-IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Castaldo
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Department of Uro-Gynaecological Oncology, Division of Urology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori 'Fondazione G. Pascale', IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Flavia Nocerino
- Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori 'Fondazione Giovanni Pascale', IRCCS, Napoli, Italy
| | - Gianluca Ametrano
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Radiation Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori 'Fondazione Giovanni Pascale', IRCCS, Napoli, Italy
| | - Francesca Cappuccio
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Psicology Unit, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori 'Fondazione Giovanni Pascale', IRCCS, Napoli, Italy
| | - Gabriella Malzone
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale"-IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Micaela Montanari
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Daniela Vanacore
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Quagliariello
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy
| | - Raffaele Piscitelli
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Pharmacy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-Fondazione G. Pascale Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Filomena Pepe
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale"-IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Berretta
- Department of Medical Oncology, CRO Aviano, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Carmine D'Aniello
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Division of Medical Oncology, A.O.R.N. dei COLLI "Ospedali Monaldi-Cotugno-CTO", Napoli, Italy
| | - Sisto Perdonà
- Department of Uro-Gynaecological Oncology, Division of Urology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori 'Fondazione G. Pascale', IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Muto
- Radiation Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori 'Fondazione Giovanni Pascale', IRCCS, Napoli, Italy
| | - Gerardo Botti
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale"-IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Gennaro Ciliberto
- Scientific Directorate, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori 'Fondazione Giovanni Pascale', IRCCS, Napoli, Italy
| | - Bianca Maria Veneziani
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco De Falco
- Psicology Unit, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori 'Fondazione Giovanni Pascale', IRCCS, Napoli, Italy
| | - Piera Maiolino
- Pharmacy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-Fondazione G. Pascale Naples, Italy
| | - Michele Caraglia
- Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and General Pathology, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Maurizio Montella
- Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori 'Fondazione Giovanni Pascale', IRCCS, Napoli, Italy
| | - Ugo De Giorgi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori IRCCS, Meldola, Italy
| | - Gaetano Facchini
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per L'implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Uro-Gynaecological Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori 'Fondazione G. Pascale', IRCCS, Naples, Italy
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11
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Facchini G, Rossetti S, Cavaliere C, D'Aniello C, Di Franco R, Iovane G, Grimaldi G, Piscitelli R, Muto P, Botti G, Perdonà S, Veneziani BM, Berretta M, Montanari M. Exploring the molecular aspects associated with testicular germ cell tumors: a review. Oncotarget 2017; 9:1365-1379. [PMID: 29416701 PMCID: PMC5787445 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) represent the most common solid tumors affecting young men. They constitute a distinct entity because of their embryonic origin and their unique biological behavior. Recent preclinical data regarding biological signaling machinery as well as genetic and epigenetic mechanisms associated with molecular patterns of tumors have contribute to explain the pathogenesis and the differentiation of TGCTs and to understand the mechanisms responsible for the development of resistance to treatment. In this review, we discuss the main genetic and epigenetic events associated with TGCTs development in order to better define their role in the pathogenesis of these tumors and in cisplatin-acquired resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetano Facchini
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per l'Implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,S.S.D Oncologia Clinica Sperimentale Uro-Andrologica, Dipartimento Corp-S Assistenziale dei Percorsi Oncologici Uro-Genitale, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale", IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Sabrina Rossetti
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per l'Implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,S.S.D Oncologia Clinica Sperimentale Uro-Andrologica, Dipartimento Corp-S Assistenziale dei Percorsi Oncologici Uro-Genitale, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale", IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Carla Cavaliere
- Medical Oncology Unit, ASL NA 3 SUD, Ospedali Riuniti Area Nolana, Nola, Italy
| | - Carmine D'Aniello
- Division of Medical Oncology, A.O.R.N. dei COLLI "Ospedali Monaldi-Cotugno-CTO", Naples, Italy
| | - Rossella Di Franco
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per l'Implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Radiation Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori "Fondazione Giovanni Pascale", IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Gelsomina Iovane
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per l'Implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,S.S.D Oncologia Clinica Sperimentale Uro-Andrologica, Dipartimento Corp-S Assistenziale dei Percorsi Oncologici Uro-Genitale, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale", IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Grimaldi
- Division of Urology, Department of Uro-Gynaecological Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale", IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaele Piscitelli
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per l'Implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy
| | - Paolo Muto
- Radiation Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori "Fondazione Giovanni Pascale", IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Gerardo Botti
- Pathology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale", IRCCS, Naples, Italy.,Scientific Management, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale", IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Sisto Perdonà
- Division of Urology, Department of Uro-Gynaecological Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori "Fondazione G. Pascale", IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Bianca Maria Veneziani
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Berretta
- Department of Medical Oncology, CRO Aviano, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy
| | - Micaela Montanari
- Progetto ONCONET2.0, Linea Progettuale 14 per l'Implementazione della Prevenzione e Diagnosi Precoce del Tumore alla Prostata e Testicolo, Regione Campania, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.,Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
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12
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Bar J, Gorn-Hondermann I, Moretto P, Perkins TJ, Niknejad N, Stewart DJ, Goss GD, Dimitroulakos J. miR Profiling Identifies Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 6 Downregulation as a Potential Mechanism of Acquired Cisplatin Resistance in Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma. Clin Lung Cancer 2015; 16:e121-9. [PMID: 25703099 DOI: 10.1016/j.cllc.2015.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Revised: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED To identify the mechanisms of cisplatin resistance, global microRNA (miR) expression was tested. The expression of miR-145 was consistently higher in resistant cells. The expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6), a potential target of miR-145, was lower in resistant cells, and inhibition of CDK4/6 protected cells from cisplatin. Cell cycle inhibition, currently being tested in clinical trials, might be antagonistic to cisplatin and other cytotoxic drugs. BACKGROUND Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Platinum-based chemotherapeutic drugs are the most active agents in treating advanced disease. Resistance to these drugs is common and multifactorial; insight into the molecular mechanisms involved will likely enhance efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS A set of NSCLC platinum-resistant sublines was created from the Calu6 cell line. Cell viability was quantified using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Differentially expressed microRNAs (miRs) in these lines were identified using Affymetrix miR arrays. The potential genes targeted by these miRs were searched using the TargetScan algorithm. The expression levels of miRs and mRNA were tested using real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS miR-145 was reproducibly elevated in all the resistant sublines tested; however, modulation of miR-145 levels alone in these cells did not affect their response to cisplatin. A potential target of miR-145 is cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6), an important regulator of cell proliferation. The mRNA and protein levels of CDK6 were both downregulated in the resistant sublines. An inhibitor of CDK4/6 (PD0332991) protected parental NSCLC cells from cisplatin cytotoxicity. CONCLUSION In the present study, we identified miRs differentially expressed in cisplatin-resistant cell lines, including miR-145. A predicted target of miR-145 is CDK6, and its expression was found to be downregulated in the resistant sublines, although not directly by miR-145. Inhibition of CDK6 antagonizes cisplatin-induced NSCLC cell cytotoxicity, suggesting that agents that inhibit CDK6 should be avoided during cisplatin therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jair Bar
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine and The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ivan Gorn-Hondermann
- Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patricia Moretto
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine and The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Theodore J Perkins
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nima Niknejad
- Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - David J Stewart
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine and The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Glenwood D Goss
- Division of Medical Oncology, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine and The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jim Dimitroulakos
- Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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13
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Bergamo A, Sava G. Linking the future of anticancer metal-complexes to the therapy of tumour metastases. Chem Soc Rev 2015; 44:8818-35. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cs00134j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cancer chemotherapy is almost always applied to patients with one or more diagnosed metastases and is expected to impact these lesions, thus providing significant benefits to the patient.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gianni Sava
- Callerio Foundation Onlus
- 34127 Trieste
- Italy
- Department of Life Sciences
- University of Trieste
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14
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The chemosensitivity of testicular germ cell tumors. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2014; 37:79-94. [PMID: 24692098 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-014-0168-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although rare cancers overall, testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are the most common type of cancer in young males below 40 years of age. Both subtypes of TGCTs, i.e., seminomas and non-seminomas, are highly curable and the majority of even metastatic patients may expect to be cured. These high cure rates are not due to the indolent nature of these cancers, but rather to their sensitivity to chemotherapy (and for seminomas to radiotherapy). The delineation of the cause of chemosensitivity at the molecular level is of paramount importance, because it may provide insights into the minority of TGCTs that are chemo-resistant and, thereby, provide opportunities for specific therapeutic interventions aimed at reverting them to chemosensitivity. In addition, delineation of the molecular basis of TGCT chemo-sensitivity may be informative for the cause of chemo-resistance of other more common types of cancer and, thus, may create new therapeutic leads. p53, a frequently mutated tumor suppressor in cancers in general, is not mutated in TGCTs, a fact that has implications for their chemo-sensitivity. Oct4, an embryonic transcription factor, is uniformly expressed in the seminoma and embryonic carcinoma components of non-seminomas, and its interplay with p53 may be important in the chemotherapy response of these tumors. This interplay, together with other features of TGCTs such as the gain of genetic material from the short arm of chromosome 12 and the association with disorders of testicular development, will be discussed in this paper and integrated in a unifying hypothesis that may explain their chemo-sensitivity.
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15
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Liu L, Lian J, Zhang H, Tian H, Liang M, Yin M, Sun F. MicroRNA-302a sensitizes testicular embryonal carcinoma cells to cisplatin-induced cell death. J Cell Physiol 2014; 228:2294-304. [PMID: 23625774 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.24394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2012] [Accepted: 04/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of several human malignancies, such as testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). The toxic effects persist and those that are present long after chemotherapy affect the overall quality of life of patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the responses of cancer cells to chemotherapy and have been shown to modulate cell sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. However, the relationship between miRNA expression and cisplatin sensitivity of TGCT has not been fully explored. In this study, the effects of miR-302a on cisplatin cytotoxicity in TGCT-derived cell line NTERA-2 (NT2) were evaluated. We found that expression levels of miR-302a were increased in cisplatin-treated NT2 cells. Up-regulation of miR-302a significantly increased the sensitivity of NT2 cells to cisplatin by enhancing cisplatin-induced G2/M phase arrest and the subsequent progression to apoptosis. MiR-302a also increased the killing effects of cisplatin by lowering the apoptotic threshold; the same result was also observed in another TGCT-derived cell line, NCCIT. Furthermore, miR-302a-enhanced cisplatin sensitivity was partially mediated through the down-regulation of p21 in NT2 cells. MiR-302a induced apoptosis was further enhanced by silencing of p53 in NT2 cells. p53 levels were inversely associated with the expression of Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog in response to cisplatin. Thus, targeting miR-302a may offer new therapeutic interventions in TGCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Liu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, P.R. China
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16
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Abada PB, Howell SB. Cisplatin induces resistance by triggering differentiation of testicular embryonal carcinoma cells. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87444. [PMID: 24475288 PMCID: PMC3903721 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although testicular germ cell tumors are generally quite responsive to treatment with cisplatin, a small fraction of them acquire resistance during therapy. Even when cisplatin treatment is successful the patient is often left with a residual teratoma at the site of the primary tumor suggesting that cisplatin may trigger differentiation in some tumors. Using the human embryonal carcinoma cell line NTera2/D1, we confirmed that exposure to the differentiating agent retinoic acid produced a reduction in pluripotency markers NANOG and POU5F1 (Oct3/4) and an acute concentration-dependent increase in resistance to both cisplatin and paclitaxel that reached as high as 18-fold for cisplatin and 61-fold for paclitaxel within four days. A two day exposure to cisplatin also produced a concentration-dependent decrease in the expression of the NANOG and POU5F1 and increased expression of three markers whose levels increase with differentiation including Nestin, SCG10 and Fibronectin. In parallel, exposure to cisplatin induced up to 6.2-fold resistance to itself and 104-fold resistance to paclitaxel. Paclitaxel did not induce differentiation or resistance to either itself or cisplatin. Neither retinoic acid nor cisplatin induced resistance in cervical or prostate cancer cell lines or other germ cell tumor lines in which they failed to alter the expression of NANOG and POU5F1. Forced expression of NANOG prevented the induction of resistance to cisplatin by retinoic acid. We conclude that cisplatin can acutely induce resistance to itself and paclitaxel by triggering a differentiation response in pluripotent germ cell tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo B. Abada
- Department of Medicine and the Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Stephen B. Howell
- Department of Medicine and the Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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17
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Unravelling mechanisms of cisplatin sensitivity and resistance in testicular cancer. Expert Rev Mol Med 2013; 15:e12. [PMID: 24074238 DOI: 10.1017/erm.2013.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Testicular cancer is the most frequent solid malignant tumour type in men 20-40 years of age. At the time of diagnosis up to 50% of the patients suffer from metastatic disease. In contrast to most other metastatic solid tumours, the majority of metastatic testicular cancer patients can be cured with highly effective cisplatin-based chemotherapy. This review aims to summarise the current knowledge on response to chemotherapy and the biological basis of cisplatin-induced apoptosis in testicular cancer. The frequent presence of wild-type TP53 and the low levels of p53 in complex with the p53 negative feed-back regulator MDM2 contribute to cisplatin sensitivity. Moreover, the high levels of the pluripotency regulator Oct4 and as a consequence of Oct4 expression high levels of miR-17/106b seed family and pro-apoptotic Noxa and the low levels of cytoplasmic p21 (WAF1/Cip1) appear to be causative for the exquisite sensitivity to cisplatin-based therapy of testicular cancer. However, resistance of testicular cancer to cisplatin-based therapy does occur and can be mediated through aberrant levels of the above mentioned key players. Drugs targeting these key players showed, at least pre-clinically, a sensitising effect to cisplatin treatment. Further clinical development of such treatment strategies will lead to new treatment options for platinum-resistant testicular cancers.
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18
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Biological markers of cisplatin resistance in advanced testicular germ cell tumours. Clin Transl Oncol 2013; 14:452-7. [PMID: 22634534 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-012-0823-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Germ cell tumours (GCTs) of the testis show exquisite sensitivity to treatment with cisplatin. Despite the high cure rates provided by platinum-based chemotherapy, 10-20% of patients die from progressive disease. Although various cellular pathways may influence cisplatin efficacy, their actual impact has not been comprehensively investigated in advanced GCTs. The objective of the present study was to clarify the role of the expression status of proteins involved in the Rb and p53 tumour suppressor pathways in sensitivity and resistance of GCTs to cisplatin-based chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Paraffin-embedded tumour tissues from 84 patients with advanced GCT treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy were analysed. Immunohistochemical expression of proteins p53 and mdm2, and the G1-phase cyclins D1 and D2 (CD1 and CD2) was assessed and correlated with the clinical course. RESULTS The percentages of positive expression of p53, mdm2, CD1 and CD2 were 56, 57, 37.5 and 55%, respectively. From univariate analysis, there was no significant association between p53, mdm2 or CD1 expression and outcome. Instead, positive CD2 expression was found to be marginally associated with shorter median duration of progression-free survival (PFS) (p=0.06). In multivariate analysis, none of the molecular markers retained statistical significance with treatment response or survival. CONCLUSIONS Tissular expression of p53, mdm2 and CD1 is not associated with prognosis or treatment response in patients with advanced GCT. Aberrant CD2 expression appears to further determine a shorter PFS. Larger and further studies are required to validate CD2 as a marker of cisplatin resistance.
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19
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Zechel JL, Doerner SK, Lager A, Tesar PJ, Heaney JD, Nadeau JH. Contrasting effects of Deadend1 (Dnd1) gain and loss of function mutations on allelic inheritance, testicular cancer, and intestinal polyposis. BMC Genet 2013; 14:54. [PMID: 23773267 PMCID: PMC3693958 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2156-14-54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Certain mutations in the Deadend1 (Dnd1) gene are the most potent modifiers of testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) susceptibility in mice and rats. In the 129 family of mice, the Dnd1Ter mutation significantly increases occurrence of TGCT-affected males. To test the hypothesis that he Dnd1Ter allele is a loss-of-function mutation; we characterized the consequences of a genetically-engineered loss-of-function mutation in mice, and compared these results with those for Dnd1Ter. Results We found that intercrossing Dnd1+/KO heterozygotes to generate a complete loss-of-function led to absence of Dnd1KO/KO homozygotes and significantly reduced numbers of Dnd1+/KO heterozygotes. Further crosses showed that Dnd1Ter partially rescues loss of Dnd1KO mice. We also found that loss of a single copy of Dnd1 in Dnd1KO/+ heterozygotes did not affect baseline occurrence of TGCT-affected males and that Dnd1Ter increased TGCT risk regardless whether the alternative allele was loss-of-function (Dnd1KO) or wild-type (Dnd1+). Finally, we found that the action of Dnd1Ter was not limited to testicular cancer, but also significantly increased polyp number and burden in the Apc+/Min model of intestinal polyposis. Conclusion These results show that Dnd1 is essential for normal allelic inheritance and that Dnd1Ter has a novel combination of functions that significantly increase risk for both testicular and intestinal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Zechel
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland OH 44106, USA
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20
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Gutekunst M, Mueller T, Weilbacher A, Dengler MA, Bedke J, Kruck S, Oren M, Aulitzky WE, van der Kuip H. Cisplatin Hypersensitivity of Testicular Germ Cell Tumors Is Determined by High Constitutive Noxa Levels Mediated by Oct-4. Cancer Res 2013; 73:1460-9. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-12-2876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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21
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di Pietro A, Koster R, Boersma-van Eck W, Dam WA, Mulder NH, Gietema JA, de Vries EGE, de Jong S. Pro- and anti-apoptotic effects of p53 in cisplatin-treated human testicular cancer are cell context-dependent. Cell Cycle 2012; 11:4552-62. [PMID: 23165211 DOI: 10.4161/cc.22803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In murine testicular cancer (TC) cells wild-type p53 contributes to sensitivity to DNA-damaging drugs in a dose-dependent way. In human TC, however, the role of wild-type p53 functionality in chemotherapeutic response remains elusive. We analyzed functionality of wild-type p53 in cisplatin sensitivity in the human TC setting using a p53 short interfering (si)RNA approach. The cisplatin-sensitive TC cell line (Tera), the subline with acquired cisplatin resistance (Tera-CP) and a panel of intrinsically resistant TC cell lines (Scha and 2102EP), all expressing wild-type p53, were used. p53 and p53 transcriptional targets MDM2 and p21 (Waf1/Cip1) (p21) were expressed in a p53 transactivation-dependent way in all TC cell lines. Following cisplatin exposure, expression levels of p53 increased, with a subsequent increase in MDM2 and p21 mRNA and protein levels and Fas cell membrane levels. Downregulation of p53 with siRNA lowered cisplatin-induced apoptosis in Tera and Tera-CP, which was associated with a diminished Fas membrane expression. In contrast, p53 suppression augmented cisplatin-induced apoptosis in Scha and 2102EP and concomitantly strongly suppressed MDM2 and p21 mRNA and protein expression. Our results indicate that p53 is involved in transactivation of pro- and anti-apoptotic genes in untreated and cisplatin-treated TC cells, but subtle differences are present between TC cell lines. The opposite role of p53 in cisplatin-induced apoptosis among TC cell lines demonstrates the importance of the cellular context for the p53 transactivation phenotype in TC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra di Pietro
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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22
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Fenske AE, Glaesener S, Bokemeyer C, Thomale J, Dahm-Daphi J, Honecker F, Dartsch DC. Cisplatin resistance induced in germ cell tumour cells is due to reduced susceptibility towards cell death but not to altered DNA damage induction or repair. Cancer Lett 2012; 324:171-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2012.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2012] [Revised: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 05/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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23
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Peters JA, Kenen R, Hoskins LM, Glenn GM, Kratz C, Greene MH. Close ties: an exploratory Colored Eco-Genetic Relationship Map (CEGRM) study of social connections of men in Familial Testicular Cancer (FTC) families. Hered Cancer Clin Pract 2012; 10:2. [PMID: 22381132 PMCID: PMC3323467 DOI: 10.1186/1897-4287-10-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2011] [Accepted: 03/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Testicular cancer, while rare compared with other adult solid tumors, is the most common cancer in young men in northern Europe and North America. Risk factors include white race, positive family history, contralateral testicular cancer, cryptorchidism, infertility and testicular microlithiasis. As the genetic causes of familial clusters (Familial Testicular Cancer or FTC) are being sought, it is also important to understand the psycho-social experiences of members of FTC families. METHODS This is a cross-sectional examination via the Colored Eco-Genetic Relationship Map (CEGRM) of social connections reported by 49 men in FTC families participating in NCI research study 02-C-178. RESULTS The CEGRM was acceptable and feasible for use with men in FTC families, and valuable in understanding their social connections. These men have largely adjusted to the TC history in themselves and/or their relatives. They have considerable social and emotional support from family and friends, although there is wide variability in sources and types. CONCLUSIONS The CEGRM focuses on men's social connections and close emotional bonds in FTC families. This action-oriented process of placing colored symbols on significant relationships uncovered previously under-appreciated emotions accompanying men's social exchanges. Most men in FTC families succeed in re-establishing a sense of normalcy in their lives and social connections, in the aftermath of a testicular cancer diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- June A Peters
- Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, 6120 Executive Blvd, Rockville, MD, 20852 USA.
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Abstract
A good account of the nature of cancer should provide not only a description of its consistent features, but also how they arise, how they are maintained, why conventional chemotherapy succeeds, and fails, and where to look for better targets. Cancer was once regarded as enigmatic and inexplicable; more recently, the "mutation theory," based on random alterations in a relatively small set of proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, has enjoyed widespread acceptance. The "mutation theory," however, is noticeable for its failure to explain the basis of differential chemosensitivity, for providing a paucity of targets, especially druggable ones, and for justifying the development of targeted therapies with, in general, disappointingly abbreviated clinical benefit. Furthermore, this theory has mistakenly predicted a widespread commonality of consistent genetic abnormalities across the range of cancers, whereas the opposite, that is, roiling macrogenomic instability, is generally the rule. In contrast, concerning what actually is consistent, that is, the suite of metabolic derangements common to virtually all, especially aggressive, cancers, the "Mutation Theory" has nothing to say. Other hypotheses merit serious consideration "aneuploidy theories" posit whole-genome instability and imbalance as causally responsible for the propagation of the tumor. Another approach, that is, "derepression atavism," suggests cancer results from the release of an ancient survival program, characterized by the emergence of remarkably primitive features such as unicellularity, fermentation, and immortality; existential goals are served by heuristic genomic instability coupled with host-to-tumor biomass interconversion, mediated by the Warburg effect, a major component of the program. Carcinogenesis is here seen as a process of de-speciation; however, genomic nonrestabilization raises issues as to where on the tree of life cancers belong, as a genuinely alternative modus vivendi. Philosophical considerations aside, genomic instability offers the prospect of subtle new therapies based on loss of information rather than gain; and the consistent, specific, and broad-spectrum perfidy of the Warburg effect highlights a supplemental target of the highest priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Vincent
- Department of Medical Oncology, London Regional Cancer Centre, London Health Sciences Centre, Ontario, Canada
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Ciznadija D, Zhu XH, Koff A. Hdm2- and proteasome-dependent turnover limits p21 accumulation during S phase. Cell Cycle 2011; 10:2714-23. [PMID: 21768776 DOI: 10.4161/cc.10.16.16725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Double-strand DNA breaks detected in different phases of the cell cycle induce molecularly distinct checkpoints downstream of the ATM kinase. p53 is known to induce arrest of cells in G 1 and occasionally G 2 phase but not S phase following ionizing radiation, a time at which the MRN complex and cdc25-dependent mechanisms induce arrest. Our understanding of how cell cycle phase modulates pathway choice and the reasons certain pathways might be favored at different times is limited. In this report, we examined how cell cycle phase affects the activation of the p53 checkpoint and its ability to induce accumulation of the cdk2 inhibitor p21. Using flow cytometric tools and centrifugal elutriation, we found that the p53 response to ionizing radiation is largely intact in all phases of the cell cycle; however, the accumulation of p21 protein is limited to the G 1 and G 2 phase of the cell cycle because of the activity of a proteasome-dependent p21 turnover pathway in S-phase cells. We found that the turnover of p21 was independent of the SCF (skp2) E3 ligase but could be inhibited, at least in part, by reducing hdm2, although this depended on the cell type studied. Our results suggest that there are several redundant pathways active in S-phase cells that can prevent the accumulation of p21.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ciznadija
- Program in Molecular Biology, Sloan-Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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Zechel JL, MacLennan GT, Heaney JD, Nadeau JH. Spontaneous metastasis in mouse models of testicular germ-cell tumours. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 34:e278-87. [PMID: 21651572 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2011.01160.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Testicular germ-cell tumours (TGCTs) are the most common cancer in young men; the incidence is increasing worldwide and they have an unusually high rate of metastasis. Despite significant work on TGCTs and their metastases in humans, absence of a mouse model of spontaneous metastasis has greatly limited our understanding of the mechanisms by which metastatic potential is acquired and on their modes of dissemination. We report a new model of spontaneous TGCT metastasis in the 129 family of mice and provide evidence that these are true metastases derived directly from primary testicular cancers rather than independently from ectopic stem cells. These putative metastases (pMETs) occur at similar frequencies among TGCT-affected males in six genetically distinct TGCT-susceptible strains and were largely found in anatomical sites that are consistent with patterns of TGCT metastasis in humans. Various lines of evidence support their pluripotency and germ-cell origin, including presence of multiple endodermal, mesodermal and ectodermal derivatives as well as cells showing OCT4 and SSEA-1 pluripotency markers. In addition, pMETs were never found in males that did not have a TGCT, suggesting that metastases are derived from primary tumours. Finally, pMETS and primary TGCTs shared several DNA copy number variants suggesting a common cellular and developmental origin. Together, these results provide the first evidence for spontaneous TGCT metastasis in mice and show that these metastases originate from primary TGCTs rather than independently from ectopic stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Zechel
- Department of Genetics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Institute of Pathology, Cleveland OH, USA
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27
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LeBron C, Pal P, Brait M, Dasgupta S, Guerrero-Preston R, Looijenga LH, Kowalski J, Netto G, Hoque MO. Genome-wide analysis of genetic alterations in testicular primary seminoma using high resolution single nucleotide polymorphism arrays. Genomics 2011; 97:341-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2011.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2010] [Revised: 01/11/2011] [Accepted: 02/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Gutekunst M, Oren M, Weilbacher A, Dengler MA, Markwardt C, Thomale J, Aulitzky WE, van der Kuip H. p53 hypersensitivity is the predominant mechanism of the unique responsiveness of testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) cells to cisplatin. PLoS One 2011; 6:e19198. [PMID: 21532991 PMCID: PMC3080918 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0019198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2010] [Accepted: 03/29/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Consistent with the excellent clinical results in testicular germ cell tumors
(TGCT), most cell lines derived from this cancer show an exquisite sensitivity
to Cisplatin. It is well accepted that the high susceptibility of TGCT cells to
apoptosis plays a central role in this hypersensitive phenotype. The role of the
tumor suppressor p53 in this response, however, remains controversial. Here we
show that siRNA-mediated silencing of p53 is sufficient to completely abrogate
hypersensitivity not only to Cisplatin but also to non-genotoxic inducers of p53
such as the Mdm2 antagonist Nutlin-3 and the proteasome inhibitor Bortezomib.
The close relationship between p53 protein levels and induction of apoptosis is
lost upon short-term differentiation, indicating that this predominant
pro-apoptotic function of p53 is unique in pluripotent embryonal carcinoma (EC)
cells. RNA interference experiments as well as microarray analysis demonstrated
a central role of the pro-apoptotic p53 target gene NOXA in the p53-dependent
apoptotic response of these cells. In conclusion, our data indicate that the
hypersensitivity of TGCT cells is a result of their unique sensitivity to p53
activation. Furthermore, in the very specific cellular context of germ
cell-derived pluripotent EC cells, p53 function appears to be limited to
induction of apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Gutekunst
- Dr Margarete-Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and
University of Tuebingen, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Moshe Oren
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science,
Rehovot, Israel
| | - Andrea Weilbacher
- Dr Margarete-Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and
University of Tuebingen, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Michael A. Dengler
- Dr Margarete-Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and
University of Tuebingen, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Christiane Markwardt
- Dr Margarete-Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and
University of Tuebingen, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Jürgen Thomale
- Institute for Cell Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen Medical School,
Essen, Germany
| | - Walter E. Aulitzky
- 2 Department of Internal Medicine, Robert-Bosch-Hospital, Stuttgart,
Germany
| | - Heiko van der Kuip
- Dr Margarete-Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and
University of Tuebingen, Stuttgart, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Disruption of the MDM2-p53 interaction strongly potentiates p53-dependent apoptosis in cisplatin-resistant human testicular carcinoma cells via the Fas/FasL pathway. Cell Death Dis 2011; 2:e148. [PMID: 21509038 PMCID: PMC3122064 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2011.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Wild-type p53 has a major role in the response and execution of apoptosis after chemotherapy in many cancers. Although high levels of wild-type p53 and hardly any TP53 mutations are found in testicular cancer (TC), chemotherapy resistance is still observed in a significant subgroup of TC patients. In the present study, we demonstrate that p53 resides in a complex with MDM2 at higher cisplatin concentrations in cisplatin-resistant human TC cells compared with cisplatin-sensitive TC cells. Inhibition of the MDM2–p53 interaction using either Nutlin-3 or MDM2 RNA interference resulted in hyperactivation of the p53 pathway and a strong induction of apoptosis in cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant TC cells. Suppression of wild-type p53 induced resistance to Nutlin-3 in TC cells, demonstrating the key role of p53 for Nutlin-3 sensitivity. More specifically, our results indicate that p53-dependent induction of Fas membrane expression (∼threefold) and enhanced Fas/FasL interactions at the cell surface are important mechanisms of Nutlin-3-induced apoptosis in TC cells. Importantly, an analogous Fas-dependent mechanism of apoptosis upon Nutlin-3 treatment is executed in wild-type p53 expressing Hodgkin lymphoma and acute myeloid leukaemia cell lines. Finally, we demonstrate that Nutlin-3 strongly augmented cisplatin-induced apoptosis and cell kill via the Fas death receptor pathway. This effect is most pronounced in cisplatin-resistant TC cells.
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Koster R, di Pietro A, Timmer-Bosscha H, Gibcus JH, van den Berg A, Suurmeijer AJ, Bischoff R, Gietema JA, de Jong S. Cytoplasmic p21 expression levels determine cisplatin resistance in human testicular cancer. J Clin Invest 2010; 120:3594-605. [PMID: 20811155 DOI: 10.1172/jci41939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2009] [Accepted: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Platinum-based chemotherapies such as cisplatin are used as first-line treatment for many cancers. Although there is often a high initial responsiveness, the majority of patients eventually relapse with platinum-resistant disease. For example, a subset of testicular cancer patients still die even though testicular cancer is considered a paradigm of cisplatin-sensitive solid tumors, but the mechanisms of chemoresistance remain elusive. Here, we have shown that one key determinant of cisplatin-resistance in testicular embryonal carcinoma (EC) is high cytoplasmic expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p21. The EC component of the majority of refractory testicular cancer patients exhibited high cytoplasmic p21 expression, which protected EC cell lines against cisplatin-induced apoptosis via CDK2 inhibition. Localization of p21 in the cytoplasm was critical for cisplatin resistance, since relocalization of p21 to the nucleus by Akt inhibition sensitized EC cell lines to cisplatin. We also demonstrated in EC cell lines and human tumor tissue that high cytoplasmic p21 expression and cisplatin resistance of EC were inversely associated with the expression of Oct4 and miR-106b seed family members. Thus, targeting cytoplasmic p21, including by modulation of the Oct4/miR-106b/p21 pathway, may offer new strategies for the treatment of chemoresistant testicular and other types of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roelof Koster
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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Narayana K. Cisplatin induces duplex 3′ overhangs and 5′ blunt ends in epididymal epithelium in a Bax-dependent manner without any protection from l-ascorbic acid. Eur J Pharmacol 2010; 641:238-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2010.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2009] [Revised: 04/25/2010] [Accepted: 05/23/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Li B, Cheng Q, Li Z, Chen J. p53 inactivation by MDM2 and MDMX negative feedback loops in testicular germ cell tumors. Cell Cycle 2010; 9:1411-20. [PMID: 20372076 DOI: 10.4161/cc.9.7.11255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are unique in their excellent response to DNA-damaging chemotherapy. Mutation of p53 is rare in both untreated and relapsed TGCTs, suggesting that p53 fails to respond effectively against malignant transformation in germ cells. Previous studies implicated the presence of a poorly defined TGCT-specific mechanism of p53 inactivation. Here we show that disruption of p53-MDM2 binding using the MDM2-specific inhibitor Nutlin activates p53 in TGCT cells and is sufficient to induce strong apoptosis. Knockdown of MDMX cooperates with Nutlin to activate p53. Surprisingly, we found that p53 activation induced a two-fold increase in MDMX mRNA and protein expression in TGCT cells. A p53-responsive promoter is identified in MDMX intron 1 that contains a functional p53-binding site, suggesting that MDMX also functions as a negative feedback regulator of p53 in a cell line-dependent fashion. These findings suggest that MDM2 and MDMX are responsible for the functional inactivation of p53 in TGCT. Furthermore, TGCT cells are unique in having a strong apoptosis response to p53. Direct activation of p53 by targeting MDM2 and MDMX may provide a backup approach for the treatment of TGCTs resistant to DNA-damaging drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baozong Li
- Molecular Oncology Department, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
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Burum-Auensen E, Skotheim RI, Schjølberg AR, Røislien J, Lothe RA, Clausen OPF. Spindle proteins are differentially expressed in the various histological subtypes of testicular germ cell tumors. J Carcinog 2010; 9:1. [PMID: 20411023 PMCID: PMC2856146 DOI: 10.4103/1477-3163.60358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2009] [Accepted: 12/25/2009] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are characterized by an aneuploid DNA content. Aberrant expression of spindle proteins such as the Aurora kinases and the spindle checkpoint proteins MAD2 and BUB1B, are thought to contribute to the development of chromosomal instability and DNA aneuploidy in cancer. The importance of these spindle proteins remains unknown in the development of TGCTs, thus we have explored the expression levels of these proteins in normal and malignant testicular tissues. Materials and Methods: Using tissue microarrays the expression levels of Aurora kinase A (AURKA), Aurora kinase B (AURKB), BUB1B and MAD2 were measured in normal, preneoplastic and malignant testicular tissues of different histological subtypes from 279 orchidectomy specimens by means of immunohistochemistry. Results: All the spindle proteins except for AURKB were expressed in normal testis. Sixty-eight and 36%, respectively, of the primary spermatocytes in the normal testis were positive for BUB1B and MAD2, while only 5% of the cells were positive for AURKA. There was a significantly lower expression of the spindle checkpoint proteins in carcinoma in situ compared to normal testis (P=0.008 and P=0.043 for BUB1B and MAD2, respectively), while the level of AURKA was increased, however, not significantly (P=0.18). The extent of spindle protein expression varied significantly within the different histological subtypes of TGCTs (P<0.001 for AURKB, BUB1B and MAD2, P=0.003 for AURKA). The expression of AURKA was significantly elevated in both non-seminomas (P=0.003) and seminomas (P=0.015). The level of BUB1B was significantly decreased in non-seminomas (P<0.001). A similar tendency was observed for MAD2 (P=0.11). Conclusions: In carcinoma in situ of TGCTs the spindle checkpoint proteins MAD2 and BUB1B are significantly less expressed compared to normal testis, while the expression of AURKA is increased. We suggest that these changes may be of importance in the transition from in situ to invasive testicular cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Espen Burum-Auensen
- Division of Pathology, Medical Faculty, University of Oslo, Rikshospitalet, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Skorta I, Oren M, Markwardt C, Gutekunst M, Aulitzky WE, van der Kuip H. Imatinib mesylate induces cisplatin hypersensitivity in Bcr-Abl+ cells by differential modulation of p53 transcriptional and proapoptotic activity. Cancer Res 2010; 69:9337-45. [PMID: 19934315 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-09-0548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Imatinib is highly effective in inducing remission in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). However, complete eradication of the malignant clone by imatinib is rare. We investigated the efficacy of combining imatinib with cisplatin. Inhibition of Bcr-Abl by imatinib induced a hypersensitive phenotype both in Bcr-Abl(+) cell lines and in CD34(+) cells from CML patients. Importantly, cisplatin sensitivity of leukemic cells harboring an inactive Bcr-Abl greatly exceeded that of Bcr-Abl(-) parental cells. The cisplatin response of Bcr-Abl(+) cells treated with imatinib was characterized by an impaired G(2)-M arrest and by rapid induction of mitochondrial cell death after the first passage through G(2). Imatinib abrogated ATM activation on cisplatin selectively in Bcr-Abl(+) cells. As a consequence, phosphorylation of p53 on Ser(15) and its activity as a transcription factor was significantly diminished. Furthermore, p53 accumulated predominantly in the cytoplasm in Bcr-Abl(+) cells treated with imatinib and cisplatin. Silencing of p53 significantly reduced sensitivity to cisplatin in imatinib-treated Bcr-Abl(+) cells, indicating that p53 retains its proapoptotic activity. Simultaneous downregulation of Bcl-x(L) was an additional requirement for cisplatin hypersensitivity, as p53-dependent cell death could be antagonized by exogenous Bcl-x(L). We conclude that imatinib sensitizes Bcr-Abl(+) cells to cisplatin by simultaneous inhibition of p53 transactivation, induction of p53 accumulation predominantly in the cytoplasm, and reduction of Bcl-x(L).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Skorta
- Dr Margarete-Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and University of Tuebingen, Stuttgart, Germany
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35
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36
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Riese MJ, Vaughn DJ. Chemotherapy for patients with poor prognosis germ cell tumors. World J Urol 2009; 27:471-6. [DOI: 10.1007/s00345-009-0404-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2009] [Accepted: 03/04/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Noel EE, Perry J, Chaplin T, Mao X, Cazier JB, Joel SP, Oliver RTD, Young BD, Lu YJ. Identification of genomic changes associated with cisplatin resistance in testicular germ cell tumor cell lines. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2008; 47:604-13. [DOI: 10.1002/gcc.20564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
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38
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Duale N, Lindeman B, Komada M, Olsen AK, Andreassen A, Soderlund EJ, Brunborg G. Molecular portrait of cisplatin induced response in human testis cancer cell lines based on gene expression profiles. Mol Cancer 2007; 6:53. [PMID: 17711579 PMCID: PMC1988831 DOI: 10.1186/1476-4598-6-53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2007] [Accepted: 08/21/2007] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) respond well to cisplatin-based chemotherapy and show a low incidence of acquired resistance compared to most somatic tumors. The reasons for these specific characteristics are not known in detail but seem to be multifactorial. We have studied gene expression profiles of testicular and colon cancer derived cell lines treated with cisplatin. The main goal of this study was to identify novel gene expression profiles with their functional categories and the biochemical pathways that are associated with TGCT cells' response to cisplatin. RESULTS Genes that were differentially expressed between the TGCT cell lines vs the (somatic) HCT116 cell line, after cisplatin treatment, were identified using the significance analysis of microarrays (SAM) method. The response of TGCT cells was strikingly different from that of HCT116, and we identified 1794 genes that were differentially expressed. Functional classification of these genes showed that they participate in a variety of different and widely distributed functional categories and biochemical pathways. Database mining showed significant association of genes (n = 41) induced by cisplatin in our study, and genes previously reported to by expressed in differentiated TGCT cells. We identified 37 p53-responsive genes that were altered after cisplatin exposure. We also identified 40 target genes for two microRNAs, hsa-mir-372 and 373 that may interfere with p53 signaling in TGCTs. The tumor suppressor genes NEO1 and LATS2, and the estrogen receptor gene ESR1, all have binding sites for p53 and hsa-mir-372/373. NEO1 and LATS2 were down-regulated in TGCT cells following cisplatin exposure, while ESR1 was up-regulated in TGCT cells. Cisplatin-induced genes associated with terminal growth arrest through senescence were identified, indicating associations which were not previously described for TGCT cells. CONCLUSION By linking our gene expression data to publicly available databases and literature, we provide a global pattern of cisplatin induced cellular response that is specific for testicular cancer cell lines. We have identified cisplatin-responsive functional classes and pathways, such as the angiogenesis, Wnt, integrin, and cadherin signaling pathways. The identification of differentially expressed genes in this study may contribute to a better understanding of the unusual sensitivity of TGCT to some DNA-damaging agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Duale
- Department of Chemical Toxicology, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Birgitte Lindeman
- Department of Chemical Toxicology, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mitsuko Komada
- Department of Chemical Toxicology, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ann-Karin Olsen
- Department of Chemical Toxicology, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ashild Andreassen
- Department of Chemical Toxicology, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Erik J Soderlund
- Department of Chemical Toxicology, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunnar Brunborg
- Department of Chemical Toxicology, Division of Environmental Medicine, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
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Bartkova J, Rajpert-De Meyts E, Skakkebaek NE, Lukas J, Bartek J. DNA damage response in human testes and testicular germ cell tumours: biology and implications for therapy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 30:282-91; discussion 291. [PMID: 17573848 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2007.00772.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
DNA damage response (DDR) is emerging as a physiological anti-cancer barrier in early stages of cancer development, as shown for several types of solid cancers derived from somatic cells. Here we discuss our recently published and unpublished results on the exceptional paucity of such constitutive activation of the DDR machinery in human testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs), including their common pre-invasive stage of carcinoma in situ (CIS). Our conclusions are supported by immunohistochemical analyses of multiple markers of activated DNA damage signalling, such as the phosphorylated ATM and Chk2 checkpoint kinases and phosphorylated histone H2AX. We propose that the unique lack of DDR activation in TGCTs reflects the biology of their cell of origin, the gonocyte. Furthermore, we propose that the lack of DDR activation avoids the pressure to select for mutations in DDR genes such as p53 or ATM, and the resulting intact DDR machinery may have implications for the exceptional curability of TGCTs by DNA damaging therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Bartkova
- Institute of Cancer Biology and Centre for Genotoxic Stress Research, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark
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40
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Fung MKL, Cheung HW, Wong HL, Yuen HF, Ling MT, Chan KW, Wong YC, Cheung ALM, Wang X. MAD2 expression and its significance in mitotic checkpoint control in testicular germ cell tumour. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2007; 1773:821-32. [PMID: 17467818 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2007.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2006] [Revised: 03/05/2007] [Accepted: 03/21/2007] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Chromosomal instability (CIN) is a common characteristic in testicular germ cell tumour (TGCT). A functional mitotic checkpoint control is important for accurate chromosome segregation during mitosis. Mitotic arrest deficient 2 (MAD2) is a key component of this checkpoint and inactivation of MAD2 is correlated with checkpoint impairment. The aim of this study was to investigate the function of mitotic checkpoint control in TGCT cells and to study its association with MAD2 expression using 8 TGCT cell lines as well as 23 TGCT tissue samples. We found that in response to microtubule disruption, 6 of 8 TGCT cell lines (75%) failed to arrest in mitosis demonstrated by the decreased mitotic index and aberrant expression of mitosis regulators, indicating that mitotic checkpoint defect is a common event in TGCT cells. This loss of mitotic checkpoint control was correlated with reduced MAD2 protein expression in TGCT cell lines implicating that downregulation of MAD2 may play a critical role in an impaired mitotic checkpoint control in these cells. In addition, immunohistochemistry studies on 23 seminomas and 12 normal testis tissues demonstrated that nuclear expression of MAD2 was much lower in seminomas (p<0.0001) but cytoplasmic MAD2 expression was higher in seminomas (p=0.06) than normal samples. Our results suggest that aberrant MAD2 expression may play an essential role in a defective mitotic checkpoint in TGCT cells, which may contribute to CIN commonly observed in TGCT tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie K-L Fung
- Cancer Biology Group, Department of Anatomy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong, SAR, China
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Giuliano CJ, Freemantle SJ, Spinella MJ. Testicular Germ Cell Tumors: A Paradigm for the Successful Treatment of Solid Tumor Stem Cells. CURRENT CANCER THERAPY REVIEWS 2006; 2:255-270. [PMID: 24482633 PMCID: PMC3904303 DOI: 10.2174/157339406777934681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Treatment of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) has been a success primarily due to the exquisite responsiveness of this solid tumor to cisplatin-based therapy. Despite the promise of cure for the majority of TGCT patients, the effectiveness of therapy for some patients is limited by toxicity and the problem of resistance. There is compelling rationale to further understand the biology of TGCTs in order to better treat other solid tumors and to address the shortcomings of present TGCT therapies. TGCTs contain undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells, known as embryonal carcinoma, that share many properties with human embryonic stem cells. The importance of cancer stem cells in the initiation, progression and treatment of solid tumors is beginning to emerge. We discuss TGCTs in the context of solid tumor curability and targeted cancer stem cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caryl J. Giuliano
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dartmouth Medical School, and the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth Hitchcock-Medical Center, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Sarah J. Freemantle
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dartmouth Medical School, and the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth Hitchcock-Medical Center, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Michael J. Spinella
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dartmouth Medical School, and the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth Hitchcock-Medical Center, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
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