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Aguadé-Gorgorió G, Anderson AR, Solé R. Modeling tumors as species-rich ecological communities. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.22.590504. [PMID: 38712062 PMCID: PMC11071393 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.22.590504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Many advanced cancers resist therapeutic intervention. This process is fundamentally related to intra-tumor heterogeneity: multiple cell populations, each with different mutational and phenotypic signatures, coexist within a tumor and its metastatic nodes. Like species in an ecosystem, many cancer cell populations are intertwined in a complex network of ecological interactions. Most mathematical models of tumor ecology, however, cannot account for such phenotypic diversity nor are able to predict its consequences. Here we propose that the Generalized Lotka-Volterra model (GLV), a standard tool to describe complex, species-rich ecological communities, provides a suitable framework to describe the ecology of heterogeneous tumors. We develop a GLV model of tumor growth and discuss how its emerging properties, such as outgrowth and multistability, provide a new understanding of the disease. Additionally, we discuss potential extensions of the model and their application to three active areas of cancer research, namely phenotypic plasticity, the cancer-immune interplay and the resistance of metastatic tumors to treatment. Our work outlines a set of questions and a tentative road map for further research in cancer ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander R.A. Anderson
- Integrated Mathematical Oncology Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, USA
| | - Ricard Solé
- ICREA-Complex Systems Lab, UPF-PRBB, Dr. Aiguader 80, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
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2
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Mallin MM, Kim N, Choudhury MI, Lee SJ, An SS, Sun SX, Konstantopoulos K, Pienta KJ, Amend SR. Cells in the polyaneuploid cancer cell (PACC) state have increased metastatic potential. Clin Exp Metastasis 2023:10.1007/s10585-023-10216-8. [PMID: 37326720 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-023-10216-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Although metastasis is the leading cause of cancer deaths, it is quite rare at the cellular level. Only a rare subset of cancer cells (~ 1 in 1.5 billion) can complete the entire metastatic cascade: invasion, intravasation, survival in the circulation, extravasation, and colonization (i.e. are metastasis competent). We propose that cells engaging a Polyaneuploid Cancer Cell (PACC) phenotype are metastasis competent. Cells in the PACC state are enlarged, endocycling (i.e. non-dividing) cells with increased genomic content that form in response to stress. Single-cell tracking using time lapse microscopy reveals that PACC state cells have increased motility. Additionally, cells in the PACC state exhibit increased capacity for environment-sensing and directional migration in chemotactic environments, predicting successful invasion. Magnetic Twisting Cytometry and Atomic Force Microscopy reveal that cells in the PACC state display hyper-elastic properties like increased peripheral deformability and maintained peri-nuclear cortical integrity that predict successful intravasation and extravasation. Furthermore, four orthogonal methods reveal that cells in the PACC state have increased expression of vimentin, a hyper-elastic biomolecule known to modulate biomechanical properties and induce mesenchymal-like motility. Taken together, these data indicate that cells in the PACC state have increased metastatic potential and are worthy of further in vivo analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikaela M Mallin
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Graduate Training Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Cancer Ecology Center, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Nicholas Kim
- Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | | | - Se Jong Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Steven S An
- Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Sean X Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Kenneth J Pienta
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Graduate Training Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Cancer Ecology Center, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sarah R Amend
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Graduate Training Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Cancer Ecology Center, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
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3
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Bukkuri A, Pienta KJ, Hockett I, Austin RH, Hammarlund EU, Amend SR, Brown JS. Modeling cancer's ecological and evolutionary dynamics. Med Oncol 2023; 40:109. [PMID: 36853375 PMCID: PMC9974726 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-01968-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
In this didactic paper, we present a theoretical modeling framework, called the G-function, that integrates both the ecology and evolution of cancer to understand oncogenesis. The G-function has been used in evolutionary ecology, but has not been widely applied to problems in cancer. Here, we build the G-function framework from fundamental Darwinian principles and discuss how cancer can be seen through the lens of ecology, evolution, and game theory. We begin with a simple model of cancer growth and add on components of cancer cell competition and drug resistance. To aid in exploration of eco-evolutionary modeling with this approach, we also present a user-friendly software tool. By the end of this paper, we hope that readers will be able to construct basic G function models and grasp the usefulness of the framework to understand the games cancer plays in a biologically mechanistic fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuraag Bukkuri
- Cancer Biology and Evolution Program and Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, USA.
- Tissue Development and Evolution Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Kenneth J Pienta
- The Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Ian Hockett
- The Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | | | - Emma U Hammarlund
- Tissue Development and Evolution Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sarah R Amend
- The Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Joel S Brown
- Cancer Biology and Evolution Program and Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, USA
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4
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Mallin MM, Pienta KJ, Amend SR. Cancer cell foraging to explain bone-specific metastatic progression. Bone 2022; 158:115788. [PMID: 33279670 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2020.115788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Metastatic cancer is lethal and patients who suffer bone metastases fare especially poorly. Bone-specific metastatic progression in prostate and breast cancers is a highly observed example of organ-specific metastasis, or organotropism. Though research has delineated the sequential steps of the metastatic cascade, the determinants of bone-specific metastasis have remained elusive for decades. Applying fundamental ecological principles to cancer biology models of metastasis provides novel insights into metastatic organotropism. We use critical concepts from foraging theory and movement ecology to propose that observed bone-specific metastasis is the result of habitat selection by foraging cancer cells. Furthermore, we posit that cancer cells can only perform habitat selection if and when they employ a reversible motile foraging strategy. Only a very small percentage of cells in a primary tumor harbor this ability. Therefore, our habitat selection model emphasizes the importance of identifying the rare subset of cancer cells that might exhibit habitat selection, ergo achieve bone-specific metastatic colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikaela M Mallin
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Graduate Training Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St. Suite 2-103, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Kenneth J Pienta
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe St., Marburg 105, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Sarah R Amend
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe St., Marburg 105, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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5
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Kumar N, Saraber P, Ding Z, Kusumbe AP. Diversity of Vascular Niches in Bones and Joints During Homeostasis, Ageing, and Diseases. Front Immunol 2021; 12:798211. [PMID: 34975909 PMCID: PMC8718446 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.798211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The bones and joints in the skeletal system are composed of diverse cell types, including vascular niches, bone cells, connective tissue cells and mineral deposits and regulate whole-body homeostasis. The capacity of maintaining strength and generation of blood lineages lies within the skeletal system. Bone harbours blood and immune cells and their progenitors, and vascular cells provide several immune cell type niches. Blood vessels in bone are phenotypically and functionally diverse, with distinct capillary subtypes exhibiting striking changes with age. The bone vasculature has a special impact on osteogenesis and haematopoiesis, and dysregulation of the vasculature is associated with diverse blood and bone diseases. Ageing is associated with perturbed haematopoiesis, loss of osteogenesis, increased adipogenesis and diminished immune response and immune cell production. Endothelial and perivascular cells impact immune cell production and play a crucial role during inflammation. Here, we discuss normal and maladapted vascular niches in bone during development, homeostasis, ageing and bone diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Further, we discuss the role of vascular niches during bone malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anjali P. Kusumbe
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), Tissue and Tumor Microenvironments Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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6
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Neinavaie F, Ibrahim-Hashim A, Kramer AM, Brown JS, Richards CL. The Genomic Processes of Biological Invasions: From Invasive Species to Cancer Metastases and Back Again. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.681100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of invasion is useful across a broad range of contexts, spanning from the fine scale landscape of cancer tumors up to the broader landscape of ecosystems. Invasion biology provides extraordinary opportunities for studying the mechanistic basis of contemporary evolution at the molecular level. Although the field of invasion genetics was established in ecology and evolution more than 50 years ago, there is still a limited understanding of how genomic level processes translate into invasive phenotypes across different taxa in response to complex environmental conditions. This is largely because the study of most invasive species is limited by information about complex genome level processes. We lack good reference genomes for most species. Rigorous studies to examine genomic processes are generally too costly. On the contrary, cancer studies are fortified with extensive resources for studying genome level dynamics and the interactions among genetic and non-genetic mechanisms. Extensive analysis of primary tumors and metastatic samples have revealed the importance of several genomic mechanisms including higher mutation rates, specific types of mutations, aneuploidy or whole genome doubling and non-genetic effects. Metastatic sites can be directly compared to primary tumor cell counterparts. At the same time, clonal dynamics shape the genomics and evolution of metastatic cancers. Clonal diversity varies by cancer type, and the tumors’ donor and recipient tissues. Still, the cancer research community has been unable to identify any common events that provide a universal predictor of “metastatic potential” which parallels findings in evolutionary ecology. Instead, invasion in cancer studies depends strongly on context, including order of events and clonal composition. The detailed studies of the behavior of a variety of human cancers promises to inform our understanding of genome level dynamics in the diversity of invasive species and provide novel insights for management.
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7
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Li Y, Jin J, Bai F. Cancer biology deciphered by single-cell transcriptomic sequencing. Protein Cell 2021; 13:167-179. [PMID: 34405376 PMCID: PMC8901819 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-021-00868-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors are complex ecosystems in which heterogeneous cancer cells interact with their microenvironment composed of diverse immune, endothelial, and stromal cells. Cancer biology had been studied using bulk genomic and gene expression profiling, which however mask the cellular diversity and average the variability among individual molecular programs. Recent advances in single-cell transcriptomic sequencing have enabled a detailed dissection of tumor ecosystems and promoted our understanding of tumorigenesis at single-cell resolution. In the present review, we discuss the main topics of recent cancer studies that have implemented single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). To study cancer cells, scRNA-seq has provided novel insights into the cancer stem-cell model, treatment resistance, and cancer metastasis. To study the tumor microenvironment, scRNA-seq has portrayed the diverse cell types and complex cellular states of both immune and non-immune cells interacting with cancer cells, with the promise to discover novel targets for future immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanmeng Li
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jianshi Jin
- RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), 6-2-3, Furuedai, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Fan Bai
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics (ICG), Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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8
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Luo HT, Zheng YY, Tang J, Shao LJ, Mao YH, Yang W, Yang XF, Li Y, Tian RJ, Li FR. Dissecting the multi-omics atlas of the exosomes released by human lung adenocarcinoma stem-like cells. NPJ Genom Med 2021; 6:48. [PMID: 34127680 PMCID: PMC8203745 DOI: 10.1038/s41525-021-00217-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma is heterogeneous and hierarchically organized, with a subpopulation of stem-like cells (CSCs) that reside at the apex of the hierarchy, in which exosomes act as important mediators by transporting specific molecules among different cell populations. Although there have been numerous studies on tumor exosomes, the constituents and functional properties of CSC-derived exosomes are still poorly characterized. Here we present a detail transcriptome and proteome atlas of the exosomes released by human lung adenocarcinoma stem-like cells (LSLCs). The transcriptome analysis indicates the specific patterns of exosomal constituents, including the fragmentation of transcripts and the low-level presence of circular RNAs, and identifies multiple exosomal-enriched mRNAs and lncRNAs. Integrative analysis of transcriptome and proteome data reveals the diverse functions of exosomal-enriched RNAs and proteins, many of which are associated with tumorigenesis. Importantly, several LSLC markers we identified are highly expressed in LSLC-derived exosomes and associate with poor survival, which may serve as promising liquid biopsy biomarkers for lung adenocarcinoma diagnosis. Our study provides a resource for the future elucidation of the functions of tumor-derived exosomes and their regulatory mechanisms in mediating lung cancer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Tao Luo
- Translational Medicine Collaborative Innovation Center, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Transformation, Shenzhen, China.,Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral Research Station, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Zheng
- Translational Medicine Collaborative Innovation Center, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Transformation, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jun Tang
- Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral Research Station, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.,Institute of Oncology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Li-Juan Shao
- Translational Medicine Collaborative Innovation Center, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Transformation, Shenzhen, China.,Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral Research Station, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi-Heng Mao
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Translational Medicine Collaborative Innovation Center, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Transformation, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiao-Fei Yang
- Translational Medicine Collaborative Innovation Center, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Transformation, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yang Li
- Translational Medicine Collaborative Innovation Center, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Transformation, Shenzhen, China
| | - Rui-Jun Tian
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Fu-Rong Li
- Translational Medicine Collaborative Innovation Center, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. .,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Transformation, Shenzhen, China.
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9
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Multiple strategies with the synergistic approach for addressing colorectal cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 140:111704. [PMID: 34082400 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer treatment is improving widely over time, but finding a proper defender to beat them seems like a distant dream. The quest for identification and discovery of drugs with an effective action is still a vital work. The role of a membrane protein called P-glycoprotein, which functions as garbage chute that efflux the waste, xenobiotics, and toxins out of the cancer cells acts as a major reason behind the therapeutic failure of most chemotherapeutic drugs. In this review, we mainly focused on a multiple strategies by employing 5-Fluorouracil, curcumin, and lipids in Nano formulation for the possible treatment of colorectal cancer and its metastasis. Eventually, multidrug resistance and angiogenesis can be altered and it would be helpful in colorectal cancer targeting.We have depicted the possible way for the depletion of colorectal cancer cells without disturbing the normal cells. The concept of focusing on multiple pathways for marking the colorectal cancer cells could help in activating one among the pathways if the other one fails. The activity of the 5-Fluorouracil can be enhanced with the help of curcumin which acts as a chemosensitizer, chemotherapeutic agent, and even for altering the resistance. As we eat to survive, so do the cancer cells. The cancer cells utilize the energy source to stay alive and survive. Fatty acids can be used as the energy source and this concept can be employed for targeting the colorectal cancer cells and also for altering the resistant part.
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10
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Shen YJ, Mishima Y, Shi J, Sklavenitis-Pistofidis R, Redd RA, Moschetta M, Manier S, Roccaro AM, Sacco A, Tai YT, Mercier F, Kawano Y, Su NK, Berrios B, Doench JG, Root DE, Michor F, Scadden DT, Ghobrial IM. Progression signature underlies clonal evolution and dissemination of multiple myeloma. Blood 2021; 137:2360-2372. [PMID: 33150374 PMCID: PMC8085483 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020005885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Clonal evolution drives tumor progression, dissemination, and relapse in multiple myeloma (MM), with most patients dying of relapsed disease. This multistage process requires tumor cells to enter the circulation, extravasate, and colonize distant bone marrow (BM) sites. Here, we developed a fluorescent or DNA-barcode clone-tracking system on MM PrEDiCT (progression through evolution and dissemination of clonal tumor cells) xenograft mouse model to study clonal behavior within the BM microenvironment. We showed that only the few clones that successfully adapt to the BM microenvironment can enter the circulation and colonize distant BM sites. RNA sequencing of primary and distant-site MM tumor cells revealed a progression signature sequentially activated along human MM progression and significantly associated with overall survival when evaluated against patient data sets. A total of 28 genes were then computationally predicted to be master regulators (MRs) of MM progression. HMGA1 and PA2G4 were validated in vivo using CRISPR-Cas9 in the PrEDiCT model and were shown to be significantly depleted in distant BM sites, indicating their role in MM progression and dissemination. Loss of HMGA1 and PA2G4 also compromised the proliferation, migration, and adhesion abilities of MM cells in vitro. Overall, our model successfully recapitulates key characteristics of human MM disease progression and identified potential new therapeutic targets for MM.
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MESH Headings
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/antagonists & inhibitors
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism
- Animals
- Apoptosis
- Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics
- Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism
- Bone Marrow/metabolism
- Bone Marrow/pathology
- CRISPR-Cas Systems
- Cell Adhesion
- Cell Movement
- Cell Proliferation
- Clonal Evolution
- Disease Models, Animal
- Disease Progression
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- HMGA1a Protein/antagonists & inhibitors
- HMGA1a Protein/genetics
- HMGA1a Protein/metabolism
- Humans
- Mice
- Mice, SCID
- Multiple Myeloma/genetics
- Multiple Myeloma/metabolism
- Multiple Myeloma/pathology
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/genetics
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/metabolism
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology
- Prognosis
- RNA-Binding Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors
- RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics
- RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
- Survival Rate
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Jia Shen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Yuji Mishima
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Jiantao Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (SIBCB), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Romanos Sklavenitis-Pistofidis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Robert A Redd
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Michele Moschetta
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Salomon Manier
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Aldo M Roccaro
- ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Clinical Research Development and Phase I Unit, CREA Laboratory, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Sacco
- ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Clinical Research Development and Phase I Unit, CREA Laboratory, Brescia, Italy
| | - Yu-Tzu Tai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Francois Mercier
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Yawara Kawano
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Nang Kham Su
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Brianna Berrios
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - John G Doench
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - David E Root
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
| | - Franziska Michor
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; and
| | - David T Scadden
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | - Irene M Ghobrial
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA
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11
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Malta KK, Silva TP, Palazzi C, Neves VH, Carmo LAS, Cardoso SJ, Melo RCN. Changing our view of the Schistosoma granuloma to an ecological standpoint. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1404-1420. [PMID: 33754464 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, a neglected parasitic tropical disease that has plagued humans for centuries, remains a major public health burden. A primary challenge to understanding schistosomiasis is deciphering the most remarkable pathological feature of this disease, the granuloma - a highly dynamic and self-organized structure formed by both host and parasite components. Granulomas are considered a remarkable example of how parasites evolved with their hosts to establish complex and intimate associations. However, much remains unclear regarding life within the granuloma, and strategies to restrain its development are still lacking. Here we explore current information on the hepatic Schistosoma mansoni granuloma in the light of Ecology and propose that this intricate structure acts as a real ecosystem. The schistosomal granuloma is formed by cells (biotic component), protein scaffolds, fibres, and chemical compounds (abiotic components) with inputs/outputs of energy and matter, as complex as in classical ecosystems. We review the distinct cell populations ('species') within the granuloma and examine how they integrate with each other and interact with their microenvironment to form a multifaceted cell community in different space-time frames. The colonization of the hepatic tissue to form granulomas is explained from the point of view of an ecological succession whereby a community is able to modify its physical environment, creating conditions and resources for ecosystem construction. Remarkably, the granuloma represents a dynamic evolutionary system that undergoes progressive changes in the 'species' that compose its community over time. In line with ecological concepts, we examine the granuloma not only as a place where a community of cells is settled (spatial niche or habitat) but also as a site in which the functional activities of these combined populations occur in an orchestrated way in response to microenvironmental gradients such as cytokines and egg antigens. Finally, we assert how the levels of organization of cellular components in a granuloma as conventionally defined by Cell Biology can fit perfectly into a hierarchical structure of biological systems as defined by Ecology. By rethinking the granuloma as an integrating and evolving ecosystem, we draw attention to the inner workings of this structure that are central to the understanding of schistosomiasis and could guide its future treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kássia K Malta
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Biodiversity, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil
| | - Thiago P Silva
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Biodiversity, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil
| | - Cinthia Palazzi
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Cell Biology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Vitor H Neves
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Cell Biology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Lívia A S Carmo
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.,Department of Medicine, Federal University of Alagoas, Rodovia AL-115, Bom Sucesso, Arapiraca, AL, 57309-005, Brazil
| | - Simone J Cardoso
- Graduate Program in Biodiversity, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.,Laboratory of Plankton Ecology, Department of Zoology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil
| | - Rossana C N Melo
- Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Biology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Biodiversity, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, São Pedro, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.,Graduate Program in Cell Biology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
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12
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Butler G, Keeton SJ, Johnson LJ, Dash PR. A phenotypic switch in the dispersal strategy of breast cancer cells selected for metastatic colonization. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202523. [PMID: 33259764 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An important question in cancer evolution concerns which traits make a cell likely to successfully metastasize. Cell motility phenotypes, mediated by cell shape change, are strong candidates. We experimentally evolved breast cancer cells in vitro for metastatic capability, using selective regimes designed to simulate stages of metastasis, then quantified their motility behaviours using computer vision. All evolved lines showed changes to motility phenotypes, and we have identified a previously unknown density-dependent motility phenotype only seen in cells selected for colonization of decellularized lung tissue. These cells increase their rate of morphological change with an increase in migration speed when local cell density is high. However, when the local cell density is low, we find the opposite relationship: the rate of morphological change decreases with an increase in migration speed. Neither the ancestral population, nor cells selected for their ability to escape or invade extracellular matrix-like environments, displays this dynamic behavioural switch. Our results suggest that cells capable of distant-site colonization may be characterized by dynamic morphological phenotypes and the capacity to respond to the local social environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Butler
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Shirley J Keeton
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Louise J Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Philip R Dash
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
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13
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Saxena K, Jolly MK, Balamurugan K. Hypoxia, partial EMT and collective migration: Emerging culprits in metastasis. Transl Oncol 2020; 13:100845. [PMID: 32781367 PMCID: PMC7419667 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2020.100845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular biological process involved in migration of primary cancer cells to secondary sites facilitating metastasis. Besides, EMT also confers properties such as stemness, drug resistance and immune evasion which can aid a successful colonization at the distant site. EMT is not a binary process; recent evidence suggests that cells in partial EMT or hybrid E/M phenotype(s) can have enhanced stemness and drug resistance as compared to those undergoing a complete EMT. Moreover, partial EMT enables collective migration of cells as clusters of circulating tumor cells or emboli, further endorsing that cells in hybrid E/M phenotypes may be the 'fittest' for metastasis. Here, we review mechanisms and implications of hybrid E/M phenotypes, including their reported association with hypoxia. Hypoxia-driven activation of HIF-1α can drive EMT. In addition, cyclic hypoxia, as compared to acute or chronic hypoxia, shows the highest levels of active HIF-1α and can augment cancer aggressiveness to a greater extent, including enriching for a partial EMT phenotype. We also discuss how metastasis is influenced by hypoxia, partial EMT and collective cell migration, and call for a better understanding of interconnections among these mechanisms. We discuss the known regulators of hypoxia, hybrid EMT and collective cell migration and highlight the gaps which needs to be filled for connecting these three axes which will increase our understanding of dynamics of metastasis and help control it more effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kritika Saxena
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
| | - Kuppusamy Balamurugan
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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14
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Somarelli JA, Gardner H, Cannataro VL, Gunady EF, Boddy AM, Johnson NA, Fisk JN, Gaffney SG, Chuang JH, Li S, Ciccarelli FD, Panchenko AR, Megquier K, Kumar S, Dornburg A, DeGregori J, Townsend JP. Molecular Biology and Evolution of Cancer: From Discovery to Action. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:320-326. [PMID: 31642480 PMCID: PMC6993850 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer progression is an evolutionary process. During this process, evolving cancer cell populations encounter restrictive ecological niches within the body, such as the primary tumor, circulatory system, and diverse metastatic sites. Efforts to prevent or delay cancer evolution-and progression-require a deep understanding of the underlying molecular evolutionary processes. Herein we discuss a suite of concepts and tools from evolutionary and ecological theory that can inform cancer biology in new and meaningful ways. We also highlight current challenges to applying these concepts, and propose ways in which incorporating these concepts could identify new therapeutic modes and vulnerabilities in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
| | - Heather Gardner
- Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Medford, MA
| | | | - Ella F Gunady
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
| | - Amy M Boddy
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
| | | | | | - Stephen G Gaffney
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT
| | | | - Sheng Li
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT
| | - Francesca D Ciccarelli
- Cancer Systems Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna R Panchenko
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
- Ontario Institute of Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kate Megquier
- Broad Institute, Massachusettes Institute of Technology and Harvard University
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, and Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Alex Dornburg
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC
| | - James DeGregori
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Jeffrey P Townsend
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT
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15
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Tissot T, Massol F, Ujvari B, Alix-Panabieres C, Loeuille N, Thomas F. Metastasis and the evolution of dispersal. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20192186. [PMID: 31771479 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite significant progress in oncology, metastasis remains the leading cause of mortality of cancer patients. Understanding the foundations of this phenomenon could help contain or even prevent it. As suggested by many ecologists and cancer biologists, metastasis could be considered through the lens of biological dispersal: the movement of cancer cells from their birth site (the primary tumour) to other habitats where they resume proliferation (metastatic sites). However, whether this model can consistently be applied to the emergence and dynamics of metastasis remains unclear. Here, we provide a broad review of various aspects of the evolution of dispersal in ecosystems. We investigate whether similar ecological and evolutionary principles can be applied to metastasis, and how these processes may shape the spatio-temporal dynamics of disseminating cancer cells. We further discuss complementary hypotheses and propose experimental approaches to test the relevance of the evolutionary ecology of dispersal in studying metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tazzio Tissot
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Sorbonne University/CNRS/INRA/IRD/UPEC/Paris-Diderot University, Paris, France.,Eco-Anthropology, MNHN/CNRS/Paris-Diderot University, Paris, France
| | - François Massol
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8198-Evo-Eco-Paleo, F-59000 Lille, France.,Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR 8204-CIIL-Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Beata Ujvari
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
| | - Catherine Alix-Panabieres
- Laboratory of Rare Human Circulating Cells (LCCRH), University Medical Centre of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Loeuille
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Sorbonne University/CNRS/INRA/IRD/UPEC/Paris-Diderot University, Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREEC (CREES), Unité Mixte de Recherches, IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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16
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Nawaz S, Trahearn NA, Heindl A, Banerjee S, Maley CC, Sottoriva A, Yuan Y. Analysis of tumour ecological balance reveals resource-dependent adaptive strategies of ovarian cancer. EBioMedicine 2019; 48:224-235. [PMID: 31648981 PMCID: PMC6838425 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite treatment advances, there remains a significant risk of recurrence in ovarian cancer, at which stage it is usually incurable. Consequently, there is a clear need for improved patient stratification. However, at present clinical prognosticators remain largely unchanged due to the lack of reproducible methods to identify high-risk patients. METHODS In high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients with advanced disease, we spatially define a tumour ecological balance of stromal resource and immune hazard using high-throughput image and spatial analysis of routine histology slides. On this basis an EcoScore is developed to classify tumours by a shift in this balance towards cancer-favouring or inhibiting conditions. FINDINGS The EcoScore provides prognostic value stronger than, and independent of, known risk factors. Crucially, the clinical relevance of mutational burden and genomic instability differ under different stromal resource conditions, suggesting that the selective advantage of these cancer hallmarks is dependent on the context of stromal spatial structure. Under a high resource condition defined by a high level of geographical intermixing of cancer and stromal cells, selection appears to be driven by point mutations; whereas, in low resource tumours featured with high hypoxia and low cancer-immune co-localization, selection is fuelled by aneuploidy. INTERPRETATION Our study offers empirical evidence that cancer fitness depends on tumour spatial constraints, and presents a biological basis for developing better assessments of tumour adaptive strategies in overcoming ecological constraints including immune surveillance and hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sidra Nawaz
- Centre for Evolution and Cancer, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK; Division of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Nicholas A Trahearn
- Centre for Evolution and Cancer, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK; Division of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Andreas Heindl
- Centre for Evolution and Cancer, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK; Division of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | | | - Carlo C Maley
- Centre for Evolution and Cancer, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK; Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Andrea Sottoriva
- Centre for Evolution and Cancer, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK; Division of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Yinyin Yuan
- Centre for Evolution and Cancer, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK; Division of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
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17
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Jolly MK, Celià-Terrassa T. Dynamics of Phenotypic Heterogeneity Associated with EMT and Stemness during Cancer Progression. J Clin Med 2019; 8:E1542. [PMID: 31557977 PMCID: PMC6832750 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8101542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity contribute to the generation of diverse tumor cell populations, thus enhancing cancer aggressiveness and therapy resistance. Compared to genetic heterogeneity, a consequence of mutational events, phenotypic heterogeneity arises from dynamic, reversible cell state transitions in response to varying intracellular/extracellular signals. Such phenotypic plasticity enables rapid adaptive responses to various stressful conditions and can have a strong impact on cancer progression. Herein, we have reviewed relevant literature on mechanisms associated with dynamic phenotypic changes and cellular plasticity, such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stemness, which have been reported to facilitate cancer metastasis. We also discuss how non-cell-autonomous mechanisms such as cell-cell communication can lead to an emergent population-level response in tumors. The molecular mechanisms underlying the complexity of tumor systems are crucial for comprehending cancer progression, and may provide new avenues for designing therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
| | - Toni Celià-Terrassa
- Cancer Research Program, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
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18
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Amend SR, Torga G, Lin KC, Kostecka LG, de Marzo A, Austin RH, Pienta KJ. Polyploid giant cancer cells: Unrecognized actuators of tumorigenesis, metastasis, and resistance. Prostate 2019; 79:1489-1497. [PMID: 31376205 PMCID: PMC6706309 DOI: 10.1002/pros.23877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cancer led to the deaths of more than 9 million people worldwide in 2018, and most of these deaths were due to metastatic tumor burden. While in most cases, we still do not know why cancer is lethal, we know that a total tumor burden of 1 kg-equivalent to one trillion cells-is not compatible with life. While localized disease is curable through surgical removal or radiation, once cancer has spread, it is largely incurable. The inability to cure metastatic cancer lies, at least in part, to the fact that cancer is resistant to all known compounds and anticancer drugs. The source of this resistance remains undefined. In fact, the vast majority of metastatic cancers are resistant to all currently available anticancer therapies, including chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and systemic radiation. Thus, despite decades-even centuries-of research, metastatic cancer remains lethal and incurable. We present historical and contemporary evidence that the key actuators of this process-of tumorigenesis, metastasis, and therapy resistance-are polyploid giant cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R. Amend
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | - Gonzalo Torga
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | | | - Laurie G. Kostecka
- Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Program, Johns Hopkins University
| | - Angelo de Marzo
- Depatment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
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19
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Jong ED, Chan ICW, Nedelcu AM. A Model-System to Address the Impact of Phenotypic Heterogeneity and Plasticity on the Development of Cancer Therapies. Front Oncol 2019; 9:842. [PMID: 31555595 PMCID: PMC6727362 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The main challenges in developing effective anti-cancer therapies stem from the highly complex and heterogeneous nature of cancer, including the presence of multiple genetically-encoded and environmentally-induced cancer cell phenotypes within an individual. This diversity can make the development of successful treatments difficult as different phenotypes can have different responses to the same treatment. The lack of model-systems that can be used to simultaneously test the effect of therapies on multiple distinct phenotypic states further contributes to this problem. To mitigate these challenges, we suggest that in vitro model-systems that consist of several genetically-related but phenotypically distinct populations can be used as proxies for the several phenotypes (including adherent and circulating tumor cells) present in a patient with advanced disease. As proof of concept, we have developed such a model and showed that different phenotypes had different responses to the same challenge (i.e., a change in extracellular pH) both in terms of sensitivity and phenotypic plasticity. We suggest that similar model-systems could be developed and used when designing novel therapeutic strategies, to address the potential impact of phenotypic heterogeneity and plasticity of cancer on the development of successful therapies. Specifically, the effect of a therapy should be considered on more than one cancer cell phenotype (to increase its effectiveness), and both cell viability as well as changes in phenotypic state (to address potential plastic responses) should be evaluated. Although we are aware of the limitations of in vitro systems, we believe that the use of established cell lines that express multiple phenotypes can provide invaluable insights into the complex interplay between therapies and cancer's heterogeneous and plastic nature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aurora M. Nedelcu
- Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
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20
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Johnson KE, Howard G, Mo W, Strasser MK, Lima EABF, Huang S, Brock A. Cancer cell population growth kinetics at low densities deviate from the exponential growth model and suggest an Allee effect. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000399. [PMID: 31381560 PMCID: PMC6695196 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Most models of cancer cell population expansion assume exponential growth kinetics at low cell densities, with deviations to account for observed slowing of growth rate only at higher densities due to limited resources such as space and nutrients. However, recent preclinical and clinical observations of tumor initiation or recurrence indicate the presence of tumor growth kinetics in which growth rates scale positively with cell numbers. These observations are analogous to the cooperative behavior of species in an ecosystem described by the ecological principle of the Allee effect. In preclinical and clinical models, however, tumor growth data are limited by the lower limit of detection (i.e., a measurable lesion) and confounding variables, such as tumor microenvironment, and immune responses may cause and mask deviations from exponential growth models. In this work, we present alternative growth models to investigate the presence of an Allee effect in cancer cells seeded at low cell densities in a controlled in vitro setting. We propose a stochastic modeling framework to disentangle expected deviations due to small population size stochastic effects from cooperative growth and use the moment approach for stochastic parameter estimation to calibrate the observed growth trajectories. We validate the framework on simulated data and apply this approach to longitudinal cell proliferation data of BT-474 luminal B breast cancer cells. We find that cell population growth kinetics are best described by a model structure that considers the Allee effect, in that the birth rate of tumor cells increases with cell number in the regime of small population size. This indicates a potentially critical role of cooperative behavior among tumor cells at low cell densities with relevance to early stage growth patterns of emerging and relapsed tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn E. Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Grant Howard
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - William Mo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Michael K. Strasser
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Ernesto A. B. F. Lima
- Institute for Computation Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Sui Huang
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Amy Brock
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Oncology, Livestrong Cancer Institute, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
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21
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Abstract
Cancers are not composed merely of cancer cells alone; instead, they are complex 'ecosystems' comprising many different cell types and noncellular factors. The tumour stroma is a critical component of the tumour microenvironment, where it has crucial roles in tumour initiation, progression, and metastasis. Most anticancer therapies target cancer cells specifically, but the tumour stroma can promote the resistance of cancer cells to such therapies, eventually resulting in fatal disease. Therefore, novel treatment strategies should combine anticancer and antistromal agents. Herein, we provide an overview of the advances in understanding the complex cancer cell-tumour stroma interactions and discuss how this knowledge can result in more effective therapeutic strategies, which might ultimately improve patient outcomes.
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22
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Li X, Jolly MK, George JT, Pienta KJ, Levine H. Computational Modeling of the Crosstalk Between Macrophage Polarization and Tumor Cell Plasticity in the Tumor Microenvironment. Front Oncol 2019; 9:10. [PMID: 30729096 PMCID: PMC6351454 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor microenvironments contain multiple cell types interacting among one another via different signaling pathways. Furthermore, both cancer cells and different immune cells can display phenotypic plasticity in response to these communicating signals, thereby leading to complex spatiotemporal patterns that can impact therapeutic response. Here, we investigate the crosstalk between cancer cells and macrophages in a tumor microenvironment through in silico (computational) co-culture models. In particular, we investigate how macrophages of different polarization (M1 vs. M2) can interact with epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity of cancer cells, and conversely, how cancer cells exhibiting different phenotypes (epithelial vs. mesenchymal) can influence the polarization of macrophages. Based on interactions documented in the literature, an interaction network of cancer cells and macrophages is constructed. The steady states of the network are then analyzed. Various interactions were removed or added into the constructed-network to test the functions of those interactions. Also, parameters in the mathematical models were varied to explore their effects on the steady states of the network. In general, the interactions between cancer cells and macrophages can give rise to multiple stable steady-states for a given set of parameters and each steady state is stable against perturbations. Importantly, we show that the system can often reach one type of stable steady states where cancer cells go extinct. Our results may help inform efficient therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefei Li
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jason T George
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States.,Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Kenneth J Pienta
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
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23
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Abstract
Cellular heterogeneity within and across tumors has been a major obstacle in understanding and treating cancer, and the complex heterogeneity is masked if bulk tumor tissues are used for analysis. The advent of rapidly developing single-cell sequencing technologies, which include methods related to single-cell genome, epigenome, transcriptome, and multi-omics sequencing, have been applied to cancer research and led to exciting new findings in the fields of cancer evolution, metastasis, resistance to therapy, and tumor microenvironment. In this review, we discuss recent advances and limitations of these new technologies and their potential applications in cancer studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianwen Ren
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Boxi Kang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Zemin Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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24
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Abstract
Purpose In this paper, we provide an overview of a life history theory and how it applies to cancer evolution. Recent Findings We review the literature on trade-offs in tumors, focusing on the trade-offs among cellular proliferation, survival, and motility. Trade-offs are critical natural constraints for almost all evolutionary processes. Many ecological studies show that trade-offs among these cellular functions maintain a genetic diversity. In addition, these trade-offs are not fixed, but rather can shift depending on the ecological circumstances in the microenvironment. This can lead to selection for the cellular capacity to respond to these differing microenvironments in ways that promote the fitness of the cancer cell. We relate these life history trade-offs to the recently developed Evo-Eco indexes and discuss how life history theory can help refine our measures of tumor evolution and ecology. Summary Life history theory provides a framework for understanding how the spatial and temporal variability in the tumor microenvironment—in particular resources and threats—affect trade-offs among cell survival, cell proliferation, and cell migration. We discuss how these trade-offs can potentially be leveraged in cancer therapy to increase the effectiveness of treatment.
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25
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Hochberg ME. An ecosystem framework for understanding and treating disease. EVOLUTION MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 2018:270-286. [PMID: 30487969 PMCID: PMC6252061 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoy032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Pathogens and cancers are pervasive health risks in the human population. I argue that if we are to better understand disease and its treatment, then we need to take an ecological perspective of disease itself. I generalize and extend an emerging framework that views disease as an ecosystem and many of its components as interacting in a community. I develop the framework for biological etiological agents (BEAs) that multiply within humans—focusing on bacterial pathogens and cancers—but the framework could be extended to include other host and parasite species. I begin by describing why we need an ecosystem framework to understand disease, and the main components and interactions in bacterial and cancer disease ecosystems. Focus is then given to the BEA and how it may proceed through characteristic states, including emergence, growth, spread and regression. The framework is then applied to therapeutic interventions. Central to success is preventing BEA evasion, the best known being antibiotic resistance and chemotherapeutic resistance in cancers. With risks of evasion in mind, I propose six measures that either introduce new components into the disease ecosystem or manipulate existing ones. An ecosystem framework promises to enhance our understanding of disease, BEA and host (co)evolution, and how we can improve therapeutic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael E Hochberg
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France.,Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA.,Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, 31015 Toulouse, France
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26
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Gambera S, Abarrategi A, González-Camacho F, Morales-Molina Á, Roma J, Alfranca A, García-Castro J. Clonal dynamics in osteosarcoma defined by RGB marking. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3994. [PMID: 30266933 PMCID: PMC6162235 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06401-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is a type of bone tumour characterized by considerable levels of phenotypic heterogeneity, aneuploidy, and a high mutational rate. The life expectancy of osteosarcoma patients has not changed during the last three decades and thus much remains to be learned about the disease biology. Here, we employ a RGB-based single-cell tracking system to study the clonal dynamics occurring in a de novo-induced murine osteosarcoma model. We show that osteosarcoma cells present initial polyclonal dynamics, followed by clonal dominance associated with adaptation to the microenvironment. Interestingly, the dominant clones are composed of subclones with a similar tumour generation potential when they are re-implanted in mice. Moreover, individual spontaneous metastases are clonal or oligoclonal, but they have a different cellular origin than the dominant clones present in primary tumours. In summary, we present evidence that osteosarcomagenesis can follow a neutral evolution model, in which different cancer clones coexist and propagate simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Gambera
- Cellular Biotechnology Unit, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, 28029, Spain
| | - Ander Abarrategi
- Cellular Biotechnology Unit, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, 28029, Spain
- Haematopoietic Stem Cell Lab, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | | | - Álvaro Morales-Molina
- Cellular Biotechnology Unit, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, 28029, Spain
| | - Josep Roma
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Child and Adolescent Cancer, Vall d'Hebron Hospital, Barcelona, 08035, Spain
| | - Arantzazu Alfranca
- Cellular Biotechnology Unit, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, 28029, Spain
- Immunology Department, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Madrid, 28006, Spain
| | - Javier García-Castro
- Cellular Biotechnology Unit, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, 28029, Spain.
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Amend SR, de Groot AE, Torga G, Axelrod HD, Reyes DK, Valkenburg KC, Glavaris SA, Pienta KJ. Ten unanswered questions in cancer: "If this is true, what does it imply"? AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL UROLOGY 2018; 6:26-31. [PMID: 29666828 PMCID: PMC5902718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Amend
- The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Amber E de Groot
- The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Gonzalo Torga
- The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Haley D Axelrod
- The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Diane K Reyes
- The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Kenneth C Valkenburg
- The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Stephanie A Glavaris
- The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Kenneth J Pienta
- The James Buchanan Brady Urologic Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD 21287, USA
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28
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Vogt G. Investigating the genetic and epigenetic basis of big biological questions with the parthenogenetic marbled crayfish: A review and perspectives. J Biosci 2018; 43:189-223. [PMID: 29485126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In the last 15 years, considerable attempts have been undertaken to develop the obligately parthenogenetic marbled crayfish Procambarus virginalis as a new model in biology. Its main advantage is the production of large numbers of offspring that are genetically identical to the mother, making this crustacean particularly suitable for research in epigenetics. Now, a draft genome, transcriptome and genome-wide methylome are available opening new windows for research. In this article, I summarize the biological advantages and genomic and epigenetic features of marbled crayfish and, based on first promising data, discuss what this new model could contribute to answering of ''big'' biological questions. Genome mining is expected to reveal new insights into the genetic specificities of decapod crustaceans, the genetic basis of arthropod reproduction, moulting and immunity, and more general topics such as the genetic underpinning of adaptation to fresh water, omnivory, biomineralization, sexual system change, behavioural variation, clonal genome evolution, and resistance to cancer. Epigenetic investigations with the marbled crayfish can help clarifying the role of epigenetic mechanisms in gene regulation, tissue specification, adult stem cell regulation, cell ageing, organ regeneration and disease susceptibility. Marbled crayfish is further suitable to elucidate the relationship between genetic and epigenetic variation, the transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic signatures and the contribution of epigenetic phenotype variation to the establishment of social hierarchies, environmental adaptation and speciation. These issues can be tackled by experiments with highly standardized laboratory lineages, comparison of differently adapted wild populations and the generation of genetically and epigenetically edited strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunter Vogt
- Faculty of Biosciences, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 234, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany,
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29
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Vogt G. Investigating the genetic and epigenetic basis of big biological questions with the parthenogenetic marbled crayfish: A review and perspectives. J Biosci 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12038-018-9741-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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30
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Taylor TB, Wass AV, Johnson LJ, Dash P. Resource competition promotes tumour expansion in experimentally evolved cancer. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:268. [PMID: 29281983 PMCID: PMC5745887 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-1117-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumour progression involves a series of phenotypic changes to cancer cells, each of which presents therapeutic targets. Here, using techniques adapted from microbial experimental evolution, we investigate the evolution of tumour spreading - a precursor for metastasis and tissue invasion - in environments with varied resource supply. Evolutionary theory predicts that competition for resources within a population will select for individuals to move away from a natal site (i.e. disperse), facilitating the colonisation of unexploited resources and decreasing competition between kin. RESULTS After approximately 100 generations in environments with low resource supply, we find that MCF7 breast cancer spheroids (small in vitro tumours) show increased spreading. Conversely, spreading slows compared to the ancestor where resource supply is high. Common garden experiments confirm that the evolutionary responses differ between selection lines; with lines evolved under low resource supply showing phenotypic plasticity in spheroid spreading rate. These differences in spreading behaviour between selection lines are heritable (stable across multiple generations), and show that the divergently evolved lines differ in their response to resource supply. CONCLUSIONS We observe dispersal-like behaviour and an increased sensitivity to resource availability in our selection lines, which may be a response to selection, or alternatively may be due to epigenetic changes, provoked by prolonged resource limitation, that have persisted across many cell generations. Different clinical strategies may be needed depending on whether or not tumour progression is due to natural selection. This study highlights the effectiveness of experimental evolution approaches in cancer cell populations and demonstrates how simple model systems might enable us to observe and measure key selective drivers of clinically important traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany B Taylor
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AH, UK. .,Milner Centre for Evolution and Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down Road, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
| | - Anastasia V Wass
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AH, UK
| | - Louise J Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AH, UK
| | - Phil Dash
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AH, UK
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31
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Maley CC, Aktipis A, Graham TA, Sottoriva A, Boddy AM, Janiszewska M, Silva AS, Gerlinger M, Yuan Y, Pienta KJ, Anderson KS, Gatenby R, Swanton C, Posada D, Wu CI, Schiffman JD, Hwang ES, Polyak K, Anderson ARA, Brown JS, Greaves M, Shibata D. Classifying the evolutionary and ecological features of neoplasms. Nat Rev Cancer 2017; 17:605-619. [PMID: 28912577 PMCID: PMC5811185 DOI: 10.1038/nrc.2017.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neoplasms change over time through a process of cell-level evolution, driven by genetic and epigenetic alterations. However, the ecology of the microenvironment of a neoplastic cell determines which changes provide adaptive benefits. There is widespread recognition of the importance of these evolutionary and ecological processes in cancer, but to date, no system has been proposed for drawing clinically relevant distinctions between how different tumours are evolving. On the basis of a consensus conference of experts in the fields of cancer evolution and cancer ecology, we propose a framework for classifying tumours that is based on four relevant components. These are the diversity of neoplastic cells (intratumoural heterogeneity) and changes over time in that diversity, which make up an evolutionary index (Evo-index), as well as the hazards to neoplastic cell survival and the resources available to neoplastic cells, which make up an ecological index (Eco-index). We review evidence demonstrating the importance of each of these factors and describe multiple methods that can be used to measure them. Development of this classification system holds promise for enabling clinicians to personalize optimal interventions based on the evolvability of the patient's tumour. The Evo- and Eco-indices provide a common lexicon for communicating about how neoplasms change in response to interventions, with potential implications for clinical trials, personalized medicine and basic cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo C Maley
- Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Athena Aktipis
- Department of Psychology, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, 651 E. University Drive, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Trevor A Graham
- Evolution and Cancer Laboratory, Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Andrea Sottoriva
- Centre for Evolution and Cancer, The Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Amy M Boddy
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
| | - Michalina Janiszewska
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue D740C, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Ariosto S Silva
- Department of Cancer Imaging and Metabolism, Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
| | - Marco Gerlinger
- Centre for Evolution and Cancer, Division of Molecular Pathology, The Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Yinyin Yuan
- Centre for Evolution and Cancer, The Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Kenneth J Pienta
- Brady Urological Institute, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA
| | - Karen S Anderson
- Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
| | - Robert Gatenby
- Cancer Biology and Evolution Program, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
| | - Charles Swanton
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - David Posada
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology and Biomedical Research Center (CINBIO), University of Vigo, Spain; Galicia Sur Health Research Institute, Vigo, 36310, Spain
| | - Chung-I Wu
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Joshua D Schiffman
- Departments of Pediatrics and Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, 2000 Circle of Hope, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108, USA
| | - E Shelley Hwang
- Department of Surgery, Duke University and Duke Cancer Institute, 465 Seeley Mudd Building, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Kornelia Polyak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue D740C, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Alexander R A Anderson
- Integrated Mathematical Oncology Department, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
| | - Joel S Brown
- Integrated Mathematical Oncology Department, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
| | - Mel Greaves
- Centre for Evolution and Cancer, The Institute of Cancer Research, 15 Cotswold Road, Sutton, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Darryl Shibata
- Department of Pathology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Avenue, NOR2424, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA
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Jolly MK, Ware KE, Gilja S, Somarelli JA, Levine H. EMT and MET: necessary or permissive for metastasis? Mol Oncol 2017; 11:755-769. [PMID: 28548345 PMCID: PMC5496498 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 240] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its reverse mesenchymal‐to‐epithelial transition (MET) have been suggested to play crucial roles in metastatic dissemination of carcinomas. These phenotypic transitions between states are not binary. Instead, carcinoma cells often exhibit a spectrum of epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype(s). While epithelial/mesenchymal plasticity has been observed preclinically and clinically, whether any of these phenotypic transitions are indispensable for metastatic outgrowth remains an unanswered question. Here, we focus on epithelial/mesenchymal plasticity in metastatic dissemination and propose alternative mechanisms for successful dissemination and metastases beyond the traditional EMT/MET view. We highlight multiple hypotheses that can help reconcile conflicting observations, and outline the next set of key questions that can offer valuable insights into mechanisms of metastasis in multiple tumor models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kathryn E Ware
- Duke Cancer Institute & Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Shivee Gilja
- Duke Cancer Institute & Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jason A Somarelli
- Duke Cancer Institute & Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
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33
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de Groot AE, Roy S, Brown JS, Pienta KJ, Amend SR. Revisiting Seed and Soil: Examining the Primary Tumor and Cancer Cell Foraging in Metastasis. Mol Cancer Res 2017; 15:361-370. [PMID: 28209759 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-16-0436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Metastasis is the consequence of a cancer cell that disperses from the primary tumor, travels throughout the body, and invades and colonizes a distant site. On the basis of Paget's 1889 hypothesis, the majority of modern metastasis research focuses on the properties of the metastatic "seed and soil," but the implications of the primary tumor "soil" have been largely neglected. The rare lethal metastatic "seed" arises as a result of the selective pressures in the primary tumor. Optimal foraging theory describes how cancer cells adopt a mobile foraging strategy to balance predation risk and resource reward. Further selection in the dispersal corridors leading out of the primary tumor enhances the adaptive profile of the potentially metastatic cell. This review focuses on the selective pressures of the primary tumor "soil" that generate lethal metastatic "seeds" which is essential to understanding this critical component of prostate cancer metastasis.Implication: Elucidating the selective pressures of the primary tumor "soil" that generate lethal metastatic "seeds" is essential to understand how and why metastasis occurs in prostate cancer. Mol Cancer Res; 15(4); 361-70. ©2017 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber E de Groot
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sounak Roy
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Joel S Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences and UIC Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Kenneth J Pienta
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sarah R Amend
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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