1
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Gunasekharan V, Lin HK, Marczyk M, Rios-Hoyo A, Campos GE, Shan NL, Ahmed M, Umlauf S, Gareiss P, Raaisa R, Williams R, Cardone R, Siebel S, Kibbey R, Surovtseva YV, Pusztai L. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-2 (PCK2) is a therapeutic target in triple-negative breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2024:10.1007/s10549-024-07462-z. [PMID: 39177932 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-024-07462-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Metabolic rewiring in malignant transformation is often accompanied by altered expression of metabolic isozymes. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-2 (PCK2) catalyzes the rate-limiting step of gluconeogenesis and is the dominant isoform in many cancers including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Our goal was to identify small molecule inhibitors of PCK2 enzyme activity. METHODS We assessed the impact of PCK2 down regulation with shRNA on TNBC cell growth in vitro and used AtomNet® deep convolutional neural network software to identify potential small molecule inhibitors of PCK2-based structure. We iteratively tested candidate compounds in an in vitro PCK-2 enzyme assay. The impact of the top hit on metabolic flux and cell viability was also assessed. RESULTS PCK2 downregulation decreased growth of BT-549 and MDA-MB-231 cells and reduced metabolic flux through pyruvate carboxylase. The first AtomNet® in silico structural screen of 7 million compounds yielded 86 structures that were tested in PCK2 enzyme assay in vitro. The top hit (IC50 = 2.4 µM) was used to refine a second round of in silico screen that yielded 82 candidates to be tested in vitro, which resulted in 45 molecules with inhibition > 20%. In the second in vitro screen we also included 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxypropanoate, previously suggested to be PCK2 inhibitor based on structure, which emerged as the top hit. The specificity of this compound was tested in PCK1 and PCK2 enzymatic assays and showed IC50 of 500 nM and 3.5-27 nM for PCK1 and PCK2, respectively. CONCLUSION 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxypropanoate is a high affinity PCK2 enzyme inhibitor that also has significant growth inhibitory activity in breast cell lines in vitro and represents a potential therapeutic lead compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vignesh Gunasekharan
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 120, Rm 133, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Hao-Kuen Lin
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 120, Rm 133, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Michal Marczyk
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 120, Rm 133, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Department of Data Science and Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Alejandro Rios-Hoyo
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 120, Rm 133, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Gerson Espinoza Campos
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 120, Rm 133, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Naing Lin Shan
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 120, Rm 133, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | | | - Sheila Umlauf
- Yale Center for Molecular Discovery, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Peter Gareiss
- Yale Center for Molecular Discovery, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Raaisa Raaisa
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 120, Rm 133, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Richard Williams
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 120, Rm 133, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Rebecca Cardone
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 120, Rm 133, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Stephan Siebel
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 120, Rm 133, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Richard Kibbey
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 120, Rm 133, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Yulia V Surovtseva
- Yale Center for Molecular Discovery, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lajos Pusztai
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite 120, Rm 133, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
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2
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Besse A, Sedlarikova L, Buechler L, Kraus M, Yang CH, Strakova N, Soucek K, Navratil J, Svoboda M, Welm AL, Joerger M, Driessen C, Besse L. HIV-protease inhibitors potentiate the activity of carfilzomib in triple-negative breast cancer. Br J Cancer 2024:10.1038/s41416-024-02774-9. [PMID: 38969867 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02774-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Resistance to chemotherapy is a major problem in the treatment of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Preclinical data suggest that TNBC is dependent on proteasomes; however, clinical observations indicate that the efficacy of proteasome inhibitors in TNBC may be limited, suggesting the need for combination therapies. METHODS We compared bortezomib and carfilzomib and their combinations with nelfinavir and lopinavir in TNBC cell lines and primary cells with regard to their cytotoxic activity, functional proteasome inhibition, and induction of the unfolded protein response (UPR). Furthermore, we evaluated the involvement of sXBP1, ABCB1, and ABCG2 in the cytotoxic activity of drug combinations. RESULTS Carfilzomib, via proteasome β5 + β2 inhibition, is more cytotoxic in TNBC than bortezomib, which inhibits β5 + β1 proteasome subunits. The cytotoxicity of carfilzomib was significantly potentiated by nelfinavir or lopinavir. Carfilzomib with lopinavir induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and pro-apoptotic UPR through the accumulation of excess proteasomal substrate protein in TNBC in vitro. Moreover, lopinavir increased the intracellular availability of carfilzomib by inhibiting carfilzomib export from cells that express high levels and activity of ABCB1, but not ABCG2. CONCLUSION Proteasome inhibition by carfilzomib combined with nelfinavir/lopinavir represents a potential treatment option for TNBC, warranting further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Besse
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, 9000, Switzerland
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Sedlarikova
- Babak Myeloma Group, Department of Pathological Physiology, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic
| | - Lorina Buechler
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, 9000, Switzerland
| | - Marianne Kraus
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, 9000, Switzerland
| | - Chieh-Hsiang Yang
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Nicol Strakova
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, 612 00, Czech Republic
- Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Soucek
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, 612 00, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Navratil
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Svoboda
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic
| | - Alana L Welm
- Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Markus Joerger
- Department of Oncology and Hematology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, 9000, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Driessen
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, 9000, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology and Hematology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, 9000, Switzerland
| | - Lenka Besse
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, 9000, Switzerland.
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic.
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3
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Wang WJ, Gao L, Wang S, Huang W, Meng XY, Hu H, Chen Z, Sun J, Yuan Y, Zhou Y, Diao X, Huang R, Li J, Chen XH. Discovery of Orally Bioavailable and Potent CDK9 Inhibitors for Targeting Transcription Regulation in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. J Med Chem 2024; 67:10035-10056. [PMID: 38885173 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a highly aggressive and heterogeneous malignancy. Currently, effective therapies for TNBC are very limited and remain a significant unmet clinical need. Targeting the transcription-regulating cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) has emerged as a promising avenue for therapeutic treatment of TNBC. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, optimization, and evaluation of a new series of aminopyrazolotriazine compounds as orally bioavailable, potent, and CDK9/2 selectivity-improved inhibitors, enabling efficacious inhibition of TNBC cell growth, as well as notable antitumor effect in TNBC models. The compound C35 demonstrated low-nanomolar potency with substantially improved CDK9/2 selectivity, downregulated the CDK9-downstream targets (e.g., MCL-1), and induced apoptosis in TNBC cell lines. Moreover, with the desired oral bioavailability, oral administration of C35 could significantly suppress the tumor progression in two TNBC mouse models. This study demonstrates that target transcriptional regulation is an effective strategy and holds promising potential as a targeted therapy for the treatment of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lixin Gao
- The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Simei Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wensi Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xin-Yu Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ziqiang Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jingya Sun
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yali Yuan
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yubo Zhou
- The National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, The Institutes of Drug Discovery and Development, CAS, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Xingxing Diao
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ruimin Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jia Li
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, The Institutes of Drug Discovery and Development, CAS, Zhongshan 528400, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai, Shandong 264117, China
| | - Xiao-Hua Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
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4
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Zhang H, Liu Y, Zhang K, Hong Z, Liu Z, Liu Z, Li G, Xu Y, Pi J, Fu J, Xu Y. Understanding the Transcription Factor NFE2L1/NRF1 from the Perspective of Hallmarks of Cancer. Antioxidants (Basel) 2024; 13:758. [PMID: 39061827 PMCID: PMC11274343 DOI: 10.3390/antiox13070758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells subvert multiple properties of normal cells, including escaping strict cell cycle regulation, gaining resistance to cell death, and remodeling the tumor microenvironment. The hallmarks of cancer have recently been updated and summarized. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 1 (NFE2L1, also named NRF1) belongs to the cap'n'collar (CNC) basic-region leucine zipper (bZIP) family. It acts as a transcription factor and is indispensable for maintaining both cellular homoeostasis and organ integrity during development and growth, as well as adaptive responses to pathophysiological stressors. In addition, NFE2L1 mediates the proteasome bounce-back effect in the clinical proteasome inhibitor therapy of neuroblastoma, multiple myeloma, and triple-negative breast cancer, which quickly induces proteasome inhibitor resistance. Recent studies have shown that NFE2L1 mediates cell proliferation and metabolic reprogramming in various cancer cell lines. We combined the framework provided by "hallmarks of cancer" with recent research on NFE2L1 to summarize the role and mechanism of NFE2L1 in cancer. These ongoing efforts aim to contribute to the development of potential novel cancer therapies that target the NFE2L1 pathway and its activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haomeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Stress and Chronic Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, China
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, No. 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Program of Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, No. 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Zhixuan Hong
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Zongfeng Liu
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, No. 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Zhe Liu
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, No. 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Guichen Li
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, No. 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Yuanyuan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Stress and Chronic Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, China
- Laboratory of Chronic Disease and Environmental Genomics, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, China
- Key Laboratory of Liaoning Province on Toxic and Biological Effects of Arsenic, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Jingbo Pi
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Stress and Chronic Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, China
- Program of Environmental Toxicology, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, China
- Key Laboratory of Liaoning Province on Toxic and Biological Effects of Arsenic, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Jingqi Fu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Stress and Chronic Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Education, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, China
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No. 77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang 110122, China
| | - Yuanhong Xu
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, No. 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110001, China
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5
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Nocquet L, Roul J, Lefebvre CC, Duarte L, Campone M, Juin PP, Souazé F. Low BCL-xL expression in triple-negative breast cancer cells favors chemotherapy efficacy, and this effect is limited by cancer-associated fibroblasts. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14177. [PMID: 38898061 PMCID: PMC11187150 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64696-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) present a poor prognosis primarily due to their resistance to chemotherapy. This resistance is known to be associated with elevated expression of certain anti-apoptotic members within the proteins of the BCL-2 family (namely BCL-xL, MCL-1 and BCL-2). These regulate cell death by inhibiting pro-apoptotic protein activation through binding and sequestration and they can be selectively antagonized by BH3 mimetics. Yet the individual influences of BCL-xL, MCL-1, and BCL-2 on the sensitivity of TNBC cells to chemotherapy, and their regulation by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), major components of the tumor stroma and key contributors to therapy resistance remain to be delineated. Using gene editing or BH3 mimetics to inhibit anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins in TNBC line MDA-MB-231, we show that BCL-xL and MCL-1 promote cancer cell survival through compensatory mechanisms. This cell line shows limited sensitivity to chemotherapy, in line with the clinical resistance observed in TNBC patients. We elucidate that BCL-xL plays a pivotal role in therapy response, as its depletion or pharmacological inhibition heightened chemotherapy effectiveness. Moreover, BCL-xL expression is associated with chemotherapy resistance in patient-derived tumoroids where its pharmacological inhibition enhances ex vivo response to chemotherapy. In a co-culture model of cancer cells and CAFs, we observe that even in a context where BCL-xL reduced expression renders cancer cells more susceptible to chemotherapy, those in contact with CAFs display reduced sensitivity to chemotherapy. Thus CAFs exert a profound pro-survival effect in breast cancer cells, even in a setting highly favoring cell death through combined chemotherapy and absence of the main actor of chemoresistance, BCL-xL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Nocquet
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France
- Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France
| | - Julie Roul
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France
- Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France
- ICO René Gauducheau, Saint Herblain, France
| | - Chloé C Lefebvre
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France
- Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France
| | - Laurine Duarte
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France
- Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France
| | - Mario Campone
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France
- ICO René Gauducheau, Saint Herblain, France
| | - Philippe P Juin
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France.
- Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Paris, France.
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France.
- ICO René Gauducheau, Saint Herblain, France.
| | - Frédérique Souazé
- INSERM, CNRS, CRCI2NA, Université de Nantes, 44000, Nantes, France.
- Equipe Labellisée LIGUE Contre le Cancer, Paris, France.
- SIRIC ILIAD, Nantes, Angers, France.
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6
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Larsson P, Pettersson D, Olsson M, Sarathchandra S, Abramsson A, Zetterberg H, Ittner E, Forssell-Aronsson E, Kovács A, Karlsson P, Helou K, Parris TZ. Repurposing proteasome inhibitors for improved treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:57. [PMID: 38286854 PMCID: PMC10825133 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-01819-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with poor prognosis and limited treatment options due to the lack of important receptors (estrogen receptor [ER], progesterone receptor [PR], and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 [HER2]) used for targeted therapy. However, high-throughput in vitro drug screening of cell lines is a powerful tool for identifying effective drugs for a disease. Here, we determine the intrinsic chemosensitivity of TNBC cell lines to proteasome inhibitors (PIs), thereby identifying potentially potent 2-drug combinations for TNBC. Eight TNBC cell lines (BT-549, CAL-148, HCC1806, HCC38, HCC70, MDA-MB-436, MDA-MB-453, and MDA-MB-468) and two controls (MCF-10A and MCF-7) were first exposed to 18 drugs (11 PIs and 7 clinically relevant chemotherapeutic agents) as monotherapy, followed by prediction of potent 2-drug combinations using the IDACombo pipeline. The synergistic effects of the 2-drug combinations were evaluated with SynergyFinder in four TNBC cell lines (CAL-148, HCC1806, HCC38, and MDA-MB-468) and three controls (BT-474, MCF-7, and T47D) in vitro, followed by further evaluation of tumor regression in zebrafish tumor models established using HCC1806 and MCF-7 cells. Monotherapy identified nine effective drugs (bortezomib, carfilzomib, cisplatin, delanzomib, docetaxel, epoxomicin, MLN-2238, MLN-9708, and nedaplatin) across all cell lines. PIs (e.g., bortezomib, delanzomib, and epoxomicin) were highly potent drugs in TNBC cells, of which bortezomib and delanzomib inhibited the chymotrypsin-like activity of the 20 S proteasome by 100% at 10 µM. Moreover, several potent 2-drug combinations (e.g., bortezomib+nedaplatin and epoxomicin+epirubicin) that killed virtually 100% of cells were also identified. Although HCC1806- and MCF-7-derived xenografts treated with bortezomib+nedaplatin and carboplatin+paclitaxel were smaller, HCC1806 cells frequently metastasized to the trunk region. Taken together, we show that PIs used in combination with platinum agents or topoisomerase inhibitors exhibit increased efficiency with almost 100% inhibition in TNBC cell lines, indicating that PIs are therefore promising compounds to use as combination therapy for TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Larsson
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Daniella Pettersson
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Maxim Olsson
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Alexandra Abramsson
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
- Dementia Research Institute, London, UK
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ella Ittner
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Eva Forssell-Aronsson
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Radiation Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anikó Kovács
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Per Karlsson
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Oncology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Khalil Helou
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Toshima Z Parris
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Sahlgrenska Center for Cancer Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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7
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Coxon M, Dennis MA, Dananberg A, Collins C, Wilson H, Meekma J, Savenkova M, Ng D, Osbron C, Mertz T, Goodman A, Duttke S, Maciejowski J, Roberts S. An impaired ubiquitin-proteasome system increases APOBEC3A abundance. NAR Cancer 2023; 5:zcad058. [PMID: 38155930 PMCID: PMC10753533 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcad058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Apolipoprotein B messenger RNA (mRNA) editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like (APOBEC) cytidine deaminases cause genetic instability during cancer development. Elevated APOBEC3A (A3A) levels result in APOBEC signature mutations; however, mechanisms regulating A3A abundance in breast cancer are unknown. Here, we show that dysregulating the ubiquitin-proteasome system with proteasome inhibitors, including Food and Drug Administration-approved anticancer drugs, increased A3A abundance in breast cancer and multiple myeloma cell lines. Unexpectedly, elevated A3A occurs via an ∼100-fold increase in A3A mRNA levels, indicating that proteasome inhibition triggers a transcriptional response as opposed to or in addition to blocking A3A degradation. This transcriptional regulation is mediated in part through FBXO22, a protein that functions in SKP1-cullin-F-box ubiquitin ligase complexes and becomes dysregulated during carcinogenesis. Proteasome inhibitors increased cellular cytidine deaminase activity, decreased cellular proliferation and increased genomic DNA damage in an A3A-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that proteasome dysfunction, either acquired during cancer development or induced therapeutically, could increase A3A-induced genetic heterogeneity and thereby influence therapeutic responses in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margo Coxon
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7520, USA
| | - Madeline A Dennis
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7520, USA
| | - Alexandra Dananberg
- Molecular Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Christopher D Collins
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7520, USA
| | - Hannah E Wilson
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7520, USA
| | - Jordyn Meekma
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7520, USA
| | - Marina I Savenkova
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7520, USA
| | - Daniel Ng
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7520, USA
| | - Chelsea A Osbron
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7520, USA
| | - Tony M Mertz
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7520, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Cancer Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Alan G Goodman
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7520, USA
| | - Sascha H Duttke
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7520, USA
| | - John Maciejowski
- Molecular Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Steven A Roberts
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7520, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Cancer Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
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8
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Byers HA, Brooks AN, Vangala JR, Grible JM, Feygin A, Clevenger CV, Harrell JC, Radhakrishnan SK. Evaluation of the NRF1-proteasome axis as a therapeutic target in breast cancer. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15843. [PMID: 37739987 PMCID: PMC10516926 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43121-x] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteasomes are multi-subunit complexes that specialize in protein degradation. Cancer cells exhibit a heightened dependence on proteasome activity, presumably to support their enhanced proliferation and other cancer-related characteristics. Here, a systematic analysis of TCGA breast cancer datasets revealed that proteasome subunit transcript levels are elevated in all intrinsic subtypes (luminal, HER2-enriched, and basal-like/triple-negative) when compared to normal breast tissue. Although these observations suggest a pan-breast cancer utility for proteasome inhibitors, our further experiments with breast cancer cell lines and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) pointed to triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) as the most sensitive subtype to proteasome inhibition. Finally, using TNBC cells, we extended our studies to in vivo xenograft experiments. Our previous work has firmly established a cytoprotective role for the transcription factor NRF1 via its ability to upregulate proteasome genes in response to proteasome inhibition. In further support of this notion, we show here that NRF1 depletion significantly reduced tumor burden in an MDA-MB-231 TNBC xenograft mouse model treated with carfilzomib. Taken together, our results point to TNBC as a particularly vulnerable breast cancer subtype to proteasome inhibition and provide a proof-of-principle for targeting NRF1 as a viable means to increase the efficacy of proteasome inhibitors in TNBC tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly A Byers
- Department of Pathology and Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Amy N Brooks
- Department of Pathology and Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Janakiram R Vangala
- Department of Pathology and Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Jacqueline M Grible
- Department of Pathology and Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Alex Feygin
- Department of Pathology and Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Charles V Clevenger
- Department of Pathology and Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - J Chuck Harrell
- Department of Pathology and Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Senthil K Radhakrishnan
- Department of Pathology and Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
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9
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Guillen VS, Ziegler Y, Gopinath C, Kumar S, Dey P, Plotner BN, Dawson NZ, Kim SH, Katzenellenbogen JA, Katzenellenbogen BS. Effective combination treatments for breast cancer inhibition by FOXM1 inhibitors with other targeted cancer drugs. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2023; 198:607-621. [PMID: 36847915 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-023-06878-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Few targeted treatment options currently exist for patients with advanced, often recurrent breast cancers, both triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) is an oncogenic transcription factor that drives all cancer hallmarks in all subtypes of breast cancer. We previously developed small-molecule inhibitors of FOXM1 and to further exploit their potential as anti-proliferative agents, we investigated combining FOXM1 inhibitors with drugs currently used in the treatment of breast and other cancers and assessed the potential for enhanced inhibition of breast cancer. METHODS FOXM1 inhibitors alone and in combination with other cancer therapy drugs were assessed for their effects on suppression of cell viability and cell cycle progression, induction of apoptosis and caspase 3/7 activity, and changes in related gene expressions. Synergistic, additive, or antagonistic interactions were evaluated using ZIP (zero interaction potency) synergy scores and the Chou-Talalay interaction combination index. RESULTS The FOXM1 inhibitors displayed synergistic inhibition of proliferation, enhanced G2/M cell cycle arrest, and increased apoptosis and caspase 3/7 activity and associated changes in gene expression when combined with several drugs across different pharmacological classes. We found especially strong enhanced effectiveness of FOXM1 inhibitors in combination with drugs in the proteasome inhibitor class for ER-positive and TNBC cells and with CDK4/6 inhibitors (Palbociclib, Abemaciclib, and Ribociclib) in ER-positive cells. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that the combination of FOXM1 inhibitors with several other drugs might enable dose reduction in both agents and provide enhanced efficacy in treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Sanabria Guillen
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Yvonne Ziegler
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Chirag Gopinath
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Parama Dey
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Blake N Plotner
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Nadia Z Dawson
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Sung Hoon Kim
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - John A Katzenellenbogen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Benita S Katzenellenbogen
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Cancer Center at Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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10
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Adler J, Oren R, Shaul Y. Depleting the 19S proteasome regulatory PSMD1 subunit as a cancer therapy strategy. Cancer Med 2023; 12:10781-10790. [PMID: 36934426 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Proteasome inhibitors are in use in treating certain types of cancers. These drugs inhibit the catalytic activity of the 20S proteasome, shared by all the different proteasome complexes. Inhibitors of the 26S-associated deubiquitinating activity explicitly inhibit the 26S proteasomal degradation of ubiquitinylated substrates. We have previously reported an alternative strategy that is based on reducing the 26S/20S ratio by depleting PSMD1, 6, and 11, the subunits of the 19S proteasome regulatory complex. Given the addiction of the many cancer types to a high 26S/20S ratio, the depletion strategy is highly effective in killing many aggressive cancer cell lines but not mouse and human immortalized and normal cells. METHODS We used two aggressive cell lines, MDA-MB-231, a triple-negative breast tumor cell line, and OVCAR8, a high-grade ovary adenocarcinoma. Cell culture, mouse MDA-MB-231, OVCAR8 xenografts, and patient-derived ovarian cancer xenograft (PDX) models were transduced with lentivectors expressing PSMD1 shRNA. Tumor size was measured to follow treatment efficacy. RESULTS Using different experimental strategies of expressing shRNA, we found that PSMD1 depletion, either by expressing PSMD1 shRNA in an inducible manner or in a constitutive manner, robustly inhibited MDA-MB-231, and OVCAR8 xenograft tumor growth. Furthermore, the PSMD1 depletion strategy compromised the growth of the PDX of primary ovarian cancer. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that reducing the 26S/20S ratio might be a valuable strategy for treating drug-resistant aggressive types of cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Adler
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Roni Oren
- Department of Veterinary Resources, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yosef Shaul
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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11
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Geoffroy K, Araripe Saraiva B, Viens M, Béland D, Bourgeois-Daigneault MC. Increased expression of the immunoproteasome subunits PSMB8 and PSMB9 by cancer cells correlate with better outcomes for triple-negative breast cancers. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2129. [PMID: 36746983 PMCID: PMC9902398 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28940-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteasome dependency is a feature of many cancers that can be targeted by proteasome inhibitors. For some cancer types, notably breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), high mRNA expression of a modified form of the proteasome, called the immunoproteasome (ImP), correlates with better outcomes and higher expression of one ImP subunit was associated with slower tumor growth in a small patient cohort. While these findings are in line with an anti-tumoral role of the ImP in breast cancer, studies investigating ImP expression at the protein level in large patient cohorts are lacking. Furthermore, while ImPs can be found in both immune and non-immune cells, the cellular source is often ignored in correlative studies. In order to determine the impact of ImP expression on breast cancer outcomes, we assessed the protein expression and cellular source of the ImP subunits PSMB8 and PSMB9 in a cohort of 2070 patients. Our data show a clear correlation between high ImP expression and better outcomes, most notably for TNBC patients and when tumor cells rather than stromal or immune cells express PSMB8 or PSMB9. Our results therefore suggest that ImP expression by tumor cells could be used as prognostic markers of TNBC outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Geoffroy
- Cancer and Immunopathology Axes, CHUM Research Centre, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.,Institut du Cancer de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Bruna Araripe Saraiva
- Cancer and Immunopathology Axes, CHUM Research Centre, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.,Institut du Cancer de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Melissa Viens
- Cancer and Immunopathology Axes, CHUM Research Centre, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.,Institut du Cancer de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Delphine Béland
- Cancer and Immunopathology Axes, CHUM Research Centre, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.,Institut du Cancer de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Marie-Claude Bourgeois-Daigneault
- Cancer and Immunopathology Axes, CHUM Research Centre, Montreal, Canada. .,Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada. .,Institut du Cancer de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
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12
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Genome-wide siRNA screens identify RBBP9 function as a potential target in Fanconi anaemia-deficient head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma. Commun Biol 2023; 6:37. [PMID: 36639418 PMCID: PMC9839743 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04389-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Fanconi anaemia (FA) is a rare chromosomal-instability syndrome caused by mutations of any of the 22 known FA DNA-repair genes. FA individuals have an increased risk of head-and-neck squamous-cell-carcinomas (HNSCC), often fatal. Systemic intolerance to standard cisplatin-based protocols due to somatic-cell hypersensitivity underscores the urgent need to develop novel therapies. Here, we performed unbiased siRNA screens to unveil genetic interactions synthetic-lethal with FA-pathway deficiency in FA-patient HNSCC cell lines. We identified based on differential-lethality scores between FA-deficient and FA-proficient cells, next to common-essential genes such as PSMC1, PSMB2, and LAMTOR2, the otherwise non-essential RBBP9 gene. Accordingly, low dose of the FDA-approved RBBP9-targeting drug Emetine kills FA-HNSCC. Importantly both RBBP9-silencing as well as Emetine spared non-tumour FA cells. This study provides a minable genome-wide analyses of vulnerabilities to address treatment challenges in FA-HNSCC. Our investigation divulges a DNA-cross-link-repair independent lead, RBBP9, for targeted treatment of FA-HNSCCs without systemic toxicity.
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13
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Cell-of-Origin Targeted Drug Repurposing for Triple-Negative and Inflammatory Breast Carcinoma with HDAC and HSP90 Inhibitors Combined with Niclosamide. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15020332. [PMID: 36672285 PMCID: PMC9856736 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We recently identified a cell-of-origin-specific mRNA signature associated with metastasis and poor outcome in triple-negative carcinoma (TNBC). This TNBC cell-of-origin signature is associated with the over-expression of histone deacetylases and zinc finger protein HDAC1, HDAC7, and ZNF92, respectively. Based on this signature, we discovered that the combination of three drugs (an HDAC inhibitor, an anti-helminthic Niclosamide, and an antibiotic Tanespimycin that inhibits HSP90) synergistically reduces the proliferation of the twelve tested TNBC cell lines. Additionally, we discovered that four out of five inflammatory breast carcinoma cell lines are sensitive to this combination. Significantly, the concentration of the drugs that are used in these experiments are within or below clinically achievable dose, and the synergistic activity only emerged when all three drugs were combined. Our results suggest that HDAC and HSP90 inhibitors combined with the tapeworm drug Niclosamide can achieve remarkably synergistic inhibition of TNBC and IBC. Since Niclosamide, HDAC, and HSP90 inhibitors were approved for clinical use for other cancer types, it may be possible to repurpose their combination for TNBC and IBC.
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14
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Hu H, Xu Q, Mo Z, Hu X, He Q, Zhang Z, Xu Z. New anti-cancer explorations based on metal ions. J Nanobiotechnology 2022; 20:457. [PMID: 36274142 PMCID: PMC9590139 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-022-01661-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractDue to the urgent demand for more anti-cancer methods, the new applications of metal ions in cancer have attracted increasing attention. Especially the three kinds of the new mode of cell death, including ferroptosis, calcicoptosis, and cuproptosis, are of great concern. Meanwhile, many metal ions have been found to induce cell death through different approaches, such as interfering with osmotic pressure, triggering biocatalysis, activating immune pathways, and generating the prooxidant effect. Therefore, varieties of new strategies based on the above approaches have been studied and applied for anti-cancer applications. Moreover, many contrast agents based on metal ions have gradually become the core components of the bioimaging technologies, such as MRI, CT, and fluorescence imaging, which exhibit guiding significance for cancer diagnosis. Besides, the new nano-theranostic platforms based on metal ions have experimentally shown efficient response to endogenous and exogenous stimuli, which realizes simultaneous cancer therapy and diagnosis through a more controlled nano-system. However, most metal-based agents have still been in the early stages, and controlled clinical trials are necessary to confirm or not the current expectations. This article will focus on these new explorations based on metal ions, hoping to provide some theoretical support for more anti-cancer ideas.
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15
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Jacob S, Turner TH, Cai J, Floros KV, Yu AK, Coon CM, Khatri R, Alzubi MA, Jakubik CT, Bouck YM, Puchalapalli M, Shende M, Dozmorov MG, Boikos SA, Hu B, Harrell JC, Benes CH, Koblinski JE, Costa C, Faber AC. Genomic screening reveals ubiquitin-like modifier activating enzyme 1 as a potent and druggable target in c-MYC-high triple negative breast cancer models. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac232. [PMID: 36712364 PMCID: PMC9802478 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for over 30% of all breast cancer (BC)-related deaths, despite accounting for only 10% to 15% of total BC cases. Targeted therapy development has largely stalled in TNBC, underlined by a lack of traditionally druggable addictions like receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Here, through full genome CRISPR/Cas9 screening of TNBC models, we have uncovered the sensitivity of TNBCs to the depletion of the ubiquitin-like modifier activating enzyme 1 (UBA1). Targeting UBA1 with the first-in-class UBA1 inhibitor TAK-243 induced unresolvable endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress and activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)-mediated upregulation of proapoptotic NOXA, leading to cell death. c-MYC expression correlates with TAK-243 sensitivity and cooperates with TAK-243 to induce a stress response and cell death. Importantly, there was an order of magnitude greater sensitivity of TNBC lines to TAK-243 compared to normal tissue-derived cells. In five patient derived xenograft models (PDXs) of TNBC, TAK-243 therapy led to tumor inhibition or frank tumor regression. Moreover, in an intracardiac metastatic model of TNBC, TAK-243 markedly reduced metastatic burden, indicating UBA1 is a potential new target in TNBC expressing high levels of c-MYC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheeba Jacob
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, VCU School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Tia H Turner
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA,Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Jinyang Cai
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, VCU School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Konstantinos V Floros
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, VCU School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Ann K Yu
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, VCU School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Colin M Coon
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, VCU School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Rishabh Khatri
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, VCU School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Mohammad A Alzubi
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA,Integrative Life Sciences Program, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Charles T Jakubik
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Ynes M Bouck
- Department of Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, VCU School of Dentistry and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Madhavi Puchalapalli
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Mayuri Shende
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Mikhail G Dozmorov
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Sosipatros A Boikos
- Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, School of Medicine and Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Bin Hu
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - J Chuck Harrell
- Department of Pathology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA,Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA,Integrative Life Sciences Program, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Cyril H Benes
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
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16
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Homoharringtonine demonstrates a cytotoxic effect against triple-negative breast cancer cell lines and acts synergistically with paclitaxel. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15663. [PMID: 36123435 PMCID: PMC9485251 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19621-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of targeted therapies for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) contributes to their high mortality rates and high risk of relapse compared to other subtypes of breast cancer. Most TNBCs (75%) have downregulated the expression of CREB3L1 (cAMP-responsive element binding protein 3 like 1), a transcription factor and metastasis suppressor that represses genes that promote cancer progression and metastasis. In this report, we screened an FDA-approved drug library and identified four drugs that were highly cytotoxic towards HCC1806 CREB3L1-deficient TNBC cells. These four drugs were: (1) palbociclib isethionate, a CDK4/6 inhibitor, (2) lanatocide C (also named isolanid), a Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitor, (3) cladribine, a nucleoside analog, and (4) homoharringtonine (also named omacetaxine mepesuccinate), a protein translation inhibitor. Homoharringtonine consistently showed the most cytotoxicity towards an additional six TNBC cell lines (BT549, HCC1395, HCC38, Hs578T, MDA-MB-157, MDA-MB-436), and several luminal A breast cancer cell lines (HCC1428, MCF7, T47D, ZR-75-1). All four drugs were then separately evaluated for possible synergy with the chemotherapy agents, doxorubicin (an anthracycline) and paclitaxel (a microtubule stabilizing agent). A strong synergy was observed using the combination of homoharringtonine and paclitaxel, with high cytotoxicity towards TNBC cells at lower concentrations than when each was used separately.
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17
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Kim LM, Kim PY, Gebreyohannes YK, Leung CT. Sustained Oncogenic Signaling in the Cytostatic State Enables Targeting of Nonproliferating Persistent Cancer Cells. Cancer Res 2022; 82:3045-3057. [PMID: 35792658 PMCID: PMC9444958 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-2908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Many advanced therapeutics possess cytostatic properties that suppress cancer cell growth without directly inducing death. Treatment-induced cytostatic cancer cells can persist and constitute a reservoir from which recurrent growth and resistant clones can develop. Current management approaches primarily comprise maintenance and monitoring because strategies for targeting nonproliferating cancer cells have been elusive. Here, we used targeted therapy paradigms and engineered cytostatic states to explore therapeutic opportunities for depleting treatment-mediated cytostatic cancer cells. Sustained oncogenic AKT signaling was common, while nonessential, in treatment-mediated cytostatic cancer cells harboring PI3K-pathway mutations, which are associated with cancer recurrence. Engineering oncogenic signals in quiescent mammary organotypic models showed that sustained, aberrant activation of AKT sensitized cytostatic epithelial cells to proteasome inhibition. Mechanistically, sustained AKT signaling altered cytostatic state homeostasis and promoted an oxidative and proteotoxic environment, which imposed an increased proteasome dependency for maintaining cell viability. Under cytostatic conditions, inhibition of the proteasome selectively induced apoptosis in the population with aberrant AKT activation compared with normal cells. Therapeutically exploiting this AKT-driven proteasome vulnerability was effective in depleting treatment-mediated cytostatic cancer cells independent of breast cancer subtype, epithelial origin, and cytostatic agent. Moreover, transient targeting during cytostatic treatment conditions was sufficient to reduce recurrent tumor growth in spheroid and mouse models. This work identified an AKT-driven proteasome-vulnerability that enables depletion of persistent cytostatic cancer cells harboring PTEN-PI3K pathway mutations, revealing a viable strategy for targeting nonproliferating persistent cancer cell populations before drug resistance emerges. SIGNIFICANCE This study finds that sustained oncogenic signaling in therapy-induced cytostatic cancer cells confers targetable vulnerabilities to deplete persistent cancer cell populations and reduce cancer recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Cheuk T. Leung
- Corresponding author: Cheuk T. Leung, Address: 321 Church Street SE, 6-120 Jackson Hall, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA, , Phone: 612-626-5309
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18
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Kamran M, Bhattacharya U, Omar M, Marchionni L, Ince TA. ZNF92, an unexplored transcription factor with remarkably distinct breast cancer over-expression associated with prognosis and cell-of-origin. NPJ Breast Cancer 2022; 8:99. [PMID: 36038558 PMCID: PMC9424319 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-022-00474-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor phenotype is shaped both by transforming genomic alterations and the normal cell-of-origin. We identified a cell-of-origin associated prognostic gene expression signature, ET-9, that correlates with remarkably shorter overall and relapse free breast cancer survival, 8.7 and 6.2 years respectively. The genes associated with the ET-9 signature are regulated by histone deacetylase 7 (HDAC7) partly through ZNF92, a previously unexplored transcription factor with a single PubMed citation since its cloning in 1990s. Remarkably, ZNF92 is distinctively over-expressed in breast cancer compared to other tumor types, on a par with the breast cancer specificity of the estrogen receptor. Importantly, ET-9 signature appears to be independent of proliferation, and correlates with outcome in lymph-node positive, HER2+, post-chemotherapy and triple-negative breast cancers. These features distinguish ET-9 from existing breast cancer prognostic signatures that are generally related to proliferation and correlate with outcome in lymph-node negative, ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancers. Our results suggest that ET-9 could be also utilized as a predictive signature to select patients for HDAC inhibitor treatment.
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19
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Winder ML, Campbell KJ. MCL-1 is a clinically targetable vulnerability in breast cancer. Cell Cycle 2022; 21:1439-1455. [PMID: 35349392 PMCID: PMC9278428 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2022.2054096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Pro-survival members of the BCL-2 family, including MCL-1, are emerging as important proteins during the development and therapeutic response of solid tumors. Notably, high levels of MCL-1 occur in breast cancer, where functional dependency has been demonstrated using cell lines and mouse models. The utility of restoring apoptosis in cancer cells through inhibition of pro-survival BCL-2 proteins has been realized in the clinic, where the first specific inhibitor of BCL-2 is approved for use in leukemia. A variety of MCL-1 inhibitors are now undergoing clinical trials for blood cancer treatment and application of this new class of drugs is also being tested in solid cancers. On-target compounds specific to MCL-1 have demonstrated promising efficacy in preclinical models of breast cancer and show potential to enhance the anti-tumor effect of conventional therapies. Taken together, this makes MCL-1 an extremely attractive target for clinical evaluation in the context of breast cancer.Abbreviations: ADC (antibody-drug conjugate); AML (Acute myeloid leukemia); APAF1 (apoptotic protease activating factor 1); bCAFs (breast cancer associated fibroblasts); BCL-2 (B-cell lymphoma 2); BH (BCL-2 homology); CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia); EGF (epidermal growth factor); EMT (epithelial to mesenchymal transition); ER (estrogen receptor); FDA (food and drug administration); GEMM (genetically engineered mouse model); HER2 (human epidermal growth factor 2); IL6 (interleukin 6); IMM (inner mitochondrial membrane); IMS (intermembrane space); MCL-1 (myeloid cell leukemia-1); MOMP (mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilisation); MM (multiple myeloma); PDX (patient-derived xenograft); OMM (outer mitochondrial membrane); PROTAC (proteolysis-targeting chimeras) TNBC (triple negative breast cancer); UPS (ubiquitin mediated proteolysis system).
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Winder
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate,Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Kirsteen J Campbell
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate,Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
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20
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Albogami S. Comprehensive analysis of gene expression profiles to identify differential prognostic factors of primary and metastatic breast cancer. Saudi J Biol Sci 2022; 29:103318. [PMID: 35677896 PMCID: PMC9168623 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2022.103318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer accounts for nearly half of all cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. However, the molecular mechanisms that lead to tumour development and progression remain poorly understood and there is a need to identify candidate genes associated with primary and metastatic breast cancer progression and prognosis. In this study, candidate genes associated with prognosis of primary and metastatic breast cancer were explored through a novel bioinformatics approach. Primary and metastatic breast cancer tissues and adjacent normal breast tissues were evaluated to identify biomarkers characteristic of primary and metastatic breast cancer. The Cancer Genome Atlas-breast invasive carcinoma (TCGA-BRCA) dataset (ID: HS-01619) was downloaded using the mRNASeq platform. Genevestigator 8.3.2 was used to analyse TCGA-BRCA gene expression profiles between the sample groups and identify the differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) in each group. For each group, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were used to determine the function of DEGs. Networks of protein-protein interactions were constructed to identify the top hub genes with the highest degree of interaction. Additionally, the top hub genes were validated based on overall survival and immunohistochemistry using The Human Protein Atlas. Of the top 20 hub genes identified, four (KRT14, KIT, RAD51, and TTK) were considered as prognostic risk factors based on overall survival. KRT14 and KIT expression levels were upregulated while those of RAD51 and TTK were downregulated in patients with breast cancer. The four proposed candidate hub genes might aid in further understanding the molecular changes that distinguish primary breast tumours from metastatic tumours as well as help in developing novel therapeutics. Furthermore, they may serve as effective prognostic risk markers based on the strong correlation between their expression and patient overall survival.
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Key Words
- BC, breast cancer
- BP, biological process
- Breast cancer
- CC, cellular component
- CI, confidence interval
- DEG, differentially expressed gene
- Differentially expressed genes
- FDR, false discovery rate
- GEPIA, gene expression profiling interactive analysis
- GO, gene ontology
- HR, hazard ratio
- IDC, infiltrating ductal carcinoma
- KEGG, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes
- MCODE, molecular complex detection
- MF, molecular function
- Metastasis
- OS, overall survival
- Overall survival
- PPI, protein-protein interaction
- Prognostic marker
- Protein-protein interaction
- RNA-Seq, RNA sequencing
- STRING, search tool for the retrieval of interacting genes
- TCGA-BRCA, The Cancer Genome Atlas-breast invasive carcinoma
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Albogami
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
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21
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Loh JS, Rahim NA, Tor YS, Foo JB. Simultaneous proteasome and autophagy inhibition synergistically enhances cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in breast cancer cells. Cell Biochem Funct 2022; 40:403-416. [PMID: 35485606 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy are interconnected proteolysis pathways implicated in doxorubicin resistance of breast cancer cells. Following anticancer treatments, autophagy either plays a cytoprotective role or augments treatment-induced cytotoxicity. However, the role of autophagy in breast cancer cells cotreated with doxorubicin and ixazomib remains unclear. The expression of autophagy proteins (LC3A/B and Beclin-1) and UPS protein (ubiquitin) in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells following doxorubicin, ixazomib, and/or hydroxychloroquine were determined by western blot. The combinatorial effects and combination index (CI) of triple-combination were determined by cell viability assay and CompuSyn software, respectively. Doxorubicin and ixazomib cotreatment increased Beclin-1 (3.8- and 3.5-fold) and LC3-II expression (13.5- and 1.9-fold) in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells, respectively. Adding lysosomal inhibitor hydroxychloroquine to doxorubicin and ixazomib further increased LC3-II expression to 45.0- and 16.5-fold in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells, respectively, confirming autophagy induction. The triple-combination synergistically inhibited cell growth, achieving CI 0.672 and 0.157 in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells, respectively. The triple-combination also induced ubiquitinated proteins accumulation (2.5-fold and 3.0-fold) in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells, respectively. These results suggest that the autophagy induced by doxorubicin and ixazomib cotreatment serves cytoprotective role in breast cancer cells. Simultaneous UPS and autophagy inhibition synergistically enhanced doxorubicin-mediated cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Sheng Loh
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nusaibah Abdul Rahim
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Yin Sim Tor
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.,Centre for Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology (CDDMP), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Jhi Biau Foo
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.,Centre for Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology (CDDMP), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
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22
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Proteasome Inhibitors Decrease the Viability of Pulmonary Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells by Restoring Mitofusin-2 Expression under Hypoxic Conditions. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10040873. [PMID: 35453623 PMCID: PMC9030547 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10040873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a severe progressive disease, and the uncontrolled proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) is one of the main causes. Mitofusin-2 (MFN2) profoundly inhibits cell growth and proliferation in a variety of tumor cell lines and rat vascular smooth muscle cells. Down-regulation of MFN2 is known to contribute to PH. Proteasome inhibitors have been shown to inhibit the proliferation of PASMCs; however, there is no study on the regulation of proteasome inhibitors through MFN-2 in the proliferation of PASMCs, a main pathophysiology of PH. In this study, PASMCs were exposed to hypoxic conditions and the expression of MFN2 and cleaved-PARP1 were detected by Western blotting. The effects of hypoxia and proteasome inhibitors on the cell viability of PASMC cells were detected by CCK8 assay. The results indicated that hypoxia increases the viability and reduces the expression of MFN2 in a PASMCs model. MFN2 overexpression inhibits the hypoxia-induced proliferation of PASMCs. In addition, proteasome inhibitors, bortezomib and marizomib, restored the decreased expression of MFN2 under hypoxic conditions, inhibited hypoxia-induced proliferation and induced the expression of cleaved-PARP1. These results suggest that bortezomib and marizomib have the potential to improve the hypoxia-induced proliferation of PASMCs by restoring MFN2 expression.
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23
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Aryee DNT, Fock V, Kapoor U, Radic-Sarikas B, Kovar H. Zooming in on Long Non-Coding RNAs in Ewing Sarcoma Pathogenesis. Cells 2022; 11:1267. [PMID: 35455947 PMCID: PMC9032025 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a rare aggressive cancer of bone and soft tissue that is mainly characterized by a reciprocal chromosomal translocation. As a result, about 90% of cases express the EWS-FLI1 fusion protein that has been shown to function as an aberrant transcription factor driving sarcomagenesis. ES is the second most common malignant bone tumor in children and young adults. Current treatment modalities include dose-intensified chemo- and radiotherapy, as well as surgery. Despite these strategies, patients who present with metastasis or relapse still have dismal prognosis, warranting a better understanding of treatment resistant-disease biology in order to generate better prognostic and therapeutic tools. Since the genomes of ES tumors are relatively quiet and stable, exploring the contributions of epigenetic mechanisms in the initiation and progression of the disease becomes inevitable. The search for novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets of cancer metastasis and chemotherapeutic drug resistance is increasingly focusing on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Recent advances in genome analysis by high throughput sequencing have immensely expanded and advanced our knowledge of lncRNAs. They are non-protein coding RNA species with multiple biological functions that have been shown to be dysregulated in many diseases and are emerging as crucial players in cancer development. Understanding the various roles of lncRNAs in tumorigenesis and metastasis would determine eclectic avenues to establish therapeutic and diagnostic targets. In ES, some lncRNAs have been implicated in cell proliferation, migration and invasion, features that make them suitable as relevant biomarkers and therapeutic targets. In this review, we comprehensively discuss known lncRNAs implicated in ES that could serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets of the disease. Though some current reviews have discussed non-coding RNAs in ES, to our knowledge, this is the first review focusing exclusively on ES-associated lncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave N. T. Aryee
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (V.F.); (U.K.); (B.R.-S.); (H.K.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Valerie Fock
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (V.F.); (U.K.); (B.R.-S.); (H.K.)
| | - Utkarsh Kapoor
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (V.F.); (U.K.); (B.R.-S.); (H.K.)
| | - Branka Radic-Sarikas
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (V.F.); (U.K.); (B.R.-S.); (H.K.)
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Heinrich Kovar
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (V.F.); (U.K.); (B.R.-S.); (H.K.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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24
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Kunder R, Velyunskiy M, Dunne SF, Cho BK, Kanojia D, Begg L, Orriols AM, Fleming-Trujillo E, Vadlamani P, Vialichka A, Bolin R, Perrino JN, Roth D, Clutter MR, Zielinski-Mozny NA, Goo YA, Cristofanilli M, Mendillo ML, Vassilopoulos A, Horiuchi D. Synergistic PIM kinase and proteasome inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for MYC-overexpressing triple-negative breast cancer. Cell Chem Biol 2022; 29:358-372.e5. [PMID: 34525344 PMCID: PMC8901784 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the breast cancer subtype with the poorest clinical outcome. The PIM family of kinases has emerged as a factor that is both overexpressed in TNBC and associated with poor outcomes. Preclinical data suggest that TNBC with an elevated MYC expression is sensitive to PIM inhibition. However, clinical observations indicate that the efficacy of PIM inhibitors as single agents may be limited, suggesting the need for combination therapies. Our screening effort identifies PIM and the 20S proteasome inhibition as the most synergistic combination. PIM inhibitors, when combined with proteasome inhibitors, induce significant antitumor effects, including abnormal accumulation of poly-ubiquitinated proteins, increased proteotoxic stress, and the inability of NRF1 to counter loss in proteasome activity. Thus, the identified combination could represent a rational combination therapy against MYC-overexpressing TNBC that is readily translatable to clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratika Kunder
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Michelle Velyunskiy
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, IL 60069, USA
| | - Sara F Dunne
- High-Throughput Analysis Laboratory, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Byoung-Kyu Cho
- Proteomics Center for Excellence, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Deepak Kanojia
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Lauren Begg
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Adrienne M Orriols
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Erica Fleming-Trujillo
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Pranathi Vadlamani
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Alesia Vialichka
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Rosemary Bolin
- Center for Comparative Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Jessica N Perrino
- Center for Comparative Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Diane Roth
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Matthew R Clutter
- High-Throughput Analysis Laboratory, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Nicolette A Zielinski-Mozny
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Center for Comparative Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Young Ah Goo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Proteomics Center for Excellence, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Massimo Cristofanilli
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Marc L Mendillo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Athanassios Vassilopoulos
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Dai Horiuchi
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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25
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Tandon V, Vala R, Chen A, Sah R, Patel H, Pirrung M, Banerjee S. Syrbactin-class dual constitutive- and immuno-proteasome inhibitor TIR-199 impedes myeloma-mediated bone degeneration in vivo. Biosci Rep 2022; 42:BSR20212721. [PMID: 35088066 PMCID: PMC8837819 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20212721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteasome-addicted neoplastic malignancies present a considerable refractory and relapsed phenotype with patients exhibiting drug resistance and high mortality rates. To counter this global problem, novel proteasome-based therapies are being developed. In the current study, we extensively characterize TIR-199, a syrbactin-class proteasome inhibitor derived from a plant virulence factor of bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv syringae. We report that TIR-199 is a potent constitutive and immunoproteasome inhibitor, capable of inducing cell death in multiple myeloma, triple-negative breast cancer, (TNBC) and non-small cell lung cancer lines. TIR-199 also effectively inhibits the proteasome in primary myeloma cells of patients, and bypasses the PSMB5 A49T+A50V bortezomib-resistant mutant. TIR-199 treatment leads to accumulation of canonical proteasome substrates in cells, it is specific, and does not inhibit 50 other enzymes tested in vitro. The drug exhibits synergistic cytotoxicity in combination with proteasome-activating kinase DYRK2 inhibitor LDN192960. Furthermore, low-doses of TIR-199 exhibits in vivo activity by delaying myeloma-mediated bone degeneration in a mouse xenograft model. Together, our data indicates that proteasome inhibitor TIR-199 could indeed be a promising next-generation drug within the repertoire of proteasome-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasudha Tandon
- Department of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, U.K
| | - Ruturajsinh M. Vala
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar 388120, Gujarat, India
| | - Albert Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A
| | - Robert L. Sah
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, U.S.A
| | - Hitendra M. Patel
- Department of Chemistry, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar 388120, Gujarat, India
| | - Michael C. Pirrung
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, U.S.A
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, U.S.A
| | - Sourav Banerjee
- Department of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, U.K
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26
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Apoptosis is a major mechanism of cancer cell death. Thus, evasion of apoptosis results in therapy resistance. Here, we review apoptosis modulators in cancer and their recent developments, including MDM2 inhibitors and kinase inhibitors that can induce effective apoptosis. RECENT FINDINGS Both extrinsic pathways (external stimuli through cell surface death receptor) and intrinsic pathways (mitochondrial-mediated regulation upon genotoxic stress) regulate the complex process of apoptosis through orchestration of various proteins such as members of the BCL-2 family. Dysregulation within these complex steps can result in evasion of apoptosis. However, via the combined evolution of medicinal chemistry and molecular biology, omics assays have led to innovative inducers of apoptosis and inhibitors of anti-apoptotic regulators. Many of these agents are now being tested in cancer patients in early-phase trials. We believe that despite a sluggish speed of development, apoptosis targeting holds promise as a relevant strategy in cancer therapeutics.
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27
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Tripathi SC, Vedpathak D, Ostrin EJ. The Functional and Mechanistic Roles of Immunoproteasome Subunits in Cancer. Cells 2021; 10:cells10123587. [PMID: 34944095 PMCID: PMC8700164 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-mediated immunity is driven by antigenic peptide presentation on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Specialized proteasome complexes called immunoproteasomes process viral, bacterial, and tumor antigens for presentation on MHC class I molecules, which can induce CD8 T cells to mount effective immune responses. Immunoproteasomes are distinguished by three subunits that alter the catalytic activity of the proteasome and are inducible by inflammatory stimuli such as interferon-γ (IFN-γ). This inducible activity places them in central roles in cancer, autoimmunity, and inflammation. While accelerated proteasomal degradation is an important tumorigenic mechanism deployed by several cancers, there is some ambiguity regarding the role of immunoproteasome induction in neoplastic transformation. Understanding the mechanistic and functional relevance of the immunoproteasome provides essential insights into developing targeted therapies, including overcoming resistance to standard proteasome inhibition and immunomodulation of the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we discuss the roles of the immunoproteasome in different cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satyendra Chandra Tripathi
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Nagpur, Nagpur 441108, MH, India;
- Correspondence: (S.C.T.); (E.J.O.)
| | - Disha Vedpathak
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Nagpur, Nagpur 441108, MH, India;
| | - Edwin Justin Ostrin
- Department of General Internal Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence: (S.C.T.); (E.J.O.)
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28
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Karbon G, Haschka MD, Hackl H, Soratroi C, Rocamora-Reverte L, Parson W, Fiegl H, Villunger A. The BH3-only protein NOXA serves as an independent predictor of breast cancer patient survival and defines susceptibility to microtubule targeting agents. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:1151. [PMID: 34903710 PMCID: PMC8668920 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04415-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) treatment frequently involves microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs), such as paclitaxel, that arrest cells in mitosis. Sensitivity to MTAs is defined by a subset of pro- and anti-apoptotic BCL2 family proteins controlling mitochondrial apoptosis. Here, we aimed to determine their prognostic value in primary tumour samples from 92 BC patients. Our analysis identified high NOXA/PMAIP mRNA expression levels as an independent prognostic marker for improved relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in multivariate analysis in BC patients, independent of their molecular subtype. Analysis of available TCGA datasets of 1060 BC patients confirmed our results and added a clear predictive value of NOXA mRNA levels for patients who received MTA-based therapy. In this TCGA cohort, 122 patients received MTA-treatment and high NOXA mRNA levels correlated with their progression-free interval (PFI) and OS. Our follow-up analyses in a panel of BC cell lines of different molecular subtypes identified NOXA protein expression as a key determinant of paclitaxel sensitivity in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Moreover, we noted highest additive effects between paclitaxel and chemical inhibition of BCLX, but not BCL2 or MCL1, documenting dependence of TNBC cells on BCLX for survival and paclitaxel sensitivity defined by NOXA expression levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerlinde Karbon
- Institute for Developmental Immunology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Manuel D Haschka
- Institute for Developmental Immunology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Hubert Hackl
- Insitute for Bioinformatics, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Claudia Soratroi
- Institute for Developmental Immunology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lourdes Rocamora-Reverte
- Institute for Developmental Immunology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Institute for Biomedical Aging Research, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Walther Parson
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Heidelinde Fiegl
- Department for Obstetrics & Gynecology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Andreas Villunger
- Institute for Developmental Immunology, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
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29
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Ray T, Ryusaki T, Ray PS. Therapeutically Targeting Cancers That Overexpress FOXC1: A Transcriptional Driver of Cell Plasticity, Partial EMT, and Cancer Metastasis. Front Oncol 2021; 11:721959. [PMID: 34540690 PMCID: PMC8446626 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.721959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis accounts for more than 90% of cancer related mortality, thus the most pressing need in the field of oncology today is the ability to accurately predict future onset of metastatic disease, ideally at the time of initial diagnosis. As opposed to current practice, what would be desirable is that prognostic, biomarker-based detection of metastatic propensity and heightened risk of cancer recurrence be performed long before overt metastasis has set in. Without such timely information it will be impossible to formulate a rational therapeutic treatment plan to favorably alter the trajectory of disease progression. In order to help inform rational selection of targeted therapeutics, any recurrence/metastasis risk prediction strategy must occur with the paired identification of novel prognostic biomarkers and their underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms that help drive cancer recurrence/metastasis (i.e. recurrence biomarkers). Traditional clinical factors alone (such as TNM staging criteria) are no longer adequately prognostic for this purpose in the current molecular era. FOXC1 is a pivotal transcription factor that has been functionally implicated to drive cancer metastasis and has been demonstrated to be an independent predictor of heightened metastatic risk, at the time of initial diagnosis. In this review, we present our viewpoints on the master regulatory role that FOXC1 plays in mediating cancer stem cell traits that include cellular plasticity, partial EMT, treatment resistance, cancer invasion and cancer migration during cancer progression and metastasis. We also highlight potential therapeutic strategies to target cancers that are, or have evolved to become, “transcriptionally addicted” to FOXC1. The potential role of FOXC1 expression status in predicting the efficacy of these identified therapeutic approaches merits evaluation in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Ray
- R&D Division, Onconostic Technologies (OT), Inc., Champaign, IL, United States
| | | | - Partha S Ray
- R&D Division, Onconostic Technologies (OT), Inc., Champaign, IL, United States
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30
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Campbell KJ, Mason SM, Winder ML, Willemsen RBE, Cloix C, Lawson H, Rooney N, Dhayade S, Sims AH, Blyth K, Tait SWG. Breast cancer dependence on MCL-1 is due to its canonical anti-apoptotic function. Cell Death Differ 2021; 28:2589-2600. [PMID: 33785871 PMCID: PMC8408186 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-021-00773-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
High levels of the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family member MCL-1 are frequently found in breast cancer and, appropriately, BH3-mimetic drugs that specifically target MCL-1's function in apoptosis are in development as anti-cancer therapy. MCL-1 also has reported non-canonical roles that may be relevant in its tumour-promoting effect. Here we investigate the role of MCL-1 in clinically relevant breast cancer models and address whether the canonical role of MCL-1 in apoptosis, which can be targeted using BH3-mimetic drugs, is the major function for MCL-1 in breast cancer. We show that MCL-1 is essential in established tumours with genetic deletion inducing tumour regression and inhibition with the MCL-1-specific BH3-mimetic drug S63845 significantly impeding tumour growth. Importantly, we found that the anti-tumour functions achieved by MCL-1 deletion or inhibition were completely dependent on pro-apoptotic BAX/BAK. Interestingly, we find that MCL-1 is also critical for stem cell activity in human breast cancer cells and high MCL1 expression correlates with stemness markers in tumours. This strongly supports the idea that the key function of MCL-1 in breast cancer is through its anti-apoptotic function. This has important implications for the future use of MCL-1-specific BH3-mimetic drugs in breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsteen J Campbell
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK.
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
| | | | - Matthew L Winder
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Rosalie B E Willemsen
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Catherine Cloix
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Hannah Lawson
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Andrew H Sims
- CRUK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Karen Blyth
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Stephen W G Tait
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK.
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
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31
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Dan VM, Raveendran RS, Baby S. Resistance to Intervention: Paclitaxel in Breast Cancer. Mini Rev Med Chem 2021; 21:1237-1268. [PMID: 33319669 DOI: 10.2174/1389557520999201214234421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer stands as the most prevalent cancer in women globally, and contributes to the highest percentage of mortality due to cancer-related deaths in women. Paclitaxel (PTX) is heavily relied on as a frontline chemotherapy drug in breast cancer treatment, especially in advanced metastatic cancer. Generation of resistance to PTX often derails clinical management and adversely affects patient outcomes. Understanding the molecular mechanism of PTX resistance is necessary to device methods to aid in overcoming the resistance. Recent studies exploring the mechanism of development of PTX resistance have led to unveiling of a range novel therapeutic targets. PTX resistance pathways that involve major regulatory proteins/RNAs like RNF8/Twist/ROR1, TLR, ErbB3/ErbB2, BRCA1- IRIS, MENA, LIN9, MiRNA, FoxM1 and IRAK1 have expanded the complexity of resistance mechanisms, and brought newer insights into the development of drug targets. These resistance-related targets can be dealt with synthetic/natural therapeutics in combination with PTX. The present review encompasses the recent understanding of PTX resistance mechanisms in breast cancer and possible therapeutic combinations to overcome resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipin Mohan Dan
- Microbiology Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode 695562, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Reji Saradha Raveendran
- Microbiology Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode 695562, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Sabulal Baby
- Phytochemistry and Phytopharmacology Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode 695562, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
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32
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Igarashi K, Nishizawa H, Saiki Y, Matsumoto M. The transcription factor BACH1 at the crossroads of cancer biology: From epithelial-mesenchymal transition to ferroptosis. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101032. [PMID: 34339740 PMCID: PMC8387770 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The progression of cancer involves not only the gradual evolution of cells by mutations in DNA but also alterations in the gene expression induced by those mutations and input from the surrounding microenvironment. Such alterations contribute to cancer cells' abilities to reprogram metabolic pathways and undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which facilitate the survival of cancer cells and their metastasis to other organs. Recently, BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1), a heme-regulated transcription factor that represses genes involved in iron and heme metabolism in normal cells, was shown to shape the metabolism and metastatic potential of cancer cells. The growing list of BACH1 target genes in cancer cells reveals that BACH1 promotes metastasis by regulating various sets of genes beyond iron metabolism. BACH1 represses the expression of genes that mediate cell–cell adhesion and oxidative phosphorylation but activates the expression of genes required for glycolysis, cell motility, and matrix protein degradation. Furthermore, BACH1 represses FOXA1 gene encoding an activator of epithelial genes and activates SNAI2 encoding a repressor of epithelial genes, forming a feedforward loop of EMT. By synthesizing these observations, we propose a “two-faced BACH1 model”, which accounts for the dynamic switching between metastasis and stress resistance along with cancer progression. We discuss here the possibility that BACH1-mediated promotion of cancer also brings increased sensitivity to iron-dependent cell death (ferroptosis) through crosstalk of BACH1 target genes, imposing programmed vulnerability upon cancer cells. We also discuss the future directions of this field, including the dynamics and plasticity of EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiko Igarashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan; Center for Regulatory Epigenome and Diseases, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Hironari Nishizawa
- Department of Biochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yuriko Saiki
- Department of Investigative Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Mitsuyo Matsumoto
- Department of Biochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan; Center for Regulatory Epigenome and Diseases, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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33
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Desgrosellier JS. A precision approach to breast cancer treatment based on cell lineage-specific vulnerabilities. Oncoscience 2021; 8:76-79. [PMID: 34124284 PMCID: PMC8192127 DOI: 10.18632/oncoscience.538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jay S Desgrosellier
- Department of Pathology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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34
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Yadav B, Pal S, Rubstov Y, Goel A, Garg M, Pavlyukov M, Pandey AK. LncRNAs associated with glioblastoma: From transcriptional noise to novel regulators with a promising role in therapeutics. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2021; 24:728-742. [PMID: 33996255 PMCID: PMC8099481 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most widespread and aggressive subtype of glioma in adult patients. Numerous long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are deregulated or differentially expressed in GBM. These lncRNAs possess unique regulatory functions in GBM cells, ranging from high invasion/migration to recurrence. This review outlines the present status of specific involvement of lncRNAs in GBM pathogenesis, with a focus on their association with key molecular and cellular regulatory mechanisms. Also, we highlighted the potential of different novel RNA-based strategies that may be beneficial for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhupender Yadav
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Panchgaon, Manesar, Haryana 122413, India
| | - Sonali Pal
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Panchgaon, Manesar, Haryana 122413, India
| | - Yury Rubstov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, GSP-7, Ulitsa Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russian Federation.,Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Vavilova Street 7, 117312 Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Akul Goel
- La Canada High School, La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011, USA
| | - Manoj Garg
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, Sector 125, Noida 201313, India
| | - Marat Pavlyukov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, GSP-7, Ulitsa Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Amit Kumar Pandey
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Panchgaon, Manesar, Haryana 122413, India
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35
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Nuclear factor-κB signaling inhibitors revert multidrug-resistance in breast cancer cells. Chem Biol Interact 2021; 340:109450. [PMID: 33775688 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2021.109450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) is among the crucial obstacles to breast cancer therapy success. The transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)-κB is correlated to the pathogenesis of breast cancer and resistance to therapy. NF-κB augments the expression of MDR1 gene, which encodes for the membrane transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in cancer cells. Since NF-κB activity is considered to be relatively high in particular when it comes to breast cancer, in the present work, we proposed that the inhibition of NF-κB activity can augment and enhance the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to chemotherapy such as doxorubicin (DOX) by virtue of MDR modulation. Our results demonstrated that the DOX-resistant MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 clones exhibit higher NF-κB (p65) activity, which is linked to the upregulated expression of ABCB1 and ABCC1 transporter proteins. Combined treatment with NF-kB inhibitors (pentoxifylline and bortezomib) sensitized the resistant breast cancer cells to DOX. Such synergy was compromised by forced overexpression of p65. The DOX/NF-κB inhibitor combinations hampered NF-κB (p65) activation and downregulated MDR efflux transporters' level. Breast cancer cell migration was sharply suppressed in cells co-treated with DOX/NF-κB inhibitors. The same treatments successfully enhanced DOX-mediated induction of apoptosis, which is reflected by the elevated ratio of annexin-V/PI positively stained cells, along with the activation of other apoptotic markers. In conclusion, the data generated from this study provide insights for future translational investigations introducing the use of the clinically approved NF-κB inhibitors as an adjuvant in the treatment protocols of resistant breast cancer to overcome the multidrug resistance and enhance the therapeutic outcomes.
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36
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He J, Li CF, Lee HJ, Shin DH, Chern YJ, Pereira De Carvalho B, Chan CH. MIG-6 is essential for promoting glucose metabolic reprogramming and tumor growth in triple-negative breast cancer. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e50781. [PMID: 33655623 PMCID: PMC8097377 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202050781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment of triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains challenging due to a lack of effective targeted therapies. Dysregulated glucose uptake and metabolism are essential for TNBC growth. Identifying the molecular drivers and mechanisms underlying the metabolic vulnerability of TNBC is key to exploiting dysregulated cancer metabolism for therapeutic applications. Mitogen‐inducible gene‐6 (MIG‐6) has long been thought of as a feedback inhibitor that targets activated EGFR and suppresses the growth of tumors driven by constitutive activated mutant EGFR. Here, our bioinformatics and histological analyses uncover that MIG‐6 is upregulated in TNBC and that MIG‐6 upregulation is positively correlated with poorer clinical outcomes in TNBC. Metabolic arrays and functional assays reveal that MIG‐6 drives glucose metabolism reprogramming toward glycolysis. Mechanistically, MIG‐6 recruits HAUSP deubiquitinase for stabilizing HIF1α protein expression and the subsequent upregulation of GLUT1 and other HIF1α‐regulated glycolytic genes, substantiating the comprehensive regulation of MIG‐6 in glucose metabolism. Moreover, our mouse studies demonstrate that MIG‐6 regulates GLUT1 expression in tumors and subsequent tumor growth in vivo. Collectively, this work reveals that MIG‐6 is a novel prognosis biomarker, metabolism regulator, and molecular driver of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiabei He
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Chien-Feng Li
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, Taiwan.,Department of Pathology, Chi-Mei Foundational Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Hong-Jen Lee
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Dong-Hui Shin
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Yi-Jye Chern
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Chia-Hsin Chan
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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37
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Zhang Y, Xie X, Yeganeh PN, Lee DJ, Valle-Garcia D, Meza-Sosa KF, Junqueira C, Su J, Luo HR, Hide W, Lieberman J. Immunotherapy for breast cancer using EpCAM aptamer tumor-targeted gene knockdown. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2022830118. [PMID: 33627408 PMCID: PMC7936362 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022830118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
New strategies for cancer immunotherapy are needed since most solid tumors do not respond to current approaches. Here we used epithelial cell adhesion molecule EpCAM (a tumor-associated antigen highly expressed on common epithelial cancers and their tumor-initiating cells) aptamer-linked small-interfering RNA chimeras (AsiCs) to knock down genes selectively in EpCAM+ tumors with the goal of making cancers more visible to the immune system. Knockdown of genes that function in multiple steps of cancer immunity was evaluated in aggressive triple-negative and HER2+ orthotopic, metastatic, and genetically engineered mouse breast cancer models. Gene targets were chosen whose knockdown was predicted to promote tumor neoantigen expression (Upf2, Parp1, Apex1), phagocytosis, and antigen presentation (Cd47), reduce checkpoint inhibition (Cd274), or cause tumor cell death (Mcl1). Four of the six AsiC (Upf2, Parp1, Cd47, and Mcl1) potently inhibited tumor growth and boosted tumor-infiltrating immune cell functions. AsiC mixtures were more effective than individual AsiC and could synergize with anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibition.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigen Presentation/drug effects
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/chemistry
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/pharmacology
- Aptamers, Nucleotide/chemistry
- Aptamers, Nucleotide/immunology
- Aptamers, Nucleotide/pharmacology
- B7-H1 Antigen/antagonists & inhibitors
- B7-H1 Antigen/genetics
- B7-H1 Antigen/immunology
- CD47 Antigen/antagonists & inhibitors
- CD47 Antigen/genetics
- CD47 Antigen/immunology
- DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase/antagonists & inhibitors
- DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase/genetics
- DNA-(Apurinic or Apyrimidinic Site) Lyase/immunology
- Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule/genetics
- Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule/immunology
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Humans
- Immunoconjugates/chemistry
- Immunoconjugates/immunology
- Immunoconjugates/pharmacology
- Immunotherapy/methods
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/genetics
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/immunology
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/therapy
- Mice
- Molecular Targeted Therapy
- Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/antagonists & inhibitors
- Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/genetics
- Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/immunology
- Neoplasm Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors
- Neoplasm Proteins/genetics
- Neoplasm Proteins/immunology
- Phagocytosis/drug effects
- Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1/antagonists & inhibitors
- Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1/genetics
- Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1/immunology
- RNA-Binding Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors
- RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics
- RNA-Binding Proteins/immunology
- Receptor, ErbB-2/genetics
- Receptor, ErbB-2/immunology
- Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/genetics
- Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/immunology
- Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/pathology
- Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/therapy
- Tumor Burden/drug effects
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Xuemei Xie
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Lab Medicine and The Stem Cell Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- The State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 300020 Tianjin, China
| | | | - Dian-Jang Lee
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - David Valle-Garcia
- Divison of Newborn Medicine and Epigenetics Program, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Laboratorio de Neuroinmunobiología, Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 62210 Cuernavaca, México
| | - Karla F Meza-Sosa
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Laboratorio de Neuroinmunobiología, Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 62210 Cuernavaca, México
| | - Caroline Junqueira
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Jiayu Su
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Lab Medicine and The Stem Cell Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Bioinformatics, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
- Center for Statistical Science, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
| | - Hongbo R Luo
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Lab Medicine and The Stem Cell Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Winston Hide
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Judy Lieberman
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115;
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
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38
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Mao D, Cao H, Shi M, Wang CC, Kwong J, Li JJX, Hou Y, Ming X, Lee HM, Tian XY, Wong CK, Chow E, Kong APS, Lui VWY, Chan PKS, Chan JCN. Increased co-expression of PSMA2 and GLP-1 receptor in cervical cancer models in type 2 diabetes attenuated by Exendin-4: A translational case-control study. EBioMedicine 2021; 65:103242. [PMID: 33684886 PMCID: PMC7938253 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes (T2D) increases the risk of many types of cancer. Dysregulation of proteasome-related protein degradation leads to tumorigenesis, while Exendin-4, a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, possesses anti-cancer effects. METHODS We explored the co-expression of proteasome alpha 2 subunit (PSMA2) and GLP-1R in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and human cervical cancer specimens, supplemented by in vivo and in vitro studies using multiple cervical cancer cell lines. FINDINGS PSMA2 expression was increased in 12 cancer types in TCGA database and cervical cancer specimens from patients with T2D (T2D vs non-T2D: 3.22 (95% confidence interval CI: 1.38, 5.05) vs 1.00 (0.66, 1.34) fold change, P = 0.01). psma2-shRNA decreased cell proliferation in vitro, and tumour volume and Ki67 expression in vivo. Exendin-4 decreased psma2 expression, tumour volume and Ki67 expression in vivo. There was no change in GLP-1R expression in 12 cancer types in TCGA database. However, GLP-1R expression (T2D vs non-T2D: 5.49 (3.0, 8.1) vs 1.00 (0.5, 1.5) fold change, P < 0.001) was increased and positively correlated with PSMA2 expression in T2D-related (r = 0.68) but not in non-T2D-related cervical cancer specimens. This correlation was corroborated by in vitro experiments where silencing glp-1r decreased psma2 expression. Exendin-4 attenuated phospho-p65 and -IκB expression in the NF-κB pathway. INTERPRETATION PSMA2 and GLP-1R expression in T2D-related cervical cancer specimens was increased and positively correlated, suggesting hyperglycaemia might promote cancer growth by increasing PSMA2 expression which could be attenuated by Exendin-4. FUNDING This project was supported by Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme, Direct Grant, Diabetes Research and Education Fund from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Mao
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Huanyi Cao
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Mai Shi
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chi Chiu Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Joseph Kwong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Joshua Jing Xi Li
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yong Hou
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xing Ming
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Heung Man Lee
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiao Yu Tian
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chun Kwok Wong
- Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Elaine Chow
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China; Phase 1 Clinical Trial Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alice Pik Shan Kong
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China; Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China; Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Vivian Wai Yan Lui
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Paul Kay Sheung Chan
- Department of Microbiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Juliana Chung Ngor Chan
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China; Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China; Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Sekine H, Motohashi H. Roles of CNC Transcription Factors NRF1 and NRF2 in Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030541. [PMID: 33535386 PMCID: PMC7867063 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Although NRF1 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 1; NFE2L1) and NRF2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2; NFE2L2) belong to the CNC (cap‘n’collar) transcription factor family and share DNA recognition elements, their functions in vivo are substantially different. In cancer cells, while NRF2 confers therapeutic resistance via increasing antioxidant capacity and modulating glucose and glutamine metabolism, NRF1 confers therapeutic resistance via triggering proteasome bounce back response. Proteasome inhibition activates NRF1, and NRF1, in turn, activates the proteasome by inducing the transcriptional activation of proteasome subunit genes. One of the oncometabolites, UDP-GlcNAc (uridine diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine), has been found to be a key to the NRF1-mediated proteasome bounce back response. In this review, we introduce the roles of NRF1 in the cancer malignancy in comparison with NRF2. Abstract Cancer cells exhibit unique metabolic features and take advantage of them to enhance their survival and proliferation. While the activation of NRF2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2; NFE2L2), a CNC (cap‘n’collar) family transcription factor, is effective for the prevention and alleviation of various diseases, NRF2 contributes to cancer malignancy by promoting aggressive tumorigenesis and conferring therapeutic resistance. NRF2-mediated metabolic reprogramming and increased antioxidant capacity underlie the malignant behaviors of NRF2-activated cancer cells. Another member of the CNC family, NRF1, plays a key role in the therapeutic resistance of cancers. Since NRF1 maintains proteasome activity by inducing proteasome subunit genes in response to proteasome inhibitors, NRF1 protects cancer cells from proteotoxicity induced by anticancer proteasome inhibitors. An important metabolite that activates NRF1 is UDP-GlcNAc (uridine diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine), which is abundantly generated in many cancer cells from glucose and glutamine via the hexosamine pathway. Thus, the metabolic signatures of cancer cells are closely related to the oncogenic and tumor-promoting functions of CNC family members. In this review, we provide a brief overview of NRF2-mediated cancer malignancy and elaborate on NRF1-mediated drug resistance affected by an oncometabolite UDP-GlcNAc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Sekine
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-22-717-8553; Fax: +81-22-717-8554
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Malavia N, Kuche K, Ghadi R, Jain S. A bird's eye view of the advanced approaches and strategies for overshadowing triple negative breast cancer. J Control Release 2020; 330:72-100. [PMID: 33321156 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive form of breast cancer. It is characterized by the absence of estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptors. The main issue with TNBC is that it exhibits poor prognosis, high risk of relapse, short progression-free survival and low overall survival in patients. This is because the conventional therapy used for managing TNBC has issues pertaining to poor bioavailability, lower cellular uptake, increased off-target effects and development of resistance. To overcome such pitfalls, several other approaches are explored. In this context, the present manuscript showcases three of the most widely used approaches which are (i) nanotechnology-based approach; (ii) gene therapy approach and (iii) Phytochemical-based approach. The ultimate focus is to present and explain the insightful reports based on these approaches. Further, the review also expounds on the identified molecular targets and novel targeting ligands which are explored for managing TNBC effectively. Thus, in a nutshell, the review tries to highlight these existing treatment approaches which might inspire for future development of novel therapies with a potential of overshadowing TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilesh Malavia
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, S.A.S Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Kaushik Kuche
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, S.A.S Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Rohan Ghadi
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, S.A.S Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Sanyog Jain
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, S.A.S Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, India.
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Villa E, Paul R, Meynet O, Volturo S, Pinna G, Ricci JE. The E3 ligase UBR2 regulates cell death under caspase deficiency via Erk/MAPK pathway. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:1041. [PMID: 33288741 PMCID: PMC7721896 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-03258-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Escape from cell death is a key event in cancer establishment/progression. While apoptosis is often considered as the main cell death pathway, upon caspase inhibition, cell death is rather delayed than blocked leading to caspase-independent cell death (CICD). Although described for years, CICD's underlying mechanism remains to be identified. Here, we performed a genome-wide siRNA lethality screening and identified the RING-Type E3 Ubiquitin Transferase (UBR2) as a specific regulator of CICD. Strikingly, UBR2 downregulation sensitized cells towards CICD while its overexpression was protective. We established that UBR2-dependent protection from CICD was mediated by the MAPK/Erk pathway. We then observed that UBR2 is overexpressed in several cancers, especially in breast cancers and contributes to CICD resistance. Therefore, our work defines UBR2 as a novel regulator of CICD, found overexpressed in cancer cells, suggesting that its targeting may represent an innovative way to kill tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Villa
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, C3M, Nice, France
| | - Rachel Paul
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, C3M, Nice, France
| | | | - Sophie Volturo
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Guillaume Pinna
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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Liu L, Fu Y, Zheng Y, Ma M, Wang C. Curcumin inhibits proteasome activity in triple-negative breast cancer cells through regulating p300/miR-142-3p/PSMB5 axis. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2020; 78:153312. [PMID: 32866906 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2020.153312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Curcumin functions as a proteasome inhibitor. However, the molecular mechanisms behind this action need more detailed explanations. PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of curcumin on 20S proteasome activity and to elucidate its exact mechanism in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) MDA-MB-231 cells. METHODS Proteasomal peptidase activities were assayed using synthetic fluorogenic peptide substrates. Knockdown or overexpression of microRNA (miRNA or miR) or protein was used to investigate its functional effect on downstream cellular processes. BrdU (5‑bromo‑2'-deoxyuridine) assay was performed to identify cell proliferation. Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR) were carried out to determine protein abundance and miRNA expression, respectively. Correlations between protein expressions, miRNA levels, and proteasome activities were analyzed in TNBC tissues. Xenograft tumor model was performed to observe the in vivo effect of curcumin on 20S proteasome activity. RESULTS Curcumin significantly reduced PSMB5 protein levels, accompanied with a reduction in the chymotrypsin-like (CT-l) activity of proteasome 20S core. Loss of PSMB5 markedly inhibited the CT-l activity of 20S proteasome. Furthermore, curcumin treatment significantly elevated miR-142-3p expression. PSMB5 was a direct target of miR-142-3p and its protein levels were negatively regulated by miR-142-3p. Moreover, histone acetyltransferase p300 suppressed miR-142-3p expression. Overexpression of p300 mitigated the promotive effect of curcumin on miR-142-3p expression. The correlations among p300 abundances, miR-142-3p levels, PSMB5 expressions, and the CT-l activities of 20S proteasome were evidenced in TNBC tissues. In addition, loss of p300 and PSMB5 reduced cell proliferation. Inhibition of miR-142-3p significantly attenuated the inhibitory impact of curcumin on cell proliferation. These curcumin-induced changes on p300, miR-142-3p, PSMB5, and 20S proteasome activity were further confirmed in in vivo solid tumor model. CONCLUSION These findings demonstrated that curcumin suppressed p300/miR-142-3p/PSMB5 axis leading to the inhibition of the CT-l activity of 20S proteasome. These results provide a novel and alternative explanation for the inhibitory effect of curcumin on proteasome activity and also raised potential therapeutic targets for TNBC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Liu
- Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yalin Fu
- Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yuyang Zheng
- Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Mingke Ma
- Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Changhua Wang
- Department of Pathology & Pathophysiology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan 430071, China.
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Multiple myeloma cells are exceptionally sensitive to heat shock, which overwhelms their proteostasis network and induces apoptosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:21588-21597. [PMID: 32817432 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2001323117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteasome inhibitors, such as bortezomib (BTZ), are highly effective and widely used treatments for multiple myeloma. One proposed reason for myeloma cells' exceptional sensitivity to proteasome inhibition is that they produce and continually degrade unusually large amounts of abnormal immunoglobulins. We, therefore, hypothesized that, heat shock may also be especially toxic to myeloma cells by causing protein unfolding, increasing further the substrate load on proteasomes, and, thus, putting further stress on their capacity for protein homeostasis. After a shift from 37 to 43 °C, all four myeloma lines studied underwent extensive apoptosis in 4 h, unlike 13 nonmyeloma cell lines, even though the myeloma cells induced heat-shock proteins and increased protein degradation similar to other cells. Furthermore, two myeloma lines resistant to proteasome inhibitors were also more resistant to 43 °C. Shifting myeloma cells to 43, 41, or 39 °C (which was not cytotoxic) dramatically increased their killing by proteasome inhibitors and inhibitors of ubiquitination or p97/VCP. Combining increased temperature with BTZ increased the accumulation of misfolded proteins and substrate load on the 26S proteasome. The apoptosis seen at 43 °C and at 39 °C with BTZ was mediated by caspase-9 and was linked to an accumulation of the proapoptotic Bcl-2-family member Noxa. Thus, myeloma cells are exceptionally sensitive to increased temperatures, which greatly increase substrate load on the ubiquitin-proteasome system and eventually activate the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Consequently, for myeloma, mild hyperthermia may be a beneficial approach to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of proteasome inhibitors.
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Chen J, Zhu M, Zou L, Xia J, Huang J, Deng Q, Xu R. Long non-coding RNA LINC-PINT attenuates paclitaxel resistance in triple-negative breast cancer cells via targeting the RNA-binding protein NONO. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2020; 52:801-809. [PMID: 32632453 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmaa072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) relies largely on chemotherapies. However, it is frequent that TNBC patients develop resistance to the chemotherapy drugs. Generation of drug-resistant cell lines facilitates the identification of drug resistance. Here, we established two paclitaxel (PTX)-resistant TNBC cancer cell lines using an intermittent and stepwise method and found that long non-coding RNA long intergenic non-protein-coding RNA p53-induced transcript (LINC-PINT) was significantly decreased in PTX-resistant cancer cells. Ectopic expression of LINC-PINT sensitized both PTX-resistant TNBC and wild-type TNBC to PTX. Moreover, RNA immunoprecipitation showed that LINC-PINT bound to RNA-binding protein NONO. Overexpression of LINC-PINT resulted in the degradation of NONO in a proteasome-dependent manner and vice versa. Knockdown of NONO with siRNA sensitized TNBC to PTX. We further analyzed the expression level of LINC-PINT and NONO in patient samples via online database and found that LINC-PINT and NONO may function antagonistically in all types of breast cancers. Taken together, our data illustrated a tumor suppressor role of LINC-PINT in sensitizing TNBC to chemotherapies via destabilizing NONO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghua Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Meiqin Zhu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Liqiu Zou
- Department of Radiology, Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518052, China
| | - Junxian Xia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Jiacheng Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Quantong Deng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Ruilian Xu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China
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Verma N, Vinik Y, Saroha A, Nair NU, Ruppin E, Mills G, Karn T, Dubey V, Khera L, Raj H, Maina F, Lev S. Synthetic lethal combination targeting BET uncovered intrinsic susceptibility of TNBC to ferroptosis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/34/eaba8968. [PMID: 32937365 PMCID: PMC7442484 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba8968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Identification of targeted therapies for TNBC is an urgent medical need. Using a drug combination screen reliant on synthetic lethal interactions, we identified clinically relevant combination therapies for different TNBC subtypes. Two drug combinations targeting the BET family were further explored. The first, targeting BET and CXCR2, is specific for mesenchymal TNBC and induces apoptosis, whereas the second, targeting BET and the proteasome, is effective for major TNBC subtypes and triggers ferroptosis. Ferroptosis was induced at low drug doses and was associated with increased cellular iron and decreased glutathione levels, concomitant with reduced levels of GPX4 and key glutathione biosynthesis genes. Further functional studies, analysis of clinical datasets and breast cancer specimens revealed a unique vulnerability of TNBC to ferroptosis inducers, enrichment of ferroptosis gene signature, and differential expression of key proteins that increase labile iron and decrease glutathione levels. This study identified potent combination therapies for TNBC and unveiled ferroptosis as a promising therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandini Verma
- Molecular Cell Biology Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 20892, Israel
| | - Yaron Vinik
- Molecular Cell Biology Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 20892, Israel
| | - Ashish Saroha
- Molecular Cell Biology Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 20892, Israel
| | - Nishanth Ulhas Nair
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Eytan Ruppin
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gordon Mills
- Knight Cancer Institute, Portland, OR 97201, USA
| | - Thomas Karn
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Goethe University, D-60323 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Vinay Dubey
- Molecular Cell Biology Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 20892, Israel
| | - Lohit Khera
- Molecular Cell Biology Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 20892, Israel
| | - Harsha Raj
- Molecular Cell Biology Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 20892, Israel
| | - Flavio Maina
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Developmental Biology Institute of Marseille (IBDM) UMR 7288, Marseille, France
| | - Sima Lev
- Molecular Cell Biology Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 20892, Israel.
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Hacker UT, Bentler M, Kaniowska D, Morgan M, Büning H. Towards Clinical Implementation of Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Vectors for Cancer Gene Therapy: Current Status and Future Perspectives. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1889. [PMID: 32674264 PMCID: PMC7409174 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have gained tremendous attention as in vivo delivery systems in gene therapy for inherited monogenetic diseases. First market approvals, excellent safety data, availability of large-scale production protocols, and the possibility to tailor the vector towards optimized and cell-type specific gene transfer offers to move from (ultra) rare to common diseases. Cancer, a major health burden for which novel therapeutic options are urgently needed, represents such a target. We here provide an up-to-date overview of the strategies which are currently developed for the use of AAV vectors in cancer gene therapy and discuss the perspectives for the future translation of these pre-clinical approaches into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich T. Hacker
- Department of Oncology, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Pulmonology, and Infectious Diseases, University Cancer Center Leipzig (UCCL), Leipzig University Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (M.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Martin Bentler
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (M.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Dorota Kaniowska
- Department of Oncology, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Pulmonology, and Infectious Diseases, University Cancer Center Leipzig (UCCL), Leipzig University Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;
| | - Michael Morgan
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (M.B.); (M.M.)
- REBIRTH Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Hildegard Büning
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; (M.B.); (M.M.)
- REBIRTH Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, Inhoffenstraße 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
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Adwal A, Kalita-de Croft P, Shakya R, Lim M, Kalaw E, Taege LD, McCart Reed AE, Lakhani SR, Callen DF, Saunus JM. Tradeoff between metabolic i-proteasome addiction and immune evasion in triple-negative breast cancer. Life Sci Alliance 2020; 3:3/7/e201900562. [PMID: 32423906 PMCID: PMC7240743 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro studies have suggested proteasome inhibitors could be effective in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We found that bortezomib and carfilzomib induce proteotoxic stress and apoptosis via the unfolded protein response (UPR) in TNBC cell lines, with sensitivity correlated with expression of immuno-(PSMB8/9/10) but not constitutive-(PSMB5/6/7) proteasome subunits. Equally, the transcriptomes of i-proteasome-high human TNBCs are enriched with UPR gene sets, and the genomic copy number landscape reflects positive selection pressure favoring i-proteasome activity, but in the setting of adjuvant treatment, this is actually associated with favorable prognosis. Tumor expression of PSMB8 protein (β5i) is associated with levels of MHC-I, interferon-γ-inducible proteasome activator PA28β, and the densities of stromal antigen-presenting cells and lymphocytes (TILs). Crucially, TILs were protective among TNBCs that maintain high β5i but did not stratify survival amongst β5i-low TNBCs. Moreover, β5i expression was lower in brain metastases than in patient-matched primary breast tumors (n = 34; P = 0.007), suggesting that suppression contributes to immune evasion and metastatic progression. Hence, inhibiting proteasome activity could be counterproductive in the adjuvant treatment setting because it potentiates anti-TNBC immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaknanda Adwal
- The Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Priyakshi Kalita-de Croft
- The University of Queensland (UQ) Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Reshma Shakya
- QIMR Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development, Tumour Immunology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Malcolm Lim
- The University of Queensland (UQ) Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Emarene Kalaw
- The University of Queensland (UQ) Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lucinda D Taege
- The University of Queensland (UQ) Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,Pathology Queensland, The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Amy E McCart Reed
- The University of Queensland (UQ) Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sunil R Lakhani
- The University of Queensland (UQ) Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.,Pathology Queensland, The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
| | - David F Callen
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Jodi M Saunus
- The University of Queensland (UQ) Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Raninga PV, Lee A, Sinha D, Dong LF, Datta KK, Lu X, Kalita-de Croft P, Dutt M, Hill M, Pouliot N, Gowda H, Kalimutho M, Neuzil J, Khanna KK. Marizomib suppresses triple-negative breast cancer via proteasome and oxidative phosphorylation inhibition. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:5259-5275. [PMID: 32373211 PMCID: PMC7196287 DOI: 10.7150/thno.42705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Lacking effective targeted therapies, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBCs) is highly aggressive and metastatic disease, and remains clinically challenging breast cancer subtype to treat. Despite the survival dependency on the proteasome pathway genes, FDA-approved proteasome inhibitors induced minimal clinical response in breast cancer patients due to weak proteasome inhibition. Hence, developing effective targeted therapy using potent proteasome inhibitor is required. Methods: We evaluated anti-cancer activity of a potent proteasome inhibitor, marizomib, in vitro using breast cancer lines and in vivo using 4T1.2 murine syngeneic model, MDA-MB-231 xenografts, and patient-derived tumor xenografts. Global proteome profiling, western blots, and RT-qPCR were used to investigate the mechanism of action for marizomib. Effect of marizomib on lung and brain metastasis was evaluated using syngeneic 4T1BR4 murine TNBC model in vivo. Results: We show that marizomib inhibits multiple proteasome catalytic activities and induces a better anti-tumor response in TNBC cell lines and patient-derived xenografts alone and in combination with the standard-of-care chemotherapy. Mechanistically, we show that marizomib is a dual inhibitor of proteasome and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in TNBCs. Marizomib reduces lung and brain metastases by reducing the number of circulating tumor cells and the expression of genes involved in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. We demonstrate that marizomib-induced OXPHOS inhibition upregulates glycolysis to meet the energetic demands of TNBC cells and combined inhibition of glycolysis with marizomib leads to a synergistic anti-cancer activity. Conclusions: Our data provide a strong rationale for a clinical evaluation of marizomib in primary and metastatic TNBC patients.
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Larsson P, Engqvist H, Biermann J, Werner Rönnerman E, Forssell-Aronsson E, Kovács A, Karlsson P, Helou K, Parris TZ. Optimization of cell viability assays to improve replicability and reproducibility of cancer drug sensitivity screens. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5798. [PMID: 32242081 PMCID: PMC7118156 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62848-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer drug development has been riddled with high attrition rates, in part, due to poor reproducibility of preclinical models for drug discovery. Poor experimental design and lack of scientific transparency may cause experimental biases that in turn affect data quality, robustness and reproducibility. Here, we pinpoint sources of experimental variability in conventional 2D cell-based cancer drug screens to determine the effect of confounders on cell viability for MCF7 and HCC38 breast cancer cell lines treated with platinum agents (cisplatin and carboplatin) and a proteasome inhibitor (bortezomib). Variance component analysis demonstrated that variations in cell viability were primarily associated with the choice of pharmaceutical drug and cell line, and less likely to be due to the type of growth medium or assay incubation time. Furthermore, careful consideration should be given to different methods of storing diluted pharmaceutical drugs and use of DMSO controls due to the potential risk of evaporation and the subsequent effect on dose-response curves. Optimization of experimental parameters not only improved data quality substantially but also resulted in reproducible results for bortezomib- and cisplatin-treated HCC38, MCF7, MCF-10A, and MDA-MB-436 cells. Taken together, these findings indicate that replicability (the same analyst re-performs the same experiment multiple times) and reproducibility (different analysts perform the same experiment using different experimental conditions) for cell-based drug screens can be improved by identifying potential confounders and subsequent optimization of experimental parameters for each cell line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Larsson
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Hanna Engqvist
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jana Biermann
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elisabeth Werner Rönnerman
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Eva Forssell-Aronsson
- Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anikó Kovács
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Per Karlsson
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Khalil Helou
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Toshima Z Parris
- Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Cancer Center, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Gasdermin E suppresses tumour growth by activating anti-tumour immunity. Nature 2020; 579:415-420. [PMID: 32188940 PMCID: PMC7123794 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2071-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 894] [Impact Index Per Article: 223.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cleavage of the gasdermins to produce a pore-forming N-terminal fragment causes inflammatory death (pyroptosis)1. Caspase-3 cleaves gasdermin E (GSDME, also known as DFNA5), mutated in familial aging-related hearing loss2, which converts noninflammatory apoptosis to pyroptosis in GSDME-expressing cells3–5. GSDME expression is suppressed in many cancers and reduced GSDME is associated with decreased breast cancer survival2,6, suggesting GSDME might be a tumor suppressor. Here we show reduced GSDME function of 20 of 22 tested cancer-associated mutations. Gsdme knockout in GSDME-expressing tumors enhances, while ectopic expression in Gsdme-repressed tumors inhibits, tumor growth. Tumor suppression is mediated by cytotoxic lymphocyte killing since it is abrogated in perforin-deficient or killer lymphocyte-depleted mice. GSDME expression enhances tumor-associated macrophage phagocytosis and the number and functions of tumor-infiltrating NK and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Killer cell granzyme B also activates caspase-independent pyroptosis in target cells by directly cleaving GSDME at the same site as caspase-3. Non-cleavable or pore-defective GSDME are not tumor suppressive. Thus, tumor GSDME is a tumor suppressor by activating pyroptosis, which enhances anti-tumor immunity.
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