1
|
Hoover E, Ruggiero OM, Swingler RN, Day ES. FZD7-Targeted Nanoparticles to Enhance Doxorubicin Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:14323-14335. [PMID: 38559981 PMCID: PMC10976388 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c10275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Doxorubicin (DOX) is a chemotherapy agent commonly used to treat triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but it has insufficient efficacy against the disease and considerable toxicity due to its off-target delivery. To improve the specificity of DOX for TNBC, we encapsulated it in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) coated with antibodies against Frizzled7 (FZD7), a receptor that is overexpressed on TNBC cells and which is a key activator of the Wnt signaling pathway. In vitro studies show that DOX encapsulation does not hinder its ability to localize to the nucleus in human TNBC cell cultures and that DOX delivered via NPs induces apoptosis and DNA damage via H2A.X phosphorylation to the same degree as freely delivered DOX. FZD7-targeted NPs delivering DOX caused significantly greater inhibition of metabolic activity and led to a smaller cell population following treatment when compared to freely delivered DOX or DOX-loaded NPs coated only with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The FZD7 antibodies additionally provided significant levels of Wnt pathway inhibition, as demonstrated by an increase in β-catenin phosphorylation, indicative of β-catenin destruction and downregulation. These results show that FZD7-targeted platforms have great promise for improving the therapeutic window of otherwise toxic chemotherapies like DOX in TNBC and other cancers that display the overexpression of FZD7 receptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elise
C. Hoover
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, University of
Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19713, United States
| | - Olivia M. Ruggiero
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, University of
Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19713, United States
| | - Rachel N. Swingler
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, University of
Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19713, United States
| | - Emily S. Day
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, University of
Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19713, United States
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
- Helen
F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute, Newark, Delaware 19713, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Khodaverdi E, Shabani AA, Madanchi H, Farahmand L. Synthesis of the scFv fragment of anti-Frizzled-7 antibody and evaluation of its effects on triple-negative breast cancer in vitro study. Clin Transl Oncol 2024; 26:231-238. [PMID: 37310573 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-023-03242-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Among the most promising antibody formats in terms of inhibiting carcinogenesis are single-stranded variable fragments, whose targeted binding to the Fzd7 receptor has been proven effective at suppressing tumorigenesis. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of an anti-Fzd7 antibody fragment against both tumor growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells. METHODS To develop anti-Fzd7 antibodies, bioinformatics approaches were used and the antibodies were expressed recombinantly in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The expression of anti-Fzd7 fragments was verified by Western blotting. Analysis of the antibody's binding capacity to Fzd7 was conducted by flow cytometry. Cell death and apoptosis were assessed by MTT and Annexin V/PI assays. The transwell migration and invasion assays, as well as the scratch method, were used to evaluate cell motility and invasiveness. RESULTS The anti-Fzd7 antibody was expressed successfully as a single band of 31 kDa. It could bind to 21.5% of MDA-MB-231 cells, as opposed to only 0.54% of SKBR-3 cells as negative control. According to MTT assay, induced apoptosis was 73.7% in MDA-MB-231 cells, compared with 29.5% in SKBR-3 cells. Also, the antibody exerted a significant inhibitory effect of 76% and 58% on migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. CONCLUSION The recombinantly developed anti-Fzd7 scFv of this study could exhibit significant antiproliferative and antimigratory properties, along with a high apoptosis-inducing potential, making it suitable for the immunotherapy of triple negative breast cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ebrahim Khodaverdi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Shabani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
| | - Hamid Madanchi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
- Nervous System Stem Cells Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
- Drug Design and Bioinformatics Unit, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Farahmand
- Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Cao J, Zhang Z, Zhou L, Luo M, Li L, Li B, Nice EC, He W, Zheng S, Huang C. Oncofetal reprogramming in tumor development and progression: novel insights into cancer therapy. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e427. [PMID: 38045829 PMCID: PMC10693315 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates that cancer cells can mimic characteristics of embryonic development, promoting their development and progression. Cancer cells share features with embryonic development, characterized by robust proliferation and differentiation regulated by signaling pathways such as Wnt, Notch, hedgehog, and Hippo signaling. In certain phase, these cells also mimic embryonic diapause and fertilized egg implantation to evade treatments or immune elimination and promote metastasis. Additionally, the upregulation of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, including multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1), multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1), and breast cancer-resistant protein (BCRP), in drug-resistant cancer cells, analogous to their role in placental development, may facilitate chemotherapy efflux, further resulting in treatment resistance. In this review, we concentrate on the underlying mechanisms that contribute to tumor development and progression from the perspective of embryonic development, encompassing the dysregulation of developmental signaling pathways, the emergence of dormant cancer cells, immune microenvironment remodeling, and the hyperactivation of ABC transporters. Furthermore, we synthesize and emphasize the connections between cancer hallmarks and embryonic development, offering novel insights for the development of innovative cancer treatment strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiangjun Cao
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, and Department of Biotherapy Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Diseasethe First Affiliated HospitalSchool of MedicineZhejiang UniversityZhejiangChina
| | - Li Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education)Department of Infectious Diseasesthe Second Affiliated HospitalInstitute for Viral Hepatitis, Chongqing Medical UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Maochao Luo
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, and Department of Biotherapy Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Lei Li
- Department of anorectal surgeryHospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese MedicineChengduChina
| | - Bowen Li
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, and Department of Biotherapy Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Edouard C. Nice
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
| | - Weifeng He
- State Key Laboratory of TraumaBurn and Combined InjuryInstitute of Burn Research, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University)ChongqingChina
| | - Shaojiang Zheng
- Hainan Cancer Medical Center of The First Affiliated Hospital, the Hainan Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hainan Engineering Research Center for Biological Sample Resources of Major DiseasesHainan Medical UniversityHaikouChina
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Cardiovascular Diseases Research of Hainan Province, Hainan Women and Children's Medical Center, Key Laboratory of Emergency and Trauma of Ministry of EducationHainan Medical UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Canhua Huang
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, and Department of Biotherapy Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jiang XM, Xin QL, Liu K, Peng XF, Han S, Zhang LY, Liu W, Xiao GF, Li H, Zhang LK. Regulation of the WNT-CTNNB1 signaling pathway by severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in a cap-snatching manner. mBio 2023; 14:e0168823. [PMID: 37882780 PMCID: PMC10746258 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01688-23] [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: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The segmented negative-strand RNA viruses (sNSVs) include highly pathogenic human and animal viruses such as Lassa virus (LASV), severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), and influenza A virus (IAV). One of the conserved mechanisms at the stage of genome transcription of sNSVs is the cap-snatching process, providing druggable targets for the development of antivirals. SFTSV is an emerging tick-borne sNSV that causes severe hemorrhagic fever with a high fatality rate of 12%-50%. Here, we determined the correlation between death outcome and downregulation of the WNT-CTNNB1 signaling pathway through transcriptomic analysis of blood samples collected from SFTS patients. We further demonstrated that SFTSV affected this pathway by downregulating the mRNA levels of a series of pathway-related genes, including CTNNB1. Loss-of-function mutations or inhibitors targeting SFTSV cap-snatching activity effectively alleviated the inhibition of the WNT-CTNNB1 signaling pathway. Exogenous activation of the WNT-CTNNB1 signaling pathway enhanced SFTSV replication, while inhibition of this pathway reduced SFTSV replication. Treatment with a WNT-CTNNB1 signaling pathway inhibitor attenuated viral replication and decreased fatality in mice. Notably, downregulation of the WNT-CTNNB1 signaling pathway was also observed for other sNSVs, including LASV and IAV. These results suggested that RNAs related to the WNT-CTNNB1 signaling pathway might be utilized as a primer "pool" in a cap-snatching manner for viral transcription, which provides effective targets for the development of broad-spectrum antivirals against sNSVs.IMPORTANCEOne of the conserved mechanisms at the stage of genome transcription of segmented negative-strand RNA viruses (sNSVs) is the cap-snatching process, which is vital for sNSVs transcription and provides drugable targets for the development of antivirals. However, the specificity of RNAs snatched by sNSV is still unclear. By transcriptomics analysis of whole blood samples from SFTS patients, we found WNT-CTNNB1 signaling pathway was regulated according to the course of the disease. We then demonstrated that L protein of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) could interact with mRNAs of WNT-CTNNB1 signaling pathway-related gene, thus affecting WNT-CTNNB1 signaling pathway through its cap-snatching activity. Activation of WNT-CTNNB1 signaling pathway enhanced SFTSV replication, while inhibition of this pathway decreased SFTSV replication in vitro and in vivo. These findings suggest that WNT-associated genes may be the substrate for SFTSV "cap-snatching", and indicate a conserved sNSVs replication mechanism involving WNT-CTNNB1 signaling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xia-Ming Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qi-Lin Xin
- University of Lyon, INRAE, EPHE, IVPC, Lyon, France
| | - Kai Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
- National Engineering Research Center for the Emergency Drug, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Fang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Shuo Han
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Ling-Yu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Geng-Fu Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Lei-Ke Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Hubei Jiangxia Laboratory, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Rim EY, Nusse R. APEX2-Mediated Proximity Labeling of Wnt Receptor Interactors Upon Pathway Activation. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2023; 2023:10.17912/micropub.biology.000817. [PMID: 37260921 PMCID: PMC10227642 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The Wnt signaling pathway regulates metazoan development, tissue homeostasis, and regeneration. Many outstanding questions in Wnt signal transduction revolve around the molecular events immediately following Wnt-receptor interactions. To identify binding partners of the Wnt receptor Frizzled 7 (Fzd7) upon pathway activation, we tagged Fzd7 with APEX2, an enzyme that allows biotinylation of proximal interactors with high temporal and spatial resolution. Upon confirming proper localization and signaling activity of APEX2-tagged Fzd7, we labeled proximal interactors of Fzd7 with or without Wnt3a stimulation. Mass spectrometry analysis of biotinylated interactors identified several known Wnt pathway proteins. Top interactors enriched upon Wnt treatment were involved in actin cytoskeleton regulation, vesicle trafficking, or phospholipid modification. Proteins enriched in the Wnt-activated Fzd7 interactome that are without established roles in Wnt signaling warrant further examination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Youngsoo Rim
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
| | - Roeland Nusse
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pećina-Šlaus N, Aničić S, Bukovac A, Kafka A. Wnt Signaling Inhibitors and Their Promising Role in Tumor Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076733. [PMID: 37047705 PMCID: PMC10095594 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In a continuous search for the improvement of antitumor therapies, the inhibition of the Wnt signaling pathway has been recognized as a promising target. The altered functioning of the Wnt signaling in human tumors points to the strategy of the inhibition of its activity that would impact the clinical outcomes and survival of patients. Because the Wnt pathway is often mutated or epigenetically altered in tumors, which promotes its activation, inhibitors of Wnt signaling are being intensively investigated. It has been shown that knocking down specific components of the Wnt pathway has inhibitory effects on tumor growth in vivo and in vitro. Thus, similar effects are expected from the application of Wnt inhibitors. In the last decades, molecules acting as inhibitors on the pathway’s specific molecular levels have been identified and characterized. This review will discuss the inhibitors of the canonical Wnt pathway, summarize knowledge on their effectiveness as therapeutics, and debate their side effects. The role of the components frequently mutated in various tumors that are principal targets for Wnt inhibitors is also going to be brought to the reader’s attention. Some of the molecules identified as Wnt pathway inhibitors have reached early stages of clinical trials, and some have only just been discovered. All things considered, inhibition of the Wnt signaling pathway shows potential for the development of future therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nives Pećina-Šlaus
- Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 3, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Sara Aničić
- Department of Physiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 3, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Laboratory for Molecular Immunology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anja Bukovac
- Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 3, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anja Kafka
- Laboratory of Neuro-Oncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 12, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 3, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Weidle UH, Nopora A. Up-regulated Circular RNAs in Colorectal Cancer: New Entities for Therapy and Tools for Identification of Therapeutic Targets. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2023; 20:132-153. [PMID: 36870691 PMCID: PMC9989668 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20369] [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: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with disseminated colorectal cancer have a dismal prognosis with a 5-year survival rate of only 13%. In order to identify new treatment modalities and new targets, we searched the literature for up-regulated circular RNAs in colorectal cancer which induce tumor growth in corresponding preclinical in vivo models. We identified nine circular RNAs that mediate resistance against chemotherapeutic agents, seven that up-regulate transmembrane receptors, five that induce secreted factors, nine that activate signaling components, five which up-regulate enzymes, six which activate actin-related proteins, six which induce transcription factors and two which up-regulate the MUSASHI family of RNA binding proteins. All of the circular RNAs discussed in this paper induce the corresponding targets by sponging microRNAs (miRs) and can be inhibited by RNAi or shRNA in vitro and in xenograft models. We have focused on circular RNAs with demonstrated activity in preclinical in vivo models because the latter is an important milestone in drug development. All circular RNAs with in vitro activity only data are not referenced in this review. The translational impact of inhibition of these circular RNAs and of the identified targets for treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich H Weidle
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Adam Nopora
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Li K, Mao S, Li X, Zhao H, Wang J, Wang C, Wu L, Zhang K, Yang H, Jin M, Zhou Z, Wang J, Huang G, Xie W. Frizzled-7-targeting antibody (SHH002-hu1) potently suppresses non-small-cell lung cancer via Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Cancer Sci 2023; 114:2109-2122. [PMID: 36625184 PMCID: PMC10154902 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, and metastasis is considered one of the leading causes of treatment failure in NSCLC. Wnt/β-catenin signaling is crucially involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a crucial factor in promoting metastasis, and also contributes to resistance developed by NSCLC to targeted agents. Frizzled-7 (Fzd7), a critical receptor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, is aberrantly expressed in NSCLC and has been confirmed to be positively correlated with poor clinical outcomes. SHH002-hu1, a humanized antibody targeting Fzd7, was previously successfully generated by our group. Here, we studied the anti-tumor effects of SHH002-hu1 against NSCLC and revealed the underlying mechanism. First, immunofluorescence (IF) and near-infrared (NIR) imaging assays showed that SHH002-hu1 specifically binds Fzd7+ NSCLC cells and targets NSCLC tissues. Wound healing and transwell invasion assays indicated that SHH002-hu1 significantly inhibits the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. Subsequently, TOP-FLASH/FOP-FLASH luciferase reporter, IF, and western blot assays validated that SHH002-hu1 effectively suppresses the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and further attenuates the EMT of NSCLC cells. Finally, the subcutaneous xenotransplanted tumor model of A549/H1975, as well as the popliteal lymph node (LN) metastasis model, was established, and SHH002-hu1 was demonstrated to inhibit the growth of NSCLC xenografts and suppress LN metastasis of NSCLC. Above all, SHH002-hu1 with selectivity toward Fzd7+ NSCLC and the potential of inhibiting invasion and metastasis of NSCLC via disrupting Wnt/β-catenin signaling, is indicated as a good candidate for the targeted therapy of NSCLC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kanghua Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuyang Mao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xingxing Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Huijie Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Chenyue Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Lisha Wu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Kunchi Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingming Jin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhaoli Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Gang Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Xie
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China.,School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hua Z, Han Y, Liu K, Yang H, Zhou C, Chen F, Nie S, Li M, Yu Q, Wei Y, Wu CCN, Wang X. Antitumor effect and mechanism of FZD7 polypeptide vaccine. Front Oncol 2022; 12:925495. [PMID: 36276155 PMCID: PMC9579692 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.925495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The resistant cells that proliferate after radiotherapy and chemotherapy are primarily tumor stem cells with high stem marker expression, and their presence is the primary cause of tumor dispersion. The Wnt signaling receptor Frizzled family receptor 7 (FZD7) is linked to the maintenance of stem cell features as well as cancer progression. Frizzled-7 (FZD7), a key receptor for Wnt/-catenin signaling, is overexpressed in TNBC, suggesting that it could be a viable target for cancer therapy. We employed bioinformatics to find the best-scoring peptide, chemically synthesized FZD7 epitope antigen, and binding toll-like receptor 7 agonists (T7). Under GMP conditions, peptides for vaccines were produced and purified (>95%). In vivo and vitro tests were used to assess tumor cell inhibition. In vitro, the FZD7-T7 vaccination can boost the maturity of BMDC cells considerably. In mice, the FZD7 - T7 vaccine elicited the greatest immunological response. Significant tumor development inhibition was seen in BALB/c mice treated with FZD7 - T7 in prevention experiments (P < 0.01). Multiple cytokines that promote cellular immune responses, such as interferon (IFN)-γ (P < 0.05), interleukin (IL)-12 (P < 0.05), and IL-2 (P < 0.01), were shown to be considerably elevated in mice inoculated with FZD7- T7. Furthermore, we evaluated safety concerns in terms of vaccine composition to aid in the creation of successful next-generation vaccines. In conclusion, the FZD7-T7 vaccine can activate the immune response in vivo and in vitro, and play a role in tumor suppression. Our findings reveal a unique tumor-suppressive role for the FZD7 peptide in TNBC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongke Hua
- International Cancer Center, Shenzhen Key Lab of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Han
- International Cancer Center, Shenzhen Key Lab of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kan Liu
- International Cancer Center, Shenzhen Key Lab of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hua Yang
- International Cancer Center, Shenzhen Key Lab of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Cai Zhou
- International Cancer Center, Shenzhen Key Lab of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fengyi Chen
- International Cancer Center, Shenzhen Key Lab of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shenglan Nie
- International Cancer Center, Shenzhen Key Lab of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mengqing Li
- International Cancer Center, Shenzhen Key Lab of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qinyao Yu
- International Cancer Center, Shenzhen Key Lab of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yunpeng Wei
- International Cancer Center, Shenzhen Key Lab of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Christina C. N. Wu
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Xiaomei Wang, ; Christina C. N. Wu,
| | - Xiaomei Wang
- International Cancer Center, Shenzhen Key Lab of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaomei Wang, ; Christina C. N. Wu,
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Zhang Z, Xu Y. FZD7 accelerates hepatic metastases in pancreatic cancer by strengthening EMT and stemness associated with TGF-β/SMAD3 signaling. Mol Med 2022; 28:82. [PMID: 35854234 PMCID: PMC9295360 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-022-00509-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Metastasis of malignant tumors accelerates systemic failure and hastens the deaths of pancreatic cancer patients. During the metastatic process, the physical translocation of cancer cells from the primary lesion to distant organs and is crucial. CSCs properties, such as self-renewal and multiple-direction differentiation capacity are essential for colonization in the microenvironment of distant organs and metastatic lesion formation. It is widely believed that EMT can cause cancer cells to penetrate blood vessels by undergoing phenotypic and cytoskeletal changes, so that they can infiltrate surrounding tissue and disseminate from the primary tumor to the blood circulation, where they are termed circulating tumor cells (CTCs), while CTCs often exhibit stemness properties. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that some EMT-related transcription factors are essential for CSCs self-renewal, so cancer cells that have undergone EMT typically acquire increased stemness properties. Abnormal activation of the WNT signaling pathway can drive a series of gene transcripts to promote EMT in multiple types of cancer, and among different Frizzled receptors of WNT signaling pathway, FZD7 expression is associated with distant organ metastasis, advanced clinical stages, and poor clinical prognosis. Objective of this study is to demonstrate that high FZD7 expression in pancreatic cancer can accelerate hepatic metastases and elucidate the related molecular mechanisms. Methods The expression of Frrizled receptor 7 (FZD7) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and relating survival rate were analyzed by bioinformatics, histochemistry assay and follow-up study. In vitro, FZD7 expression was silenced by lentiviral vectors carrying short hair RNA (shRNA) or upregulated by overexpression plasmid. Then, Wound-healing and Transwell experiment was used to analyze the abilities of migration and invasion; the levels of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) relating phenotype proteins, stemness relating phenotype proteins, and signaling molecular proteins were measured by Western-blot; cell stemness was evaluated by sphere forming ability of cells in suspension culture and detecting the proportion of CD24+CD44+ cells with flow cytometry. TGF-β1 was used to induce EMT, and observe the effect of shRNA silencing FZD7 on which. Results High level of FZD7 expression in pancreatic cancer samples was associated with earlier hepatic metastasis. In vitro upregulation FZD7 can enable pancreatic cancer cells to obtain stronger migration and invasion ability and higher mesenchymal phenotype, and vice versa; the proportion of cancer stem cell (CSC) was also positively correlated with the level of FZD7; cells forming spheres in suspension culture showed stronger migration and invasion ability and higher level of mesenchymal phenotype than normal adherent cultured cells; the level of FZD7 was positively correlated with the level of activated β-catenin. Silencing FZD7 expression can attenuate EMT induced by TGF-β1 stimulating, and TGF-β1 stimulating can also upregulate stemness phenotype expression, such as ABCG2, CD24, and CD44 by mediating of FZD7. Conclusions High FZD7 expression in pancreatic cancer can accelerates hepatic metastases by promoting EMT and strengthening cell stemness, and FZD7 can work through the canonical Wingless-type (WNT) signaling pathway and participate in TGF-β/SMAD3 signaling pathway also.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongbo Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanhong Xu
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing North Street, Heping, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Wang J, Li D, Zhao B, Kim J, Sui G, Shi J. Small Molecule Compounds of Natural Origin Target Cellular Receptors to Inhibit Cancer Development and Progression. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052672. [PMID: 35269825 PMCID: PMC8911024 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Receptors are macromolecules that transmit information regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis, play key roles in oncogenic processes and correlate with the prognoses of cancer patients. Thus, targeting receptors to constrain cancer development and progression has gained widespread interest. Small molecule compounds of natural origin have been widely used as drugs or adjuvant chemotherapeutic agents in cancer therapies due to their activities of selectively killing cancer cells, alleviating drug resistance and mitigating side effects. Meanwhile, many natural compounds, including those targeting receptors, are still under laboratory investigation for their anti-cancer activities and mechanisms. In this review, we classify the receptors by their structures and functions, illustrate the natural compounds targeting these receptors and discuss the mechanisms of their anti-cancer activities. We aim to provide primary knowledge of mechanistic regulation and clinical applications of cancer therapies through targeting deregulated receptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Guangchao Sui
- Correspondence: (G.S.); (J.S.); Tel.: +86-451-82191081 (G.S. & J.S.)
| | - Jinming Shi
- Correspondence: (G.S.); (J.S.); Tel.: +86-451-82191081 (G.S. & J.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Do M, Wu CCN, Sonavane PR, Juarez EF, Adams SR, Ross J, Rodriguez Y Baena A, Patel C, Mesirov JP, Carson DA, Advani SJ, Willert K. A FZD7-specific Antibody-Drug Conjugate Induces Ovarian Tumor Regression in Preclinical Models. Mol Cancer Ther 2022; 21:113-124. [PMID: 34667113 PMCID: PMC8742765 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Although WNT signaling is frequently dysregulated in solid tumors, drugging this pathway has been challenging due to off-tumor effects. Current clinical pan-WNT inhibitors are nonspecific and lead to adverse effects, highlighting the urgent need for more specific WNT pathway-targeting strategies. We identified elevated expression of the WNT receptor Frizzled class receptor 7 (FZD7) in multiple solid cancers in The Cancer Genome Atlas, particularly in the mesenchymal and proliferative subtypes of ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma, which correlate with poorer median patient survival. Moreover, we observed increased FZD7 protein expression in ovarian tumors compared with normal ovarian tissue, indicating that FZD7 may be a tumor-specific antigen. We therefore developed a novel antibody-drug conjugate, septuximab vedotin (F7-ADC), which is composed of a chimeric human-mouse antibody to human FZD7 conjugated to the microtubule-inhibiting drug monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE). F7-ADC selectively binds human FZD7, potently kills ovarian cancer cells in vitro, and induces regression of ovarian tumor xenografts in murine models. To evaluate F7-ADC toxicity in vivo, we generated mice harboring a modified Fzd7 gene where the resulting Fzd7 protein is reactive with the human-targeting F7-ADC. F7-ADC treatment of these mice did not induce acute toxicities, indicating a potentially favorable safety profile in patients. Overall, our data suggest that the antibody-drug conjugate approach may be a powerful strategy to combat FZD7-expressing ovarian cancers in the clinic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Myan Do
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Christina C N Wu
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Pooja R Sonavane
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Edwin F Juarez
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Stephen R Adams
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Jason Ross
- Department of Global Creative Studio, Illumina, Inc., San Diego, California
| | | | - Charmi Patel
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Jill P Mesirov
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.,Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Dennis A Carson
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Sunil J Advani
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Karl Willert
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Larasati Y, Boudou C, Koval A, Katanaev VL. Unlocking the Wnt pathway: Therapeutic potential of selective targeting FZD 7 in cancer. Drug Discov Today 2021; 27:777-792. [PMID: 34915171 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The Wnt signaling is of paramount pathophysiological importance. Despite showing promising anticancer activities in pre-clinical studies, current Wnt pathway inhibitors face complications in clinical trials resulting from on-target toxicity. Hence, the targeting of pathway component(s) that are essential for cancer but dispensable for normal physiology is key to the development of a safe Wnt signaling inhibitor. Frizzled7 (FZD7) is a Wnt pathway receptor that is redundant in healthy tissues but crucial in various cancers. FZD7 modulates diverse aspects of carcinogenesis, including cancer growth, metastasis, maintenance of cancer stem cells, and chemoresistance. In this review, we describe state-of-the-art knowledge of the functions of FZD7 in carcinogenesis and adult tissue homeostasis. Next, we overview the development of small molecules and biomolecules that target FZD7. Finally, we discuss challenges and possibilities in developing FZD7-selective antagonists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yonika Larasati
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Translational Research Centre in Oncohaematology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Cédric Boudou
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Translational Research Centre in Oncohaematology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alexey Koval
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Translational Research Centre in Oncohaematology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Vladimir L Katanaev
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Translational Research Centre in Oncohaematology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland; School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, 690922 Vladivostok, Russia.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Li YL, Li YX, Wang XP, Kang XL, Guo KQ, Dong DJ, Wang JX, Zhao XF. Identification and Functional Analysis of G Protein-Coupled Receptors in 20-Hydroxyecdysone Signaling From the Helicoverpa armigera Genome. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:753787. [PMID: 34765604 PMCID: PMC8576438 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.753787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of membrane receptors in animals and humans, which transmit various signals from the extracellular environment into cells. Studies have reported that several GPCRs transmit the same signal; however, the mechanism is unclear. In the present study, we identified all 122 classical GPCRs from the genome of Helicoverpa armigera, a lepidopteran pest species. Twenty-four GPCRs were identified as upregulated at the metamorphic stage by comparing the transcriptomes of the midgut at the metamorphic and feeding stages. Nine of them were confirmed to be upregulated at the metamorphic stage. RNA interference in larvae revealed the prolactin-releasing peptide receptor (PRRPR), smoothened (SMO), adipokinetic hormone receptor (AKHR), and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor (HTR) are involved in steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E)-promoted pupation. Frizzled 7 (FZD7) is involved in growth, while tachykinin-like peptides receptor 86C (TKR86C) had no effect on growth and pupation. Via these GPCRs, 20E regulated the expression of different genes, respectively, including Pten (encoding phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate 3-phosphatase), FoxO (encoding forkhead box O), BrZ7 (encoding broad isoform Z7), Kr-h1 (encoding Krüppel homolog 1), Wnt (encoding Wingless/Integrated) and cMyc, with hormone receptor 3 (HHR3) as their common regulating target. PRRPR was identified as a new 20E cell membrane receptor using a binding assay. These data suggested that 20E, via different GPCRs, regulates different gene expression to integrate growth and development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Li Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yan-Xue Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Pei Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xin-Le Kang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ke-Qin Guo
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Du-Juan Dong
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jin-Xing Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Fan Zhao
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Robertson SYT, Roberts JS, Deng SX. Regulation of Limbal Epithelial Stem Cells: Importance of the Niche. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11975. [PMID: 34769405 PMCID: PMC8584795 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cells (LSCs) reside in a niche that contains finely tuned balances of various signaling pathways including Wnt, Notch, BMP, Shh, YAP, and TGFβ. The activation or inhibition of these pathways is frequently dependent on the interactions of LSCs with various niche cell types and extracellular substrates. In addition to receiving molecular signals from growth factors, cytokines, and other soluble molecules, LSCs also respond to their surrounding physical structure via mechanotransduction, interaction with the ECM, and interactions with other cell types. Damage to LSCs or their niche leads to limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). The field of LSCD treatment would greatly benefit from an understanding of the molecular regulation of LSCs in vitro and in vivo. This review synthesizes current literature around the niche factors and signaling pathways that influence LSC function. Future development of LSCD therapies should consider all these niche factors to achieve improved long-term restoration of the LSC population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sophie X. Deng
- Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 94143, USA; (S.Y.T.R.); (J.S.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Activation of Frizzled-7 attenuates blood-brain barrier disruption through Dvl/β-catenin/WISP1 signaling pathway after intracerebral hemorrhage in mice. Fluids Barriers CNS 2021; 18:44. [PMID: 34565396 PMCID: PMC8474841 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-021-00278-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Destruction of blood-brain barrier (BBB) is one of the main mechanisms of secondary brain injury following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Frizzled-7 is a key protein expressed on the surface of endothelial cells that controls vascular permeability through the Wnt-canonical pathway involving WNT1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISPI). This study aimed to investigate the role of Frizzled-7 signaling in BBB preservation after ICH in mice. METHODS Adult CD1 mice were subjected to sham surgery or collagenase-induced ICH. Frizzled-7 activation or knockdown was performed by administration of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) by intracerebroventricular injection at 48 h before ICH induction. WISP1 activation or WISP1 knockdown was performed to evaluate the underlying signaling pathway. Post-ICH assessments included neurobehavior, brain edema, BBB permeability, hemoglobin level, western blot and immunofluorescence. RESULTS The brain expressions of Frizzled-7 and WISP1 significantly increased post-ICH. Frizzled-7 was expressed in endothelial cells, astrocytes, and neurons after ICH. Activation of Frizzled-7 significantly improved neurological function, reduced brain water content and attenuated BBB permeability to large molecular weight substances after ICH. Whereas, knockdown of Frizzled-7 worsened neurological function and brain edema after ICH. Activation of Frizzled-7 significantly increased the expressions of Dvl, β-Catenin, WISP1, VE-Cadherin, Claudin-5, ZO-1 and reduced the expression of phospho-β-Catenin. WISP1 knockdown abolished the effects of Frizzled-7 activation on the expressions of VE-Cadherin, Claudin-5 and ZO-1 at 24 h after ICH. CONCLUSIONS Frizzled-7 activation potentially attenuated BBB permeability and improved neurological deficits after ICH through Dvl/β-Catenin/WISP1 pathway. Frizzled-7 may be a potential target for the development of ICH therapeutic drugs.
Collapse
|
17
|
Wang Z, Zhao T, Zhang S, Wang J, Chen Y, Zhao H, Yang Y, Shi S, Chen Q, Liu K. The Wnt signaling pathway in tumorigenesis, pharmacological targets, and drug development for cancer therapy. Biomark Res 2021; 9:68. [PMID: 34488905 PMCID: PMC8422786 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-021-00323-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt signaling was initially recognized to be vital for tissue development and homeostasis maintenance. Further studies revealed that this pathway is also important for tumorigenesis and progression. Abnormal expression of signaling components through gene mutation or epigenetic regulation is closely associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis in several tissues. Additionally, Wnt signaling also influences the tumor microenvironment and immune response. Some strategies and drugs have been proposed to target this pathway, such as blocking receptors/ligands, targeting intracellular molecules, beta-catenin/TCF4 complex and its downstream target genes, or tumor microenvironment and immune response. Here we discuss the roles of these components in Wnt signaling pathway in tumorigenesis and cancer progression, the underlying mechanisms that is responsible for the activation of Wnt signaling, and a series of drugs targeting the Wnt pathway provide multiple therapeutic values. Although some of these drugs exhibit exciting anti-cancer effect, clinical trials and systematic evaluation should be strictly performed along with multiple-omics technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Wang
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, P. R. China.,School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, P. R. China
| | - Tingting Zhao
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, P. R. China.,School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, P. R. China
| | - Shihui Zhang
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH164UU, UK
| | - Junkai Wang
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, P. R. China
| | - Yunyun Chen
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, P. R. China.,School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, P. R. China
| | - Hongzhou Zhao
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, P. R. China.,School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, P. R. China
| | - Yaxin Yang
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 14627, USA
| | - Songlin Shi
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, P. R. China
| | - Qiang Chen
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, SAR, China
| | - Kuancan Liu
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, P. R. China. .,School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, P. R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Yu F, Yu C, Li F, Zuo Y, Wang Y, Yao L, Wu C, Wang C, Ye L. Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cancers and targeted therapies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:307. [PMID: 34456337 PMCID: PMC8403677 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00701-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 69.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling has been broadly implicated in human cancers and experimental cancer models of animals. Aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is tightly linked with the increment of prevalence, advancement of malignant progression, development of poor prognostics, and even ascendence of the cancer-associated mortality. Early experimental investigations have proposed the theoretical potential that efficient repression of this signaling might provide promising therapeutic choices in managing various types of cancers. Up to date, many therapies targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cancers have been developed, which is assumed to endow clinicians with new opportunities of developing more satisfactory and precise remedies for cancer patients with aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling. However, current facts indicate that the clinical translations of Wnt/β-catenin signaling-dependent targeted therapies have faced un-neglectable crises and challenges. Therefore, in this study, we systematically reviewed the most updated knowledge of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cancers and relatively targeted therapies to generate a clearer and more accurate awareness of both the developmental stage and underlying limitations of Wnt/β-catenin-targeted therapies in cancers. Insights of this study will help readers better understand the roles of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cancers and provide insights to acknowledge the current opportunities and challenges of targeting this signaling in cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fanyuan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Endodontics, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Changhao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Endodontics, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Feifei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanqin Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Endodontics, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yitian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lin Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Endodontics, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chenzhou Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chenglin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Endodontics, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ling Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Department of Endodontics, West China Stomatology Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Nallajennugari V, Pajaniradje S, Subramanian S, Bhat SA, D P, Bhaskaran S, M SAP, Rajagopalan R. A novel anticancer chromeno-pyrimidine analogue inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition in lung adenocarcinoma cells. Toxicol Mech Methods 2021; 31:401-412. [PMID: 33736563 DOI: 10.1080/15376516.2021.1902030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is the second most dreaded disease worldwide. It is either acquired or inherited leading to the accompanying undesirable changes in the affected cells. Most existing chemotherapeutic drugs show enormous side effects. To minimize such effects, constant progress has been observed in the field of cancer by screening the anti-cancer effects of different chemical analogues. In the current study, we investigated the mechanism of action of a novel anticancer chromeno-pyrimidine analogue. We employed MTT, LDH assay to study cytotoxicity. DNA fragmentation, fluorescence imaging, and flow cytometric techniques have been carried out to study apoptosis, ROS generation, and cell cycle respectively. Wound healing assay and western blotting were used to evaluate the markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition associated with metastasis. Molecular docking was used to predict possible protein targets that bind to this compound. The novel analogue induced apoptosis in lung adenocarcinoma cells and exhibited anti-metastatic activity. Increased expression of E-cadherin and inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition was also observed. Docking studies with metastasis-related proteins such as Frizzled-7 (CRD), and Snail1 predict a high binding affinity of CP4b to both proteins. The novel analogue is therefore an anti-metastatic compound with EMT-inhibiting property and is hypothesized to act via binding to multiple targets in cancer cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Srividya Subramanian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
| | - Suhail Ahmad Bhat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
| | - Parthasarathi D
- Post Graduate and Research Department of Chemistry, Jamal Mohamed College, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India
| | - Savitha Bhaskaran
- Post Graduate and Research Department of Chemistry, Jamal Mohamed College, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India
| | - Syed Ali Padusha M
- Post Graduate and Research Department of Chemistry, Jamal Mohamed College, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India
| | - Rukkumani Rajagopalan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Wang Y, Zhao G, Condello S, Huang H, Cardenas H, Tanner EJ, Wei J, Ji Y, Li J, Tan Y, Davuluri RV, Peter ME, Cheng JX, Matei D. Frizzled-7 Identifies Platinum-Tolerant Ovarian Cancer Cells Susceptible to Ferroptosis. Cancer Res 2021; 81:384-399. [PMID: 33172933 PMCID: PMC7855035 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-1488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Defining traits of platinum-tolerant cancer cells could expose new treatment vulnerabilities. Here, new markers associated with platinum-tolerant cells and tumors were identified using in vitro and in vivo ovarian cancer models treated repetitively with carboplatin and validated in human specimens. Platinum-tolerant cells and tumors were enriched in ALDH+ cells, formed more spheroids, and expressed increased levels of stemness-related transcription factors compared with parental cells. Additionally, platinum-tolerant cells and tumors exhibited expression of the Wnt receptor Frizzled-7 (FZD7). Knockdown of FZD7 improved sensitivity to platinum, decreased spheroid formation, and delayed tumor initiation. The molecular signature distinguishing FZD7+ from FZD7- cells included epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT), stemness, and oxidative phosphorylation-enriched gene sets. Overexpression of FZD7 activated the oncogenic factor Tp63, driving upregulation of glutathione metabolism pathways, including glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), which protected cells from chemotherapy-induced oxidative stress. FZD7+ platinum-tolerant ovarian cancer cells were more sensitive and underwent ferroptosis after treatment with GPX4 inhibitors. FZD7, Tp63, and glutathione metabolism gene sets were strongly correlated in the ovarian cancer Tumor Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and in residual human ovarian cancer specimens after chemotherapy. These results support the existence of a platinum-tolerant cell population with partial cancer stem cell features, characterized by FZD7 expression and dependent on the FZD7-β-catenin-Tp63-GPX4 pathway for survival. The findings reveal a novel therapeutic vulnerability of platinum-tolerant cancer cells and provide new insight into a potential "persister cancer cell" phenotype. SIGNIFICANCE: Frizzled-7 marks platinum-tolerant cancer cells harboring stemness features and altered glutathione metabolism that depend on GPX4 for survival and are highly susceptible to ferroptosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yinu Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Guangyuan Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Salvatore Condello
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Hao Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Horacio Cardenas
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Edward J Tanner
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - JianJun Wei
- Department of Pathology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Yanrong Ji
- Division of Health and Biomedical Informatics, Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Junjie Li
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yuying Tan
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ramana V Davuluri
- Division of Health and Biomedical Informatics, Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Marcus E Peter
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ji-Xin Cheng
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Daniela Matei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois
- Jesse Brown Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Xie W, Zhao H, Wang F, Wang Y, He Y, Wang T, Zhang K, Yang H, Zhou Z, Shi H, Wang J, Huang G. A novel humanized Frizzled-7-targeting antibody enhances antitumor effects of Bevacizumab against triple-negative breast cancer via blocking Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2021; 40:30. [PMID: 33436039 PMCID: PMC7802198 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-020-01800-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anti-angiogenic therapy has been widely applied to the clinical treatment of malignant tumors. However, the efficacy of such treatments has been called into question, especially in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Bevacizumab, the first anti-angiogenic agent approved by FDA, actually increases invasive and metastatic properties of TNBC cells, resulting from the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in response to hypoxia. As a critical receptor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, Frizzled-7 (Fzd7) is aberrantly expressed in TNBC, indicating Fzd7 a potential target for developing drugs to be combined with anti-angiogenic agents. METHODS Hybridoma technique and antibody humanization technique were utilized to generate a Fzd7-targeting antibody (SHH002-hu1). Biolayer interferometry (BLI) assay and near infrared (NIR) imaging were conducted to detect the affinity and targeting ability of SHH002-hu1. Next, whether SHH002-hu1 could suppress the invasion and migration of TNBC cells induced by Bevacizumab were validated, and the underlying molecular mechanisms were elucidated by luciferase reporter and western blot assays. The nude-mice transplanted TNBC models were established to assess the anti-TNBC activities of SHH002-hu1 when combined with Bevacizumab. Then, the effects on putative TNBC stem-like cells and Wnt/β-catenin signaling were evaluated by immunofluorescence (IF). Further, the tumor-initiating and self-renew capacity of TNBC cells were studied by secondary nude mouse xenograft model and sphere formation assay. In addition, the effects of SHH002-hu1 on the adaptation of TNBC cells to hypoxia were evaluated by the detection of vasculogenic mimicry (VM) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) transcriptional activity. RESULTS The novel humanized antibody targeting Fzd7 (SHH002-hu1) exhibited extremely high affinity with Fzd7, and specifically targeted to Fzd7+ cells and tumor tissues. SHH002-hu1 repressed invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal cell transformation (EMT) of TNBC cells induced by Bevacizumab through abating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. SHH002-hu1 significantly enhanced the capacity of Bevacizumab to inhibit the growth of TNBC via reducing the subpopulation of putative TNBC stem-like cells, further attenuating Bevacizumab-enhanced tumor-initiating and self-renew capacity of TNBC cells. Moreover, SHH002-hu1 effectively restrained the adaptation of TNBC cells to hypoxia via disrupting Wnt/β-catenin signaling. CONCLUSION SHH002-hu1 significantly enhances the anti-TNBC capacity of Bevacizumab, and shows the potential of preventing TNBC recurrence, suggesting SHH002-hu1 a good candidate for the synergistic therapy together with Bevacizumab.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xie
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, 279 Zhouzhu Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China. .,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, People's Republic of China.
| | - Huijie Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, 279 Zhouzhu Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, People's Republic of China
| | - Fengxian Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, 279 Zhouzhu Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiyun Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, 279 Zhouzhu Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China.,School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan He
- Department of Basic Medicine, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Tong Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, 279 Zhouzhu Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China
| | - Kunchi Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, 279 Zhouzhu Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, 279 Zhouzhu Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhaoli Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, 279 Zhouzhu Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China
| | - Haibin Shi
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, 279 Zhouzhu Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China.,State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, People's Republic of China.
| | - Gang Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, 279 Zhouzhu Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Wu D, Zhu J, Fu Y, Li C, Wu B. LncRNA HOTAIR promotes breast cancer progression through regulating the miR-129-5p/FZD7 axis. Cancer Biomark 2021; 30:203-212. [PMID: 33104019 DOI: 10.3233/cbm-190913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common malignancies worldwide. LncRNA HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) has been shown to promote progression and metastasis of various cancers, including breast cancer. This reasearch aimed to investigate the downstream regulatory pathways of HOTAIR in breast cancer. The levels of HOTAIR and miR-129-5p were examined in breast cancer tissues and SKBR3 and MCF7 cells by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation was examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Cell migration and invasion were estimated by transwell assay. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers (E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin) were measured by Western blot assay. The expression of Frizzled 7 (FZD7) was detected using qRT-PCR or Western blot assay. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay or RNA Immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay was performed to explore the molecular mechanism of HOTAIR in breast cancer. Xenograft analysis was utilized to evaluate the tumor growth in vivo. HOTAIR and FZD7 were upregulated, while miR-129-5p was down-regulated in breast cancer tissues and cells. Knockdown of miR-129-5p reversed the effect of HOTAIR knockdown on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT. FZD7 restored the inhibition of miR-129-5p on breast cancer progression. Furthermore, HOTAIR was a sponge of miR-129-5p and FZD7 was a target of miR-129-5p. Knockdown of HOTAIR inhibited the tumor growth in vivo. HOTAIR facilitated breast cancer progression by regulating the miR-129-5p/FZD7 axis, indicating that HOTAIR may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for breast cancer.
Collapse
|
23
|
Michelli M, Zougros A, Chatziandreou I, Michalopoulos NV, Lazaris AC, Saetta AA. Concurrent Wnt pathway component expression in breast and colorectal cancer. Pathol Res Pract 2020; 216:153005. [PMID: 32534708 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2020.153005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Wnt signaling pathway regulates important cell functions such as proliferation and migration and is frequently deregulated in colorectal and breast cancer. Thus, it constitutes an attractive therapeutic target with many drugs being investigated in clinical trials. Eighty-two breast and 102 colorectal carcinomas were analyzed for: relative mRNA expression levels of Wnt pathway components namely Wnt3 ligand, Frizzled 7 receptor and LEF1 transcriptional factor, their concurrent expression patterns and their correlation with clinicopathological features. Regarding breast carcinomas, increased relative mRNA expression levels of WNT3 were found in 54 % of cases whereas decreased relative mRNA expression levels were observed in FZD7 and LEF1 in 82 % and 43 % of cases, respectively. Expression levels of WNT3 were significantly correlated with tumour grade (p = 0.021) in breast cancer. As far as colorectal carcinomas are concerned, increased relative mRNA expression levels of WNT3, FZD7 and LEF1 were found in 60 %, 37 % and 48 % of cases respectively. A statistically significant correlation emerged between LEF1expression levels and pT-category (p = 0.027), suggesting a possible association with tumour aggressiveness in colorectal carcinomas. Statistically significant linear correlations were observed between the expression of WNT3/LEF1 (R = 0.233, p = 0.035) and FZD7/LEF1 (R = 0.359, p = 0.001) in breast carcinomas as well as in colorectal carcinomas (R = 0.536, p < 0.01 and R = 0.210, p = 0.034) respectively. Our results demonstrate a possible clinical significance of Wnt pathway gene expression levels in both tumour types. The distinct expression patterns and simultaneous expression of the investigated genes underscore the complexity of this pathway in breast and colorectal carcinogenesis and highlights the necessity of patient selection with regard to the effectiveness of Wnt pathway inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Michelli
- First Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, Athens, Greece
| | - Alexandros Zougros
- First Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, Athens, Greece
| | - Ilenia Chatziandreou
- First Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos V Michalopoulos
- Fourth Department of Surgery, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, Rimini 1, Haidari, Athens, Greece
| | - Andreas C Lazaris
- First Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, Athens, Greece
| | - Angelica A Saetta
- First Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, Athens, Greece.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Yu K, Rohr J, Liu Y, Li M, Xu J, Wang K, Chai J, Zhao D, Liu Y, Ma J, Fan L, Wang Z, Guo S. Progress in triple negative breast carcinoma pathophysiology: Potential therapeutic targets. Pathol Res Pract 2020; 216:152874. [PMID: 32088086 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2020.152874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast carcinoma (TNBC) is a subtype of breast carcinoma defined by negativity for estrogen receptor (ER) or progesterone receptor (PR) by immunohistochemical analysis and negativity for human epidermal growth factor receptor (Her2) by immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization. TNBC is clinically marked by its high aggressiveness, particularly poor outcomes including a low survival rate, and the lack of specific and effective treatments. Therefore, new potential targets for the treatment of TNBC must be identified. This review summarizes recent evidence supporting novel targets and possible therapeutic regimens in the treatment of TNBC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kangjie Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province,710032, China
| | - Joseph Rohr
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province,710032, China
| | - Mingyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province,710032, China
| | - Junpeng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province,710032, China
| | - Kaijing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province,710032, China
| | - Jia Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province,710032, China
| | - Danhui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province,710032, China
| | - Yixiong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province,710032, China
| | - Jing Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province,710032, China
| | - Linni Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province,710032, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province,710032, China.
| | - Shuangping Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Department of Pathology, Xi Jing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaan Xi Province,710032, China.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Arzi L, Hoshyar R, Jafarzadeh N, Riazi G, Sadeghizadeh M. Anti-metastatic properties of a potent herbal combination in cell and mice models of triple negative breast cancer. Life Sci 2020; 243:117245. [PMID: 31926253 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2019.117245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
AIM To determine the anti-metastatic potential of combinations of two bioactive carotenoids of saffron, crocin and crocetin, on 4T1 breast cancer and on a mice model of TNBC, and assess the effect of the most potent combination on the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. MAIN METHODS The effects of the carotenoid combinations on the viability of 4T1 cells were determined by MTT assay. The effects of the nontoxic doses on migration, mobility, invasion and adhesion to ECM were examined by scratch assay, Transwell/Matrigel-coated Transwell chamber and adhesion assay respectively. Tumors were inoculated by injecting mice with 4T1 cells. The weights and survival rates of the mice and tumor sizes were monitored. Histological analysis of the tissues was conducted. The expression levels of Wnt/β-catenin pathway genes were measured by Real-time PCR and western blotting. KEY FINDINGS Treatment of 4T1 cells with combination doses inhibited viability in a dose-dependent manner. The nontoxic combinations significantly inhibited migration, cell mobility and invasion, also attenuating adhesion to ECM. The combination therapy mice possessed more weight, higher survival rates and smaller tumors. Histological examination detected remarkably fewer metastatic foci in their livers and lungs. It was also demonstrated that the combinations exerted anti-metastatic effects by disturbing the Wnt/β-catenin target genes in the liver and tumors. SIGNIFICANCE Our findings propose a carotenoid combination as an alternative potent herbal treatment for TNBC, which lacks the adverse effects associated with either chemotherapeutic agents or herb-chemotherapeutic drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laleh Arzi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reyhane Hoshyar
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Nazli Jafarzadeh
- Department of Genetics, School of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholamhossein Riazi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Majid Sadeghizadeh
- Department of Genetics, School of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Bats ML, Bougaran P, Peghaire C, Gueniot F, Abelanet A, Chan H, Séguy C, Jeanningros S, Jaspard-Vinassa B, Couffinhal T, Duplàa C, Dufourcq P. Therapies targeting Frizzled-7/β-catenin pathway prevent the development of pathological angiogenesis in an ischemic retinopathy model. FASEB J 2019; 34:1288-1303. [PMID: 31914666 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201901886r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Retinopathies remain major causes of visual impairment in diabetic patients and premature infants. Introduction of anti-angiogenic drugs targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has transformed therapy for these proliferative retinopathies. However, limitations associated with anti-VEGF medications require to unravel new pathways of vessel growth to identify potential drug targets. Here, we investigated the role of Wnt/Frizzled-7 (Fzd7) pathway in a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). Using transgenic mice, which enabled endothelium-specific and time-specific Fzd7 deletion, we demonstrated that Fzd7 controls both vaso-obliteration and neovascular phases (NV). Deletion of Fzd7 at P12, after the ischemic phase of OIR, prevented formation of aberrant neovessels into the vitreous by suppressing proliferation of endothelial cells (EC) in tufts. Next we validated in vitro two Frd7 blocking strategies: a monoclonal antibody (mAbFzd7) against Fzd7 and a soluble Fzd7 receptor (CRD). In vivo a single intravitreal microinjection of mAbFzd7 or CRD significantly attenuated retinal neovascularization (NV) in mice with OIR. Molecular analysis revealed that Fzd7 may act through the activation of Wnt/β-catenin and Jagged1 expression to control EC proliferation in extra-retinal neovessels. We identified Fzd7/β-catenin signaling as new regulator of pathological retinal NV. Fzd7 appears to be a potent pharmacological target to prevent or treat aberrant angiogenesis of ischemic retinopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Lise Bats
- Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, Inserm U1034, Pessac, France.,Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Bordeaux U1034, Bordeaux, France.,Service de Biochimie clinique, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Pauline Bougaran
- Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, Inserm U1034, Pessac, France.,Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Bordeaux U1034, Bordeaux, France
| | - Claire Peghaire
- Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, Inserm U1034, Pessac, France.,NHLI-Vascular Science, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Florian Gueniot
- Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, Inserm U1034, Pessac, France.,Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Bordeaux U1034, Bordeaux, France
| | - Alice Abelanet
- Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, Inserm U1034, Pessac, France.,Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Bordeaux U1034, Bordeaux, France
| | - Hélène Chan
- Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, Inserm U1034, Pessac, France
| | - Camille Séguy
- Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, Inserm U1034, Pessac, France
| | | | - Béatrice Jaspard-Vinassa
- Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, Inserm U1034, Pessac, France.,Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Bordeaux U1034, Bordeaux, France
| | - Thierry Couffinhal
- Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, Inserm U1034, Pessac, France.,Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Bordeaux U1034, Bordeaux, France.,Service des Maladies cardiaques et vasculaires, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Cécile Duplàa
- Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, Inserm U1034, Pessac, France.,Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Bordeaux U1034, Bordeaux, France
| | - Pascale Dufourcq
- Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, Inserm U1034, Pessac, France.,Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Bordeaux U1034, Bordeaux, France
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Wörthmüller J, Salicio V, Oberson A, Blum W, Schwaller B. Modulation of Calretinin Expression in Human Mesothelioma Cells Reveals the Implication of the FAK and Wnt Signaling Pathways in Conferring Chemoresistance towards Cisplatin. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20215391. [PMID: 31671889 PMCID: PMC6873109 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20215391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive asbestos-linked neoplasm, characterized by dysregulation of signaling pathways. Due to intrinsic or acquired chemoresistance, MM treatment options remain limited. Calretinin is a Ca2+-binding protein expressed during MM tumorigenesis that activates the FAK signaling pathway, promoting invasion and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Constitutive calretinin downregulation decreases MM cells’ growth and survival, and impairs tumor formation in vivo. In order to evaluate early molecular events occurring during calretinin downregulation, we generated a tightly controlled IPTG-inducible expression system to modulate calretinin levels in vitro. Calretinin downregulation significantly reduced viability and proliferation of MM cells, attenuated FAK signaling and reduced the invasive phenotype of surviving cells. Importantly, surviving cells showed a higher resistance to cisplatin due to increased Wnt signaling. This resistance was abrogated by the Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor 3289-8625. In various MM cell lines and regardless of calretinin expression levels, blocking of FAK signaling activated the Wnt signaling pathway and vice versa. Thus, blocking both pathways had the strongest impact on MM cell proliferation and survival. Chemoresistance mechanisms in MM cells have resulted in a failure of single-agent therapies. Targeting of multiple components of key signaling pathways, including Wnt signaling, might be the future method-of-choice to treat MM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janine Wörthmüller
- Anatomy, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
| | - Valérie Salicio
- Anatomy, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
| | - Anne Oberson
- Anatomy, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
| | | | - Beat Schwaller
- Anatomy, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Lucchetta M, da Piedade I, Mounir M, Vabistsevits M, Terkelsen T, Papaleo E. Distinct signatures of lung cancer types: aberrant mucin O-glycosylation and compromised immune response. BMC Cancer 2019; 19:824. [PMID: 31429720 PMCID: PMC6702745 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-019-5965-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genomic initiatives such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) contain data from -omics profiling of thousands of tumor samples, which may be used to decipher cancer signaling, and related alterations. Managing and analyzing data from large-scale projects, such as TCGA, is a demanding task. It is difficult to dissect the high complexity hidden in genomic data and to account for inter-tumor heterogeneity adequately. METHODS In this study, we used a robust statistical framework along with the integration of diverse bioinformatic tools to analyze next-generation sequencing data from more than 1000 patients from two different lung cancer subtypes, i.e., the lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and the squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). RESULTS We used the gene expression data to identify co-expression modules and differentially expressed genes to discriminate between LUAD and LUSC. We identified a group of genes which could act as specific oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes in one of the two lung cancer types, along with two dual role genes. Our results have been validated against other transcriptomics data of lung cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS Our integrative approach allowed us to identify two key features: a substantial up-regulation of genes involved in O-glycosylation of mucins in LUAD, and a compromised immune response in LUSC. The immune-profile associated with LUSC might be linked to the activation of three oncogenic pathways, which promote the evasion of the antitumor immune response. Collectively, our results provide new future directions for the design of target therapies in lung cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Lucchetta
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Isabelle da Piedade
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mohamed Mounir
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marina Vabistsevits
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thilde Terkelsen
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Elena Papaleo
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Ye Z, Xu J, Feng X, Jia Y, Fu Z, Hong Y, Li H, Lu K, Lin J, Song M, Wang L, Yuan C. Spatiotemporal expression pattern of Sjfz7 and its expression comparison with other frizzled family genes in developmental stages of Schistosoma japonicum. Gene Expr Patterns 2019; 32:44-52. [PMID: 30851426 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2019.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Wnts are secreted signaling molecules that are implicated in a variety of growth-related processes. Frizzled proteins have been identified as receptors for Wnt ligands in vertebrates and invertebrates, but a functional role for dioecious flatworm Frizzleds has not been determined. To evaluate the endogenous role of Frizzled proteins during development, we have identified and characterized a Schistosoma japonicum frizzled gene (Sjfz7). We found that Sjfz7 encodes a 698 amino acid protein with typical characteristics of Frizzled proteins. The immunohistochemical localization pattern showed that Sjfz7 protein was extensively distributed in almost all tissues of S. japonicum, including subtegumental muscle cells, parenchymal cells, intestinal epithelial cells and male and female germ cells. This indicated that Sjfz7-mediated Wnt signaling might be associated with the development of musculature, intestinal tract and reproductive organs in schistosome. Comparing mRNA levels between frizzled family members showed that Sjfz7 mRNA was consistently higher in the developmental stages analyzed, suggesting that Sjfz7 may be responsible for more functional tasks than other frizzled family members. Comparing frizzled mRNA levels between not fully developed and normal worms suggested that Wnt signaling might be abnormal in not fully developed worms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongxue Ye
- Northeast Agricultural University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Jingxiu Xu
- Northeast Agricultural University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Xingang Feng
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yingying Jia
- Jilin Agricultural University, College of Animal Science and Technology, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Zhiqiang Fu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yang Hong
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Hao Li
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Ke Lu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jiaojiao Lin
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Mingxin Song
- Northeast Agricultural University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Liqun Wang
- Northeast Agricultural University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Chunxiu Yuan
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Shanghai, 200241, China.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Zhu H, Cao XX, Liu J, Hua H. MicroRNA-488 inhibits endometrial glandular epithelial cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in endometriosis mice via Wnt by inhibiting FZD7. J Cell Mol Med 2019; 23:2419-2430. [PMID: 30729701 PMCID: PMC6433721 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory syndrome and nearly 6%‐10% of women are affected by it during the reproductive period. Previous studies have proved that microRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in the pathogenesis of ovarian endometriosis. In this study, we aimed to investigate that restored miR‐488 would effectively inhibit the development of endometriosis. The microarray‐based data analysis was performed to screen endometriosis‐related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The mouse model in endometriosis syndrome was established by being subcutaneously injected with Estradiol benzoate, and the ectopic endometrial tissues and normal endometrial tissues were collected. Additionally, the endometrial glandular epithelial cells were extracted from the endometrial glandular epithelial tissues from normal and endometriosis mice. In order to examine the role of miR‐488 in mice with endometriosis, we measured miR‐488 expression and expression levels of Frizzled‐7 (FZD7), cyclinD1, β‐catenin, and c‐Myc in vivo and in vitro. Finally, we detected the effect of miR‐488 on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion in vitro. FZD7 was upregulated in human endometriosis. The data showed higher expression levels of FZD7, β‐catenin, c‐Myc and cyclinD1, and lower miR‐488 expression in mouse endometrial tissues. FZD7 was the target gene of miR‐488. Furthermore, elevated miR‐488 in isolated mouse endometrial glandular endometrial cells inhibited FZD7, the translocation of β‐catenin to nucleus, the activation of Wnt pathway, and the cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Collectively, these findings indicated that up‐regulated miR‐488 may reduce the proliferation, migration and invasion of endometrial glandular epithelial cells through inhibiting the activation of Wnt pathway by down‐regulating FZD7.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhu
- Department of Reproductive Health, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, The Affiliated Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Xi-Xia Cao
- Department of Reproductive Health, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, The Affiliated Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Juan Liu
- Department of Gynecology, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, The Affiliated Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, P. R. China
| | - Hua Hua
- Department of Reproductive Health, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, The Affiliated Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Doumpas N, Lampart F, Robinson MD, Lentini A, Nestor CE, Cantù C, Basler K. TCF/LEF dependent and independent transcriptional regulation of Wnt/β-catenin target genes. EMBO J 2019; 38:embj.201798873. [PMID: 30425074 PMCID: PMC6331726 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201798873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
During canonical Wnt signalling, the activity of nuclear β-catenin is largely mediated by the TCF/LEF family of transcription factors. To challenge this view, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing approach to generate HEK 293T cell clones lacking all four TCF/LEF genes. By performing unbiased whole transcriptome sequencing analysis, we found that a subset of β-catenin transcriptional targets did not require TCF/LEF factors for their regulation. Consistent with this finding, we observed in a genome-wide analysis that β-catenin occupied specific genomic regions in the absence of TCF/LEF Finally, we revealed the existence of a transcriptional activity of β-catenin that specifically appears when TCF/LEF factors are absent, and refer to this as β-catenin-GHOST response. Collectively, this study uncovers a previously neglected modus operandi of β-catenin that bypasses the TCF/LEF transcription factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Doumpas
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Franziska Lampart
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mark D Robinson
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Antonio Lentini
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Colm E Nestor
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKE), Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Claudio Cantù
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKE), Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine (WCMM), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Konrad Basler
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Mahmoudvand S, Shokri S, Taherkhani R, Farshadpour F. Hepatitis C virus core protein modulates several signaling pathways involved in hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol 2019; 25:42-58. [PMID: 30643357 PMCID: PMC6328967 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v25.i1.42] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection plays a major role in HCC development. The molecular mechanisms by which HCV infection leads to HCC are varied. HCV core protein is an important risk factor in HCV-associated liver pathogenesis and can modulate several signaling pathways involved in cell cycle regulation, cell growth promotion, cell proliferation, apoptosis, oxidative stress and lipid metabolism. The dysregulation of signaling pathways such as transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Wnt/β-catenin (WNT), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) by HCV core protein is implicated in the development of HCC. Therefore, it has been suggested that this protein be considered a favorable target for further studies in the development of HCC. In addition, considering the axial role of these signaling pathways in HCC, they are considered druggable targets for cancer therapy. Therefore, using strategies to limit the dysregulation effects of core protein on these signaling pathways seems necessary to prevent HCV-related HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shahab Mahmoudvand
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz 6135715794, Iran
- Department of Medical Virology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan 6517838736, Iran
| | - Somayeh Shokri
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz 6135715794, Iran
- Department of Medical Virology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan 6517838736, Iran
| | - Reza Taherkhani
- The Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr 7514633341, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Farshadpour
- The Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr 7514633341, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Xie W, Zhang Y, He Y, Zhang K, Wan G, Huang Y, Zhou Z, Huang G, Wang J. A novel recombinant human Frizzled-7 protein exhibits anti-tumor activity against triple negative breast cancer via abating Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2018; 103:45-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
|
34
|
Umeda S, Kanda M, Miwa T, Tanaka H, Tanaka C, Kobayashi D, Suenaga M, Hattori N, Hayashi M, Yamada S, Nakayama G, Fujiwara M, Kodera Y. Expression of sushi domain containing two reflects the malignant potential of gastric cancer. Cancer Med 2018; 7:5194-5204. [PMID: 30259711 PMCID: PMC6198216 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.1793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatic recurrence of gastric cancer (GC) is uncontrollable. Discovery of causative oncogenes and the development of sensitive biomarkers to predict hepatic recurrence are required to improve patients’ outcomes. In this study, recurrence pattern‐specific transcriptome analysis of 57 749 genes was conducted to identify mRNAs specifically associated with hepatic metastasis of patients with stage III GC who underwent curative resection. GC cell lines were subjected to mRNA expression analysis, PCR array analysis, and siRNA‐mediated knockdown. The expression levels of primary cancer tissues from 154 patients with resectable GC were determined and correlated with clinicopathological variables. Among 21 genes significantly overexpressed specifically in patients with hepatic recurrence, Sushi domain containing 2 (SUSD2) was selected as a promising target. PCR array analysis revealed that SUSD2 mRNA levels positively correlated with those of FZD7, CDH2, TGFB1, SPARC, ITGA5, and ZEB1. Functional analysis revealed that knockdown of SUSD2 significantly reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasiveness GC cell lines. Patients with high SUSD2 expression were more likely to experience shorter disease‐free and overall survival. Analysis of the relation between disease recurrence pattern and SUSD2 levels revealed that significantly more patients with hepatic metastases expressed higher levels of SUSD2 mRNA. The cumulative incidence of hepatic recurrence was greater in patients with high SUSD2 expression. In conclusion, SUSD2 likely contributes to the malignant potential of GC and may serve as a novel biomarker that predicts hepatic recurrence after curative resection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shinichi Umeda
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Mitsuro Kanda
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Takashi Miwa
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Haruyoshi Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Chie Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kobayashi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masaya Suenaga
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Norifumi Hattori
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masamichi Hayashi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Suguru Yamada
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Goro Nakayama
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Michitaka Fujiwara
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kodera
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery (Surgery II), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Hori K, Ajioka K, Goda N, Shindo A, Takagishi M, Tenno T, Hiroaki H. Discovery of Potent Disheveled/Dvl Inhibitors Using Virtual Screening Optimized With NMR-Based Docking Performance Index. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:983. [PMID: 30233369 PMCID: PMC6134994 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most solid tumors have their own cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are resistant to standard chemo-therapies. Recent reports have described that Wnt pathway plays a key role in self-renewal and tumorigenesis of CSCs. Regarding the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, Dvl (mammalian Disheveled) is an attractive target of drug discovery. After analyzing the PDZ domain of human Dvl1 (Dvl1-PDZ) using NMR, we subjected it to preliminary NMR titration studies with 17 potential PDZ-binding molecules including CalBioChem-322338, a commercially available Dvl PDZ domain inhibitor. Next, we performed virtual screening (VS) using the program GOLD with nine parameter sets. Results were evaluated using the NMR-derived docking performance index (NMR-DPI). One parameter set of GOLD docking showing the best NMR-DPI was selected and used for the second VS against 5,135 compounds. The second docking trial identified more than 1,700 compounds that exhibited higher scores than CalBioChem-322338. Subsequent NMR titration experiments with five new candidate molecules (NPL-4001, 4004, 4011, 4012, and 4013), Dvl1-PDZ revealed larger chemical shift changes than those of CalBioChem-322338. Finally, these compounds showed partial proliferation inhibition activity against BT-20, a triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell. These compounds are promising Wnt pathway inhibitors that are potentially useful for anti-TNBC therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kiminori Hori
- Laboratory of Structural Molecular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kasumi Ajioka
- Department of Biological Science, School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Natsuko Goda
- Laboratory of Structural Molecular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Asako Shindo
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Maki Takagishi
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Takeshi Tenno
- Laboratory of Structural Molecular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,BeCellBar LLC, Business Incubation Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hidekazu Hiroaki
- Laboratory of Structural Molecular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Biological Science, School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,BeCellBar LLC, Business Incubation Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Quan H, Li B, Yang J. MicroRNA-504 functions as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma through inhibiting Frizzled-7-mediated-Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 107:754-762. [PMID: 30142536 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.07.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) are critical regulators in the development and progression of various malignant tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Multiple findings have indicated that miRNA-504 (miR-504) is dysregulated in several types of cancers, functioning as an oncogenic miRNA or a tumor suppressive miRNA. However, the role of miR-504 in HCC remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to detect the expression pattern of miR-504 in HCC tissues and cell lines and investigate the precise biological function in HCC cells. Our results showed that miR-504 expression levels were frequently downregulated in both HCC tissues and cell lines. Gain-of-function experiments demonstrated that miR-504 overexpression inhibited the proliferation and invasion in HCC cell lines. By contrast, miR-504 inhibition had the opposite effect. Interestingly, bioinformatics analysis predicted that Frizzled-7 (FZD7) was a potential target gene of miR-504. Dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed that miR-504 directly targeted the 3'-untranslated region of FZD7 mRNA. In addition, our results showed that miR-504 negatively regulated the mRNA and protein expression of FZD7 in HCC cell lines. Moreover, miR-540 overexpression inhibited the cellular expression of β-catenin and blocked the activation of Wnt signaling in HCC cells. Notably, restoration of FZD7 expression significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-504 on proliferation, invasion, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in HCC cells. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that miR-504 functions as a tumor suppressive miRNA that inhibits the proliferation and invasion of HCC cells by targeting FZD7 and inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Our study provides evidence that miR-504-meidated FZD7/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an important role in HCC development and progression and suggests miR-504 as a novel future therapeutic target for treatment of HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Quan
- Department of Interventional Vascular Surgery, Baoji Central Hospital, Baoji, Shaanxi Province 721008, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital of Baoji City, Baoji, Shaanxi Province 721001, China
| | - Jianjun Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Baoji Central Hospital, No. 8 Jiangtan Road, Weibin District, Baoji, Shaanxi Province 721008, China.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
A Comparative Study on Anti-Invasion, Antimigration, and Antiadhesion Effects of the Bioactive Carotenoids of Saffron on 4T1 Breast Cancer Cells Through Their Effects on Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway Genes. DNA Cell Biol 2018; 37:697-707. [DOI: 10.1089/dna.2018.4248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
|
38
|
Frizzled Receptors as Potential Therapeutic Targets in Human Cancers. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19051543. [PMID: 29789460 PMCID: PMC5983605 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19051543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 05/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Frizzled receptors (FZDs) are a family of seven-span transmembrane receptors with hallmarks of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that serve as receptors for secreted Wingless-type (WNT) ligands in the WNT signaling pathway. Functionally, FZDs play crucial roles in regulating cell polarity, embryonic development, cell proliferation, formation of neural synapses, and many other processes in developing and adult organisms. In this review, we will introduce the basic structural features and review the biological function and mechanism of FZDs in the progression of human cancers, followed by an analysis of clinical relevance and therapeutic potential of FZDs. We will focus on the development of antibody-based and small molecule inhibitor-based therapeutic strategies by targeting FZDs for human cancers.
Collapse
|
39
|
Liu Q, Zhu H, Tiruthani K, Shen L, Chen F, Gao K, Zhang X, Hou L, Wang D, Liu R, Huang L. Nanoparticle-Mediated Trapping of Wnt Family Member 5A in Tumor Microenvironments Enhances Immunotherapy for B-Raf Proto-Oncogene Mutant Melanoma. ACS NANO 2018; 12:1250-1261. [PMID: 29370526 PMCID: PMC5834397 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b07384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Development of an effective treatment against advanced tumors remains a major challenge for cancer immunotherapy. Approximately 50% of human melanoma is driven by B-Raf proto-oncogene mutation (BRAF mutant). Tumors with such mutation are desmoplastic, highly immunosuppressive, and often resistant to immune checkpoint therapies. We have shown that immunotherapy mediated by low-dose doxorubicin-induced immunogenic cell death was only partially effective for this type of tumor and not effective in long-term inhibition of tumor progression. Wnt family member 5A (Wnt5a), a signaling protein highly produced by BRAF mutant melanoma cells, has been implicated in inducing dendritic cell tolerance and tumor fibrosis, thus hindering effective antigen presentation and T-cell infiltration. We hypothesized that Wnt5a is a key molecule controlling the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in metastatic melanoma. Accordingly, we have designed and generated a trimeric trap protein, containing the extracellular domain of Fizzled 7 receptor that binds Wnt5a with a Kd ∼ 278 nM. Plasmid DNA encoding for the Wnt5a trap was delivered to the tumor by using cationic lipid-protamine-DNA nanoparticles. Expression of Wnt5a trap in the tumor, although transient, was greater than that of any other major organs including liver, resulting in a significant reduction of the Wnt5a level in the tumor microenvironment without systematic toxicity. Significantly, combination of Wnt5a trapping and low-dose doxorubicin showed great tumor growth inhibition and host survival prolongation. Our findings indicated that efficient local Wnt5a trapping significantly remodeled the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment to facilitate immunogenic cell-death-mediated immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Liu
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics and Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Hongda Zhu
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics and Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- School of Food and Biology Engineering, Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Karthik Tiruthani
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Limei Shen
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics and Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Fengqian Chen
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH) and the Center for Biotechnology & Genomics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79416, USA
| | - Keliang Gao
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Xueqiong Zhang
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics and Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Lin Hou
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics and Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Degeng Wang
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH) and the Center for Biotechnology & Genomics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79416, USA
| | - Rihe Liu
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Corresponding authors. ;
| | - Leaf Huang
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics and Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Corresponding authors. ;
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Qiu X, Jiao J, Li Y, Tian T. Overexpression of FZD7 promotes glioma cell proliferation by upregulating TAZ. Oncotarget 2018; 7:85987-85999. [PMID: 27852064 PMCID: PMC5349891 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Gliomas are the most prevalent type of primary brain tumors in adults, accounting for more than 40% of neoplasm in the central nervous system. Frizzled-7 (FZD7) is a seven-pass trans-membrane Wnt receptor that plays a critical role in the development of various tumors. In this study, we detected high-level FZD7 expression in glioma and its overexpression was associated with advanced tumor stage. In vitro functional assays showed that forced overexpression of FZD7 promoted proliferation of gliomas cells, whereas knockdown of endogenous FZD7 significantly suppressed proliferation ability of these cells. In a xenograft assay, FZD7 was also found to promote the growth of glioma cells. We further found that FZD7 could activate transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), and TAZ was required for FZD7 to promote cell proliferation in glioma. Furthermore, the univariate analysis of survival shows that glioma patients with high FZD7 expression have a shorter survival. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that FZD7 may promote glioma cell proliferation via upregulation of TAZ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xia Qiu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Medicine, Shangqiu Medical School, Shangqiu, Henan Province, China
| | - Jianguo Jiao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yidong Li
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Tian Tian
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Schiffgens S, Wilkens L, Brandes AA, Meier T, Franceschi E, Ermani M, Hartmann C, Sandalcioglu IE, Dumitru CA. Sex-specific clinicopathological significance of novel (Frizzled-7) and established (MGMT, IDH1) biomarkers in glioblastoma. Oncotarget 2018; 7:55169-55180. [PMID: 27409829 PMCID: PMC5342409 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Wnt receptor Frizzled-7 (FZD7) promotes tumor progression and can be currently targeted by monoclonal antibody therapy. Here, we determined the prognostic value of FZD7 for the overall survival of glioblastoma (GBM) patients, both as individual marker and taken in combination with the previously-described markers MGMT and IDH1. Additionally, we tested whether these markers (alone or in combination) exhibited sex-specific differences. Results High levels of FZD7 (FZD7high) associated with shorter survival in GBM patients; however, FZD7high was a significant predictor of poor survival only in male patients. Mutation of IDH1 significantly associated with longer survival in male but not female patients. Methylated MGMT promoter significantly associated with longer survival only in female patients. Combination of FZD7 with MGMT enhanced the prognostic accuracy and abrogated the sex differences observed upon single marker analysis. Combination of FZD7 with IDH1 was a significant predictor of survival in male GBM patients only. Materials and Methods Three independent cohorts of patients with primary GBM (n=120, n=108 and n=105, respectively) were included in this study. FZD7 and IDH1 were assessed by immunohistochemistry in tissue microarrays. MGMT promoter methylation was determined by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier estimate, log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard regression. Conclusions Our study identifies novel individual and combination markers with prognostic and, possibly, therapeutic relevance in GBM. Furthermore, our findings substantiate the importance of sexual dimorphism in this type of cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ludwig Wilkens
- Department of Pathology, Nordstadt Hospital Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alba A Brandes
- Department of Medical Oncology, Bellaria Hospital, AUSL-IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences, Bologna, Italy
| | - Tatiana Meier
- Department of Pathology, Nordstadt Hospital Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Enrico Franceschi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Bellaria Hospital, AUSL-IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences, Bologna, Italy
| | - Mario Ermani
- Department of Neurosciences, Statistics and Informatics Unit, University Hospital Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Christian Hartmann
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Claudia A Dumitru
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nordstadt Hospital Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Li G, Su Q, Liu H, Wang D, Zhang W, Lu Z, Chen Y, Huang X, Li W, Zhang C, He Y, Fu L, Bi J. Frizzled7 Promotes Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition and Stemness Via Activating Canonical Wnt/β-catenin Pathway in Gastric Cancer. Int J Biol Sci 2018; 14:280-293. [PMID: 29559846 PMCID: PMC5859474 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.23756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant activation of Wnt signaling is a crucial event in tumor development and metastasis. Wnt signaling is commonly divided into canonical and non-canonical signaling pathways based on whether β-catenin is activated (canonical). The two signaling pathways are initiated by Wnt ligand binding to the surface Frizzled (FZD) receptors, and regulate cancer stem cell self-renewal and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Frizzled 7 (FZD7), a member of Frizzled family, promotes cell proliferation and invasiveness in many cancers, suggesting that FZD7 transmitting Wnt signaling is important for driving cancer growth. FZD7 expression has been reported to be up-regulated in human primary gastric cancer tissues. However, the molecular mechanism by which FZD7 promotes gastric cancer(GC) development and progression is not fully understood. Our present study showed that FZD7 was overexpressed in clinical GC samples, and thus was correlated with tumor invasion, lymphatic and organ metastasis, late TNM stages and poor patient survival. The endogenous expression of FZD7 was significantly increased in cancer stem cell-enriched spheres compared with adherent cells. Furthermore, RNA interference-mediated silencing of FZD7 inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion in gastric cancer cells. Moreover, ablation of FZD7 down-regulated EMT and the expression levels of cancer stem cell markers, and these inhibitions were associated with attenuated canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The results suggest that Wnt canonical pathway may contribute to tumorigenesis and metastasis, indicating that FZD7 could be a potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guanman Li
- Laboratory of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiao Su
- Animal Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Haibo Liu
- Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510000, Guangdong, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenhui Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhenhai Lu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Immunity, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaohui Huang
- Laboratory of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Wen Li
- Laboratory of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Changhua Zhang
- Gastrointestinal Surgery Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Yulong He
- Gastrointestinal Surgery Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Li Fu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Genome Stability & Disease Prevention, Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Research Centre, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiong Bi
- Laboratory of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Zarei N, Fazeli M, Mohammadi M, Nejatollahi F. Cell growth inhibition and apoptosis in breast cancer cells induced by anti-FZD7 scFvs: involvement of bioinformatics-based design of novel epitopes. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2018; 169:427-436. [DOI: 10.1007/s10549-017-4641-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
44
|
Niiro E, Morioka S, Iwai K, Yamada Y, Ogawa K, Kawahara N, Kobayashi H. Potential signaling pathways as therapeutic targets for overcoming chemoresistance in mucinous ovarian cancer. Biomed Rep 2018; 8:215-223. [PMID: 29564122 DOI: 10.3892/br.2018.1045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cases of mucinous ovarian cancer are predominantly resistant to chemotherapies. The present review summarizes current knowledge of the therapeutic potential of targeting the Wingless (WNT) pathway, with particular emphasis on preclinical and clinical studies, for improving the chemoresistance and treatment of mucinous ovarian cancer. A review was conducted of English language literature published between January 2000 and October 2017 that concerned potential signaling pathways associated with the chemoresistance of mucinous ovarian cancer. The literature indicated that aberrant activation of growth factor and WNT signaling pathways is specifically observed in mucinous ovarian cancer. An evolutionarily conserved signaling cascade system including epidermal growth factor/RAS/RAF/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt and WNT signaling regulates a variety of cellular functions; their crosstalk mutually enhances signaling activity and induces chemoresistance. Novel antagonists, modulators and inhibitors have been developed for targeting the components of the WNT signaling pathway, namely Frizzled, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5/6, Dishevelled, casein kinase 1, AXIN, glycogen synthase kinase 3β and β-catenin. Targeted inhibition of WNT signaling represents a rational and promising novel approach to overcome chemoresistance, and several WNT inhibitors are being evaluated in preclinical studies. In conclusion, the WNT receptors and their downstream components may serve as novel therapeutic targets for overcoming chemoresistance in mucinous ovarian cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emiko Niiro
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara 634-8522, Japan
| | - Sachiko Morioka
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara 634-8522, Japan
| | - Kana Iwai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara 634-8522, Japan
| | - Yuki Yamada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara 634-8522, Japan
| | - Kenji Ogawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara 634-8522, Japan
| | - Naoki Kawahara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara 634-8522, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kobayashi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara 634-8522, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Chen X, Yang C, Xie S, Cheung E. Long non-coding RNA GAS5 and ZFAS1 are prognostic markers involved in translation targeted by miR-940 in prostate cancer. Oncotarget 2018; 9:1048-1062. [PMID: 29416676 PMCID: PMC5787418 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of prognostic biomarkers helps facilitate the prediction of patient outcomes as well as guide treatments. Accumulating evidence now suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play key roles in tumor progression with diagnostic and prognostic values. However, little is known about the biological functions of lncRNAs and how they contribute to the pathogenesis of cancer. Herein, we performed weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) on 380 RNA-seq samples from prostate cancer patients to create networks comprising of microRNAs, lncRNAs, and protein-coding genes. Our analysis revealed expression modules that associated with pathological parameters. More importantly, we identified a gene module that is involved in protein translation and is associated with patient survival. In this gene module, we explored the regulation axis involving GAS5, ZFAS1, and miR-940. We show that GAS5, ZFAS1, and miR-940 are up-regulated in tumors relative to normal prostate tissues, and high expression of either lncRNA is an indicator of poor patient outcome. Finally, we constructed a co-expression network involving GAS5, ZFAS1, and miR-940, as well as the targets of miR-940. Our results show that GAS5 and ZFAS1 are targeted by miR-940 via NAA10 and RPL28. Taken together, co-expression analysis of gene expression profiling from RNA-seq can accelerate the identification and functional characterization of novel prognostic markers in prostate cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of IoT Information Technology, School of Automation, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Chao Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of IoT Information Technology, School of Automation, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shengli Xie
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of IoT Information Technology, School of Automation, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Edwin Cheung
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Leung CON, Mak WN, Kai AKL, Chan KS, Lee TKW, Ng IOL, Lo RCL. Sox9 confers stemness properties in hepatocellular carcinoma through Frizzled-7 mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Oncotarget 2017; 7:29371-86. [PMID: 27105493 PMCID: PMC5045402 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.8835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sox9, an SRY-related HMG box transcription factor, is a progenitor/precursor cell marker of the liver expressed during embryogenesis and following liver injury. In this study, we investigated the role of Sox9 and its molecular mechanism with reference to stemness properties in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we observed upregulation of Sox9 in human HCC tissues compared with the non-tumorous liver counterparts (p < 0.001). Upregulation of Sox9 transcript level was associated with poorer tumor cell differentiation (p = 0.003), venous invasion (p = 0.026), advanced tumor stage (p = 0.044) and shorter overall survival (p = 0.042). Transcript levels of Sox9 and CD24 were positively correlated. Silencing of Sox9 in HCC cells inhibited in vitro cell proliferation and tumorsphere formation, sensitized HCC cells to chemotherapeutic agents, and suppressed in vivo tumorigenicity. In addition, knockdown of Sox9 suppressed HCC cell migration, invasion, and in vivo lung metastasis. Further studies showed that Sox9 endowed stemness features through activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, which was confirmed by the partial rescue effect on tumorigenicity and self-renewal upon transfection of active β-catenin in Sox9 knockdown cells. By ChIP and luciferase promoter assays, Frizzled-7 was identified to be the direct transcriptional target of Sox9. In conclusion, Sox9 confers stemness properties of HCC through Frizzled-7 mediated Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Oi-Ning Leung
- Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Wing-Nga Mak
- Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Alan Ka-Lun Kai
- Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Kwan-Shuen Chan
- Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Terence Kin-Wah Lee
- Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.,State Key Laboratory for Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Irene Oi-Lin Ng
- Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.,State Key Laboratory for Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Regina Cheuk-Lam Lo
- Department of Pathology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.,State Key Laboratory for Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Yang Q, Wang Y, Pan X, Ye J, Gan S, Qu F, Chen L, Chu C, Gao Y, Cui X. Frizzled 8 promotes the cell proliferation and metastasis of renal cell carcinoma. Oncotarget 2017; 8:78989-79002. [PMID: 29108281 PMCID: PMC5668014 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent reports have shown a rapid rise in the incidence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and Wnt (Wingless-related integration site) signaling pathway is important in RCC. Frizzled 8 (FZD8) is a member of Frizzled (FZD) receptor family which could activate canonical or non-canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathways. Nevertheless, the role of FZD8 in RCC is poorly investigated. The immunohistochemical analysis showed high expression of FZD8 in RCC tissues compared with peri-tumor tissues. FZD8 knockdown decreased the ability of proliferation and metastasis of RCC cells. Research revealed that the FZD8 regulated the transcription of Cyclin D1, c-Myc, and could promote the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) by mediating Vimentin and Snail through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In addition, the results of our experiment revealed that FZD8 is involved in the regulation of non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway. These data suggested that the expression of FZD8 may play an important role in the proliferation and metastasis of RCC, and serve as a putative promising drug target for human RCC therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiwei Yang
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Second Military Medical University (Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital), Shanghai 201805, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Urology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ye Wang
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200082, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiuwu Pan
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Second Military Medical University (Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital), Shanghai 201805, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Urology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianqing Ye
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Second Military Medical University (Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital), Shanghai 201805, People’s Republic of China
| | - Sishun Gan
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Second Military Medical University (Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital), Shanghai 201805, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fajun Qu
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Second Military Medical University (Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital), Shanghai 201805, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Urology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200025, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chuanmin Chu
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Second Military Medical University (Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital), Shanghai 201805, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Gao
- Department of Urology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200025, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xingang Cui
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Second Military Medical University (Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital), Shanghai 201805, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Zhang W, Lu W, Ananthan S, Suto MJ, Li Y. Discovery of novel frizzled-7 inhibitors by targeting the receptor's transmembrane domain. Oncotarget 2017; 8:91459-91470. [PMID: 29207657 PMCID: PMC5710937 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Frizzled (Fzd) proteins are seven transmembrane receptors that belong to a novel and separated family of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The Fzd receptors can respond to Wnt proteins to activate the canonical β-catenin pathway which is important for both initiation and progression of cancers. Disruption of the Wnt/β-catenin signal thus represents an opportunity for rational cancer prevention and therapy. Of the 10 members of the Fzd family, Fzd7 is the most important member involved in cancer development and progression. In the present studies, we applied structure-based virtual screening targeting the transmembrane domain (TMD) of Fzd7 to select compounds that could potentially bind to the Fzd7-TMD and block the Wnt/Fzd7 signaling and further evaluated them in biological assays. Six small molecule compounds were confirmed as Fzd7 inhibitors. The best hit, SRI37892, significantly blocked the Wnt/Fzd7 signaling with IC50 values in the sub-micromolar range and inhibited cancer cell proliferation with IC50 values around 2 μM. Our results provide the first proof of concept of targeting Fzd-TMD for the development of Wnt/Fzd modulators. The identified small molecular Fzd7 inhibitors can serve as a useful tool for studying the regulation mechanism(s) of Wnt/Fzd7 signaling as well as a starting point for the development of cancer therapeutic agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Drug Discovery Division, Southern Research Institute, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, United States
| | - Wenyan Lu
- Department of Oncology, Drug Discovery Division, Southern Research Institute, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, United States
| | - Subramaniam Ananthan
- Department of Chemistry, Drug Discovery Division, Southern Research Institute, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, United States
| | - Mark J Suto
- Department of Chemistry, Drug Discovery Division, Southern Research Institute, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, United States
| | - Yonghe Li
- Department of Oncology, Drug Discovery Division, Southern Research Institute, Birmingham, Alabama 35205, United States
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Liu X, Yan Y, Ma W, Wu S. Knockdown of frizzled-7 inhibits cell growth and metastasis and promotes chemosensitivity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells by inhibiting Wnt signaling. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 490:1112-1118. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.06.185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
50
|
Cao TT, Xiang D, Liu BL, Huang TX, Tan BB, Zeng CM, Wang ZY, Ming XY, Zhang LY, Jin G, Li F, Wu JL, Guan XY, Lu D, Fu L. FZD7 is a novel prognostic marker and promotes tumor metastasis via WNT and EMT signaling pathways in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Oncotarget 2017; 8:65957-65968. [PMID: 29029485 PMCID: PMC5630385 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.19586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Frizzled (FZD) proteins are receptors for secreted WNT proteins and play a critical role in the malignant progression of various cancers. However, the role of human FZD family members in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) was rarely investigated. In this study, we found that the FZD7 gene was the most commonly up-regulated FZD member in ESCC cell lines compared with other FZDs. TMA studies further validated that FZD7 protein was up-regulated in 165 of 252 (65.5%) informative ESCC patients and significantly correlated with poor overall survival (P=0.001). Additionally, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that FZD7 overexpression was an independent prognostic factor for ESCC patients. Ectopic expression of FZD7 could promote ESCC cell metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Under WNT3A stimulation, FZD7 was able to induce the nuclear translocation of β-catenin and activate the downstream targets of WNT/β-catenin signaling, as well as promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) potential in ESCC cells. Our study demonstrated for the first time that FZD7 contributes to the malignant progression of ESCC and represents a novel prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for ESCC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Ting Cao
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Research Centre, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Di Xiang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Research Centre, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bei-Lei Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Research Centre, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tu-Xiong Huang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Research Centre, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bin-Bin Tan
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Research Centre, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chui-Mian Zeng
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Research Centre, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhong-Yuan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Research Centre, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Ming
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong, China
| | - Li-Yi Zhang
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong, China
| | - Guangyi Jin
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Research Centre, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Feng Li
- Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jian-Lin Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Xin-Yuan Guan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong, China
| | - Desheng Lu
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Research Centre, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Li Fu
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Research Centre, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|