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Guo L, Wang M, Zhao W, Guo M, Qian T, Peng F, Cao G, Yu S, Liu D. CircATXN7 regulates the proliferation and invasion of esophageal cancer cells through miR-4319/NLRC5. Cell Signal 2024; 122:111341. [PMID: 39121974 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2024.111341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism through which circular RNA of ataxin 7 (circATXN7) regulates the proliferation and invasion of esophageal cancer (EC) cells via microRNA (miR)-4319/NLR family CARD domain containing 5 (NLRC5). METHODS The localization of circATXN7 in EC cells was determined by RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization (RNA-FISH). The mRNA levels of circATXN7, miR-4319, and NLRC5 were quantified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions. The binding activity of circATXN7 to miR-4319 was assessed using RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation. Whether circATXN7 regulates the proliferation of EC cells via miR-4319 was explored using dual-luciferase reporter gene colony formation assays. Protein levels were quantified by western blot. The effect of NLRC5 on the proliferation and invasion of EC cells was examined using colony formation and Transwell assays. A subcutaneous transplanted tumor nude mouse model was established to observe the effect of circATXN7 on the proliferation of EC cells in vivo. RESULTS circATXN7 localized mainly to the cytoplasm. Overexpression or inhibition of miR-4319 significantly regulated the proliferation of EC cells, while circATXN7 competitively inhibited miR-4319 expression. Overexpression of miR-4319 significantly inhibited NLRC5 expression, indicating NLRC5 is a downstream regulatory target of miR-4319. circATXN7 influenced NLRC5 expression via miR-4319. In vivo tumor formation experiments in nude mice revealed that knocking down circATXN7 regulated NLRC5 expression via miR-4319 and significantly inhibited the proliferation of EC cells. CONCLUSIONS In vitro cell and in vivo animal experiments showed that circATXN7 regulates the proliferation, invasion, and migration of EC cells through the miR-4319/NLRC5 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luni Guo
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of the Pain Rehabilitation Clinic, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research &The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenhui Zhao
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Mengya Guo
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Ting Qian
- Department of Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fanyu Peng
- Department of Radiotherapy, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guochun Cao
- Department of Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shaorong Yu
- Department of Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Delin Liu
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China.
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2
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Kalvala AK, Silwal A, Patel B, Kasetti A, Shetty K, Cho JH, Lara G, Daugherity B, Diesler R, Pooladanda V, Rueda BR, Henske EP, Yu JJ, Markiewski M, Karbowniczek M. Extracellular vesicles regulate metastable phenotypes of lymphangioleiomyomatosis cells via shuttling ATP synthesis to pseudopodia and activation of integrin adhesion complexes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.09.611297. [PMID: 39314494 PMCID: PMC11419057 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.09.611297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is metastatic sarcoma but mechanisms regulating LAM metastasis are unknown. Extracellular vesicle (EV) regulate cancer metastasis but their roles in LAM have not yet been investigated. Here, we report that EV biogenesis is increased in LAM and LAM EV cargo is enriched with lung tropic integrins, metalloproteinases, and cancer stem cell markers. LAM-EV increase LAM cell migration and invasion via the ITGα6/β1-c-Src-FAK-AKT axis. Metastable (hybrid) phenotypes of LAM metastasizing cells, pivotal for metastasis, are regulated by EV from primary tumor or metastasizing LAM cells via shuttling ATP synthesis to cell pseudopodia or activation of integrin adhesion complex, respectively. In mouse models of LAM, LAM-EV increase lung metastatic burden through mechanisms involving lung extracellular matrix remodeling. Collectively, these data provide evidence for the role of EV in promoting LAM lung metastasis and identify novel EV-dependent mechanisms regulating metastable phenotypes of tumor cells. Clinical impact of research is that it establishes LAM pathway as novel target for LAM therapy.
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3
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Andreou M, Jąkalski M, Duzowska K, Filipowicz N, Kostecka A, Davies H, Horbacz M, Ławrynowicz U, Chojnowska K, Bruhn-Olszewska B, Jankau J, Śrutek E, Las-Jankowska M, Bała D, Hoffman J, Hartman J, Pęksa R, Skokowski J, Jankowski M, Szylberg Ł, Maniewski M, Zegarski W, Nowikiewicz M, Nowikiewicz T, Dumanski JP, Mieczkowski J, Piotrowski A. Prelude to malignancy: A gene expression signature in normal mammary gland from breast cancer patients suggests pre-tumorous alterations and is associated with adverse outcomes. Int J Cancer 2024. [PMID: 38850108 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.35050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Despite advances in early detection and treatment strategies, breast cancer recurrence and mortality remain a significant health issue. Recent insights suggest the prognostic potential of microscopically healthy mammary gland, in the vicinity of the breast lesion. Nonetheless, a comprehensive understanding of the gene expression profiles in these tissues and their relationship to patient outcomes remain missing. Furthermore, the increasing trend towards breast-conserving surgery may inadvertently lead to the retention of existing cancer-predisposing mutations within the normal mammary gland. This study assessed the transcriptomic profiles of 242 samples from 83 breast cancer patients with unfavorable outcomes, including paired uninvolved mammary gland samples collected at varying distances from primary lesions. As a reference, control samples from 53 mammoplasty individuals without cancer history were studied. A custom panel of 634 genes linked to breast cancer progression and metastasis was employed for expression profiling, followed by whole-transcriptome verification experiments and statistical analyses to discern molecular signatures and their clinical relevance. A distinct gene expression signature was identified in uninvolved mammary gland samples, featuring key cellular components encoding keratins, CDH1, CDH3, EPCAM cell adhesion proteins, matrix metallopeptidases, oncogenes, tumor suppressors, along with crucial genes (FOXA1, RAB25, NRG1, SPDEF, TRIM29, and GABRP) having dual roles in cancer. Enrichment analyses revealed disruptions in epithelial integrity, cell adhesion, and estrogen signaling. This signature, named KAOS for Keratin-Adhesion-Oncogenes-Suppressors, was significantly associated with reduced tumor size but increased mortality rates. Integrating molecular assessment of non-malignant mammary tissue into disease management could enhance survival prediction and facilitate personalized patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Andreou
- 3P-Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Marcin Jąkalski
- 3P-Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | | | | | - Anna Kostecka
- 3P-Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Hanna Davies
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Monika Horbacz
- 3P-Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | | | | | - Bożena Bruhn-Olszewska
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jerzy Jankau
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Ewa Śrutek
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Ludwik Rydygier's Collegium Medicum, Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
- Department of Tumor Pathology and Pathomorphology, Oncology Center-Prof Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Manuela Las-Jankowska
- Chair of Surgical Oncology, Ludwik Rydygier's Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Oncology Center-Prof Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Dariusz Bała
- Chair of Surgical Oncology, Ludwik Rydygier's Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Oncology Center-Prof Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Jacek Hoffman
- Department of Clinical Breast Cancer and Reconstructive Surgery, Oncology Center-Prof Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Johan Hartman
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Pathology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- MedTech Labs, Bioclinicum, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rafał Pęksa
- Department of Pathomorphology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | | | - Michał Jankowski
- Chair of Surgical Oncology, Ludwik Rydygier's Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Oncology Center-Prof Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Łukasz Szylberg
- Department of Tumor Pathology and Pathomorphology, Oncology Center-Prof Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Oncology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Mateusz Maniewski
- Department of Tumor Pathology and Pathomorphology, Oncology Center-Prof Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Wojciech Zegarski
- Chair of Surgical Oncology, Ludwik Rydygier's Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Oncology Center-Prof Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Magdalena Nowikiewicz
- Department of Hepatobiliary and General Surgery, Antoni Jurasz University Hospital, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Tomasz Nowikiewicz
- Chair of Surgical Oncology, Ludwik Rydygier's Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Department of Clinical Breast Cancer and Reconstructive Surgery, Oncology Center-Prof Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Jan P Dumanski
- 3P-Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jakub Mieczkowski
- 3P-Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Arkadiusz Piotrowski
- 3P-Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
- Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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4
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Pickett MR, Chen YI, Kamra M, Kumar S, Kalkunte N, Sugerman GP, Varodom K, Rausch MK, Zoldan J, Yeh HC, Parekh SH. Assessing the impact of extracellular matrix fiber orientation on breast cancer cellular metabolism. Cancer Cell Int 2024; 24:199. [PMID: 38840117 PMCID: PMC11151503 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-024-03385-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a dynamic and complex microenvironment that modulates cell behavior and cell fate. Changes in ECM composition and architecture have been correlated with development, differentiation, and disease progression in various pathologies, including breast cancer [1]. Studies have shown that aligned fibers drive a pro-metastatic microenvironment, promoting the transformation of mammary epithelial cells into invasive ductal carcinoma via the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) [2]. The impact of ECM orientation on breast cancer metabolism, however, is largely unknown. Here, we employ two non-invasive imaging techniques, fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and intensity-based multiphoton microscopy, to assess the metabolic states of cancer cells cultured on ECM-mimicking nanofibers in a random and aligned orientation. By tracking the changes in the intrinsic fluorescence of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide, as well as expression levels of metastatic markers, we reveal how ECM fiber orientation alters cancer metabolism and EMT progression. Our study indicates that aligned cellular microenvironments play a key role in promoting metastatic phenotypes of breast cancer as evidenced by a more glycolytic metabolic signature on nanofiber scaffolds of aligned orientation compared to scaffolds of random orientation. This finding is particularly relevant for subsets of breast cancer marked by high levels of collagen remodeling (e.g. pregnancy associated breast cancer), and may serve as a platform for predicting clinical outcomes within these subsets [3-6].
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison R Pickett
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street Stop C0800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Yuan-I Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street Stop C0800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Mohini Kamra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street Stop C0800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Sachin Kumar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street Stop C0800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Nikhith Kalkunte
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street Stop C0800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Gabriella P Sugerman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street Stop C0800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Kelsey Varodom
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street Stop C0800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Manuel K Rausch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street Stop C0800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, The University of Texas at Austin, 78712, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 78712, Austin, TX, USA
- Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 78712, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Janet Zoldan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street Stop C0800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Hsin-Chin Yeh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street Stop C0800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Texas Materials Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Sapun H Parekh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W Dean Keeton Street Stop C0800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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5
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Thakur D, Sengupta D, Mahapatra E, Das S, Sarkar R, Mukherjee S. Glucocorticoid receptor: a harmonizer of cellular plasticity in breast cancer-directs the road towards therapy resistance, metastatic progression and recurrence. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2024; 43:481-499. [PMID: 38170347 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-023-10163-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Recent therapeutic advances have significantly uplifted the quality of life in breast cancer patients, yet several impediments block the road to disease-free survival. This involves unresponsiveness towards administered therapy, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and metastatic progression with the eventual appearance of recurrent disease. Attainment of such characteristics is a huge adaptive challenge to which tumour cells respond by acquiring diverse phenotypically plastic states. Several signalling networks and mediators are involved in such a process. Glucocorticoid receptor being a mediator of stress response imparts prognostic significance in the context of breast carcinoma. Involvement of the glucocorticoid receptor in the signalling cascade of breast cancer phenotypic plasticity needs further elucidation. This review attempted to shed light on the inter-regulatory interactions of the glucocorticoid receptor with the mediators of the plasticity program in breast cancer; which may provide a hint for strategizing therapeutics against the glucocorticoid/glucocorticoid receptor axis so as to modulate phenotypic plasticity in breast carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debanjan Thakur
- Department of Environmental Carcinogenesis and Toxicology, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, 37, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata, 700 026, India
| | - Debomita Sengupta
- Department of Environmental Carcinogenesis and Toxicology, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, 37, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata, 700 026, India
| | - Elizabeth Mahapatra
- Department of Environmental Carcinogenesis and Toxicology, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, 37, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata, 700 026, India
| | - Salini Das
- Department of Environmental Carcinogenesis and Toxicology, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, 37, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata, 700 026, India
| | - Ruma Sarkar
- B. D. Patel Institute of Paramedical Sciences, Charotar University of Science and Technology, CHARUSAT Campus, Changa, Gujarat, 388421, India
| | - Sutapa Mukherjee
- Department of Environmental Carcinogenesis and Toxicology, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, 37, S. P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata, 700 026, India.
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6
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Akrida I, Mulita F, Plachouri KM, Benetatos N, Maroulis I, Papadaki H. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in metaplastic breast cancer and phyllodes breast tumors. Med Oncol 2023; 41:20. [PMID: 38104042 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02259-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a transdifferentiation program whereby epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal phenotype, is essential during embryonic development. EMT has also been implicated in cancer progression by conferring migratory and metastatic potential, as well as cell plasticity and stem cell like traits, to cancer cells. Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare aggressive type of breast cancer characterized by the presence of heterologous elements, typically by the existence of epithelial and mesenchymal components. Phyllodes tumors (PTs) are uncommon fibroepithelial neoplasms consisting of epithelial and mesenchymal elements. Although various hypotheses have been proposed on the pathogenesis of these biphasic tumors, there is growing evidence supporting the theory that PTs and MBC could both correlate with cancer related EMT. This review summarizes the existing literature on the emerging role of EMT in the pathogenesis of MBC and PTs. Both malignant PTs and MBC are characterized by poor prognosis. Therefore, several anti-EMT targeting strategies such as blocking upstream signaling pathways, targeting the molecular drivers of EMT and targeting mesenchymal cells and the extracellular matrix, could potentially represent a promising therapeutic approach for patients suffering from these aggressive neoplasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Akrida
- Department of General Surgery, University General Hospital of Patras, Rion, Greece.
- Department of Anatomy-Histology-Embryology, University of Patras Medical School, Rion, Greece.
- Department of Surgery, Department of Anatomy-Histology-Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504, Rion, Greece.
| | - Francesk Mulita
- Department of General Surgery, University General Hospital of Patras, Rion, Greece
| | | | - Nikolaos Benetatos
- Department of General Surgery, University General Hospital of Patras, Rion, Greece
| | - Ioannis Maroulis
- Department of General Surgery, University General Hospital of Patras, Rion, Greece
| | - Helen Papadaki
- Department of Anatomy-Histology-Embryology, University of Patras Medical School, Rion, Greece
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7
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Saydullaeva I, Butuner BD, Korkmaz KS. NKX3.1 Expression Contributes to Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Prostate Cancer Cells. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:32580-32592. [PMID: 37720744 PMCID: PMC10500679 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c03127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Studies demonstrate that inflammation synergizes with high-grade aggressive prostate tumor development and ultimately metastatic spread, in which a lot of work has been done in recent years. However, the clear mechanism of inflammation inciting prostate cancer remains largely uncharacterized. Our previous study has shown that the conditioned media (CM)-mediated LNCaP cell migration is partially correlated with the loss of expression of the tumor suppressor NKX3.1. Here, we continue to investigate the inflammation-mediated migration of prostate cancer cells, and the role of NKX3.1 in this process to gain insights into cell migration-related changes comprehensively. Earlier, the model of inflammation in the tumor microenvironment have been optimized by our research group; here, we continue to investigate the time-dependent effect of CM exposure together with NKX3.1 changes, in which we observed that these changes play important roles in gaining heterogeneous epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype. Hence, this is an important parameter of tumor progression; we depleted NKX3.1 expression using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and examined the migrating cell clusters after exposure to inflammatory cytokines. We found that the migrated cells clearly demonstrate reversible loss of E-cadherin expression, which is consistent with subsequent vimentin expression alterations in comparison to control cells. Moreover, the data suggest that the AR-mediated transcriptional program also contributes to mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) in prostate cancer progression. Furthermore, the quantitative proteomic analysis showed that migrated subpopulations from the same cell line presented different phenotypes in which the proteins overexpressed are involved in cell metabolism and RNA processing. According to KEGG pathway analysis, the ABC transporters were found to be the most significant. Thus, the dynamic process of cellular migration favors diverse genetic compositions under changing tumor microenvironments. The different levels of invasiveness are supported by shifting the cells in between these EMT and MET phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iroda Saydullaeva
- Faculty
of Engineering, Department of Bioengineering, Cancer Biology Laboratory, Ege University, Izmir 35040, Turkey
| | - Bilge Debelec Butuner
- Faculty
of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ege University, Izmir 35040, Turkey
| | - Kemal Sami Korkmaz
- Faculty
of Engineering, Department of Bioengineering, Cancer Biology Laboratory, Ege University, Izmir 35040, Turkey
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8
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Ichinose Y, Hasebe T, Hirasaki M, Sakakibara A, Yokogawa H, Nukui A, Hiratsuka M, Fujimoto A, Iso C, Wakui N, Shibasaki S, Kamada K, Suzuki N, Kamakura Y, Yasuda M, Aya A, Shimada H, Matsuura K, Ishiguro H, Osaki A, Saeki T. Vimentin-positive invasive breast carcinoma of no special type: A breast carcinoma with lethal biological characteristics. Pathol Int 2023; 73:413-433. [PMID: 37378453 DOI: 10.1111/pin.13350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Vimentin is a stable mesenchymal immunohistochemical marker and is widely recognized as a major marker of mesenchymal tumors. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if the vimentin expression status might serve as a significant predictor of outcomes in patients with invasive breast carcinoma of no special type (IBC-NST) and to investigate, by comprehensive RNA sequencing analyses, the mechanisms involved in the heightened malignant potential of vimentin-positive IBC-NSTs. This study, conducted using the data of 855 patients with IBC-NST, clearly identified vimentin expression status as a very important independent biological parameter for accurately predicting the outcomes in patients with IBC-NST. RNA sequence analyses clearly demonstrated significant upregulation of coding RNAs known to be closely associated with cell proliferation or cellular senescence, and significant downregulation of coding RNAs known to be closely associated with transmembrane transport in vimentin-positive IBC-NSTs. We conclude that vimentin-positive IBC-NSTs show heightened malignant biological characteristics, possibly attributable to the upregulation of RNAs closely associated with proliferative activity and cellular senescence, and downregulation of RNAs closely associated with transmembrane transport in IBC-NSTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Ichinose
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takahiro Hasebe
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Masataka Hirasaki
- Department of Clinical Cancer Genomics, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Ayaka Sakakibara
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hideki Yokogawa
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Asami Nukui
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Miyuki Hiratsuka
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Akihiro Fujimoto
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Chihiro Iso
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Noriko Wakui
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Satomi Shibasaki
- Community Health Science Center, Saitama Medical University, Iruma, Saitama, Japan
| | - Koichi Kamada
- Department of Pathology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Suzuki
- Department of Pathology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yasuo Kamakura
- Department of Clinical Cancer Genomics, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Masanori Yasuda
- Department of Pathology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Asano Aya
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University, Iruma, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hiroko Shimada
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Kazuo Matsuura
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ishiguro
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Akihiko Osaki
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Saeki
- Department of Breast Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka City, Saitama, Japan
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9
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Jin Y, Qiu L, Bao W, Lu M, Cao F, Ni H, Zhao B. High expression of IGHG1 promotes breast cancer malignant development by activating the AKT pathway. Cell Cycle 2023; 22:718-731. [PMID: 36404682 PMCID: PMC9980652 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2022.2147141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This study researched the exact function of IgG1 heavy chain (IGHG1) on breast cancer (BC) progression. IGHG1 level within BC and paired normal tissues was acquired in Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis dataset. Meanwhile, this work harvested tumor and paired healthy tissues in 42 BC cases. siRNA targeting IGHG1 was transfected into BC cells. SC79 was used to treat the transfected BC cells. CCK-8 assay, clone formation experiment, BrdU assay, Transwell experiment and flow cytometry were carried out to measure the viability, colony formation, proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of BC cells. Paclitaxel and cisplatin sensitivity of BC cells was evaluated by MTT assay. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western-blot were performed for measuring mRNA and protein expression. The overexpressed IGHG1 indicated dismal BC survival. IGHG1 silencing attenuated the viability, invasion, proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, but enhanced the apoptosis of BC cells. IGHG1 silencing enhanced the paclitaxel and cisplatin sensitivity of BC cells. IGHG1 silencing suppressed the activity of the MEK, AKT, and ERK pathways. AKT agonist partially reversed the inhibition of IGHG1 silencing on BC cell malignant phenotype and resistance to paclitaxel and cisplatin. IGHG1 promotes the malignant development of BC by activating the AKT pathway. It may be an effective target for BC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongmei Jin
- Department of Nursing, The Seventh People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Qiu
- Department of General Surgery, The Seventh People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenqing Bao
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Minhao Lu
- Department of General Surgery, The Seventh People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Cao
- Department of General Surgery, The Seventh People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hanchen Ni
- Department of Nursing, The Seventh People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, The Seventh People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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10
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Orzechowska MJ, Anusewicz D, Bednarek AK. Age- and Stage-Dependent Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness Associated with Differential Notch Signaling. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010164. [PMID: 36613607 PMCID: PMC9820176 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PC) remains a worldwide challenge, as does the question of how to distinguish its indolent from its aggressive form to reconcile proper management of the disease with age-related life expectations. This study aimed to differentiate the Notch-driven course of PC regarding patients’ ages and stage of their disease. We analyzed 397 PC samples split into age subgroups of ≦55, 60−70, and >70 years old, as well as early vs. late stage. The clinical association of Notch signaling was evaluated by DFS and UpSet analyses. The clustering of downstream effectors was performed with ExpressCluster. Finally, for the most relevant findings, functional networks were constructed with MCODE and stringApp. The results have been validated with an independent cohort. We identified specific patterns of Notch expression associated with unfavorable outcomes, which were reflected by entering into a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal state and thus reaching tumor plasticity with its all consequences. We characterized the molecular determinants of the age-related clinical behavior of prostate tumors that stem from different invasive properties depending on the route of the EMT program. Of the utmost relevance is the discovery of age- and stage-specific combinations of the Notch molecules predicting unfavorable outcomes and constituting a new prognostic and therapeutic approach for PCs.
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11
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High-Risk Oncogenic Human Cytomegalovirus. Viruses 2022; 14:v14112462. [PMID: 36366560 PMCID: PMC9695668 DOI: 10.3390/v14112462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a herpesvirus that infects between 40% and 95% of the population worldwide, usually without symptoms. The host immune response keeps the virus in a latent stage, although HCMV can reactivate in an inflammatory context, which could result in sequential lytic/latent viral cycles during the lifetime and thereby participate in HCMV genomic diversity in humans. The high level of HCMV intra-host genomic variability could participate in the oncomodulatory role of HCMV where the virus will favor the development and spread of cancerous cells. Recently, an oncogenic role of HCMV has been highlighted in which the virus will directly transform primary cells; such HCMV strains are named high-risk (HR) HCMV strains. In light of these new findings, this review defines the criteria that characterize HR-HCMV strains and their molecular as well as the phenotypic impact on the infected cell and its tumor microenvironment.
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12
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Duan X, Luo M, Li J, Shen Z, Xie K. Overcoming therapeutic resistance to platinum-based drugs by targeting Epithelial–Mesenchymal transition. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1008027. [PMID: 36313710 PMCID: PMC9614084 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1008027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Platinum-based drugs (PBDs), including cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin, have been widely used in clinical practice as mainstay treatments for various types of cancer. Although there is firm evidence of notable achievements with PBDs in the management of cancers, the acquisition of resistance to these agents is still a major challenge to efforts at cure. The introduction of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) concept, a critical process during embryonic morphogenesis and carcinoma progression, has offered a mechanistic explanation for the phenotypic switch of cancer cells upon PBD exposure. Accumulating evidence has suggested that carcinoma cells can enter a resistant state via induction of the EMT. In this review, we discussed the underlying mechanism of PBD-induced EMT and the current understanding of its role in cancer drug resistance, with emphasis on how this novel knowledge can be exploited to overcome PBD resistance via EMT-targeted compounds, especially those under clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xirui Duan
- Department of Oncology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Maochao Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Jian Li
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhisen Shen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, The Affiliated Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- *Correspondence: Ke Xie, ; Zhisen Shen,
| | - Ke Xie
- Department of Oncology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Ke Xie, ; Zhisen Shen,
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13
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Glycosphingolipids are mediators of cancer plasticity through independent signaling pathways. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111181. [PMID: 35977490 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular repertoire promoting cancer cell plasticity is not fully elucidated. Here, we propose that glycosphingolipids (GSLs), specifically the globo and ganglio series, correlate and promote the transition between epithelial and mesenchymal cells. The epithelial character of ovarian cancer remains stable throughout disease progression, and spatial glycosphingolipidomics reveals elevated globosides in the tumor compartment compared with the ganglioside-rich stroma. CRISPR-Cas9 knockin mediated truncation of endogenous E-cadherin induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and decreases globosides. The transcriptomics analysis identifies the ganglioside-synthesizing enzyme ST8SIA1 to be consistently elevated in mesenchymal-like samples, predicting poor outcome. Subsequent deletion of ST8SIA1 induces epithelial cell features through mTORS2448 phosphorylation, whereas loss of globosides in ΔA4GALT cells, resulting in EMT, is accompanied by increased ERKY202/T204 and AKTS124. The GSL composition dynamics corroborate cancer cell plasticity, and further evidence suggests that mesenchymal cells are maintained through ganglioside-dependent, calcium-mediated mechanisms.
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14
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A systematic characterization of microglia-like cell occurrence during retinal organoid differentiation. iScience 2022; 25:104580. [PMID: 35789843 PMCID: PMC9250027 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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15
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Tarek A, El-Sayed SK, Woodward WA, El-Shinawi M, Hirshon JM, Mohamed MM. Inflammatory Breast Cancer: The Cytokinome of Post-Mastectomy Wound Fluid Augments Proliferation, Invasion, and Stem Cell Markers. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 44:2730-2744. [PMID: 35735628 PMCID: PMC9222108 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44060187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an aggressive phenotype with a high recurrence and low survival rate. Approximately 90% of local breast cancer recurrences occur adjacent to the same quadrant as the initial cancer, implying that tumor recurrence may be caused by residual cancer cells and/or quiescent cancer stem cells (CSCs) in the tumor. We hypothesized that wound fluid (WF) collected after modified radical mastectomy (MRM) may activate cancer cells and CSCs, promoting epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasion. Therefore, we characterized the cytokinome of WF drained from post-MRM cavities of non-IBC and IBC patients. The WF of IBC patients showed a significantly higher expression of various cytokines than in non-IBC patients. In vitro cell culture models of non-IBC and IBC cell lines were grown in media conditioned with and/without WF for 48 h. Afterwards, we assessed cell viability, the expression of CSCs and EMT-specific genes, and tumor invasion. Genes associated with CSCs properties and EMT markers were regulated in cells seeded in media conditioned by WF. IBC-WF exhibited a greater potential for inducing IBC cell invasion than non-IBC cells. The present study demonstrates the role of the post-surgical tumor cavity in IBC recurrence and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alshaimaa Tarek
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt;
| | - Shrouk Khalaf El-Sayed
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt;
- Maadi Military Hospital, Maadi, Cairo 11711, Egypt
| | - Wendy A. Woodward
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program and Clinic, Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Mohamed El-Shinawi
- Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt;
- Sector of International Cooperation, Galala University, Suez 43511, Egypt
| | - Jon Mark Hirshon
- School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
| | - Mona Mostafa Mohamed
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt;
- Sector of International Cooperation, Galala University, Suez 43511, Egypt
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16
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Sundararajan V, Burk UC, Bajdak-Rusinek K. Revisiting the miR-200 Family: A Clan of Five Siblings with Essential Roles in Development and Disease. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12060781. [PMID: 35740906 PMCID: PMC9221129 DOI: 10.3390/biom12060781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Over two decades of studies on small noncoding RNA molecules illustrate the significance of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) in controlling multiple physiological and pathological functions through post-transcriptional and spatiotemporal gene expression. Among the plethora of miRs that are essential during animal embryonic development, in this review, we elaborate the indispensable role of the miR-200 family (comprising miR-200a, -200b, 200c, -141, and -429) in governing the cellular functions associated with epithelial homeostasis, such as epithelial differentiation and neurogenesis. Additionally, in pathological contexts, miR-200 family members are primarily involved in tumor-suppressive roles, including the reversal of the cancer-associated epithelial–mesenchymal transition dedifferentiation process, and are dysregulated during organ fibrosis. Moreover, recent eminent studies have elucidated the crucial roles of miR-200s in the pathophysiology of multiple neurodegenerative diseases and tissue fibrosis. Lastly, we summarize the key studies that have recognized the potential use of miR-200 members as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancers, elaborating the application of these small biomolecules in aiding early cancer detection and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vignesh Sundararajan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Center for Translational Medicine, Singapore 117599, Singapore;
| | - Ulrike C. Burk
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany;
| | - Karolina Bajdak-Rusinek
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-32-208-8382
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17
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Kamakura M, Uehara T, Iwaya M, Asaka S, Kobayashi S, Nakajima T, Kinugawa Y, Nagaya T, Yoshizawa T, Shimizu A, Ota H, Umemura T. LGR5 expression and clinicopathological features of the invasive front in the fat infiltration area of pancreatic cancer. Diagn Pathol 2022; 17:21. [PMID: 35123536 PMCID: PMC8818226 DOI: 10.1186/s13000-022-01203-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) is a strong cancer stem cell marker in colorectal cancer; however, there are many unclear aspects of LGR5 expression in pancreatic cancer. It has been reported that the interaction between tumor cells and stroma at the fat infiltration site has a significant effect on pancreatic cancer prognosis. Therefore, we report a clinicopathological study of LGR5 expression at the fat invasion front in pancreatic cancer.
Methods
LGR5 expression was analyzed in 40 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cases with RNAscope, which is a newly developed high-sensitivity in situ hybridization method. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was analyzed by the expression of E-cadherin and vimentin via immunohistochemistry.
Results
LGR5-positive dots were identified in all cases, especially with glandular formation. In the fat invasion front, a high histological grade showed significantly reduced LGR5 expression compared with a low histological grade (p=0.0126). LGR5 expression was significantly higher in the non-EMT phenotype group than in EMT phenotype group (p=0.0003). Additionally, LGR5 expression was significantly lower in cases with high vascular invasion than in those with low vascular invasion (p=0.0244).
Conclusions
These findings suggest that decreased LGR5 expression in the fat invasion front is associated with more aggressive biological behavior in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, with higher tumor grade, EMT phenotype, and higher vascular invasion.
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18
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Kuncman W, Orzechowska M, Kuncman Ł, Kordek R, Taran K. Intertumoral Heterogeneity of Primary Breast Tumors and Synchronous Axillary Lymph Node Metastases Reflected in IHC-Assessed Expression of Routine and Nonstandard Biomarkers. Front Oncol 2021; 11:660318. [PMID: 34804912 PMCID: PMC8595326 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.660318] [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: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) remains a significant healthcare challenge. Routinely, the treatment strategy is determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based assessment of the key proteins such as estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and Ki-67. However, it is estimated that over 75% of deaths result from metastatic tumors, indicating a need to develop more accurate protocols for intertumoral heterogeneity assessment and their consequences on prognosis. Therefore, the aim of this preliminary study was the identification of the expression profiles of routinely used biomarkers (ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67) and additional relevant proteins [Bcl-2, cyclin D1, E-cadherin, Snail+Slug, gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP-15), programmed death receptor 1 (PD-L1), and phosphatase of regenerating liver 3 (PRL-3)] in breast primary tumors (PTs) and paired synchronous axillary lymph node (ALN) metastases. A total of 67 tissue samples met the inclusion criteria for the study. The expression status of biomarkers was assessed in PTs and ALN metastases using tissue microarrays followed by IHC. In 11 cases, the shift of intrinsic molecular BC subtype was noticed between PTs and paired ALN metastases. Moreover, a significant disproportion in E-cadherin presence (p = 0.0002) was noted in both foci, and the expression status of all proteins except for HER2 demonstrated considerable variance (k = 1, p < 0.0001). Importantly, in around 30% of cases, the ALN metastases demonstrated discordance, i.e., loss/gain of expression, compared to the PTs. Intertumoral synchronous heterogeneity in both foci (primary tumor and node metastasis) is an essential phenomenon affecting the clinical subtype and characteristics of BC. Furthermore, a greater understanding of this event could potentially improve therapeutic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Kuncman
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
| | | | - Łukasz Kuncman
- Department of Radiotherapy, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
| | - Radzisław Kordek
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Taran
- Laboratory of Isotopic Fractionation in Pathological Processes, Department of Pathomorphology, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
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19
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Wu G, Yang Y, Zhu Y, Li Y, Zhai Z, An L, Liu M, Zheng Y, Wang Y, Zhou Y, Guo Q. Comprehensive Analysis to Identify the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition-Related Immune Signatures as a Prognostic and Therapeutic Biomarkers in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Surg 2021; 8:742443. [PMID: 34722623 PMCID: PMC8554059 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2021.742443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly heterogeneous disease with the high rates of the morbidity and mortality due to the lack of the effective prognostic model for prediction. Aim: To construct a risk model composed of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related immune genes for the assessment of the prognosis, immune infiltration status, and chemosensitivity. Methods: We obtained the transcriptome and clinical data of the HCC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and The International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) databases. The Pearson correlation analysis was applied to identify the differentially expressed EMT-related immune genes (DE-EMTri-genes). Subsequently, the univariate Cox regression was introduced to screen out the prognostic gene sets and a risk model was constructed based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator-penalized Cox regression. Additionally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to compare the prognostic value of the newly established model compared with the previous model. Furthermore, the correlation between the risk model and survival probability, immune characteristic, and efficacy of the chemotherapeutics were analyzed by the bioinformatics methods. Results: Six DE-EMTri-genes were ultimately selected to construct the prognostic model. The area under the curve (AUC) values for 1-, 2-, and 3- year were 0.773, 0.721, and 0.673, respectively. Stratified survival analysis suggested that the prognosis of the low-score group was superior to the high-score group. Moreover, the univariate and multivariate analysis indicated that risk score [hazard ratio (HR) 5.071, 95% CI 3.050, 8.432; HR 4.396, 95% CI 2.624, 7.366; p < 0.001] and stage (HR 2.500, 95% CI 1.721, 3.632; HR 2.111, 95% CI 1.443, 3.089; p < 0.001) served as an independent predictive factors in HCC. In addition, the macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells, and regulatory T (Treg) cells were significantly enriched in the high-risk group. Finally, the patients with the high-risk score might be more sensitive to cisplatin, doxorubicin, etoposide, gemcitabine, and mitomycin C. Conclusion: We established a reliable EMTri-genes-based prognostic signature, which may hold promise for the clinical prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guozhi Wu
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuan Yang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yu Zhu
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Department of Hematology, the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yemao Li
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zipeng Zhai
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lina An
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ya Zheng
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuping Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yongning Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Qinghong Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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20
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Ferroptosis Meets Cell-Cell Contacts. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092462. [PMID: 34572111 PMCID: PMC8471828 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis is a regulated form of cell death characterized by iron dependency and increased lipid peroxidation. Initially assumed to be selectively induced in tumour cells, there is increasing evidence that ferroptosis plays an important role in pathophysiology and numerous cell types and tissues. Deregulated ferroptosis has been linked to human diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer. Along these lines, ferroptosis is a promising pathway to overcoming therapy resistance of cancer cells. It is therefore of utmost importance to understand the cellular signalling pathways and the molecular mechanisms underlying ferroptosis regulation, including context-specific effects mediated by the neighbouring cells through cell–cell contacts. Here, we give an overview on the molecular events and machinery linked to ferroptosis induction and commitment. We further summarize and discuss current knowledge about the role of cell–cell contacts, which differ in ferroptosis regulation between normal somatic cells and cancer cells. We present emerging concepts on the underlying mechanisms, address open questions, and discuss the possible impact of cell–cell contacts on exploiting ferroptosis in cancer therapy.
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21
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Berger Fridman I, Kostas J, Gregus M, Ray S, Sullivan MR, Ivanov AR, Cohen S, Konry T. High-throughput microfluidic 3D biomimetic model enabling quantitative description of the human breast tumor microenvironment. Acta Biomater 2021; 132:473-488. [PMID: 34153511 PMCID: PMC8434998 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is driven by both genetic aberrations in the tumor cells and fundamental changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). These changes offer potential targets for novel therapeutics, yet lack of in vitro 3D models recapitulating this complex microenvironment impedes such progress. Here, we generated several tumor-stroma scaffolds reflecting the dynamic in vivo breast TME, using a high throughput microfluidic system. Alginate (Alg) or alginate-alginate sulfate (Alg/Alg-S) hydrogels were used as ECM-mimics, enabling the encapsulation and culture of tumor cells, fibroblasts and immune cells (macrophages and T cells, of the innate and adaptive immune systems, respectively). Specifically, Alg/Alg-S was shown capable of capturing and presenting growth factors and cytokines with binding affinity that is comparable to heparin. Viability and cytotoxicity were shown to strongly correlate with the dynamics of cellular milieu, as well as hydrogel type. Using on-chip immunofluorescence, production of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis were imaged and quantitatively analyzed. We then show how macrophages in our microfluidic system were shifted from a proinflammatory to an immunosuppressive phenotype when encapsulated in Alg/Alg-S, reflecting in vivo TME dynamics. LC-MS proteomic profiling of tumor cells sorted from the TME scaffolds revealed upregulation of proteins involved in cell-cell interactions and immunomodulation in Alg/Alg-S scaffolds, correlating with in vivo findings and demonstrating the appropriateness of Alg/Alg-S as an ECM biomimetic. Finally, we show the formation of large tumor-derived vesicles, formed exclusively in Alg/Alg-S scaffolds. Altogether, our system offers a robust platform for quantitative description of the breast TME that successfully recapitulates in vivo patterns. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Cancer progression is driven by profound changes in both tumor cells and surrounding stroma. Here, we present a high throughput microfluidic system for the generation and analysis of dynamic tumor-stroma scaffolds, that mimic the complex in vivo TME cell proportions and compositions, constructing robust in vitro models for the study of the TME. Utilizing Alg/Alg-S as a bioinspired ECM, mimicking heparin's in vivo capabilities of capturing and presenting signaling molecules, we show how Alg/Alg-S induces complex in vivo-like responses in our models. Alg/Alg-S is shown here to promote dynamic protein expression patterns, that can serve as potential therapeutic targets for breast cancer treatment. Formation of large tumor-derived vesicles, observed exclusively in the Alg/Alg-S scaffolds suggests a mechanism for tumor survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilana Berger Fridman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering and Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel.
| | - James Kostas
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Michal Gregus
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Somak Ray
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Matthew R Sullivan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Alexander R Ivanov
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Smadar Cohen
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Department of Biotechnology Engineering and Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel.
| | - Tania Konry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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22
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Karsten N, Kolben T, Mahner S, Beyer S, Meister S, Kuhn C, Schmoeckel E, Wuerstlein R, Harbeck N, Ditsch N, Jeschke U, Friese K, Kolben TM. The role of E-Cadherin expression in primary site of breast cancer. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2021; 305:913-920. [PMID: 34510244 PMCID: PMC8967771 DOI: 10.1007/s00404-021-06198-1] [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: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The tumour's ability to metastasize is the major cause for fatal outcomes in cancer diseases. In breast cancer, aberrant E-Cadherin expression has been linked to invasiveness and poor prognosis. METHOD We assessed expression of E-Cadherin by immunohistochemistry in primary tumour tissue from 125 female breast cancer patients. Staining intensities were analysed using the immunoreactive score (IRS). We investigated E-Cadherin expression and its associations with clinicopathological parameters (age, tumour size, lymph node status, grade, hormone receptors, Her2 Status) as well as with recurrence and survival. RESULTS Increased, rather than aberrant E-Cadherin expression was found and was associated with poor outcome (p = 0.046). Our data show an association between elevated E-Cadherin in primary tumour tissue and an unfavourable negative prognosis in patients. CONCLUSION This association was somehow unexpected as loss of E-Cadherin has long been regarded as a prerequisite for development of invasiveness and metastases. Our findings support the notion that E-Cadherin promotes, rather than suppresses, development of metastasis and invasiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Karsten
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Breast Center and CCCLMU, LMU University Hospital, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Kolben
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Breast Center and CCCLMU, LMU University Hospital, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Sven Mahner
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Breast Center and CCCLMU, LMU University Hospital, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Susanne Beyer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Breast Center and CCCLMU, LMU University Hospital, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Sarah Meister
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Breast Center and CCCLMU, LMU University Hospital, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Christina Kuhn
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital, Stenglinstr. 2, 86156, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Elisa Schmoeckel
- Department of Pathology, LMU Munich, Marchioninistr. 27, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Rachel Wuerstlein
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Breast Center and CCCLMU, LMU University Hospital, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Nadia Harbeck
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Breast Center and CCCLMU, LMU University Hospital, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Nina Ditsch
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital, Stenglinstr. 2, 86156, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Udo Jeschke
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Breast Center and CCCLMU, LMU University Hospital, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany. .,Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital, Stenglinstr. 2, 86156, Augsburg, Germany.
| | - Klaus Friese
- Department of Oncology, Hospital Bad Trissl, Bad-Trissl-Straße 73, 83080, Oberaudorf, Germany
| | - Theresa Maria Kolben
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Breast Center and CCCLMU, LMU University Hospital, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377, Munich, Germany
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Liang M, Li Y, Dai T, Chen C. lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 regulates biological behaviors of cervical cancer by targeting miRNA-1254. Food Sci Nutr 2021; 9:4722-4737. [PMID: 34531986 PMCID: PMC8441442 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.2315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM The purpose of this research was to evaluate lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 in cervical cancer development and clinical significance. MATERIALS AND METHODS Collecting cervical cancer tissues, measuring FEZF1-AS1 expression, and analysis correlation between FEZF1-AS1 and prognosis. In cell vitro study, using MTT assay to measure cell proliferation, evaluating cell apoptosis by flow cytometry, measuring cell invasion and migration by Transwell and wound healing assay; lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 and miR-1254 gene expressions were evaluated by RT-qPCR assay; relative protein (Smurf1, E-cadherin, Vimentin, N-cadherin, AKT, p-AKT, c-Myc, and ZEB1) expressions were measured by Western blot assay. The correlation among FEZF1-AS1, miR-1254, and Smurf1 were analysis by dual luciferase reporter gene assay. RESULTS By clinical analysis, lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 was high expression in cervical cancer tissues and high expression was closely correlated with poor prognosis in cervical cancer patients. In vitro study, the SiHa and HeLa cell biologically including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of si-FEZF1-AS1 group which knockdown lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 were significantly depressed (p < .001, respectively). However, with miR-1254 expression inhibiting, the cell biological activities were significantly increased in si-FEZF1-AS1+miRNA inhibitor groups (p < .001, respectively). CONCLUSION lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 might be an oncological role in cervical cancer; lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 knockdown had antitumor effects with miR-1254 activating in cervical cancer by in vitro study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Liang
- Department of gynaecology and obstetricsChongqing General HospitalUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesChongqingChina
| | - Yongkang Li
- Department of gynaecology and obstetricsChongqing General HospitalUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesChongqingChina
| | - Tingting Dai
- Department of gynaecology and obstetricsChongqing General HospitalUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesChongqingChina
| | - Cheng Chen
- Department of gynaecology and obstetricsChongqing General HospitalUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesChongqingChina
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24
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Tan Y, Liu F, Xu P. Knockdown of NCOA5 suppresses viability, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and induces adhesion of breast cancer cells. Oncol Lett 2021; 22:694. [PMID: 34457049 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.12955] [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: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear receptor coactivator 5 (NCOA5) has been reported to be involved in the regulation of several malignancies; however, to the best of our knowledge, its role in breast cancer is still unknown. The present study aimed to reveal the biological function of NCOA5 in breast cancer cells. NCOA5 expression in breast cancer tissues and cell lines was examined using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) against NCOA5 (siNCOA5) was transfected into MDA-MB-453 and MCF-7 cells to knock down NCOA5. MTT, transwell migration and cell adhesion assays were performed to determine cell viability, migration and adhesion abilities of breast cancer cells, respectively. In addition, the expression levels of N-cadherin, Vimentin and E-cadherin were examined by western blotting. It was revealed that NCOA5 expression was significantly increased in breast cancer tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of NCOA5 suppressed breast cancer cell viability and migration, and induced cell adhesion. Compared with those in cells transfected with non-targeting negative control siRNA, the protein expression levels of N-cadherin and Vimentin were significantly decreased, whereas the protein expression levels of E-cadherin were significantly increased in cells transfected with siNCOA5. The present study demonstrated that knockdown of NCOA5 suppressed cell viability and migration, induced cell adhesion, and inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition of breast cancer cells, indicating that NCOA5 may serve a tumor-promoting role in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfang Tan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, People's Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, Sichuan 618000, P.R. China
| | - Fuhui Liu
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, P.R. China
| | - Pei Xu
- Department of Pathology, People's Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, Sichuan 618000, P.R. China
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25
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Ahram M, Bawadi R, Abdullah MS, Alsafadi DB, Abaza H, Abdallah S, Mustafa E. Involvement of β-catenin in Androgen-induced Mesenchymal Transition of Breast MDA-MB-453 Cancer Cells. Endocr Res 2021; 46:114-128. [PMID: 33703980 DOI: 10.1080/07435800.2021.1895829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Purpose The cellular and molecular dynamics of DHT-induced EMT in MDA-MB-453 cells were investigated.Methods:PCR arrays were used to examine the expression of EMT-regulatory genes. Immunoblotting was used to detect protein levels and confirm protein-protein interaction following immunoprecipitation. Immunofluorescence was used to observe rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton and cell morphology. Cell migration was assessed by transwell assayResults: Change of cell morphology was concomitant with increased cell migration after treating cells with DHT. Exposure of cells to DHT for one hour was sufficient to induce changes in cell morphology and actin cytoskeleton after 72 hours indicating altered gene expression. A long-term lasting nuclear translocation of AR was observed after a short exposure of cells to DHT. Investigating the expression of 84 EMT-related genes revealed down-expression of β-catenin, N-cadherin, and TCF-4 and increased expression of Slug, all of which were confirmed at the protein level. Yet, not only early interaction of AR and β-catenin was observed following AR activation, inhibition of β-catenin blocked DHT-induced mesenchymal transition and migration. Wnt signaling was found to be partially important in DHT-induced morphological alteration. The mesenchymal transition of cells could be induced by treating cells with an inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase-3β, an enzyme that inhibits β-catenin; this morphological transition could be reversed by antagonizing AR suggesting that AR functions downstream of β-catenin.Conclusions: These results suggest that MDA-MB-453 cells undergo partial EMT induced by DHT, β-catenin is critical for this phenotypic change, and AR probably reciprocally mediates the mesenchymal transition of these cells upon activation of GSK-3 β.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamoun Ahram
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Randa Bawadi
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Mohammad S Abdullah
- Department of Microbiology, Pathology, and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Dana B Alsafadi
- Department of Microbiology, Pathology, and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Haneen Abaza
- Department of Microbiology, Pathology, and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Sallam Abdallah
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Ebtihal Mustafa
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, the University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
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MiR-137-3p Inhibits Colorectal Cancer Cell Migration by Regulating a KDM1A-Dependent Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Dig Dis Sci 2021; 66:2272-2282. [PMID: 32749639 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-020-06518-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In colorectal cancer (CRC), miR-137-3p downregulation is associated with disease progression, but the mechanism is not fully understood. KDM1A, also known as LSD1, is upregulated in various cancer and promotes tumor metastasis. Interestingly, miR-137-3p is downregulated by hypoxia, which plays critical roles in tumor metastasis, and KDM1A is a miR-137-3p target gene in brain tumors. AIMS To study if CRC metastasis is regulated by a hypoxia/miR-137-3p/KDM1A axis and if the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process is involved. METHODS We measured the levels of miR-137-3p, KDM1A, and some EMT markers in CRC biopsy tissues and cell lines. We also investigated the regulation of KDM1A by miR-137-3p and the effects of KDM1A inhibition on the EMT process and cell migration. RESULTS We verified the low miR-137-3p and high KDM1A levels in CRC tumors. Inhibiting miR-137-3p upregulated KDM1A expression and promoted the invasiveness of CRC cells. KDM1A knockdown, or treatment with tranylcypromine, a specific KDM1A inhibitor, reduced the migration and invasion of CRC cells by inhibiting the EMT process. CRC cells cultured under hypoxic conditions expressed less miR-137-3p but more KDM1A than cells cultured under normal conditions, implying the involvement of miR-137-3p and KDM1A in hypoxia-induced tumor metastasis. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that MiR-137-3p inhibits CRC cell migration by regulating a KDM1A-dependent EMT process. Our study suggests that restoring the expression of miR-137-3p or targeting KDM1A might be potential therapeutic strategies for CRC.
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27
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Wang Q, Zheng D, Li Y, Zhang Y, Sui R, Chen Y, Liang H, Shi J, Pan R, Xu X, Sun D. Circular RNA circ_0001588 sponges miR-211-5p to facilitate the progression of glioblastoma via up-regulating YY1 expression. J Gene Med 2021; 23:e3371. [PMID: 34105224 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As the most common and detrimental brain tumor with high invasiveness and poor prognosis, glioblastoma (GBM) has severely threatened people's health globally. Therefore, it is of great importance and necessary to identify the molecular mechanisms involved in tumorigenesis and development, thus contributing to potential therapeutic targets and strategies. METHODS The level of circ_0001588 was detected in 68 pairs of GBM tissues and adjacent normal tissues and human glioma cell lines via a real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Then, the effect of circ_0001588 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of glioma cells was evaluated. In addition, potential downstream targets of circ_0001588 were forecasted by circBANK and Starbase. Their interaction was confirmed by introducing luciferase reporter assays. Moreover, sh-circ_0001588 transfected U251 cells were used to form tumors in vivo. Finally, the functional mechanism of circ_0001588 was identified by qRT-PCR, western blotting, xenograft and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays. RESULTS The expression of circ_0001588 is markedly up-regulated in GBM tissues and human gliomas cells. Additionally, increased expression of circ_0001588 is positively relevant with poor survival in GBM patients. The down-regulation of circ_0001588 distinctly inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of GBM in vitro, as well as tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, knockdown of circ_0001588 reduces the tumor volume and weight, enhances the relative IHC staining index of E-cadherin and decreases the relative IHC staining index of Ki-67, Yin Yang 1 (YY1) and vinmentin in vivo. Mechanistically, circ_0001588 locates in the cytoplasm, which is directly bound with miR-211-5p. Furthermore, circ_0001588 can positively regulate YY1 via sponging miR-211-5p. Moreover, circ_0001588 accelerates the proliferation, migration and invasion of GBM by modulating miR-211-5p/YY1 signaling. CONCLUSIONS These results illustrate a new circ_0001588/miR-211-5p/YY1 regulatory signaling axis in GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wang
- Radiation Oncology Department of Gastrointestinal & Urinary & Musculoskeletal, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Insititute, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110042, PR China
| | - Dahai Zheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong Province, 528300, PR China
| | - Yuhan Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Blue Cross Brain Hospital affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, 201101, PR China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Insititute, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110042, PR China
| | - Rui Sui
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Insititute, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110042, PR China
| | - Yi Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Insititute, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110042, PR China
| | - Haiyang Liang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Insititute, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110042, PR China
| | - Ji Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Insititute, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110042, PR China
| | - Renlong Pan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Blue Cross Brain Hospital affiliated to Tongji University, Shanghai, 201101, PR China
| | - Xiaobing Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong Province, 528300, PR China
| | - Deyu Sun
- Radiation Oncology Department of Gastrointestinal & Urinary & Musculoskeletal, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Insititute, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, 110042, PR China
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28
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Burandt E, Lübbersmeyer F, Gorbokon N, Büscheck F, Luebke AM, Menz A, Kluth M, Hube-Magg C, Hinsch A, Höflmayer D, Weidemann S, Fraune C, Möller K, Jacobsen F, Lebok P, Clauditz TS, Sauter G, Simon R, Uhlig R, Wilczak W, Steurer S, Minner S, Krech R, Dum D, Krech T, Marx AH, Bernreuther C. E-Cadherin expression in human tumors: a tissue microarray study on 10,851 tumors. Biomark Res 2021; 9:44. [PMID: 34090526 PMCID: PMC8180156 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-021-00299-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The E-Cadherin gene (CDH1, Cadherin 1), located at 16q22.1 encodes for a calcium-dependent membranous glycoprotein with an important role in cellular adhesion and polarity maintenance. METHODS To systematically determine E-Cadherin protein expression in normal and cancerous tissues, 14,637 tumor samples from 112 different tumor types and subtypes as well as 608 samples of 76 different normal tissue types were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in a tissue microarray format. RESULTS E-Cadherin was strongly expressed in normal epithelial cells of most organs. From 77 tumor entities derived from cell types normally positive for E-Cadherin, 35 (45.5%) retained at least a weak E-Cadherin immunostaining in ≥99% of cases and 61 (79.2%) in ≥90% of cases. Tumors with the highest rates of E-Cadherin loss included Merkel cell carcinoma, anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, lobular carcinoma of the breast, and sarcomatoid and small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas of the urinary bladder. Reduced E-Cadherin expression was linked to higher grade (p = 0.0009), triple negative receptor status (p = 0.0336), and poor prognosis (p = 0.0466) in invasive breast carcinoma of no special type, triple negative receptor status in lobular carcinoma of the breast (p = 0.0454), advanced pT stage (p = 0.0047) and lymph node metastasis in colorectal cancer (p < 0.0001), and was more common in recurrent than in primary prostate cancer (p < 0.0001). Of 29 tumor entities derived from E-Cadherin negative normal tissues, a weak to strong E-Cadherin staining could be detected in at least 10% of cases in 15 different tumor entities (51.7%). Tumors with the highest frequency of E-Cadherin upregulation included various subtypes of testicular germ cell tumors and renal cell carcinomas (RCC). E-Cadherin upregulation was more commonly seen in malignant than in benign soft tissue tumors (p = 0.0104) and was associated with advanced tumor stage (p = 0.0276) and higher grade (p = 0.0035) in clear cell RCC, and linked to advanced tumor stage (p = 0.0424) and poor prognosis in papillary RCC (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION E-Cadherin is consistently expressed in various epithelial cancers. Down-regulation or loss of E-Cadherin expression in cancers arising from E-Cadherin positive tissues as well as E-Cadherin neo-expression in cancers arising from E-Cadherin negative tissues is linked to cancer progression and may reflect tumor dedifferentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eike Burandt
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Felix Lübbersmeyer
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Natalia Gorbokon
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Büscheck
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andreas M Luebke
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anne Menz
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Martina Kluth
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Hube-Magg
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andrea Hinsch
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Doris Höflmayer
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sören Weidemann
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Fraune
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Möller
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Frank Jacobsen
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Lebok
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Till Sebastian Clauditz
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Guido Sauter
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ronald Simon
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Ria Uhlig
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Waldemar Wilczak
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Steurer
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Minner
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Krech
- Institute of Pathology, Clinical Center Osnabrueck, Osnabrueck, Germany
| | - David Dum
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Till Krech
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.,Institute of Pathology, Clinical Center Osnabrueck, Osnabrueck, Germany
| | - Andreas Holger Marx
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Pathology, Academic Hospital Fuerth, Fuerth, Germany
| | - Christian Bernreuther
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
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Bayir E, Sendemir A. Role of Intermediate Filaments in Blood-Brain Barrier in Health and Disease. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061400. [PMID: 34198868 PMCID: PMC8226756 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a highly selective cellular monolayer unique to the microvasculature of the central nervous system (CNS), and it mediates the communication of the CNS with the rest of the body by regulating the passage of molecules into the CNS microenvironment. Limitation of passage of substances through the BBB is mainly due to tight junctions (TJ) and adherens junctions (AJ) between brain microvascular endothelial cells. The importance of actin filaments and microtubules in establishing and maintaining TJs and AJs has been indicated; however, recent studies have shown that intermediate filaments are also important in the formation and function of cell–cell junctions. The most common intermediate filament protein in endothelial cells is vimentin. Vimentin plays a role in blood–brain barrier permeability in both cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions by affecting the actin and microtubule reorganization and by binding directly to VE-cadherin or integrin proteins. The BBB permeability increases due to the formation of stress fibers and the disruption of VE–cadherin interactions between two neighboring cells in various diseases, disrupting the fiber network of intermediate filament vimentin in different ways. Intermediate filaments may be long ignored key targets in regulation of BBB permeability in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ece Bayir
- Ege University Central Research Test and Analysis Laboratory Application and Research Center (EGE-MATAL), Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey;
| | - Aylin Sendemir
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey
- Department of Biomedical Technologies, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Science, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Turkey
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +90-232-3114817
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30
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Bornes L, Belthier G, van Rheenen J. Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in the Light of Plasticity and Hybrid E/M States. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10112403. [PMID: 34072345 PMCID: PMC8197992 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10112403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular program which leads to cells losing epithelial features, including cell polarity, cell-cell adhesion and attachment to the basement membrane, while gaining mesenchymal characteristics, such as invasive properties and stemness. This program is involved in embryogenesis, wound healing and cancer progression. Over the years, the role of EMT in cancer progression has been heavily debated, and the requirement of this process in metastasis even has been disputed. In this review, we discuss previous discrepancies in the light of recent findings on EMT, plasticity and hybrid E/M states. Moreover, we highlight various tumor microenvironmental cues and cell intrinsic signaling pathways that induce and sustain EMT programs, plasticity and hybrid E/M states. Lastly, we discuss how recent findings on plasticity, especially on those that enable cells to switch between hybrid E/M states, have changed our understanding on the role of EMT in cancer metastasis, stemness and therapy resistance.
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Jolly MK, Murphy RJ, Bhatia S, Whitfield HJ, Redfern A, Davis MJ, Thompson EW. Measuring and Modelling the Epithelial- Mesenchymal Hybrid State in Cancer: Clinical Implications. Cells Tissues Organs 2021; 211:110-133. [PMID: 33902034 DOI: 10.1159/000515289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The epithelial-mesenchymal (E/M) hybrid state has emerged as an important mediator of elements of cancer progression, facilitated by epithelial mesenchymal plasticity (EMP). We review here evidence for the presence, prognostic significance, and therapeutic potential of the E/M hybrid state in carcinoma. We further assess modelling predictions and validation studies to demonstrate stabilised E/M hybrid states along the spectrum of EMP, as well as computational approaches for characterising and quantifying EMP phenotypes, with particular attention to the emerging realm of single-cell approaches through RNA sequencing and protein-based techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Ryan J Murphy
- Queensland University of Technology, School of Mathematical Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sugandha Bhatia
- Queensland University of Technology, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Queensland University of Technology, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Holly J Whitfield
- Bioinformatics Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Redfern
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Fiona Stanley Hospital Campus, Perth, Washington, Australia
| | - Melissa J Davis
- Bioinformatics Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Erik W Thompson
- Queensland University of Technology, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Queensland University of Technology, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Nehme Z, Pasquereau S, Haidar Ahmad S, Coaquette A, Molimard C, Monnien F, Algros MP, Adotevi O, Diab Assaf M, Feugeas JP, Herbein G. Polyploid giant cancer cells, stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity elicited by human cytomegalovirus. Oncogene 2021; 40:3030-3046. [PMID: 33767437 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01715-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence is recognizing human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) as a potential oncogenic virus. We hereby provide the first experimental in vitro evidence for HCMV as a reprogramming vector, through the induction of dedifferentiation of mature human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs), generation of a polyploid giant cancer cell (PGCC) phenotype characterized by sustained growth of blastomere-like cells, in concordance with the acquisition of embryonic stem cells characteristics and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. HCMV presence parallels the succession of the observed cellular and molecular events potentially ensuing the transformation process. Correlation between PGCCs detection and HCMV presence in breast cancer tissue further validates our hypothesis in vivo. Our study indicates that some clinical HCMV strains conserve the potential to transform HMECs and fit with a "blastomere-like" model of oncogenesis, which may be relevant in the pathophysiology of breast cancer and other adenocarcinoma, especially of poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeina Nehme
- Department Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB EA4266, University of Bourgogne France-Comté, Besançon, France
- Lebanese University, Beyrouth, Lebanon
| | - Sébastien Pasquereau
- Department Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB EA4266, University of Bourgogne France-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Sandy Haidar Ahmad
- Department Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB EA4266, University of Bourgogne France-Comté, Besançon, France
- Lebanese University, Beyrouth, Lebanon
| | | | - Chloé Molimard
- Department of Pathology, CHRU Besançon, Besançon, France
| | - Franck Monnien
- Department of Pathology, CHRU Besançon, Besançon, France
| | | | - Olivier Adotevi
- INSERM, EFS BFC, UMR1098, RIGHT, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Interactions Greffon-Hôte-Tumeur/Ingénierie Cellulaire et Génique, Besançon, France
| | | | - Jean-Paul Feugeas
- INSERM, EFS BFC, UMR1098, RIGHT, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Interactions Greffon-Hôte-Tumeur/Ingénierie Cellulaire et Génique, Besançon, France
| | - Georges Herbein
- Department Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB EA4266, University of Bourgogne France-Comté, Besançon, France.
- Department of Virology, CHRU Besançon, Besançon, France.
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Yoshida GJ, Saya H. Molecular pathology underlying the robustness of cancer stem cells. Regen Ther 2021; 17:38-50. [PMID: 33869685 PMCID: PMC8024885 DOI: 10.1016/j.reth.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Intratumoral heterogeneity is tightly associated with the failure of anticancer treatment modalities including conventional chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and molecularly targeted therapy. Such heterogeneity is generated in an evolutionary manner not only as a result of genetic alterations but also by the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are proposed to exist at the top of a tumor cell hierarchy and are undifferentiated tumor cells that manifest enhanced tumorigenic and metastatic potential, self-renewal capacity, and therapeutic resistance. Properties that contribute to the robustness of CSCs include the abilities to withstand redox stress, to rapidly repair damaged DNA, to adapt to a hyperinflammatory or hyponutritious tumor microenvironment, and to expel anticancer drugs by the action of ATP-binding cassette transporters as well as plasticity with regard to the transition between dormant CSC and transit-amplifying progenitor cell phenotypes. In addition, CSCs manifest the phenomenon of metabolic reprogramming, which is essential for maintenance of their self-renewal potential and their ability to adapt to changes in the tumor microenvironment. Elucidation of the molecular underpinnings of these biological features of CSCs is key to the development of novel anticancer therapies. In this review, we highlight the pathological relevance of CSCs in terms of their hallmarks and identification, the properties of their niche—both in primary tumors and at potential sites of metastasis—and their resistance to oxidative stress dependent on system xc (−). Intratumoral heterogeneity driven by CSCs is responsible for therapeutic resistance. CTCs survive in the distant organs and achieve colonization, causing metastasis. E/M hybrid cancer cells due to partial EMT exhibit the highest metastatic potential. The CSC niche regulates stemness in metastatic disease as well as in primary tumor. Activation of system xc(-) by CD44 variant in CSCs is a promising therapeutic target.
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Key Words
- ABC, ATP-binding cassette
- ALDH, Aldehyde dehydrogenase
- BMP, Bone morphogenetic protein
- CAF, Cancer-associated fibroblast
- CD44 variant
- CD44v, CD44 variant
- CSC, Cancer stem cell
- CTC, Circulating tumor cell
- CagA, Cytotoxin-associated gene A
- Cancer stem cell
- DTC, Disseminated tumor cell
- E/M, Epithelial/mesenchymal
- ECM, Extracellular matrix
- EGF, Epidermal growth factor
- EMT, Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
- EpCAM, Epithelial cell adhesion moleculeE
- Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)
- GSC, Glioma stem cell
- GSH, reduced glutathione
- HGF, Hepatocyte growth factor
- HNSCC, Head and neck squamous cell cancer
- IL, Interleukin
- Intratumoral heterogeneity
- MAPK, mitogen-activated protein kinase
- MET, mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition
- NSCLC, non–small cell lung cancer
- Niche
- Nrf2, nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2
- OXPHOS, Oxidative phosphorylation
- Plasticity
- Prrx1, Paired-related homeodomain transcription factor 1
- ROS, Reactive oxygen species
- SRP1, Epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1
- TGF-β, Transforming growth factor–β
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Affiliation(s)
- Go J Yoshida
- Division of Gene Regulation, Institute for Advanced Medical Research (IAMR), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Saya
- Division of Gene Regulation, Institute for Advanced Medical Research (IAMR), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Up-regulated microRNA-33b inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gallbladder cancer through down-regulating CROCC. Biosci Rep 2021; 40:221400. [PMID: 31799620 PMCID: PMC6954365 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20190108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a relatively rare but fatal gastrointestinal tumor. The microRNA-33b (miR-33b), a member of miR-33 family, is reported to function as a tumor suppressor in various cancers. Notably, miR-33 was predicted to target CROCC based on microarray-based analysis. Hereby, we aimed to characterize the effect of miR-33b on epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in GBC and the potential mechanism involved with the regulation of CROCC. In GBC cell lines, miR-33b expressed at low levels, and CROCC expressed at high levels, with enhanced EMT process. To further examine the specific mechanism of miR-33b and CROCC in GBC, the GBC cells were treated with the miR-33b mimic/inhibitor or siRNA-CROCC to assess the expression alteration of EMT-related genes and cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. MiR-33b was verified to target and down-regulate the expression of CROCC. The miR-33b up-regulation or CROCC silencing was observed to increase the level of E-cadherin but decrease the levels of N-cadherin and Vimentin, corresponding to impeded cell proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT, and tumor growth. The findings suggest that miR-33b up-regulation hinders GBC development through down-regulating CROCC, which was achieved by inhibition of EMT. The present study may provide an insight on a novel target for GBC treatment.
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Ouyang J, Hu C, Zhang X, Wu Q. miRNA-200a Regulating Proliferation, Migration, and Infiltration of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells by Targeting DEK Proto-Oncogene. J BIOMATER TISS ENG 2021. [DOI: 10.1166/jbt.2021.2651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is the most frequently occurring oral cancer and is characterized by high proliferation and metastasis rates. Incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis of TSCC coupled with frequent tongue movement increases the difficulty of therapy. Additionally,
TSCC is prone to recurrence and metastasis after treatment. Thus, exploring mechanisms of proliferation, migration, and infiltration of TSCC cancer cells is essential for reducing morbidity and mortality. Transfection of miRNA-200a mimics into SCC15 cells showed that miRNA-200a expression
decreased significantly, and DEK expression significantly increased. Transfection of miRNA-200a mimics (miRNA-200a group), negative control mimics (miRNA-NC group), empty vector (miRNA-200a + pcDNA3.1 group), and miRNA-200a mimics and DEK overexpression vector (miRNA-200a + DEK group) into
SCC15 cells respectively indicates that overexpression of miRNA-200a substantially inhibits SCC15 cell proliferation, infiltration and migration, decreases PCNA and Vimentin expression, and promotes E-cadherin expression. miRNA-200a + DEK transfection induced greater cell proliferation, infiltration
and migration, much higher PCNA and Vimentin expression, and significantly lower E-cadherin expression. Luciferase reporter gene detection of overexpressed DEK or DEK expression after inhibiting miRNA-200a expression indicated a targeting association between miRNA-200a and DEK. miRNA-200a
inhibits proliferation, infiltration and migration ability of TSCC by targeting DEK and may represent a novel means for clinical intervention in TSCC. miRNA-200a inhibits proliferation, invasion, and migration of TSCC by targeting DEK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajie Ouyang
- Department of Stomatology, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Shunde, Foshan), Foshan 528300, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Chao Hu
- Department of Stomatology, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Shunde, Foshan), Foshan 528300, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xueyang Zhang
- Department of Stomatology, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Shunde, Foshan), Foshan 528300, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Qianqi Wu
- Department of Stomatology, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Shunde, Foshan), Foshan 528300, Guangdong, PR China
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Sabtu SN, Sani SFA, Looi LM, Chiew SF, Pathmanathan D, Bradley DA, Osman Z. Indication of high lipid content in epithelial-mesenchymal transitions of breast tissues. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3250. [PMID: 33547362 PMCID: PMC7864999 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81426-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial process in cancer progression and metastasis. Study of metabolic changes during the EMT process is important in seeking to understand the biochemical changes associated with cancer progression, not least in scoping for therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting EMT. Due to the potential for high sensitivity and specificity, Raman spectroscopy was used here to study the metabolic changes associated with EMT in human breast cancer tissue. For Raman spectroscopy measurements, tissue from 23 patients were collected, comprising non-lesional, EMT and non-EMT formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded breast cancer samples. Analysis was made in the fingerprint Raman spectra region (600-1800 cm-1) best associated with cancer progression biochemical changes in lipid, protein and nucleic acids. The ANOVA test followed by the Tukey's multiple comparisons test were conducted to see if there existed differences between non-lesional, EMT and non-EMT breast tissue for Raman spectroscopy measurements. Results revealed that significant differences were evident in terms of intensity between the non-lesional and EMT samples, as well as the EMT and non-EMT samples. Multivariate analysis involving independent component analysis, Principal component analysis and non-negative least square were used to analyse the Raman spectra data. The results show significant differences between EMT and non-EMT cancers in lipid, protein, and nucleic acids. This study demonstrated the capability of Raman spectroscopy supported by multivariate analysis in analysing metabolic changes in EMT breast cancer tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siti Norbaini Sabtu
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - S F Abdul Sani
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - L M Looi
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - S F Chiew
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Dharini Pathmanathan
- Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - D A Bradley
- Centre for Biomedical Physics, Sunway University, Jalan Universiti, 46150, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
- Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Z Osman
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Aggarwal V, Montoya CA, Donnenberg VS, Sant S. Interplay between tumor microenvironment and partial EMT as the driver of tumor progression. iScience 2021; 24:102113. [PMID: 33659878 PMCID: PMC7892926 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), an evolutionary conserved phenomenon, has been extensively studied to address the unresolved variable treatment response across therapeutic regimes in cancer subtypes. EMT has long been envisaged to regulate tumor invasion, migration, and therapeutic resistance during tumorigenesis. However, recently it has been highlighted that EMT involves an intermediate partial EMT (pEMT) phenotype, defined by incomplete loss of epithelial markers and incomplete gain of mesenchymal markers. It has been further emphasized that pEMT transition involves a spectrum of intermediate hybrid states on either side of pEMT spectrum. Emerging evidence underlines bi-directional crosstalk between tumor cells and surrounding microenvironment in acquisition of pEMT phenotype. Although much work is still ongoing to gain mechanistic insights into regulation of pEMT phenotype, it is evident that pEMT plays a critical role in tumor aggressiveness, invasion, migration, and metastasis along with therapeutic resistance. In this review, we focus on important role of tumor-intrinsic factors and tumor microenvironment in driving pEMT and emphasize that engineered controlled microenvironments are instrumental to provide mechanistic insights into pEMT biology. We also discuss the significance of pEMT in regulating hallmarks of tumor progression i.e. cell cycle regulation, collective migration, and therapeutic resistance. Although constantly evolving, current progress and momentum in the pEMT field holds promise to unravel new therapeutic targets to halt tumor progression at early stages as well as tackle the complex therapeutic resistance observed across many cancer types. Partial EMT phenotype drives key hallmarks of tumor progression Role of tumor microenvironment in pEMT phenotype via cellular signaling pathways Engineering 3D in vitro models to study pEMT phenotype Opportunities and challenges in understanding pEMT phenotype
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaishali Aggarwal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Catalina Ardila Montoya
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Vera S Donnenberg
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Shilpa Sant
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy; Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering; McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, 700 Technology Drive, Room 4307, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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38
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Regulatory mechanisms and clinical significance of vimentin in breast cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 133:111068. [PMID: 33378968 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.111068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Vimentin, a kind of intermediate filament protein III in mesenchymal cells, has become a highly researched topic around the world in recent years, as it holds complex biological functions and plays an important role in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the evolution of various tumors. This article reviews the biological function of vimentin and its relationship with breast cancer in order to provide novel ideas about the clinical diagnosis and targeted therapy of breast cancer.
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The Intimate Relationship Among EMT, MET and TME: A T(ransdifferentiation) E(nhancing) M(ix) to Be Exploited for Therapeutic Purposes. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12123674. [PMID: 33297508 PMCID: PMC7762343 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Intratumoral heterogeneity is considered the major cause of drug resistance and hence treatment failure in cancer patients. Tumor cells are known for their phenotypic plasticity that is the ability of a cell to reprogram and change its identity to eventually adopt multiple phenotypes. Tumor cell plasticity involves the reactivation of developmental programs, the acquisition of cancer stem cell properties and an enhanced potential for retro- or transdifferentiation. A well-known transdifferentiation mechanism is the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Current evidence suggests a complex interplay between EMT, genetic and epigenetic alterations, and various signals from the tumor microenvironment (TME) in shaping a tumor cell’s plasticity. The vulnerabilities exposed by cancer cells when residing in a plastic or stem-like state have the potential to be exploited therapeutically, i.e., by converting highly metastatic cells into less aggressive or even harmless postmitotic ones. Abstract Intratumoral heterogeneity is considered the major cause of drug unresponsiveness in cancer and accumulating evidence implicates non-mutational resistance mechanisms rather than genetic mutations in its development. These non-mutational processes are largely driven by phenotypic plasticity, which is defined as the ability of a cell to reprogram and change its identity (phenotype switching). Tumor cell plasticity is characterized by the reactivation of developmental programs that are closely correlated with the acquisition of cancer stem cell properties and an enhanced potential for retrodifferentiation or transdifferentiation. A well-studied mechanism of phenotypic plasticity is the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Current evidence suggests a complex interplay between EMT, genetic and epigenetic alterations, and clues from the tumor microenvironment in cell reprogramming. A deeper understanding of the connections between stem cell, epithelial–mesenchymal, and tumor-associated reprogramming events is crucial to develop novel therapies that mitigate cell plasticity and minimize the evolution of tumor heterogeneity, and hence drug resistance. Alternatively, vulnerabilities exposed by tumor cells when residing in a plastic or stem-like state may be exploited therapeutically, i.e., by converting them into less aggressive or even postmitotic cells. Tumor cell plasticity thus presents a new paradigm for understanding a cancer’s resistance to therapy and deciphering its underlying mechanisms.
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40
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Bai X, He C, Fu B, Kong X, Bu J, Zhu K, Zheng W, Zhou F, Ni B. microRNA-877 contributes to decreased non-small cell lung cancer cell growth via the PI3K/AKT pathway by targeting tartrate resistant acid phosphatase 5 activity. Cell Cycle 2020; 19:3260-3276. [PMID: 33222607 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2020.1839697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. microRNAs (miRs) can exert important functions in cancer development. However, the role of miR-877 in NSCLC as it relates to tartrate resistant acid phosphatase 5 (ACP5) is unknown. For this study, the gain-and-loss-of-function experiments were performed to explore the effects of miR-877 and ACP5 on NSCLC. miR-877 expression in LC and paracancerous tissues, lung epithelial cell line and NSCLC cell lines was detected, and the association between miR-877 expression and clinical features of LC patients was analyzed. The levels of ACP5, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and apoptosis-related proteins were measured. In vivo experiments were conducted for further validation. Consequently, we found that miR-877 expression was lowered in LC tissues and cell lines, and correlated with clinical stage, differentiation, lymph node metastasis and prognosis of NSCLC patients. Additionally, miR-877 was determined to inhibit ACP5 activity, and miR-877 downregulated the PI3K/AKT pathway by silencing ACP5. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-877 inhibited the viability, migration, invasion and EMT of NSCLC cells, but promoted cell apoptosis. In conclusion, miR-877 overexpression inhibited malignant biological behaviors of NSCLC cells by downregulating ACP5 and inactivating the PI3K/AKT pathway.
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41
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Sinha D, Saha P, Samanta A, Bishayee A. Emerging Concepts of Hybrid Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Cancer Progression. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1561. [PMID: 33207810 PMCID: PMC7697085 DOI: 10.3390/biom10111561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex process through which epithelial (E) cells lose their adherens junctions, transform into mesenchymal (M) cells and attain motility, leading to metastasis at distant organs. Nowadays, the concept of EMT has shifted from a binary phase of interconversion of pure E to M cells and vice versa to a spectrum of E/M transition states preferably coined as hybrid/partial/intermediate EMT. Hybrid EMT, being a plastic transient state, harbours cells which co-express both E and M markers and exhibit high tumourigenic properties, leading to stemness, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Several preclinical and clinical studies provided the evidence of co-existence of E/M phenotypes. Regulators including transcription factors, epigenetic regulators and phenotypic stability factors (PSFs) help in maintaining the hybrid state. Computational and bioinformatics approaches may be excellent for identifying new factors or combinations of regulatory elements that govern the different EMT transition states. Therapeutic intervention against hybrid E/M cells, though few, may evolve as a rational strategy against metastasis and drug resistance. This review has attempted to present the recent advancements on the concept and regulation of the process of hybrid EMT which generates hybrid E/M phenotypes, evidence of intermediate EMT in both preclinical and clinical setup, impact of partial EMT on promoting tumourigenesis, and future strategies which might be adapted to tackle this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dona Sinha
- Department of Receptor Biology and Tumour Metastasis, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata 700 026, India; (P.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Priyanka Saha
- Department of Receptor Biology and Tumour Metastasis, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata 700 026, India; (P.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Anurima Samanta
- Department of Receptor Biology and Tumour Metastasis, Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata 700 026, India; (P.S.); (A.S.)
| | - Anupam Bishayee
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Bradenton, FL 34211, USA
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Anticancer Activity of Modified Tongyou Decoction on Eca109 Esophageal Cancer Cell Invasion and Metastasis through Regulation of the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Mediated by the HIF-1 α-Snail Axis. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2020; 2020:3053506. [PMID: 33062005 PMCID: PMC7542498 DOI: 10.1155/2020/3053506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background To explore the activity of Modified Tongyou Decoction (MTD) against Eca109 esophageal cancer (EC) cell invasion and metastasis and to ascertain the mechanism of its anticancer activity during the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as mediated by the HIF-1α-Snail axis. Methods Herbal compounds were prepared by ethanol extraction, and 6 herbs composing into MTD were dipped in water-free ethanol and filtered. The filtrate was collected and centrifuged. The remains were concentrated into a paste which was adjusted to 5000mg/mL concentration with DMSO. PBS was used to dilute the herbal solution to the half maximal inhibitory concentration. A hypoxic microenvironment was induced with CoCl2 in RPMI 1640 medium, in which Eca109 cells were cultured. The cytotoxicity of MTD was determined with CCK-8 assay. The activity of MTD against cell invasion and metastasis was explored with scratch assay and transwell assay. Western blot analysis was conducted to analyze the anticancer effects of MTD on the expression of HIF-1α-Snail axis- and EMT-related proteins. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to assess the mRNA expression of Snail. Immunofluorescence labeling was performed to examine how MTD affected the coexpression of Snail and HIF-1α. Results The fifty percent inhibitory dose of MTD was 1410 μg/mL in the normoxic environment and 1823 μg/mL in the hypoxic environment based on the CCK-8 assay. The scratch assay showed that MTD significantly inhibited cell migration in both the normoxic and hypoxic microenvironments compared with the control groups (P < 0.05). The transwell assay showed that MTD significantly inhibited cell invasion in both the normoxic and hypoxic environments compared with the control groups (P < 0.05). Western blot showed that MTD significantly inhibited the expression of the HIF-1α, Snail, Vimentin, MMP-2, MMP-9, and VE-cadherin proteins and significantly induced the expression of E-cadherin in both the normoxic and hypoxic microenvironments compared with the control groups (P < 0.05). qRT-PCR indicated that MTD significantly inhibited Snail mRNA expression compared with that in the control groups (P < 0.05). Immunofluorescence assay showed that MTD significantly inhibited the coexpression of HIF-1α and Snail in both the normoxic and hypoxic microenvironments compared with the control groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion MTD downregulated HIF-1α-Snail axis- and EMT-related proteins to inhibit EC cell invasion and metastasis in both the normoxic and hypoxic environments.
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Lin Z, Fan Z, Zhang X, Wan J, Liu T. Cellular plasticity and drug resistance in sarcoma. Life Sci 2020; 263:118589. [PMID: 33069737 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Sarcomas, originating from mesenchymal progenitor stem cells, are a group of rare malignant tumors with poor prognosis. Wide surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are the most common sarcoma treatments. However, sarcomas' response rates to chemotherapy are quite low and sarcoma cells can have intrinsic or acquired resistance after treatment with chemotherapeutics drugs, leading to the development of multi-drug resistance (MDR). Cancer cellular plasticity plays pivotal roles in cancer initiation, progression, therapy resistance and cancer relapse. Moreover, cancer cellular plasticity can be regulated by a multitude of factors, such as genetic and epigenetic alterations, tumor microenvironment (TME) or selective pressure imposed by treatment. Recent studies have demonstrated that cellular plasticity is involved in sarcoma progression and chemoresistance. It's essential to understand the molecular mechanisms of cellular plasticity as well as its roles in sarcoma progression and drug resistance. Therefore, this review focuses on the regulatory mechanisms and pathological roles of these diverse cellular plasticity programs in sarcoma. Additionally, we propose cellular plasticity as novel therapeutic targets to reduce sarcoma drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengjun Lin
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, China.
| | - Zhihua Fan
- Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, China
| | - Xianghong Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jia Wan
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tang Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
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Sundararajan V, Pang QY, Choolani M, Huang RYJ. Spotlight on the Granules (Grainyhead-Like Proteins) - From an Evolutionary Conserved Controller of Epithelial Trait to Pioneering the Chromatin Landscape. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:213. [PMID: 32974388 PMCID: PMC7471608 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the transcription factors that are conserved across phylogeny, the grainyhead family holds vital roles in driving the epithelial cell fate. In Drosophila, the function of grainyhead (grh) gene is essential during developmental processes such as epithelial differentiation, tracheal tube formation, maintenance of wing and hair polarity, and epidermal barrier wound repair. Three main mammalian orthologs of grh: Grainyhead-like 1-3 (GRHL1, GRHL2, and GRHL3) are highly conserved in terms of their gene structures and functions. GRHL proteins are essentially associated with the development and maintenance of the epithelial phenotype across diverse physiological conditions such as epidermal differentiation and craniofacial development as well as pathological functions including hearing impairment and neural tube defects. More importantly, through direct chromatin binding and induction of epigenetic alterations, GRHL factors function as potent suppressors of oncogenic cellular dedifferentiation program - epithelial-mesenchymal transition and its associated tumor-promoting phenotypes such as tumor cell migration and invasion. On the contrary, GRHL factors also induce pro-tumorigenic effects such as increased migration and anchorage-independent growth in certain tumor types. Furthermore, investigations focusing on the epithelial-specific activation of grh and GRHL factors have revealed that these factors potentially act as a pioneer factor in establishing a cell-type/cell-state specific accessible chromatin landscape that is exclusive for epithelial gene transcription. In this review, we highlight the essential roles of grh and GRHL factors during embryogenesis and pathogenesis, with a special focus on its emerging pioneering function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vignesh Sundararajan
- Center for Translational Medicine, Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Qing You Pang
- Center for Translational Medicine, Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mahesh Choolani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ruby Yun-Ju Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Oncology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Gaponova AV, Rodin S, Mazina AA, Volchkov PV. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition: Role in Cancer Progression and the Perspectives of Antitumor Treatment. Acta Naturae 2020; 12:4-23. [PMID: 33173593 PMCID: PMC7604894 DOI: 10.32607/actanaturae.11010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
About 90% of all malignant tumors are of epithelial nature. The epithelial tissue is characterized by a close interconnection between cells through cell-cell interactions, as well as a tight connection with the basement membrane, which is responsible for cell polarity. These interactions strictly determine the location of epithelial cells within the body and are seemingly in conflict with the metastatic potential that many cancers possess (the main criteria for highly malignant tumors). Tumor dissemination into vital organs is one of the primary causes of death in patients with cancer. Tumor dissemination is based on the so-called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process when epithelial cells are transformed into mesenchymal cells possessing high mobility and migration potential. More and more studies elucidating the role of the EMT in metastasis and other aspects of tumor progression are published each year, thus forming a promising field of cancer research. In this review, we examine the most recent data on the intracellular and extracellular molecular mechanisms that activate EMT and the role they play in various aspects of tumor progression, such as metastasis, apoptotic resistance, and immune evasion, aspects that have usually been attributed exclusively to cancer stem cells (CSCs). In conclusion, we provide a detailed review of the approved and promising drugs for cancer therapy that target the components of the EMT signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. V. Gaponova
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701 Russia
| | - S. Rodin
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 17177 Sweden
| | - A. A. Mazina
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701 Russia
| | - P. V. Volchkov
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701 Russia
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Wong KK. DNMT1: A key drug target in triple-negative breast cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2020; 72:198-213. [PMID: 32461152 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer. Altered epigenetics regulation including DNA hypermethylation by DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) has been implicated as one of the causes of TNBC tumorigenesis. In this review, the oncogenic functions rendered by DNMT1 in TNBCs, and DNMT1 inhibitors targeting TNBC cells are presented and discussed. In summary, DNMT1 expression is associated with poor breast cancer survival, and it is overexpressed in TNBC subtype. The oncogenic roles of DNMT1 in TNBCs include: (1) Repression of estrogen receptor (ER) expression; (2) Promotion of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) required for metastasis; (3) Induces cellular autophagy and; (4) Promotes the growth of cancer stem cells in TNBCs. DNMT1 confers these phenotypes by hypermethylating the promoter regions of ER, multiple tumor suppressor genes, microRNAs and epithelial markers involved in suppressing EMT. DNMT1 inhibitors exert anti-tumorigenic effects against TNBC cells. This includes the hypomethylating agents azacitidine, decitabine and guadecitabine that might sensitize TNBC patients to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. DNMT1 represents an epigenetic target for TNBC cells destruction as well as to derail their metastatic and aggressive phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kah Keng Wong
- Department of Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
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SNAI1-Driven Sequential EMT Changes Attributed by Selective Chromatin Enrichment of RAD21 and GRHL2. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051140. [PMID: 32370157 PMCID: PMC7281482 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Over two decades of research on cancer-associated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) led us to ascertain the occurrence of transitional intermediate states (collectively referred to as the EMT spectrum). Among the molecular factors that drive EMT, SNAI1 plays an indispensable role in regulating other core transcription factors, and this regulation is highly context-dependent. However, molecular investigation on this context-dependent regulation is still lacking. Using two ovarian cancer cell lines, we show that SNAI1 regulation on other core EMT-TFs switches from a repressive control in highly epithelial cells to an activation signaling in intermediate epithelial cells. Upon further scrutiny, we identify that the expression of early epithelial genes PERP and ERBB3 are differentially regulated in SNAI1-induced sequential EMT changes. Mechanistically, we show that changes in PERP and ERBB3 transcript levels could be correlated to the selective enrichment loss of RAD21, a cohesin component, at the distal enhancer sites of PERP and ERBB3, which precedes that of the proximal promoter-associated sites. Furthermore, the RAD21 enrichment at the distal enhancer sites is dependent on GRHL2 expression. In a nutshell, the alteration of GRHL2-associated RAD21 enrichment in epithelial genes is crucial to redefine the transition of cellular states along the EMT spectrum.
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Chang J, Hong L, Liu Y, Pan Y, Yang H, Ye W, Xu K, Li Z, Zhang S. Targeting PIK3CG in Combination with Paclitaxel as a Potential Therapeutic Regimen in Claudin-Low Breast Cancer. Cancer Manag Res 2020; 12:2641-2651. [PMID: 32368142 PMCID: PMC7182462 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s250171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Molecular targeting is a powerful approach for aggressive claudin-low breast cancer (CLBC). Overexpression of PI3K catalytic subunit gamma (PIK3CG) in human CLBC is offering a promising opportunity for targeted therapies. We utilized a specific inhibitor of PIK3CG combined with paclitaxel (PTX) to treat CLBC cells in vitro and in vivo. Patients and Methods The tumor cells growth and apoptosis in vitro were analyzed by CCK8, plate clone formation assay, tumorsphere assay, Hoechst staining and flow cytometry. The invasion and metastasis ability of tumor cells in vitro were investigated by wound healing and transwell experiments. Critical gene expression levels were checked by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Xenograft models with CLBC cell lines in SCID mice were established to investigate the effect of combined drugs in vivo. Results We identified that PIK3CG was a potential therapeutic target for CLBC patients. Targeting PIK3CG potentiated CLBC cells growth inhibition in 2D and 3D cultures by PTX. Inhibition of PIK3CG activation could enhance CLBC cells apoptosis and migration suppression induced by PTX. Manipulating autophagy was a validated approach for the use of PIK3CG inhibitor. Using CLBC xenograft mice model, we found that CLBC tumors in vivo could be well treated by combined drugs of PIK3CG inhibitor and PTX. Conclusion We demonstrated that PIK3CG was a potential target for the therapy of CLBC and inhibition of PIK3CG activation could reinforce the therapeutic effect of this aggressive disease by PTX. The combined use of PIK3CG inhibitor and PTX might be a potential regimen for treating this subtype of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, People's Republic of China.,Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Ling Hong
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaozhong Liu
- Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiwen Pan
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Yang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenrui Ye
- Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Keli Xu
- Cancer Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Zhijian Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, People's Republic of China
| | - Shubing Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410011, People's Republic of China.,Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, People's Republic of China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, People's Republic of China.,Breast Cancer Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, People's Republic of China
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Jørgensen CLT, Forsare C, Bendahl PO, Falck AK, Fernö M, Lövgren K, Aaltonen K, Rydén L. Expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related markers and phenotypes during breast cancer progression. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2020; 181:369-381. [PMID: 32300922 PMCID: PMC7188722 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-020-05627-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Purpose The study aimed to investigate expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins and phenotypes during breast cancer progression and to relate this to patient outcome. Methods Protein expression patterns of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, twist, and vimentin were examined by immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples from primary tumors (PTs) (n = 419), synchronous lymph node metastases (LNMs) (n = 131) and recurrences (n = 34) from patients included in an observational prospective primary breast cancer study. Markers were evaluated individually and combined as defined EMT phenotypes (epithelial, mesenchymal, partial EMT, and negative). EMT profiles were compared between matched tumor progression stages, and related to clinicopathological data and distant recurrence-free interval (DRFi). Results N-cadherin-positivity, vimentin-positivity, mesenchymal and partial EMT phenotypes were associated with more aggressive tumor characteristics such as triple-negative subtype. Single EMT markers and phenotype discordance rates between paired tumor samples were observed in the range of 2–35%. Non-epithelial phenotypes were more frequently identified in recurrences compared to PTs, however, no skewness of expression or phenotype was detected between PTs and matched LNMs or between PTs and matched recurrences (Exact McNemar test). Interestingly, patients with a twist positive PT had shorter DRFi, compared to patients with a twist negative PT (hazard ratio (HR) 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–5.1, P = 0.02). Essentially, the same effect was seen in multivariable analysis (HR 2.5, 95% CI 0.97–6.6, P = 0.06). Conclusion The epithelial phenotype was indicated to be lost between PTs and recurrences as a reflection of tumor progression. Twist status of the PT was related to long-term prognosis warranting further investigation in larger cohorts. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10549-020-05627-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Levin Tykjær Jørgensen
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University, Medicon Village, Building 404, 22381, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Carina Forsare
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University, Medicon Village, Building 404, 22381, Lund, Sweden
| | - Pär-Ola Bendahl
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University, Medicon Village, Building 404, 22381, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anna-Karin Falck
- Department of Surgery, Helsingborg Hospital, Helsingborg, Sweden
| | - Mårten Fernö
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University, Medicon Village, Building 404, 22381, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kristina Lövgren
- Division of Oncology and Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University, Medicon Village, Building 404, 22381, Lund, Sweden
| | - Kristina Aaltonen
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Lisa Rydén
- Division of Surgery, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Department of Surgery, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
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A Novel Approach for Quantifying Cancer Cells Showing Hybrid Epithelial/Mesenchymal States in Large Series of Tissue Samples: Towards a New Prognostic Marker. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12040906. [PMID: 32276404 PMCID: PMC7226581 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12040906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In cancer biology, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with tumorigenesis, stemness, invasion, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. Evidence of co-expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers suggests that EMT should be a stepwise process with distinct intermediate states rather than a binary switch. In the present study, we propose a morphological approach that enables the detection and quantification of cancer cells with hybrid E/M states, i.e., which combine partially epithelial (E) and partially mesenchymal (M) states. This approach is based on a sequential immunohistochemistry technique performed on the same tissue section, the digitization of whole slides, and image processing. The aim is to extract quantitative indicators able to quantify the presence of hybrid E/M states in large series of human cancer samples and to analyze their relationship with cancer aggressiveness. As a proof of concept, we applied our methodology to a series of about a hundred urothelial carcinomas and demonstrated that the presence of cancer cells with hybrid E/M phenotypes at the time of diagnosis is strongly associated with a poor prognostic value, independently of standard clinicopathological features. Although validation on a larger case series and other cancer types is required, our data support the hybrid E/M score as a promising prognostic biomarker for carcinoma patients.
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