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Ali JH, Walter M. Combining old and new concepts in targeting telomerase for cancer therapy: transient, immediate, complete and combinatory attack (TICCA). Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:197. [PMID: 37679807 PMCID: PMC10483736 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-03041-2] [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: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase can overcome replicative senescence by elongation of telomeres but is also a specific element in most cancer cells. It is expressed more vastly than any other tumor marker. Telomerase as a tumor target inducing replicative immortality can be overcome by only one other mechanism: alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). This limits the probability to develop resistance to treatments. Moreover, telomerase inhibition offers some degree of specificity with a low risk of toxicity in normal cells. Nevertheless, only one telomerase antagonist reached late preclinical studies. The underlying causes, the pitfalls of telomerase-based therapies, and future chances based on recent technical advancements are summarized in this review. Based on new findings and approaches, we propose a concept how long-term survival in telomerase-based cancer therapies can be significantly improved: the TICCA (Transient Immediate Complete and Combinatory Attack) strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaber Haj Ali
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Universitätsmedizin Rostock, Ernst-Heydemann-Straße 6, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Michael Walter
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Universitätsmedizin Rostock, Ernst-Heydemann-Straße 6, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
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2
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da Mota THA, Camargo R, Biojone ER, Guimarães AFR, Pittella-Silva F, de Oliveira DM. The Relevance of Telomerase and Telomere-Associated Proteins in B-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030691. [PMID: 36980962 PMCID: PMC10048576 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres and telomerase are closely linked to uncontrolled cellular proliferation, immortalization and carcinogenesis. Telomerase has been largely studied in the context of cancer, including leukemias. Deregulation of human telomerase gene hTERT is a well-established step in leukemia development. B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) recovery rates exceed 90% in children; however, the relapse rate is around 20% among treated patients, and 10% of these are still incurable. This review highlights the biological and clinical relevance of telomerase for B-ALL and the implications of its canonical and non-canonical action on signaling pathways in the context of disease and treatment. The physiological role of telomerase in lymphocytes makes the study of its biomarker potential a great challenge. Nevertheless, many works have demonstrated that high telomerase activity or hTERT expression, as well as short telomeres, correlate with poor prognosis in B-ALL. Telomerase and related proteins have been proven to be promising pharmacological targets. Likewise, combined therapy with telomerase inhibitors may turn out to be an alternative strategy for B-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tales Henrique Andrade da Mota
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology of Cancer, University of Brasilia, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
- Laboratory of Molecular Analysis, Faculty of Ceilândia, University of Brasilia, Brasilia 72220-275, Brazil
- Correspondence:
| | - Ricardo Camargo
- Brasília Children’s Hospital José Alencar, Brasilia 70684-831, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Flávia Reis Guimarães
- Laboratory of Molecular Analysis, Faculty of Ceilândia, University of Brasilia, Brasilia 72220-275, Brazil
| | - Fabio Pittella-Silva
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology of Cancer, University of Brasilia, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
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3
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de Lima MF, Freitas MO, Hamedani MK, Rangel-Pozzo A, Zhu XD, Mai S. Consecutive Inhibition of Telomerase and Alternative Lengthening Pathway Promotes Hodgkin's Lymphoma Cell Death. Biomedicines 2022; 10:2299. [PMID: 36140400 PMCID: PMC9496562 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomere maintenance is key during cancer development. Malignant cells can either use telomerase or an alternative lengthening of telomere (ALT) pathway to maintain their telomere length. In Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL), the presence of telomerase activation is established. The activation of ALT has been reported recently. Our data confirm this notion describing co-localization of the phosphorylated form of telomeric repeat-binding factor 1 (pT371-TRF1) with ALT-associated promyelocytic leukemia bodies. Surprisingly, to our knowledge, there are no published studies targeting both telomere maintenance pathways in HL. Consequently, we investigated, for the first time, the effects of both telomerase and ALT inhibition on HL cell viability: We inhibited telomerase and/or ALT, given either individually, simultaneously, or consecutively. We report that the inhibition of telomerase using BIBR1532 followed by ALT inhibition, using trabectedin, caused a decrease of greater than 90% in cell viability in three patient-derived HL cell lines. Our results suggest that HL cells are most vulnerable to the consecutive inhibition of telomerase followed by ALT inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Fabiao de Lima
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
| | - Monique Oliveira Freitas
- Genetic Service, Institute of Paediatrics and Puericulture Martagão Gesteira (IPPMG), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-912, Brazil
| | - Mohammad K. Hamedani
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
| | - Aline Rangel-Pozzo
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
| | - Xu-Dong Zhu
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Sabine Mai
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
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Gao J, Pickett HA. Targeting telomeres: advances in telomere maintenance mechanism-specific cancer therapies. Nat Rev Cancer 2022; 22:515-532. [PMID: 35790854 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-022-00490-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cells establish replicative immortality by activating a telomere-maintenance mechanism (TMM), be it telomerase or the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway. Targeting telomere maintenance represents an intriguing opportunity to treat the vast majority of all cancer types. Whilst telomerase inhibitors have historically been heralded as promising anticancer agents, the reality has been more challenging, and there are currently no therapeutic options for cancer types that use ALT despite their aggressive nature and poor prognosis. In this Review, we discuss the mechanistic differences between telomere maintenance by telomerase and ALT, the current methods used to detect each mechanism, the utility of these tests for clinical diagnosis, and recent developments in the therapeutic strategies being employed to target both telomerase and ALT. We present notable developments in repurposing established therapeutic agents and new avenues that are emerging to target cancer types according to which TMM they employ. These opportunities extend beyond inhibition of telomere maintenance, by finding and exploiting inherent weaknesses in the telomeres themselves to trigger rapid cellular effects that lead to cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixuan Gao
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Hilda A Pickett
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
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5
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Ghoreishi E, Shahrokhi SZ, Kazerouni F, Rahimipour A. Circulating miR-148b-3p and miR-27a-3p can be potential biomarkers for diagnosis of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes: integrating experimental and in-silico approaches. BMC Endocr Disord 2022; 22:207. [PMID: 35978298 PMCID: PMC9386953 DOI: 10.1186/s12902-022-01120-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In view of the growing global prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D), detection of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in the early stages is necessary to reduce the risk of developing diabetes, prevent the progression of the disease, and dysfunction of different organs. Since miRNAs are involved in the initiation and progression of numerous pathogenic processes, including diabetes, in the present study, we aimed to investigate the expression of miR-148b-3p and miR-27a-3p in prediabetic and T2D patients and to evaluate the diagnostic potential of these miRNAs. METHODS We evaluated the expression of miR-148b-3p and miR-27a-3p in the plasma of three groups: 20 prediabetic patients, 20 T2D patients, and 20 healthy controls. The biochemical parameters were determined by the auto-analyzer. The possible target genes of these miRNAs were identified using an in-silico approach. RESULTS Our results showed that, as compared to the healthy controls, there was a significant up regulation and down regulation in the expression of miR-148b-3p and miR-27a-3p in the T2D patients, respectively. The results of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis also suggested that miR-148b-3p acted successfully in discriminating the prediabetic and diabetic patients from the control group. According to in-silico analysis, miRs influence biological pathways involved in T2DM development, such as insulin signaling. CONCLUSIONS The miR148b-3p and miR-27a-3p expression levels were deregulated in diabetes and pre-diabetes. Furthermore, miR-148b-3p showed significant ability in discriminating between diabetic and healthy individuals, suggesting a potential diagnostic use of miR-148b-3p in the detection of T2D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elnaz Ghoreishi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyedeh Zahra Shahrokhi
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Faranak Kazerouni
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ali Rahimipour
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Clinical Value of Serum miRNA in Patients with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:7315879. [PMID: 35401744 PMCID: PMC8993542 DOI: 10.1155/2022/7315879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Objective To explore the clinical value of specific miRNA in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Methods 129 patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia diagnosed in our hospital from January 2015 to January 2020 were selected as the observation group. At the same time, 74 patients with nonacute promyelocytic leukemia who underwent bone marrow aspiration were included as the control group. The expression levels of miR-126-5p and miR-13, different characteristic parameters, and prognosis were compared between the two groups, and the clinical significance of miR-126-5p and miR-13 in acute promyelocytic leukemia was analyzed. Results The expression of miR-126-5p (12.31 ± 2.25 versus 17.30 ± 3.28) and miR-13 (16.05 ± 3.47 versus 21.66 ± 2.18) in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The expression level of miR-126-5p was significantly correlated with lactate dehydrogenase level, HGB level, NPM1 mutant type, and complete remission (P < 0.05). The expression level of miR-13 was significantly correlated with HGB level, NPM1 mutant type, and complete remission (P < 0.05). Both expression levels of miR-126-5p and miR-13 were not correlated with sex, age, WBC, PLT, proportion of bone marrow primordial cells, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, lymph node enlargement, and FLT3-ITD (P > 0.05). Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that peripheral blood WBC, bone marrow blast cell count, and miR-126-5p and miR-13 were prognostic factors in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (P < 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and AUC of serum miR-126-5p prediction were 75.83%, 84.56%, 82.17%, and 0.729, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and AUC of serum miR-13 prediction were 78.64%, 88.49%, 86.20% and 0.882, respectively. Conclusion Serum miR-126-5p and miR-13 are closely related to the prognosis of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Serum miR-126-5p and miR-13 can be used as reliable indexes to predict the prognosis of patients.
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Rafat A, Dizaji Asl K, Mazloumi Z, Movassaghpour AA, Talebi M, Shanehbandi D, Farahzadi R, Nejati B, Nozad Charoudeh H. Telomerase inhibition on acute myeloid leukemia stem cell induced apoptosis with both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Life Sci 2022; 295:120402. [PMID: 35176279 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is an invasive and lethal blood cancer caused by a rare population of Leukemia Stem Cells (LSCs). Telomerase activation is a limitless self-renewal process in LSCs. Apart from telomerase role in telomere lengthening, telomerase (especially hTERT subunit) inhibits intrinsic-, extrinsic-, and p53- mediated apoptosis pathways. In this study, the effect of Telomerase Inhibition (TI) on intrinsic-, extrinsic-, p53-mediated apoptosis, and DNMT3a and TET epigenetic markers in stem (CD34+) and differentiated (CD34-) AML cells is evaluated. MAIN METHODS High-purity CD34+ (primary AML and KG-1a) cells were enriched using the Magnetic-Activated Cell Sorting (MACS) system. CD34+ and CD34- (primary AML and KG-1a) cells were treated with BIBR1532 and then, MTT assay, Annexin V/7AAD, Ki-67 assay, Telomere Length (TL) measurement, and transcriptional alterations of p53, hTERT, TET2, DNMT3a were analyzed. Finally, apoptosis-related genes and proteins were studied. KEY FINDINGS TI with the IC50 values of 83.5, 33.2, 54.3, and 24.6 μM in CD34+ and CD34- (primary AML and KG-1a) cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. However, TI had no significant effect on TL. The results also suggested TI induced intrinsic-, extrinsic-, and p53-mediated apoptosis. It was shown that the expression levels of DNMT3a and TET2 epigenetic markers were highly increased following TI. SIGNIFICANCE In total, it was revealed that TI induced apoptosis through intrinsic, extrinsic, and p53 pathways and increased the expression of DNMT3a and TET2 epigenetic markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Rafat
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Dizaji Asl
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Zeinab Mazloumi
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Applied Cell Sciences, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Mehdi Talebi
- Department of Applied Sciences, School of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Dariush Shanehbandi
- Immunology research center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Raheleh Farahzadi
- Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Babak Nejati
- Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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8
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Xie X, Li M, Zhou M, Chow SF, Tsang CK. Pharmacological preconditioning by TERT inhibitor BIBR1532 confers neuronal ischemic tolerance through TERT-mediated transcriptional reprogramming. J Neurochem 2021; 159:690-709. [PMID: 34532857 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
After a sublethal ischemic preconditioning (IPC) stimulus, the brain has a remarkable capability of acquiring tolerance to subsequent ischemic insult by establishing precautionary self-protective mechanism. Understanding this endogenous mechanism would reveal novel and effective neuroprotective targets for ischemic brain injury. Our previous study has implied that telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is associated with IPC-induced tolerance. Here, we investigated the mechanism of TERT-mediated ischemic tolerance. Preconditioning was modeled by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and by TERT inhibitor BIBR1532 in primary neurons. We found that ischemic tolerance was conferred by BIBR1532 preconditioning. We used the Cleavage-Under-Targets-And-Tagmentation approach, a recently developed method with superior signal-to-noise ratio, to comprehensively map the genomic binding sites of TERT in primary neurons, and showed that more than 50% of TERT-binding sites were located at the promoter regions. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that under normal conditions TERT physically bound to many previously unknown genomic loci in neurons, whereas BIBR1532 preconditioning significantly altered TERT-chromatin-binding profile. Intriguingly, we found that BIBR1532-preconditioned neurons showed significant up-regulation of promoter binding of TERT to the mitochondrial anti-oxidant genes, which were correlated with their elevated expression. Functional analysis further indicated that BIBR1532-preconditioning significantly reduced ROS levels and enhanced tolerance to severe ischemia-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress in neurons in a TERT-dependent manner. Together, these results demonstrate that BIBR1532 confers neuronal ischemic tolerance through TERT-mediated transcriptional reprogramming for up-regulation of mitochondrial anti-oxidation gene expression, suggesting the translational potential of BIBR1532 as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of cerebral ischemic injury and oxidative stress-induced neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemin Xie
- Clinical Neuroscience Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Neurology, The First Clinical Medical School of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mingxi Li
- Clinical Neuroscience Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Neurology, The First Clinical Medical School of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengyao Zhou
- Clinical Neuroscience Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.,Core Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shing Fung Chow
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chi Kwan Tsang
- Clinical Neuroscience Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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Mechanism of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase ( hTERT) Regulation and Clinical Impacts in Leukemia. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12081188. [PMID: 34440361 PMCID: PMC8392866 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081188] [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: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The proliferative capacity and continuous survival of cells are highly dependent on telomerase expression and the maintenance of telomere length. For this reason, elevated expression of telomerase has been identified in virtually all cancers, including leukemias; however, it should be noted that expression of telomerase is sometimes observed later in malignant development. This time point of activation is highly dependent on the type of leukemia and its causative factors. Many recent studies in this field have contributed to the elucidation of the mechanisms by which the various forms of leukemias increase telomerase activity. These include the dysregulation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) at various levels which include transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational stages. The pathways and biological molecules involved in these processes are also being deciphered with the advent of enabling technologies such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-Seq), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS/MS), and many others. It has also been established that TERT possess diagnostic value as most adult cells do not express high levels of telomerase. Indeed, studies have shown that prognosis is not favorable in patients who have leukemias expressing high levels of telomerase. Recent research has indicated that targeting of this gene is able to control the survival of malignant cells and therefore offers a potential treatment for TERT-dependent leukemias. Here we review the mechanisms of hTERT regulation and deliberate their association in malignant states of leukemic cells. Further, we also cover the clinical implications of this gene including its use in diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic discoveries.
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Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi A, Safaroghli-Azar A, Shanaki M, Yousefi AM, Anjam Najmedini A, Bashash D. Inhibition of Cyclin-dependent Kinase (CDK) Decreased Survival of NB4 Leukemic Cells: Proposing a p53-Independent Sensitivity of Leukemic Cells to Multi-CDKs Inhibitor AT7519. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH : IJPR 2021; 19:144-155. [PMID: 33680018 PMCID: PMC7758003 DOI: 10.22037/ijpr.2020.113170.14148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
An unbounded number of events exist beneath the intricacy of each particular hematologic malignancy, prompting the tumor cells into an unrestrained proliferation and invasion. Aberrant expression of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) is one of these events which disrupts the regulation of cell cycle and subsequently, results in cancer progression. In this study, we surveyed the repressive impact of multi-CDK inhibitor AT7519 on a panel of leukemia-derived cell lines. Our data underlined that AT7519 abated the survival of all tested cells; however, in an overview, the response rate of leukemic cells to the inhibitor was varied irrespective of p53 status. Notably, the less sensitivity of leukemia cells to AT7519 was found to be mediated partly by the compensatory activation of c-Myc oncogene which was confirmed by the induction of a superior cytotoxicity upon its suppression in less sensitive cell. The blockage of cell cycle, as announced by induction of sub-G1 arrest as well as reduced S phase, resulted in a significant decrease in survival of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL)-derived NB4 cells, as the most sensitive cell line, either as monotherapy or in combination with arsenic trioxide. Anti-leukemic effects of the inhibitor were further verified by apoptosis analysis, where we discovered that AT7519 induced apoptosis via alteration of pro- and anti-apoptotic genes in NB4. All in all, this study proposed that AT7519 is a rewarding agent opposed to APL; however, additional examinations should be performed to determine the advantages of this inhibitor in clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atieh Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Student Research Committee, Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ava Safaroghli-Azar
- Student Research Committee, Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehrnoosh Shanaki
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir-Mohammad Yousefi
- Student Research Committee, Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Anjam Najmedini
- Student Research Committee, Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Bashash
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Altamura G, Degli Uberti B, Galiero G, De Luca G, Power K, Licenziato L, Maiolino P, Borzacchiello G. The Small Molecule BIBR1532 Exerts Potential Anti-cancer Activities in Preclinical Models of Feline Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Through Inhibition of Telomerase Activity and Down-Regulation of TERT. Front Vet Sci 2021; 7:620776. [PMID: 33553285 PMCID: PMC7855307 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.620776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomerase activity (TA) is a main feature of cancer, contributing to cell immortalization by causing telomeres dysfunction. BIBR1532 is a potent telomerase inhibitor that showed potential anti-tumor activities in several types of cancer, by triggering replicative senescence and apoptosis. In a previous work, we detected, for the first time, TERT expression and TA in preclinical models of feline oral squamous cell carcinoma (FOSCC); therefore, we aimed at extending our investigation by testing the effects of treatment with BIBR1532, in order to explore the role of telomerase in this tumor and foreshadow the possibility of it being considered as a future therapeutic target. In the present study, treatment of FOSCC cell lines SCCF1, SCCF2, and SCCF3 with BIBR1532 resulted in successful inhibition of TA, with subsequent cell growth stoppage and decrease in cell viability. Molecular data showed that up-regulation of cell cycle inhibitor p21, unbalancing of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and down-regulation of survival gene Survivin were mostly involved in the observed cellular events. Moreover, BIBR1532 diminished the expression of TERT and its transcriptional activator cMyc, resulting in the down-regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), phospho-ERK/ERK ratio, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-1/-2 and−9, likely as a consequence of an impairment of TERT extra-telomeric functions. Taken together, our data suggest that BIBR1532 exerts multiple anti-cancer activities in FOSCC by inhibiting telomerase pathway and interfering with signaling routes involved in cell proliferation, cell survival, and invasion, paving the way for future translational studies aimed at evaluating its possible employment in the treatment of this severe tumor of cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennaro Altamura
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Giorgio Galiero
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanna De Luca
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Karen Power
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Luca Licenziato
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Paola Maiolino
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Borzacchiello
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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12
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Design, synthesis and SARs of novel telomerase inhibitors based on BIBR1532. Bioorg Chem 2020; 102:104077. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Tavakolian S, Goudarzi H, Faghihloo E. Evaluating the expression level of miR-9-5p and miR-192-5p in gastrointestinal cancer: introducing novel screening biomarkers for patients. BMC Res Notes 2020; 13:226. [PMID: 32307002 PMCID: PMC7168809 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-020-05071-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE It has been indicated that there is a tight association between cancer and different factors, such as environment and genetics, including aberrantly expressed microRNAs. The crucial role of microRNAs in the regulation of diverse signaling pathways in gastrointestinal cancer has been established in several studies. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the expression of microRNA-9 and -192 in colon and gastric cancers. After extracting the RNA from tissues and serum samples of patients, suffering from colon and gastric cancer, cDNA was synthesized. Then by performing quantitative real-time PCR, we evaluated the expression level of miR-9-5p and miR-192-5p in collected samples. RESULTS Unlike to colon cancer in which the expression level of miR-9-5p remained unchanged, the relative expression of this miRNA decreased remarkably in gastric cancer (with P value < 0.05), in comparison with normal adjacent tissues. In agreement with this finding, we also found that the expression level of miR-192-5p was decreased in gastric cancer tissues, compared to normal gastric tissue. Given the reduction in the expression level of miR-9-5p and miR-192-5p in gastric cancer, it could be postulated to consider these miRNAs as promising diagnostic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaian Tavakolian
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 37517, Iran
| | - Hossein Goudarzi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 37517, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Faghihloo
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 37517, Iran.
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Conneely SE, Stevens AM. Advances in Pediatric Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. CHILDREN-BASEL 2020; 7:children7020011. [PMID: 32024232 PMCID: PMC7072343 DOI: 10.3390/children7020011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a rare disease accounting for only 5%-10% of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and fewer than 1000 cases occur annually in the United States across all age groups. Characterized by t (15; 17), with a resultant PML-RARA gene fusion driving leukemia development, advances in therapy have improved outcomes for APL significantly in the past several decades, now making APL the most curable form of AML in both children and adults. Cure rates in APL are now comparable to pediatric B-lymphoid leukemias. The success of APL treatment is due, in part, to the breadth of understanding of the driver PML-RARA mutation as well as collaborative efforts to quickly introduce and maximize the benefit of new therapies. Here, we review the presentation, clinical features, pathogenesis, and treatment advances in pediatric APL.
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CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated TERT Disruption in Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21020653. [PMID: 31963842 PMCID: PMC7014288 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21020653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian telomere lengths are primarily regulated by telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein consisting of a reverse transcriptase (TERT) and an RNA subunit (TERC). TERC is constitutively expressed in all cells, whereas TERT expression is temporally and spatially regulated, such that in most adult somatic cells, TERT is inactivated and telomerase activity is undetectable. Most tumor cells activate TERT as a mechanism for preventing progressive telomere attrition to achieve proliferative immortality. Therefore, inactivating TERT has been considered to be a promising means of cancer therapy. Here we applied the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system to target the TERT gene in cancer cells. We report that disruption of TERT severely compromises cancer cell survival in vitro and in vivo. Haploinsufficiency of TERT in tumor cells is sufficient to result in telomere attrition and growth retardation in vitro. In vivo, TERT haploinsufficient tumor cells failed to form xenograft after transplantation to nude mice. Our work demonstrates that gene editing-mediated TERT knockout is a potential therapeutic option for treating cancer.
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Tavakolian S, Goudarzi H, Torfi F, Faghihloo E. Evaluation of microRNA-9 and -192 expression levels as biomarkers in patients suffering from breast cancer. Biomed Rep 2019; 12:30-34. [PMID: 31839947 DOI: 10.3892/br.2019.1257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the global outbreak of breast cancer and its debilitating effect on women's health, it is not surprising that tremendous efforts have been made with an aim of shedding more light on the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of this type of cancer. Among the long list of risk factors associated with this malignancy, recently, the role of microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) has turned into a hotspot for breast cancer investigations. miRNAs approximately 20 nucleotides in length and are located in either an exon or an intron, playing a role in the regulation of gene expression. In the present study, we extracted RNA from both the serum and cancerous tissue of breast cancer patients and after synthesizing the cDNA, we performed quantitative PCR to determine the expression levels of miR-9 and miR-192. The resulting data revealed that while the mRNA expression level of miR-9 was significantly decreased in the breast cancer tissues, there was no noticeable change in the expression level of this miRNA in the serum samples. Likewise, we found that the marked downregulation of miR-192 was only restricted to the cancerous tissues, but was not found in the serum of patients. Based on the meaningful downregulation of the expression of miR-9 and miR-192, this study provides a plausible framework for these miRNAs as effective biomarkers for breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaian Tavakolian
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
| | - Hossein Goudarzi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
| | - Farhad Torfi
- Surgical Ward, Taleghani Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Faghihloo
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran
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Chen X, Tang WJ, Shi JB, Liu MM, Liu XH. Therapeutic strategies for targeting telomerase in cancer. Med Res Rev 2019; 40:532-585. [PMID: 31361345 DOI: 10.1002/med.21626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Telomere and telomerase play important roles in abnormal cell proliferation, metastasis, stem cell maintenance, and immortalization in various cancers. Therefore, designing of drugs targeting telomerase and telomere is of great significance. Over the past two decades, considerable knowledge regarding telomere and telomerase has been accumulated, which provides theoretical support for the design of therapeutic strategies such as telomere elongation. Therefore, the development of telomere-based therapies such as nucleoside analogs, non-nucleoside small molecules, antisense technology, ribozymes, and dominant negative human telomerase reverse transcriptase are being prioritized for eradicating a majority of tumors. While the benefits of telomere-based therapies are obvious, there is a need to address the limitations of various therapeutic strategies to improve the possibility of clinical applications. In this study, current knowledge of telomere and telomerase is discussed, and therapeutic strategies based on recent research are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Jian Tang
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Bo Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Ming Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin-Hua Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
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Lee YH, Chen YY, Yeh YL, Wang YJ, Chen RJ. Stilbene Compounds Inhibit Tumor Growth by the Induction of Cellular Senescence and the Inhibition of Telomerase Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20112716. [PMID: 31159515 PMCID: PMC6600253 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20112716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular senescence is a state of cell cycle arrest characterized by a distinct morphology, gene expression pattern, and secretory phenotype. It can be triggered by multiple mechanisms, including those involved in telomere shortening, the accumulation of DNA damage, epigenetic pathways, and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), and so on. In current cancer therapy, cellular senescence has emerged as a potent tumor suppression mechanism that restrains proliferation in cells at risk for malignant transformation. Therefore, compounds that stimulate the growth inhibition effects of senescence while limiting its detrimental effects are believed to have great clinical potential. In this review article, we first review the current knowledge of the pro- and antitumorigeneic functions of senescence and summarize the key roles of telomerase in the regulation of senescence in tumors. Second, we review the current literature regarding the anticancer effects of stilbene compounds that are mediated by the targeting of telomerase and cell senescence. Finally, we provide future perspectives on the clinical utilization of stilbene compounds, especially resveratrol and pterostilbene, as novel cancer therapeutic remedies. We conclude and propose that stilbene compounds may induce senescence and may potentially be used as the therapeutic or adjuvant agents for cancers with high telomerase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hsuan Lee
- Department of Food Safety/Hygiene and Risk Management, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70428, Taiwan.
| | - Yu-Ying Chen
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70428, Taiwan.
| | - Ya-Ling Yeh
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70428, Taiwan.
| | - Ying-Jan Wang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70428, Taiwan.
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
| | - Rong-Jane Chen
- Department of Food Safety/Hygiene and Risk Management, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70428, Taiwan.
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