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Khan F, Pitstick L, Lara J, Ventrella R. Rho-Associated Protein Kinase Activity Is Required for Tissue Homeostasis in the Xenopus laevis Ciliated Epithelium. J Dev Biol 2024; 12:17. [PMID: 38921484 PMCID: PMC11204898 DOI: 10.3390/jdb12020017] [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: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Lung epithelial development relies on the proper balance of cell proliferation and differentiation to maintain homeostasis. When this balance is disturbed, it can lead to diseases like cancer, where cells undergo hyperproliferation and then can undergo migration and metastasis. Lung cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, and even though there are a variety of therapeutic approaches, there are cases where treatment remains elusive. The rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) has been thought to be an ideal molecular target due to its role in activating oncogenic signaling pathways. However, in a variety of cases, inhibition of ROCK has been shown to have the opposite outcome. Here, we show that ROCK inhibition with y-27632 causes abnormal epithelial tissue development in Xenopus laevis embryonic skin, which is an ideal model for studying lung cancer development. We found that treatment with y-27632 caused an increase in proliferation and the formation of ciliated epithelial outgrowths along the tail edge. Our results suggest that, in certain cases, ROCK inhibition can disturb tissue homeostasis. We anticipate that these findings could provide insight into possible mechanisms to overcome instances when ROCK inhibition results in heightened proliferation. Also, these findings are significant because y-27632 is a common pharmacological inhibitor used to study ROCK signaling, so it is important to know that in certain in vivo developmental models and conditions, this treatment can enhance proliferation rather than lead to cell cycle suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fayhaa Khan
- Biomedical Sciences Program, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA; (F.K.); (J.L.)
| | - Lenore Pitstick
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA;
| | - Jessica Lara
- Biomedical Sciences Program, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA; (F.K.); (J.L.)
| | - Rosa Ventrella
- Precision Medicine Program, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA
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Scianna M. Selected aspects of avascular tumor growth reproduced by a hybrid model of cell dynamics and chemical kinetics. Math Biosci 2024; 370:109168. [PMID: 38408698 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2024.109168] [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: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
We here propose a hybrid computational framework to reproduce and analyze aspects of the avascular progression of a generic solid tumor. Our method first employs an individual-based approach to represent the population of tumor cells, which are distinguished in viable and necrotic agents. The active part of the disease is in turn differentiated according to a set of metabolic states. We then describe the spatio-temporal evolution of the concentration of oxygen and of tumor-secreted proteolytic enzymes using partial differential equations (PDEs). A differential equation finally governs the local degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by the malignant mass. Numerical realizations of the model are run to reproduce tumor growth and invasion in a number scenarios that differ for cell properties (adhesiveness, duplication potential, proteolytic activity) and/or environmental conditions (level of tissue oxygenation and matrix density pattern). In particular, our simulations suggest that tumor aggressiveness, in terms of invasive depth and extension of necrotic tissue, can be reduced by (i) stable cell-cell contact interactions, (ii) poor tendency of malignant agents to chemotactically move upon oxygen gradients, and (iii) presence of an overdense matrix, if coupled by a disrupted proteolytic activity of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Scianna
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
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3
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Yu S, Wang S, Xiong B, Peng C. Gut microbiota: key facilitator in metastasis of colorectal cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1270991. [PMID: 38023192 PMCID: PMC10643165 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1270991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks third in terms of incidence among all kinds of cancer. The main cause of death is metastasis. Recent studies have shown that the gut microbiota could facilitate cancer metastasis by promoting cancer cells proliferation, invasion, dissemination, and survival. Multiple mechanisms have been implicated, such as RNA-mediated targeting effects, activation of tumor signaling cascades, secretion of microbiota-derived functional substances, regulation of mRNA methylation, facilitated immune evasion, increased intravasation of cancer cells, and remodeling of tumor microenvironment (TME). The understanding of CRC metastasis was further deepened by the mechanisms mentioned above. In this review, the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota participates in the process of CRC metastasis were reviewed as followed based on recent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyi Yu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuyi Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Bin Xiong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Chunwei Peng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
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Tian L, Wu W, Yu T. Graph Random Forest: A Graph Embedded Algorithm for Identifying Highly Connected Important Features. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1153. [PMID: 37509188 PMCID: PMC10377046 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071153] [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: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Random Forest (RF) is a widely used machine learning method with good performance on classification and regression tasks. It works well under low sample size situations, which benefits applications in the field of biology. For example, gene expression data often involve much larger numbers of features (p) compared to the size of samples (n). Though the predictive accuracy using RF is often high, there are some problems when selecting important genes using RF. The important genes selected by RF are usually scattered on the gene network, which conflicts with the biological assumption of functional consistency between effective features. To improve feature selection by incorporating external topological information between genes, we propose the Graph Random Forest (GRF) for identifying highly connected important features by involving the known biological network when constructing the forest. The algorithm can identify effective features that form highly connected sub-graphs and achieve equivalent classification accuracy to RF. To evaluate the capability of our proposed method, we conducted simulation experiments and applied the method to two real datasets-non-small cell lung cancer RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, and human embryonic stem cell RNA-seq dataset (GSE93593). The resulting high classification accuracy, connectivity of selected sub-graphs, and interpretable feature selection results suggest the method is a helpful addition to graph-based classification models and feature selection procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leqi Tian
- School of Data Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Big Data, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Wenbin Wu
- School of Data Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Tianwei Yu
- School of Data Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Big Data, Shenzhen 518172, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Big Data Computing, Shenzhen 518172, China
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Boonsanay V, Mosa MH, Looso M, Weichenhan D, Ceteci F, Pudelko L, Lechel A, Michel CS, Künne C, Farin HF, Plass C, Greten FR. Loss of SUV420H2-Dependent Chromatin Compaction Drives Right-Sided Colon Cancer Progression. Gastroenterology 2023; 164:214-227. [PMID: 36402192 PMCID: PMC9889219 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.10.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Epigenetic processes regulating gene expression contribute markedly to epithelial cell plasticity in colorectal carcinogenesis. The lysine methyltransferase SUV420H2 comprises an important regulator of epithelial plasticity and is primarily responsible for trimethylation of H4K20 (H4K20me3). Loss of H4K20me3 has been suggested as a hallmark of human cancer due to its interaction with DNMT1. However, the role of Suv4-20h2 in colorectal cancer is unknown. METHODS We examined the alterations in histone modifications in patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids. Patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids and mouse intestinal organoids were genetically manipulated for functional studies in patient-derived xenograft and orthotopic transplantation. Gene expression profiling, micrococcal nuclease assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation were performed to understand epigenetic regulation of chromatin states and gene expression in patient-derived and mouse intestinal organoids. RESULTS We found that reduced H4K20me3 levels occurred predominantly in right-sided patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids, which were associated with increased chromatin accessibility. Re-compaction of chromatin by methylstat, a histone demethylase inhibitor, resulted in reduced growth selectively in subcutaneously grown tumors derived from right-sided cancers. Using mouse intestinal organoids, we confirmed that Suv4-20h2-mediated H4K20me3 is required for maintaining heterochromatin compaction and to prevent R-loop formation. Cross-species comparison of Suv4-20h2-depleted murine organoids with right-sided colorectal cancer organoids revealed a large overlap of gene signatures involved in chromatin silencing, DNA methylation, and stemness/Wnt signaling. CONCLUSIONS Loss of Suv4-20h2-mediated H4K20me3 drives right-sided colorectal tumorigenesis through an epigenetically controlled mechanism of chromatin compaction. Our findings unravel a conceptually novel approach for subtype-specific therapy of this aggressive form of colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verawan Boonsanay
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mohammed H. Mosa
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Mario Looso
- Department of Cardiac Development and Remodeling, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Dieter Weichenhan
- Division of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fatih Ceteci
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lorenz Pudelko
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andre Lechel
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christian S. Michel
- Department of Hematology, Medical Oncology, and Pneumology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Carsten Künne
- Department of Cardiac Development and Remodeling, Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Henner F. Farin
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,German Cancer Consortium and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph Plass
- Division of Cancer Epigenomics, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany,German Cancer Consortium and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Florian R. Greten
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany,German Cancer Consortium and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany,Correspondence Address correspondence to: Florian R. Greten, MD, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Strasse 42-44, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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Thyroglobulin expression, Ki-67 index, and lymph node ratio in the prognostic assessment of papillary thyroid cancer. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1070. [PMID: 36658256 PMCID: PMC9852547 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27684-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The clinical significance of thyroglobulin (Tg) expression in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has not been systematically explored in relation to the Ki-67 index, lymph node ratio (LNR), or other conventional prognostic predictors. In this retrospective study of 327 patients with PTC, we investigated the immunohistochemical expression of Tg in both primary tumors and their matching lymph node metastases in relation to the Ki-67 index, LNR, and clinical data. Tumoral Tg immunoreactivity was inversely correlated to the Ki-67 index and tumor recurrence. The Ki-67 index was higher in lymph node metastases (mean 4%) than in the primary tumors (mean 3%). Reduced Tg expression, estimated as 0-25% Tg positive tumor cells, was more common in lymph node metastases compared to primary tumors. In addition to advanced metastatic burden (defined as N1b stage and LNR ≥ 21%), low Tg expression (0-25% positive tumor cells) in lymph node metastases had a significant prognostic impact with shorter recurrence-free survival. These findings support the potential value of histopathological assessment of Tg expression and Ki-67 index in lymph node metastases as complementary predictors to anticipate the prognosis of PTC patients better.
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Maus RLG, Leontovich AA, Moore RM, Fogarty Z, Guo R, Davidson TM, Tekin B, Atherton C, Schimke JM, Dicke BA, Chen BJ, Markovic SN. Quantitative spatial evaluation of tumor-immune interactions in the immunotherapy setting of metastatic melanoma lymph nodes. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1024039. [PMID: 36544759 PMCID: PMC9760971 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1024039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Immune cell infiltration into the tumor microenvironment is generally associated with favorable clinical outcomes in solid tumors. However, the dynamic interplay among distinct immune cell subsets within the tumor-immune microenvironment as it relates to clinical responses to immunotherapy remains unresolved. In this study, we applied multiplex immunofluorescence (MxIF) to spatially characterize tumor-immune interactions within the metastatic melanoma lymph node. Methods Pretreatment, whole lymph node biopsies were evaluated from 25 patients with regionally metastatic melanoma who underwent subsequent anti-PD1 therapy. Cyclic MxIF was applied to quantitatively and spatially assess expression of 45 pathologist-validated antibodies on a single tissue section. Pixel-based single cell segmentation and a supervised classifier approach resolved 10 distinct tumor, stromal and immune cell phenotypes and functional expression of PD1. Results Single cell analysis across 416 pathologist-annotated tumor core regions of interest yielded 5.5 million cells for spatial evaluation. Cellular composition of tumor and immune cell subsets did not differ in the tumor core with regards to recurrence outcomes (p>0.05) however spatial patterns significantly differed in regional and paracrine neighborhood evaluations. Specifically, a regional community cluster comprised of primarily tumor and dendritic cells was enriched in patients that did not experience recurrence (p=0.009). By an independent spatial approach, cell-centric neighborhood analyses identified an enrichment for dendritic cells in cytotoxic T cell (CTL) and tumor cell-centric neighborhoods in the no recurrence patient response group (p<0.0001). Further evaluation of these neighborhoods identified an enrichment for CTL-dendritic cell interactions in patients that did not experience recurrence (p<0.0001) whereas CTL-macrophage interactions were more prevalent in CTL-centric neighborhoods of patients who experienced recurrence (p<0.0001). Discussion Overall, this study offers a more comprehensive evaluation of immune infiltrates and spatial-immune signatures in the metastatic tumor-immune microenvironment as it informs recurrence risk following immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L. G. Maus
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States,*Correspondence: Rachel L. G. Maus,
| | | | - Raymond M. Moore
- Department of Computational Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Zachary Fogarty
- Department of Computational Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Ruifeng Guo
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Tara M. Davidson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Burak Tekin
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Chathu Atherton
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Jill M. Schimke
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Betty A. Dicke
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Benjamin J. Chen
- Department of Translational Research Pathology, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cambridge, MA, United States
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Engür-Öztürk S, Dikmen M. Proteasome inhibitor immunotherapy for the epithelial to mesenchymal transition: assessing the A549 lung cancer cell microenvironment and the role of M1, M2a and M2c ‘hydrocortisone-polarised’ macrophages. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:4777-4793. [DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07329-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Fiandaca G, Bernardi S, Scianna M, Delitala ME. A phenotype-structured model to reproduce the avascular growth of a tumor and its interaction with the surrounding environment. J Theor Biol 2021; 535:110980. [PMID: 34915043 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110980] [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: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We here propose a one-dimensional spatially explicit phenotype-structured model to analyze selected aspects of avascular tumor progression. In particular, our approach distinguishes viable and necrotic cell fractions. The metabolically active part of the disease is, in turn, differentiated according to a continuous trait, that identifies cell variants with different degrees of motility and proliferation potential. A parabolic partial differential equation (PDE) then governs the spatio-temporal evolution of the phenotypic distribution of active cells within the host tissue. In this respect, active tumor agents are allowed to duplicate, move upon haptotactic and pressure stimuli, and eventually undergo necrosis. The mutual influence between the emerging malignancy and its environment (in terms of molecular landscape) is implemented by coupling the evolution law of the viable tumor mass with a parabolic PDE for oxygen kinetics and a differential equation that accounts for local consumption of extracellular matrix (ECM) elements. The resulting numerical realizations reproduce tumor growth and invasion in a number scenarios that differ for cell properties (i.e., individual migratory behavior, duplication and mutation potential) and environmental conditions (i.e., level of tissue oxygenation and homogeneity in the initial matrix profile). In particular, our simulations show that, in all cases, more mobile cell variants occupy the front edge of the tumor, whereas more proliferative clones are selected at the more internal regions. A necrotic core constantly occupies the bulk of the mass due to nutrient deprivation. This work may eventually suggest some biomedical strategies to partially reduce tumor aggressiveness, i.e., to enhance necrosis of malignant tissue and to promote the presence of more proliferative cell phenotypes over more invasive ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Fiandaca
- Department of Mathematical Sciences "G. L. Lagrange", Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
| | - Sara Bernardi
- Department of Mathematical Sciences "G. L. Lagrange", Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
| | - Marco Scianna
- Department of Mathematical Sciences "G. L. Lagrange", Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
| | - Marcello Edoardo Delitala
- Department of Mathematical Sciences "G. L. Lagrange", Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
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da Costa VR, Araldi RP, Vigerelli H, D’Ámelio F, Mendes TB, Gonzaga V, Policíquio B, Colozza-Gama GA, Valverde CW, Kerkis I. Exosomes in the Tumor Microenvironment: From Biology to Clinical Applications. Cells 2021; 10:2617. [PMID: 34685596 PMCID: PMC8533895 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the most important health problems and the second leading cause of death worldwide. Despite the advances in oncology, cancer heterogeneity remains challenging to therapeutics. This is because the exosome-mediated crosstalk between cancer and non-cancer cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) contributes to the acquisition of all hallmarks of cancer and leads to the formation of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which exhibit resistance to a range of anticancer drugs. Thus, this review aims to summarize the role of TME-derived exosomes in cancer biology and explore the clinical potential of mesenchymal stem-cell-derived exosomes as a cancer treatment, discussing future prospects of cell-free therapy for cancer treatment and challenges to be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitor Rodrigues da Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Estrutural e Funcional, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFES), São Paulo 04039-032, Brazil; (V.R.d.C.); (T.B.M.); (G.A.C.-G.)
- Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil; (H.V.); (F.D.); (V.G.); (B.P.)
| | - Rodrigo Pinheiro Araldi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Estrutural e Funcional, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFES), São Paulo 04039-032, Brazil; (V.R.d.C.); (T.B.M.); (G.A.C.-G.)
- Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil; (H.V.); (F.D.); (V.G.); (B.P.)
- Cellavita Pesquisas Científicas Ltd.a., Valinhos 13271-650, Brazil;
| | - Hugo Vigerelli
- Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil; (H.V.); (F.D.); (V.G.); (B.P.)
| | - Fernanda D’Ámelio
- Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil; (H.V.); (F.D.); (V.G.); (B.P.)
| | - Thais Biude Mendes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Estrutural e Funcional, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFES), São Paulo 04039-032, Brazil; (V.R.d.C.); (T.B.M.); (G.A.C.-G.)
- Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil; (H.V.); (F.D.); (V.G.); (B.P.)
- Cellavita Pesquisas Científicas Ltd.a., Valinhos 13271-650, Brazil;
| | - Vivian Gonzaga
- Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil; (H.V.); (F.D.); (V.G.); (B.P.)
- Cellavita Pesquisas Científicas Ltd.a., Valinhos 13271-650, Brazil;
| | - Bruna Policíquio
- Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil; (H.V.); (F.D.); (V.G.); (B.P.)
- Cellavita Pesquisas Científicas Ltd.a., Valinhos 13271-650, Brazil;
| | - Gabriel Avelar Colozza-Gama
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Estrutural e Funcional, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFES), São Paulo 04039-032, Brazil; (V.R.d.C.); (T.B.M.); (G.A.C.-G.)
- Genetic Bases of Thyroid Tumors Laboratory, Division of Genetics, Department of Morphology and Genetics, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04039-032, Brazil
| | | | - Irina Kerkis
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Estrutural e Funcional, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFES), São Paulo 04039-032, Brazil; (V.R.d.C.); (T.B.M.); (G.A.C.-G.)
- Genetics Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil; (H.V.); (F.D.); (V.G.); (B.P.)
- Cellavita Pesquisas Científicas Ltd.a., Valinhos 13271-650, Brazil;
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Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase in Acquisition of Stem Cell Properties and Therapy Resistance in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22115681. [PMID: 34073600 PMCID: PMC8197977 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The activity of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) is tightly linked to the maintenance of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) level. This enzyme catalyzes methylation of nicotinamide (NAM) into methyl nicotinamide (MNAM), which is either excreted or further metabolized to N1-methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxamide (2-PY) and H2O2. Enzymatic activity of NNMT is important for the prevention of NAM-mediated inhibition of NAD+-consuming enzymes poly-adenosine -diphosphate (ADP), ribose polymerases (PARPs), and sirtuins (SIRTs). Inappropriately high expression and activity of NNMT, commonly present in various types of cancer, has the potential to disrupt NAD+ homeostasis and cellular methylation potential. Largely overlooked, in the context of cancer, is the inhibitory effect of 2-PY on PARP-1 activity, which abrogates NNMT's positive effect on cellular NAD+ flux by stalling liberation of NAM and reducing NAD+ synthesis in the salvage pathway. This review describes, and discusses, the mechanisms by which NNMT promotes NAD+ depletion and epigenetic reprogramming, leading to the development of metabolic plasticity, evasion of a major tumor suppressive process of cellular senescence, and acquisition of stem cell properties. All these phenomena are related to therapy resistance and worse clinical outcomes.
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12
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Preclinical models and technologies to advance nanovaccine development. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 172:148-182. [PMID: 33711401 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The remarkable success of targeted immunotherapies is revolutionizing cancer treatment. However, tumor heterogeneity and low immunogenicity, in addition to several tumor-associated immunosuppression mechanisms are among the major factors that have precluded the success of cancer vaccines as targeted cancer immunotherapies. The exciting outcomes obtained in patients upon the injection of tumor-specific antigens and adjuvants intratumorally, reinvigorated interest in the use of nanotechnology to foster the delivery of vaccines to address cancer unmet needs. Thus, bridging nano-based vaccine platform development and predicted clinical outcomes the selection of the proper preclinical model will be fundamental. Preclinical models have revealed promising outcomes for cancer vaccines. However, only few cases were associated with clinical responses. This review addresses the major challenges related to the translation of cancer nano-based vaccines to the clinic, discussing the requirements for ex vivo and in vivo models of cancer to ensure the translation of preclinical success to patients.
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Karakousis ND, Papatheodoridi A, Chatzigeorgiou A, Papatheodoridis G. Cellular senescence and hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma: An intriguing link. Liver Int 2020; 40:2917-2927. [PMID: 32890439 DOI: 10.1111/liv.14659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B is mainly responsible for the morbidity and mortality from hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related complications, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and decompensated cirrhosis. Hepatocellular carcinoma remains the main challenge in the management of not only undiagnosed and/or untreated but also diagnosed and treated patients with chronic HBV infection, as its incidence decreases but is not eliminated even after many years of effective anti-HBV therapy. The exact mechanisms used by HBV to cause malignant transformation remain uncertain, although much of the available data are in favour of a pathogenetic role of HBx protein. Senescence is a cellular state, in which cells lose their ability to proliferate. This biological mechanism may function in a dual mode, namely being both cancer-protective as a result of reduced cellular proliferation, but also cancer-enhancing as a result of modulation of the tissular microenvironment by immune cells during persistent accumulation of senescent cells. Protein X of HBV protein exhibits many similarities in terms of the implemented mechanisms of action and pathways related to the biological process of cellular senescence. Concurrently, insufficient clearance of both senescent and precancerous hepatocytes combined with inadequate immune surveillance as a result of immunosenescence caused by chronic HBV infection may lead to hepatocarcinogenesis. Thus, the effect of HBV seems to be critical as a connecting link between cellular senescence and development of HCC. An ongoing research is underway towards identifying and validating markers of hepatocyte senescence, which could improve the landscape for evaluation of chronic liver disease, thereby providing valuable information in terms of HBV-related carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos D Karakousis
- Department of Gastroenterology, Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, General Hospital of Athens "Laiko", Athens, Greece.,Department of Physiology, Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Alkistis Papatheodoridi
- Department of Physiology, Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.,Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Alexandra" General Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Antonios Chatzigeorgiou
- Department of Physiology, Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.,Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - George Papatheodoridis
- Department of Gastroenterology, Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, General Hospital of Athens "Laiko", Athens, Greece
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14
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Mondal P, Meeran SM. Long non-coding RNAs in breast cancer metastasis. Noncoding RNA Res 2020; 5:208-218. [PMID: 33294746 PMCID: PMC7689374 DOI: 10.1016/j.ncrna.2020.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among women. Recurrence of primary tumor and metastasis to distant body parts are major causes of breast cancer-associated mortality. The 5-year survival rate for women with metastatic breast cancer is only 25-30%. Breast cancer metastasis is a series of processes involved with EMT, invasion, loss of cell to cell adhesion, alteration in cell phenotype, extravasation, microenvironment of the tumor, and colonization to the secondary sites. Epigenetic modification is involved in the transformation of the distant stromal cell into a secondary tumor. LncRNAs, are one the key epigenetic modifiers, are the largest endogenous non-coding RNAs with approximate base-pair lengths from 200 nt to 100 kb. LncRNA plays a crucial role in breast cancer metastasis by sponging miRNA, by degrading or silencing specific mRNA, or else by targeting the enzymes and microprocessor subunits involved in the biogenesis of miRNA. LncRNA also alters the expression of several genes involved in breast cancer metastasis and modulating different cell signaling pathways. The goal of this review is to provide a better understanding of the role of lncRNA in the regulation of breast cancer metastasis. We also summarized some of the key lncRNAs that regulate the genes and signaling pathways involved in breast cancer invasion and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Mondal
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Biochemistry, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, 570020, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Syed Musthapa Meeran
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Department of Biochemistry, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, 570020, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
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15
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Di Blasio S, van Wigcheren GF, Becker A, van Duffelen A, Gorris M, Verrijp K, Stefanini I, Bakker GJ, Bloemendal M, Halilovic A, Vasaturo A, Bakdash G, Hato SV, de Wilt JHW, Schalkwijk J, de Vries IJM, Textor JC, van den Bogaard EH, Tazzari M, Figdor CG. The tumour microenvironment shapes dendritic cell plasticity in a human organotypic melanoma culture. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2749. [PMID: 32488012 PMCID: PMC7265463 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16583-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumour microenvironment (TME) forms a major obstacle in effective cancer treatment and for clinical success of immunotherapy. Conventional co-cultures have shed light onto multiple aspects of cancer immunobiology, but they are limited by the lack of physiological complexity. We develop a human organotypic skin melanoma culture (OMC) that allows real-time study of host-malignant cell interactions within a multicellular tissue architecture. By co-culturing decellularized dermis with keratinocytes, fibroblasts and immune cells in the presence of melanoma cells, we generate a reconstructed TME that closely resembles tumour growth as observed in human lesions and supports cell survival and function. We demonstrate that the OMC is suitable and outperforms conventional 2D co-cultures for the study of TME-imprinting mechanisms. Within the OMC, we observe the tumour-driven conversion of cDC2s into CD14+ DCs, characterized by an immunosuppressive phenotype. The OMC provides a valuable approach to study how a TME affects the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Di Blasio
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Tumour-Host Interaction Lab, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - G F van Wigcheren
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - A Becker
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A van Duffelen
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - M Gorris
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - K Verrijp
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - I Stefanini
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - G J Bakker
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M Bloemendal
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A Halilovic
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A Vasaturo
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - G Bakdash
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - S V Hato
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J H W de Wilt
- Department of Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J Schalkwijk
- Department of Dermatology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - I J M de Vries
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J C Textor
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - E H van den Bogaard
- Department of Dermatology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M Tazzari
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Immunotherapy-Cell Therapy and Biobank Unit, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS, Meldola, Italy.
| | - C G Figdor
- Department of Tumour Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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16
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Identifying inhibitors of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity using a network topology-based approach. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2020; 6:15. [PMID: 32424264 PMCID: PMC7235229 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-020-0132-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the cause of over 90% of cancer-related deaths. Cancer cells undergoing metastasis can switch dynamically between different phenotypes, enabling them to adapt to harsh challenges, such as overcoming anoikis and evading immune response. This ability, known as phenotypic plasticity, is crucial for the survival of cancer cells during metastasis, as well as acquiring therapy resistance. Various biochemical networks have been identified to contribute to phenotypic plasticity, but how plasticity emerges from the dynamics of these networks remains elusive. Here, we investigated the dynamics of various regulatory networks implicated in Epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity (EMP)—an important arm of phenotypic plasticity—through two different mathematical modelling frameworks: a discrete, parameter-independent framework (Boolean) and a continuous, parameter-agnostic modelling framework (RACIPE). Results from either framework in terms of phenotypic distributions obtained from a given EMP network are qualitatively similar and suggest that these networks are multi-stable and can give rise to phenotypic plasticity. Neither method requires specific kinetic parameters, thus our results emphasize that EMP can emerge through these networks over a wide range of parameter sets, elucidating the importance of network topology in enabling phenotypic plasticity. Furthermore, we show that the ability to exhibit phenotypic plasticity correlates positively with the number of positive feedback loops in a given network. These results pave a way toward an unorthodox network topology-based approach to identify crucial links in a given EMP network that can reduce phenotypic plasticity and possibly inhibit metastasis—by reducing the number of positive feedback loops.
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17
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Vernot JP. Senescence-Associated Pro-inflammatory Cytokines and Tumor Cell Plasticity. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:63. [PMID: 32478091 PMCID: PMC7237636 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The well-recognized cell phenotypic heterogeneity in tumors is a great challenge for cancer treatment. Dynamic interconversion and movement within a spectrum of different cell phenotypes (cellular plasticity) with the acquisition of specific cell functions is a fascinating biological puzzle, that represent an additional difficulty for cancer treatment and novel therapies development. The understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for moving or stabilizing tumor cells within this spectrum of variable states constitutes a valuable tool to overcome these challenges. In particular, cell transitions between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes (EMT-MET) and de-and trans-differentiation processes are relevant, since it has been shown that they confer invasiveness, drug resistance, and metastatic ability, due to the simultaneous acquisition of stem-like cell properties. Multiple drivers participate in these cell conversions events. In particular, cellular senescence and senescence-associated soluble factors have been shown to unveil stem-like cell properties and cell plasticity. By modulating gradually the composition of their secretome and the time of exposure, senescent cells may have differential effect not only on tumor cells but also on surrounding cells. Intriguingly, tumor cells that scape from senescence acquire stem-like cell properties and aggressiveness. The reinforcement of senescence and inflammation by soluble factors and the participation of immune cells may provide a dynamic milieu having varied effects on cell transitions, reprogramming, plasticity, stemness and therefore heterogeneity. This will confer different epithelial/mesenchymal traits (hybrid phenotype) and stem-like cell properties, combinations of which, in a particular cell context, could be responsible for different cellular functions during cancer progression (survival, migration, invasion, colonization or proliferation). Additionally, cooperative behavior between cell subpopulations with different phenotypes/stemness functions could also modulate their cellular plasticity. Here, we will discuss the role of senescence and senescence-associated pro-inflammatory cytokines on the induction of cellular plasticity, their effect role in establishing particular states within this spectrum of cell phenotypes and how this is accompanied by stem-like cell properties that, as the epithelial transitions, may also have a continuum of characteristics providing tumor cells with functional adaptability specifically useful in the different stages of carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Paul Vernot
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
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18
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Sarkisjan D, Julsing JR, El Hassouni B, Honeywell RJ, Kathmann I, Matherly LH, Lee YB, Kim DJ, Peters GJ. RX-3117 (Fluorocyclopentenyl-Cytosine)-Mediated Down-Regulation of DNA Methyltransferase 1 Leads to Protein Expression of Tumor-Suppressor Genes and Increased Functionality of the Proton-Coupled Folate Carrier. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21082717. [PMID: 32295203 PMCID: PMC7215832 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: RX-3117 (fluorocyclopentenyl-cytosine) is a cytidine analog that inhibits DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1). We investigated the mechanism and potential of RX-3117 as a demethylating agent in several in vitro models. (2) Methods: we used western blotting to measure expression of several proteins known to be down-regulated by DNA methylation: O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) and the tumor-suppressor genes, p16 and E-cadherin. Transport of methotrexate (MTX) mediated by the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT) was used as a functional assay. (3) Results: RX-3117 treatment decreased total DNA-cytosine-methylation in A549 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, and induced protein expression of MGMT, p16 and E-cadherin in A549 and SW1573 NSCLC cells. Leukemic CCRF-CEM cells and the MTX-resistant variant (CEM/MTX, with a deficient reduced folate carrier) have a very low expression of PCFT due to promoter hypermethylation. In CEM/MTX cells, pre-treatment with RX-3117 increased PCFT-mediated MTX uptake 8-fold, and in CEM cells 4-fold. With the reference hypomethylating agent 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine similar values were obtained. RX-3117 also increased PCFT gene expression and PCFT protein. (4) Conclusion: RX-3117 down-regulates DNMT1, leading to hypomethylation of DNA. From the increased protein expression of tumor-suppressor genes and functional activation of PCFT, we concluded that RX-3117 might have induced hypomethylation of the promotor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dzjemma Sarkisjan
- Laboratory Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, location VU University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (D.S.); (J.R.J.); (B.E.H.); (R.J.H.); (I.K.)
| | - Joris R. Julsing
- Laboratory Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, location VU University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (D.S.); (J.R.J.); (B.E.H.); (R.J.H.); (I.K.)
| | - Btissame El Hassouni
- Laboratory Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, location VU University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (D.S.); (J.R.J.); (B.E.H.); (R.J.H.); (I.K.)
| | - Richard J. Honeywell
- Laboratory Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, location VU University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (D.S.); (J.R.J.); (B.E.H.); (R.J.H.); (I.K.)
| | - Ietje Kathmann
- Laboratory Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, location VU University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (D.S.); (J.R.J.); (B.E.H.); (R.J.H.); (I.K.)
| | - Larry H. Matherly
- Department of Oncology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, and Molecular Therapeutics Program, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI 48201-1976, USA;
| | - Young B. Lee
- Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Rockville, MD 20850, USA; (Y.B.L.); (D.J.K.)
| | - Deog J. Kim
- Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Rockville, MD 20850, USA; (Y.B.L.); (D.J.K.)
| | - Godefridus J. Peters
- Laboratory Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, location VU University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (D.S.); (J.R.J.); (B.E.H.); (R.J.H.); (I.K.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-20-4442633
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19
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The CTLH Complex in Cancer Cell Plasticity. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2019; 2019:4216750. [PMID: 31885576 PMCID: PMC6907057 DOI: 10.1155/2019/4216750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cell plasticity is the ability of cancer cells to intermittently morph into different fittest phenotypic states. Due to the intrinsic capacity to change their composition and interactions, protein macromolecular complexes are the ideal instruments for transient transformation. This review focuses on a poorly studied mammalian macromolecular complex called the CTLH (carboxy-terminal to LisH) complex. Currently, this macrostructure includes 11 known members (ARMC8, GID4, GID8, MAEA, MKLN1, RMND5A, RMND5B, RANBP9, RANBP10, WDR26, and YPEL5) and it has been shown to have E3-ligase enzymatic activity. CTLH proteins have been linked to all fundamental biological processes including proliferation, survival, programmed cell death, cell adhesion, and migration. At molecular level, the complex seems to interact and intertwine with key signaling pathways such as the PI3-kinase, WNT, TGFβ, and NFκB, which are key to cancer cell plasticity. As a whole, the CTLH complex is overexpressed in the most prevalent types of cancer and may hold the key to unlock many of the biological secrets that allow cancer cells to thrive in harsh conditions and resist antineoplastic therapy.
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20
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Dzobo K, Senthebane DA, Thomford NE, Rowe A, Dandara C, Parker MI. Not Everyone Fits the Mold: Intratumor and Intertumor Heterogeneity and Innovative Cancer Drug Design and Development. OMICS-A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2019; 22:17-34. [PMID: 29356626 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2017.0174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Disruptive innovations in medicine are game-changing in nature and bring about radical shifts in the way we understand human diseases, their treatment, and/or prevention. Yet, disruptive innovations in cancer drug design and development are still limited. Therapies that cure all cancer patients are in short supply or do not exist at all. Chief among the causes of this predicament is drug resistance, a mechanism that is much more dynamic than previously understood. Drug resistance has limited the initial success experienced with biomarker-guided targeted therapies as well. A major contributor to drug resistance is intratumor heterogeneity. For example, within solid tumors, there are distinct subclones of cancer cells, presenting profound complexity to cancer treatment. Well-known contributors to intratumor heterogeneity are genomic instability, the microenvironment, cellular genotype, cell plasticity, and stochastic processes. This expert review explains that for oncology drug design and development to be more innovative, we need to take into account intratumor heterogeneity. Initially thought to be the preserve of cancer cells, recent evidence points to the highly heterogeneous nature and diverse locations of stromal cells, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and cancer-associated macrophages (CAMs). Distinct subpopulations of CAFs and CAMs are now known to be located immediately adjacent and distant from cancer cells, with different subpopulations exerting different effects on cancer cells. Disruptive innovation and precision medicine in clinical oncology do not have to be a distant reality, but can potentially be achieved by targeting these spatially separated and exclusive cancer cell subclones and CAF subtypes. Finally, we emphasize that disruptive innovations in drug discovery and development will likely come from drugs whose effect is not necessarily tumor shrinkage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Dzobo
- 1 International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) , Cape Town, South Africa .,2 Division of Medical Biochemistry, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town , Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dimakatso Alice Senthebane
- 1 International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) , Cape Town, South Africa .,2 Division of Medical Biochemistry, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town , Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nicholas Ekow Thomford
- 3 Pharmacogenetics Research Group, Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town , Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Arielle Rowe
- 1 International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) , Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Collet Dandara
- 3 Pharmacogenetics Research Group, Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town , Cape Town, South Africa
| | - M Iqbal Parker
- 2 Division of Medical Biochemistry, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town , Cape Town, South Africa
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21
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Weiler J, Dittmar T. Cell Fusion in Human Cancer: The Dark Matter Hypothesis. Cells 2019; 8:E132. [PMID: 30736482 PMCID: PMC6407028 DOI: 10.3390/cells8020132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Current strategies to determine tumor × normal (TN)-hybrid cells among human cancer cells include the detection of hematopoietic markers and other mesodermal markers on tumor cells or the presence of donor DNA in cancer samples from patients who had previously received an allogenic bone marrow transplant. By doing so, several studies have demonstrated that TN-hybrid cells could be found in human cancers. However, a prerequisite of this cell fusion search strategy is that such markers are stably expressed by TN-hybrid cells over time. However, cell fusion is a potent inducer of genomic instability, and TN-hybrid cells may lose these cell fusion markers, thereby becoming indistinguishable from nonfused tumor cells. In addition, hybrid cells can evolve from homotypic fusion events between tumor cells or from heterotypic fusion events between tumor cells and normal cells possessing similar markers, which would also be indistinguishable from nonfused tumor cells. Such indistinguishable or invisible hybrid cells will be referred to as dark matter hybrids, which cannot as yet be detected and quantified, but which contribute to tumor growth and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Weiler
- Chair of Immunology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Stockumer Str. 10, 58448 Witten, Germany.
| | - Thomas Dittmar
- Chair of Immunology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Stockumer Str. 10, 58448 Witten, Germany.
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22
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Capillary morphogenesis gene 2 maintains gastric cancer stem-like cell phenotype by activating a Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Oncogene 2018; 37:3953-3966. [PMID: 29662192 PMCID: PMC6053357 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0226-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence shows that the development and progression of gastric cancer (GC) is mainly associated to the presence of gastric cancer stem-like cells (GCSLCs). However, it is unclear how GCSLC population is maintained. This study aimed to explore the role of capillary morphogenesis gene 2 (CMG2) in GCSLC maintenance and the relevance to GC progression. We found that CMG2 was highly expressed in GC tissues and the expression levels were associated with the invasion depth and lymph node metastasis of GC, and inversely correlated with the survival of GC patients. Sorted CMG2High GC cells preferentially clustered in CD44High stem-like cell population, which expressed high levels of stemness-related genes with increased capabilities of self-renewal and tumorigenicity. Depletion of CMG2 gene resulted in reduction of GCSLC population with attenuated stemness and decrease of invasive and metastatic capabilities with subdued epithelial–mesenchymal transition phenotype in GC cells. Mechanistically, CMG2 interacted with LRP6 in GCSLCs to activate a Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Thus, our results demonstrate that CMG2 promotes GC progression by maintaining GCSLCs and can serve as a new prognostic indicator and a target for human GC therapy.
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23
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Göktuna SI, Diamanti MA, Chau TL. IKK
s and tumor cell plasticity. FEBS J 2018; 285:2161-2181. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.14444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Serkan I. Göktuna
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Bilkent University Ankara Turkey
- National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM) Bilkent University Ankara Turkey
| | - Michaela A. Diamanti
- Georg‐Speyer‐Haus Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Tieu Lan Chau
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics Bilkent University Ankara Turkey
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24
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Chen RJ, Kuo HC, Cheng LH, Lee YH, Chang WT, Wang BJ, Wang YJ, Cheng HC. Apoptotic and Nonapoptotic Activities of Pterostilbene against Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19010287. [PMID: 29346311 PMCID: PMC5796233 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a major cause of death. The outcomes of current therapeutic strategies against cancer often ironically lead to even increased mortality due to the subsequent drug resistance and to metastatic recurrence. Alternative medicines are thus urgently needed. Cumulative evidence has pointed out that pterostilbene (trans-3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxystilbene, PS) has excellent pharmacological benefits for the prevention and treatment for various types of cancer in their different stages of progression by evoking apoptotic or nonapoptotic anti-cancer activities. In this review article, we first update current knowledge regarding tumor progression toward accomplishment of metastasis. Subsequently, we review current literature regarding the anti-cancer activities of PS. Finally, we provide future perspectives to clinically utilize PS as novel cancer therapeutic remedies. We, therefore, conclude and propose that PS is one ideal alternative medicine to be administered in the diet as a nutritional supplement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Jane Chen
- Department of Food Safety/Hygiene and Risk Management, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; (R.-J.C.); (Y.-H.L.)
| | - Hsiao-Che Kuo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; (H.-C.K.); (W.-T.C.)
| | - Li-Hsin Cheng
- The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan;
| | - Yu-Hsuan Lee
- Department of Food Safety/Hygiene and Risk Management, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; (R.-J.C.); (Y.-H.L.)
| | - Wen-Tsan Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; (H.-C.K.); (W.-T.C.)
- The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan;
| | - Bour-Jr Wang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan;
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
- Department of Cosmetic Science and Institute of Cosmetic Science, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan 707010, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Jan Wang
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan;
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40401, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (Y.-J.W.); (H.-C.C.); Tel.: +886-6-235-3535 (ext. 5804) (Y.-J.W.); +886-6-235-3535 (ext. 5544) (H.-C.C.); Fax: +886-6-275-2484 (Y.-J.W.)
| | - Hung-Chi Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; (H.-C.K.); (W.-T.C.)
- The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan;
- Correspondence: (Y.-J.W.); (H.-C.C.); Tel.: +886-6-235-3535 (ext. 5804) (Y.-J.W.); +886-6-235-3535 (ext. 5544) (H.-C.C.); Fax: +886-6-275-2484 (Y.-J.W.)
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25
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Lunyak VV, Amaro-Ortiz A, Gaur M. Mesenchymal Stem Cells Secretory Responses: Senescence Messaging Secretome and Immunomodulation Perspective. Front Genet 2017; 8:220. [PMID: 29312442 PMCID: PMC5742268 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2017.00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) have been tested in a significant number of clinical trials, where they exhibit regenerative and repair properties directly through their differentiation into the cells of the mesenchymal origin or by modulation of the tissue/organ microenvironment. Despite various clinical effects upon transplantation, the functional properties of these cells in natural settings and their role in tissue regeneration in vivo is not yet fully understood. The omnipresence of MSC throughout vascularized organs equates to a reservoir of potentially therapeutic regenerative depots throughout the body. However, these reservoirs could be subjected to cellular senescence. In this review, we will discuss current progress and challenges in the understanding of different biological pathways leading to senescence. We set out to highlight the seemingly paradoxical property of cellular senescence: its beneficial role in the development and tissue repair and detrimental impact of this process on tissue homeostasis in aging and disease. Taking into account the lessons from the different cell systems, this review elucidates how autocrine and paracrine properties of senescent MSC might impose an additional layer of complexity on the regulation of the immune system in development and disease. New findings that have emerged in the last few years could shed light on sometimes seemingly controversial results obtained from MSC therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Meenakshi Gaur
- Aelan Cell Technologies, San Francisco, CA, United States
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26
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Cuyàs E, Verdura S, Fernández-Arroyo S, Bosch-Barrera J, Martin-Castillo B, Joven J, Menendez JA. Metabolomic mapping of cancer stem cells for reducing and exploiting tumor heterogeneity. Oncotarget 2017; 8:99223-99236. [PMID: 29245896 PMCID: PMC5725087 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Personalized cancer medicine based on the analysis of tumors en masse is limited by tumor heterogeneity, which has become a major obstacle to effective cancer treatment. Cancer stem cells (CSC) are emerging as key drivers of inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity. CSC have unique metabolic dependencies that are required not only for specific bioenergetic/biosynthetic demands but also for sustaining their operational epigenetic traits, i.e. self-renewal, tumor-initiation, and plasticity. Given that the metabolome is the final downstream product of all the –omic layers and, therefore, most representative of the biological phenotype, we here propose that a novel approach to better understand the complexity of tumor heterogeneity is by mapping and cataloging small numbers of CSC metabolomic phenotypes. The narrower metabolomic diversity of CSC states could be employed to reduce multidimensional tumor heterogeneity into dynamic models of fewer actionable sub-phenotypes. The identification of the driver nodes that are used differentially by CSC states to metabolically regulate self-renewal and tumor initation and escape chemotherapy might open new preventive and therapeutic avenues. The mapping of CSC metabolomic states could become a pioneering strategy to reduce the dimensionality of tumor heterogeneity and improve our ability to examine changes in tumor cell populations for cancer detection, prognosis, prediction/monitoring of therapy response, and detection of therapy resistance and recurrent disease. The identification of driver metabolites and metabolic nodes accounting for a large amount of variance within the CSC metabolomic sub-phenotypes might offer new unforeseen opportunities for reducing and exploiting tumor heterogeneity via metabolic targeting of CSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabet Cuyàs
- Metabolism and Cancer Group, Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain.,Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
| | - Sara Verdura
- Metabolism and Cancer Group, Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain.,Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
| | - Salvador Fernández-Arroyo
- Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Catalonia, Spain.,Campus of International Excellence Southern Catalonia, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | | | - Jorge Joven
- Unitat de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Catalonia, Spain.,Campus of International Excellence Southern Catalonia, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Javier A Menendez
- Metabolism and Cancer Group, Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain.,Molecular Oncology Group, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
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27
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Amawi H, Hussein NA, Karthikeyan C, Manivannan E, Wisner A, Williams FE, Samuel T, Trivedi P, Ashby CR, Tiwari AK. HM015k, a Novel Silybin Derivative, Multi-Targets Metastatic Ovarian Cancer Cells and Is Safe in Zebrafish Toxicity Studies. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:498. [PMID: 28824426 PMCID: PMC5539246 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was designed to determine the in vitro mechanisms by which the novel silybin derivative, (E)-3-(3-(benzyloxy) phenyl)-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (HM015k or 15k), produces its anticancer efficacy in ovarian cancer cells. Compound 15k induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells in a time-dependent manner by significantly upregulating the expression of Bax and Bak and downregulating the expression of Bcl-2. Interestingly, 15k induced the cleavage of Bax p21 into its more efficacious cleaved form, Bax p18. In addition, caspase 3 and caspase 9 were cleaved to their active forms, inducing the cleavage of poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) and β-catenin. Furthermore, in OV2008 cells, 15k induced significant cleavage in nuclear β-catenin to primarily inactive fragments of lower molecular weight. Furthermore, 15k reversed the metastatic potential of OV2008 cells by inhibiting their migration and invasiveness. The mesenchymal phenotype in OV2008 was reversed by 15k, causing cells to be rounder with epithelial-like phenotypes. The 15k-induced reversal was further confirmed by significant upregulation of the E-cadherin expression, an epithelial marker, while N-cadherin, a mesenchymal marker, was downregulated in OV2008 cells. Compound 15k inhibited the expression of the oncogenic c-Myc protein, downregulated proteins DVL3 and DVL2 and significantly upregulated cyclin B1. Also, 15k significantly downregulated the expression levels of ABCG2 and ABCB1 transporters in resistant ABCG2 overexpressing H460/MX20 and resistant ABCB1 overexpressing MDCK/MDR1 cells, respectively. Finally, 15k was safe in zebrafish in vivo model at concentrations up to 10 μM and induced no major toxicities in cardiac, morphology and swimming position parameters. Overall, 15k is a multi-targeted inhibitor with efficacy against metastatic and resistant ovarian cancer. Future in vivo studies will be conducted to determine the efficacy of 15k in tumor-bearing animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haneen Amawi
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of ToledoToledo, OH, United States
| | - Noor A Hussein
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of ToledoToledo, OH, United States
| | | | | | - Alexander Wisner
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of ToledoToledo, OH, United States
| | - Frederick E Williams
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of ToledoToledo, OH, United States
| | - Temesgen Samuel
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee UniversityTuskegee, AL, United States
| | - Piyush Trivedi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki VishwavidyalayaBhopal, India
| | - Charles R Ashby
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, St. John's University QueensNew York, NY, United States
| | - Amit K Tiwari
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of ToledoToledo, OH, United States
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28
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Garland J. Unravelling the complexity of signalling networks in cancer: A review of the increasing role for computational modelling. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2017; 117:73-113. [PMID: 28807238 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer induction is a highly complex process involving hundreds of different inducers but whose eventual outcome is the same. Clearly, it is essential to understand how signalling pathways and networks generated by these inducers interact to regulate cell behaviour and create the cancer phenotype. While enormous strides have been made in identifying key networking profiles, the amount of data generated far exceeds our ability to understand how it all "fits together". The number of potential interactions is astronomically large and requires novel approaches and extreme computation methods to dissect them out. However, such methodologies have high intrinsic mathematical and conceptual content which is difficult to follow. This review explains how computation modelling is progressively finding solutions and also revealing unexpected and unpredictable nano-scale molecular behaviours extremely relevant to how signalling and networking are coherently integrated. It is divided into linked sections illustrated by numerous figures from the literature describing different approaches and offering visual portrayals of networking and major conceptual advances in the field. First, the problem of signalling complexity and data collection is illustrated for only a small selection of known oncogenes. Next, new concepts from biophysics, molecular behaviours, kinetics, organisation at the nano level and predictive models are presented. These areas include: visual representations of networking, Energy Landscapes and energy transfer/dissemination (entropy); diffusion, percolation; molecular crowding; protein allostery; quinary structure and fractal distributions; energy management, metabolism and re-examination of the Warburg effect. The importance of unravelling complex network interactions is then illustrated for some widely-used drugs in cancer therapy whose interactions are very extensive. Finally, use of computational modelling to develop micro- and nano- functional models ("bottom-up" research) is highlighted. The review concludes that computational modelling is an essential part of cancer research and is vital to understanding network formation and molecular behaviours that are associated with it. Its role is increasingly essential because it is unravelling the huge complexity of cancer induction otherwise unattainable by any other approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Garland
- Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre, Manchester University, Manchester, UK.
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29
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Jolly MK, Tripathi SC, Somarelli JA, Hanash SM, Levine H. Epithelial/mesenchymal plasticity: how have quantitative mathematical models helped improve our understanding? Mol Oncol 2017; 11:739-754. [PMID: 28548388 PMCID: PMC5496493 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of cells to reversibly alter their phenotypes in response to signals, presents a significant clinical challenge to treating solid tumors. Tumor cells utilize phenotypic plasticity to evade therapies, metastasize, and colonize distant organs. As a result, phenotypic plasticity can accelerate tumor progression. A well‐studied example of phenotypic plasticity is the bidirectional conversions among epithelial, mesenchymal, and hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) phenotype(s). These conversions can alter a repertoire of cellular traits associated with multiple hallmarks of cancer, such as metabolism, immune evasion, invasion, and metastasis. To tackle the complexity and heterogeneity of these transitions, mathematical models have been developed that seek to capture the experimentally verified molecular mechanisms and act as ‘hypothesis‐generating machines’. Here, we discuss how these quantitative mathematical models have helped us explain existing experimental data, guided further experiments, and provided an improved conceptual framework for understanding how multiple intracellular and extracellular signals can drive E/M plasticity at both the single‐cell and population levels. We also discuss the implications of this plasticity in driving multiple aggressive facets of tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Satyendra C Tripathi
- Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jason A Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Samir M Hanash
- Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
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30
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Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in tumor progression. Med Oncol 2017; 34:122. [PMID: 28560682 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-017-0980-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a biological process in which a non-motile epithelial cell changes to a mesenchymal state with invasive capacities. However, the EMT program is involved in both physiological and pathological processes. Cancer-associated EMT is known to contribute to increase invasiveness and metastasis, resistance to therapies, and generation of cell populations with stem cell-like characteristics and therefore is deeply involved in tumor progression. This process is finely orchestrated by multiple signaling pathways and regulatory transcriptional networks. The hallmark of EMT is the loss of epithelial surface markers, mainly E-cadherin, and the acquisition of mesenchymal phenotype. These events can be mediated by EMT transcription factors which can cooperate with several enzymes to repress the E-cadherin expression and regulate EMT at the epigenetic and post-translational level. A growing body of evidence indicates that cancer cells can reside in various phenotypic states along the EMT spectrum, where cells can jointly retain epithelial traits with mesenchymal ones. This type of phenotypic plasticity endows cancer cells with tumor-initiating potential. The identification of the signaling pathways and modulators that lead to activation of EMT programs during these disease processes is providing new insights into the plasticity of cellular phenotypes and possible therapeutic interventions.
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31
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Qi XT, Zhan JS, Xiao LM, Li L, Xu HX, Fu ZB, Zhang YH, Zhang J, Jia XH, Ge G, Chai RC, Gao K, Yu ACH. The Unwanted Cell Migration in the Brain: Glioma Metastasis. Neurochem Res 2017; 42:1847-1863. [PMID: 28478595 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-017-2272-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cell migration is identified as a highly orchestrated process. It is a fundamental and essential phenomenon underlying tissue morphogenesis, wound healing, and immune response. Under dysregulation, it contributes to cancer metastasis. Brain is considered to be the most complex organ in human body containing many types of neural cells with astrocytes playing crucial roles in monitoring both physiological and pathological functions. Astrocytoma originates from astrocytes and its most malignant type is glioblastoma multiforme (WHO Grade IV astrocytoma), which is capable to infiltrate widely into the neighboring brain tissues making a complete resection of tumors impossible. Very recently, we have reviewed the mechanisms for astrocytes in migration. Given the fact that astrocytoma shares many histological features with astrocytes, we therefore attempt to review the mechanisms for glioma cells in migration and compare them to normal astrocytes, hoping to obtain a better insight into the dysregulation of migratory mechanisms contributing to their metastasis in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Tao Qi
- Laboratory for Functional Study of Astrocytes, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jiang Shan Zhan
- Laboratory for Functional Study of Astrocytes, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Li Ming Xiao
- Laboratory for Functional Study of Astrocytes, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Lina Li
- Laboratory for Functional Study of Astrocytes, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China.
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China.
- National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China.
- Hai Kang Life (Beijing) Corporation Ltd., Sino-I Campus No.1, Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, Beijing, 100176, China.
- Hai Kang Life Corporation Ltd., Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Han Xiao Xu
- Laboratory for Functional Study of Astrocytes, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China
| | - Zi Bing Fu
- Laboratory for Functional Study of Astrocytes, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Yan Hao Zhang
- Laboratory for Functional Study of Astrocytes, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Peking University Health Science Center and Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
| | - Xi Hua Jia
- Laboratory for Functional Study of Astrocytes, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Hai Kang Life (Beijing) Corporation Ltd., Sino-I Campus No.1, Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, Beijing, 100176, China
- Hai Kang Life Corporation Ltd., Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Guo Ge
- Laboratory for Functional Study of Astrocytes, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New Area, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, China
| | - Rui Chao Chai
- Laboratory for Functional Study of Astrocytes, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Hai Kang Life (Beijing) Corporation Ltd., Sino-I Campus No.1, Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, Beijing, 100176, China
- Hai Kang Life Corporation Ltd., Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kai Gao
- Laboratory for Functional Study of Astrocytes, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
- Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100034, China
| | - Albert Cheung Hoi Yu
- Laboratory for Functional Study of Astrocytes, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Beijing, 100191, China.
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China.
- Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China.
- National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China.
- Hai Kang Life (Beijing) Corporation Ltd., Sino-I Campus No.1, Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, Beijing, 100176, China.
- Hai Kang Life Corporation Ltd., Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
- Laboratory of Translational Medicine, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
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32
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Araldi RP, Assaf SMR, Carvalho RFD, Carvalho MACRD, Souza JMD, Magnelli RF, Módolo DG, Roperto FP, Stocco RDC, Beçak W. Papillomaviruses: a systematic review. Genet Mol Biol 2017; 40:1-21. [PMID: 28212457 PMCID: PMC5409773 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2016-0128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decades, a group of viruses has received great attention due to its
relationship with cancer development and its wide distribution throughout the
vertebrates: the papillomaviruses. In this article, we aim to review some of the most
relevant reports concerning the use of bovines as an experimental model for studies
related to papillomaviruses. Moreover, the obtained data contributes to the
development of strategies against the clinical consequences of bovine
papillomaviruses (BPV) that have led to drastic hazards to the herds. To overcome the
problem, the vaccines that we have been developing involve recombinant DNA
technology, aiming at prophylactic and therapeutic procedures. It is important to
point out that these strategies can be used as models for innovative procedures
against HPV, as this virus is the main causal agent of cervical cancer, the second
most fatal cancer in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Pinheiro Araldi
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Jacqueline Mazzuchelli de Souza
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Roberta Fiusa Magnelli
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Franco Peppino Roperto
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria e Produzioni Animali, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Campania, Italy
| | | | - Willy Beçak
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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33
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Ritschka B, Storer M, Mas A, Heinzmann F, Ortells MC, Morton JP, Sansom OJ, Zender L, Keyes WM. The senescence-associated secretory phenotype induces cellular plasticity and tissue regeneration. Genes Dev 2017; 31:172-183. [PMID: 28143833 PMCID: PMC5322731 DOI: 10.1101/gad.290635.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 486] [Impact Index Per Article: 69.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Senescence is a form of cell cycle arrest induced by stress such as DNA damage and oncogenes. However, while arrested, senescent cells secrete a variety of proteins collectively known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which can reinforce the arrest and induce senescence in a paracrine manner. However, the SASP has also been shown to favor embryonic development, wound healing, and even tumor growth, suggesting more complex physiological roles than currently understood. Here we uncover timely new functions of the SASP in promoting a proregenerative response through the induction of cell plasticity and stemness. We show that primary mouse keratinocytes transiently exposed to the SASP exhibit increased expression of stem cell markers and regenerative capacity in vivo. However, prolonged exposure to the SASP causes a subsequent cell-intrinsic senescence arrest to counter the continued regenerative stimuli. Finally, by inducing senescence in single cells in vivo in the liver, we demonstrate that this activates tissue-specific expression of stem cell markers. Together, this work uncovers a primary and beneficial role for the SASP in promoting cell plasticity and tissue regeneration and introduces the concept that transient therapeutic delivery of senescent cells could be harnessed to drive tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Ritschka
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Mekayla Storer
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Alba Mas
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Florian Heinzmann
- Department of Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Physiology I, Institute of Physiology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mari Carmen Ortells
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Jennifer P Morton
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom
| | - Owen J Sansom
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1BD, United Kingdom
| | - Lars Zender
- Department of Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Physiology I, Institute of Physiology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Translational Gastrointestinal Oncology Group, German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - William M Keyes
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, UMR7104, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, U964, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch 67404, France
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34
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Araldi RP, Módolo DG, de Sá Júnior PL, Consonni SR, de Carvalho RF, Roperto FP, Beçak W, de Cassia Stocco R. Genetics and metabolic deregulation following cancer initiation: A world to explore. Biomed Pharmacother 2016; 82:449-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Revised: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
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Wu J, Lu M, Li Y, Shang YK, Wang SJ, Meng Y, Wang Z, Li ZS, Chen H, Chen ZN, Bian H. Regulation of a TGF-β1-CD147 self-sustaining network in the differentiation plasticity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Oncogene 2016; 35:5468-5479. [PMID: 27041581 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2016.89] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Revised: 01/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cellular plasticity has an important role in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, the involvement of a TGF-β1-CD147 self-sustaining network in the regulation of the dedifferentiation progress was fully explored in HCC cell lines, hepatocyte-specific basigin/CD147-knockout mice and human HCC tissues. We demonstrated that TGF-β1 stimulation upregulated CD147 expression and mediated the dedifferentiation of HCC cells, whereas all-trans-retinoic acid induced the downregulation of CD147 and promoted differentiation in HCC cells. Overexpression of CD147 induced the dedifferentiation and enhanced the malignancy of HCC cells, and increased the transcriptional expression of TGF-β1 by activating β-catenin. CD147-induced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) production activated pro-TGF-β1. The activated TGF-β1 signaling subsequently repressed the HNF4α expression via Smad-Snail1 signaling and enhanced the dedifferentiation progress. Hepatocyte-specific basigin/CD147-knockout mice decreased the susceptibility to N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced tumorigenesis by suppressing TGF-β1-CD147 signaling and inhibiting dedifferentiation in hepatocytes during tumor progression. CD147 was positively correlated with TGF-β1 and negatively correlated with HNF4α in human HCC tissues. Positive CD147 staining and lower HNF4α levels in tumor tissues were significantly associated with poor survival of patients with HCC. The overexpression of HNF4α and Smad7 and the deletion of CD147 by lentiviral vectors jointly reprogrammed the expression profile of hepatocyte markers and attenuated malignant properties including proliferation, cell survival and tumor growth of HCC cells. Our results highlight the important role of the TGF-β1-CD147 self-sustaining network in driving HCC development by regulating differentiation plasticity, which provides a strong basis for further investigations of the differentiation therapy of HCC targeting TGF-β1 and CD147.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Wu
- Department of Cell Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Cell Engineering Research Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - M Lu
- Department of Cell Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Cell Engineering Research Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Y Li
- Department of Oncology, PLA 323 Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Y-K Shang
- Department of Cell Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Cell Engineering Research Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - S-J Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Cell Engineering Research Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Y Meng
- Department of Cell Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Cell Engineering Research Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Z Wang
- Department of Pathology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Z-S Li
- Department of Pathology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - H Chen
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research, Peking University Cancer Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Z-N Chen
- Department of Cell Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Cell Engineering Research Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - H Bian
- Department of Cell Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Cell Engineering Research Center, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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36
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Serrano-Gomez SJ, Maziveyi M, Alahari SK. Regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition through epigenetic and post-translational modifications. Mol Cancer 2016; 15:18. [PMID: 26905733 PMCID: PMC4765192 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-016-0502-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 505] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a biological process in which a non-motile epithelial cell changes to a mesenchymal phenotype with invasive capacities. This phenomenon has been well documented in multiple biological processes including embryogenesis, fibrosis, tumor progression and metastasis. The hallmark of EMT is the loss of epithelial surface markers, most notably E-cadherin, and the acquisition of mesenchymal markers including vimentin and N-cadherin. The downregulation of E-cadherin during EMT can be mediated by its transcriptional repression through the binding of EMT transcription factors (EMT-TFs) such as SNAIL, SLUG and TWIST to E-boxes present in the E-cadherin promoter. Additionally, EMT-TFs can also cooperate with several enzymes to repress the expression of E-cadherin and regulate EMT at the epigenetic and post- translational level. In this review, we will focus on epigenetic and post- translational modifications that are important in EMT. In addition, we will provide an overview of the various therapeutic approaches currently being investigated to undermine EMT and hence, the metastatic progression of cancer as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Juliana Serrano-Gomez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSUHSC School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. .,Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia.
| | - Mazvita Maziveyi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSUHSC School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
| | - Suresh K Alahari
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSUHSC School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
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Vinogradova TV, Chernov IP, Monastyrskaya GS, Kondratyeva LG, Sverdlov ED. Cancer Stem Cells: Plasticity Works against Therapy. Acta Naturae 2015; 7:46-55. [PMID: 26798491 PMCID: PMC4717249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Great successes in identification and deciphering of mechanisms of the adult stem cells regulation have given rise to the idea that stem cells can also function in tumors as central elements of their development, starting from the initial stage and continuing until metastasis. Such cells were called cancer stem cells (CSCs). Over the course of intense discussion, the CSCs hypothesis gradually began to be perceived as an obvious fact. Recently, the existence of CSCs has been indeed confirmed in a number of works. However, when are CSCs universal prerequisites of tumors and to what extent their role is essential for tumor evolution remains an issue far from resolved. Likewise, the problem of potential use of CSCs as therapeutic targets remains unsolved. The present review attempts to analyze the issue of cancer stem cells and the potential of targeting them in tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. V. Vinogradova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - I. P. Chernov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - G. S. Monastyrskaya
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - L. G. Kondratyeva
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences
| | - E. D. Sverdlov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences
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38
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Cancer (stem) cell differentiation: An inherent or acquired property? Med Hypotheses 2015; 85:1012-8. [PMID: 26347071 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2015.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/23/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing list of data indicating that cancer (stem) cells could functionally adapt foreign tissue features, such as endothelial-like cells or neuroendocrine cells, express lineage markers or could differentiate into various lineages in response to appropriate differentiation criteria. The finding that cancer (stem) cells may possess some kind of differentiation capacity poses the question whether this might be an inherent or acquired property. Cancer stem cells share stem cell characteristics and may thus possess an inherent differentiation capacity enabling the cells to respond to various differentiation stimuli. Considering the plasticity of cancer (stem) cells, even non-tumorigenic (and putatively non-differentiable) tumor cells could give rise to tumorigenic tumor stem cells, exhibiting stem cell characteristics including an inherent differentiation capacity. On the contrary, cancer (stem) cells may have acquired differentiation capacity as a consequence of a previous cell fusion event with cell types exhibiting differentiation potential and being fusogenic, such as macrophages or stem cells. Of pivotal interest in a tumor context are macrophages, which chiefly foster the chronically inflamed tumor microenvironment. Because chronically inflamed tissue is a well-known trigger for cell fusion and both macrophages and stem cells are highly fusogenic we conclude that cell fusion events between these cell types and cancer (stem) cells should frequently occur, thereby giving rise to hybrid cells exhibiting not only novel properties, like an enhanced metastatogenic phenotype, but also parental characteristics, such as differentiation capacity. Conceivably, the combination of both properties might be advantageous for metastasizing cancer (stem) cells to adapt better and faster to a foreign organ tissue environment.
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39
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Lamprecht S, Fich A. The cancer cells-of-origin in the gastrointestinal tract: progenitors revisited. Carcinogenesis 2015; 36:811-6. [PMID: 26116624 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgv095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A prominent model of tumor progression posits that normal self-renewing and multipotent stem cells(SCs) are the initial target of transformation. This view has been robustly challenged by the recurring observation that transit-amplifying cells and differentiated progenitors can initiate neoplasia outside the SC zone thus qualifying as cancer cells-of-origin. The emerging concept is that a cancer SC and a cancer cell-of-origin are not necessarily the same cell. Importantly, progenitor cells were shown to possess remarkable plasticity and to revert, on demand, to a SC-like state. The present review revisits our early hypothesis that colonic progenitors acquiring a mutant adenomatous polyposis coli gene after exiting the stem zone may serve as genuine cancer cells-of-origin. New findings consonant with this view are examined, and tenable molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning the plasticity of progenitor cells in the gastrointestinal tract and in other tissues are discussed. The translational impact of cell plasticity is addressed, and recommendations for future research are advanced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Lamprecht
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology and Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Soroka University Medical Center, Beersheva, Israel
| | - Alexander Fich
- Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Soroka University Medical Center, Beersheva, Israel
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40
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Valta M, Fagerlund K, Suominen M, Halleen J, Tuomela J. Importance of microenvironment in preclinical models of breast and prostate cancer. World J Pharmacol 2015; 4:47-57. [DOI: 10.5497/wjp.v4.i1.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2014] [Revised: 11/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The majority of cancer drugs entering clinical trials fail to reach the market due to poor efficacy. Preclinical efficacy has been traditionally tested using subcutaneous xenograft models that are cheap, fast and easy to perform. However, these models lack the correct tumor microenvironment, leading to poor clinical predictivity. Selecting compounds for clinical trials based on efficacy results obtained from subcutaneous xenograft models may therefore be one important reason for the high failure rates. In this review we concentrate in describing the role and importance of the tumor microenvironment in progression of breast and prostate cancer, and describe some breast and prostate cancer cell lines that are widely used in preclinical studies. We go through different preclinical efficacy models that incorporate the tissue microenvironment and should therefore be clinically more predictive than subcutaneous xenografts. These include three-dimensional cell culture models, orthotopic and metastasis models, humanized and transgenic mouse models, and patient-derived xenografts. Different endpoint measurements and applicable imaging techniques are also discussed. We conclude that models that incorporate the tissue microenvironment should be increasingly used in preclinical efficacy studies to reduce the current high attrition rates of cancer drugs in clinical trials.
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41
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Connor T, Martin SD, Howlett KF, McGee SL. Metabolic remodelling in obesity and type 2 diabetes: pathological or protective mechanisms in response to nutrient excess? Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2014; 42:109-15. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1681.12315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2014] [Revised: 09/17/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Connor
- Metabolic Remodelling Laboratory; Metabolic Research Unit; School of Medicine; Deakin University; Geelong Vic. Australia
| | - Sheree D Martin
- Metabolic Remodelling Laboratory; Metabolic Research Unit; School of Medicine; Deakin University; Geelong Vic. Australia
| | - Kirsten F Howlett
- Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition; School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences; Deakin University; Geelong Vic. Australia
| | - Sean L McGee
- Metabolic Remodelling Laboratory; Metabolic Research Unit; School of Medicine; Deakin University; Geelong Vic. Australia
- Division of Cell Signalling and Metabolism; Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute; Melbourne Vic. Australia
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42
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Dalla Pozza E, Dando I, Biondani G, Brandi J, Costanzo C, Zoratti E, Fassan M, Boschi F, Melisi D, Cecconi D, Scupoli MT, Scarpa A, Palmieri M. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell lines display a plastic ability to bi‑directionally convert into cancer stem cells. Int J Oncol 2014; 46:1099-108. [PMID: 25502497 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2014.2796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 11/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is often diagnosed when metastatic events have occurred. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in tumor initiation, metastasis, chemoresistance and relapse. A growing number of studies have suggested that CSCs exist in a dynamic equilibrium with more differentiated cancer cells via a bi‑directional regeneration that is dependent on the environmental stimuli. In this investigation, we obtain, by using a selective medium, PDAC CSCs from five out of nine PDAC cell lines, endowed with different tumorsphere‑forming ability. PDAC CSCs were generally more resistant to the action of five anticancer drugs than parental cell lines and were characterized by an increased expression of EpCAM and CD44v6, typical stem cell surface markers, and a decreased expression of E‑cadherin, the main marker of the epithelial state. PDAC CSCs were able to re‑differentiate into parental cells once cultured in parental growth condition, as demonstrated by re‑acquisition of the epithelial morphology, the decreased expression levels of EpCAM and CD44v6 and the increased sensitivity to anticancer drugs. Finally, PDAC CSCs injected into nude mice developed a larger subcutaneous tumor mass and showed a higher metastatic activity compared to parental cells. The present study demonstrates the ability to obtain CSCs from several PDAC cell lines and that these cells are differentially resistant to various anticancer agents. This variability renders them a model of great importance to deeply understand pancreatic adenocarcinoma biology, to discover new biomarkers and to screen new therapeutic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Dalla Pozza
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Ilaria Dando
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Giulia Biondani
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Jessica Brandi
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Chiara Costanzo
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Elisa Zoratti
- Applied Research on Cancer Network (ARC‑NET) and Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Matteo Fassan
- Applied Research on Cancer Network (ARC‑NET) and Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Federico Boschi
- Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Davide Melisi
- Department of Medicine, Oncology Unit, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Daniela Cecconi
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Scupoli
- Applied Research on Cancer Network (ARC‑NET) and Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Aldo Scarpa
- Applied Research on Cancer Network (ARC‑NET) and Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Marta Palmieri
- Department of Life and Reproduction Sciences, Section of Biochemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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