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Canté-Barrett K, Meijer MT, Cordo' V, Hagelaar R, Yang W, Yu J, Smits WK, Nulle ME, Jansen JP, Pieters R, Yang JJ, Haigh JJ, Goossens S, Meijerink JP. MEF2C opposes Notch in lymphoid lineage decision and drives leukemia in the thymus. JCI Insight 2022; 7:150363. [PMID: 35536646 PMCID: PMC9310523 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.150363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rearrangements that drive ectopic MEF2C expression have recurrently been found in patients with human early thymocyte progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ETP-ALL). Here, we show high levels of MEF2C expression in patients with ETP-ALL. Using both in vivo and in vitro models of ETP-ALL, we demonstrate that elevated MEF2C expression blocks NOTCH-induced T cell differentiation while promoting a B-lineage program. MEF2C activates a B cell transcriptional program in addition to RUNX1, GATA3, and LMO2; upregulates the IL-7R; and boosts cell survival by upregulation of BCL2. MEF2C and the Notch pathway, therefore, demarcate opposite regulators of B- or T-lineage choices, respectively. Enforced MEF2C expression in mouse or human progenitor cells effectively blocks early T cell differentiation and promotes the development of biphenotypic lymphoid tumors that coexpress CD3 and CD19, resembling human mixed phenotype acute leukemia. Salt-inducible kinase (SIK) inhibitors impair MEF2C activity and alleviate the T cell developmental block. Importantly, this sensitizes cells to prednisolone treatment. Therefore, SIK-inhibiting compounds such as dasatinib are potentially valuable additions to standard chemotherapy for human ETP-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariska T Meijer
- Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Valentina Cordo'
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rico Hagelaar
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Wentao Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Childen's Research Hospital, Memphis, United States of America
| | - Jiyang Yu
- Computational Biology Department, St. Jude Childen's Research Hospital, Memphis, United States of America
| | - Willem K Smits
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Marloes E Nulle
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Joris P Jansen
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Rob Pieters
- Pieters Group, Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jun J Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, United States of America
| | - Jody J Haigh
- Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Steven Goossens
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jules Pp Meijerink
- Meijerink Group, Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
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2
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Oksa L, Mäkinen A, Nikkilä A, Hyvärinen N, Laukkanen S, Rokka A, Haapaniemi P, Seki M, Takita J, Kauko O, Heinäniemi M, Lohi O. Arginine Methyltransferase PRMT7 Deregulates Expression of RUNX1 Target Genes in T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:2169. [PMID: 35565298 PMCID: PMC9101393 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematological malignancy with no well-established prognostic biomarkers. We examined the expression of protein arginine methyltransferases across hematological malignancies and discovered high levels of PRMT7 mRNA in T-ALL, particularly in the mature subtypes of T-ALL. The genetic deletion of PRMT7 by CRISPR-Cas9 reduced the colony formation of T-ALL cells and changed arginine monomethylation patterns in protein complexes associated with the RNA and DNA processing and the T-ALL pathogenesis. Among them was RUNX1, whose target gene expression was consequently deregulated. These results suggest that PRMT7 plays an active role in the pathogenesis of T-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Oksa
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, FI-33520 Tampere, Finland; (A.M.); (A.N.); (N.H.); (S.L.); (O.L.)
| | - Artturi Mäkinen
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, FI-33520 Tampere, Finland; (A.M.); (A.N.); (N.H.); (S.L.); (O.L.)
- Fimlab Laboratories, Department of Pathology, Tampere University Hospital, FI-33520 Tampere, Finland
| | - Atte Nikkilä
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, FI-33520 Tampere, Finland; (A.M.); (A.N.); (N.H.); (S.L.); (O.L.)
| | - Noora Hyvärinen
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, FI-33520 Tampere, Finland; (A.M.); (A.N.); (N.H.); (S.L.); (O.L.)
| | - Saara Laukkanen
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, FI-33520 Tampere, Finland; (A.M.); (A.N.); (N.H.); (S.L.); (O.L.)
| | - Anne Rokka
- Turku Bioscience Center, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, FI-20014 Turku, Finland; (A.R.); (P.H.); (O.K.)
| | - Pekka Haapaniemi
- Turku Bioscience Center, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, FI-20014 Turku, Finland; (A.R.); (P.H.); (O.K.)
| | - Masafumi Seki
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-17165 Solna, Sweden;
| | - Junko Takita
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto JP-606-8501, Japan;
| | - Otto Kauko
- Turku Bioscience Center, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, FI-20014 Turku, Finland; (A.R.); (P.H.); (O.K.)
| | - Merja Heinäniemi
- The Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland;
| | - Olli Lohi
- Tampere Center for Child, Adolescent, and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, FI-33520 Tampere, Finland; (A.M.); (A.N.); (N.H.); (S.L.); (O.L.)
- Tays Cancer Center, Tampere University Hospital, FI-33520 Tampere, Finland
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3
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Noh KE, Lee JH, Choi SY, Jung NC, Nam JH, Oh JS, Song JY, Seo HG, Wang Y, Lee HS, Lim DS. TGF-β/IL-7 Chimeric Switch Receptor-Expressing CAR-T Cells Inhibit Recurrence of CD19-Positive B Cell Lymphoma. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168706. [PMID: 34445415 PMCID: PMC8395772 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells are effective in the treatment of hematologic malignancies but have shown limited efficacy against solid tumors. Here, we demonstrated an approach to inhibit recurrence of B cell lymphoma by co-expressing both a human anti-CD19-specific single-chain variable fragment (scFv) CAR (CD19 CAR) and a TGF-β/IL-7 chimeric switch receptor (tTRII-I7R) in T cells (CD19 CAR-tTRII-I7R-T cells). The tTRII-I7R was designed to convert immunosuppressive TGF-β signaling into immune-activating IL-7 signaling. The effect of TGF-β on CD19 CAR-tTRII-I7R-T cells was assessed by western blotting. Target-specific killing by CD19 CAR-tTRII-I7R-T cells was evaluated by Eu-TDA assay. Daudi tumor-bearing NSG (NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ-/-) mice were treated with CD19 CAR-tTRII-I7R-T cells to analyze the in vivo anti-tumor effect. In vitro, CD19 CAR-tTRII-I7R-T cells had a lower level of phosphorylated SMAD2 and a higher level of target-specific cytotoxicity than controls in the presence of rhTGF-β1. In the animal model, the overall survival and recurrence-free survival of mice that received CD19 CAR-tTRII-I7R-T cells were significantly longer than in control mice. These findings strongly suggest that CD19 CAR-tTRII-I7R-T cell therapy provides a new strategy for long-lasting, TGF-β-resistant anti-tumor effects against B cell lymphoma, which may lead ultimately to increased clinical efficacy.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigens, CD19/immunology
- Cells, Cultured
- Female
- Humans
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive
- Interleukin-7/genetics
- Interleukin-7/metabolism
- K562 Cells
- Lymphoma, B-Cell/immunology
- Lymphoma, B-Cell/therapy
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Mice, SCID
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/immunology
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/therapy
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism
- Signal Transduction
- Single-Chain Antibodies/metabolism
- Transforming Growth Factor beta/genetics
- Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism
- Treatment Outcome
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Eun Noh
- Department of Biotechnology, CHA University, 335 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam 13488, Gyeonggi-do, Korea; (K.-E.N.); (S.-Y.C.); (J.-H.N.); (J.-S.O.)
| | - Jun-Ho Lee
- Pharos Vaccine Inc., 14 Galmachiro, 288 Bun-gil, Jungwon-gu, Seongnam 13201, Gyeonggi-do, Korea; (J.-H.L.); (N.-C.J.); (H.S.L.)
| | - So-Yeon Choi
- Department of Biotechnology, CHA University, 335 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam 13488, Gyeonggi-do, Korea; (K.-E.N.); (S.-Y.C.); (J.-H.N.); (J.-S.O.)
| | - Nam-Chul Jung
- Pharos Vaccine Inc., 14 Galmachiro, 288 Bun-gil, Jungwon-gu, Seongnam 13201, Gyeonggi-do, Korea; (J.-H.L.); (N.-C.J.); (H.S.L.)
| | - Ji-Hee Nam
- Department of Biotechnology, CHA University, 335 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam 13488, Gyeonggi-do, Korea; (K.-E.N.); (S.-Y.C.); (J.-H.N.); (J.-S.O.)
| | - Ji-Soo Oh
- Department of Biotechnology, CHA University, 335 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam 13488, Gyeonggi-do, Korea; (K.-E.N.); (S.-Y.C.); (J.-H.N.); (J.-S.O.)
| | - Jie-Young Song
- Department of Radiation Cancer Sciences, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, 75 Nowon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01812, Korea;
| | - Han Geuk Seo
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology of Animal Products, Sanghuh College of Life Sciences, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Korea;
| | - Yu Wang
- Immunotech Applied Science Ltd., Beijing 100176, China;
| | - Hyun Soo Lee
- Pharos Vaccine Inc., 14 Galmachiro, 288 Bun-gil, Jungwon-gu, Seongnam 13201, Gyeonggi-do, Korea; (J.-H.L.); (N.-C.J.); (H.S.L.)
| | - Dae-Seog Lim
- Department of Biotechnology, CHA University, 335 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam 13488, Gyeonggi-do, Korea; (K.-E.N.); (S.-Y.C.); (J.-H.N.); (J.-S.O.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-10-2770-4777
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4
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Sottoriva K, Pajcini KV. Notch Signaling in the Bone Marrow Lymphopoietic Niche. Front Immunol 2021; 12:723055. [PMID: 34394130 PMCID: PMC8355626 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.723055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lifelong mammalian hematopoiesis requires continuous generation of mature blood cells that originate from Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells (HSPCs) situated in the post-natal Bone Marrow (BM). The BM microenvironment is inherently complex and extensive studies have been devoted to identifying the niche that maintains HSPC homeostasis and supports hematopoietic potential. The Notch signaling pathway is required for the emergence of the definitive Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSC) during embryonic development, but its role in BM HSC homeostasis is convoluted. Recent work has begun to explore novel roles for the Notch signaling pathway in downstream progenitor populations. In this review, we will focus an important role for Notch signaling in the establishment of a T cell primed sub-population of Common Lymphoid Progenitors (CLPs). Given that its activation mechanism relies primarily on cell-to-cell contact, Notch signaling is an ideal means to investigate and define a novel BM lymphopoietic niche. We will discuss how new genetic model systems indicate a pre-thymic, BM-specific role for Notch activation in early T cell development and what this means to the paradigm of lymphoid lineage commitment. Lastly, we will examine how leukemic T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) blasts take advantage of Notch and downstream lymphoid signals in the pathological BM niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kilian Sottoriva
- Department of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Kostandin V Pajcini
- Department of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
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5
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Deregulation of the Interleukin-7 Signaling Pathway in Lymphoid Malignancies. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14050443. [PMID: 34066732 PMCID: PMC8151260 DOI: 10.3390/ph14050443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The cytokine interleukin-7 (IL-7) and its receptor are critical for lymphoid cell development. The loss of IL-7 signaling causes severe combined immunodeficiency, whereas gain-of-function alterations in the pathway contribute to malignant transformation of lymphocytes. Binding of IL-7 to the IL-7 receptor results in the activation of the JAK-STAT, PI3K-AKT and Ras-MAPK pathways, each contributing to survival, cell cycle progression, proliferation and differentiation. Here, we discuss the role of deregulated IL-7 signaling in lymphoid malignancies of B- and T-cell origin. Especially in T-cell leukemia, more specifically in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, a high frequency of mutations in components of the IL-7 signaling pathway are found, including alterations in IL7R, IL2RG, JAK1, JAK3, STAT5B, PTPN2, PTPRC and DNM2 genes.
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6
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Roy U, Raghavan SC. Deleterious point mutations in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Mechanistic insights into leukemogenesis. Int J Cancer 2021; 149:1210-1220. [PMID: 33634864 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is characterized by the leukemogenic transformation of immature T cells, which accumulate an array of genetic and epigenetic lesions, leading to a sustained proliferation of abnormal T cells. Genetic alterations in the DNA repair genes, protooncogenes, transcription factors, and epigenetic modifiers have been studied in the past decade using next-generation sequencing and high-resolution copy number arrays. While other genomic lesions like chromosomal rearrangements, inversions, insertions, and gene fusions have been well studied at functional level, the mechanism of generation of driver mutations in T-ALL is the subject of current investigation. Novel oncogenic mutations in the TP53, BRCA2, PTEN, IL7R, RAS, NOTCH1, ETV6, BCL11B, WT1, DNMT3A, PRC2, PHF6, USP7, KDM6A and an array of other genes disrupt the genetic and epigenetic homeostasis in T-ALL. In this review, we have summarized the mechanistic role of deleterious driver mutations in T-ALL initiation and progression. We speculate that the formation of non-B DNA structures could be one of the primary reasons for the occurrence of different genomic lesions seen in T-ALL, which warrants further investigation. Understanding the mechanism behind the genesis of oncogenic mutations will pave the way to develop targeted therapies that can improve the overall survival and treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urbi Roy
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Sathees C Raghavan
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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7
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Dushnicky MJ, Nazarali S, Mir A, Portwine C, Samaan MC. Is There A Causal Relationship between Childhood Obesity and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia? A Review. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12113082. [PMID: 33105727 PMCID: PMC7690432 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The childhood obesity epidemic is impacting tens of millions of children globally. While obesity causes several cancers in adults, its potential role in causing pediatric cancers remains unclear. In this review, we assess the potential contribution of obesity to the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common pediatric cancer. We review the possible mechanisms by which the adipose tissue attracts and protects leukemia cells and how it interferes with the actions of chemotherapies used in ALL treatment. We also examine adipose tissue-secreted molecules and fuels that may support leukemia development. While there are no current definite causal links between obesity and ALL, there are plausible mechanisms that need further investigation to explore the impact of obesity on causing ALL and on impacting treatment outcomes. Abstract Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic with numerous global health implications. Over the past few years, novel insights have emerged about the contribution of adult obesity to cancer risk, but the evidence base is far more limited in children. While pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are at risk of obesity, it is unclear if there are potential causal mechanisms by which obesity leads to ALL development. This review explores the endocrine, metabolic and immune dysregulation triggered by obesity and its potential role in pediatric ALL’s genesis. We describe possible mechanisms, including adipose tissue attraction and protection of lymphoblasts, and their impact on ALL chemotherapies’ pharmacokinetics. We also explore the potential contribution of cytokines, growth factors, natural killer cells and adipose stem cells to ALL initiation and propagation. While there are no current definite causal links between obesity and ALL, critical questions persist as to whether the adipose tissue microenvironment and endocrine actions can play a causal role in childhood ALL, and there is a need for more research to address these questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly J. Dushnicky
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada; (M.J.D.); (S.N.); (A.M.); (C.P.)
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Samina Nazarali
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada; (M.J.D.); (S.N.); (A.M.); (C.P.)
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- Michael G. De Groote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S4L8, Canada
| | - Adhora Mir
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada; (M.J.D.); (S.N.); (A.M.); (C.P.)
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- Michael G. De Groote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S4L8, Canada
| | - Carol Portwine
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada; (M.J.D.); (S.N.); (A.M.); (C.P.)
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Muder Constantine Samaan
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada; (M.J.D.); (S.N.); (A.M.); (C.P.)
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, McMaster Children’s Hospital, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- Michael G. De Groote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S4L8, Canada
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- Correspondence:
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8
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Facts and Challenges in Immunotherapy for T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21207685. [PMID: 33081391 PMCID: PMC7589289 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), a T-cell malignant disease that mainly affects children, is still a medical challenge, especially for refractory patients for whom therapeutic options are scarce. Recent advances in immunotherapy for B-cell malignancies based on increasingly efficacious monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have been encouraging for non-responding or relapsing patients suffering from other aggressive cancers like T-ALL. However, secondary life-threatening T-cell immunodeficiency due to shared expression of targeted antigens by healthy and malignant T cells is a main drawback of mAb—or CAR-based immunotherapies for T-ALL and other T-cell malignancies. This review provides a comprehensive update on the different immunotherapeutic strategies that are being currently applied to T-ALL. We highlight recent progress on the identification of new potential targets showing promising preclinical results and discuss current challenges and opportunities for developing novel safe and efficacious immunotherapies for T-ALL.
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9
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Cardoso BA. The Bone Marrow Niche - The Tumor Microenvironment That Ensures Leukemia Progression. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1219:259-293. [PMID: 32130704 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-34025-4_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The human body requires a constant delivery of fresh blood cells that are needed to maintain body homeostasis. Hematopoiesis is the process that drives the formation of new blood cells from a single stem cell. This is a complex, orchestrated and tightly regulated process that occurs within the bone marrow. When such process is faulty or deregulated, leukemia arises, develops and thrives by subverting normal hematopoiesis and availing the supplies of this rich milieu.In this book chapter we will describe and characterize the bone marrow microenvironment and its key importance for leukemia expansion. The several components of the bone marrow niche, their interaction with the leukemic cells and the cellular pathways activated within the malignant cells will be emphasized. Finally, novel therapeutic strategies to target this sibling interaction will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno António Cardoso
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
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10
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Paganelli F, Lonetti A, Anselmi L, Martelli AM, Evangelisti C, Chiarini F. New advances in targeting aberrant signaling pathways in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Adv Biol Regul 2019; 74:100649. [PMID: 31523031 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2019.100649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive disorder characterized by malignant transformation of immature progenitors primed towards T-cell development. Over the past 15 years, advances in the molecular characterization of T-ALL have uncovered oncogenic key drivers and crucial signaling pathways of this disease, opening new chances for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Currently, T-ALL patients are still treated with aggressive therapies, consisting of high dose multiagent chemotherapy. To minimize and overcome the unfavorable effects of these regimens, it is critical to identify innovative targets and test selective inhibitors of such targets. Major efforts are being made to develop small molecules against deregulated signaling pathways, which sustain T-ALL cell growth, survival, metabolism, and drug-resistance. This review will focus on recent improvements in the understanding of the signaling pathways involved in the pathogenesis of T-ALL and on the challenging opportunities for T-ALL targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Paganelli
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza-CNR National Research Council of Italy, Bologna, Italy; IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Annalisa Lonetti
- "Giorgio Prodi" Cancer Research Center, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Anselmi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic, and Neural Sciences, Section of Morphology, Signal Transduction Unit, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Alberto M Martelli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Camilla Evangelisti
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza-CNR National Research Council of Italy, Bologna, Italy; IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Chiarini
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza-CNR National Research Council of Italy, Bologna, Italy; IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy.
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11
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STAT5 is essential for IL-7-mediated viability, growth, and proliferation of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells. Blood Adv 2019; 2:2199-2213. [PMID: 30185437 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2018021063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) constitutes an aggressive subset of ALL, the most frequent childhood malignancy. Whereas interleukin-7 (IL-7) is essential for normal T-cell development, it can also accelerate T-ALL development in vivo and leukemia cell survival and proliferation by activating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin signaling. Here, we investigated whether STAT5 could also mediate IL-7 T-ALL-promoting effects. We show that IL-7 induces STAT pathway activation in T-ALL cells and that STAT5 inactivation prevents IL-7-mediated T-ALL cell viability, growth, and proliferation. At the molecular level, STAT5 is required for IL-7-induced downregulation of p27kip1 and upregulation of the transferrin receptor, CD71. Surprisingly, STAT5 inhibition does not significantly affect IL-7-mediated Bcl-2 upregulation, suggesting that, contrary to normal T-cells, STAT5 promotes leukemia cell survival through a Bcl-2-independent mechanism. STAT5 chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA sequencing reveal a diverse IL-7-driven STAT5-dependent transcriptional program in T-ALL cells, which includes BCL6 inactivation by alternative transcription and upregulation of the oncogenic serine/threonine kinase PIM1 Pharmacological inhibition of PIM1 abrogates IL-7-mediated proliferation on T-ALL cells, indicating that strategies involving the use of PIM kinase small-molecule inhibitors may have therapeutic potential against a majority of leukemias that rely on IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) signaling. Overall, our results demonstrate that STAT5, in part by upregulating PIM1 activity, plays a major role in mediating the leukemia-promoting effects of IL-7/IL-7R.
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12
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IL7 receptor signaling in T cells: A mathematical modeling perspective. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2019; 11:e1447. [DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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13
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A juxtacrine/paracrine loop between C-Kit and stem cell factor promotes cancer stem cell survival in epithelial ovarian cancer. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:412. [PMID: 31138788 PMCID: PMC6538673 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1656-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Receptors tyrosine kinase (RTK) enable normal and tumor cells to perceive and adapt to stimuli present in the microenvironment. These stimuli, also known as growth factors, are important molecular cues actively supporting cancer stem cell (CSC) self-renewal and viability. Since in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) the expression of c-Kit (CD117) has been identified as a CSC hallmark, we investigated the existence of a tumor growth-promoting loop between c-Kit and its ligand Stem Cell Factor (SCF). SCF exists as a soluble or transmembrane protein and through c-Kit interaction regulates cell viability, proliferation, and differentiation both in physiological and pathological conditions. High amounts of SCF were found in the ascitic effusions collected from EOC patients. While tumor cells and CSC only expressed the membrane-associated SCF isoform, both secreted and membrane-bound isoforms were expressed by tumor-associated macrophages (TAM, here shown to be M2-like) and fibroblasts (TAF). Circulating monocytes from EOC-bearing patients and healthy donors did not express both SCF isoforms. However, monocytes isolated from healthy donors produced SCF upon in vitro differentiation into macrophages, irrespectively of M1 or M2 polarization. In vitro, both SCF isoforms were able to activate the Akt pathway in c-Kit+ cells, and this effect was counteracted by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib. In addition, our results indicated that SCF could help c-Kit+ CSC survival in selective culture conditions and promote their canonical stemness properties, thus indicating the possible existence of a juxtacrine/paracrine circuit in EOC.
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14
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Jia Y, Qi Y, Wang Y, Ma X, Xu Y, Wang J, Zhang X, Gao M, Cong B, Han S. Overexpression of CD59 inhibits apoptosis of T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia via AKT/Notch1 signaling pathway. Cancer Cell Int 2019; 19:9. [PMID: 30636930 PMCID: PMC6325688 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-018-0714-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) was a hematological malignancy characterized by the accumulation of immature T cells in bone marrow and peripheral blood. In this study, we tried to explore the physiological role of CD59 in T-ALL. METHODS In this study, we collected the bone marrow samples from 17 T-ALL patients and 38 healthy participants to find differences in CD59 expression patterns. Then, CD59 was over-expressed in T-ALL cell line Jurkat, and its biological functions were detected. In addition, in order to understand the active site of CD59, the Trp40 was mutated. Further, we constructed a mouse model by transplanting Jurkat cells into the nude mice to verify the function of CD59 in vitro. At last, mechanism studies were performed by western blot. RESULTS We found that the proportion of T lymphocytes expressing CD59 in bone marrow of T-ALL patients was significantly higher than that of healthy individuals. Then, we found that the overexpression of CD59 in Jurkat cells was beneficial to the cell survival by inhibiting apoptosis and promoting IL-2 secretion. In this process, Trp40 of CD59 was a key functional site. Further, the high expression of CD59 inhibited apoptosis of bone marrow and peripheral blood cells, and promoted IL-2 secretion in mouse model. At last, mechanism studies showed that the activation of AKT, STAT5 and Notch1 signaling pathways in Jurkat cells, may be involved in the regulation of apoptosis by CD59; and mutation in the Trp40 affect the interaction of CD59 with these signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, CD59 inhibited apoptosis of T-ALL by regulating AKT/Notch1 signaling pathway, providing a new perspective for the treatment of T-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfei Jia
- Medical Research and Laboratory Diagnostic Center, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, 115 Jie Fang Road, Jinan, Shandong 250013 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan Qi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong People’s Republic of China
| | - Yunshan Wang
- Medical Research and Laboratory Diagnostic Center, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, 115 Jie Fang Road, Jinan, Shandong 250013 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoli Ma
- Medical Research and Laboratory Diagnostic Center, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, 115 Jie Fang Road, Jinan, Shandong 250013 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yihui Xu
- Medical Research and Laboratory Diagnostic Center, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, 115 Jie Fang Road, Jinan, Shandong 250013 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jun Wang
- Medical Research and Laboratory Diagnostic Center, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, 115 Jie Fang Road, Jinan, Shandong 250013 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoqian Zhang
- Medical Research and Laboratory Diagnostic Center, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, 115 Jie Fang Road, Jinan, Shandong 250013 People’s Republic of China
| | - Meihua Gao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong People’s Republic of China
| | - Beibei Cong
- Medical Research and Laboratory Diagnostic Center, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, 115 Jie Fang Road, Jinan, Shandong 250013 People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuyi Han
- Medical Research and Laboratory Diagnostic Center, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, 115 Jie Fang Road, Jinan, Shandong 250013 People’s Republic of China
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15
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Oliveira ML, Akkapeddi P, Ribeiro D, Melão A, Barata JT. IL-7R-mediated signaling in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: An update. Adv Biol Regul 2019; 71:88-96. [PMID: 30249539 PMCID: PMC6386770 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2018.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Interleukin 7 (IL-7) and its receptor (IL-7R, a heterodimer of IL-7Rα and γc) are essential for normal lymphoid development. In their absence, severe combined immunodeficiency occurs. By contrast, excessive IL-7/IL-7R-mediated signaling can drive lymphoid leukemia development, disease acceleration and resistance to chemotherapy. IL-7 and IL-7R activate three main pathways: STAT5, PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MEK/Erk, ultimately leading to the promotion of leukemia cell viability, cell cycle progression and growth. However, the contribution of each of these pathways towards particular functional outcomes is still not completely known and appears to differ between normal and malignant states. For example, IL-7 upregulates Bcl-2 in a PI3K/Akt/mTOR-dependent and STAT5-independent manner in T-ALL cells. This is a 'symmetric image' of what apparently happens in normal lymphoid cells, where PI3K/Akt/mTOR does not impact on Bcl-2 and regulates proliferation rather than survival. In this review, we provide an updated summary of the knowledge on IL-7/IL-7R-mediated signaling in the context of cancer, focusing mainly on T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, where this axis has been more extensively studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana L Oliveira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Padma Akkapeddi
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Daniel Ribeiro
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Alice Melão
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João T Barata
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal.
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16
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Gianfelici V, Messina M, Paoloni F, Peragine N, Lauretti A, Fedullo AL, Di Giacomo F, Vignetti M, Vitale A, Guarini A, Chiaretti S, Foà R. IL7R overexpression in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia is associated to JAK/STAT pathway mutations and identifies patients who could benefit from targeted therapies. Leuk Lymphoma 2018; 60:829-832. [PMID: 30188230 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2018.1499906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Gianfelici
- a Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology , Sapienza University , Rome , Italy
| | - Monica Messina
- a Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology , Sapienza University , Rome , Italy
| | | | - Nadia Peragine
- a Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology , Sapienza University , Rome , Italy
| | - Alessia Lauretti
- a Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology , Sapienza University , Rome , Italy
| | - Anna Lucia Fedullo
- a Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology , Sapienza University , Rome , Italy
| | - Filomena Di Giacomo
- a Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology , Sapienza University , Rome , Italy
| | - Marco Vignetti
- a Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology , Sapienza University , Rome , Italy.,b GIMEMA Data Center, GIMEMA , Rome , Italy
| | - Antonella Vitale
- a Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology , Sapienza University , Rome , Italy
| | - Anna Guarini
- a Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology , Sapienza University , Rome , Italy
| | - Sabina Chiaretti
- a Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology , Sapienza University , Rome , Italy
| | - Robin Foà
- a Hematology, Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology , Sapienza University , Rome , Italy
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17
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Zhao JJ, Wu ZF, Yu YH, Wang L, Cheng L. Effects of interleukin-7/interleukin-7 receptor on RANKL-mediated osteoclast differentiation and ovariectomy-induced bone loss by regulating c-Fos/c-Jun pathway. J Cell Physiol 2018; 233:7182-7194. [PMID: 29663382 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.26548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
To explore the effects of IL-7/IL-7R on the RANKL-mediated osteoclast differentiation in vitro and OVX-induced bone loss in vivo. BMMs and RAW264.7 were transfected with IL-7, IL-7R siRNA, c-Fos siRNA, and c-jun siRNA and later stimulated by RANKL. TRAP and toluidine blue staining were used to observe osteoclast formation and bone resorption, respectively. HE and TRAP staining were used to detect trabecular bone microstructure and osteoclasts of mice, respectively. qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis were used to examine expression. IL-7 unregulated the expression of CTSK, NFATc1, MMP9, and the phosphorylation of p38 and Akt by activating the c-Fos/c-Jun pathway, which increased osteoclast numbers and bone resorption in RANKL-stimulated macrophages. While IL-7R siRNA and c-Fos siRNA decreased the expression, as well as and the phosphorylation of p38 and Akt.IL-7 decreased the BMD and OPG expression in OVX-induced mice and increased the TRAP positive cells, the mRNA expression of c-fos, c-jun, and RANKL, which was contradictory to IL-7R siRNA, and c-Fos siRNA. Furthermore, IL-7R siRNA and c-Fos siRNA caused thicker trabeculae, increased trabecular number, and decreased osteolysis in OVX mice. IL-7/IL-7R can promote RANKL-mediated osteoclast formation and bone resorption by activating the c-Fos/c-Jun pathway, as well as inducing bone loss in OVX mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Jun Zhao
- Department of Orthopedics, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, P. R. China
| | - Zhao-Feng Wu
- Department of Orthopedics, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, P. R. China
| | - Ying-Hao Yu
- Department of Orthopedics, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, P. R. China
| | - Ling Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, P. R. China
| | - Li Cheng
- Department of Orthopedics, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, P. R. China
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18
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de Bock CE, Demeyer S, Degryse S, Verbeke D, Sweron B, Gielen O, Vandepoel R, Vicente C, Vanden Bempt M, Dagklis A, Geerdens E, Bornschein S, Gijsbers R, Soulier J, Meijerink JP, Heinäniemi M, Teppo S, Bouvy-Liivrand M, Lohi O, Radaelli E, Cools J. HOXA9 Cooperates with Activated JAK/STAT Signaling to Drive Leukemia Development. Cancer Discov 2018; 8:616-631. [PMID: 29496663 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-17-0583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Leukemia is caused by the accumulation of multiple genomic lesions in hematopoietic precursor cells. However, how these events cooperate during oncogenic transformation remains poorly understood. We studied the cooperation between activated JAK3/STAT5 signaling and HOXA9 overexpression, two events identified as significantly co-occurring in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Expression of mutant JAK3 and HOXA9 led to a rapid development of leukemia originating from multipotent or lymphoid-committed progenitors, with a significant decrease in disease latency compared with JAK3 or HOXA9 alone. Integrated RNA sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, and Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) revealed that STAT5 and HOXA9 have co-occupancy across the genome, resulting in enhanced STAT5 transcriptional activity and ectopic activation of FOS/JUN (AP1). Our data suggest that oncogenic transcription factors such as HOXA9 provide a fertile ground for specific signaling pathways to thrive, explaining why JAK/STAT pathway mutations accumulate in HOXA9-expressing cells.Significance: The mechanism of oncogene cooperation in cancer development remains poorly characterized. In this study, we model the cooperation between activated JAK/STAT signaling and ectopic HOXA9 expression during T-cell leukemia development. We identify a direct cooperation between STAT5 and HOXA9 at the transcriptional level and identify PIM1 kinase as a possible drug target in mutant JAK/STAT/HOXA9-positive leukemia cases. Cancer Discov; 8(5); 616-31. ©2018 AACR.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 517.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles E de Bock
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sofie Demeyer
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sandrine Degryse
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Delphine Verbeke
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bram Sweron
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Olga Gielen
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Roel Vandepoel
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Carmen Vicente
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marlies Vanden Bempt
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Antonis Dagklis
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ellen Geerdens
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Simon Bornschein
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Gijsbers
- Laboratory for Viral Vector Technology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jean Soulier
- U944 INSERM and Hematology Laboratory, St-Louis Hospital, APHP, Hematology University Institute, University Paris-Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Jules P Meijerink
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Merja Heinäniemi
- Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Susanna Teppo
- Tampere Centre for Child Health Research, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Maria Bouvy-Liivrand
- Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Olli Lohi
- Tampere Centre for Child Health Research, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Enrico Radaelli
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Cools
- KU Leuven, Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium. .,VIB, Center for Cancer Biology, Leuven, Belgium
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19
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Knockout of zebrafish interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R) by the CRISPR/Cas9 system delays retinal neurodevelopment. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:273. [PMID: 29449560 PMCID: PMC5833684 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-0337-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin 7 receptor (il7r), a transmembrane receptor, belongs to the type I cytokine receptor family. Il7r is involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, such as multiple sclerosis. Targeted knockdown of il7r leads to delayed myelination, highlighting the potential role of il7r in the development of the nervous system. Zebrafish is an ideal model for the study of neurogenesis; moreover, the il7r gene is highly conserved between zebrafish and human. The aim of the present study was to investigate the novel function of il7r in neurogenesis. First, an il7r−/− homozygous mutant line was generated by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) technology. Second, the gross development of il7r−/− mutants revealed remarkably smaller eyes and delayed retinal neurodifferentiation. Third, microarray analysis revealed that genes associated with the phototransduction signalling pathway were strongly down-regulated in il7r−/− mutants. Finally, the results from behavioural tests indicated that visual function was impaired in il7r−/− mutant larvae. Overall, our data demonstrate that a lack of il7r retards the development of the retina. Thus, il7r is an essential molecule for maintaining normal retinal development in zebrafish.
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20
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Ge Z, Gu Y, Xiao L, Han Q, Li J, Chen B, Yu J, Kawasawa YI, Payne KJ, Dovat S, Song C. Co-existence of IL7R high and SH2B3 low expression distinguishes a novel high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia with Ikaros dysfunction. Oncotarget 2018; 7:46014-46027. [PMID: 27322554 PMCID: PMC5216778 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains the leading cause of cancer-related death in children and young adults. Compared to ALL in children, adult ALL has a much lower cure rate. Therefore, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying high-risk ALL and to develop therapeutic strategies that specifically target genes or pathways in ALL. Here, we explored the IL7R and SH2B3 expression in adult ALL and found that IL7R is significantly higher and Sh2B3 lower expressed in B-ALL compared to normal bone marrow control, and the IL7RhighSH2B3low is associated with high-risk factors, and with high relapse rate and low disease-free survival rate in the patients. We also found that Ikaros deletion was associated with the IL7RhighSH2B3low expression pattern and Ikaros directly binds the IL7R and SH2B3 promoter, and suppresses IL7R and promotes SH2B3 expression. On the other hand, casein kinase inhibitor, which increases Ikaros function, inhibits IL7R and stimulates SH2B3 expression in an Ikaros dependent manner. Our data indicate that IL7RhighSH2B3low expression distinguishes a novel subset of high-risk B-ALL associated with Ikaros dysfunction, and also suggest the therapeutic potential for treatment that combines casein kinase inhibitor, as an Ikaros activator, with drugs that target the IL7R signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Ge
- Department of Hematology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University Medical School, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing 210029, China.,Department of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania State University Medical College, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Yan Gu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Lichan Xiao
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Qi Han
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Jianyong Li
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Baoan Chen
- Department of Hematology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University Medical School, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - James Yu
- Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yuka Imamura Kawasawa
- Penn State Hershey Genome Sciences Facility, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Kimberly J Payne
- Department of Pathology and Human Anatomy, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Sinisa Dovat
- Department of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania State University Medical College, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Chunhua Song
- Department of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania State University Medical College, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
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21
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The T-cell leukemia-associated ribosomal RPL10 R98S mutation enhances JAK-STAT signaling. Leukemia 2017; 32:809-819. [PMID: 28744013 PMCID: PMC5669462 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2017.225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Several somatic ribosome defects have recently been discovered in cancer, yet their oncogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we investigated the pathogenic role of the recurrent R98S mutation in ribosomal protein L10 (RPL10 R98S) found in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). The JAK-STAT signaling pathway is a critical controller of cellular proliferation and survival. A proteome screen revealed overexpression of several Jak-Stat signaling proteins in engineered RPL10 R98S mouse lymphoid cells, which we confirmed in hematopoietic cells from transgenic Rpl10 R98S mice and T-ALL xenograft samples. RPL10 R98S expressing cells displayed JAK-STAT pathway hyper-activation upon cytokine stimulation, as well as increased sensitivity to clinically used JAK-STAT inhibitors like pimozide. A mutually exclusive mutation pattern between RPL10 R98S and JAK-STAT mutations in T-ALL patients further suggests that RPL10 R98S functionally mimics JAK-STAT activation. Mechanistically, besides transcriptional changes, RPL10 R98S caused reduction of apparent programmed ribosomal frameshifting at several ribosomal frameshift signals in mouse and human Jak-Stat genes, as well as decreased Jak1 degradation. Of further medical interest, RPL10 R98S cells showed reduced proteasome activity and enhanced sensitivity to clinical proteasome inhibitors. Collectively, we describe modulation of the JAK-STAT cascade as a novel cancer-promoting activity of a ribosomal mutation, and expand the relevance of this cascade in leukemia.
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22
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Mendes RD, Canté-Barrett K, Pieters R, Meijerink JPP. The relevance of PTEN-AKT in relation to NOTCH1-directed treatment strategies in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Haematologica 2017; 101:1010-7. [PMID: 27582570 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2016.146381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) negatively regulates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT signaling and is often inactivated by mutations (including deletions) in a variety of cancer types, including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Here we review mutation-associated mechanisms that inactivate PTEN together with other molecular mechanisms that activate AKT and contribute to T-cell leukemogenesis. In addition, we discuss how Pten mutations in mouse models affect the efficacy of gamma-secretase inhibitors to block NOTCH1 signaling through activation of AKT. Based on these models and on observations in primary diagnostic samples from patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, we speculate that PTEN-deficient cells employ an intrinsic homeostatic mechanism in which PI3K-AKT signaling is dampened over time. As a result of this reduced PI3K-AKT signaling, the level of AKT activation may be insufficient to compensate for NOTCH1 inhibition, resulting in responsiveness to gamma-secretase inhibitors. On the other hand, de novo acquired PTEN-inactivating events in NOTCH1-dependent leukemia could result in temporary, strong activation of PI3K-AKT signaling, increased glycolysis and glutaminolysis, and consequently gamma-secretase inhibitor resistance. Due to the central role of PTEN-AKT signaling and in the resistance to NOTCH1 inhibition, AKT inhibitors may be a promising addition to current treatment protocols for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui D Mendes
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kirsten Canté-Barrett
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Pieters
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jules P P Meijerink
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC Rotterdam-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Oliveira ML, Akkapeddi P, Alcobia I, Almeida AR, Cardoso BA, Fragoso R, Serafim TL, Barata JT. From the outside, from within: Biological and therapeutic relevance of signal transduction in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cell Signal 2017. [PMID: 28645565 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2017.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive hematological cancer that arises from clonal expansion of transformed T-cell precursors. In this review we summarize the current knowledge on the external stimuli and cell-intrinsic lesions that drive aberrant activation of pivotal, pro-tumoral intracellular signaling pathways in T-cell precursors, driving transformation, leukemia expansion, spread or resistance to therapy. In addition to their pathophysiological relevance, receptors and kinases involved in signal transduction are often attractive candidates for targeted drug development. As such, we discuss also the potential of T-ALL signaling players as targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana L Oliveira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Padma Akkapeddi
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Isabel Alcobia
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto de Histologia e Biologia do Desenvolvimento, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Afonso R Almeida
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Bruno A Cardoso
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rita Fragoso
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Teresa L Serafim
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João T Barata
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal.
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Synergistic Cytotoxic Effect of L-Asparaginase Combined with Decitabine as a Demethylating Agent in Pediatric T-ALL, with Specific Epigenetic Signature. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 2016:1985750. [PMID: 28003999 PMCID: PMC5150123 DOI: 10.1155/2016/1985750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
T-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL) remains a subgroup of pediatric ALL, with a lower response to standard chemotherapy. Some recent studies established the fundamental role of epigenetic aberrations such as DNA hypermethylation, to influence patients' outcome and response to chemotherapy. Moreover, L-asparaginase is an important chemotherapeutic agent for treatment of ALL and resistance to this drug has been linked to ASNS expression, which can be silenced through methylation. Therefore, we tested whether the sensitivity of T-ALL cell lines towards L-asparaginase is correlated to the epigenetic status of ASNS gene and whether the sensitivity can be modified by concurrent demethylating treatment. Hence we treated different T-ALL cell lines with L-asparaginase and correlated different responses to the treatment with ASNS expression. Then we demonstrated that the ASNS expression was dependent on the methylation status of the promoter. Finally we showed that, despite the demethylating effect on the ASNS gene expression, the combined treatment with the demethylating agent Decitabine could synergistically improve the L-asparaginase sensitivity in those T-ALL cell lines characterized by hypermethylation of the ASNS gene. In conclusion, this preclinical study identified an unexpected synergistic activity of L-asparaginase and Decitabine in the subgroup of T-ALL with low ASNS expression due to hypermethylation of the ASNS promoter, while it did not restore sensitivity in the resistant cell lines characterized by higher ASNS expression.
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25
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Freire JM, Rego de Figueiredo I, Valle J, Veiga AS, Andreu D, Enguita FJ, Castanho MARB. siRNA-cell-penetrating peptides complexes as a combinatorial therapy against chronic myeloid leukemia using BV173 cell line as model. J Control Release 2016; 245:127-136. [PMID: 27890856 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2016.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder caused by a single gene mutation, a reciprocal translocation that originates the Bcr-Abl gene with constitutive tyrosine kinase activity. As a monogenic disease, it is an optimum target for RNA silencing therapy. We developed a siRNA-based therapeutic approach in which the siRNA is delivered by pepM or pepR, two cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) derived from the dengue virus capsid protein. These peptides have a dual role: siRNA delivery into cells and direct action as bioportides, i.e. intracellularly bioactive CPPs, targetting cancer-related signaling processes. Both pepM and pepR penetrate the positive Bcr-Abl+ Cell Line (BV173). Five in silico designed anti-Bcr-Abl siRNA were selected for in vitro analysis after thorough screening. The Bcr-Abl downregulation kinetics (48h to 168h) was followed by quantitative PCR. The bioportide action of the peptide vectors was evaluated by genome-wide microarray analysis and further validated by testing BV173 cell cycle and cell proliferation monitoring different genes involved in housekeeping/cell stress (RPL13A, HPRT1), cell proliferation (ki67), cell apoptosis (Caspase 3 and Caspase 9) and cell cycle steps (CDK2, CCDN2, CDKN1A). Assays with a commercial transfection agent were carried out for comparison purposes. Maximal Bcr-Abl gene knockdown was observed for one of the siRNA when delivered by pepM at 120h. Both pepM and pepR showed downregulation effects on proliferative CML-related signaling pathways having direct impact on BV173 cell cycle and proliferation, thus reinforcing the siRNA effect by acting as anticancer molecules. With this work we show the therapeutic potential of a CPP shuttle that combines intrinsic anticancer properties with the ability to deliver functional siRNA into CML cell models. By such combination, the pepM-siRNA conjugates lowered Bcr-Abl gene expression levels more extensively than conventional siRNA delivery technologies and perturbed leukemogenic cell homeostasis, hence revealing their potential as novel alternative scaffolds for CML therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Miguel Freire
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Inês Rego de Figueiredo
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Javier Valle
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, E-08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Salomé Veiga
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - David Andreu
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, E-08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francisco J Enguita
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Miguel A R B Castanho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal.
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Kong F, Hu W, Zhou K, Wei X, Kou Y, You H, Zheng K, Tang R. Hepatitis B virus X protein promotes interleukin-7 receptor expression via NF-κB and Notch1 pathway to facilitate proliferation and migration of hepatitis B virus-related hepatoma cells. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2016; 35:172. [PMID: 27821177 PMCID: PMC5100324 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-016-0448-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background Interleukin-7 receptor (IL-7R) is involved in the abnormal function of solid tumors, but the role and regulatory mechanisms of IL-7R in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still unclear. Methods Gene and protein expression levels of IL-7R were examined in hepatoma cells transfected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) plasmids and in hepatoma cells transfected with the multifunctional nonstructural protein X (HBX). The expression of HBX and IL-7R was measured by immunohistochemical analysis in HBV-related HCC tissues. The role of NF-κB and Notch1 pathways in HBX-mediated expression of IL-7R in hepatoma cells was examined. Activation of IL-7R downstream of intracellular signaling proteins AKT, JNK, STAT5, and the associated molecules CyclinD1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP)-9, was assessed in HBX-positive cells with or without treatment with IL-7R short hairpin RNA (shRNA). Additionally, the role of IL-7R in HBX-mediated proliferation and migration of hepatoma cells was investigated. Results The expression of IL-7R was increased in hepatoma cells transfected with HBV plasmids; HBX was responsible for the HBV-mediated upregulation of IL-7R. Compared to adjacent tissues, the expression of HBX and IL-7R was increased in HBV-related HCC tissues. Additionally, the relative expression levels of HBX were associated with IL-7R in HBV-related HCC tissues. The activation of NF-κB pathways and expression of Notch1 were increased in hepatoma cells transfected with HBX, and inhibition of NF-κB and Notch1 pathways significantly decreased HBX-mediated expression of IL-7R. The activation of AKT and JNK and the expression of CyclinD1 and MMP-9 were increased in HBX-positive cells. When cells were treated with IL-7R shRNA, the activation of AKT and JNK, as well as the expression of CyclinD1 and MMP-9, were significantly inhibited. Additionally, IL-7R was responsible for HBX-induced proliferation and migration ability of hepatoma cells. Conclusions Our data demonstrate that HBX can upregulate IL-7R via NF-κB and Notch1 pathways to facilitate the activation of intracellular pathways and expression of associated molecules, and contribute to proliferation and migration of hepatoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanyun Kong
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China
| | - Wei Hu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China.,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Suqian People's Hospital, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Group, Suqian, Jiangsu, 223800, China
| | - Kai Zhou
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China
| | - Xiao Wei
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China
| | - Yanbo Kou
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China
| | - Hongjuan You
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China
| | - Kuiyang Zheng
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China.
| | - Renxian Tang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, China.
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27
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Saenz DT, Fiskus W, Manshouri T, Rajapakshe K, Krieger S, Sun B, Mill CP, DiNardo C, Pemmaraju N, Kadia T, Parmar S, Sharma S, Coarfa C, Qiu P, Verstovsek S, Bhalla KN. BET protein bromodomain inhibitor-based combinations are highly active against post-myeloproliferative neoplasm secondary AML cells. Leukemia 2016; 31:678-687. [PMID: 27677740 PMCID: PMC5345582 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2016.260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Myeloproliferative neoplasms with myelofibrosis (MPN-MF) demonstrate constitutive activation of Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling that responds to treatment with the JAK1 and 2 kinase inhibitor (JAKi) ruxolitinib. However, MPN-MF often progresses (~20%) to secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML), where standard induction chemotherapy or ruxolitinib is relatively ineffective, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic approaches. In the present studies, we demonstrate that treatment with BET (bromodomain and extraterminal) protein inhibitor (BETi), for example, JQ1, inhibits growth and induces apoptosis of cultured and primary, patient-derived (PD), post-MPN sAML blast progenitor cells. Reverse-phase protein array, mass-cytometry and Western analyses revealed that BETi treatment attenuated the protein expressions of c-MYC, p-STAT5, Bcl-xL, CDK4/6, PIM1 and IL-7R, whereas it concomitantly induced the levels of HEXIM1, p21 and BIM in the sAML cells. Co-treatment with BETi and ruxolitinib synergistically induced apoptosis of cultured and PD sAML cells, as well as significantly improved survival of immune-depleted mice engrafted with human sAML cells. Although BETi or heat shock protein 90 inhibitor (HSP90i) alone exerted lethal activity, cotreatment with BETi and HSP90i was synergistically lethal against the ruxolitinib-persister or ruxolitinib-resistant sAML cells. Collectively, these findings further support in vivo testing of BETi-based combinations with JAKi and HSP90i against post-MPN sAML cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dyana T Saenz
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX, 77030
| | - Warren Fiskus
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX, 77030
| | - Taghi Manshouri
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX, 77030
| | - Kimal Rajapakshe
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030
| | - Stephanie Krieger
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX, 77030
| | - Baohua Sun
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX, 77030
| | - Christopher P Mill
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX, 77030
| | - Courtney DiNardo
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX, 77030
| | - Naveen Pemmaraju
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX, 77030
| | - Tapan Kadia
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX, 77030
| | - Simrit Parmar
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX, 77030
| | - Sunil Sharma
- Center for Investigational Therapeutics, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030
| | - Peng Qiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University, Atlanta, 30332
| | - Srdan Verstovsek
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX, 77030
| | - Kapil N Bhalla
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX, 77030
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Fischer C, Mamillapalli R, Goetz LG, Jorgenson E, Ilagan Y, Taylor HS. Bisphenol A (BPA) Exposure In Utero Leads to Immunoregulatory Cytokine Dysregulation in the Mouse Mammary Gland: A Potential Mechanism Programming Breast Cancer Risk. HORMONES & CANCER 2016; 7:241-51. [PMID: 26911702 PMCID: PMC10726733 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-016-0254-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a ubiquitous estrogen-like endocrine disrupting compound (EDC). BPA exposure in utero has been linked to breast cancer and abnormal mammary gland development in mice. The recent rise in incidence of human breast cancer and decreased age of first detection suggests a possible environmental etiology. We hypothesized that developmental programming of carcinogenesis may involve an aberrant immune response. Both innate and adaptive immunity play a role in tumor suppression through cytolytic CD8, NK, and Th1 T-cells. We hypothesized that BPA exposure in utero would lead to dysregulation of both innate and adaptive immunity in the mammary gland. CD1 mice were exposed to BPA in utero during gestation (days 9-21) via osmotic minipump. At 6 weeks, the female offspring were ovariectomized and estradiol was given at 8 weeks. RNA and protein were extracted from the posterior mammary glands, and the mRNA and protein levels were measured by PCR array, qRT-PCR, and western blot. In mouse mammary tissue, BPA exposure in utero significantly decreased the expression of members of the chemokine CXC family (Cxcl2, Cxcl4, Cxcl14, and Ccl20), interleukin 1 (Il1) gene family (Il1β and Il1rn), interleukin 2 gene family (Il7 receptor), and interferon gene family (interferon regulatory factor 9 (Irf9), as well as immune response gene 1 (Irg1). Additionally, BPA exposure in utero decreased Esr1 receptor gene expression and increased Esr2 receptor gene expression. In utero exposure of BPA resulted in significant changes to inflammatory modulators within mammary tissue. We suggest that dysregulation of inflammatory cytokines, both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory, leads to a microenvironment that may promote disordered cell growth through inhibition of the immune response that targets cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catha Fischer
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, P.O. Box 208063, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Ramanaiah Mamillapalli
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, P.O. Box 208063, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA.
| | - Laura G Goetz
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, P.O. Box 208063, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Elisa Jorgenson
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, P.O. Box 208063, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Ysabel Ilagan
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, P.O. Box 208063, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Hugh S Taylor
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, P.O. Box 208063, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
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Melão A, Spit M, Cardoso BA, Barata JT. Optimal interleukin-7 receptor-mediated signaling, cell cycle progression and viability of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells rely on casein kinase 2 activity. Haematologica 2016; 101:1368-1379. [PMID: 27470599 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2015.141143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-7 and interleukin-7 receptor are essential for normal T-cell development and homeostasis, whereas excessive interleukin-7/interleukin-7 receptor-mediated signaling promotes leukemogenesis. The protein kinase, casein kinase 2, is overexpressed and hyperactivated in cancer, including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Herein, we show that while interleukin-7 had a minor but significant positive effect on casein kinase 2 activity in leukemia T-cells, casein kinase 2 activity was mandatory for optimal interleukin-7/interleukin-7 receptor-mediated signaling. Casein kinase 2 pharmacological inhibition impaired signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/v-Akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 pathway activation triggered by interleukin-7 or by mutational activation of interleukin-7 receptor. By contrast, forced expression of casein kinase 2 augmented interleukin-7 signaling in human embryonic kidney 293T cells reconstituted with the interleukin-7 receptor machinery. Casein kinase 2 inactivation prevented interleukin-7-induced B-cell lymphoma 2 upregulation, maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis and viability of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines and primary leukemia cells collected from patients at diagnosis. Casein kinase 2 inhibition further abrogated interleukin-7-mediated cell growth and upregulation of the transferrin receptor, and blocked cyclin A and E upregulation and cell cycle progression. Notably, casein kinase 2 was also required for the viability of mutant interleukin-7 receptor expressing leukemia T-cells. Overall, our study identifies casein kinase 2 as a major player in the effects of interleukin-7 and interleukin-7 receptor in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This further highlights the potential relevance of targeting casein kinase 2 in this malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Melão
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maureen Spit
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Bruno A Cardoso
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João T Barata
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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30
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The PI3K/Akt/PTEN/mTOR pathway: a fruitful target for inducing cell death in rheumatoid arthritis? Future Med Chem 2016; 7:1137-47. [PMID: 26132523 DOI: 10.4155/fmc.15.55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling regulates diverse cellular processes. Abnormal PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling is a characteristic feature of cancer. As such inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling using small molecule inhibitors has been a focus of recently developed anticancer drugs. Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis are autoimmune-mediated inflammatory diseases. PI3K signaling could now be targeted to determine its contribution to rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis where deregulated proliferation and aberrant survival of activated immune cells, macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells and synovial fibroblasts significantly overlap with abnormal growth of cancer cells. The results of some recent studies in psoriatic arthritis using PI3K signaling inhibitors suggests that small molecule inhibitor strategies directed at PI3K signaling may be a useful future therapy for immune-mediated arthritis.
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31
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Stojić-Vukanić Z, Nacka-Aleksić M, Pilipović I, Vujnović I, Blagojević V, Kosec D, Dimitrijević M, Leposavić G. Aging diminishes the resistance of AO rats to EAE: putative role of enhanced generation of GM-CSF Expressing CD4+ T cells in aged rats. IMMUNITY & AGEING 2015; 12:16. [PMID: 26448779 PMCID: PMC4596406 DOI: 10.1186/s12979-015-0044-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aging influences immune response and susceptibility to EAE in a strain specific manner. The study was designed to examine influence of aging on EAE induction in Albino Oxford (AO) rats. RESULTS Differently from 3-month-old (young) rats, which were resistant to EAE induction, the majority of aged (24-26-month-old) rats developed mild chronic form of EAE. On 16(th) day post-immunization, when in aged rats the neurological deficit reached plateau, more mononuclear cells, including CD4+ T lymphocytes was retrieved from spinal cord of aged than young rats. The frequencies of IL-17+ and GM-CSF+ cells within spinal cord infiltrating CD4+ lymphocytes were greater in aged rats. To their increased frequency contributed the expansion of GM-CSF + IL-17 + IFN-γ+ cells, which are highly pathogenic in mice. The expression of the cytokines (IL-1β and IL-23/p19) driving GM-CSF + IL-17 + IFN-γ + cell differentiation in mice was also augmented in aged rat spinal cord mononuclear cells. Additionally, in aged rat spinal cord the expansion of GM-CSF + IL-17-IFN-γ- CD4+ T lymphocytes was found. Consistently, the expression of mRNAs for IL-3, the cytokine exhibiting the same expression pattern as GM-CSF, and IL-7, the cytokine driving differentiation of GM-CSF + IL-17-IFN-γ- CD4 + lymphocytes in mice, was upregulated in aged rat spinal cord mononuclear cells, and the tissue, respectively. This was in accordance with the enhanced generation of the brain antigen-specific GM-CSF+ CD4+ lymphocytes in aged rat draining lymph nodes, as suggested by (i) the higher frequency of GM-CSF+ cells (reflecting the expansion of IL-17-IFN-γ- cells) within their CD4+ lymphocytes and (ii) the upregulated GM-CSF and IL-3 mRNA expression in fresh CD4+ lymphocytes and MBP-stimulated draining lymph node cells and IL-7 mRNA in lymph node tissue from aged rats. In agreement with the upregulated GM-CSF expression in aged rats, strikingly more CD11b + CD45(int) (activated microglia) and CD45(hi) (mainly proinflammatory dendritic cells and macrophages) cells was retrieved from aged than young rat spinal cord. Besides, expression of mRNA for SOCS1, a negative regulator of proinflammatory cytokine expression in innate immunity cells, was downregulated in aged rat spinal cord mononuclear cells. CONCLUSIONS The study revealed that aging may overcome genetic resistance to EAE, and indicated the cellular and molecular mechanisms contributing to this phenomenon in AO rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zorica Stojić-Vukanić
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, 450 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mirjana Nacka-Aleksić
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, 450 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ivan Pilipović
- Immunology Research Centre "Branislav Janković", Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera "Torlak", 458 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ivana Vujnović
- Immunology Research Centre "Branislav Janković", Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera "Torlak", 458 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Veljko Blagojević
- Immunology Research Centre "Branislav Janković", Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera "Torlak", 458 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Duško Kosec
- Immunology Research Centre "Branislav Janković", Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera "Torlak", 458 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mirjana Dimitrijević
- Immunology Research Centre "Branislav Janković", Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera "Torlak", 458 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Gordana Leposavić
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, 450 Vojvode Stepe, 11221 Belgrade, Serbia
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Recent genome sequencing studies have identified a broad spectrum of gene mutations in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). The purpose of this review is to outline the latest advances in our understanding of how these mutations contribute to the formation of T-ALL. RECENT FINDINGS Aberrant expression of transcription factors that control hematopoiesis can induce an aberrant stem cell-like program in T-cell progenitors, allowing the emergence of an ancestral or preleukemic stem cell (pre-LSC). In contrast, gain-of-function mutations of genes involved in signaling pathways regulating T-cell development, such as NOTCH1, interleukin-7, KIT and FLT3, are insufficient per se to initiate T-ALL but promote pre-LSC growth independent of the thymic niche. Loss-of-function mutations of epigenetic regulators, such as DNMT3A, have been identified in T-ALL, but their role in leukemogenesis remains to be defined. SUMMARY Relapse is associated with clonal evolution from a population of pre-LSCs that acquire the whole set of malignant mutations leading to a full-blown T-ALL. Understanding the genetic events that underpin the pre-LSC will be crucial for reducing the risk of relapse.
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Roles of NGAL and MMP-9 in the tumor microenvironment and sensitivity to targeted therapy. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2015; 1863:438-448. [PMID: 26278055 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2015.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 08/08/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Various, diverse molecules contribute to the tumor microenvironment and influence invasion and metastasis. In this review, the roles of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in the tumor microenvironment and sensitivity to therapy will be discussed. The lipocalin family of proteins has many important functions. For example when NGAL forms a complex with MMP-9 it increases its stability which is important in cancer metastasis. Small hydrophobic molecules are bound by NGAL which can alter their entry into and efflux from cells. Iron transport and storage are also influenced by NGAL activity. Regulation of iron levels is important for survival in the tumor microenvironment as well as metastasis. Innate immunity is also regulated by NGAL as it can have bacteriostatic properties. NGAL and MMP-9 expression may also affect the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy as well as targeted therapy. Thus NGAL and MMP-9 play important roles in key processes involved in metastasis as well as response to therapy. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Tumor Microenvironment Regulation of Cancer Cell Survival, Metastasis, Inflammation, and Immune Surveillance edited by Peter Ruvolo and Gregg L. Semenza.
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Fitzgerald TL, Lertpiriyapong K, Cocco L, Martelli AM, Libra M, Candido S, Montalto G, Cervello M, Steelman L, Abrams SL, McCubrey JA. Roles of EGFR and KRAS and their downstream signaling pathways in pancreatic cancer and pancreatic cancer stem cells. Adv Biol Regul 2015; 59:65-81. [PMID: 26257206 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2015.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is currently the fourth most common cancer, is increasing in incidence and soon will be the second leading cause of cancer death in the USA. This is a deadly malignancy with an incidence that approximates the mortality with 44,000 new cases and 36,000 deaths each year. Surgery, although only modestly successful, is the only curative option. However, due the locally aggressive nature and early metastasis, surgery can be performed on less than 20% of patients. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is palliative, has significant toxicity and improves survival very little. Thus new treatment paradigms are needed desperately. Due to the extremely high frequency of KRAS gene mutations (>90%) detected in pancreatic cancer patients, the roles of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTORC1/GSK-3 pathways have been investigated in pancreatic cancer for many years. Constitutively active Ras can activate both of these pathways and there is cross talk between Ras and EGFR which is believed to be important in driving metastasis. Mutant KRAS may also drive the expression of GSK-3 through Raf/MEK/ERK-mediated effects on GSK-3 transcription. GSK-3 can then regulate the expression of NF-kappaB which is important in modulating pancreatic cancer chemoresistance. While the receptors and many downstream signaling molecules have been identified and characterized, there is still much to learn about these pathways and how their deregulation can lead to cancer. Multiple inhibitors to EGFR, PI3K, mTOR, GSK-3, Raf, MEK and hedgehog (HH) have been developed and are being evaluated in various cancers. Current research often focuses on the role of these pathways in cancer stem cells (CSC), with the goal to identify sites where therapeutic resistance may develop. Relatively novel fields of investigation such as microRNAs and drugs used for other diseases e.g., diabetes, (metformin) and malaria (chloroquine) have provided new information about therapeutic resistance and CSCs. This review will focus on recent advances in the field and how they affect pancreatic cancer research and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy L Fitzgerald
- Department of Surgery, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Kvin Lertpiriyapong
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Lucio Cocco
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Neuromotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alberto M Martelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Neuromotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Massimo Libra
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Laboratory of Translational Oncology & Functional Genomics, Section of Pathology & Oncology, Via Androne, Catania, Italy, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Saverio Candido
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Laboratory of Translational Oncology & Functional Genomics, Section of Pathology & Oncology, Via Androne, Catania, Italy, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Montalto
- Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biomedicina e Immunologia Molecolare "Alberto Monroy", Palermo, Italy
| | - Melchiorre Cervello
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biomedicina e Immunologia Molecolare "Alberto Monroy", Palermo, Italy
| | - Linda Steelman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Stephen L Abrams
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - James A McCubrey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA.
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Durinck K, Goossens S, Peirs S, Wallaert A, Van Loocke W, Matthijssens F, Pieters T, Milani G, Lammens T, Rondou P, Van Roy N, De Moerloose B, Benoit Y, Haigh J, Speleman F, Poppe B, Van Vlierberghe P. Novel biological insights in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Exp Hematol 2015; 43:625-39. [PMID: 26123366 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2015.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive type of blood cancer that accounts for about 15% of pediatric and 25% of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases. It is considered as a paradigm for the multistep nature of cancer initiation and progression. Genetic and epigenetic reprogramming events, which transform T-cell precursors into malignant T-ALL lymphoblasts, have been extensively characterized over the past decade. Despite our comprehensive understanding of the genomic landscape of human T-ALL, leukemia patients are still treated by high-dose multiagent chemotherapy, potentially followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Even with such aggressive treatment regimens, which are often associated with considerable acute and long-term side effects, about 15% of pediatric and 40% of adult T-ALL patients still relapse, owing to acquired therapy resistance, and present with very dismal survival perspectives. Unfortunately, the molecular mechanisms by which residual T-ALL tumor cells survive chemotherapy and act as a reservoir for leukemic progression and hematologic relapse remain poorly understood. Nevertheless, it is expected that enhanced molecular understanding of T-ALL disease biology will ultimately facilitate a targeted therapy driven approach that can reduce chemotherapy-associated toxicities and improve survival of refractory T-ALL patients through personalized salvage therapy. In this review, we summarize recent biological insights into the molecular pathogenesis of T-ALL and speculate how the genetic landscape of T-ALL could trigger the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of human T-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaat Durinck
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steven Goossens
- Department for Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Unit for Molecular Oncology, VIB Inflammation Research Center, Ghent, Belgium; Mammalian Functional Genetics Laboratory, Division of Blood Cancers, Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sofie Peirs
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annelynn Wallaert
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wouter Van Loocke
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Tim Pieters
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium; Department for Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Unit for Molecular Oncology, VIB Inflammation Research Center, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gloria Milani
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tim Lammens
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Rondou
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nadine Van Roy
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Barbara De Moerloose
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yves Benoit
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jody Haigh
- Mammalian Functional Genetics Laboratory, Division of Blood Cancers, Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Frank Speleman
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bruce Poppe
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department for Pediatrics, Ghent, Belgium
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36
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict Seddon
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK
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37
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Bachireddy P, Burkhardt UE, Rajasagi M, Wu CJ. Haematological malignancies: at the forefront of immunotherapeutic innovation. Nat Rev Cancer 2015; 15:201-15. [PMID: 25786696 PMCID: PMC4511812 DOI: 10.1038/nrc3907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The recent successes of cancer immunotherapies have stimulated interest in the potential widespread application of these approaches; haematological malignancies have provided both initial proofs of concept and an informative testing ground for various immune-based therapeutics. The immune-cell origin of many of the blood malignancies provides a unique opportunity both to understand the mechanisms of cancer immune responsiveness and immune evasion, and to exploit these mechanisms for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavan Bachireddy
- Department of Medical Oncology and the Cancer Vaccine Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ute E. Burkhardt
- Department of Medical Oncology and the Cancer Vaccine Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mohini Rajasagi
- Department of Medical Oncology and the Cancer Vaccine Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Catherine J. Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology and the Cancer Vaccine Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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38
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Qiu Y, Wang W, Xiao W, Yang H. Role of the intestinal cytokine microenvironment in shaping the intraepithelial lymphocyte repertoire. J Leukoc Biol 2015; 97:849-857. [PMID: 25765675 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.3ru1014-465r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Revised: 01/17/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Local resident IELs are composed of distinct subsets of T cells with potent cytolytic and immunoregulatory capacities. As IELs are located within this unique interface between the core of the body and the outside environment, the specific development and function of intestinal IELs must be tightly regulated. To accomplish this, the cytokine microenvironment of the intestine has evolved sophisticated mechanisms that modulate the phenotype, ontogeny, and function of these cells. In this review, we summarize the evidence demonstrating the origin of certain intestinal cytokines, including IL-7, IL-15, IL-2, TGF-β, and SCF and discuss what influence such cytokines may have on IELs. Moreover, we review data suggesting that the abnormal expression of cytokines that leads to the heightened activation of IELs may also contribute to immunopathological responses or exacerbate inflammatory diseases, such as IBD and celiac disease, or promote cancer development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Qiu
- Department of General Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wensheng Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Weidong Xiao
- Department of General Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hua Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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ZEB2 drives immature T-cell lymphoblastic leukaemia development via enhanced tumour-initiating potential and IL-7 receptor signalling. Nat Commun 2015; 6:5794. [PMID: 25565005 PMCID: PMC4354161 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Early T-cell precursor leukaemia (ETP-ALL) is a high-risk subtype of human leukaemia that is poorly understood at the molecular level. Here we report translocations targeting the zinc finger E-box-binding transcription factor ZEB2 as a recurrent genetic lesion in immature/ETP-ALL. Using a conditional gain-of-function mouse model, we demonstrate that sustained Zeb2 expression initiates T-cell leukaemia. Moreover, Zeb2-driven mouse leukaemia exhibit some features of the human immature/ETP-ALL gene expression signature, as well as an enhanced leukaemia-initiation potential and activated Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) signalling through transcriptional activation of IL7R. This study reveals ZEB2 as an oncogene in the biology of immature/ETP-ALL and paves the way towards pre-clinical studies of novel compounds for the treatment of this aggressive subtype of human T-ALL using our Zeb2-driven mouse model.
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40
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Follo MY, Manzoli L, Poli A, McCubrey JA, Cocco L. PLC and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling in disease and cancer. Adv Biol Regul 2014; 57:10-6. [PMID: 25482988 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2014.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cell metabolism is deregulated, and signalling pathways can be involved. For instance, PI3K/Akt/mTOR is associated with normal proliferation and differentiation, and its alteration is detectable in cancer cells, that exploit the normal mechanisms to overcome apoptosis. On the other hand, also the family of Phospholipase C (PLC) enzymes play a critical role in cell growth, and any change concerning these enzymes or their downstream targets can be associated with neoplastic transformation. Here, we review the role of PLC and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal transduction pathways in pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Y Follo
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Cellular Signalling Laboratory, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Lucia Manzoli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Cellular Signalling Laboratory, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandro Poli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Cellular Signalling Laboratory, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - James A McCubrey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Lucio Cocco
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Cellular Signalling Laboratory, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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41
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Abstract
GM-CSF-producing helper T cells have previously been identified to serve a nonredundant function in the initiation of autoimmune inflammation. An article by Sheng et al. recently published by Cell Research now suggests that the differentiation program of GM-CSF-producing cells from naïve CD4 T cells is distinct from that of Th1 and Th17 cells, and is regulated by the IL-7-STAT5 axis.
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42
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Habauzit D, Le Quément C, Zhadobov M, Martin C, Aubry M, Sauleau R, Le Dréan Y. Transcriptome analysis reveals the contribution of thermal and the specific effects in cellular response to millimeter wave exposure. PLoS One 2014; 9:e109435. [PMID: 25302706 PMCID: PMC4193780 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiofrequency radiations constitute a new form of environmental pollution. Among them, millimeter waves (MMW) will be widely used in the near future for high speed communication systems. This study aimed therefore to evaluate the biocompatibility of MMW at 60 GHz. For this purpose, we used a whole gene expression approach to assess the effect of acute 60 GHz exposure on primary cultures of human keratinocytes. Controls were performed to dissociate the electromagnetic from the thermal effect of MMW. Microarray data were validated by RT-PCR, in order to ensure the reproducibility of the results. MMW exposure at 20 mW/cm2, corresponding to the maximum incident power density authorized for public use (local exposure averaged over 1 cm2), led to an increase of temperature and to a strong modification of keratinocyte gene expression (665 genes differentially expressed). Nevertheless, when temperature is artificially maintained constant, no modification in gene expression was observed after MMW exposure. However, a heat shock control did not mimic exactly the MMW effect, suggesting a slight but specific electromagnetic effect under hyperthermia conditions (34 genes differentially expressed). By RT-PCR, we analyzed the time course of the transcriptomic response and 7 genes have been validated as differentially expressed: ADAMTS6, NOG, IL7R, FADD, JUNB, SNAI2 and HIST1H1A. Our data evidenced a specific electromagnetic effect of MMW, which is associated to the cellular response to hyperthermia. This study raises the question of co-exposures associating radiofrequencies and other environmental sources of cellular stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Habauzit
- Transcription, Environment and Cancer group, IRSET - Institute of Research in Environmental and Occupational Health, INSERM U1085, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - Catherine Le Quément
- Transcription, Environment and Cancer group, IRSET - Institute of Research in Environmental and Occupational Health, INSERM U1085, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - Maxim Zhadobov
- Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications of Rennes - IETR, University of Rennes 1, UMR CNRS 6164, Rennes, France
| | - Catherine Martin
- Transcription, Environment and Cancer group, IRSET - Institute of Research in Environmental and Occupational Health, INSERM U1085, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - Marc Aubry
- Plate-forme Génomique Santé, Biosit, Université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - Ronan Sauleau
- Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications of Rennes - IETR, University of Rennes 1, UMR CNRS 6164, Rennes, France
| | - Yves Le Dréan
- Transcription, Environment and Cancer group, IRSET - Institute of Research in Environmental and Occupational Health, INSERM U1085, University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France
- * E-mail:
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43
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McCubrey JA, Abrams SL, Fitzgerald TL, Cocco L, Martelli AM, Montalto G, Cervello M, Scalisi A, Candido S, Libra M, Steelman LS. Roles of signaling pathways in drug resistance, cancer initiating cells and cancer progression and metastasis. Adv Biol Regul 2014; 57:75-101. [PMID: 25453219 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2014.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 09/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The EGFR/PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTORC pathway plays prominent roles in malignant transformation, prevention of apoptosis, drug resistance, cancer initiating cells (CICs) and metastasis. The expression of this pathway is frequently altered in breast and other cancers due to mutations at or aberrant expression of: HER2, EGFR1, PIK3CA, and PTEN as well as other oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. miRs and epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation are also important events which regulate this pathway. In some breast cancer cases, mutations at certain components of this pathway (e.g., PIK3CA) are associated with a better prognosis than breast cancers lacking these mutations. The expression of this pathway has been associated with CICs and in some cases resistance to therapeutics. We will review the effects of activation of the EGFR/PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTORC pathway primarily in breast cancer and development of drug resistance. The targeting of this pathway and other interacting pathways will be discussed as well as clinical trials with novel small molecule inhibitors as well as established drugs that are used to treat other diseases. In this manuscript, we will discuss an inducible EGFR model (v-ERB-B:ER) and its effects on cell growth, cell cycle progression, activation of signal transduction pathways, prevention of apoptosis in hematopoietic, breast and prostate cancer models.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A McCubrey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA.
| | - Stephen L Abrams
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Timothy L Fitzgerald
- Department of Surgery, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Lucio Cocco
- Cellular Signalling Laboratory, Department of Anatomical Sciences, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Neuromotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alberto M Martelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Neuromotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Montalto
- Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Melchiorre Cervello
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biomedicina e Immunologia Molecolare "Alberto Monroy", Palermo, Italy
| | - Aurora Scalisi
- Unit of Oncologic Diseases, ASP-Catania, Catania 95100, Italy
| | - Saverio Candido
- Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Massimo Libra
- Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Linda S Steelman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
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44
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Fragoso R, Barata JT. PTEN and leukemia stem cells. Adv Biol Regul 2014; 56:22-29. [PMID: 24961634 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2014.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Revised: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) are considered responsible for leukemia initiation, relapse and resistance to chemotherapy. These cells have self-renewal capacity and originate the other cells in the leukemia pool. Therefore, in order to completely eradicate leukemia cells and consequently cure the disease, therapies should in principle necessarily target LSCs. However, the fact that LSCs share functional and phenotypic properties with normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) poses a significant challenge: how to target LSCs without damaging normal HSCs and compromising hematopoiesis? The discovery that PTEN regulates LSCs and HSCs through different mechanisms, demonstrated that it is possible to identify pathways that differentially impact leukemia and normal stem cell function and opened new therapeutic perspectives for the selective elimination of LSCs. In this review, we briefly discuss the mechanisms that regulate PTEN function in LSCs and HSCs and their potential for the development of LSC-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Fragoso
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João T Barata
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal.
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Martelli AM, Lonetti A, Buontempo F, Ricci F, Tazzari PL, Evangelisti C, Bressanin D, Cappellini A, Orsini E, Chiarini F. Targeting signaling pathways in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia initiating cells. Adv Biol Regul 2014; 56:6-21. [PMID: 24819383 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2014.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2014] [Revised: 04/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Leukemia initiating cells (LICs) represent a reservoir that is believed to drive relapse and resistance to chemotherapy in blood malignant disorders. T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive neoplastic disorder of immature hematopoietic precursors committed to the T-cell lineage. T-ALL comprises about 15% of pediatric and 25% of adult ALL cases and is prone to early relapse. Although the prognosis of T-ALL has improved especially in children due to the use of new intensified treatment protocols, the outcome of relapsed T-ALL cases is still poor. Putative LICs have been identified also in T-ALL. LICs are mostly quiescent and for this reason highly resistant to chemotherapy. Therefore, they evade treatment and give rise to disease relapse. At present great interest surrounds the development of targeted therapies against signaling networks aberrantly activated in LICs and important for their survival and drug-resistance. Both the Notch1 pathway and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) network are involved in T-ALL LIC survival and drug-resistance and could be targeted by small molecules. Thus, Notch1 and PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors are currently being developed for clinical use either as single agents or in combination with conventional chemotherapy for T-ALL patient treatment. In this review, we summarize the existing knowledge of the relevance of Notch1 and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling in T-ALL LICs and we examine the rationale for targeting these key signal transduction networks by means of selective pharmacological inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto M Martelli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, via Irnerio 48, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Annalisa Lonetti
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, via Irnerio 48, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Buontempo
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, via Irnerio 48, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Ricci
- Immunohematology and Transfusion Center, Policlinico S.Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy
| | - Pier Luigi Tazzari
- Immunohematology and Transfusion Center, Policlinico S.Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy
| | - Camilla Evangelisti
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Council, via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; Musculoskeletal Cell Biology Laboratory, IOR, via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy
| | - Daniela Bressanin
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, via Irnerio 48, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandra Cappellini
- Department of Human, Social and Health Sciences, University of Cassino, 03043 Cassino, Italy
| | - Ester Orsini
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, via Irnerio 48, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Chiarini
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Council, via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy; Musculoskeletal Cell Biology Laboratory, IOR, via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136 Bologna, Italy
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Sarmento LM, Póvoa V, Nascimento R, Real G, Antunes I, Martins LR, Moita C, Alves PM, Abecasis M, Moita LF, Parkhouse RME, Meijerink JPP, Barata JT. CHK1 overexpression in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is essential for proliferation and survival by preventing excessive replication stress. Oncogene 2014; 34:2978-90. [PMID: 25132270 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2014.248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2014] [Revised: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is a key component of the ATR (ataxia telangiectasia-mutated and Rad3-related)-dependent DNA damage response pathway that protect cells from replication stress, a cell intrinsic phenomenon enhanced by oncogenic transformation. Here, we show that CHK1 is overexpressed and hyperactivated in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). CHEK1 mRNA is highly abundant in patients of the proliferative T-ALL subgroup and leukemia cells exhibit constitutively elevated levels of the replication stress marker phospho-RPA32 and the DNA damage marker γH2AX. Importantly, pharmacologic inhibition of CHK1 using PF-004777736 or CHK1 short hairpin RNA-mediated silencing impairs T-ALL cell proliferation and viability. CHK1 inactivation results in the accumulation of cells with incompletely replicated DNA, ensuing DNA damage, ATM/CHK2 activation and subsequent ATM- and caspase-3-dependent apoptosis. In contrast to normal thymocytes, primary T-ALL cells are sensitive to therapeutic doses of PF-004777736, even in the presence of stromal or interleukin-7 survival signals. Moreover, CHK1 inhibition significantly delays in vivo growth of xenotransplanted T-ALL tumors. We conclude that CHK1 is critical for T-ALL proliferation and viability by downmodulating replication stress and preventing ATM/caspase-3-dependent cell death. Pharmacologic inhibition of CHK1 may be a promising therapeutic alternative for T-ALL treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Sarmento
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - V Póvoa
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - R Nascimento
- Infections and Immunity Laboratory, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - G Real
- 1] iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal [2] Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - I Antunes
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - L R Martins
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - C Moita
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - P M Alves
- 1] iBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal [2] Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - M Abecasis
- Cardiologia Pediátrica Medico-Cirúrgica, Hospital Sta. Cruz, Carnaxide, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - L F Moita
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - R M E Parkhouse
- Infections and Immunity Laboratory, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - J P P Meijerink
- Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Erasmus MC/Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J T Barata
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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Dorritie KA, Redner RL, Johnson DE. STAT transcription factors in normal and cancer stem cells. Adv Biol Regul 2014; 56:30-44. [PMID: 24931719 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2014.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Revised: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins (STATs) play vital roles in the regulation of cellular proliferation and survival in normal hematopoietic cells, including hematopoietic stem cells. However, aberrant activation of STATs is commonly observed in a number of hematologic malignancies, and recent studies indicate that targeting of STATs may have therapeutic benefit in these diseases. Additional studies have provided greater understanding of the cells responsible for leukemia initiation, referred to as leukemia stem cells. Emerging evidence indicates that STATs are important in maintaining leukemia stem cells and represent a promising target for eradication of this dangerous cell population. Here we summarize what is known about normal hematopoietic stem cells and the origin of leukemic stem cells. We further describe the roles of STAT proteins in these cell populations, as well as current progress toward the development of novel agents and strategies for targeting the STAT proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen A Dorritie
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Robert L Redner
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daniel E Johnson
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Rozovski U, Li P, Harris D, Ohanian M, Kantarjian H, Estrov Z. Interleukin-7 receptor-α gene mutations are not detected in adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer Med 2014; 3:550-4. [PMID: 24678068 PMCID: PMC4101745 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2013] [Revised: 12/23/2013] [Accepted: 12/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatic mutations in cancer cell genes are classified according to their functional significance. Those that provide the malignant cells with significant advantage are collectively referred to as driver mutations and those that do not, are the passenger mutations. Accordingly, analytical criteria to distinguish driver mutations from passenger mutations have been recently suggested. Recent studies revealed mutations in interleukin-7 receptor-α (IL7R) gene in 10% of pediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) patients and in only a few cases of pediatric B-ALL. IL7R mutations are also frequently found in patients with lung cancer, but whereas in pediatric T-ALL IL7R mutations are “drivers” (consisting of gain-of-function mutations within a narrow 50-base pair interval at exon 6 that confer cytokine-independent cell growth and promote tumor transformation), in lung cancer, mutations are substitution mutations randomly distributed across the gene and are probably only “passenger” events. Because the treatment response of adult T-ALL is significantly poorer than that of childhood T-ALL and because exon 6 IL7R mutations play a role in the pathogenesis of childhood T-ALL, we sought to determine how the pattern of IL7R mutations varies between adult and childhood T-ALL. To that end, we sequenced the 50-base pair interval in exon 6 of the IL7R of DNA obtained from bone marrow samples of 35 randomly selected adult patients with T-ALL. Our analysis revealed that none of these 35 samples carried an IL7R mutation in exon 6. Whether differences in the genetic makeup of adult and childhood T-ALL explain the differential response to therapy remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uri Rozovski
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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49
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Novel activating STAT5B mutations as putative drivers of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leukemia 2014; 28:1738-42. [PMID: 24573384 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2014.89] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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50
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Abstract
In the current issue of Blood, Yokoyama et al demonstrate that an IL7R mutation similar to those found in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) can be leukemogenic in vivo when expressed in normal hematopoietic progenitors.
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