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Zhang J, Xu X, Deng H, Liu L, Xiang Y, Feng J. Overcoming cancer drug-resistance calls for novel strategies targeting abnormal alternative splicing. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 261:108697. [PMID: 39025436 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Abnormal gene alternative splicing (AS) events are strongly associated with cancer progression. Here, we summarize AS events that contribute to the development of drug resistance and classify them into three categories: alternative cis-splicing (ACS), alternative trans-splicing (ATS), and alternative back-splicing (ABS). The regulatory mechanisms underlying AS processes through cis-acting regulatory elements and trans-acting factors are comprehensively described, and the distinct functions of spliced variants, including linear spliced variants derived from ACS, chimeric spliced variants arising from ATS, and circRNAs generated through ABS, are discussed. The identification of dysregulated spliced variants, which contribute to drug resistance and hinder effective cancer treatment, suggests that abnormal AS processes may together serve as a precise regulatory mechanism enabling drug-resistant cancer cell survival or, alternatively, represent an evolutionary pathway for cancer cells to adapt to changes in the external environment. Moreover, this review summarizes recent advancements in treatment approaches targeting AS-associated drug resistance, focusing on cis-acting regulatory elements, trans-acting factors, and specific spliced variants. Collectively, gaining an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms underlying aberrant alternative splicing events and developing strategies to target this process hold great promise for overcoming cancer drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province 646000, China; Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Key Laboratory of Luzhou, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province 646000, China
| | - Xinyu Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province 646000, China; Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Key Laboratory of Luzhou, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province 646000, China
| | - Hongwei Deng
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province 646000, China; Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Key Laboratory of Luzhou, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province 646000, China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province 646000, China; Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Key Laboratory of Luzhou, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province 646000, China
| | - Yuancai Xiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou city, Sichuan 646000, China.
| | - Jianguo Feng
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province 646000, China; Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Key Laboratory of Luzhou, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province 646000, China; Nucleic Acid Medicine of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan Province 646000, China.
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Zeng H, Wang L, Li J, Luo S, Han Q, Su F, Wei J, Wei X, Wu J, Li B, Huang J, Tang P, Cao C, Zhou Y, Yang Q. Single-cell RNA-sequencing reveals distinct immune cell subsets and signaling pathways in IgA nephropathy. Cell Biosci 2021; 11:203. [PMID: 34895340 PMCID: PMC8665497 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-021-00706-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis globally. Increasing evidence suggests the importance of host immunity in the development of IgAN, but its dynamics during the early stage of IgAN are still largely unclear. RESULTS Here we successfully resolved the early transcriptomic changes in immune cells of IgAN by conducting single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) with peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between control and IgAN were predominantly enriched in NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity and cell killing pathways. Interestingly, we discovered that the number and cytotoxicity of NK cells are significantly reduced in IgAN patients, where both the number and marker genes of NK cells were negatively associated with the clinical parameters, including the levels of urine protein creatinine ratio (UPCR), serum galactose-deficient IgA1 and IgA. A distinctive B cell subset, which had suppressed NFκB signaling was predominantly in IgAN and positively associated with disease progression. Moreover, the DEGs of B cells were enriched in different viral infection pathways. Classical monocytes also significantly changed in IgAN and a monocyte subset expressing interferon-induced genes was positively associated with the clinical severity of IgAN. Finally, we identified vast dynamics in intercellular communications in IgAN. CONCLUSIONS We dissected the immune landscape of IgAN at the single-cell resolution, which provides new insights in developing novel biomarkers and immunotherapy against glomerulonephritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honghui Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Le Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiajia Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
- Department of Nephrology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Siweier Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Qianqian Han
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
- Department of Nephrology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Fang Su
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Jing Wei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaona Wei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
- Department of Nephrology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianping Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
- Department of Nephrology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Bin Li
- Clinical Trials Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Jingang Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Patrick Tang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chunwei Cao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yiming Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
| | - Qiongqiong Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Nephrology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, Guangdong, China.
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Lopez-Nunez O, Surrey LF, Alaggio R, Fritchie KJ, John I. Novel PPP1CB-ALK fusion in spindle cell tumor defined by S100 and CD34 coexpression and distinctive stromal and perivascular hyalinization. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 2020; 59:495-499. [PMID: 32222087 DOI: 10.1002/gcc.22844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 03/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel group of S100- and CD34-positive spindle cell tumors with distinctive stromal and perivascular hyalinization harboring recurrent gene fusions involving kinases including RAF1, BRAF, NTRK1/2/3, and RET have been recently reported. To our knowledge, no such cases harboring ALK rearrangements have been identified. We report a previously healthy 41-year-old male with a 12-cm intramuscular shoulder mass. The tumor was composed of bland-appearing spindled to epithelioid cells, arranged in a patternless pattern in a background of loose myxoid stroma containing striking amianthoid-like stromal collagen and perivascular rings. In accordance with the previously reported tumors, the tumor cells showed diffuse immunopositivity with S100 and CD34, while lacking SOX10 expression. Targeted RNA-based next-generation sequencing identified a novel serine/threonine-protein phosphatase PP1-beta-catalytic subunit (PPP1CB)-ALK fusion gene. Although ALK break-apart was not detected by FISH, likely due to a paracentric inversion of chromosome 2, the presence of the fusion was confirmed by Sanger sequencing showing a 10-bp linker between exon 6 of PPP1CB and intron 19 of ALK while maintaining reading frame. Subsequent ALK-1 immunostain exhibited diffuse cytoplasmic staining in the tumor cells. Our case expands the molecular genetic spectrum of the distinctive group of spindle cell tumors with CD34/S100+ immunophenotype, supporting the important role of various kinases as drivers of oncogenesis. Awareness of this entity including its unique morphologic and immunophenotypic features as well as its interchangeable kinase gene fusions is crucial for correct classification and potential targeted therapy, particularly in aggressive subsets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Lopez-Nunez
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lea F Surrey
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rita Alaggio
- Department of Pathology, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù (OPBG), Rome, Italy
| | - Karen J Fritchie
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ivy John
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Tuna M, Amos CI, Mills GB. Molecular mechanisms and pathobiology of oncogenic fusion transcripts in epithelial tumors. Oncotarget 2019; 10:2095-2111. [PMID: 31007851 PMCID: PMC6459343 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recurrent fusion transcripts, which are one of the characteristic hallmarks of cancer, arise either from chromosomal rearrangements or from transcriptional errors in splicing. DNA rearrangements include intrachromosomal or interchromosomal translocation, tandem duplication, deletion, inversion, or result from chromothripsis, which causes complex rearrangements. In addition, fusion proteins can be created through transcriptional read-through. Fusion genes can be transcribed to fusion transcripts and translated to chimeric proteins, with many having demonstrated transforming activities through multiple mechanisms in cells. Fusion proteins represent novel therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers of diagnosis, disease status, or progression. This review focuses on the mechanisms underlying the formation of oncogenic fusion genes and transcripts and their impact on the pathobiology of epithelial tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Musaffe Tuna
- Department of Epidemiology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Christopher I. Amos
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Gordon B. Mills
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, School of Medicine, Oregon Health Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Precision Oncology, Knight Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
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