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Vercouillie N, Ren Z, Terras E, Lammens T. Long Non-Coding RNAs in Neuroblastoma: Pathogenesis, Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5690. [PMID: 38891878 PMCID: PMC11171840 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is the most common malignant extracranial solid tumor of childhood. Recent studies involving the application of advanced high-throughput "omics" techniques have revealed numerous genomic alterations, including aberrant coding-gene transcript levels and dysfunctional pathways, that drive the onset, growth, progression, and treatment resistance of neuroblastoma. Research conducted in the past decade has shown that long non-coding RNAs, once thought to be transcriptomic noise, play key roles in cancer development. With the recent and continuing increase in the amount of evidence for the underlying roles of long non-coding RNAs in neuroblastoma, the potential clinical implications of these RNAs cannot be ignored. In this review, we discuss their biological mechanisms of action in the context of the central driving mechanisms of neuroblastoma, focusing on potential contributions to the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of this disease. We also aim to provide a clear, integrated picture of future research opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels Vercouillie
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (N.V.); (Z.R.); (E.T.)
| | - Zhiyao Ren
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (N.V.); (Z.R.); (E.T.)
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eva Terras
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (N.V.); (Z.R.); (E.T.)
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tim Lammens
- Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (N.V.); (Z.R.); (E.T.)
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Katoueezadeh M, Maleki P, Torabizadeh SA, Farsinejad A, Khalilabadi RM, Valandani HM, Nurain IO, Ashoub MH, Fatemi A. Combinatorial targeting of telomerase and DNA-PK induces synergistic apoptotic effects against Pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:163. [PMID: 38252348 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-09087-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to the high demand for novel approaches for leukemia-targeted therapy, this study investigates the impact of DNA-PK inhibitor NU7441 on the sensitivity of pre-B ALL cells to the telomerase inhibitor MST-312. METHODS The study involved NALM-6 cells treated with MST-312 and NU7441, assessing their viability and metabolic activity using trypan blue and MTT assays. The study also evaluated apoptosis, gene expression changes, and DNA damage using flow cytometry, qRT-PCR, and micronucleus assays. The binding energy of MST-312 in the active site of telomerase was calculated using molecular docking. RESULTS The study's findings revealed a synergistic decline in both cell viability and metabolic activity in NALM-6 cells when exposed to the combined treatment of MST-312 and NU7441, and this decrease occurred without any adverse effects on healthy PBMC cells. Furthermore, the combination treatment exhibited a significantly higher induction of apoptosis than treatment with MST-312 alone, as observed through flow cytometry assay. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that this enhanced apoptosis was associated with a notable downregulation of Bcl-2 expression and an upregulation of Bax gene expression. Moreover, the combination therapy decreased expression levels of hTERT and c-Myc genes. The micronucleus assay indicated that the combination treatment increased DNA damage in NALM-6 cells. Also, a good conformation between MST-312 and the active site of telomerase was revealed by docking data. CONCLUSIONS The study suggests that simultaneous inhibition of telomerase and DNA-PK in pre-B ALL presents a novel targeted therapy approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Katoueezadeh
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Parisa Maleki
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Seyedeh Atekeh Torabizadeh
- Pharmaceutics Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Alireza Farsinejad
- Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Comprehensive Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Roohollah Mirzaee Khalilabadi
- Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Hajar Mardani Valandani
- Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ismaila Olanrewaju Nurain
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | - Muhammad Hossein Ashoub
- Department of Hematology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Comprehensive Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Ahmad Fatemi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Gerash University of Medical Sciences, Gerash, Iran.
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