1
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Zhu Z, Ding D, Hu H, He T. Pen2/ErbB4 signaling regulates stemness of pancreatic ductal carcinoma. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167316. [PMID: 38901650 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are critical for progression, invasion, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Presenilin enhancer 2 (Pen2), a vital component of the gamma-secretase complex, is overexpressed in various cancers and plays a significant role in carcinogenesis. Here, we investigated the association between Pen2 expression and the stem-like properties of PDAC cells. We analyzed Pen2 and its downstream target, Erb-B2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase 4 (ErbB4), using public databases. The expression of Pen2 in CSC populations, marked by CD133+, CD44+, or epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)+, was evaluated. Pen2-positive cells were sorted from Pen2-negative ones in PDAC cells transduced with a vector designed to express green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the Pen2 promoter. Stemness was examined in vitro and in vivo in Pen2-positive versus Pen2-negative cells. Our results showed that Pen2 was significantly upregulated, while ErbB4 was significantly downregulated in PDAC tissues compared to adjacent non-tumorous tissues, with an inverse relationship between Pen2 and Erbb4 levels. PDACs with high Pen2 expression are associated with considerably poorer patient survival. The CSC populations identified by CD133+, CD44+, and EpCAM+ markers displayed significantly higher Pen2 and lower EpCAM levels. Compared to Pen2-negative PDAC cells, Pen2-positive cells formed more tumor spheres, were more invasive and migratory, and showed significantly increased resistance to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Altering Pen2 levels reversed these oncogenic effects. In vivo, Pen2-positive cells formed larger tumors in immunodeficient mice. Overall, our findings suggest that Pen2 is highly expressed in CSCs within PDAC cells, being a novel therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongfei Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Dan Ding
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Hao Hu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Tianlin He
- Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
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2
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Mahadiuzzaman ASM, Dain Md Opo FA, Alkarim S. Stem cell-based targeted therapy in pancreatic cancer: Current approaches and future prospects. Tissue Cell 2024; 89:102449. [PMID: 38924893 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2024.102449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Despite recent improvements in oncology, diagnosis, and therapy, pancreatic cancer remains extremely difficult to cure due to its aggressive growth pattern with early invasion and distant metastases, chemoresistance, and a lack of effective screening modalities for early detection. Here, novel therapeutic approaches for treating pancreatic cancer are urgently needed. Recently, stem cells have drawn a lot of interest as a possible treatment for pancreatic cancer due to their ability to locate tumors. Though research over the last few decades has revealed some very exciting and promising new treatment approaches, the clinical success of these stem-cell based anti-cancer medicines has been quite limited. The most effective stem cell-mediated therapeutic options will only be available with a deeper understanding of the intricate molecular biology underlying pancreatic cancer and the subsequent identification of cancer stem cells as a novel target that promotes the growth of the cancer and resistance to chemotherapy. This review will highlight the stem cell based anti-cancer therapy targeting pancreatic cancer stem cells and different molecular signaling pathways. A particular focus will be on the therapeutic potential of naïve Stem cells, anti-cancer drug loaded stem cells, genetically engineered stem cells and exosomal miRNA released by stem cells in pancreatic cancer treatment. Similarly, the role of nanotechnology in stem cell based anticancer therapy will be further discussed to better implementation of these cell-based cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S M Mahadiuzzaman
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Embryonic Stem Cell Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
| | - F A Dain Md Opo
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Embryonic Stem Cell Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh Alkarim
- Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Embryonic Stem Cell Research Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Embryonic and Cancer Stem Cell Research Group, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
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3
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Wang K, Lu Y, Li H, Zhang J, Ju Y, Ouyang M. Role of long non-coding RNAs in metabolic reprogramming of gastrointestinal cancer cells. Cancer Cell Int 2024; 24:15. [PMID: 38184562 PMCID: PMC10770979 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-03194-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming, which is recognized as a hallmark of cancer, refers to the phenomenon by which cancer cells change their metabolism to support their increased biosynthetic demands. Tumor cells undergo substantial alterations in metabolic pathways, such as glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, pentose phosphate pathway, tricarboxylic acid cycle, fatty acid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. Latest studies have revealed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a group of non-coding RNAs over 200 nucleotides long, mediate metabolic reprogramming in tumor cells by regulating the transcription, translation and post-translational modification of metabolic-related signaling pathways and metabolism-related enzymes through transcriptional, translational, and post-translational modifications of genes. In addition, lncRNAs are closely related to the tumor microenvironment, and they directly or indirectly affect the proliferation and migration of tumor cells, drug resistance and other processes. Here, we review the mechanisms of lncRNA-mediated regulation of glucose, lipid, amino acid metabolism and tumor immunity in gastrointestinal tumors, aiming to provide more information on effective therapeutic targets and drug molecules for gastrointestinal tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Shunde, Foshan, 528300, Guangdong, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan Lu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Shunde, Foshan, 528300, Guangdong, China
| | - Haibin Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Shunde, Foshan, 528300, Guangdong, China
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Shunde, Foshan, 528300, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, 523808, China
| | - Yongle Ju
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Shunde, Foshan, 528300, Guangdong, China.
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China.
| | - Manzhao Ouyang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Shunde, Foshan, 528300, Guangdong, China.
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China.
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4
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Wang WD, Guo YY, Yang ZL, Su GL, Sun ZJ. Sniping Cancer Stem Cells with Nanomaterials. ACS NANO 2023; 17:23262-23298. [PMID: 38010076 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c07828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) drive tumor initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance due to their self-renewal and differentiation capabilities. Despite encouraging progress in cancer treatment, conventional approaches often fail to eliminate CSCs, necessitating the development of precise targeted strategies. Recent advances in materials science and nanotechnology have enabled promising CSC-targeted approaches, harnessing the power of tailoring nanomaterials in diverse therapeutic applications. This review provides an update on the current landscape of nanobased precision targeting approaches against CSCs. We elucidate the nuanced application of organic, inorganic, and bioinspired nanomaterials across a spectrum of therapeutic paradigms, encompassing targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and multimodal synergistic therapies. By examining the accomplishments and challenges in this potential field, we aim to inform future efforts to advance nanomaterial-based therapies toward more effective "sniping" of CSCs and tumor clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Da Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Yan-Yu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Zhong-Lu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Guang-Liang Su
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head Neck Oncology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
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5
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Li Y, Tuerxun H, Liu X, Zhao Y, Wen S, Li Y, Cao J, Zhao Y. Nrf2--a hidden bridge linking cancer stem cells to ferroptosis. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2023; 190:104105. [PMID: 37598896 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104105] [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: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a small population of stem cells existing in cancer cells, are considered as the "culprits" of tumor recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance. Ferroptosis is a promising new lead in anti-cancer therapy. Because of unique metabolic characteristics, CSCs' growth is more dependent on the iron and lipid than ordinary cancer cells. When the metabolism of iron/lipid is disordered, that is, imbalanced redox homeostasis, CSCs are more susceptible to ferroptosis. The expression of Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a molecule playing a major regulatory role in redox homeostasis, determines whether the cells are under oxidative stress and ferroptosis occurs. Nrf2 expression level is higher in CSCs, indicating stronger dependence on Nrf2. Here we expound the unique biological and metabolic characteristics of CSCs, explore the mechanism of inducing ferroptosis by targeting Nrf2, thus providing promising new targets for eliminating aggressive tumors and achieving the goal of curing tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yawen Li
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Halahati Tuerxun
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Xingyu Liu
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Yixin Zhao
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Shuhui Wen
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Yaping Li
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Jingjing Cao
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Cancer Center, the First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China.
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6
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Palma AM, Bushnell GG, Wicha MS, Gogna R. Tumor microenvironment interactions with cancer stem cells in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Adv Cancer Res 2023; 159:343-372. [PMID: 37268400 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2023.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic cancer in the United States. Additionally, the low survival rate makes PDAC the third-leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States, and it is projected that by 2030, it will become the second-leading cause of cancer mortality. Several biological factors contribute to PDAC aggressiveness, and their understanding will narrow the gap from biology to clinical care of PDAC, leading to earlier diagnoses and the development of better treatment options. In this review, we describe the origins of PDAC highlighting the role of cancer stem cells (CSC). CSC, also known as tumor initiating cells, which exhibit a unique metabolism that allows them to maintain a highly plastic, quiescent, immune- and therapy-evasive state. However, CSCs can exit quiescence during proliferation and differentiation, with the capacity to form tumors while constituting a small population in tumor tissues. Tumorigenesis depends on the interactions between CSCs and other cellular and non-cellular components in the microenvironment. These interactions are fundamental to support CSC stemness and are maintained throughout tumor development and metastasis. PDAC is characterized by a massive desmoplastic reaction, which result from the deposition of high amounts of extracellular matrix components by stromal cells. Here we review how this generates a favorable environment for tumor growth by protecting tumor cells from immune responses and chemotherapy and inducing tumor cell proliferation and migration, leading to metastasis formation ultimately leading to death. We emphasize the interactions between CSCs and the tumor microenvironment leading to metastasis formation and posit that better understanding and targeting of these interactions will improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Grace G Bushnell
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Max S Wicha
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
| | - Rajan Gogna
- VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States.
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7
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Li J, Xia Q, Di C, Li C, Si H, Zhou B, Yu S, Li Y, Huang J, Lu Y, Huang M, Liang H, Liu X, Zhao Q. Tumor Cell-Intrinsic CD96 Mediates Chemoresistance and Cancer Stemness by Regulating Mitochondrial Fatty Acid β-Oxidation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2202956. [PMID: 36581470 PMCID: PMC9982582 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202202956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Targeting CD96 that originates in immune cells has shown potential for cancer therapy. However, the role of intrinsic CD96 in solid tumor cells remains unknown. Here, it is found that CD96 is frequently expressed in tumor cells from clinical breast cancer samples and is correlated with poor long-term prognosis in these patients. The CD96+ cancer cell subpopulations exhibit features of both breast cancer stem cells and chemoresistance. In vivo inhibition of cancer cell-intrinsic CD96 enhances the chemotherapeutic response in a patient-derived tumor xenograft model. Mechanistically, CD96 enhances mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation via the CD155-CD96-Src-Stat3-Opa1 pathway, which subsequently promotes chemoresistance in breast cancer stem cells. A previously unknown role is identified for tumor cell-intrinsic CD96 and an attractive target in improving the chemotherapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Qidong Xia
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Can Di
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Chunni Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Hang Si
- Department of Infectious DiseasesThird Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease ResearchThird Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Boxuan Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Shubin Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Yihong Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Jingying Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Yiwen Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Min Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
| | - Huixin Liang
- Department of Infectious DiseasesThird Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease ResearchThird Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
| | - Xinwei Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Breast Tumor CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Department of Breast SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou450052China
| | - Qiyi Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene RegulationMedical Research CenterSun Yat‐Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510120China
- Department of Infectious DiseasesThird Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease ResearchThird Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‐Sen UniversityGuangzhou510630China
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8
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Metabolic reprogramming of immune cells in pancreatic cancer progression. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 157:113992. [PMID: 36395610 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal intracellular metabolism not only provides nutrition for tumor occurrence and development, but also sensitizes the function of various immune cells in the immune microenvironment to promote tumor immune escape. This review discusses the emerging role of immune cells in the progress of pancreatic cancer, acrossing metabolic reprogramming and key metabolic pathways present in different immune cell types. At present, the hotspots of metabolic reprogramming of immune cells in pancreatic cancer progression mainly focuses on glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle and amino acid metabolism, which affect the function of anti-tumor immune cells and immunosuppressive cells in the microenvironment, such as macrophages, dendritic cells, T cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, neutrophils and B cells by a series of key metabolic signaling pathways, such as PI3K/AKT, mTOR, AMPK, HIF-1α, c-Myc and p53. Drugs that target the tumor metabolism pathways for clinical treatment of pancreatic cancer are also systematically elaborated, which may constitute food for others' projects involved in clinical anti-cancer research.
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9
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The Effect of Oxidative Phosphorylation on Cancer Drug Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 15:cancers15010062. [PMID: 36612059 PMCID: PMC9817696 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15010062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is a target for the effective attenuation of cancer drug resistance. OXPHOS inhibitors can improve treatment responses to anticancer therapy in certain cancers, such as melanomas, lymphomas, colon cancers, leukemias and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the effect of OXPHOS on cancer drug resistance is complex and associated with cell types in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Cancer cells universally promote OXPHOS activity through the activation of various signaling pathways, and this activity is required for resistance to cancer therapy. Resistant cancer cells are prevalent among cancer stem cells (CSCs), for which the main metabolic phenotype is increased OXPHOS. CSCs depend on OXPHOS to survive targeting by anticancer drugs and can be selectively eradicated by OXPHOS inhibitors. In contrast to that in cancer cells, mitochondrial OXPHOS is significantly downregulated in tumor-infiltrating T cells, impairing antitumor immunity. In this review, we summarize novel research showing the effect of OXPHOS on cancer drug resistance, thereby explaining how this metabolic process plays a dual role in cancer progression. We highlight the underlying mechanisms of metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, as it is vital for discovering new drug targets.
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10
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Safa AR. Drug and apoptosis resistance in cancer stem cells: a puzzle with many pieces. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2022; 5:850-872. [PMID: 36627897 PMCID: PMC9771762 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2022.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Resistance to anticancer agents and apoptosis results in cancer relapse and is associated with cancer mortality. Substantial data have provided convincing evidence establishing that human cancers emerge from cancer stem cells (CSCs), which display self-renewal and are resistant to anticancer drugs, radiation, and apoptosis, and express enhanced epithelial to mesenchymal progression. CSCs represent a heterogeneous tumor cell population and lack specific cellular targets, which makes it a great challenge to target and eradicate them. Similarly, their close relationship with the tumor microenvironment creates greater complexity in developing novel treatment strategies targeting CSCs. Several mechanisms participate in the drug and apoptosis resistance phenotype in CSCs in various cancers. These include enhanced expression of ATP-binding cassette membrane transporters, activation of various cytoprotective and survival signaling pathways, dysregulation of stemness signaling pathways, aberrant DNA repair mechanisms, increased quiescence, autophagy, increased immune evasion, deficiency of mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis, upregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins including c-FLIP [cellular FLICE (FADD-like IL-1β-converting enzyme)-inhibitory protein], Bcl-2 family members, inhibitors of apoptosis proteins, and PI3K/AKT signaling. Studying such mechanisms not only provides mechanistic insights into these cells that are unresponsive to drugs, but may lead to the development of targeted and effective therapeutics to eradicate CSCs. Several studies have identified promising strategies to target CSCs. These emerging strategies may help target CSC-associated drug resistance and metastasis in clinical settings. This article will review the CSCs drug and apoptosis resistance mechanisms and how to target CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad R. Safa
- Correspondence to: Dr. Ahmad R. Safa, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 635 Barnhill Dr. MS A416, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. E-mail:
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11
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Zuzčák M, Trnka J. Cellular metabolism in pancreatic cancer as a tool for prognosis and treatment (Review). Int J Oncol 2022; 61:93. [PMID: 35730611 PMCID: PMC9256076 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2022.5383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) has one of the highest fatality rates and the currently available therapeutic options are not sufficient to improve its overall poor prognosis. In addition to insufficient effectiveness of anticancer treatments, the lack of clear early symptoms and early metastatic spread maintain the PC survival rates at a low level. Metabolic reprogramming is among the hallmarks of cancer and could be exploited for the diagnosis and treatment of PC. PC is characterized by its heterogeneity and, apart from molecular subtypes, the identification of metabolic subtypes in PC could aid in the development of more individualized therapeutic approaches and may lead to improved clinical outcomes. In addition to the deregulated utilization of glucose in aerobic glycolysis, PC cells can use a wide range of substrates, including branched‑chain amino acids, glutamine and lipids to fulfil their energy requirements, as well as biosynthetic needs. The tumor microenvironment in PC supports tumor growth, metastatic spread, treatment resistance and the suppression of the host immune response. Moreover, reciprocal interactions between cancer and stromal cells enhance their metabolic reprogramming. PC stem cells (PCSCs) with an increased resistance and distinct metabolic properties are associated with disease relapses and cancer spread, and represent another significant candidate for therapeutic targeting. The present review discusses the metabolic signatures observed in PC, a disease with a multifaceted and often transient metabolic landscape. In addition, the metabolic pathways utilized by PC cells, as well as stromal cells are discussed, providing examples of how they could present novel targets for therapeutic interventions and elaborating on how interactions between the various cell types affect their metabolism. Furthermore, the importance of PCSCs is discussed, focusing specifically on their metabolic adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Zuzčák
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 10000 Prague, Czech Republic
- Center for Research on Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 10000 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Trnka
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 10000 Prague, Czech Republic
- Center for Research on Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 10000 Prague, Czech Republic
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12
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Puca F, Fedele M, Rasio D, Battista S. Role of Diet in Stem and Cancer Stem Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158108. [PMID: 35897685 PMCID: PMC9330301 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Diet and lifestyle factors greatly affect health and susceptibility to diseases, including cancer. Stem cells’ functions, including their ability to divide asymmetrically, set the rules for tissue homeostasis, contribute to health maintenance, and represent the entry point of cancer occurrence. Stem cell properties result from the complex integration of intrinsic, extrinsic, and systemic factors. In this context, diet-induced metabolic changes can have a profound impact on stem cell fate determination, lineage specification and differentiation. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive description of the multiple “non-metabolic” effects of diet on stem cell functions, including little-known effects such as those on liquid-liquid phase separation and on non-random chromosome segregation (asymmetric division). A deep understanding of the specific dietetic requirements of normal and cancer stem cells may pave the way for the development of nutrition-based targeted therapeutic approaches to improve regenerative and anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Puca
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 78705, USA;
- Department of Oncology, IRBM Science Park SpA, 00071 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Monica Fedele
- Institute for Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology (IEOS), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Naples, Italy;
| | - Debora Rasio
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, La Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Sabrina Battista
- Institute for Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology (IEOS), National Research Council (CNR), 80131 Naples, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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13
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Wu S, Zhang H, Gao C, Chen J, Li H, Meng Z, Bai J, Shen Q, Wu H, Yin T. Hyperglycemia Enhances Immunosuppression and Aerobic Glycolysis of Pancreatic Cancer Through Upregulating Bmi1-UPF1-HK2 Pathway. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 14:1146-1165. [PMID: 35863742 PMCID: PMC9606831 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Accumulating evidence strongly suggests that hyperglycemia promotes the progression of pancreatic cancer (PC). Approximately 80% of patients with PC are intolerant to hyperglycemic conditions. In this study, we define the role of Bmi1, a stemness-related oncogene, in controlling the Warburg effect, and immune suppression under hyperglycemia conditions. METHODS The diabetes mellitus model was established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. The role of the hyperglycemia-Bmi1-HK2 axis in glycolysis-related immunosuppression was examined in both orthotopic and xenograft in vivo models. Evaluation of immune infiltrates was carried out by flow cytometry. Human PC cell lines, SW1990, BxPC-3, and CFPAC-1, were used for mechanistic in vitro studies. RESULTS Through bioinformatics analysis, we found that hyperglycemia was strongly related to aerobic glycolysis, immunosuppression, and cancer cell stemness. High glucose condition in the tumor microenvironment promotes immune suppression by upregulating glycolysis in PC cells, which can be rescued via knockdown Bmi1 expression or after 2-deoxy-D-glucose treatment. Through gain-/loss-of-function assessments, we found that Bmi1 upregulated the expression of UPF1, which enhanced the stability of HK2 mRNA and thereby increased the expression of HK2. The role of the hyperglycemia-Bmi-HK2 pathway in the inhibition of antitumor immunity was further verified via the immune-competent and immunodeficient mice model. We also demonstrated that hyperglycemia promotes the expression of Bmi1 by elevating the intracellular acetyl-CoA levels and histone H4 acetylation levels. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the previously unreported Bmi1-UPF1-HK2 pathway contributes to PC progression and immunosuppression, which may bring in new targets for developing effective therapies to treat patients with PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihong Wu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Haoxiang Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chenggang Gao
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiaoshun Chen
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hehe Li
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zibo Meng
- Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,Division of Molecular Oncology of Gastrointestinal Tumors, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jianwei Bai
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiang Shen
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Heshui Wu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tao Yin
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,Sino-German Laboratory of Personalized Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,Correspondence Address correspondence to: Tao Yin, MD, PhD, Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China. Tel: +86 027-85351631.
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14
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Ganji C, Farran B. Current clinical trials for epigenetic targets and therapeutic inhibitors for pancreatic cancer therapy. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:1404-1410. [PMID: 34952224 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is an aggressive disease characterized by high mortality. Diagnosis at advanced stage, resistance, and recurrence are major hurdles for PC therapy and contribute to poor survival rate. Mutations in tumor-promoting kinases and epigenetic dysregulation in tumor suppressor genes are hallmarks of PC and can be used for diagnosis and therapy. In this review, we highlight dysregulated genes associated with epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation and histone acetylation, involved in PC progression and resistance. We also explore epigenetic drugs currently in clinical trials. Combining epigenetic drugs and targeted therapies might represent a promising approach for PC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Batoul Farran
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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15
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Liu M, Shi Y, Hu Q, Qin Y, Ji S, Liu W, Zhuo Q, Fan G, Ye Z, Song C, Yu X, Xu X, Xu W. SETD8 induces stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of pancreatic cancer cells by regulating ROR1 expression. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2021; 53:1614-1624. [PMID: 34599596 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmab140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most deadly diseases, and its incidence is increasing year by year. The methyltransferase SETD8 has been demonstrated to play an important role in tumor cell proliferation and metastasis. However, little is known about whether SETD8 could affect the invasion and metastasis of PC and the mechanism underlying the regulation. Based on our previous report, here, we further found that SETD8 could promote the invasion and migration of PC cells by inducing the expression of receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1). ROR1 was predominantly upregulated in PC tissues and was correlated with lymph node metastasis and worse prognosis. Mechanistically, SETD8 mediated ROR1 activity and regulated PC cells invasion and migration, although promoting the expression of stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related molecules. This promotion effect disappeared when the catalytically inactive mutant SETD8 was overexpressed, which could be counteracted by the SETD8-specific methyltransferase inhibitor UNC0379. Collectively, our results demonstrate that SETD8 may be a novel prognostic factor and a therapeutic target of PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Liu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yihua Shi
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qiangsheng Hu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yi Qin
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shunrong Ji
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wensheng Liu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qifeng Zhuo
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Guixiong Fan
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zeng Ye
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Changfeng Song
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xianjun Yu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiaowu Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wenyan Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
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16
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Yu X, Dong P, Yan Y, Liu F, Wang H, Lv Y, Song M, Yao Q, Hu S. Identification of N6-Methyladenosine-Associated Long Non-coding RNAs for Immunotherapeutic Response and Prognosis in Patients With Pancreatic Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:748442. [PMID: 34621754 PMCID: PMC8490671 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.748442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive disease with poor prognosis. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is critical for post-transcriptional modification of messenger RNA (mRNA) and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA). However, the m6A-associated lncRNAs (m6A-lncRNA) and their values in predicting clinical outcomes and immune microenvironmental status in pancreatic cancer patients remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the importance of m6A-lncRNA and established a m6A-lncRNA signature for predicting immunotherapeutic response and prognosis of pancreatic cancer. The m6A-lncRNA co-expression networks were constructed using data from the TCGA and GTEx database. Based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis, we constructed an 8 m6A-lncRNA signature risk model, and selection operator (LASSO) analysis, and stratified patients into the high- and low-risk groups with significant difference in overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.68, 95% CI = 1.74-4.14, P < 0.0001). Patients in the high-risk group showed significantly reduced OS compared to patients in the low-risk group (P < 0.001). The clinical characteristics and m6A-lncRNA risk scores were used to construct a nomogram which accurately predicted the OS in pancreatic cancer. TIMER 2.0 were used to investigate tumor immune infiltrating cells and its relationship with pancreatic cancer. CIBERSORT analysis revealed increased higher infiltration proportions of M0 and M2 macrophages, and lower infiltration of naive B cell, CD8+ T cell and Treg cells in the high-risk group. Compared to the low-risk group, functional annotation using ssGSEA showed that T cell infiltration and the differential immune-related check-point genes are expressed at low level in the high-risk group (P < 0.05). In summary, our study constructed a novel m6A-associated lncRNAs signature to predict immunotherapeutic responses and provided a novel nomogram for the prognosis prediction of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinshuang Yu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China.,School of Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Peng Dong
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China.,Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Yu Yan
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China.,Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Fengjun Liu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
| | - Yajuan Lv
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
| | - Meijuan Song
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Shandong Lung Cancer Institute, Jinan, China
| | - Qingqiang Yao
- Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Sanyuan Hu
- School of Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Gastrointestinal Tumor, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Key Laboratory of Laparoscopic Technology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Medicine and Health Key Laboratory of General Surgery, Jinan, China
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17
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Integrated lipidomics and proteomics reveal cardiolipin alterations, upregulation of HADHA and long chain fatty acids in pancreatic cancer stem cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13297. [PMID: 34168259 PMCID: PMC8225828 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92752-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer stem cells (PCSCs) play a key role in the aggressiveness of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC); however, little is known about their signaling and metabolic pathways. Here we show that PCSCs have specific and common proteome and lipidome modulations. PCSCs displayed downregulation of lactate dehydrogenase A chain, and upregulation of trifunctional enzyme subunit alpha. The upregulated proteins of PCSCs are mainly involved in fatty acid (FA) elongation and biosynthesis of unsaturated FAs. Accordingly, lipidomics reveals an increase in long and very long-chain unsaturated FAs, which are products of fatty acid elongase-5 predicted as a key gene. Moreover, lipidomics showed the induction in PCSCs of molecular species of cardiolipin with mixed incorporation of 16:0, 18:1, and 18:2 acyl chains. Our data indicate a crucial role of FA elongation and alteration in cardiolipin acyl chain composition in PCSCs, representing attractive therapeutic targets in PDAC.
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18
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Melendez-Zajgla J, Maldonado V. The Role of lncRNAs in the Stem Phenotype of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:6374. [PMID: 34203589 PMCID: PMC8232220 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the deadliest tumors. This neoplasia is characterized by an important cellular and phenotypic heterogeneity. In particular, it has been shown that at least two subtypes can be found: basal-like, which presents stem-like properties, and classical. Cancer stem cells have been isolated and characterized from these tumors, showing their dependance on general and tissue-specific stem transcription factors and signaling pathways. Nevertheless, little is known about their tissue microenvironment and cell non-autonomous regulators, such as long-non-coding RNAs. (lncRNAs). In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about the positive and negative effects of lncRNAs in the stemness phenotype of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer (PDAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Melendez-Zajgla
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genomica, Periferico Sur 4809, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14610, Mexico;
| | - Vilma Maldonado
- Epigenomics Laboratory, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genomica, Periferico Sur 4809, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14610, Mexico
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19
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Dang Q, Shao B, Zhou Q, Chen C, Guo Y, Wang G, Liu J, Kan Q, Yuan W, Sun Z. RNA N 6-Methyladenosine in Cancer Metastasis: Roles, Mechanisms, and Applications. Front Oncol 2021; 11:681781. [PMID: 34211849 PMCID: PMC8239292 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.681781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer metastasis is a symptom of adverse prognosis, a prime origin of therapy failure, and a lethal challenge for cancer patients. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most prevailing modification in messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) of higher eukaryotes, has attracted increasing attention. Growing studies have verified the pivotal roles of m6A methylation in controlling mRNAs and ncRNAs in diverse physiological processes. Remarkably, recent findings have showed that aberrant methylation of m6A-related RNAs could influence cancer metastasis. In this review, we illuminate how m6A modifiers act on mRNAs and ncRNAs and modulate metastasis in several cancers, and put forward the clinical application prospects of m6A methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Dang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Bo Shao
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Quanbo Zhou
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yaxin Guo
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Department of Basic Medical, Academy of Medical Sciences of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Henan Academy of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guixian Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jinbo Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Quancheng Kan
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Weitang Yuan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhenqiang Sun
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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20
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Tang R, Liu X, Wang W, Hua J, Xu J, Liang C, Meng Q, Liu J, Zhang B, Yu X, Shi S. Identification of the Roles of a Stemness Index Based on mRNA Expression in the Prognosis and Metabolic Reprograming of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:643465. [PMID: 33912458 PMCID: PMC8071957 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.643465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are widely thought to contribute to the dismal prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). CSCs share biological features with adult stem cells, such as longevity, self-renewal capacity, differentiation, drug resistance, and the requirement for a niche; these features play a decisive role in cancer progression. A prominent characteristic of PDAC is metabolic reprogramming, which provides sufficient nutrients to support rapid tumor cell growth. However, whether PDAC stemness is correlated with metabolic reprogramming remains unknown. Method RNA sequencing data of PDAC, including read counts and fragments per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads (FPKM), were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas-Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-PAAD) database. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to calculate the relative activities of metabolic pathways in each PDAC sample. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to validate the expression levels of genes of interest. Results The overall survival (OS) of patients with high mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi) values was significantly worse than that of their counterparts with low mRNAsi values (P = 0.003). This survival disadvantage was independent of baseline clinical characteristics. Gene ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis and GSEA showed that the differentially expressed genes between patients with high and low mRNAsi values were mainly enriched in oncogenic and metabolic pathways. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed 8 independent gene modules that were significantly associated with mRNAsi and 12 metabolic pathways. Unsupervised clustering based on the key genes in each module identified two PDAC subgroups characterized by different mRNAsi values and metabolic activities. Univariate Cox regression analysis identified 14 genes beneficial to OS from 95 key genes selected from the eight independent gene modules from WGCNA. Among them, MAGEH1, MAP3K3, and PODN were downregulated in both pancreatic tissues and cell lines. Conclusion The present study showed that PDAC samples with high mRNAsi values exhibited aberrant activation of multiple metabolic pathways, and the patients from whom these samples were obtained had a poor prognosis. Future studies are expected to investigate the underlying mechanism based on the crosstalk between PDAC stemness and metabolic rewiring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Tang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaomeng Liu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Hua
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Liang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingcai Meng
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiang Liu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianjun Yu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Si Shi
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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21
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Genetic characteristics and prognostic implications of m1A regulators in pancreatic cancer. Biosci Rep 2021; 41:228171. [PMID: 33779693 PMCID: PMC8035622 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20210337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have identified the methylation of N1 adenosine (m1A), an RNA modification, playing an important role in the progression of the tumorigenesis. The present study aimed to analyze the genetic characteristics and prognostic value of m1A regulators in pancreatic cancer. In the present study, data on gene mutations, single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), and copy number variation (CNV) were obtained from 363 patients with pancreatic cancer in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and survival analysis was performed using the logarithmic rank test and Cox regression model. The chi-squared test was used to examine the relationship between the changes in m1A regulatory factors and clinicopathological characteristics. And we used ICGC database to verify the reliability of prognostic markers. The results show that changes in m1A-regulating genes are related to clinical stage and that the expression of some m1A-regulating genes is positively correlated with CNV. In addition, the low expression of the 'eraser' gene ALKBH1 is related to the poor prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer, and its expression level has important clinical significance for patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). Mechanistically, ALKBH1 may participate in the occurrence and development of pancreatic cancer through mTOR and ErbB signaling pathway. The expression of m1A-regulating genes can be used as a prognostic marker for pancreatic cancer. These findings provide valuable clues for us to understand the epigenetics of m1A in pancreatic cancer.
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22
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Jones CL, Inguva A, Jordan CT. Targeting Energy Metabolism in Cancer Stem Cells: Progress and Challenges in Leukemia and Solid Tumors. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:378-393. [PMID: 33667359 PMCID: PMC7951949 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Malignant stem cells have long been considered a key therapeutic target in leukemia. Therapeutic strategies designed to target the fundamental biology of leukemia stem cells while sparing normal hematopoietic cells may provide better outcomes for leukemia patients. One process in leukemia stem cell biology that has intriguing therapeutic potential is energy metabolism. In this article we discuss the metabolic properties of leukemia stem cells and how targeting energy metabolism may provide more effective therapeutic regimens for leukemia patients. In addition, we highlight the similarities and differences in energy metabolism between leukemia stem cells and malignant stem cells from solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney L Jones
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, 101 College St. Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Anagha Inguva
- Division of Hematology, University of Colorado, 12700 East 19th Ave., Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Craig T Jordan
- Division of Hematology, University of Colorado, 12700 East 19th Ave., Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
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23
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Therapeutic Approaches for Metastases from Colorectal Cancer and Pancreatic Ductal Carcinoma. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13010103. [PMID: 33466892 PMCID: PMC7830403 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13010103] [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: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the process of dissemination of a tumor, whereby cells from the primary site dislodge and find their way to other tissues where secondary tumors establish. Metastasis is the primary cause of death related to cancer. This process warrants changes in original tumoral cells and their microenvironment to establish a metastatic niche. Traditionally, cancer therapy has focused on metastasis prevention by systematic treatments or direct surgical re-sectioning. However, metastasis can still occur. More recently, new therapies direct their attention to targeting cancer stem cells. As they propose, these cells could be the orchestrators of the metastatic niche. In this review, we describe conventional and novel developments in cancer therapeutics for liver and lung metastasis. We further discuss the resistance mechanisms of targeted therapy, the advantages, and disadvantages of diverse treatment approaches, and future novel strategies to enhance cancer prognosis.
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24
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Stoica AF, Chang CH, Pauklin S. Molecular Therapeutics of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Targeted Pathways and the Role of Cancer Stem Cells. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2020; 41:977-993. [PMID: 33092892 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2020.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers in humans due to late detection and highly metastatic characteristics. PDAC cells vary in their tumorigenic capabilities with the presence of a subset of PDAC cells known as pancreatic cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are more resistant to currently used therapeutics. Here, we describe the role of CSCs and tumour stroma in developing therapeutic strategies for PDAC and suggest that developmental plasticity could be considered a hallmark of cancers. We provide an overview of the molecular targets in PDAC treatments, including targeted therapies of cellular processes such as proliferation, evasion of growth suppressors, activating metastasis, and metabolic effects. Since PDAC is an inflammation-driven cancer, we also revisit therapeutic strategies targeting inflammation and immunotherapy. Lastly, we suggest that targeting epigenetic mechanisms opens therapeutic routes for heterogeneous cancer cell populations, including CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei-Florian Stoica
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Old Road, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Chao-Hui Chang
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Old Road, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Siim Pauklin
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Old Road, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, UK.
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25
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Mimetics of extra virgin olive oil phenols with anti-cancer stem cell activity. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:21057-21075. [PMID: 33168787 PMCID: PMC7695371 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) dihydroxy-phenol oleacein is a natural inhibitor of multiple metabolic and epigenetic enzymes capable of suppressing the functional traits of cancer stem cells (CSC). Here, we used a natural product-inspired drug discovery approach to identify new compounds that phenotypically mimic the anti-CSC activity of oleacein. We coupled 3D quantitative structure-activity relationship-based virtual profiling with phenotypic analysis using 3D tumorsphere formation as a gold standard for assessing the presence of CSC. Among the top 20 computationally-predicted oleacein mimetics, four fulfilled the phenotypic endpoint of specifically suppressing the tumorsphere-initiating capacity of CSC, in the absence of significant cytotoxicity against differentiated cancer cells growing in 2D cultures in the same low micromolar concentration range. Of these, 3,4-dihydrophenetyl butyrate –a lipophilic ester conjugate of the hydroxytyrosol moiety of oleacein– and (E)-N-allyl-2-((5-nitrofuran-2-yl)methylene)hydrazinecarbothioamide) –an inhibitor of Trypanosoma cruzi triosephosphate isomerase– were also highly effective at significantly reducing the proportion of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)-positive CSC-like proliferating cells. Preservation of the mTOR/DNMT binding mode of oleacein was dispensable for suppression of the ALDH+-CSC functional phenotype in hydroxytyrosol-unrelated mimetics. The anti-CSC chemistry of complex EVOO phenols such as oleacein can be phenocopied through the use of mimetics capturing its physico-chemical properties.
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26
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Lin X, Ping J, Wen Y, Wu Y. The Mechanism of Ferroptosis and Applications in Tumor Treatment. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:1061. [PMID: 32774303 PMCID: PMC7388725 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron-dependent ferroptosis is a new form of cell death in recent years, which is driven by lipid peroxidation. The lethal lipid accumulation caused by glutathione depletion or inactivation of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) is characteristic of the ferroptosis process. In recent years, with the in-depth study of ferroptosis, various types of diseases have been reported to be related to ferroptosis. In other words, ferroptosis, which has attracted widespread attention in the fields of biochemistry, oncology, and especially materials science, can undoubtedly provide a new way for patients. This review introduces the relevant mechanisms of ferroptosis, the relationship between ferroptosis and various cancers, as well as the application of ferroptosis in tumor treatment. We also sorted out the genes and drugs that regulate ferroptosis. Moreover, small molecule compound-induced ferroptosis has a strong inhibitory effect on tumor growth in a drug-resistant environment, which can enhance the sensitivity of chemotherapeutic drugs, suggesting that ferroptosis is very important in the treatment of tumor drug resistance, but the details are still unclear. How to use ferroptosis to fight cancer, and how to prevent drug-resistant tumor cells have become the focus and direction of research. At the end of the article, some existing problems related to ferroptosis are summarized for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Lin
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Jieyi Ping
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Yi Wen
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Yan Wu
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.,Gynecology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
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27
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Could Protons and Carbon Ions Be the Silver Bullets Against Pancreatic Cancer? Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21134767. [PMID: 32635552 PMCID: PMC7369903 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21134767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive cancer type associated with one of the poorest prognostics. Despite several clinical trials to combine different types of therapies, none of them resulted in significant improvements for patient survival. Pancreatic cancers demonstrate a very broad panel of resistance mechanisms due to their biological properties but also their ability to remodel the tumour microenvironment. Radiotherapy is one of the most widely used treatments against cancer but, up to now, its impact remains limited in the context of pancreatic cancer. The modern era of radiotherapy proposes new approaches with increasing conformation but also more efficient effects on tumours in the case of charged particles. In this review, we highlight the interest in using charged particles in the context of pancreatic cancer therapy and the impact of this alternative to counteract resistance mechanisms.
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28
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Samonig L, Loipetzberger A, Blöchl C, Rurik M, Kohlbacher O, Aberger F, Huber CG. Proteins and Molecular Pathways Relevant for the Malignant Properties of Tumor-Initiating Pancreatic Cancer Cells. Cells 2020; 9:E1397. [PMID: 32503348 PMCID: PMC7349116 DOI: 10.3390/cells9061397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a small subset of the tumor bulk with highly malignant properties, are deemed responsible for tumor initiation, growth, metastasis, and relapse. In order to reveal molecular markers and determinants of their tumor-initiating properties, we enriched rare stem-like pancreatic tumor-initiating cells (TICs) by harnessing their clonogenic growth capacity in three-dimensional multicellular spheroid cultures. We compared pancreatic TICs isolated from three-dimensional tumor spheroid cultures with nontumor-initiating cells (non-TICs) enriched in planar cultures. Employing differential proteomics (PTX), we identified more than 400 proteins with significantly different expression in pancreatic TICs and the non-TIC population. By combining the unbiased PTX with mRNA expression analysis and literature-based predictions of pro-malignant functions, we nominated the two calcium-binding proteins S100A8 (MRP8) and S100A9 (MRP14) as well as galactin-3-binding protein LGALS3BP (MAC-2-BP) as putative determinants of pancreatic TICs. In silico pathway analysis followed by candidate-based RNA interference mediated loss-of-function analysis revealed a critical role of S100A8, S100A9, and LGALS3BP as molecular determinants of TIC proliferation, migration, and in vivo tumor growth. Our study highlights the power of combining unbiased proteomics with focused gene expression and functional analyses for the identification of novel key regulators of TICs, an approach that warrants further application to identify proteins and pathways amenable to drug targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Samonig
- Department of Biosciences, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria; (L.S.); (C.B.)
| | - Andrea Loipetzberger
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Molecular Cancer and Stem Cell Research, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria;
| | - Constantin Blöchl
- Department of Biosciences, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria; (L.S.); (C.B.)
| | - Marc Rurik
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of Tübingen, Sand 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (M.R.); (O.K.)
| | - Oliver Kohlbacher
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of Tübingen, Sand 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (M.R.); (O.K.)
- Biomolecular Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Translational Bioinformatics, University Hospital Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 9, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Quantitative Biology Center, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Fritz Aberger
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Molecular Cancer and Stem Cell Research, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria;
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Christian G. Huber
- Department of Biosciences, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria; (L.S.); (C.B.)
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria
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29
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Safa AR. Resistance to drugs and cell death in cancer stem cells (CSCs). JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 6:341. [PMID: 35330670 PMCID: PMC8941648 DOI: 10.15761/jts.1000341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Human cancers emerge from cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are resistant to cancer chemotherapeutic agents, radiation, and cell death. Moreover, autophagy provides the cytoprotective effect which contributes to drug resistance in these cells. Furthermore, much evidence shows that CSCs cause tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and cancer recurrence. Various signaling pathways including the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK), NOTCH1, and Wnt/β-catenin as well as the CSC markers maintain CSC properties. Several mechanisms including overexpression of ABC multidrug resistance transporters, a deficiency in mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis, upregulation of c-FLIP, overexpression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members and inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), and PI3K/AKT signaling contribute to enhancing resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs and cell death induction in CSCs in various cancers. Studying such pathways may help provide detailed understanding of CSC mechanisms of resistance to chemotherapeutic agents and apoptosis and may lead to the development of effective therapeutics to eradicate CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad R Safa
- Correspondence to: Ahmad R. Safa, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 635 Barnhill, Dr. MS A416, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA,
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30
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Li H, Feng Z, He ML. Lipid metabolism alteration contributes to and maintains the properties of cancer stem cells. Theranostics 2020; 10:7053-7069. [PMID: 32641978 PMCID: PMC7330842 DOI: 10.7150/thno.41388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipids, the basic components of the cell membrane, execute fundamental roles in almost all the cell activities including cell-cell recognition, signalling transduction and energy supplies. Lipid metabolism is elementary for life sustentation that balances activity between synthesis and degradation. An accumulating amount of data has indicated abnormal lipid metabolism in cancer stem cells (CSCs), and that the alteration of lipid metabolism exerts a great impact on CSCs' properties such as the capability of self-renewal, differentiation, invasion, metastasis, and drug sensitivity and resistance. CSCs' formation and maintenance cannot do without the regulation of fatty acids and cholesterol. In normal cells and embryonic development, fatty acids and cholesterol metabolism are regulated by some important signalling pathways (such as Hedgehog, Notch, Wnt signalling pathways); these signalling pathways also play crucial roles in initiating and/or maintaining CSCs' properties, and such signalling is shown to be commonly modulated by the abnormal lipid metabolism in CSCs; on the other hand, the altered lipid metabolism in turn modifies the cell signalling and generates additional impacts on CSCs. Metabolic rewiring is considered as an ideal hallmark of CSCs, and metabolic alterations would be promising therapeutic targets of CSCs for aggressive tumors. In this review, we summarize the most updated findings of lipid metabolic abnormalities in CSCs and prospect the potential applications of targeting lipid metabolism for anticancer treatment.
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31
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Zhou J, Wang H, Che J, Xu L, Yang W, Li Y, Zhou W. Silencing of microRNA-135b inhibits invasion, migration, and stemness of CD24 +CD44 + pancreatic cancer stem cells through JADE-1-dependent AKT/mTOR pathway. Cancer Cell Int 2020; 20:134. [PMID: 32351328 PMCID: PMC7183669 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-020-01210-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent studies have emphasized determining the ability of microRNAs (miRNAs) as crucial regulators in the occurrence and development of pancreatic cancer (PC), which continues to be one of the deadliest malignancies with few effective therapies. The study aimed to investigate the functional role of miR-135b and its associated mechanism to unravel the biological characteristics of tumor growth in pancreatic cancer stem cells (PCSCs). Methods Microarray analyses were initially performed to identify the PC-related miRNAs and genes. The expression of miR-135b and PCSC markers in PC tissues and cells was determined by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis, respectively. The potential gene (JADE-1) that could bind to miR-135b was confirmed by the dual-luciferase reporter assay. To investigate the tumorigenicity, migration, invasion, and stemness of PC cells, several gain-of-function and loss-of-function genetic experiments were conducted. Finally, tumor formation in nude mice was conducted to confirm the results in vivo. Results miR-135b was highly-expressed in PC tissues and PCSCs, which was identified to specifically target JADE-1. The overexpression of miR-135b promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion of PCSC, inhibited cell apoptosis and increased the expression of stemness-related factors (Sox-2, Oct-4, Nanog, Aldh1, and Slug). Moreover, miR-135b could promote the expression of phosphorylated AKT and phosphorylated mTOR in the AKT/mTOR pathway. Additionally, miR-135b overexpression accelerated tumor growth in nude mice. Conclusions Taken together, the silencing of miR-135b promotes the JADE-1 expression, which inactivates the AKT/mTOR pathway and ultimately results in inhibition of self-renewal and tumor growth of PCSCs. Hence, this study contributes to understanding the role of miR-135 in PCSCs and its underlying molecular mechanisms to aid in the development of effective PC therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyang Zhou
- 1Class 182, Queen Mary School, Medical Department, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031 People's Republic of China
| | - Haihong Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobillary Surgery, Xuzhou City Cancer Hospital, No. 131 Huancheng Rd., Gulou District, Xuzhou, 221000 Jiangsu People's Republic of China
| | - Jinhui Che
- Department of Hepatopancreatobillary Surgery, Xuzhou City Cancer Hospital, No. 131 Huancheng Rd., Gulou District, Xuzhou, 221000 Jiangsu People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Xu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobillary Surgery, Xuzhou City Cancer Hospital, No. 131 Huancheng Rd., Gulou District, Xuzhou, 221000 Jiangsu People's Republic of China
| | - Weizhong Yang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobillary Surgery, Xuzhou City Cancer Hospital, No. 131 Huancheng Rd., Gulou District, Xuzhou, 221000 Jiangsu People's Republic of China
| | - Yunjiu Li
- Department of Hepatopancreatobillary Surgery, Xuzhou City Cancer Hospital, No. 131 Huancheng Rd., Gulou District, Xuzhou, 221000 Jiangsu People's Republic of China
| | - Wuyuan Zhou
- Department of Hepatopancreatobillary Surgery, Xuzhou City Cancer Hospital, No. 131 Huancheng Rd., Gulou District, Xuzhou, 221000 Jiangsu People's Republic of China
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32
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Zhao Z, Liu W. Pancreatic Cancer: A Review of Risk Factors, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2020; 19:1533033820962117. [PMID: 33357065 PMCID: PMC7768873 DOI: 10.1177/1533033820962117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This review aims to summarize the latest knowledge on factors, diagnosis, and treatment of pancreatic cancer, and aims to promote further research on this under-studied malignant tumor. At present, we urgently need to identify high-risk patients with precancerous diseases through screening approaches, so that medical professionals and the general public may better understand prevention strategies or early detection measures. Pancreatic cancer is a highly invasive malignant tumor with a fatal risk, mainly seen in men and older adults (60-85 years old). Pancreatic cancer is now increasingly observed in young patients. Because the disease has no early symptoms and can quickly invade surrounding tissues and organs, it is one of the deadliest cancers. With a view to identify the important factors for the development of pancreatic cancer, previous studies have found that smoking, alcohol, and chronic pancreatitis are considered high-risk factors. Recent studies have shown that abnormal metabolism of human microorganisms, blood type, and glucose and lipid levels are also important factors in the development of pancreatic cancer. Identifying early diagnosis options is an important way to improve detection and survival rates of pancreatic cancer. None of the many tumor markers associated with pancreatic cancer are highly specific, which also indicates further research is required to improve the early detection rate. Future directions in terms of treatment evaluating the relationship between the microbiology-free system and immunotherapy will bring a major breakthrough and is expected to bring exciting clinical applications in improving the life-cycle of pancreatic cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- ZhiYu Zhao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China
- Wei Liu, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, China.
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33
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Han S, Wei R, Zhang X, Jiang N, Fan M, Huang JH, Xie B, Zhang L, Miao W, Butler ACP, Coleman MA, Vaughan AT, Wang Y, Chen HW, Liu J, Li JJ. CPT1A/2-Mediated FAO Enhancement-A Metabolic Target in Radioresistant Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2019; 9:1201. [PMID: 31803610 PMCID: PMC6873486 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells, including cancer stem cells (CSCs) resistant to radio- and chemotherapy, must enhance metabolism to meet the extra energy demands to repair and survive such genotoxic conditions. However, such stress-induced adaptive metabolic alterations, especially in cancer cells that survive radiotherapy, remain unresolved. In this study, we found that CPT1 (Carnitine palmitoyl transferase I) and CPT2 (Carnitine palmitoyl transferase II), a pair of rate-limiting enzymes for mitochondrial fatty acid transportation, play a critical role in increasing fatty acid oxidation (FAO) required for the cellular fuel demands in radioresistant breast cancer cells (RBCs) and radiation-derived breast cancer stem cells (RD-BCSCs). Enhanced CPT1A/CPT2 expression was detected in the recurrent human breast cancers and associated with a worse prognosis in breast cancer patients. Blocking FAO via a FAO inhibitor or by CRISPR-mediated CPT1A/CPT2 gene deficiency inhibited radiation-induced ERK activation and aggressive growth and radioresistance of RBCs and RD-BCSCs. These results revealed that switching to FAO contributes to radiation-induced mitochondrial energy metabolism, and CPT1A/CPT2 is a potential metabolic target in cancer radiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujun Han
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
- Center for Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ryan Wei
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
- Lewis Katz School of Medicine/St. Luke's University Regional Campus, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Xiaodi Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Nian Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Ming Fan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Jie Hunter Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Bowen Xie
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Lu Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Weili Miao
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Ashley Chen-Ping Butler
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Matthew A. Coleman
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
- NCI-Designated Compressive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Andrew T. Vaughan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
- NCI-Designated Compressive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Yinsheng Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Hong-Wu Chen
- NCI-Designated Compressive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Jiankang Liu
- Center for Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jian Jian Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
- NCI-Designated Compressive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
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Wang X. Stem cells in tissues, organoids, and cancers. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:4043-4070. [PMID: 31317205 PMCID: PMC6785598 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03199-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Stem cells give rise to all cells and build the tissue structures in our body, and heterogeneity and plasticity are the hallmarks of stem cells. Epigenetic modification, which is associated with niche signals, determines stem cell differentiation and somatic cell reprogramming. Stem cells play a critical role in the development of tumors and are capable of generating 3D organoids. Understanding the properties of stem cells will improve our capacity to maintain tissue homeostasis. Dissecting epigenetic regulation could be helpful for achieving efficient cell reprograming and for developing new drugs for cancer treatment. Stem cell-derived organoids open up new avenues for modeling human diseases and for regenerative medicine. Nevertheless, in addition to the achievements in stem cell research, many challenges still need to be overcome for stem cells to have versatile application in clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xusheng Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
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Sapalidis K, Kosmidis C, Funtanidou V, Katsaounis A, Barmpas A, Koimtzis G, Mantalobas S, Alexandrou V, Aidoni Z, Koulouris C, Pavlidis E, Giannakidis D, Surlin V, Pantea S, Strambu V, Constantina RO, Amaniti A, Zarogoulidis P, Mogoantă S, Kesisoglou I, Sardeli C. Update on current pancreatic treatments: from molecular pathways to treatment. J Cancer 2019; 10:5162-5172. [PMID: 31602269 PMCID: PMC6775621 DOI: 10.7150/jca.36300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is still diagnosed at a late stage although we have novel diagnostic tools. Pancreatic cancer chemotherapy treatment resistance is observed and therefore novel treatments are in need. Anti-cancer stem cell therapy, combination of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy with immunotherapy, proteins/enzymes and gene therapy are currently under evaluation. Targeted treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors is also administered and novel inhibitors are also under evaluation. In the current review we present recent data from our search within the year 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Sapalidis
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Christoforos Kosmidis
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Varvara Funtanidou
- Anesthesiology Department, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Athanasios Katsaounis
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Amastasios Barmpas
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Georgios Koimtzis
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Stylianos Mantalobas
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Vyron Alexandrou
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Zoi Aidoni
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Charilaos Koulouris
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Efstathios Pavlidis
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Giannakidis
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Valeriu Surlin
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Victor Strambu
- General Surgery Department, "Dr Carol Davila", University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucuresti, Romania
| | | | - Aikaterini Amaniti
- Anesthesiology Department, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Paul Zarogoulidis
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Anesthesiology Department, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Stelian Mogoantă
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Craiova, Romania
| | - Isaak Kesisoglou
- 3rd Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Chrysanthi Sardeli
- Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Abstract
Increasing numbers of studies implicate abnormal DNA methylation in cancer and many non-malignant diseases. This is consistent with numerous findings about differentiation-associated changes in DNA methylation at promoters, enhancers, gene bodies, and sites that control higher-order chromatin structure. Abnormal increases or decreases in DNA methylation contribute to or are markers for cancer formation and tumour progression. Aberrant DNA methylation is also associated with neurological diseases, immunological diseases, atherosclerosis, and osteoporosis. In this review, I discuss DNA hypermethylation in disease and its interrelationships with normal development as well as proposed mechanisms for the origin of and pathogenic consequences of disease-associated hypermethylation. Disease-linked DNA hypermethylation can help drive oncogenesis partly by its effects on cancer stem cells and by the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP); atherosclerosis by disease-related cell transdifferentiation; autoimmune and neurological diseases through abnormal perturbations of cell memory; and diverse age-associated diseases by age-related accumulation of epigenetic alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Ehrlich
- Tulane Cancer Center and Tulane Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Tulane University Health Sciences Center , New Orleans , LA , USA
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37
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Wang K, Zhang Z, Wang M, Cao X, Qi J, Wang D, Gong A, Zhu H. Role of GRP78 inhibiting artesunate-induced ferroptosis in KRAS mutant pancreatic cancer cells. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2019; 13:2135-2144. [PMID: 31456633 PMCID: PMC6620771 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s199459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the exact role of GRP78 in artesunate-induced ferroptosis in KRAS mutant pancreatic cancer cells. Methods: Artesunate-induced KRAS mutant human pancreatic cancer cells (AsPC-1 and PaTU8988) ferroptosis was confirmed by fluorescent staining experiments and CCK8. Western blot and short-hairpin RNA-based knockdown assays were conducted to detect GRP78 activity and its role in artesunate-induced ferroptosis. Results: Artesunate induced AsPC-1 and PaTU8988 cell death in ferroptosis manner, rather than necrosis or apoptosis. In addition, artesunate increased the mRNA and protein levels of GRP78 in a concentration-dependent manner in AsPC-1 and PaTU8988 cells. Knockdown GRP78 enhanced artesunate-induced ferroptosis of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: Combining artesunate with GRP78 inhibition may be a novel maneuver for effective killing of KRAS mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Wang
- Central Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengyang Zhang
- Central Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Wang
- Central Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiongfeng Cao
- Central Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianchen Qi
- Central Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongqing Wang
- Central Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, People's Republic of China.,Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212001, People's Republic of China
| | - Aihua Gong
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, People's Republic of China
| | - Haitao Zhu
- Central Laboratory of Medical Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, People's Republic of China.,Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212001, People's Republic of China
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PDS5B regulates cell proliferation and motility via upregulation of Ptch2 in pancreatic cancer cells. Cancer Lett 2019; 460:65-74. [PMID: 31233836 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Pds5b (precocious dissociation of sisters 5B) is involved in both tumorigenesis and cancer progression; however, the functions and molecular mechanisms of Pds5b in pancreatic cancer (PC) are unknown. Several approaches were conducted to investigate the molecular basis of Pds5b-related PC progression, including transfection, MTT, FACS, western blotting, wound healing assay, transwell chamber invasion assay, and immunohistochemical methods. Pds5b overexpression inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis, whereas the inhibition of Pds5b promoted growth of PC cells. Moreover, Pds5b overexpression inhibited cell migration and invasion, while the downregulation of Pds5b enhanced cell motility. Furthermore, reduced Pds5b expression was associated with survival in PC patients. Mechanistically, Pds5b positively regulated the expression of Ptch2 to influence the Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway. Consistently, Ptch2 downregulation enhanced cell growth, migration, and invasion, while inhibiting cell apoptosis. Notably, the downregulation of Ptch2 abolished Pds5b-mediated anti-tumor activity in PC cells. Strikingly, Pds5b expression was positively associated with levels of Ptch2 in PC patient samples, suggesting that the Pds5b/Ptch2 axis regulates cell proliferation and invasion in PC cells. Our findings indicate that targeting Pds5b and Ptch2 may represent a novel therapeutic approach for PC.
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