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Wu H, Li X, Zhang B, Liu P, Qi M, Du Y, Zhang C, Duan W, Chen Z. Single-cell sequencing reveals VEGFR as a potential target for CAR-T cell therapy in chordoma. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:1609-1620. [PMID: 38605247 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02635-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chordomas are rare osseous neoplasms with a dismal prognosis when they recur. Here we identified cell surface proteins that could potentially serve as novel immunotherapeutic targets in patients with chordoma. METHODS Fourteen chordoma samples from patients attending Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University were subjected to single-cell RNA sequencing. Target molecules were identified on chordoma cells and cancer metastasis-related signalling pathways characterised. VEGFR-targeting CAR-T cells and VEGFR CAR-T cells with an additional TGF-β scFv were synthesised and their in vitro antitumor activities were evaluated, including in a primary chordoma organoid model. RESULTS Single-cell transcriptome sequencing identified the chordoma-specific antigen VEGFR and TGF-β as therapeutic targets. VRGFR CAR-T cells and VEGFR/TGF-β scFv CAR-T cells recognised antigen-positive cells and exhibited significant antitumor effects through CAR-T cell activation and cytokine secretion. Furthermore, VEGFR/TGF-β scFv CAR-T cells showed enhanced and sustained cytotoxicity of chordoma cell lines in vitro compared with VRGFR CAR-T cells. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a comprehensive single-cell landscape of human chordoma and highlights its heterogeneity and the role played by TGF-β in chordoma progression. Our findings substantiate the potential of VEGFR as a target for CAR-T cell therapies in chordoma which, together with modulated TGF-β signalling, may augment the efficacy of CAR-T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huantong Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Lab of Spinal Cord, Injury and Functional Reconstruction, China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, China
| | - Xinqiang Li
- Organ Transplantation Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Boyan Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Lab of Spinal Cord, Injury and Functional Reconstruction, China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, China
| | - Penghao Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Lab of Spinal Cord, Injury and Functional Reconstruction, China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, China
| | - Maoyang Qi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Lab of Spinal Cord, Injury and Functional Reconstruction, China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, China
| | - Yueqi Du
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Lab of Spinal Cord, Injury and Functional Reconstruction, China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, China
| | - Can Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Lab of Spinal Cord, Injury and Functional Reconstruction, China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, China
| | - Wanru Duan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- Lab of Spinal Cord, Injury and Functional Reconstruction, China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, China.
| | - Zan Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- Lab of Spinal Cord, Injury and Functional Reconstruction, China International Neuroscience Institute (CHINA-INI), Beijing, China.
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Kawaai K, Oishi Y, Kuroda Y, Tamura R, Toda M, Matsuo K. Chordoma cells possess bone-dissolving activity at the bone invasion front. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2024:10.1007/s13402-024-00946-6. [PMID: 38652222 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-024-00946-6] [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] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Chordomas are malignant tumors that destroy bones, compress surrounding nerve tissues and exhibit phenotypes that recapitulate notochordal differentiation in the axial skeleton. Chordomas recur frequently, as they resist radio-chemotherapy and are difficult to completely resect, leading to repeated bone destruction and local expansion via unknown mechanisms. Here, using chordoma specimens and JHC7 chordoma cells, we asked whether chordoma cells possess bone-dissolving activity. METHODS CT imaging and histological analysis were performed to evaluate the structure and mineral density of chordoma-invaded bone and osteolytic marker expression. JHC7 cells were subjected to immunocytochemistry, imaging of cell fusion, calcium dynamics and acidic vacuoles, and bone lysis assays. RESULTS In patients, we found that the skull base invaded by chordoma was highly porous, showed low mineral density and contained brachyury-positive chordoma cells and conventional osteoclasts both expressing the osteolytic markers tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and collagenases. JHC7 cells expressed TRAP and cathepsin K, became multinucleated via cell-cell fusion, showed spontaneous calcium oscillation, and were partly responsive to the osteoclastogenic cytokine RANKL. JHC7 cells exhibited large acidic vacuoles, and nonregulatory bone degradation without forming actin rings. Finally, bone-derived factors, calcium ions, TGF-β1, and IGF-1 enhanced JHC7 cell proliferation. CONCLUSION In chordoma, we propose that in addition to conventional bone resorption by osteoclasts, chordoma cells possess bone-dissolving activity at the tumor-bone boundary. Furthermore, bone destruction and tumor expansion may occur in a positive feedback loop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuhiro Kawaai
- Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, 160-8582, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yumiko Oishi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, 160-8582, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukiko Kuroda
- Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, 160-8582, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryota Tamura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, 160-8582, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiro Toda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, 160-8582, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Matsuo
- Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, 160-8582, Tokyo, Japan.
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Halvorsen SC, Benita Y, Hopton M, Hoppe B, Gunnlaugsson HO, Korgaonkar P, Vanderburg CR, Nielsen GP, Trepanowski N, Cheah JH, Frosch MP, Schwab JH, Rosenberg AE, Hornicek FJ, Sassi S. Transcriptional Profiling Supports the Notochordal Origin of Chordoma and Its Dependence on a TGFΒ1-TBXT Network. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2023; 193:532-547. [PMID: 36804377 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2023.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Chordoma is a rare malignant tumor demonstrating notochordal differentiation. It is dependent on brachyury (TBXT), a hallmark notochordal gene and transcription factor, and shares histologic features and the same anatomic location as the notochord. In this study, we perform a molecular comparison of chordoma and notochord to identify dysregulated cellular pathways. The lack of a molecular reference from appropriate control tissue limits our understanding of chordoma and its relationship to notochord. Accordingly, we conducted an unbiased comparison of chordoma, human notochord, and an atlas of normal and cancerous tissue using gene expression profiling to clarify the chordoma/notochord relationship and potentially identify novel drug targets. We found striking consistency in gene expression profiles between chordoma and notochord, supporting the hypothesis that chordoma develops from notochordal remnants. We identified a 12-gene diagnostic chordoma signature and found that the TBXT/transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/SOX6/SOX9 pathway is hyperactivated in the tumor, suggesting that pathways associated with chondrogenesis are a central driver of chordoma development. Experimental validation in chordoma cells confirms these findings and emphasizes the dependence of chordoma proliferation and survival on TGF-β. Our computational and experimental evidence provides the first molecular connection between notochord and chordoma and identifies core members of a chordoma regulatory pathway involving TBXT. This pathway provides new therapeutic targets for this unique malignant neoplasm and highlights TGF-β as a prime druggable candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan C Halvorsen
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yair Benita
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Megan Hopton
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Brooke Hoppe
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Hilmar Orn Gunnlaugsson
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Parimal Korgaonkar
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Charles R Vanderburg
- Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts
| | - G Petur Nielsen
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nicole Trepanowski
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jaime H Cheah
- High Throughput Sciences Facility, Koch Institute of MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Matthew P Frosch
- C.S. Kubik Laboratory for Neuropathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts
| | - Joseph H Schwab
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrew E Rosenberg
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Francis J Hornicek
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | - Slim Sassi
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
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Lin H, Peng J, Zhu T, Xiong M, Zhang R, Lei L. Exosomal miR-4800-3p Aggravates the Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Regulating the Hippo Signaling Pathway by Targeting STK25. Front Oncol 2022; 12:759864. [PMID: 35756606 PMCID: PMC9214204 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.759864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Emerging evidence has shown that exosome microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, the influences of miR-4800-3p on the progression of HCC were explored. Materials and Methods The expression of miR-4800-3p in the exosome derived by transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1)-treated HCC cells and the serum exosome isolated from HCC patients were identified by real-time PCR. The effects of TGF-β1 and the influences of Huh7-secreted exosomes and the effects of miR-4800-3p combined with/without STK25 on cell functions were explored using the EdU assay cloning experiments, wound healing assay, and Transwell assay. The corresponding molecular mechanisms were further detected using Western blot and real-time PCR assays. The combination of miR-4800-3p and STK25 was verified by the dual-luciferase and RNA pulldown assays. The influences of miR-4800-3p on the growth and epithelial–mesenchymal transformation (EMT) of implanted tumors were tested in vivo and further confirmed by Western blot. Results The miR-4800-3p expression was highly expressed in both exosomes derived by TGF-β1-treated HCC cells and the serum exosomes of HCC patients. In the cases of treatment with both Huh7-derived exosomes, the level of miR-4800-3p expression was highest, and the treatment of TGF-β1 could greatly promote the proliferation, stemness, migration, and invasion of HCC cells via upregulating the markers of stemness and EMT, including CD44, CD133, OCT4, N-cadherin, E-cadherin, and ZO-1. Similar results could be obtained when miR-4800-3p was overexpressed in HCC cells. Furthermore, downregulation of STK25 expression, a direct target gene of miR-4800-3p, could greatly rescue the malignant biological behaviors aggravated by overexpression of miR-4800-3p. This was achieved by suppressing the expression of CD44, CD133, OCT4, N-cadherin, and PCNA and activating the Hippo pathway while increasing E-cadherin and ZO-1. Similar results were also obtained in vivo that knockdown of miR-4800-3p expression suppressed tumor growth induced by Huh7-derived exosomes by mediating the EMT markers and the Hippo signaling pathway. Conclusion Exosomal miR-4800-3p could accelerate HCC development by regulating the Hippo signal by targeting STK25, which could be used as a new therapeutic target for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoming Lin
- Department of HBP Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jicai Peng
- Department of Emergency, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Taifeng Zhu
- Department of HBP Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meihong Xiong
- Department of HBP Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of HBP Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liming Lei
- Department of Intensive Care Unit of Cardiovascular Surgery, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Laboratory of South China Structural Heart Disease, Guangzhou, China
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Genes Predicting Survival of Chordoma Patients. World Neurosurg 2021; 156:125-132. [PMID: 34530149 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2021.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A chordoma is a slow-growing, invasive neoplasm in the neuraxis that is thought to arise from notochordal cells. At 10-year follow-up, the average survival rate is 50%, though individual prognosis varies substantially. We aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the genes and proteins expressed in these tumors and their prognostic value to facilitate prognostication for patients with chordoma. METHODS A systematic search of clinical studies that investigated expressed factors related to chordoma survival was performed in PubMed. Data extracted included RNA and protein expression data and prognostic value (in terms of overall survival, progression-free survival, disease-free survival, and recurrence-free survival) from univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS This review included 78 original studies that collectively evaluated 134 expressed factors. Of these molecular factors, 96 by univariate analysis and 32 by multivariate analysis had a predictive value for patient survival. Of the molecular factors studied in multivariate analyses, 26 factors had a negative effect while 6 had a positive effect on patient survival. CONCLUSIONS Identification of molecular factors that are associated with survival contributes to better prognostication of patients with chordoma. Given the rarity of chordoma, often only univariate analyses can be performed. Robust multivariate analyses are scarcer but provide independently significant prognostic factors. The data presented in this review can aid in prognostication for the individual patient and facilitate the development of targeted therapies.
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Li M, Li H, Yang S, Liao X, Zhao C, Wang F. MicroRNA-29b participates in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of retinal pigment epithelial cells through p-p65. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:868. [PMID: 34194546 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10300] [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: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells is considered to be the main mechanism of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Our previous study demonstrated that microRNA-29b (miR-29b) and its target protein kinase B (Akt2) played vital roles in this process. miR-29b, a mesenchymal marker α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and the epithelial marker E-cadherin were assessed in epiretinal membranes of patients with PVR. The potential mechanism of miR-29b and EMT was also investigated. The expression levels of miR-29b, E-cadherin, and α-SMA in PVR epiretinal membranes were measured using quantitative PCR. The expression levels of Akt2, phosphorylated (p)-Akt2, p65, p-p65, and Snail in ARPE-19 cells were assessed using western blotting. The expression levels of miR-29b were positively correlated with E-cadherin mRNA expression, while an inverse correlation was observed between miR-29b and α-SMA mRNA expression in epiretinal membranes of patients with PVR. When miR-29b was transfected into ARPE-19 cells, the expression levels of Akt2, p-Akt2, p-p65 and Snail were downregulated. shRNA-Akt2 inhibited p-p65 and Snail expression, while the NF-κB inhibitor BAY11-7082 reduced Snail expression. The Akt2/p-p65/Snail pathway may be the underlying mechanism of miR-29b in EMT of RPE cells. The results of the present study may provide a new strategy for prevention and therapy of PVR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200072, P.R. China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200072, P.R. China
| | - Shuai Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200072, P.R. China
| | - Xin Liao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200072, P.R. China
| | - Chun Zhao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200072, P.R. China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200072, P.R. China
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Li M, Bai J, Wang S, Zhai Y, Zhang S, Li C, Du J, Zhang Y. Clinical Implication of Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index and Prognostic Nutritional Index in Skull Base Chordoma Patients. Front Oncol 2021; 11:548325. [PMID: 33718126 PMCID: PMC7947628 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.548325] [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: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation associated markers and nutritional indexes are associated with survival, and act as novel prognostic grading systems in patients with cancer, though the role of these markers in chordoma remains unclear. The current study aimed to characterize systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and their relationship with clinicopathological data and survival in skull base chordoma. Our retrospective study enrolled 183 patients with primary skull base chordoma who received surgical treatment. Clinicopathological data and preoperative blood tests including neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet counts and albumin level were collected from medical records. Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), SII, PNI were calculated and the optimal cut-off values of these markers were used for further survival analysis via Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. The value of NLR, PLR, SII, and PNI in skull base chordoma ranged from 0.44–6.48, 45.36–273.94, 113.37–1761.45, and 43.40–70.65, respectively. PNI was significantly correlated with patients' sex (p = 0.005) and age (p = 0.037). SII was positively correlated with NLR and PLR, but negatively correlated with PNI. The median overall survival (OS) time was 74.0 months and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis indicated that all four indexes were associated with OS. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis identified that high SII was an independent prognostic factor for poor OS. More importantly, patients with high SII and PNI had the worst outcomes and combined use of SII and PNI increased the predictive ability for patients' survival in skull base chordoma. Our results suggest SII and PNI may be effective prognostic indicators of OS for patients with primary skull base chordoma after surgical resection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxuan Li
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiwei Bai
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yixuan Zhai
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shuheng Zhang
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chuzhong Li
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiang Du
- Department of Neuropathology, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yazhuo Zhang
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders Brain Tumor Center, Beijing, China.,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Injury Research, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Thanindratarn P, Dean DC, Nelson SD, Hornicek FJ, Duan Z. T-LAK cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK) is a Novel Prognostic and Therapeutic Target in Chordoma. Cell Prolif 2020; 53:e12901. [PMID: 32960500 PMCID: PMC7574876 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives To assess the expression, prognostic value, and functionality of T‐lymphokine‐activated killer (T‐LAK) cell‐originated protein kinase (TOPK) in chordoma pathogenesis. Materials and Methods TOPK expression in chordoma was assessed via immunohistochemical staining of a tissue microarray (TMA) and correlated with patient clinicopathology. TOPK expression in chordoma cell lines and fresh patient tissues was then evaluated by Western blot. TOPK small interfering RNA (siRNA) and the specific inhibitor OTS514 were applied to determine the roles of TOPK in chordoma pathogenicity. The effect of TOPK expression on chordoma cell clonogenicity was also investigated using clonogenic assays. A 3D cell culture model was utilized to mimic in vivo environment to validate the effect of TOPK inhibition on chordoma cells. Results TOPK was highly expressed in 78.2% of the chordoma specimens in the TMA and all chordoma cell lines. High TOPK expression significantly correlated with metastasis, recurrence, disease status and shorter overall survival. Knockdown of TOPK with specific siRNA resulted in significantly decrease chordoma cell viability. Inhibition of TOPK with OTS514 significantly inhibited chordoma cell growth and proliferation, colony‐forming capacity and ex vivo spheroid growth. Conclusions High expression of TOPK is an important predictor of poor prognosis in chordoma. Inhibition of TOPK resulted in significantly decrease chordoma cell proliferation and increase apoptosis. Our results indicate TOPK as a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for chordoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pichaya Thanindratarn
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sarcoma Biology Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chulabhorn hospital, HRH Princess Chulabhorn College of Medical Science, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Dylan C Dean
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sarcoma Biology Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Scott D Nelson
- Department of Pathology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Francis J Hornicek
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sarcoma Biology Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zhenfeng Duan
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sarcoma Biology Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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