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Jing J, Wu Z, Wang J, Luo G, Lin H, Fan Y, Zhou C. Hedgehog signaling in tissue homeostasis, cancers, and targeted therapies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:315. [PMID: 37596267 PMCID: PMC10439210 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01559-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The past decade has seen significant advances in our understanding of Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway in various biological events. HH signaling pathway exerts its biological effects through a complex signaling cascade involved with primary cilium. HH signaling pathway has important functions in embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. It plays a central role in the regulation of the proliferation and differentiation of adult stem cells. Importantly, it has become increasingly clear that HH signaling pathway is associated with increased cancer prevalence, malignant progression, poor prognosis and even increased mortality. Understanding the integrative nature of HH signaling pathway has opened up the potential for new therapeutic targets for cancer. A variety of drugs have been developed, including small molecule inhibitors, natural compounds, and long non-coding RNA (LncRNA), some of which are approved for clinical use. This review outlines recent discoveries of HH signaling in tissue homeostasis and cancer and discusses how these advances are paving the way for the development of new biologically based therapies for cancer. Furthermore, we address status quo and limitations of targeted therapies of HH signaling pathway. Insights from this review will help readers understand the function of HH signaling in homeostasis and cancer, as well as opportunities and challenges of therapeutic targets for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjun Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zhuoxuan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jiahe Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Guowen Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hengyi Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yi Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Department of Cariology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Chenchen Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Si Y, Li L, Zhang W, Liu Q, Liu B. GANT61 exerts anticancer cell and anticancer stem cell capacity in colorectal cancer by blocking the Wnt/β‑catenin and Notch signalling pathways. Oncol Rep 2022; 48:182. [PMID: 36069229 PMCID: PMC9478957 DOI: 10.3892/or.2022.8397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to assess the anticancer cell and anticancer stem cell (CSC) effects of GANT61, and its regulatory influence on the Wnt/β-catenin and Notch signalling pathways in colorectal cancer (CRC). HT-29 and HCT-116 cells were treated with 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 or 40 µM GANT61, after which relative cell viability and the expression of Gli1, β-catenin and Notch1, as well as the percentage of CD133+ cells, were detected. Subsequently, HT-29/HCT-116 cells and CSCs were treated with 20 µM GANT61, 10 mM of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway agonist HLY78, and 30 mM of the Notch pathway agonist JAG1 (alone or in combination), which was followed by the assessment of cell viability and apoptosis. In both cell lines, GANT61 reduced relative cell viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner, inhibited Gli1, β-catenin and Notch1 expression, and decreased the percentage of CD133+ cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, HLY78 and JAG1 were both found to improve the relative viability, while downregulating the apoptosis of untreated and GANT61-treated HT-29 and HCT-116 cells. Moreover, Wnt/β-catenin and Notch signalling pathway activity were upregulated in CSCs isolated from HT-29 and HCT-116 cells, compared with the associated control groups. GANT61 also reduced the viability of HT-29 and HCT-116 cells and increased apoptosis, whereas HLY78 and JAG1 treatment resulted in the opposite effect. Moreover, both HLY78 and JAG1 attenuated the effects of GANT61 on cellular viability and apoptosis. In conclusion, GANT61 was found to effectively eliminate cancer cells and CSCs by blocking the Wnt/β-catenin and Notch signalling pathways in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhui Si
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, P.R. China
| | - Lei Li
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, P.R. China
| | - Weiwei Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, P.R. China
| | - Qiling Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, P.R. China
| | - Baochi Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, P.R. China
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Tanigawa S, Fujita M, Moyama C, Ando S, Ii H, Kojima Y, Fujishita T, Aoki M, Takeuchi H, Yamanaka T, Takahashi Y, Hashimoto N, Nakata S. Inhibition of Gli2 suppresses tumorigenicity in glioblastoma stem cells derived from a de novo murine brain cancer model. Cancer Gene Ther 2021; 28:1339-1352. [PMID: 33414520 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-020-00282-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The prognosis of glioblastoma remains poor despite intensive research efforts. Glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) contribute to tumorigenesis, invasive capacity, and therapy resistance. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 5 (Lgr5), a stem cell marker, is involved in the maintenance of GSCs, although the properties of Lgr5-positive GSCs remain unclear. Here, the Sleeping-Beauty transposon-induced glioblastoma model was used in Lgr5-GFP knock-in mice identify GFP-positive cells in neurosphere cultures from mouse glioblastoma tissues. Global gene expression analysis showed that Gli2 was highly expressed in GFP-positive GSCs. Gli2 knockdown using lentiviral-mediated shRNA downregulated Hedgehog-related and Wnt signaling pathway-related genes, including Lgr5; suppressed tumor cell proliferation and invasion capacity; and induced apoptosis. Pharmacological Gli inhibition with GANT61 suppressed tumor cell proliferation. Silencing Gli2 suppressed the tumorigenicity of GSCs in an orthotopic transplantation model in vivo. These findings suggest that Gli2 affects the Hedgehog and Wnt pathways and plays an important role in GSC maintenance, suggesting Gli2 as a therapeutic target for glioblastoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seisuke Tanigawa
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Neurosurgery, Kyoto Prefectural University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Mitsugu Fujita
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Chiami Moyama
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shota Ando
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiromi Ii
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasushi Kojima
- Division of Pathophysiology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Teruaki Fujishita
- Division of Pathophysiology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Masahiro Aoki
- Division of Pathophysiology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan.,Department of Cancer Physiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hayato Takeuchi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kyoto Prefectural University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takumi Yamanaka
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kyoto Prefectural University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Takahashi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kyoto Prefectural University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Naoya Hashimoto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kyoto Prefectural University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Susumu Nakata
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Kyoto, Japan.
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Advances in glioma-associated oncogene (GLI) inhibitors for cancer therapy. Invest New Drugs 2021; 40:370-388. [PMID: 34837604 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-021-01187-2] [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: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The Hedgehog/Glioma-associated oncogene homolog (HH/GLI) signaling pathway regulates self-renewal of rare and highly malignant cancer stem cells, which have been shown to account for the initiation and maintenance of tumor growth as well as for drug resistance, metastatic spread and relapse. As an important component of the Hh signaling pathway, glioma-associated oncogene (GLI) acts as a key signal transmission hub for various signaling pathways in many tumors. Here, we review direct and indirect inhibitors of GLI; summarize the abundant active structurally diverse natural GLI inhibitors; and discuss how to better develop and utilize GLI inhibitors to solve the problem of drug resistance in tumors of interest. In summary, GLI inhibitors will be promising candidates for various cancer treatments.
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