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Janković ÐD, Šestić TL, Bekić SS, Savić MP, Ćelić AS, Scholda J, Kopp F, Marinović MA, Petri ET, Ajduković JJ. Development of new steroid-based hydrazide and (thio)semicarbazone compounds with anticancer properties. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 242:106545. [PMID: 38762058 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2024.106545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Most breast and prostate cancers are caused by abnormal production or action of steroidal hormones. Hormonal drugs based on steroid scaffolds represent a significant class of chemotherapeutics that are routinely used in chemotherapy. In this study, the synthesis of new 17a-homo lactone and 17α-(pyridine-2-ylmethyl) androstane derivatives with hydrazide and semicarbazone motifs is presented. All compounds were screened for their effect on cell viability against a panel of five cancer cell lines and one healthy cell line. Two compounds showed significant cytotoxicity against cancer cells, with low toxicity against healthy cells. The relative binding affinities of compounds for the ligand-binding domains of estrogen receptor α, estrogen receptor β, androgen receptor and glucocorticoid receptor were tested using a fluorescence screen in yeast. Potential for inhibition of aldo-keto reductase 1C3 and 1C4 activity was measured in vitro. Experimental results are analyzed in the context of molecular docking simulations. Our results could help guide design of steroid compounds with improved anticancer properties against androgen- and estrogen-dependent cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ðorđe D Janković
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
| | - Tijana Lj Šestić
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
| | - Sofija S Bekić
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
| | - Marina P Savić
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia.
| | - Andjelka S Ćelić
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
| | - Julia Scholda
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Clinical Pharmacy Group, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Florian Kopp
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Clinical Pharmacy Group, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, Vienna 1090, Austria.
| | - Maja A Marinović
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
| | - Edward T Petri
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 2, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
| | - Jovana J Ajduković
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
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Posani SH, Gillis NE, Lange CA. Glucocorticoid receptors orchestrate a convergence of host and cellular stress signals in triple negative breast cancer. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 243:106575. [PMID: 38950871 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2024.106575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer that lacks expression of the nuclear steroid receptors that bind estrogens (ER) and progestogens (PRs) and does not exhibit HER2 (Human epidermal growth factor 2) receptor overexpression. Even in the face of initially effective chemotherapies, TNBC patients often relapse. One primary cause for therapy-resistant tumor progression is the activation of cellular stress signaling pathways. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a corticosteroid-activated transcription factor most closely related to PR, is a mediator of both endocrine/host stress and local tumor microenvironment (TME)-derived and cellular stress responses. Interestingly, GR expression is associated with a good prognosis in ER+ breast cancer but predicts poor prognosis in TNBC. Classically, GR's transcriptional activity is regulated by circulating glucocorticoids. Additionally, GR is regulated by ligand-independent signaling events. Notably, the stress-activated protein kinase, p38 MAP kinase, phosphorylates GR at serine 134 (Ser134) in response to TME-derived growth factors and cytokines, including HGF and TGFβ1. Phospho-Ser134-GR (p-Ser134-GR) associates with cytoplasmic and nuclear signaling molecules, including 14-3-3ζ, aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhR), and hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). Phospho-GR/HIF-containing transcriptional complexes upregulate gene sets whose protein products include the components of inducible oncogenic signaling pathways (PTK6) that further promote cancer cell survival, chemoresistance, altered metabolism, and migratory/invasive behavior in TNBC. Recent studies have implicated liganded p-Ser134-GR (p-GR) in dexamethasone-mediated upregulation of genes related to TNBC cell motility and dysregulated metabolism. Herein, we review the tumor-promoting roles of GR and discuss how both ligand-dependent and ligand-independent/stress signaling-driven inputs to p-GR converge to orchestrate metastatic TNBC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Harshita Posani
- Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, United States; Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, United States
| | - Noelle E Gillis
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, United States
| | - Carol A Lange
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, United States; Department of Medicine (Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, United States; Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, United States.
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Taya M, Hou X, Veneris JT, Kazi N, Larson MC, Maurer MJ, Heinzen EP, Chen H, Lastra R, Oberg AL, Weroha SJ, Fleming GF, Conzen SD. Investigation of selective glucocorticoid receptor modulation in high-grade serous ovarian cancer PDX models. J Gynecol Oncol 2024; 36:36.e4. [PMID: 38909640 DOI: 10.3802/jgo.2025.36.e4] [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: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In ovarian cancer (OvCa), tumor cell high glucocorticoid receptor (GR) has been associated with poor patient prognosis. In vitro, GR activation inhibits chemotherapy-induced OvCa cell death in association with transcriptional upregulation of genes encoding anti-apoptotic proteins. A recent randomized phase II study demonstrated improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) for heavily pre-treated OvCa patients randomized to receive therapy with a selective GR modulator (SGRM) plus chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone. We hypothesized that SGRM therapy would improve carboplatin response in OvCa patient-derived xenograft (PDX). METHODS Six high-grade serous (HGS) OvCa PDX models expressing GR mRNA (NR3C1) and protein were treated with chemotherapy +/- SGRM. Tumor size was measured longitudinally by peritoneal transcutaneous ultrasonography. RESULTS One of the 6 GR-positive PDX models showed a significant improvement in PFS with the addition of a SGRM. Interestingly, the single model with an improved PFS was least carboplatin sensitive. Possible explanations for the modest SGRM activity include the high carboplatin sensitivity of 5 of the PDX tumors and the potential that SGRMs activate the tumor invasive immune cells in patients (absent from immunocompromised mice). The level of tumor GR protein expression alone appears insufficient for predicting SGRM response. CONCLUSION The significant improvement in PFS shown in 1 of the 6 models after treatment with a SGRM plus chemotherapy underscores the need to determine predictive biomarkers for SGRM therapy in HGS OvCa and to better identify patient subgroups that are most likely to benefit from adding GR modulation to chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manisha Taya
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Xiaonan Hou
- Division of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jennifer T Veneris
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology and Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nina Kazi
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Melissa C Larson
- Division of Clinical Trials and Biostatistics, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Matthew J Maurer
- Division of Clinical Trials and Biostatistics, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ethan P Heinzen
- Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ricardo Lastra
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ann L Oberg
- Division of Computational Biology, Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - S John Weroha
- Division of Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Gini F Fleming
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology and Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Suzanne D Conzen
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA.
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Giudice E, Salutari V, Sassu CM, Ghizzoni V, Carbone MV, Vertechy L, Fagotti A, Scambia G, Marchetti C. Relacorilant in recurrent ovarian cancer: clinical evidence and future perspectives. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2024:1-7. [PMID: 38861580 DOI: 10.1080/14737140.2024.2362178] [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: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Relacorilant (CORT125134, Corcept Therapeutics) is a selective glucocorticoid receptor modulator, which reverses the glucocorticoid-mediated anti-apoptotic effects and restores the taxane chemosensitivity in epithelial ovarian cancer cells. Given those preclinical findings, relacorilant is currently under investigation in clinical trials in combination with nab-paclitaxel for the platinum-resistant ovarian cancer setting. AREAS COVERED Already published preclinical and clinical evidence of relacorilant antitumor activity was analyzed and discussed. Ongoing clinical trials registered on clincaltrials.gov were also reported. The review aimed to summarize the status of relacorilant, the mechanism of action, the published and ongoing trials, and its safety and efficacy. EXPERT OPINION Relacorilant combined with nab-paclitaxel, may represent a promising strategy for the treatment of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients. After preliminary positive results in terms of clinical efficacy, a randomized phase III trial is ongoing to confirm the findings from the published phase II study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Giudice
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Vanda Salutari
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Carolina Maria Sassu
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Viola Ghizzoni
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Vittoria Carbone
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Vertechy
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Fagotti
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Scambia
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Marchetti
- Department of Woman, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
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Yamazaki H, Bunbai K, Deguchi T, Tamura M, Ohota H. Comparison of chemotherapy outcomes between normal and high serum cortisol concentration in dogs with lymphoma. J Vet Intern Med 2024; 38:1651-1658. [PMID: 38471970 PMCID: PMC11099743 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.17044] [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: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increased serum cortisol (COR) concentrations may induce glucocorticoid resistance by down-regulation of glucocorticoid receptor (GCR), resulting in decreased chemotherapy efficacy in dogs with lymphoma. HYPOTHESIS Investigate the relationship between serum COR concentrations and chemotherapy outcomes in dogs with lymphoma. ANIMALS Thirty client-owned dogs with lymphoma, with serum COR concentration measured using serum samples collected at diagnosis. METHODS Retrospective study. Dogs were divided into 2 groups based on serum COR concentrations: a normal group (n = 16) with COR concentrations <6 μg/dL and a high group (14) with COR concentrations ≥6 μg/dL. We compared signalment, clinical signs, stage, type of lymphoma, adrenal gland size, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, response to chemotherapy, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and rate of P-glycoprotein (P-gp)- and GCR-positive cells between the 2 groups. RESULTS No significant differences were found in the demographic characteristics between the 2 groups. However, the high COR group exhibited a significantly lower response to chemotherapy, PFS, and OS compared with the normal COR group. Serum ALP activity was significantly higher in the high COR group than in the normal COR group. Adrenal gland size was also significantly larger in the high COR group. Although no significant differences were found in the rate of P-gp-positive cells between the 2 groups, the rate of GCR-positive cells was significantly lower in the high COR group. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Our data suggests that measurement of serum COR concentrations may serve as a potential prognostic factor and evaluation index.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Yamazaki
- Laboratory of Companion Animal Internal Medicine, Department of Companion Animal, Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary MedicineRakuno Gakuen UniversityEbetsuJapan
| | - Kaito Bunbai
- Laboratory of Companion Animal Internal Medicine, Department of Companion Animal, Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary MedicineRakuno Gakuen UniversityEbetsuJapan
| | - Tatsuya Deguchi
- Laboratory of Companion Animal Internal Medicine, Department of Companion Animal, Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary MedicineRakuno Gakuen UniversityEbetsuJapan
| | - Masahiro Tamura
- Laboratory of Companion Animal Internal Medicine, Department of Companion Animal, Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary MedicineRakuno Gakuen UniversityEbetsuJapan
| | - Hiroshi Ohota
- Laboratory of Companion Animal Internal Medicine, Department of Companion Animal, Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary MedicineRakuno Gakuen UniversityEbetsuJapan
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Deng M, Tang F, Chang X, Liu P, Ji X, Hao M, Wang Y, Yang R, Ma Q, Zhang Y, Miao J. Immunotherapy for Ovarian Cancer: Disappointing or Promising? Mol Pharm 2024; 21:454-466. [PMID: 38232985 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00986] [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] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer, one of the deadliest malignancies, lacks effective treatment, despite advancements in surgical techniques and chemotherapy. Thus, new therapeutic approaches are imperative to improving treatment outcomes. Immunotherapy, which has demonstrated considerable success in managing various cancers, has already found its place in clinical practice. This review aims to provide an overview of ovarian tumor immunotherapy, including its basics, key strategies, and clinical research data supporting its potential. In particular, this discussion highlights promising strategies such as checkpoint inhibitors, vaccines, and pericyte transfer, both individually and in combination. However, the advancement of new immunotherapies necessitates large controlled randomized trials, which will undoubtedly shape the future of ovarian cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Deng
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100006, China
| | - Fan Tang
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100006, China
| | - Xiangyu Chang
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100006, China
| | - Penglin Liu
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100006, China
| | - Xuechao Ji
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100006, China
| | - Menglin Hao
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100006, China
| | - Yixiao Wang
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100006, China
| | - Ruiye Yang
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100006, China
| | - Qingqing Ma
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100006, China
- Nanyuan Hospital of Fengtai District, Beijing 100006, China
| | - Yubo Zhang
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100006, China
- Qingdao Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Shandong 266011, China
| | - Jinwei Miao
- Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100006, China
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Mozaffari MS, Abdelsayed R, Emami S, Kavuri S. Expression profiles of glucocorticoid-inducible proteins in human papilloma virus-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. FRONTIERS IN ORAL HEALTH 2023; 4:1285139. [PMID: 37954869 PMCID: PMC10634427 DOI: 10.3389/froh.2023.1285139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Human papillomavirus virus-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-OPSCC) comprises a significant portion of head and neck cancers. Several glucocorticoid-inducible proteins play important roles in pathogenesis of some cancers but their status and roles in HPV-OPSCC remain elusive; these include the glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ), Annexin-A1 and serum glucocorticoid-regulated kinase-1 (SGK-1). Methods We determined expression profiles of these proteins, using immunohistochemistry, in archived biopsy samples of patients diagnosed with HPV-OPSCC; samples of non-cancer oral lesions (e.g., hyperkeratosis) were used as controls. Results GILZ staining was primarily confined to nuclei of all tissues but, in HPV-OPSCC specimens, neoplastic cells exhibiting mitosis displayed prominent cytoplasmic GILZ expression. On the other hand, nuclear, cytoplasmic and membranous Annexin-A1 staining was observed in suprabasal cell layers of control specimens. A noted feature of the HPV-OPSCC specimens was few clusters of matured and differentiated nonbasaloid cells that showed prominent nuclear and cytoplasmic Annexin-A1 staining while the remainder of the tumor mass was devoid of staining. Cytoplasmic and nuclear staining for SGK-1 was prominent for control than PV-OPSCC specimens while staining for phosphorylated SGK-1 (pSGK-1; active) was prominent for cell membrane and cytoplasm of control specimens but HPV-OPSCC specimens showed mild and patchy nuclear and cytoplasmic staining. Semi-quantitative analysis of GILZ immunostaining indicated increased staining area but similar normalized staining for HPV-OPSCC compared to control specimens. By contrast, staining area and normalized staining were reduced for other proteins in HPV-OPSCC than control specimens. Discussion Our collective observations suggest differential cellular localization and expression of glucocorticoid-inducible proteins in HPV-OPSCC suggestive of different functional roles in pathogenesis of this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmood S. Mozaffari
- Departmentof Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, The Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Rafik Abdelsayed
- Departmentof Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, The Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Sahar Emami
- Departmentof Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, The Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Sravan Kavuri
- Department of Pathology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
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Prekovic S, Zwart W. Inhibiting the Glucocorticoid Receptor to Enhance Chemotherapy Response. J Clin Oncol 2023; 41:4790-4793. [PMID: 37535891 DOI: 10.1200/jco.23.01195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Explaining the biology of how glucocorticoid receptor blockade boosts chemotherapy in ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Prekovic
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Wilbert Zwart
- Division of Oncogenomics, Netherlands Cancer Institute and Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Colombo N, Van Gorp T, Matulonis UA, Oaknin A, Grisham RN, Fleming GF, Olawaiye AB, Nguyen DD, Greenstein AE, Custodio JM, Pashova HI, Tudor IC, Lorusso D. Relacorilant + Nab-Paclitaxel in Patients With Recurrent, Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer: A Three-Arm, Randomized, Controlled, Open-Label Phase II Study. J Clin Oncol 2023; 41:4779-4789. [PMID: 37364223 PMCID: PMC10602497 DOI: 10.1200/jco.22.02624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Despite therapeutic advances, outcomes for patients with platinum-resistant/refractory ovarian cancer remain poor. Selective glucocorticoid receptor modulation with relacorilant may restore chemosensitivity and enhance chemotherapy efficacy. METHODS This three-arm, randomized, controlled, open-label phase II study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03776812) enrolled women with recurrent, platinum-resistant/refractory, high-grade serous or endometrioid epithelial ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer, or ovarian carcinosarcoma treated with ≤4 prior chemotherapeutic regimens. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to (1) nab-paclitaxel (80 mg/m2) + intermittent relacorilant (150 mg the day before, of, and after nab-paclitaxel); (2) nab-paclitaxel (80 mg/m2) + continuous relacorilant (100 mg once daily); or (3) nab-paclitaxel monotherapy (100 mg/m2). Nab-paclitaxel was administered on days 1, 8, and 15 of each 28-day cycle. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) by investigator assessment; objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), overall survival (OS), and safety were secondary end points. RESULTS A total of 178 women were randomly assigned. Intermittent relacorilant + nab-paclitaxel improved PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.66; log-rank test P = .038; median follow-up, 11.1 months) and DOR (HR, 0.36; P = .006) versus nab-paclitaxel monotherapy, while ORR was similar across arms. At the preplanned OS analysis (median follow-up, 22.5 months), the OS HR was 0.67 (P = .066) for the intermittent arm versus nab-paclitaxel monotherapy. Continuous relacorilant + nab-paclitaxel showed numerically improved median PFS but did not result in significant improvement over nab-paclitaxel monotherapy. Adverse events were comparable across study arms, with neutropenia, anemia, peripheral neuropathy, and fatigue/asthenia being the most common grade ≥3 adverse events. CONCLUSION Intermittent relacorilant + nab-paclitaxel improved PFS, DOR, and OS compared with nab-paclitaxel monotherapy. On the basis of protocol-prespecified Hochberg step-up multiplicity adjustment, the primary end point did not reach statistical significance (P < .025). A phase III evaluation of this regimen is underway (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05257408).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Colombo
- Gynecologic Oncology Program, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Toon Van Gorp
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven Cancer Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Ana Oaknin
- Gynaecologic Cancer Programme, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rachel N. Grisham
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY
| | | | - Alexander B. Olawaiye
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Domenica Lorusso
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
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Wu K, Liu Z, Liang J, Zhu Y, Wang X, Li X. Discovery of a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity signature correlates with immune cell infiltration in adrenocortical carcinoma. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007528. [PMID: 37793855 PMCID: PMC10551943 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007528] [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] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare and highly aggressive endocrine malignancy, of which >40% present with glucocorticoid excess. Glucocorticoids and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling have long been thought to suppress immunity and promote tumor progression by acting on immune cells. Here, we provide new insights into the interaction between GR signaling activity and the immune signature of ACC as a potential explanation for immune escape and resistance to immunotherapy. METHODS First, GR immunohistochemical staining and immunofluorescence analysis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (CD4 T, CD8 T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells and macrophages) were performed in 78 primary ACC tissue specimens. Quantitative data of immune cell infiltration in ACC were correlated with clinical characteristics. Second, we discovered a GR activity signature (GRsig) using GR-targeted gene networks derived from global gene expression data of primary ACC. Finally, we identified two GRsig-related subtypes based on the GRsig and assessed the differences in immune characteristics and prognostic stratification between the two subtypes. RESULTS GR was expressed in 90% of the ACC tumors, and CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes were the most common infiltrating cell type in ACC specimens (88%, 8.6 cells/high power field). GR expression positively correlated with CD8+ T cell (Phi=0.342, p<0.001), CD4+ T cell (Phi=0.280, p<0.001), NK cell (Phi=0.280, p<0.001), macrophage (Phi=0.285, p<0.001), and dendritic cell (Phi=0.397, p<0.001) infiltration. Clustering heatmap analysis also displayed high immune cell infiltration in GR high-expressing tumors and low immune cell infiltration in GR-low tumors. High GR expression and high immune cell infiltration were significantly associated with better survival. Glucocorticoid excess is associated with low immune cell abundance and unfavorable prognosis. A GRsig comprizing n=34 GR-associated genes was derived from Gene Expression Omnibus/The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data sets and used to define two GRsig-related subtypes in the TCGA cohort. We demonstrated distinct differences in the immune landscape and clinical outcomes between the two subtypes. CONCLUSION GR expression positively correlates with tumor-infiltrating immune cells in ACC. The GRsig could serve as a prognostic biomarker and may be helpful for prognosis prediction and response to immunotherapy. Consequently, targeting the GR signaling pathway might be pivotal and should be investigated in clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kan Wu
- Department of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhihong Liu
- Department of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiayu Liang
- Department of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuchun Zhu
- Department of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xianding Wang
- Department of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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11
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Porter BA, Frerich C, Lainé M, Clark AB, Durdana I, Lee J, Taya M, Sahoo S, Greene GL, Bennett L, Conzen SD. Glucocorticoid Receptor Activation in Lobular Breast Cancer Is Associated with Reduced Cell Proliferation and Promotion of Metastases. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4679. [PMID: 37835373 PMCID: PMC10571671 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194679] [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: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC) comprises about ~15% of breast cancer. ILC's unique genotypic (loss of wild type E-cadherin expression) and phenotypic (small individual round cancer cells that grow in discontinuous nests) are thought to contribute to a distinctive pattern of metastases to serosal membranes. Unlike invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), ILC metastases often intercalate into the mesothelial layer of the peritoneum and other serosal surfaces. While ER activity is a known driver of ILC proliferation, very little is known about how additional nuclear receptors contribute to ILC's distinctive biology. In ER+ IDC, we showed previously that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity inhibits pro-proliferative gene expression and cell proliferation. Here we examined ER+ ILC models and found that GR activation similarly reduces S-phase entry gene expression and ILC proliferation. While slowing tumor growth rate, our data also suggest that GR activation results in an enhanced metastatic phenotype through increasing integrin-encoding gene expression, extracellular matrix protein adhesion, and mesothelial cell clearance. Moreover, in an intraductal mouse mammary gland model of ILC, we found that GR expression is associated with increased bone metastases despite slowed primary mammary tumor growth. Taken together, our findings suggest GR-mediated gene expression may contribute to the unusual characteristics of ILC biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baylee A. Porter
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Candace Frerich
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Muriel Lainé
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Abigail B. Clark
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Ishrat Durdana
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Jeon Lee
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Manisha Taya
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Sunati Sahoo
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Geoffrey L. Greene
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Lynda Bennett
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Suzanne D. Conzen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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12
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Dorso M, Patel PT, Pankov A, Boyer JA, Soni RK, Del Priore IS, Hayatt O, Kulick A, Hagen CJ, de Stanchina E, Junttila MR, Daemen A, Friedman LS, Hendrickson RC, Chandarlapaty S. A Druggable FOXA1-Glucocorticoid Receptor Transcriptional Axis Drives Tumor Growth in a Subset of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:1788-1799. [PMID: 37691854 PMCID: PMC10484118 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The FOXA1 pioneer factor is an essential mediator of steroid receptor function in multiple hormone-dependent cancers, including breast and prostate cancers, enabling nuclear receptors such as estrogen receptor (ER) and androgen receptor (AR) to activate lineage-specific growth programs. FOXA1 is also highly expressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but whether and how it regulates tumor growth in this context is not known. Analyzing data from loss-of-function screens, we identified a subset of NSCLC tumor lines where proliferation is FOXA1 dependent. Using rapid immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry of endogenous protein, we identified chromatin-localized interactions between FOXA1 and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in these tumor cells. Knockdown of GR inhibited proliferation of FOXA1-dependent, but not FOXA1-independent NSCLC cells. In these FOXA1-dependent models, FOXA1 and GR cooperate to regulate gene targets involved in EGF signaling and G1-S cell-cycle progression. To investigate the therapeutic potential for targeting this complex, we examined the effects of highly selective inhibitors of the GR ligand-binding pocket and found that GR antagonism with ORIC-101 suppressed FOXA1/GR target expression, activation of EGF signaling, entry into the S-phase, and attendant proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our findings point to a subset of NSCLCs harboring a dependence on the FOXA1/GR growth program and provide rationale for its therapeutic targeting. Significance NSCLC is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. There is a need to identify novel druggable dependencies. We identify a subset of NSCLCs dependent on FOXA1-GR and sensitive to GR antagonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Dorso
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Pharmacology Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Payal T. Patel
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Pharmacology Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | | | - Jacob A. Boyer
- Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, New York
| | - Rajesh K. Soni
- Microchemistry and Proteomics Core, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, New York
| | - Isabella S. Del Priore
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Omar Hayatt
- Antitumor Assessment Core, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Amanda Kulick
- Antitumor Assessment Core, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Connor J. Hagen
- Antitumor Assessment Core, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Elisa de Stanchina
- Antitumor Assessment Core, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | | | | | | | | | - Sarat Chandarlapaty
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Breast Medicine Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
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13
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Huffman KE, Li LS, Carstens R, Park H, Girard L, Avila K, Wei S, Kollipara R, Timmons B, Sudderth J, Bendris N, Kim J, Villalobos P, Fujimoto J, Schmid S, Deberardinis RJ, Wistuba I, Heymach J, Kittler R, Akbay EA, Posner B, Wang Y, Lam S, Kliewer SA, Mangelsdorf DJ, Minna JD. Glucocorticoid mediated inhibition of LKB1 mutant non-small cell lung cancers. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1025443. [PMID: 37035141 PMCID: PMC10078807 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1025443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is an important anti-cancer target in lymphoid cancers but has been understudied in solid tumors like lung cancer, although glucocorticoids are often given with chemotherapy regimens to mitigate side effects. Here, we identify a dexamethasone-GR mediated anti-cancer response in a subset of aggressive non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) that harbor Serine/Threonine Kinase 11 (STK11/LKB1) mutations. High tumor expression of carbamoyl phosphate synthase 1 (CPS1) was strongly linked to the presence of LKB1 mutations, was the best predictor of NSCLC dexamethasone (DEX) sensitivity (p < 10-16) but was not mechanistically involved in DEX sensitivity. Subcutaneous, orthotopic and metastatic NSCLC xenografts, biomarker-selected, STK11/LKB1 mutant patient derived xenografts, and genetically engineered mouse models with KRAS/LKB1 mutant lung adenocarcinomas all showed marked in vivo anti-tumor responses with the glucocorticoid dexamethasone as a single agent or in combination with cisplatin. Mechanistically, GR activation triggers G1/S cell cycle arrest in LKB1 mutant NSCLCs by inducing the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, CDKN1C/p57(Kip2). All findings were confirmed with functional genomic experiments including CRISPR knockouts and exogenous expression. Importantly, DEX-GR mediated cell cycle arrest did not interfere with NSCLC radiotherapy, or platinum response in vitro or with platinum response in vivo. While DEX induced LKB1 mutant NSCLCs in vitro exhibit markers of cellular senescence and demonstrate impaired migration, in vivo DEX treatment of a patient derived xenograft (PDX) STK11/LKB1 mutant model resulted in expression of apoptosis markers. These findings identify a previously unknown GR mediated therapeutic vulnerability in STK11/LKB1 mutant NSCLCs caused by induction of p57(Kip2) expression with both STK11 mutation and high expression of CPS1 as precision medicine biomarkers of this vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth E. Huffman
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Long Shan Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Ryan Carstens
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Hyunsil Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Luc Girard
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Kimberley Avila
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Shuguang Wei
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Rahul Kollipara
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Brenda Timmons
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Jessica Sudderth
- Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Nawal Bendris
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Jiyeon Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Urology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Pamela Villalobos
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Junya Fujimoto
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sandra Schmid
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Ralph J. Deberardinis
- Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Ignacio Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - John Heymach
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Ralf Kittler
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Simmons Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Esra A. Akbay
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Bruce Posner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Yuzhuo Wang
- British Columbia Cancer Center, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Stephen Lam
- British Columbia Cancer Center, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Steven A. Kliewer
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - David J. Mangelsdorf
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - John D. Minna
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Simmons Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
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14
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Obrador E, Salvador-Palmer R, López-Blanch R, Oriol-Caballo M, Moreno-Murciano P, Estrela JM. Survival Mechanisms of Metastatic Melanoma Cells: The Link between Glucocorticoids and the Nrf2-Dependent Antioxidant Defense System. Cells 2023; 12:cells12030418. [PMID: 36766760 PMCID: PMC9913432 DOI: 10.3390/cells12030418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating glucocorticoids increase during stress. Chronic stress, characterized by a sustained increase in serum levels of cortisol, has been associated in different cases with an increased risk of cancer and a worse prognosis. Glucocorticoids can promote gluconeogenesis, mobilization of amino acids, fat breakdown, and impair the body's immune response. Therefore, conditions that may favor cancer growth and the acquisition of radio- and chemo-resistance. We found that glucocorticoid receptor knockdown diminishes the antioxidant protection of murine B16-F10 (highly metastatic) melanoma cells, thus leading to a drastic decrease in their survival during interaction with the vascular endothelium. The BRAFV600E mutation is the most commonly observed in melanoma patients. Recent studies revealed that VMF/PLX40-32 (vemurafenib, a selective inhibitor of mutant BRAFV600E) increases mitochondrial respiration and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in BRAFV600E human melanoma cell lines. Early-stage cancer cells lacking Nrf2 generate high ROS levels and exhibit a senescence-like growth arrest. Thus, it is likely that a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist (RU486) could increase the efficacy of BRAF-related therapy in BRAFV600E-mutated melanoma. In fact, during early progression of skin melanoma metastases, RU486 and VMF induced metastases regression. However, treatment at an advanced stage of growth found resistance to RU486 and VMF. This resistance was mechanistically linked to overexpression of proteins of the Bcl-2 family (Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 in different human models). Moreover, melanoma resistance was decreased if AKT and NF-κB signaling pathways were blocked. These findings highlight mechanisms by which metastatic melanoma cells adapt to survive and could help in the development of most effective therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Obrador
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Scientia BioTech S.L., 46002 Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence: (E.O.); (J.M.E.); Tel.: +34-963864646 (J.M.E.)
| | - Rosario Salvador-Palmer
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Rafael López-Blanch
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Scientia BioTech S.L., 46002 Valencia, Spain
| | - María Oriol-Caballo
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Scientia BioTech S.L., 46002 Valencia, Spain
| | | | - José M. Estrela
- Cell Pathophysiology Unit (UFC), Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
- Scientia BioTech S.L., 46002 Valencia, Spain
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
- Correspondence: (E.O.); (J.M.E.); Tel.: +34-963864646 (J.M.E.)
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15
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Dexamethasone and OLT1177 Cooperate in the Reduction of Melanoma Growth by Inhibiting STAT3 Functions. Cells 2023; 12:cells12020294. [PMID: 36672229 PMCID: PMC9856388 DOI: 10.3390/cells12020294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The NLRP3 inflammasome is a multimolecular complex that processes inactive IL-1β and IL-18 into proinflammatory cytokines. OLT1177 is an orally active small compound that specifically inhibits NLRP3. Here, B16F10 melanoma were implanted in mice and treated with OLT1177 as well as combined with the glucocorticoid dexamethasone. At sacrifice, OLT1177 treated mice had significantly smaller tumors compared to tumor-bearing mice treated with vehicle. However, the combined treatment of OLT1177 plus dexamethasone revealed a greater suppression of tumor growth. This reduction was accompanied by a downregulation of nuclear and mitochondrial STAT3-dependent gene transcription and by a significant reduction of STAT3 Y705 and S727 phosphorylations in the tumors. In vitro, the human melanoma cell line 1205Lu, stimulated with IL-1α, exhibited significantly lower levels of STAT3 Y705 phosphorylation by the combination treatment, thus affecting the nuclear functions of STAT3. In the same cells, STAT3 serine 727 phosphorylation was also lower, affecting the mitochondrial functions of STAT3. In addition, metabolic analyses revealed a marked reduction of ATP production rate and glycolytic reserve in cells treated with the combination of OLT1177 plus dexamethasone. These findings demonstrate that the combination of OLT1177 and dexamethasone reduces tumor growth by targeting nuclear as well as mitochondrial functions of STAT3.
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16
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Li J, Yu H, Wang X, Ye Y, Fang W, Ding N, Mi L, Ping L, Wang X, Song Y, Zhu J. The Serum- and Glucocorticoid-Inducible Kinase 1 (SGK1) as a Novel Therapeutic Target in Mantle Cell Lymphoma. Cancer Control 2022; 29:10732748221143881. [PMID: 36519740 PMCID: PMC9761230 DOI: 10.1177/10732748221143881] [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] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive and incurable B-cell-derived malignant disease. MCL is treated using general chemotherapy; however, disease progression and relapse are common; thus, the development of novel therapeutic targets for treatment of MCL is urgently required. Serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (SGK1) is involved in various cellular activities, and its dysregulation contributes to the pathogenesis of multiple types of cancer. However, little is known regarding its functional roles and associated molecular mechanisms in MCL. METHODS SGK1 inhibition mediated by either shRNA or treatment with SGK1 inhibitor (GSK650394) was conducted in MCL cell lines. Western blotting analysis was performed to figure out the expression of related proteins. MCL-cell-derived xenograft models were constructed to evaluate the anti-tumor effects of SGK1 inhibition or/and Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibition in vivo. RESULTS In this study, it was shown that inhibition of SGK1 significantly reduced cell proliferation, invasion and migration, increased apoptosis and blocked cell cycle progression in MCL cells. Furthermore, SGK1 inhibition significantly reduced the activation of ERK, AKT/mTOR, JAK2/STAT3 and the NF-κB signaling pathways. Using MCL-cell-derived xenograft mice models, SGK1 inhibition decreased tumor cell proliferation and tumor growth. Importantly, SGK1 overexpression significantly promoted xenograft tumor growth. Moreover, simultaneous inhibition of SGK1 and Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) resulted in synergistic anti-tumor effects on MCL both in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION SGK1 may be a novel candidate therapeutic target and simultaneous inhibition of SGK1 and BTK may be a promising therapeutic strategy for MCL patients. Further pre-clinical and even clinical studies of SGK1 inhibitor or combination with BTK inhibitor are essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Li
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis
and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of lymphoma,
Peking
University Cancer Hospital, Institute,
Beijing, China
| | - Hui Yu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis
and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of lymphoma,
Peking
University Cancer Hospital, Institute,
Beijing, China
| | - Xing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis
and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of lymphoma,
Peking
University Cancer Hospital, Institute,
Beijing, China
| | - Yingying Ye
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis
and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of lymphoma,
Peking
University Cancer Hospital, Institute,
Beijing, China
| | - Wei Fang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis
and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of lymphoma,
Peking
University Cancer Hospital, Institute,
Beijing, China
| | - Ning Ding
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis
and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of lymphoma,
Peking
University Cancer Hospital, Institute,
Beijing, China
| | - Lan Mi
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis
and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of lymphoma,
Peking
University Cancer Hospital, Institute,
Beijing, China
| | - Lingyan Ping
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis
and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of lymphoma,
Peking
University Cancer Hospital, Institute,
Beijing, China
| | - Xiaogan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis
and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of lymphoma,
Peking
University Cancer Hospital, Institute,
Beijing, China
| | - Yuqin Song
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis
and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of lymphoma,
Peking
University Cancer Hospital, Institute,
Beijing, China
| | - Jun Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis
and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of lymphoma,
Peking
University Cancer Hospital, Institute,
Beijing, China,Jun Zhu and Yuqin Song, Key Laboratory of
Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of
Lymphoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, 52 Fucheng Road,
Haidian, Beijing 100142, China. ;
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17
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Munster PN, Greenstein AE, Fleming GF, Borazanci E, Sharma MR, Custodio JM, Tudor IC, Pashova HI, Shepherd SP, Grauer A, Sachdev JC. Overcoming Taxane Resistance: Preclinical and Phase 1 Studies of Relacorilant, a Selective Glucocorticoid Receptor Modulator, with Nab-Paclitaxel in Solid Tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:3214-3224. [PMID: 35583817 PMCID: PMC9662918 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-4363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Chemotherapy resistance remains a major problem in many solid tumors, including breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer. Glucocorticoids are one potential driver of chemotherapy resistance as they can mediate tumor progression via induction of cell-survival pathways. We investigated whether combining the selective glucocorticoid receptor (GR) modulator relacorilant with taxanes can enhance antitumor activity. PATIENTS AND METHODS The effect of relacorilant on paclitaxel efficacy was assessed in OVCAR5 cells in vitro and in the MIA PaCa-2 xenograft. A phase 1 study of patients with advanced solid tumors was conducted to determine the recommended phase 2 dose of relacorilant + nab-paclitaxel. RESULTS In OVCAR5 cells, relacorilant reversed the deleterious effects of glucocorticoids on paclitaxel efficacy (P < 0.001). Compared with paclitaxel alone, relacorilant + paclitaxel reduced tumor growth and slowed time to progression in xenograft models (both P < 0.0001). In the heavily pretreated phase 1 population [median (range) of prior regimens: 3 (1-8), prior taxane in 75.3% (55/73)], 33% (19/57) of response-evaluable patients achieved durable disease control (≥16 weeks) with relacorilant + nab-paclitaxel and 28.6% (12/42) experienced longer duration of benefit than on prior taxane (up to 6.4×). The most common dose-limiting toxicity of the combination was neutropenia, which was manageable with prophylactic G-CSF. Clinical benefit with relacorilant + nab-paclitaxel was also associated with GR-regulated transcript-level changes in a panel of GR-controlled genes. CONCLUSIONS The observed preclinical, clinical, and GR-specific pharmacodynamic responses demonstrate that selective GR modulation with relacorilant combined with nab-paclitaxel may promote chemotherapy response and is tolerable. Further evaluation of this combination in tumor types responsive to taxanes is ongoing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela N. Munster
- Department of Medicine (Hematology/Oncology), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California.,Corresponding Author: Pamela N. Munster, University of California, San Francisco, Box 1711, San Francisco, CA 94143. Phone: 415-502-3414; E-mail:
| | | | - Gini F. Fleming
- Department of Medicine, the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - Manish R. Sharma
- Department of Medicine, the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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18
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Han GH, Yun H, Kim J, Chung JY, Kim JH, Cho H. Overexpression of glucocorticoid receptor promotes the poor progression and induces cisplatin resistance through p38 MAP kinase in cervical cancer patients. Am J Cancer Res 2022; 12:3437-3454. [PMID: 35968326 PMCID: PMC9360232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is activated by synthetic glucocorticoid or endogenous cortisol which were released by the physical and psychosocial stress, and recent studies reported that it is involved in tumor initiation and metastasis in various solid cancers. However, role of GR in cervical cancer has not been elucidated yet. Therefore, here we aim to unveil the role of GR in cervical cancer with cervical cancer clinical specimen and cervical cancer cell lines. We found that overexpression of GR was associated with poor prognosis in cervical cancer patients. Also, GR knockdown in cervical cancer cell lines showed diminished proliferation, invasion and EMT properties. Besides, we found that GR was positively associated with FoxP3 expression, and combination of GR and FoxP3 overexpression revealed as more reliable biomarker for poor prognosis and poor response to chemotherapy of cervical cancer patient than GR alone. Moreover, FACS-based Annexin-V/PI double staining and cleavage of poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) showed that siGR enhanced cisplatin-induced apoptosis, which was mediated by p38 MAP kinase. Collectively, our findings established that the combination of high GR and FoxP3 was associated with cervical cancer progression and platinum resistance, suggesting a potential predictive biomarker for clinical management in patients with cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwan Hee Han
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyung Hee University Hospital at GangdongSeoul 05278, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Yun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of MedicineSeoul 06299, Republic of Korea
| | - Julie Kim
- Weill Cornell Medical College1300 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Joon-Yong Chung
- Molecular Imaging Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jae-Hoon Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yonsei University College of MedicineSeoul 06299, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Women’s Life Medical Science, Yonsei University College of MedicineSeoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Hanbyoul Cho
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yonsei University College of MedicineSeoul 06299, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Women’s Life Medical Science, Yonsei University College of MedicineSeoul 03722, Republic of Korea
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19
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Bastola P, Leiserowitz GS, Chien J. Multiple Components of Protein Homeostasis Pathway Can Be Targeted to Produce Drug Synergies with VCP Inhibitors in Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14122949. [PMID: 35740614 PMCID: PMC9220887 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14122949] [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: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein quality control mechanisms play an important role in cancer progression by providing adaptive responses and morphologic stability against genome-wide copy number alterations, aneuploidy, and conformation-altering somatic mutations. This dependency on protein quality control mechanisms creates a vulnerability that may be exploited for therapeutic benefits by targeting components of the protein quality control mechanism. Recently, valosin-containing protein (VCP), also known at p97 AAA-ATPase, has emerged as a druggable target in cancer cells to affect their dependency on protein quality control. Here, we show that VCP inhibitors induce cytotoxicity in several ovarian cancer cell lines and these compounds act synergistically with mifepristone, a drug previously shown to induce an atypical unfolded protein response. Although mifepristone at a clinically achievable dose induces a weak unfolded protein response, it enhances the cytotoxic effects of VCP inhibitor CB-5083. Mechanistically, mifepristone blocks the cytoprotective effect of ATF6 in response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress while activating the cytotoxic effects of ATF4 and CHOP through the HRI (EIF2AK1)-mediated signal transduction pathway. In contrast, CB-5083 activates ATF4 and CHOP through the PERK (EIF2AK3)-mediated signaling pathway. This combination activates ATF4 and CHOP while blocking the adaptive response provided by ATF6, resulting in increased cytotoxic effects and synergistic drug interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabhakar Bastola
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA;
| | - Gary S. Leiserowitz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95817, USA;
| | - Jeremy Chien
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95817, USA;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95817, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-916-734-4766
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20
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Advantages and drawbacks of dexamethasone in glioblastoma multiforme. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2022; 172:103625. [PMID: 35158070 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2022.103625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The most widespread, malignant, and deadliest type of glial tumor is glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Despite radiation, chemotherapy, and radical surgery, the median survival of afflicted individuals is about 12 months. Unfortunately, existing therapeutic interventions are abysmal. Dexamethasone (Dex), a synthetic glucocorticoid, has been used for many years to treat brain edema and inflammation caused by GBM. Several investigations have recently shown that Dex also exerts antitumoral effects against GBM. On the other hand, more recent disputed findings have questioned the long-held dogma of Dex treatment for GBM. Unfortunately, steroids are associated with various undesirable side effects, including severe immunosuppression and metabolic changes like hyperglycemia, which may impair the survival of GBM patients. Current ideas and concerns about Dex's effects on GBM cerebral edema, cell proliferation, migration, and its clinical outcomes were investigated in this study.
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21
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Mozaffari MS, Abdelsayed R. Expression Profiles of GILZ and SGK-1 in Potentially Malignant and Malignant Human Oral Lesions. FRONTIERS IN ORAL HEALTH 2022; 2:675288. [PMID: 35048019 PMCID: PMC8757717 DOI: 10.3389/froh.2021.675288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper and serum-glucocorticoid-regulated kinase-1 (SGK-1) are major glucocorticoid-inducible proteins. Recent studies indicate the local production of cortisol in oral mucosa, which can impact the tissue generation of glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ) and SGK-1. Furthermore, GILZ and SGK-1 play pathogenic roles in a variety of cancers, but their status in potentially malignant (e.g., epithelial dysplasia) or malignant oral lesions remains unknown. This study tested the hypothesis that expression profiles of GILZ and SGK-1, along with the phosphorylated (active) form of SGK-1 (pSGK-1), are different in epithelial dysplasia than squamous cell carcinoma. Accordingly, archived paraffin-embedded biopsy samples were subjected to immunohistochemistry to establish tissue localization and the profile of proteins of interest, while hematoxylin-eosin stained tissues were used for histopathological assessment. Based on histopathological examinations, tissue specimens were categorized as displaying mild-moderate or severe epithelial dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma; benign keratosis specimens served as controls. All the tissue specimens showed staining for SGK-1 and pSGK-1; however, while SGK-1 staining was primarily cytoplasmic, pSGK-1 was mainly confined to the cell membrane. On the other hand, all the tissue specimens displayed primarily nuclear staining for GILZ. A semi-quantitative analysis of immunohistochemistry staining indicates increased GILZ expression in epithelial dysplasia but reversal in squamous cell carcinoma to a level seen for benign keratosis. On the other hand, the SGK-1 and pSGK-1 expressions decreased for squamous cell carcinoma specimens compared with benign keratosis or dysplastic specimens. Collectively, in this cross-sectional study, immunostaining patterns for proteins of interest do not seemingly differentiate epithelial dysplasia from squamous cell carcinoma. However, subcellular localization and expression profiles for GILZ, SGK-1, and pSGK-1 are suggestive of differential functional roles in dysplastic or malignant oral lesions compared with benign keratosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmood S Mozaffari
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, The Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
| | - Rafik Abdelsayed
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, The Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
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22
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Prekovic S, Schuurman K, Mayayo-Peralta I, Manjón AG, Buijs M, Yavuz S, Wellenstein MD, Barrera A, Monkhorst K, Huber A, Morris B, Lieftink C, Chalkiadakis T, Alkan F, Silva J, Győrffy B, Hoekman L, van den Broek B, Teunissen H, Debets DO, Severson T, Jonkers J, Reddy T, de Visser KE, Faller W, Beijersbergen R, Altelaar M, de Wit E, Medema R, Zwart W. Glucocorticoid receptor triggers a reversible drug-tolerant dormancy state with acquired therapeutic vulnerabilities in lung cancer. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4360. [PMID: 34272384 PMCID: PMC8285479 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24537-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) regulates gene expression, governing aspects of homeostasis, but is also involved in cancer. Pharmacological GR activation is frequently used to alleviate therapy-related side-effects. While prior studies have shown GR activation might also have anti-proliferative action on tumours, the underpinnings of glucocorticoid action and its direct effectors in non-lymphoid solid cancers remain elusive. Here, we study the mechanisms of glucocorticoid response, focusing on lung cancer. We show that GR activation induces reversible cancer cell dormancy characterised by anticancer drug tolerance, and activation of growth factor survival signalling accompanied by vulnerability to inhibitors. GR-induced dormancy is dependent on a single GR-target gene, CDKN1C, regulated through chromatin looping of a GR-occupied upstream distal enhancer in a SWI/SNF-dependent fashion. These insights illustrate the importance of GR signalling in non-lymphoid solid cancer biology, particularly in lung cancer, and warrant caution for use of glucocorticoids in treatment of anticancer therapy related side-effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Prekovic
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Karianne Schuurman
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Isabel Mayayo-Peralta
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anna G Manjón
- Division of Cell Biology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mark Buijs
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Selçuk Yavuz
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Max D Wellenstein
- Division of Tumour Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Barrera
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, and Centre for Genomic & Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kim Monkhorst
- Department of Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anne Huber
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ben Morris
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis and Robotics and Screening Centre, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cor Lieftink
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis and Robotics and Screening Centre, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Theofilos Chalkiadakis
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ferhat Alkan
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joana Silva
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Balázs Győrffy
- Semmelweis University Department of Bioinformatics and 2nd Department of Pediatrics, Budapest, Hungary.,TTK Cancer Biomarker Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Liesbeth Hoekman
- Mass spectrometry/Proteomics Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bram van den Broek
- Division of Cell Biology and BioImaging Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hans Teunissen
- Division of Gene Regulation, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Donna O Debets
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tesa Severson
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jos Jonkers
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Timothy Reddy
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, and Centre for Genomic & Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Centre, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Karin E de Visser
- Division of Tumour Biology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - William Faller
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roderick Beijersbergen
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis and Robotics and Screening Centre, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Altelaar
- Mass spectrometry/Proteomics Facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Elzo de Wit
- Division of Gene Regulation, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rene Medema
- Division of Cell Biology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wilbert Zwart
- Division of Oncogenomics, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
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23
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Chen G, Qiu L, Gao J, Wang J, Dang J, Li L, Jin Z, Liu X. Stress Hormones: Emerging Targets in Gynecological Cancers. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:699487. [PMID: 34307378 PMCID: PMC8299464 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.699487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, several discoveries have documented the existence of innervation in ovarian cancer and cervical cancer. Notably, various neurotransmitters released by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system can promote the proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells and regulate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms involving neurotransmitters in the occurrence and development of gynecological cancers will be beneficial for exploring the feasibility of using inexpensive β-blockers and dopamine agonists in the clinical treatment of gynecological cancers. Additionally, this article provides some new insights into targeting tumor innervation and neurotransmitters in the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqiang Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Qiu
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinghai Gao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianhong Dang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lingling Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhijun Jin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaojun Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
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24
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Greenstein AE, Hunt HJ. Glucocorticoid receptor antagonism promotes apoptosis in solid tumor cells. Oncotarget 2021; 12:1243-1255. [PMID: 34194622 PMCID: PMC8238250 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27989] [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: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Resistance to antiproliferative chemotherapies remains a significant challenge in the care of patients with solid tumors. Glucocorticoids, including endogenous cortisol, have been shown to induce pro-survival pathways in epithelial tumor cells. While pro-apoptotic effects of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonism have been demonstrated under select conditions, the breadth and nature of these effects have not been fully established. Materials and Methods: To guide studies in cancer patients, relacorilant, an investigational selective GR modulator (SGRM) that antagonizes cortisol activity, was assessed in various tumor types, with multiple cytotoxic combination partners, and in the presence of physiological cortisol concentrations. Results: In the MIA PaCa-2 cell line, paclitaxel-driven apoptosis was blunted by cortisol and restored by relacorilant. In the OVCAR5 cell line, relacorilant improved the efficacy of paclitaxel and the potency of platinum agents. A screen to identify optimal combination partners for relacorilant showed that microtubule-targeted agents consistently benefited from combination with relacorilant. These findings were confirmed in xenograft models, including MIA PaCa-2, HeLa, and a cholangiocarcinoma patient-derived xenograft. In vivo, tumor-cell apoptosis was increased when relacorilant was added to paclitaxel in multiple models. Conclusions: These observations support recently reported findings of clinical benefit when relacorilant is added to paclitaxel-containing therapy in patients with ovarian and pancreatic cancers and provide a new rationale for combining relacorilant with additional cytotoxic agents.
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25
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Rango E, D'Antona L, Iovenitti G, Brai A, Mancini A, Zamperini C, Trivisani CI, Marianelli S, Fallacara AL, Molinari A, Cianciusi A, Schenone S, Perrotti N, Dreassi E, Botta M. Si113-prodrugs selectively activated by plasmin against hepatocellular and ovarian carcinoma. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 223:113653. [PMID: 34161866 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Si113, a pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivative, gained more attention as an anticancer agent due to its potent anticancer activity on both in vitro and in vivo hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) and ovarian carcinoma models. But the drawback is the low water solubility which prevents its further development. In this context, we successfully overcame this limitation by synthesizing two novel prodrugs introducing the amino acid sequence D-Ala-Leu-Lys (TP). Moreover, TP sequence has a high affinity with plasmin, a protease recognized as overexpressed in many solid cancers, including HCC and ovarian carcinoma. The prodrugs were synthesized and fully characterized in terms of in vitro ADME properties, plasma stability and plasmin-induced release of the parent drug. The inhibitory activity against Sgk1 was evaluated and in vitro growth inhibition was evaluated on ovarian carcinoma and HCC cell lines in the presence and absence of human plasmin. In vivo pharmacokinetic properties and preliminary tissue distribution confirmed a better profile highlighting the importance of the prodrug approach. Finally, the prodrug antitumor efficacy was evaluated in an HCC xenografted murine model, where a significant reduction (around 90%) in tumor growth was observed. Treatment with ProSi113-TP in combination with paclitaxel in a paclitaxel-resistant ovarian carcinoma xenografted murine model, resulted in an impressive reduction of tumor volume greater than 95%. Our results revealed a promising activity of Si113 prodrugs and pave the way for their further development against resistant cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Rango
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Lucia D'Antona
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università"Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Giulia Iovenitti
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Annalaura Brai
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Arianna Mancini
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Claudio Zamperini
- Lead Discovery Siena S.r.l., Via Vittorio Alfieri 31, 53019, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Siena, Italy
| | - Claudia Immacolata Trivisani
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Stefano Marianelli
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Anna Lucia Fallacara
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Alessio Molinari
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Annarita Cianciusi
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, Genoa, 16132, Italy
| | - Silvia Schenone
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, Genoa, 16132, Italy
| | - Nicola Perrotti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università"Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Elena Dreassi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy.
| | - Maurizio Botta
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy; Lead Discovery Siena S.r.l., Via Vittorio Alfieri 31, 53019, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Siena, Italy; Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology Temple University, BioLife Science Building, Suite 333, 1900 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, United States
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26
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Cecchi M, Paccosi S, Silvano A, Eid AH, Parenti A. Dexamethasone Induces the Expression and Function of Tryptophan-2-3-Dioxygenase in SK-MEL-28 Melanoma Cells. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14030211. [PMID: 33806305 PMCID: PMC7998133 DOI: 10.3390/ph14030211] [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: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) is one of the key tryptophan-catabolizing enzymes with immunoregulatory properties in cancer. Contrary to expectation, clinical trials showed that inhibitors of the ubiquitously expressed enzyme, indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1), do not provide benefits in melanoma patients. This prompted the hypothesis that TDO may be a more attractive target. Because the promoter of TDO harbors glucocorticoid response elements (GREs), we aimed to assess whether dexamethasone (dex), a commonly used glucocorticoid, modulates TDO expression by means of RT-PCR and immunofluorescence and function by assessing cell proliferation and migration as well as metalloproteinase activity. Our results show that, in SK-Mel-28 melanoma cells, dex up-regulated TDO and its downstream effector aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) but not IDO1. Furthermore, dex stimulated cellular proliferation and migration and potentiated MMP2 activity. These effects were inhibited by the selective TDO inhibitor 680C91 and enhanced by IDO1 inhibitors. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the metastatic melanoma cell line SK-Mel-28 possesses a functional TDO which can also modulate cancer cell phenotype directly rather than through immune suppression. Thus, TDO appears to be a promising, tractable target in the management or the treatment of melanoma progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Cecchi
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy; (M.C.); (S.P.); (A.S.)
| | - Sara Paccosi
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy; (M.C.); (S.P.); (A.S.)
| | - Angela Silvano
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy; (M.C.); (S.P.); (A.S.)
| | - Ali Hussein Eid
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar
- Correspondence: (A.H.E.); (A.P.); Tel.: +974-4403-7893 (A.H.E.)
| | - Astrid Parenti
- Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy; (M.C.); (S.P.); (A.S.)
- Correspondence: (A.H.E.); (A.P.); Tel.: +974-4403-7893 (A.H.E.)
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27
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Custodio JM, Donaldson KM, Hunt HJ. An In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of the Effect of Relacorilant on the Activity of Cytochrome P450 Drug Metabolizing Enzymes. J Clin Pharmacol 2021; 61:244-253. [PMID: 32869328 PMCID: PMC7818505 DOI: 10.1002/jcph.1731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Relacorilant is a selective modulator of the glucocorticoid receptor in development for the treatment of several serious diseases. The widely used cocktail method was employed to assess relacorilant's effect on various cytochrome P450 (CYP) drug metabolizing enzymes in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP3A4, and CYP3A5 as well as induction of CYP1A2, CYP2B6, and CYP3A4 were assessed in vitro (relacorilant concentrations up to 10 µM). A clinical study in healthy subjects (n = 27) evaluated the inhibition of CYP3A4, CYP2C8, and CYP2C9 in vivo by administering single doses of probe CYP substrates (midazolam, pioglitazone, and tolbutamide) alone and in combination with relacorilant (350 mg). Pharmacokinetic sampling was conducted, and safety was assessed throughout the study. Pharmacokinetic parameters were evaluated using 90% confidence intervals of the geometric least squares mean ratios of test (probe substrate with relacorilant) vs reference (probe substrate alone) using boundaries of 80% to 125%. In vitro, relacorilant inhibited CYP3A4, CYP2C8, and CYP2C9 but did not meaningfully affect the activity of the other CYP enzymes evaluated. Consistent with the in vitro data, relacorilant was shown to be a strong CYP3A inhibitor in vivo (>8-fold increase in midazolam area under the concentration versus time curve from time zero to the last quantifiable concentration and area under the concentration versus time curve from time zero extrapolated to infinity). Coadministration of relacorilant with drugs highly dependent on CYP3A for clearance is expected to increase the concentrations of these drugs. Importantly, clinical evaluation of relacorilant showed no inhibition of CYP2C8 or CYP2C9 in vivo. Accordingly, drugs that are substrates of only CYP2C8 and/or CYP2C9 can be coadministered with relacorilant without dose adjustment.
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28
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Sang Y, Kong P, Zhang S, Zhang L, Cao Y, Duan X, Sun T, Tao Z, Liu W. SGK1 in Human Cancer: Emerging Roles and Mechanisms. Front Oncol 2021; 10:608722. [PMID: 33542904 PMCID: PMC7851074 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.608722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Serum and glucocorticoid-induced protein kinase 1 (SGK1) is a member of the "AGC" subfamily of protein kinases, which shares structural and functional similarities with the AKT family of kinases and displays serine/threonine kinase activity. Aberrant expression of SGK1 has profound cellular consequences and is closely correlated with human cancer. SGK1 is considered a canonical factor affecting the expression and signal transduction of multiple genes involved in the genesis and development of many human cancers. Abnormal expression of SGK1 has been found in tissue and may hopefully become a useful indicator of cancer progression. In addition, SGK1 acts as a prognostic factor for cancer patient survival. This review systematically summarizes and discusses the role of SGK1 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of diverse cancer types; focuses on its essential roles and functions in tumorigenesis, cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, autophagy, metabolism, and therapy resistance and in the tumor microenvironment; and finally summarizes the current understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of SGK1 at the molecular level. Taken together, this evidence highlights the crucial role of SGK1 in tumorigenesis and cancer progression, revealing why it has emerged as a potential target for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Sang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Piaoping Kong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shizhen Zhang
- The Cancer Institute of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lingyu Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ying Cao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiuzhi Duan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhihua Tao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Weiwei Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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29
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Suzuki S, Okada M, Sanomachi T, Togashi K, Seino S, Sato A, Yamamoto M, Kitanaka C. Therapeutic targeting of pancreatic cancer stem cells by dexamethasone modulation of the MKP-1-JNK axis. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:18328-18342. [PMID: 33115754 PMCID: PMC7939393 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.015223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Postoperative recurrence from microscopic residual disease must be prevented to cure intractable cancers, including pancreatic cancer. Key to this goal is the elimination of cancer stem cells (CSCs) endowed with tumor-initiating capacity and drug resistance. However, current therapeutic strategies capable of accomplishing this are insufficient. Using in vitro models of CSCs and in vivo models of tumor initiation in which CSCs give rise to xenograft tumors, we show that dexamethasone induces expression of MKP-1, a MAPK phosphatase, via glucocorticoid receptor activation, thereby inactivating JNK, which is required for self-renewal and tumor initiation by pancreatic CSCs as well as for their expression of survivin, an anti-apoptotic protein implicated in multidrug resistance. We also demonstrate that systemic administration of clinically relevant doses of dexamethasone together with gemcitabine prevents tumor formation by CSCs in a pancreatic cancer xenograft model. Our study thus provides preclinical evidence for the efficacy of dexamethasone as an adjuvant therapy to prevent postoperative recurrence in patients with pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhei Suzuki
- Department of Molecular Cancer Science, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan; Department of Clinical Oncology, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Masashi Okada
- Department of Molecular Cancer Science, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan.
| | - Tomomi Sanomachi
- Department of Molecular Cancer Science, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan; Department of Clinical Oncology, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Keita Togashi
- Department of Molecular Cancer Science, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Shizuka Seino
- Department of Molecular Cancer Science, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Atsushi Sato
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Masahiro Yamamoto
- Department of Molecular Cancer Science, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Chifumi Kitanaka
- Department of Molecular Cancer Science, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan; Research Institute for Promotion of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan.
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Mifepristone Treatment Promotes Testicular Leydig Cell Tumor Progression in Transgenic Mice. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12113263. [PMID: 33158280 PMCID: PMC7694279 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Recently, the antiprogestin activity of selective progesterone receptor (PR) modulator mifepristone (MF) has proven unsuccessful as a potential anti-cancer agent in various clinical trials. Herein, we analyzed the effects of MF treatment on Leydig cell tumor (LCT) progression in a transgenic mouse model (inhibin-α promoter-driven SV40 T-antigen), as well as on the proliferation of two Leydig tumor cell lines. MF significantly stimulated the proliferation of LCT in vitro. Similarly, a 1-mo MF or P4 treatment stimulated LCT tumor growth in vivo. Only the abundant membrane Pgrmc1 expression was found in LCTs, but no other classical Pgr or nonclassical membrane PRs. Functional analysis showed that PGRMC1 is required for MF and P4 to stimulate the proliferation and invasiveness of LCTs. Our findings provide novel information that the use of MF as an anti-cancer agent should be considered with caution due to its potential PGRMC1 tumor-promoting pathway activation in cancers. Abstract The selective progesterone receptor modulator mifepristone (MF) may act as a potent antiproliferative agent in different steroid-dependent cancers due to its strong antagonistic effect on the nuclear progesterone receptor (PGR). Hereby, we analyzed the effects of MF treatment on Leydig cell tumor (LCT) progression in a transgenic mouse model (inhibin-α promoter-driven SV40 T-antigen), as well as on LCT (BLTK-1 and mLTC-1) cell proliferation. MF significantly stimulated the proliferation of LCT in vitro. Similarly, a 1-mo MF or P4 treatment stimulated LCT tumor growth in vivo. Traceable/absent classical Pgr or nonclassical membrane PRs α, β, γ and Pgrmc2, but abundant membrane Pgrmc1 expression, was found in LCTs. MF did not activate glucocorticoid or androgen receptors in LCTs. Functional analysis showed that PGRMC1 is required for MF and P4 to stimulate the proliferation and invasiveness of LCTs. Accordingly, MF and P4 induced PGRMC1 translocation into the nucleus and thereby stimulated the release of TGFβ1 in LCT cells. MF and P4 treatments upregulated Tgfbr1, Tgfbr2, and Alk1 expression and stimulated TGFβ1 release in LCT cells. Our findings provide novel mechanistic insights into the action of MF as a membrane PR agonist that promotes LCT growth through PGRMC1 and the alternative TGFβ1 signaling pathway.
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Gu SS, Wang X, Hu X, Jiang P, Li Z, Traugh N, Bu X, Tang Q, Wang C, Zeng Z, Fu J, Meyer C, Zhang Y, Cejas P, Lim K, Wang J, Zhang W, Tokheim C, Sahu AD, Xing X, Kroger B, Ouyang Z, Long H, Freeman GJ, Brown M, Liu XS. Clonal tracing reveals diverse patterns of response to immune checkpoint blockade. Genome Biol 2020; 21:263. [PMID: 33059736 PMCID: PMC7559192 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02166-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has improved patient survival in a variety of cancers, but only a minority of cancer patients respond. Multiple studies have sought to identify general biomarkers of ICB response, but elucidating the molecular and cellular drivers of resistance for individual tumors remains challenging. We sought to determine whether a tumor with defined genetic background exhibits a stereotypic or heterogeneous response to ICB treatment. RESULTS We establish a unique mouse system that utilizes clonal tracing and mathematical modeling to monitor the growth of each cancer clone, as well as the bulk tumor, in response to ICB. We find that tumors derived from the same clonal populations showed heterogeneous ICB response and diverse response patterns. Primary response is associated with higher immune infiltration and leads to enrichment of pre-existing ICB-resistant cancer clones. We further identify several cancer cell-intrinsic gene expression signatures associated with ICB resistance, including increased interferon response genes and glucocorticoid response genes. These findings are supported by clinical data from ICB treatment cohorts. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates diverse response patterns from the same ancestor cancer cells in response to ICB. This suggests the value of monitoring clonal constitution and tumor microenvironment over time to optimize ICB response and to design new combination therapies. Furthermore, as ICB response may enrich for cancer cell-intrinsic resistance signatures, this can affect interpretations of tumor RNA-seq data for response-signature association studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengqing Stan Gu
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Wang
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Xihao Hu
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Peng Jiang
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Ziyi Li
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Clinical Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Nicole Traugh
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Xia Bu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Qin Tang
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Chenfei Wang
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Zexian Zeng
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Jingxin Fu
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Clinical Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Cliff Meyer
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Paloma Cejas
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Klothilda Lim
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Clinical Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Wubing Zhang
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Clinical Translational Research Center, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Life Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Collin Tokheim
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Avinash Das Sahu
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Xiaofang Xing
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Division of Gastrointestinal Cancer Translational Research Laboratory, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Benjamin Kroger
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Zhangyi Ouyang
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Henry Long
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Gordon J Freeman
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Myles Brown
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - X Shirley Liu
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Center for Functional Cancer Epigenetics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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Karvonen H, Arjama M, Kaleva L, Niininen W, Barker H, Koivisto-Korander R, Tapper J, Pakarinen P, Lassus H, Loukovaara M, Bützow R, Kallioniemi O, Murumägi A, Ungureanu D. Glucocorticoids induce differentiation and chemoresistance in ovarian cancer by promoting ROR1-mediated stemness. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:790. [PMID: 32989221 PMCID: PMC7522257 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-03009-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are routinely used in the clinic as anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents as well as adjuvants during cancer treatment to mitigate the undesirable side effects of chemotherapy. However, recent studies have indicated that glucocorticoids may negatively impact the efficacy of chemotherapy by promoting tumor cell survival, heterogeneity, and metastasis. Here, we show that dexamethasone induces upregulation of ROR1 expression in ovarian cancer (OC), including platinum-resistant OC. Increased ROR1 expression resulted in elevated RhoA, YAP/TAZ, and BMI-1 levels in a panel of OC cell lines as well as primary ovarian cancer patient-derived cells, underlining the translational relevance of our studies. Importantly, dexamethasone induced differentiation of OC patient-derived cells ex vivo according to their molecular subtype and the phenotypic expression of cell differentiation markers. High-throughput drug testing with 528 emerging and clinical oncology compounds of OC cell lines and patient-derived cells revealed that dexamethasone treatment increased the sensitivity to several AKT/PI3K targeted kinase inhibitors, while significantly decreasing the efficacy of chemotherapeutics such as taxanes, as well as anti-apoptotic compounds such as SMAC mimetics. On the other hand, targeting ROR1 expression increased the efficacy of taxane drugs and SMAC mimetics, suggesting new combinatorial targeted treatments for patients with OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Karvonen
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014, Tampere, Finland
| | - Mariliina Arjama
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, FIMM, University of Helsinki, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Laura Kaleva
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014, Tampere, Finland
| | - Wilhelmiina Niininen
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014, Tampere, Finland
| | - Harlan Barker
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014, Tampere, Finland.,Fimlab Ltd., Tampere University Hospital, 33520, Tampere, Finland
| | - Riitta Koivisto-Korander
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johanna Tapper
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Päivi Pakarinen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heini Lassus
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mikko Loukovaara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ralf Bützow
- Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, PO Box 400, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olli Kallioniemi
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, FIMM, University of Helsinki, 00290, Helsinki, Finland.,Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65, Solna, Sweden
| | - Astrid Murumägi
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, FIMM, University of Helsinki, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Daniela Ungureanu
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014, Tampere, Finland. .,Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
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Aquilanti E, Brastianos PK. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Brain Metastases: A Primer for Neurosurgeons. Neurosurgery 2020; 87:E281-E288. [PMID: 32302389 PMCID: PMC7426188 DOI: 10.1093/neuros/nyaa095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors enhance immune recognition of tumors by interfering with the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA4) and programmed death 1 (PD1) pathways. In the past decade, these agents brought significant improvements to the prognostic outlook of patients with metastatic cancers. Recent data from retrospective analyses and a few prospective studies suggest that checkpoint inhibitors have activity against brain metastases from melanoma and nonsmall cell lung cancer, as single agents or in combination with radiotherapy. Some studies reported intracranial response rates that were comparable with systemic ones. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of clinical data supporting the use of anti-CTLA4 and anti-PD1 agents in brain metastases. We also touch upon specific considerations on the assessment of intracranial responses in patients and immunotherapy-specific toxicities. We conclude that a subset of patients with brain metastases benefit from the addition of checkpoint inhibitors to standard of care therapeutic modalities, including radiotherapy and surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Aquilanti
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, Stephen E. Catherine Pappas Center for Neuro Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Priscilla K Brastianos
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology, Stephen E. Catherine Pappas Center for Neuro Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
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34
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Vishnoi K, Viswakarma N, Rana A, Rana B. Transcription Factors in Cancer Development and Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2020. [PMID: 32824207 DOI: 10.339/cancers12082296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a multi-step process and requires constitutive expression/activation of transcription factors (TFs) for growth and survival. Many of the TFs reported so far are critical for carcinogenesis. These include pro-inflammatory TFs, hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-controlling TFs, pluripotency TFs upregulated in cancer stem-like cells, and the nuclear receptors (NRs). Some of those, including HIFs, Myc, ETS-1, and β-catenin, are multifunctional and may regulate multiple other TFs involved in various pro-oncogenic events, including proliferation, survival, metabolism, invasion, and metastasis. High expression of some TFs is also correlated with poor prognosis and chemoresistance, constituting a significant challenge in cancer treatment. Considering the pivotal role of TFs in cancer, there is an urgent need to develop strategies targeting them. Targeting TFs, in combination with other chemotherapeutics, could emerge as a better strategy to target cancer. So far, targeting NRs have shown promising results in improving survival. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the TFs that play a central role in cancer progression, which could be potential therapeutic candidates for developing specific inhibitors. Here, we also discuss the efforts made to target some of those TFs, including NRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanchan Vishnoi
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Navin Viswakarma
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Ajay Rana
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.,University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.,Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Basabi Rana
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.,University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.,Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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35
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Vishnoi K, Viswakarma N, Rana A, Rana B. Transcription Factors in Cancer Development and Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12082296. [PMID: 32824207 PMCID: PMC7464564 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a multi-step process and requires constitutive expression/activation of transcription factors (TFs) for growth and survival. Many of the TFs reported so far are critical for carcinogenesis. These include pro-inflammatory TFs, hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-controlling TFs, pluripotency TFs upregulated in cancer stem-like cells, and the nuclear receptors (NRs). Some of those, including HIFs, Myc, ETS-1, and β-catenin, are multifunctional and may regulate multiple other TFs involved in various pro-oncogenic events, including proliferation, survival, metabolism, invasion, and metastasis. High expression of some TFs is also correlated with poor prognosis and chemoresistance, constituting a significant challenge in cancer treatment. Considering the pivotal role of TFs in cancer, there is an urgent need to develop strategies targeting them. Targeting TFs, in combination with other chemotherapeutics, could emerge as a better strategy to target cancer. So far, targeting NRs have shown promising results in improving survival. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the TFs that play a central role in cancer progression, which could be potential therapeutic candidates for developing specific inhibitors. Here, we also discuss the efforts made to target some of those TFs, including NRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanchan Vishnoi
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.V.); (N.V.); (A.R.)
| | - Navin Viswakarma
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.V.); (N.V.); (A.R.)
| | - Ajay Rana
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.V.); (N.V.); (A.R.)
- University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Basabi Rana
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (K.V.); (N.V.); (A.R.)
- University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Correspondence:
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Dattilo V, Amato R, Perrotti N, Gennarelli M. The Emerging Role of SGK1 (Serum- and Glucocorticoid-Regulated Kinase 1) in Major Depressive Disorder: Hypothesis and Mechanisms. Front Genet 2020; 11:826. [PMID: 32849818 PMCID: PMC7419621 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a heterogeneous psychiatric disease characterized by persistent low mood, diminished interests, and impaired cognitive and social functions. The multifactorial etiology of MDD is still largely unknown because of the complex genetic and environmental interactions involved. Therefore, no established mechanism can explain all the aspects of the disease. In this light, an extensive research about the pathophysiology of MDD has been carried out. Several pathogenic hypotheses, such as monoamines deficiency and neurobiological alterations in the stress-responsive system, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the immune system, have been proposed for MDD. Over time, remarkable studies, mainly on preclinical rodent models, linked the serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) to the main features of MDD. SGK1 is a serine/threonine kinase belonging to the AGK Kinase family. SGK1 is ubiquitously expressed, which plays a pivotal role in the hormonal regulation of several ion channels, carriers, pumps, and transcription factors or regulators. SGK1 expression is modulated by cell stress and hormones, including gluco- and mineralocorticoids. Compelling evidence suggests that increased SGK1 expression or function is related to the pathogenic stress hypothesis of major depression. Therefore, the first part of the present review highlights the putative role of SGK1 as a critical mediator in the dysregulation of the HPA axis, observed under chronic stress conditions, and its controversial role in the neuroinflammation as well. The second part depicts the negative regulation exerted by SGK1 in the expression of both the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), resulting in an anti-neurogenic activity. Finally, the review focuses on the antidepressant-like effects of anti-oxidative nutraceuticals in several preclinical model of depression, resulting from the restoration of the physiological expression and/or activity of SGK1, which leads to an increase in neurogenesis. In summary, the purpose of this review is a systematic analysis of literature depicting SGK1 as molecular junction of the complex mechanisms underlying the MDD in an effort to suggest the kinase as a potential biomarker and strategic target in modern molecular antidepressant therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Dattilo
- Genetic Unit, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Rosario Amato
- Department of Health Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy.,Medical Genetics Unit, Mater Domini University Hospital, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Nicola Perrotti
- Department of Health Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy.,Medical Genetics Unit, Mater Domini University Hospital, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Massimo Gennarelli
- Genetic Unit, IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.,Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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Gong JH, Zheng YB, Zhang MR, Wang YX, Yang SQ, Wang RH, Miao QF, Liu XJ, Zhen YS. Dexamethasone enhances the antitumor efficacy of Gemcitabine by glucocorticoid receptor signaling. Cancer Biol Ther 2020; 21:332-343. [PMID: 31906826 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2019.1702399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gemcitabine (Gem) is currently used as the first-line therapy for liver and pancreatic cancer but has limited efficacy in most cases. Dexamethasone (Dex) have been applied as a chemoprotectant and chemosensitizer in cancer chemotherapy. This study further explored the potential of combination of Gem and Dex and tested the hypothesis that glucocorticoid receptor signaling is essential for the synergistic antitumor activity. In the HepG2 and AsPC-1 xenograft models, the combination treatment showed a significantly synergistic antitumor activity. Immunohistochemistry of post-treatment tumors showed a significant decrease in proliferation and angiogenesis as compared to either of the treatments alone. Dex alone and the combination with Gem inhibited the expression of glucocorticoid receptor. The combination of Dex and Gem showed synergistic cytotoxicity in cell lines in vitro. The antiproliferative synergism is prevented by used glucocorticoid receptor (GR) small interfering RNA, demonstrating that the glucocorticoid receptor is required for the antiproliferative synergism of Gem and Dex. The inhibition of glucocorticoid receptor signaling pathway and induction of apoptosis via activation of caspases 3, 8 and 9, PARP, contributed to the synergistic effect of this combination therapy. These results demonstrate that Dex could potentiate the antitumor efficacy of Gem. The synergistic antitumor activity of the combination of Dex and Gem was through glucocorticoid receptor signaling. Taken together, a combination of Dex and Gem shows a significant synergistic antitumor activity and lesser toxicity both in vitro and in vivo and could be a combination chemotherapy for the treatment of highly expression of glucocorticoid receptor patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Hua Gong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yan-Bo Zheng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Meng-Ran Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yue-Xuan Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Si-Qi Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Rui-Hai Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Qing-Fang Miao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiu-Jun Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yong-Su Zhen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Antibiotics, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Mitani Y, Lin SH, Pytynia KB, Ferrarotto R, El-Naggar AK. Reciprocal and Autonomous Glucocorticoid and Androgen Receptor Activation in Salivary Duct Carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 26:1175-1184. [PMID: 31772120 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-1603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and androgen receptor (AR) in salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) and to analyze the role of these proteins in the development and management of this disease entity. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We performed a phenotypic assessment of GR and AR localization and expression, and determined their association with clinicopathologic factors in 67 primary SDCs. In vitro functional and response analysis of SDC cell lines was also performed. RESULTS Of the 67 primary tumors, 12 (18%) overexpressed GR protein, 30 (45%) had constitutive expression, and 25 (37%) had complete loss of expression. Reciprocal GR and AR expression was found in 32 (48%) tumors, concurrent constitutive GR and AR expression in 23 (34%), and simultaneous loss of both receptors and high GR with AR expressions were found in 12 (18%). GR overexpression was significantly associated with worse clinical outcomes. In vitro ligand-independent AR activation was observed in both male- and female-derived cell lines. GR antagonist treatment resulted in decreased cell proliferation and survival in GR-overexpressing cells, irrespective of AR status. Reciprocal GR- and AR-knockdown experiments revealed an independent interaction. CONCLUSIONS Our study, for the first time, demonstrates differential GR and AR expressions, autonomous GR and AR activation, and ligand-independent AR expression and activation in SDC cells. The findings provide critical information on the roles of GR and AR steroid receptors in SDC tumorigenesis and development of biomarkers to guide targeted steroid receptor therapy trials in patients with these tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshitsugu Mitani
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Sue-Hwa Lin
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Kristen B Pytynia
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Renata Ferrarotto
- Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Adel K El-Naggar
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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Flaherty RL, Falcinelli M, Flint MS. Stress and drug resistance in cancer. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2019; 2:773-786. [PMID: 35582576 PMCID: PMC8992509 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2019.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Patients diagnosed with cancer often undergo considerable psychological distress, and the induction of the psychological stress response has been linked with a poor response to chemotherapy. The psychological stress response is mediated by fluctuations of the hormones glucocorticoids (GCs) and catecholamines. Binding to their respective receptors, GCs and the catecholamines adrenaline/noradrenaline are responsible for signalling a wide range of processes involved in cell survival, cell cycle and immune function. Synthetic GCs are also often prescribed as co-medication alongside chemotherapy, and increasing evidence suggests that GCs may induce chemoresistance in multiple cancer types. In this review, we bring together evidence linking psychological stress hormone signalling with resistance to chemo- and immune therapies, as well as mechanistic evidence regarding the effects of exogenous stress hormones on the efficacy of chemotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée L. Flaherty
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK
| | - Marta Falcinelli
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK
| | - Melanie S. Flint
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, BN2 4GJ, UK
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Molecular mechanisms underlying mifepristone's agonistic action on ovarian cancer progression. EBioMedicine 2019; 47:170-183. [PMID: 31466918 PMCID: PMC6796594 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.08.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent clinical trials on ovarian cancer with mifepristone (MF) have failed, despite in vitro findings on its strong progesterone (P4) antagonist function. Methods Ovarian cancer human and murine cell lines, cultured high-grade human primary epithelial ovarian cancer (HG-hOEC) cells and their explants; as well as in vivo transgenic mice possessing ovarian cancer were used to assess the molecular mechanism underlying mifepristone (MF) agonistic actions in ovarian cancer progression. Findings Herein, we show that ovarian cancer cells express traceable/no nuclear P4 receptor (PGR), but abundantly P4 receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1). MF significantly stimulated ovarian cancer cell migration, proliferation and growth in vivo, and the translocation of PGRMC1 into the nucleus of cancer cells; the effects inhibited by PGRMC1 inhibitor. The beneficial antitumor effect of high-doses MF could not be achieved in human cancer tissue, and the low tissue concentrations achieved with the therapeutic doses only promoted the growth of ovarian cancers. Interpretation Our results indicate that treatment of ovarian cancer with MF and P4 may induce similar adverse agonistic effects in the absence of classical nuclear PGRs in ovarian cancer. The blockage of PGRMC1 activity may provide a novel treatment strategy for ovarian cancer. Fund This work was supported by grants from the National Science Centre, Poland (2013/09/N/NZ5/01831 to DP-T; 2012/05/B/NZ5/01867 to MC), Academy of Finland (254366 to NAR), Moikoinen Cancer Research Foundation (to NAR) and EU PARP Cluster grant (UDA-POIG.05.01.00-005/12-00/NCREMFP to SW).
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Khan I, Bahuguna A, Krishnan M, Shukla S, Lee H, Min SH, Choi DK, Cho Y, Bajpai VK, Huh YS, Kang SC. The effect of biogenic manufactured silver nanoparticles on human endothelial cells and zebrafish model. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 679:365-377. [PMID: 31085416 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Human health and environment have been continuously getting exposure to toxic chemicals including nanomaterial; therefore, nontoxicity has recently attracted huge amount of attention. In this study, RU-AgNPs were synthesized by a green synthesis procedure and evaluated for their toxicity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) as well as on zebrafish embryos via apoptotic pathway. The synthesized RU-AgNPs were average in size (20-25 nm) with a negative surface charge of -13.43 mV. As a result, RU-AgNPs potentiated the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HUVECs as confirmed by the results of immunoblotting analysis using apoptotic markers, such as Bax, Bcl2, and cytochrome C. Moreover, the induction of apoptosis in HUVECs was also authenticated in a dose-dependent manner after the treatment with RU-AgNPs by the Incucyte analysis. In vivo trials conducted on zebrafish visualized the mortality, malformation, and imbalanced in the heart rate, and cell death of the whole embryo, including severe morphological changes in the yolk sac and the tail of zebrafish. Furthermore, the results of western blot analysis demonstrated the increasing intensity of apoptotic biomarkers such as Bax, Bcl2, and Cyto C, including enhanced production of ROS, validating the cell death in zebrafish larvae. In addition, chemically functionalized silver nanoparticles found to be more cytotoxic than biogenic functionalized silver nanoparticles. Above-mentioned findings clearly demonstrate that Ru-AgNPs cause the toxicity via ROS-induced apoptotic pathway. Therefore, it is necessary to decide RU-AgNPs toxicity levels before being used in any biomedical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Khan
- Department of Biological Engineering, Biohybrid Systems Research Center (BSRC), Inha University, 100 Inha-ro, Nam-gu, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea; Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 38453, Republic of Korea
| | - Ashutosh Bahuguna
- Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 38453, Republic of Korea; Department of Food Science and Technology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, 38541, Republic of Korea
| | - Manigandan Krishnan
- Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 38453, Republic of Korea
| | - Shruti Shukla
- Department of Energy and Materials Engineering, Dongguk University-Seoul, 30 Pildong-ro 1-gil, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
| | - Hoomin Lee
- Department of Biological Engineering, Biohybrid Systems Research Center (BSRC), Inha University, 100 Inha-ro, Nam-gu, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Hyun Min
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Kyu Choi
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Youngjin Cho
- Research Group of Consumer Safety, Korea Food Research Institute, Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - Vivek K Bajpai
- Department of Energy and Materials Engineering, Dongguk University-Seoul, 30 Pildong-ro 1-gil, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yun Suk Huh
- Department of Biological Engineering, Biohybrid Systems Research Center (BSRC), Inha University, 100 Inha-ro, Nam-gu, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sun Chul Kang
- Department of Biotechnology, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 38453, Republic of Korea.
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Du X, Eksterowicz J, Zhou H, Rew Y, Zhu L, Yan X, Medina JC, Huang T, Chen X, Sutimantanapi D, Jahchan N, Kong W, Sun J, Zavorotinskaya T, Ye Q, Fantin VR, Sun D. Discovery of a Potent Steroidal Glucocorticoid Receptor Antagonist with Enhanced Selectivity against the Progesterone and Androgen Receptors (OP-3633). J Med Chem 2019; 62:6751-6764. [PMID: 31274313 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Structure-based modification of mifepristone (1) led to the discovery of novel mifepristone derivatives with improved selectivity profile. Addition of a methyl group at the C10 position of the steroid has a significant impact on progesterone receptor (PR) and androgen receptor (AR) activity. Within this series, OP-3633 (15) emerged as a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist with increased selectivity against PR and AR, improved cytochrome P450 inhibition profile, and significantly improved pharmacokinetic properties compared to 1. Furthermore, 15 demonstrated substantial inhibition of GR transcriptional activity in the GR positive HCC1806 triple negative breast cancer xenograft model. Overall, compound 15 is a promising GR antagonist candidate to clinically evaluate the impact of GR inhibition in reversal or prevention of therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Du
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - John Eksterowicz
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Haiying Zhou
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Yosup Rew
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Liusheng Zhu
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Xuelei Yan
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Julio C Medina
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Tom Huang
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Xi Chen
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Dena Sutimantanapi
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Nadine Jahchan
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Wayne Kong
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Jessica Sun
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Tatiana Zavorotinskaya
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Qiuping Ye
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Valeria R Fantin
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Daqing Sun
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 E. Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
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D'Antona L, Dattilo V, Catalogna G, Scumaci D, Fiumara CV, Musumeci F, Perrotti G, Schenone S, Tallerico R, Spoleti CB, Costa N, Iuliano R, Cuda G, Amato R, Perrotti N. In Preclinical Model of Ovarian Cancer, the SGK1 Inhibitor SI113 Counteracts the Development of Paclitaxel Resistance and Restores Drug Sensitivity. Transl Oncol 2019; 12:1045-1055. [PMID: 31163384 PMCID: PMC6545392 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2019.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecological malignancy worldwide. Paclitaxel is particularly important in the therapy of ovarian carcinomas, but the treatment efficacy is counteracted by the development of resistance to chemotherapy. The identification of target molecules that can prevent or control the development of chemoresistance might provide important tools for the management of patients affected by ovarian cancer. Serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) appears to be a key determinant of resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy. Specifically, SGK1 affects paclitaxel sensitivity in RKO colon carcinoma cells by modulating the specificity protein 1 (SP1)–dependent expression of Ran-specific GTPase-activating protein (RANBP1), a member of the GTP-binding nuclear protein Ran (RAN) network that is required for the organization and function of the mitotic spindle. SGK1 inhibition might thus be useful for counteracting the development of paclitaxel resistance. Here, we present in vitro data obtained using ovarian carcinoma cell lines that indicate that the SGK1 inhibitor SI113 inhibits cancer cell proliferation, potentiates the effects of paclitaxel-based chemotherapy, counteracts the development of paclitaxel resistance, and restores paclitaxel sensitivity in paclitaxel-resistant A2780 ovarian cancer cells. The results were corroborated by preclinical studies of xenografts generated in nude mice through the implantation of paclitaxel-resistant human ovarian cancer cells. The SGK1 inhibitor SI113 synergizes with paclitaxel in the treatment of xenografted ovarian cancer cells. Taken together, these data suggest that SGK1 inhibition should be investigated in clinical trials for the treatment of paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia D'Antona
- Department of "Scienze della Salute", University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Catanzaro
| | - Vincenzo Dattilo
- Department of "Scienze della Salute", University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Catanzaro
| | - Giada Catalogna
- Department of "Scienze della Salute", University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Catanzaro
| | - Domenica Scumaci
- Department of "Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica", University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Catanzaro
| | - Claudia Vincenza Fiumara
- Department of "Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica", University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Catanzaro
| | | | - Giuseppe Perrotti
- Department of "Scienze della Salute", University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Catanzaro
| | | | - Rossana Tallerico
- Department of "Scienze della Salute", University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Catanzaro
| | - Cristina B Spoleti
- Department of "Scienze della Salute", University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Catanzaro
| | - Nicola Costa
- Department of "Scienze della Salute", University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Catanzaro
| | - Rodolfo Iuliano
- Department of "Scienze della Salute", University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Catanzaro
| | - Giovanni Cuda
- Department of "Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica", University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Catanzaro
| | - Rosario Amato
- Department of "Scienze della Salute", University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Catanzaro.
| | - Nicola Perrotti
- Department of "Scienze della Salute", University "Magna Graecia" of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Catanzaro.
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Veneris JT, Huang L, Churpek JE, Conzen SD, Fleming GF. Glucocorticoid receptor expression is associated with inferior overall survival independent of BRCA mutation status in ovarian cancer. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2019; 29:357-364. [PMID: 30683758 DOI: 10.1136/ijgc-2018-000101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE High glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein expression is associated with decreased progression-free survival in ovarian cancer patients and decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy in preclinical models. Prior studies suggest wild type BRCA1 promotes GR activation. The objective of this study was to characterize the relationship of tumor GR gene expression to outcome in ovarian cancer, and to evaluate the relationship of GR expression with BRCA status. METHODS Whole exome and whole genome sequencing, gene expression, and clinical data were obtained for high-grade serous ovarian cancers in The Cancer Genome Atlas. Cases with pathogenic somatic or germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations were identified and classified as BRCA mutated. High or low glucocorticoid receptor expression was defined as expression above or below median of the GR/nuclear receptor subfamily 3 C1 (NR3C1) gene level. Overall survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by Cox regression analysis. RESULTS Combined germline DNA sequencing and tumor microarray expression data were available for 222 high-grade serous ovarian cancer cases. Among these, 47 had a deleterious germline and/or somatic mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. In multivariate analysis, high glucocorticoid receptor gene expression was associated with decreased overall survival among ovarian cancer patients, independently of BRCA mutation status. No correlation of GR/NR3C1 gene expression with BRCA mutation status or BRCA1 or BRCA2 mRNA level was observed. CONCLUSIONS Increased GR gene expression is associated with decreased overall survival in ovarian cancer patients, independently of BRCA mutation status. High-grade serous ovarian cancers with high GR expression and wild type BRCA have a particularly poor outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Taylor Veneris
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology-Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lei Huang
- Center for Research Informatics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jane E Churpek
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology-Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Suzanne D Conzen
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology-Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Ben May Department for Cancer Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Gini F Fleming
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology-Oncology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Kapperman HE, Goyeneche AA, Telleria CM. Mifepristone inhibits non-small cell lung carcinoma cellular escape from DNA damaging cisplatin. Cancer Cell Int 2018; 18:185. [PMID: 30479564 PMCID: PMC6238342 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-018-0683-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. The major histopathological subtype of lung cancer is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Platinum-based therapy is the standard of care for patients with advanced stage NSCLC. However, even with treatment, most patients will die of this disease within 5 years and most of these deaths are due to recurrence. One strategy to inhibit recurrence is to use cytostatic compounds following courses of lethal chemotherapy. We have shown in various cancer cell types that mifepristone (MF), an anti-progestin/anti-glucocorticoid, is a powerful cytostatic anti-cancer agent. Thus, in this work we tested the hypothesis that MF should be efficacious in inducing cytostasis and preventing repopulation of NSCLC following cisplatin (CDDP) therapy. Methods We established an in vitro approach wherein human NSCLC cells with different genetic backgrounds and sensitivities to CDDP (A549 and H23) were exposed to rounds of lethal concentrations of CDDP for 1 h followed or not by MF monotherapy. Every 2 days, cell number, cell viability, and colony-forming ability of viable cells were studied. Results CDDP killed the majority of cells, yet there were remnant cells escaping CDDP lethality and repopulating the culture, as evidenced by the improved clonogenic survival of viable cells. In contrast, when cells exposed to CDDP where further treated with MF following CDDP removal, their number and clonogenic capacity were reduced drastically. Conclusion This study reports that there is repopulation of NSCLC cells following a lethal concentration of CDDP monotherapy, that NSCLC cells are sensitive to the growth inhibition properties of MF, and that MF abrogates the repopulation of NSCLC cells following CDDP therapy. Our study supports further evaluating MF as an adjuvant therapy for NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather E Kapperman
- 2Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, The University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069 USA.,3Present Address: Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Ft. Gordon, GA USA
| | - Alicia A Goyeneche
- 1Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 3775 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4 Canada
| | - Carlos M Telleria
- 1Experimental Pathology Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, 3775 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4 Canada
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Rew Y, Du X, Eksterowicz J, Zhou H, Jahchan N, Zhu L, Yan X, Kawai H, McGee LR, Medina JC, Huang T, Chen C, Zavorotinskaya T, Sutimantanapi D, Waszczuk J, Jackson E, Huang E, Ye Q, Fantin VR, Sun D. Discovery of a Potent and Selective Steroidal Glucocorticoid Receptor Antagonist (ORIC-101). J Med Chem 2018; 61:7767-7784. [PMID: 30091920 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) has been linked to therapy resistance across a wide range of cancer types. Preclinical data suggest that antagonists of this nuclear receptor may enhance the activity of anticancer therapy. The first-generation GR antagonist mifepristone is currently undergoing clinical evaluation in various oncology settings. Structure-based modification of mifepristone led to the discovery of ORIC-101 (28), a highly potent steroidal GR antagonist with reduced androgen receptor (AR) agonistic activity amenable for dosing in androgen receptor positive tumors and with improved CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 inhibition profile to minimize drug-drug interaction potential. Unlike mifepristone, 28 could be codosed with chemotherapeutic agents readily metabolized by CYP2C8 such as paclitaxel. Furthermore, 28 demonstrated in vivo antitumor activity by enhancing response to chemotherapy in the GR+ OVCAR5 ovarian cancer xenograft model. Clinical evaluation of safety and therapeutic potential of 28 is underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosup Rew
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Xiaohui Du
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - John Eksterowicz
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Haiying Zhou
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Nadine Jahchan
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Liusheng Zhu
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Xuelei Yan
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Hiroyuki Kawai
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Lawrence R McGee
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Julio C Medina
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Tom Huang
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Chelsea Chen
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Tatiana Zavorotinskaya
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Dena Sutimantanapi
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Joanna Waszczuk
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Erica Jackson
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Elizabeth Huang
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Qiuping Ye
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Valeria R Fantin
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
| | - Daqing Sun
- ORIC Pharmaceuticals , 240 East Grand Avenue, Fl2 , South San Francisco , California 94080 , United States
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47
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Di Lorenzo G, Ricci G, Severini GM, Romano F, Biffi S. Imaging and therapy of ovarian cancer: clinical application of nanoparticles and future perspectives. Theranostics 2018; 8:4279-4294. [PMID: 30214620 PMCID: PMC6134923 DOI: 10.7150/thno.26345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite significant advances in cancer diagnostics and treatment, ovarian cancers (OC) continue to kill more than 150,000 women every year worldwide. Due to the relatively asymptomatic nature and the advanced stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis, OC is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. The current treatment for advanced OC relies on the synergistic effect of combining surgical cytoreduction and chemotherapy; however, beside the fact that chemotherapy resistance is a major challenge in OC management, new imaging strategies are needed to target microscopic lesions and improve both cytoreductive surgery and patient outcomes. In this context, nanostructured probes are emerging as a new class of medical tool that can simultaneously provide imaging contrast, target tumor cells, and carry a wide range of medicines resulting in better diagnosis and therapeutic precision. Herein we summarize several exemplary efforts in nanomedicine for addressing unmet clinical needs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Stefania Biffi
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
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48
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West DC, Kocherginsky M, Tonsing-Carter EY, Dolcen DN, Hosfield DJ, Lastra RR, Sinnwell JP, Thompson KJ, Bowie KR, Harkless RV, Skor MN, Pierce CF, Styke SC, Kim CR, de Wet L, Greene GL, Boughey JC, Goetz MP, Kalari KR, Wang L, Fleming GF, Györffy B, Conzen SD. Discovery of a Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) Activity Signature Using Selective GR Antagonism in ER-Negative Breast Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2018; 24:3433-3446. [PMID: 29636357 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-2793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: Although high glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression in early-stage estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer is associated with shortened relapse-free survival (RFS), how associated GR transcriptional activity contributes to aggressive breast cancer behavior is not well understood. Using potent GR antagonists and primary tumor gene expression data, we sought to identify a tumor-relevant gene signature based on GR activity that would be more predictive than GR expression alone.Experimental Design: Global gene expression and GR ChIP-sequencing were performed to identify GR-regulated genes inhibited by two chemically distinct GR antagonists, mifepristone and CORT108297. Differentially expressed genes from MDA-MB-231 cells were cross-evaluated with significantly expressed genes in GR-high versus GR-low ER-negative primary breast cancers. The resulting subset of GR-targeted genes was analyzed in two independent ER-negative breast cancer cohorts to derive and then validate the GR activity signature (GRsig).Results: Gene expression pathway analysis of glucocorticoid-regulated genes (inhibited by GR antagonism) revealed cell survival and invasion functions. GR ChIP-seq analysis demonstrated that GR antagonists decreased GR chromatin association for a subset of genes. A GRsig that comprised n = 74 GR activation-associated genes (also reversed by GR antagonists) was derived from an adjuvant chemotherapy-treated Discovery cohort and found to predict probability of relapse in a separate Validation cohort (HR = 1.9; P = 0.012).Conclusions: The GRsig discovered herein identifies high-risk ER-negative/GR-positive breast cancers most likely to relapse despite administration of adjuvant chemotherapy. Because GR antagonism can reverse expression of these genes, we propose that addition of a GR antagonist to chemotherapy may improve outcome for these high-risk patients. Clin Cancer Res; 24(14); 3433-46. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana C West
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Chemistry and Physics, Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, Florida
| | - Masha Kocherginsky
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | - D Nesli Dolcen
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - David J Hosfield
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ricardo R Lastra
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jason P Sinnwell
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Kevin J Thompson
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Kathleen R Bowie
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ryan V Harkless
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Maxwell N Skor
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Charles F Pierce
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Sarah C Styke
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Caroline R Kim
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Larischa de Wet
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Geoffrey L Greene
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Judy C Boughey
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Matthew P Goetz
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.,Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Krishna R Kalari
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Liewei Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Gini F Fleming
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Balázs Györffy
- MTA-TTK Lendület Cancer Biomarker Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Budapest, Hungary.,Semmelweis University, Second Department of Pediatrics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Suzanne D Conzen
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. .,Ben May Department for Cancer Research, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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Chen Y, Yu T. Glucocorticoid receptor activation is associated with increased resistance to heat-induced hyperthermia and injury. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2018; 222:e13015. [PMID: 29230949 DOI: 10.1111/apha.13015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
AIM Anti-inflammatory mediators likely play a key role in maintaining thermal homeostasis and providing protection against heat stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between activation of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and resistance to heat-induced hyperthermia and injury. METHODS Effects of heat exposure on core body temperature, muscle GR phosphorylation status and subcellular expression were examined in control mice and thermal acclimation (TA)-exposed mice. In addition, effects of TA and corticosterone on C2C12 mouse myoblast viability and subcellular GR were assessed during heat exposure. RESULTS Phosphorylated, nuclear and mitochondrial GR levels were significantly higher in the gastrocnemius muscles of mice with mild hyperthermia (tolerant), compared to mice with severe hyperthermia (intolerant) during a heat exposure test. Similar changes were found in mice after TA, compared to non-TA-exposed controls. Additional groups of TA and non-TA-exposed mice underwent a heat exposure test. TA mice presented a significantly lower hyperthermic response during heat exposure than non-TA-exposed control. C2C12 cells exposed to TA incubation had higher viability against heat shock and showed higher GR levels in their mitochondria and nuclei detected by Western blot analysis and fluorescence microscopy, compared to cells exposed to normal incubation. Furthermore, pre-incubation with 0.1 μM corticosterone increased C2C12 cell viability during heat exposure and mitochondrial and nuclear GR expression. CONCLUSION The results of these in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that GR activation is associated with increased resistance against heat-induced hyperthermia and injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y. Chen
- Department of Military and Emergency Medicine Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Bethesda MD USA
| | - T. Yu
- Department of Military and Emergency Medicine Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Bethesda MD USA
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The Two Faces of Adjuvant Glucocorticoid Treatment in Ovarian Cancer. Discov Oncol 2018; 9:95-107. [PMID: 29313170 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-017-0319-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adjuvant glucocorticoid treatment is routinely used in the treatment of ovarian cancer to mitigate the undesirable side effects of chemotherapy, thereby enhancing tolerability to higher cytotoxic drug doses and frequency of treatment cycles. However, in vitro and preclinical in vivo and ex vivo studies indicate that glucocorticoids may spare tumor cells from undergoing cell death through enhanced cell adhesion, promotion of anti-inflammatory signaling, and/or inhibition of apoptotic pathways. The implications of laboratory studies showing potential negative impact on the efficacy of chemotherapy have been long overlooked since clinical investigations have found no apparent survival detriment attributable to adjuvant glucocorticoid use. Importantly, these clinical studies were not randomized and most did not consider glucocorticoid receptor status, a vital determinant of tumor response to glucocorticoid administration. Additionally, the clinically beneficial elements of increased chemotherapy treatment adherence and dosing afforded by adjuvant glucocorticoids may offset and therefore mask their anti-chemotherapy activities. This review summarizes the current evidence on the impact of glucocorticoids in ovarian cancer and discusses the need for further research and development of alternative strategies to ameliorate untoward side effects of chemotherapy.
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