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Weinstein N, Carlsen J, Schulz S, Stapleton T, Henriksen HH, Travnik E, Johansson PI. A Lifelike guided journey through the pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension-from measured metabolites to the mechanism of action of drugs. Front Cardiovasc Med 2024; 11:1341145. [PMID: 38845688 PMCID: PMC11153715 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1341145] [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: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a pathological condition that affects approximately 1% of the population. The prognosis for many patients is poor, even after treatment. Our knowledge about the pathophysiological mechanisms that cause or are involved in the progression of PH is incomplete. Additionally, the mechanism of action of many drugs used to treat pulmonary hypertension, including sotatercept, requires elucidation. Methods Using our graph-powered knowledge mining software Lifelike in combination with a very small patient metabolite data set, we demonstrate how we derive detailed mechanistic hypotheses on the mechanisms of PH pathophysiology and clinical drugs. Results In PH patients, the concentration of hypoxanthine, 12(S)-HETE, glutamic acid, and sphingosine 1 phosphate is significantly higher, while the concentration of L-arginine and L-histidine is lower than in healthy controls. Using the graph-based data analysis, gene ontology, and semantic association capabilities of Lifelike, led us to connect the differentially expressed metabolites with G-protein signaling and SRC. Then, we associated SRC with IL6 signaling. Subsequently, we found associations that connect SRC, and IL6 to activin and BMP signaling. Lastly, we analyzed the mechanisms of action of several existing and novel pharmacological treatments for PH. Lifelike elucidated the interplay between G-protein, IL6, activin, and BMP signaling. Those pathways regulate hallmark pathophysiological processes of PH, including vasoconstriction, endothelial barrier function, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Discussion The results highlight the importance of SRC, ERK1, AKT, and MLC activity in PH. The molecular pathways affected by existing and novel treatments for PH also converge on these molecules. Importantly, sotatercept affects SRC, ERK1, AKT, and MLC simultaneously. The present study shows the power of mining knowledge graphs using Lifelike's diverse set of data analytics functionalities for developing knowledge-driven hypotheses on PH pathophysiological and drug mechanisms and their interactions. We believe that Lifelike and our presented approach will be valuable for future mechanistic studies of PH, other diseases, and drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Weinstein
- CAG Center for Endotheliomics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jørn Carlsen
- CAG Center for Endotheliomics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sebastian Schulz
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Timothy Stapleton
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Hanne H. Henriksen
- CAG Center for Endotheliomics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Evelyn Travnik
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pär Ingemar Johansson
- CAG Center for Endotheliomics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Ellis LV, Bywaters JD, Chen J. Endothelial deletion of p53 generates transitional endothelial cells and improves lung development during neonatal hyperoxia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.07.593014. [PMID: 38766251 PMCID: PMC11100739 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.07.593014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a prevalent and chronic lung disease affecting premature newborns, results in vascular rarefaction and alveolar simplification. Although the vasculature has been recognized as a main player in this disease, the recently found capillary heterogeneity and cellular dynamics of endothelial subpopulations in BPD remain unclear. Here, we show Cap2 cells are damaged during neonatal hyperoxic injury, leading to their replacement by Cap1 cells which, in turn, significantly decline. Single-cell RNA-seq identifies the activation of numerous p53 target genes in endothelial cells, including Cdkn1a (p21). While global deletion of p53 results in worsened vasculature, endothelial-specific deletion of p53 reverses the vascular phenotype and improves alveolar simplification during hyperoxia. This recovery is associated with the emergence of a transitional EC state, enriched for oxidative stress response genes and growth factors. These findings implicate the p53 pathway in EC type transition during injury-repair and highlights the endothelial contributions to BPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisandra Vila Ellis
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Jonathan D Bywaters
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Jichao Chen
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perinatal Institute Division of Pulmonary Biology, University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
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Sun J, Zhu W, Luan M, Xing Y, Feng Z, Zhu J, Ma X, Wang Y, Jia Y. Positive GLI1/INHBA feedback loop drives tumor progression in gastric cancer. Cancer Sci 2024. [PMID: 38676428 DOI: 10.1111/cas.16193] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
GLI1, a key transcription factor of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, plays an important role in the development of cancer. However, the function and mechanisms by which GLI1 regulates gene transcription are not fully understood in gastric cancer (GC). Here, we found that GLI1 induced the proliferation and metastasis of GC cells, accompanied by transcriptional upregulation of INHBA. This increased INHBA expression exerted a promoting activity on Smads signaling and then transcriptionally activated GLI1 expression. Notably, our results demonstrate that disrupting the interaction between GLI1 and INHBA could inhibit GC tumorigenesis in vivo. More intriguingly, we confirmed the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) activation mechanism of the Helicobacter pylori/FTO/YTHDF2/GLI1 pathway in GC cells. In conclusion, our study confirmed that the GLI1/INHBA positive feedback loop influences GC progression and revealed the mechanism by which H. pylori upregulates GLI1 expression through m6A modification. This positive GLI1/INHBA feedback loop suggests a novel noncanonical mechanism of GLI1 activity in GC and provides potential therapeutic targets for GC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingguo Sun
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Wenshuai Zhu
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Muhua Luan
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yuanxin Xing
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Zhaotian Feng
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Jingyu Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaoli Ma
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Yunshan Wang
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Yanfei Jia
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
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4
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Paloschi V, Pauli J, Winski G, Wu Z, Li Z, Botti L, Meucci S, Conti P, Rogowitz F, Glukha N, Hummel N, Busch A, Chernogubova E, Jin H, Sachs N, Eckstein HH, Dueck A, Boon RA, Bausch AR, Maegdefessel L. Utilization of an Artery-on-a-Chip to Unravel Novel Regulators and Therapeutic Targets in Vascular Diseases. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2302907. [PMID: 37797407 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202302907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
In this study, organ-on-chip technology is used to develop an in vitro model of medium-to-large size arteries, the artery-on-a-chip (AoC), with the objective to recapitulate the structure of the arterial wall and the relevant hemodynamic forces affecting luminal cells. AoCs exposed either to in vivo-like shear stress values or kept in static conditions are assessed to generate a panel of novel genes modulated by shear stress. Considering the crucial role played by shear stress alterations in carotid arteries affected by atherosclerosis (CAD) and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) disease development/progression, a patient cohort of hemodynamically relevant specimens is utilized, consisting of diseased and non-diseased (internal control) vessel regions from the same patient. Genes activated by shear stress follow the same expression pattern in non-diseased segments of human vessels. Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) enables to discriminate the unique cell subpopulations between non-diseased and diseased vessel portions, revealing an enrichment of flow activated genes in structural cells originating from non-diseased specimens. Furthermore, the AoC served as a platform for drug-testing. It reproduced the effects of a therapeutic agent (lenvatinib) previously used in preclinical AAA studies, therefore extending the understanding of its therapeutic effect through a multicellular structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Paloschi
- Department for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Technical University of Munich, 80333, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research DZHK, Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, 80336, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jessica Pauli
- Department for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Technical University of Munich, 80333, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research DZHK, Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, 80336, Berlin, Germany
| | - Greg Winski
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Unit, Karolinska Institute, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Zhiyuan Wu
- Department for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Technical University of Munich, 80333, Munich, Germany
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, 10073, P. R. China
| | - Zhaolong Li
- Department for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Technical University of Munich, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Lorenzo Botti
- Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, 24129, Italy
| | - Sandro Meucci
- Micronit Microtechnologies, Enschede, 15 7521, The Netherlands
| | - Pierangelo Conti
- Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, 24129, Italy
| | | | - Nadiya Glukha
- Department for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Technical University of Munich, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Nora Hummel
- Department for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Technical University of Munich, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Albert Busch
- Department for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Technical University of Munich, 80333, Munich, Germany
- Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Department for Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus and University Hospital, Technical University Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ekaterina Chernogubova
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Unit, Karolinska Institute, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hong Jin
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Unit, Karolinska Institute, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nadja Sachs
- Department for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Technical University of Munich, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Hans-Henning Eckstein
- Department for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Technical University of Munich, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Anne Dueck
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research DZHK, Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, 80336, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technical University of Munich, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Reinier A Boon
- Department of Physiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences (ACS), Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
- Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Center of Molecular Medicine, Goethe-University, 60323, Frankfurt, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research DZHK, Partner Site Frankfurt Rhine-Main, 10785, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas R Bausch
- Department of Cellular Biophysics, Technical University of Munich, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Lars Maegdefessel
- Department for Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Technical University of Munich, 80333, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research DZHK, Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, 80336, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Unit, Karolinska Institute, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
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Pinjusic K, Ambrosini G, Lourenco J, Fournier N, Iseli C, Guex N, Egorova O, Nassiri S, Constam DB. Inhibition of anti-tumor immunity by melanoma cell-derived Activin-A depends on STING. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1335207. [PMID: 38304252 PMCID: PMC10830842 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1335207] [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: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family member activin A (hereafter Activin-A) is overexpressed in many cancer types, often correlating with cancer-associated cachexia and poor prognosis. Activin-A secretion by melanoma cells indirectly impedes CD8+ T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity and promotes resistance to immunotherapies, even though Activin-A can be proinflammatory in other contexts. To identify underlying mechanisms, we here analyzed the effect of Activin-A on syngeneic grafts of Braf mutant YUMM3.3 mouse melanoma cells and on their microenvironment using single-cell RNA sequencing. We found that the Activin-A-induced immune evasion was accompanied by a proinflammatory interferon signature across multiple cell types, and that the associated increase in tumor growth depended at least in part on pernicious STING activity within the melanoma cells. Besides corroborating a role for proinflammatory signals in facilitating immune evasion, our results suggest that STING holds considerable potential as a therapeutic target to mitigate tumor-promoting Activin-A signaling at least in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Pinjusic
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), SV ISREC, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giovanna Ambrosini
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Joao Lourenco
- Translational Data Science Facility, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, AGORA Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nadine Fournier
- Translational Data Science Facility, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, AGORA Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian Iseli
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Guex
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Bioinformatics Competence Center, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olga Egorova
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), SV ISREC, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sina Nassiri
- Translational Data Science Facility, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, AGORA Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniel B Constam
- Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), SV ISREC, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Cantu A, Gutierrez MC, Dong X, Leek C, Anguera M, Lingappan K. Modulation of recovery from neonatal hyperoxic lung injury by sex as a biological variable. Redox Biol 2023; 68:102933. [PMID: 38661305 PMCID: PMC10628633 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Recovery from lung injury during the neonatal period requires the orchestration of many biological pathways. The modulation of such pathways can drive the developing lung towards proper repair or persistent maldevelopment that can lead to a disease phenotype. Sex as a biological variable can regulate these pathways differently in the male and female lung exposed to neonatal hyperoxia. In this study, we assessed the contribution of cellular diversity in the male and female neonatal lung following injury. Our objective was to investigate sex and cell-type specific transcriptional changes that drive repair or persistent injury in the neonatal lung and delineate the alterations in the immune-endothelial cell communication networks using single cell RNA sequencing (sc-RNAseq) in a murine model of hyperoxic injury. We generated transcriptional profiles of >55,000 cells isolated from the lungs of postnatal day 1 (PND 1; pre-exposure), PND 7, and PND 21neonatal male and female C57BL/6 mice exposed to 95 % FiO2 between PND 1-5 (saccular stage of lung development). We show the presence of sex-based differences in the transcriptional states of lung endothelial and immune cells at PND 1 and PND 21. Furthermore, we demonstrate that biological sex significantly influences the response to injury, with a greater number of differentially expressed genes showing sex-specific patterns than those shared between male and female lungs. Pseudotime trajectory analysis highlighted genes needed for lung development that were altered by hyperoxia. Finally, we show intercellular communication between endothelial and immune cells at saccular and alveolar stages of lung development with sex-based biases in the crosstalk and identify novel ligand-receptor pairs. Our findings provide valuable insights into the cell diversity, transcriptional state, developmental trajectory, and cell-cell communication underlying neonatal lung injury, with implications for understanding lung development and possible therapeutic interventions while highlighting the crucial role of sex as a biological variable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abiud Cantu
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Xiaoyu Dong
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Connor Leek
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Montserrat Anguera
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Krithika Lingappan
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Cantu A, Gutierrez MC, Dong X, Leek C, Anguera M, Lingappan K. Modulation of Recovery from Neonatal Hyperoxic Lung Injury by Sex as a Biological Variable. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.09.552532. [PMID: 37609288 PMCID: PMC10441379 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.09.552532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Recovery from lung injury during the neonatal period requires the orchestration of many biological pathways. The modulation of such pathways can drive the developing lung towards proper repair or persistent maldevelopment that can lead to a disease phenotype. Sex as a biological variable can regulate these pathways differently in the male and female lung exposed to neonatal hyperoxia. In this study, we assessed the contribution of cellular diversity in the male and female neonatal lung following injury. Our objective was to investigate sex and cell-type specific transcriptional changes that drive repair or persistent injury in the neonatal lung and delineate the alterations in the immune-endothelial cell communication networks using single cell RNA sequencing (sc-RNAseq) in a murine model of hyperoxic injury. We generated transcriptional profiles of >55,000 cells isolated from the lungs of postnatal day 1 (PND 1) and postnatal day 21 (PND 21) neonatal male and female C57BL/6 mice exposed to 95% FiO 2 between PND 1-5 (saccular stage of lung development). We show the presence of sex-based differences in the transcriptional states of lung endothelial and immune cells at PND 1 and PND 21. Furthermore, we demonstrate that biological sex significantly influences the response to injury, with a greater number of differentially expressed genes showing sex-specific patterns than those shared between male and female lungs. Pseudotime trajectory analysis highlighted genes needed for lung development that were altered by hyperoxia. Finally, we show intercellular communication between endothelial and immune cells at saccular and alveolar stages of lung development with sex-based biases in the crosstalk and identify novel ligand-receptor pairs. Our findings provide valuable insights into the cell diversity, transcriptional state, developmental trajectory, and cell-cell communication underlying neonatal lung injury, with implications for understanding lung development and possible therapeutic interventions while highlighting the crucial role of sex as a biological variable.
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Manohar-Sindhu S, Merfeld-Clauss S, Goddard Y, March KL, Traktuev DO. Diminished vasculogenesis under inflammatory conditions is mediated by Activin A. Angiogenesis 2023; 26:423-436. [PMID: 36977946 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-023-09873-w] [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: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Severe inflammatory stress often leads to vessel rarefaction and fibrosis, resulting in limited tissue recovery. However, signaling pathways mediating these processes are not completely understood. Patients with ischemic and inflammatory conditions have increased systemic Activin A level, which frequently correlates with the severity of pathology. Yet, Activin A's contribution to disease progression, specifically to vascular homeostasis and remodeling, is not well defined. This study investigated vasculogenesis in an inflammatory environment with an emphasis on Activin A's role. Exposure of endothelial cells (EC) and perivascular cells (adipose stromal cells, ASC) to inflammatory stimuli (represented by blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors activated with lipopolysaccharide, aPBMC) dramatically decreased EC tubulogenesis or caused vessel rarefaction compared to control co-cultures, concurrent with increased Activin A secretion. Both EC and ASC upregulated Inhibin Ba mRNA and Activin A secretion in response to aPBMC or their secretome. We identified TNFα (in EC) and IL-1β (in EC and ASC) as the exclusive inflammatory factors, present in aPBMC secretome, responsible for induction of Activin A. Similar to ASC, brain and placental pericytes upregulated Activin A in response to aPBMC and IL-1β, but not TNFα. Both these cytokines individually diminished EC tubulogenesis. Blocking Activin A with neutralizing IgG mitigated detrimental effects of aPBMC or TNFα/IL-1β on tubulogenesis in vitro and vessel formation in vivo. This study delineates the signaling pathway through which inflammatory cells have a detrimental effect on vessel formation and homeostasis, and highlights the central role of Activin A in this process. Transitory interference with Activin A during early phases of inflammatory or ischemic insult, with neutralizing antibodies or scavengers, may benefit vasculature preservation and overall tissue recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahana Manohar-Sindhu
- UF Center for Regenerative Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, UF College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Stephanie Merfeld-Clauss
- UF Center for Regenerative Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, UF College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Yana Goddard
- UF Center for Regenerative Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, UF College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Keith L March
- UF Center for Regenerative Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, UF College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Dmitry O Traktuev
- UF Center for Regenerative Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, UF College of Medicine, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, PO Box 100277, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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Wiley MB, Bauer J, Mehrotra K, Zessner-Spitzenberg J, Kolics Z, Cheng W, Castellanos K, Nash MG, Gui X, Kone L, Maker AV, Qiao G, Reddi D, Church DN, Kerr RS, Kerr DJ, Grippo PJ, Jung B. Non-Canonical Activin A Signaling Stimulates Context-Dependent and Cellular-Specific Outcomes in CRC to Promote Tumor Cell Migration and Immune Tolerance. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3003. [PMID: 37296966 PMCID: PMC10252122 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15113003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
We have shown that activin A (activin), a TGF-β superfamily member, has pro-metastatic effects in colorectal cancer (CRC). In lung cancer, activin activates pro-metastatic pathways to enhance tumor cell survival and migration while augmenting CD4+ to CD8+ communications to promote cytotoxicity. Here, we hypothesized that activin exerts cell-specific effects in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of CRC to promote anti-tumoral activity of immune cells and the pro-metastatic behavior of tumor cells in a cell-specific and context-dependent manner. We generated an Smad4 epithelial cell specific knockout (Smad4-/-) which was crossed with TS4-Cre mice to identify SMAD-specific changes in CRC. We also performed IHC and digital spatial profiling (DSP) of tissue microarrays (TMAs) obtained from 1055 stage II and III CRC patients in the QUASAR 2 clinical trial. We transfected the CRC cells to reduce their activin production and injected them into mice with intermittent tumor measurements to determine how cancer-derived activin alters tumor growth in vivo. In vivo, Smad4-/- mice displayed elevated colonic activin and pAKT expression and increased mortality. IHC analysis of the TMA samples revealed increased activin was required for TGF-β-associated improved outcomes in CRC. DSP analysis identified that activin co-localization in the stroma was coupled with increases in T-cell exhaustion markers, activation markers of antigen presenting cells (APCs), and effectors of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Activin-stimulated PI3K-dependent CRC transwell migration, and the in vivo loss of activin lead to smaller CRC tumors. Taken together, activin is a targetable, highly context-dependent molecule with effects on CRC growth, migration, and TME immune plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark B. Wiley
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (M.B.W.); (K.M.)
| | - Jessica Bauer
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (M.B.W.); (K.M.)
| | - Kunaal Mehrotra
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (M.B.W.); (K.M.)
| | - Jasmin Zessner-Spitzenberg
- Clinical Department for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Zoe Kolics
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (M.B.W.); (K.M.)
| | - Wenxuan Cheng
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (M.B.W.); (K.M.)
| | - Karla Castellanos
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Michael G. Nash
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Xianyong Gui
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lyonell Kone
- Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Ajay V. Maker
- Department of Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
| | - Guilin Qiao
- Department of Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
| | - Deepti Reddi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - David N. Church
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 4BH, UK
- NIHR Oxford Comprehensive Biomedical Research Center, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 4BH, UK
| | - Rachel S. Kerr
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 4BH, UK
| | - David J. Kerr
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 4BH, UK
| | - Paul J. Grippo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Barbara Jung
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (M.B.W.); (K.M.)
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10
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Cheng HS, Pérez-Cremades D, Zhuang R, Jamaiyar A, Wu W, Chen J, Tzani A, Stone L, Plutzky J, Ryan TE, Goodney PP, Creager MA, Sabatine MS, Bonaca MP, Feinberg MW. Impaired angiogenesis in diabetic critical limb ischemia is mediated by a miR-130b/INHBA signaling axis. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e163041. [PMID: 37097749 PMCID: PMC10322685 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.163041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and diabetes compose a high-risk population for development of critical limb ischemia (CLI) and amputation, although the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Comparison of dysregulated microRNAs from diabetic patients with PAD and diabetic mice with limb ischemia revealed the conserved microRNA, miR-130b-3p. In vitro angiogenic assays demonstrated that miR-130b rapidly promoted proliferation, migration, and sprouting in endothelial cells (ECs), whereas miR-130b inhibition exerted antiangiogenic effects. Local delivery of miR-130b mimics into ischemic muscles of diabetic mice (db/db) following femoral artery ligation (FAL) promoted revascularization by increasing angiogenesis and markedly improved limb necrosis and amputation. RNA-Seq and gene set enrichment analysis from miR-130b-overexpressing ECs revealed the BMP/TGF-β signaling pathway as one of the top dysregulated pathways. Accordingly, overlapping downregulated transcripts from RNA-Seq and miRNA prediction algorithms identified that miR-130b directly targeted and repressed the TGF-β superfamily member inhibin-β-A (INHBA). miR-130b overexpression or siRNA-mediated knockdown of INHBA induced IL-8 expression, a potent angiogenic chemokine. Lastly, ectopic delivery of silencer RNAs (siRNA) targeting Inhba in db/db ischemic muscles following FAL improved revascularization and limb necrosis, recapitulating the phenotype of miR-130b delivery. Taken together, a miR-130b/INHBA signaling axis may provide therapeutic targets for patients with PAD and diabetes at risk of developing CLI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry S Cheng
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel Pérez-Cremades
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, and INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rulin Zhuang
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Anurag Jamaiyar
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Winona Wu
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jingshu Chen
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Aspasia Tzani
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lauren Stone
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Jorge Plutzky
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Terence E Ryan
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Philip P Goodney
- Heart and Vascular Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Mark A Creager
- Heart and Vascular Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Marc S Sabatine
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marc P Bonaca
- CPC Clinical Research, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Mark W Feinberg
- Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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11
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Payano VJH, Lopes LVDA, Peixoto LR, Silva KAD, Ortiga-Carvalho TM, Tafuri A, Vago AR, Bloise E. Immunostaining of βA-Activin and Follistatin Is Decreased in HPV(+) Cervical Pre-Neoplastic and Neoplastic Lesions. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051031. [PMID: 37243119 DOI: 10.3390/v15051031] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The activin-follistatin system regulates several cellular processes, including differentiation and tumorigenesis. We hypothesized that the immunostaining of βA-activin and follistatin varies in neoplastic cervical lesions. Cervical paraffin-embedded tissues from 162 patients sorted in control (n = 15), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade 1 (n = 38), CIN2 (n = 37), CIN3 (n = 39), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; n = 33) groups were examined for βA-activin and follistatin immunostaining. Human papillomavirus (HPV) detection and genotyping were performed by PCR and immunohistochemistry. Sixteen samples were inconclusive for HPV detection. In total, 93% of the specimens exhibited HPV positivity, which increased with patient age. The most detected high-risk (HR)-HPV type was HPV16 (41.2%) followed by HPV18 (16%). The immunostaining of cytoplasmatic βA-activin and follistatin was higher than nuclear immunostaining in all cervical epithelium layers of the CIN1, CIN2, CIN3, and SCC groups. A significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the cytoplasmic and nuclear immunostaining of βA-activin was detected in all cervical epithelial layers from the control to the CIN1, CIN2, CIN3, and SCC groups. Only nuclear follistatin immunostaining exhibited a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in specific epithelial layers of cervical tissues from CIN1, CIN2, CIN3, and SCC compared to the control. Decreased immunostaining of cervical βA-activin and follistatin at specific stages of CIN progression suggests that the activin-follistatin system participates in the loss of the differentiation control of pre-neoplastic and neoplastic cervical specimens predominantly positive for HPV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Jesus Huaringa Payano
- Laboratório de Patogênese Molecular, Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-910, MG, Brazil
| | - Lara Verônica de Araújo Lopes
- Laboratório de Patogênese Molecular, Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-910, MG, Brazil
| | - Larissa Rodrigues Peixoto
- Laboratório de Patogênese Molecular, Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-910, MG, Brazil
| | - Keila Alves da Silva
- Laboratório de Patogênese Molecular, Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-910, MG, Brazil
| | - Tania Maria Ortiga-Carvalho
- Laboratório de Endocrinologia Translacional, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Tafuri
- Laboratório de Anatomia Patológica Tafuri, Belo Horizonte 30170-133, MG, Brazil
| | - Annamaria Ravara Vago
- Laboratório de Patogênese Molecular, Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-910, MG, Brazil
| | - Enrrico Bloise
- Laboratório de Patogênese Molecular, Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-910, MG, Brazil
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12
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Inactivating the Uninhibited: The Tale of Activins and Inhibins in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043332. [PMID: 36834742 PMCID: PMC9963072 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in technology and biomedical knowledge have led to the effective diagnosis and treatment of an increasing number of rare diseases. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disorder of the pulmonary vasculature that is associated with high mortality and morbidity rates. Although significant progress has been made in understanding PAH and its diagnosis and treatment, numerous unanswered questions remain regarding pulmonary vascular remodeling, a major factor contributing to the increase in pulmonary arterial pressure. Here, we discuss the role of activins and inhibins, both of which belong to the TGF-β superfamily, in PAH development. We examine how these relate to signaling pathways implicated in PAH pathogenesis. Furthermore, we discuss how activin/inhibin-targeting drugs, particularly sotatercep, affect pathophysiology, as these target the afore-mentioned specific pathway. We highlight activin/inhibin signaling as a critical mediator of PAH development that is to be targeted for therapeutic gain, potentially improving patient outcomes in the future.
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13
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Evans ET, Horst B, Arend RC, Mythreye K. Evolving roles of activins and inhibins in ovarian cancer pathophysiology. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2023; 324:C428-C437. [PMID: 36622068 PMCID: PMC9902228 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00178.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Activins and inhibins are unique members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) family of growth factors, with the ability to exert autocrine, endocrine, and paracrine effects in a wide range of complex physiologic and pathologic processes. Although first isolated within the pituitary, emerging evidence suggests broader influence beyond reproductive development and function. Known roles of activin and inhibin in angiogenesis and immunity along with correlations between gene expression and cancer prognosis suggest potential roles in tumorigenesis. Here, we present a review of the current understanding of the biological role of activins and inhibins as it relates to ovarian cancers, summarizing the underlying signaling mechanisms and physiologic influence, followed by detailing their roles in cancer progression, diagnosis, and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T Evans
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Ben Horst
- Department of Pathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Rebecca C Arend
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Karthikeyan Mythreye
- Department of Pathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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14
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Ganjoo S, Puebla-Osorio N, Nanez S, Hsu E, Voss T, Barsoumian H, Duong LK, Welsh JW, Cortez MA. Bone morphogenetic proteins, activins, and growth and differentiation factors in tumor immunology and immunotherapy resistance. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1033642. [PMID: 36353620 PMCID: PMC9638036 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1033642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The TGF-β superfamily is a group of secreted polypeptides with key roles in exerting and regulating a variety of physiologic effects, especially those related to cell signaling, growth, development, and differentiation. Although its central member, TGF-β, has been extensively reviewed, other members of the family-namely bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), activins, and growth and differentiation factors (GDFs)-have not been as thoroughly investigated. Moreover, although the specific roles of TGF-β signaling in cancer immunology and immunotherapy resistance have been extensively reported, little is known of the roles of BMPs, activins, and GDFs in these domains. This review focuses on how these superfamily members influence key immune cells in cancer progression and resistance to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Maria Angelica Cortez
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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15
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The Stability and Anti-Angiogenic Properties of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) Using Caco-2 Cells. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12101334. [PMID: 36291543 PMCID: PMC9599851 DOI: 10.3390/biom12101334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) are found in a wide range of products such as sunscreen, paints, toothpaste and cosmetics due to their white pigment and high refractive index. These wide-ranging applications could result in direct or indirect exposure of these NPs to humans and the environment. Accordingly, conflicting levels of toxicity has been associated with these NPs. Therefore, the risk associated with these reports and for TiO2NPs produced using varying methodologies should be measured. This study aimed to investigate the effects of various media on TiO2NP properties (hydrodynamic size and zeta potential) and the effects of TiO2NP exposure on human colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) epithelial cell viability, inflammatory and cell stress biomarkers and angiogenesis proteome profiles. The NPs increased in size over time in the various media, while zeta potentials were stable. TiO2NPs also induced cell stress biomarkers, which could be attributed to the NPs not being cytotoxic. Consequently, TiO2NP exposure had no effects on the level of inflammatory biomarkers produced by Caco-2. TiO2NPs expressed some anti-angiogenic properties when exposed to the no-observed-adverse-effect level and requires further in-depth investigation.
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16
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Staudacher JJ, Arnold A, Kühl AA, Pötzsch M, Daum S, Winterfeld M, Berg E, Hummel M, Rau B, Stein U, Treese C. Prognostic impact of activin subunit inhibin beta A in gastric and esophageal adenocarcinomas. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:953. [PMID: 36064338 PMCID: PMC9446826 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-10016-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Adenocarcinomas of the esophagus (AEG) and stomach (AS) are among the most common cancers worldwide. Novel markers for risk stratification and guiding treatment are strongly needed. Activin is a multi-functional cytokine with context specific pro- and anti-tumorigenic effects. We aimed to investigate the prognostic role of activin tumor protein expression in AEG/ASs. METHODS Tissue from a retrospective cohort of 277 patients with AEG/AS treated primarily by surgery at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin was collected and analyzed by immunohistochemistry using a specific antibody to the activin homodimer inhibin beta A. Additionally, we evaluated T-cell infiltration and PD1 expression as well as expression of PD-L1 by immunohistochemistry as possible confounding factors. Clinico-pathologic data were collected and correlated with activin protein expression. RESULTS Out of 277 tumor samples, 72 (26.0%) exhibited high activin subunit inhibin beta A protein expression. Higher expression was correlated with lower Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stage and longer overall survival. Interestingly, activin subunit expression correlated with CD4+ T-cell infiltration, and the correlation with higher overall survival was exclusively seen in tumors with high CD4+ T-cell infiltration, pointing towards a role of activin in the tumor immune response in AEG/ASs. CONCLUSION In our cohort of AEG/AS, higher activin subunit levels were correlated with longer overall survival, an effect exclusively seen in tumors with high CD4+ cell infiltration. Further mechanistic research is warranted discerning the exact effect of this context specific cytokine.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Staudacher
- Medical Department, Division of Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Alexander Arnold
- Institute of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - A A Kühl
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, iPATH.Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Pötzsch
- Medical Department, Division of Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - S Daum
- Medical Department, Division of Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Winterfeld
- Institute of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - E Berg
- Institute of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Hummel
- Institute of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - B Rau
- Department of Surgery, Campus Virchow-Klinikum and Campus Mitte, Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - U Stein
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin and Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - C Treese
- Medical Department, Division of Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
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17
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Schmidt A, Fuchs M, Stojanović SD, Liang C, Schmidt K, Jung M, Xiao K, Weusthoff J, Just A, Pfanne A, Distler JHW, Dandekar T, Fiedler J, Thum T, Kunz M. Deciphering Pro-angiogenic Transcription Factor Profiles in Hypoxic Human Endothelial Cells by Combined Bioinformatics and in vitro Modeling. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:877450. [PMID: 35783871 PMCID: PMC9247153 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.877450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Constant supply of oxygen is crucial for multicellular tissue homeostasis and energy metabolism in cardiac tissue. As a first response to acute hypoxia, endothelial cells (ECs) promote recruitment and adherence of immune cells to the dysbalanced EC barrier by releasing inflammatory mediators and growth factors, whereas chronic hypoxia leads to the activation of a transcription factor (TF) battery, that potently induces expression of growth factors and cytokines including platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We report a hypoxia-minded, targeted bioinformatics approach aiming to identify and validate TFs that regulate angiogenic signaling. Results A comprehensive RNA-Seq dataset derived from human ECs subjected to normoxic or hypoxic conditions was selected to identify significantly regulated genes based on (i) fold change (normoxia vs. hypoxia) and (ii) relative abundancy. Transcriptional regulation of this gene set was confirmed via qPCR in validation experiments where HUVECs were subjected to hypoxic conditions for 24 h. Screening the promoter and upstream regulatory elements of these genes identified two TFs, KLF5 and SP1, both with a potential binding site within these regions of selected target genes. In vitro, siRNA experiments confirmed SP1- and KLF5-mediated regulation of identified hypoxia-sensitive endothelial genes. Next to angiogenic signaling, we also validated the impact of TFs on inflammatory signaling, both key events in hypoxic sensing. Both TFs impacted on inflammatory signaling since endogenous repression led to increased NF-κB signaling. Additionally, SP1 silencing eventuated decreased angiogenic properties in terms of proliferation and tube formation. Conclusion By detailed in silico analysis of promoter region and upstream regulatory elements for a list of hypoxia-sensitive genes, our bioinformatics approach identified putative binding sites for TFs of SP or KLF family in vitro. This strategy helped to identify TFs functionally involved in human angiogenic signaling and therefore serves as a base for identifying novel RNA-based drug entities in a therapeutic setting of vascularization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Schmidt
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD), Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Hanover, Germany
| | - Maximilian Fuchs
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD), Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Hanover, Germany
| | - Stevan D. Stojanović
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Chunguang Liang
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Kevin Schmidt
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD), Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Hanover, Germany
| | - Mira Jung
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Ke Xiao
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD), Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Hanover, Germany
| | - Jan Weusthoff
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD), Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Hanover, Germany
| | - Annette Just
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Angelika Pfanne
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Jörg H. W. Distler
- Department of Internal Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thomas Dandekar
- Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jan Fiedler
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD), Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Hanover, Germany
- Jan Fiedler,
| | - Thomas Thum
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD), Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Hanover, Germany
- Thomas Thum,
| | - Meik Kunz
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Immune-Mediated Diseases (CIMD), Hanover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Hanover, Germany
- Chair of Medical Informatics, Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Meik Kunz,
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18
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Li F, Long Y, Yu X, Tong Y, Gong L. Different Immunoregulation Roles of Activin A Compared With TGF-β. Front Immunol 2022; 13:921366. [PMID: 35774793 PMCID: PMC9237220 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.921366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Activin A, a critical member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily, is a pluripotent factor involved in allergies, autoimmune diseases, cancers and other diseases with immune disorder. Similar to its family member, TGF-β, activin A also transmits signals through SMAD2/SMAD3, however, they bind to distinct receptors. Recent studies have uncovered that activin A plays a pivotal role in both innate and adaptive immune systems. Here we mainly focus its effects on activation, differentiation, proliferation and function of cells which are indispensable in the immune system and meanwhile make some comparisons with those of TGF-β.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanglin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiru Long
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolu Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongliang Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Likun Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan, China
- *Correspondence: Likun Gong,
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19
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Chen YI, Chang CC, Hsu MF, Jeng YM, Tien YW, Chang MC, Chang YT, Hu CM, Lee WH. Homophilic ATP1A1 binding induces activin A secretion to promote EMT of tumor cells and myofibroblast activation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2945. [PMID: 35618735 PMCID: PMC9135720 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30638-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells with diverse phenotypes and biological behaviors are influenced by stromal cells through secretory factors or direct cell-cell contact. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by extensive desmoplasia with fibroblasts as the major cell type. In the present study, we observe enrichment of myofibroblasts in a juxta-tumoral position with tumor cells undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that facilitates invasion and correlates with a worse clinical prognosis in PDAC patients. Direct cell-cell contacts forming heterocellular aggregates between fibroblasts and tumor cells are detected in primary pancreatic tumors and circulating tumor microemboli (CTM). Mechanistically, ATP1A1 overexpressed in tumor cells binds to and reorganizes ATP1A1 of fibroblasts that induces calcium oscillations, NF-κB activation, and activin A secretion. Silencing ATP1A1 expression or neutralizing activin A secretion suppress tumor invasion and colonization. Taken together, these results elucidate the direct interplay between tumor cells and bound fibroblasts in PDAC progression, thereby providing potential therapeutic opportunities for inhibiting metastasis by interfering with these cell-cell interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ing Chen
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Chun Chang
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Master Program for Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, China Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Min-Fen Hsu
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Ming Jeng
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Graduate Institute of Pathology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Wen Tien
- Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chu Chang
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Chang
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Mei Hu
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Wen-Hwa Lee
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Drug Development Center, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, USA.
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20
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Kawagishi-Hotta M, Hasegawa S, Hasebe Y, Inoue Y, Okuno R, Arima M, Iwata Y, Sugiura K, Akamatsu H. Increase in Inhibin beta A/Activin-A expression in the human epidermis and the suppression of epidermal stem/progenitor cell proliferation with aging. J Dermatol Sci 2022; 106:150-158. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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21
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Tsuji-Tamura K, Tamura M. Basic fibroblast growth factor uniquely stimulates quiescent vascular smooth muscle cells and induces proliferation and dedifferentiation. FEBS Lett 2022; 596:1686-1699. [PMID: 35363891 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Blood vessels normally remain stable over the long-term. However, in atherosclerosis, vascular cells leave the quiescent state and enter an activated state. Here, we investigated the factors that trigger breakage of the quiescent state by screening growth factors and cytokines using a vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) line and an endothelial cell (EC) line. Despite known functions of the tested factors, only basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was identified as a potent trigger of quiescence breakage in SMCs, but not ECs. bFGF disrupted tight SMC-monolayers, and caused morphological changes, proliferation and dedifferentiation. Human primary SMCs, but not ECs, also showed similar results. Aberrant SMC-proliferation is a critical histological event in atherosclerosis. We thus provide further insights into the role of bFGF in vascular pathobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyomi Tsuji-Tamura
- Oral Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Oral Health Science, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 13, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8586, Japan
| | - Masato Tamura
- Oral Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Oral Health Science, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 13, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8586, Japan
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22
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Zhao K, Yi Y, Ma Z, Zhang W. INHBA is a Prognostic Biomarker and Correlated With Immune Cell Infiltration in Cervical Cancer. Front Genet 2022; 12:705512. [PMID: 35058963 PMCID: PMC8764128 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.705512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Inhibin A (INHBA), a member of the TGF-β superfamily, has been shown to be differentially expressed in various cancer types and is associated with prognosis. However, its role in cervical cancer remains unclear. Methods: We aimed to demonstrate the relationship between INHBA expression and pan-cancer using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Next, we validated INHBA expression in cervical cancer using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, including GSE7803, GSE63514, and GSE9750 datasets. Enrichment analysis of INHBA was performed using the R package “clusterProfiler.” We analyzed the association between immune infiltration level and INHBA expression in cervical cancer using the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) method by the R package GSVA. We explored the association between INHBA expression and prognosis using the R package “survival”. Results: Pan-cancer data analysis showed that INHBA expression was elevated in 19 tumor types, including cervical cancer. We further confirmed that INHBA expression was higher in cervical cancer samples from GEO database and cervical cancer cell lines than in normal cervical cells. Survival prognosis analysis indicated that higher INHBA expression was significantly associated with reduced Overall Survival (p = 0.001), disease Specific Survival (p = 0.006), and Progression Free Interval (p = 0.001) in cervical cancer and poorer prognosis in other tumors. GSEA and infiltration analysis showed that INHBA expression was significantly associated with tumor progression and some types of immune infiltrating cells. Conclusion:INHBA was highly expressed in cervical cancer and was significantly associated with poor prognosis. Meanwhile, it was correlated with immune cell infiltration and could be used as a promising prognostic target for cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaidi Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuexiong Yi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhou Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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23
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Chen Z, Xie Y, Chen W, Li T, Chen X, Liu B. RETRACTED: microRNA-6785-5p-loaded human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosomes suppress angiogenesis and metastasis in gastric cancer via INHBA. Life Sci 2021; 284:119222. [PMID: 33609542 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Concern was raised about the reliability of the Western blot results in Figs. 1D+F, 2G, 3C, 4C and 6C, which appear to have the same eyebrow shaped phenotype as many other publications tabulated here (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/149EjFXVxpwkBXYJOnOHb6RhAqT4a2llhj9LM60MBffM/edit#gid=0). The journal requested the corresponding author comment on these concerns and provide the raw data. However the authors were not able to satisfactorily fulfil this request and therefore the Editor-in-Chief decided to retract the article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zonglin Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Yong Xie
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Weidong Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Tiegang Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Xianyu Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China.
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan, China
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Bhagavatheeswaran S, Ramachandran V, Shanmugam S, Balakrishnan A. Isopimpinellin extends antiangiogenic effect through overexpression of miR-15b-5p and downregulating angiogenic stimulators. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 49:279-291. [PMID: 34709570 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06870-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from an existing vasculature through a series of processes such as activation, proliferation, and directed migration of endothelial cells. Angiogenesis is instrumental in the metastatic spread of tumors. Isopimpinellin, a furanocoumarin group of phytochemicals, is an anticarcinogenic agent. However, no studies have proven its antiangiogenic effects. The current study thus aimed to screen the antiangiogenic effect of isopimpinellin. METHODS AND RESULTS Human Umblical Vein Endothelial Cell (HUVEC) as an in vitro model and zebrafish embryos as an in vivo model was used in this study. The experimental results showed that isopimpinellin effectively inhibited HUVEC proliferation, invasion, migration, and tube formation, which are the key steps in angiogenesis by markedly suppressing the expression of pro-angiogenic genes VEGF, AKT, and HIF-1α. In addition, isopimpinellin exerts its anti-angiogenic effect through the regulation of miR-15b-5p and miR-542-3p. Furthermore, in zebrafish embryos, isopimpinellin inhibited the development of intersegmental vessels (ISVs) through the significant downregulation of all pro-angiogenic genes vegf, vegfr2, survivin, angpt-1, angpt-2, and tie-2. CONCLUSION Collectively, these experimental findings offer novel insights into the antiangiogenic nature of isopimpinellin and open new avenues for therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vinu Ramachandran
- Department of Genetics, Dr. ALM PG IBMS, University of Madras, Chennai, Tamilnadu, 600113, India
| | - Sambantham Shanmugam
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuro Science, Texas Tech University Health Sciences, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Anandan Balakrishnan
- Department of Genetics, Dr. ALM PG IBMS, University of Madras, Chennai, Tamilnadu, 600113, India.
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25
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Barany N, Rozsas A, Megyesfalvi Z, Grusch M, Hegedus B, Lang C, Boettiger K, Schwendenwein A, Tisza A, Renyi-Vamos F, Schelch K, Hoetzenecker K, Hoda MA, Paku S, Laszlo V, Dome B. Clinical relevance of circulating activin A and follistatin in small cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer 2021; 161:128-135. [PMID: 34583221 DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2021.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Circulating levels of activin A (ActA) and follistatin (FST) have been investigated in various disorders including malignancies. However, to date, their diagnostic and prognostic relevance is largely unknown in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Our aim was to evaluate circulating ActA and FST levels as potential biomarkers in this devastating disease. METHODS Seventy-nine Caucasian SCLC patients and 67 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were included in this study. Circulating ActA and FST concentrations were measured by ELISA and correlated with clinicopathological parameters and long-term outcomes. RESULTS Plasma ActA and FST concentrations were significantly elevated in SCLC patients when compared to healthy volunteers (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, extensive-stage SCLC patients had significantly higher circulating ActA levels than those with limited-stage disease (p = 0.0179). Circulating FST concentration was not associated with disease stage (p = 0.6859). Notably, patients with high (≥548.8 pg/ml) plasma ActA concentration exhibited significantly worse median overall survival (OS) compared to those with low (<548.8 pg/ml) ActA levels (p = 0.0009). Moreover, Cox regression analysis adjusted for clinicopathological parameters revealed that high ActA concentration is an independent predictor of shorter OS (HR: 1.932; p = 0.023). No significant differences in OS have been observed with regards to plasma FST levels (p = 0.1218). CONCLUSION Blood ActA levels are elevated and correlate with disease stage in SCLC patients. Measurement of circulating ActA levels might help in the estimation of prognosis in patients with SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandor Barany
- National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary; 1st Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anita Rozsas
- National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Megyesfalvi
- National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Michael Grusch
- Department of Medicine I, Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Balazs Hegedus
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ruhrlandklinik, University Clinic Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Christian Lang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kristiina Boettiger
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Schwendenwein
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Tisza
- National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary; 1st Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Renyi-Vamos
- National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Karin Schelch
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Medicine I, Institute of Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Konrad Hoetzenecker
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mir Alireza Hoda
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sandor Paku
- 1st Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Viktoria Laszlo
- National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Balazs Dome
- National Koranyi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Semmelweis University and National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary.
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26
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Li B, Dong X, Zhu J, Zhu T, Tao X, Peng D, Li Q. Crosstalk between H1975 tumor cells and platelets to induce the proliferation, migration and tube formation of vascular endothelial cells. Oncol Lett 2021; 22:676. [PMID: 34345301 PMCID: PMC8323013 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.12937] [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: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Activated platelets (PLTs) participate in the regulation of tumor angiogenesis, and tumors can activate PLTs. Whether co-culture of lung carcinoma with PLTs improves the function of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) requires further investigation. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of H1975 cell crosstalk with PLTs on the proliferation, migration and tube formation of HUVECs. Following generation of cell-derived supernatants and construction of the co-culture system, Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometry, transmission electron microscopy and a meter for epithelial measurement were performed to detect the proliferative ability of HUVECs. Furthermore, the wound healing and Transwell migration assays were performed to detect the migratory ability of HUVECs. A tube formation assay was performed to assess angiogenesis, ELISA was applied to detect the content of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and western blotting was carried out to measure the expression levels of VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) in HUVECs. Compared with single-cultured HUVECs (control), co-culture with H1975 cells and PLTs (Exp_HP) improved cell proliferation, increased the proportion of cells in the S-phase, destroyed the cell ultrastructure and decreased transepithelial electrical resistance in HUVECs. In addition, a higher relative migration rate, greater number of migrated cells, stronger tube-forming ability and increased expression of VEGF and VEGFR2 were detected in the Exp_HP group compared with the control group. The properties of HUVECs in Exp_H (co-cultured with H1975 cells) were similar to those in Exp_HP, but significantly weaker. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that tumor cells interacting with PLTs may play an important role in tumor angiogenesis by affecting or mediating changes in the properties of vascular endothelial cells (VECs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Baikun Li
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230012, P.R. China
| | - Xingyu Dong
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230012, P.R. China
| | - Jimin Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230012, P.R. China
| | - Ting Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230012, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoxiao Tao
- Key Laboratory of Xin'an Medicine (Anhui University of Chinese Medicine), The Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230038, P.R. China
| | - Daiyin Peng
- Key Laboratory of Xin'an Medicine (Anhui University of Chinese Medicine), The Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230038, P.R. China
| | - Qinglin Li
- Key Laboratory of Xin'an Medicine (Anhui University of Chinese Medicine), The Ministry of Education, Hefei, Anhui 230038, P.R. China
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27
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Ryanto GRT, Ikeda K, Miyagawa K, Tu L, Guignabert C, Humbert M, Fujiyama T, Yanagisawa M, Hirata KI, Emoto N. An endothelial activin A-bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 link is overdriven in pulmonary hypertension. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1720. [PMID: 33741934 PMCID: PMC7979873 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21961-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a progressive fatal disease that is characterized by pathological pulmonary artery remodeling, in which endothelial cell dysfunction is critically involved. We herein describe a previously unknown role of endothelial angiocrine in pulmonary hypertension. By searching for genes highly expressed in lung microvascular endothelial cells, we identify inhibin-β-A as an angiocrine factor produced by pulmonary capillaries. We find that excess production of inhibin-β-A by endothelial cells impairs the endothelial function in an autocrine manner by functioning as activin-A. Mechanistically, activin-A induces bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 internalization and targeting to lysosomes for degradation, resulting in the signal deficiency in endothelial cells. Of note, endothelial cells isolated from the lung of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension show higher inhibin-β-A expression and produce more activin-A compared to endothelial cells isolated from the lung of normal control subjects. When endothelial activin-A-bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 link is overdriven in mice, hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension was exacerbated, whereas conditional knockout of inhibin-β-A in endothelial cells prevents the progression of pulmonary hypertension. These data collectively indicate a critical role for the dysregulated endothelial activin-A-bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 link in the progression of pulmonary hypertension, and thus endothelial inhibin-β-A/activin-A might be a potential pharmacotherapeutic target for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gusty R T Ryanto
- Laboratory of Clinical Pharmaceutical Science, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Higashinada, Kobe, Japan
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo, Kobe, Japan
| | - Koji Ikeda
- Laboratory of Clinical Pharmaceutical Science, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Higashinada, Kobe, Japan.
- Department of Epidemiology for Longevity and Regional Health, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyou, Kyoto, Japan.
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kamigyou, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Kazuya Miyagawa
- Laboratory of Clinical Pharmaceutical Science, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Higashinada, Kobe, Japan
| | - Ly Tu
- INSERM UMR_S 999, Le Plessis-Robinson, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Christophe Guignabert
- INSERM UMR_S 999, Le Plessis-Robinson, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Marc Humbert
- INSERM UMR_S 999, Le Plessis-Robinson, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- AP-HP, Service de Pneumologie, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire Sévère, DHU Thorax Innovation, Hôpital Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Tomoyuki Fujiyama
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Masashi Yanagisawa
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Hirata
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo, Kobe, Japan
| | - Noriaki Emoto
- Laboratory of Clinical Pharmaceutical Science, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Higashinada, Kobe, Japan
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo, Kobe, Japan
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Li C, Yu H, Sun Y, Zeng X, Zhang W. Identification of the hub genes in gastric cancer through weighted gene co-expression network analysis. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10682. [PMID: 33717664 PMCID: PMC7938783 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Gastric cancer is one of the most lethal tumors and is characterized by poor prognosis and lack of effective diagnostic or therapeutic biomarkers. The aim of this study was to find hub genes serving as biomarkers in gastric cancer diagnosis and therapy. Methods GSE66229 from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was used as training set. Genes bearing the top 25% standard deviations among all the samples in training set were performed to systematic weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to find candidate genes. Then, hub genes were further screened by using the “least absolute shrinkage and selection operator” (LASSO) logistic regression. Finally, hub genes were validated in the GSE54129 dataset from GEO by supervised learning method artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm. Results Twelve modules with strong preservation were identified by using WGCNA methods in training set. Of which, five modules significantly related to gastric cancer were selected as clinically significant modules, and 713 candidate genes were identified from these five modules. Then, ADIPOQ, ARHGAP39, ATAD3A, C1orf95, CWH43, GRIK3, INHBA, RDH12, SCNN1G, SIGLEC11 and LYVE1 were screened as the hub genes. These hub genes successfully differentiated the tumor samples from the healthy tissues in an independent testing set through artificial neural network algorithm with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve at 0.946. Conclusions These hub genes bearing diagnostic and therapeutic values, and our results may provide a novel prospect for the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyang Li
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Cheng, China.,Medical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Haopeng Yu
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Cheng, China.,Medical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yajing Sun
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Cheng, China.,Medical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoxi Zeng
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Cheng, China.,Medical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Cheng, China.,Medical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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29
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Wound Repair, Scar Formation, and Cancer: Converging on Activin. Trends Mol Med 2020; 26:1107-1117. [PMID: 32878730 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Wound repair is a highly regulated process that requires the interaction of various cell types. It has been shown that cancers use the mechanisms of wound healing to promote their own growth. Therefore, it is of importance to identify common regulators of wound repair and tumor formation and to unravel their functions and mechanisms of action. An exciting example is activin, which acts on multiple cell types in wounds and tumors, thereby promoting healing, but also scar formation and tumorigenesis. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the role of activin in these processes and highlight the therapeutic potential of activin or activin antagonists for the treatment of impaired healing or excessive scarring and cancer, respectively.
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30
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Ries A, Schelch K, Falch D, Pany L, Hoda MA, Grusch M. Activin A: an emerging target for improving cancer treatment? Expert Opin Ther Targets 2020; 24:985-996. [PMID: 32700590 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2020.1799350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Activin A is involved in the regulation of a surprisingly broad number of processes that are relevant for cancer development and treatment; it is implicated in cell autonomous functions and multiple regulatory functions in the tumor microenvironment. AREAS COVERED This article summarizes the current knowledge about activin A in cell growth and death, migration and metastasis, angiogenesis, stemness and drug resistance, regulation of antitumor immunity, and cancer cachexia. We explore the role of activin A as a biomarker and discuss strategies for using it as target for cancer therapy. Literature retrieved from Medline until 25 June 2020 was considered. EXPERT OPINION While many functions of activin A were investigated in preclinical models, there is currently limited experience from clinical trials. Activin A has growth- and migration-promoting effects, contributes to immune evasion and cachexia and is associated with shorter survival in several cancer types. Targeting activin A could offer the chance to simultaneously limit tumor growth and spreading, improve drug response, boost antitumor immune responses and improve cancer-associated or treatment-associated cachexia, bone loss, and anemia. Nevertheless, defining which patients have the highest likelihood of benefiting from these effects is challenging and will require further work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Ries
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Schelch
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria
| | - David Falch
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura Pany
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria
| | - Mir Alireza Hoda
- Translational Thoracic Oncology Laboratory, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Grusch
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria
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31
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Zhao Y, Wu Z, Chanal M, Guillaumond F, Goehrig D, Bachy S, Principe M, Ziverec A, Flaman JM, Collin G, Tomasini R, Pasternack A, Ritvos O, Vasseur S, Bernard D, Hennino A, Bertolino P. Oncogene-Induced Senescence Limits the Progression of Pancreatic Neoplasia through Production of Activin A. Cancer Res 2020; 80:3359-3371. [PMID: 32554750 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-19-3763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly and aggressive cancer. Understanding mechanisms that drive preneoplastic pancreatic lesions is necessary to improve early diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Mutations and inactivation of activin-like kinase (ALK4) have been demonstrated to favor PDAC onset. Surprisingly, little is known regarding the ligands that drive ALK4 signaling in pancreatic cancer or how this signaling pathway limits the initiation of neoplastic lesions. In this study, data mining and histologic analyses performed on human and mouse tumor tissues revealed that activin A is the major ALK4 ligand that drives PDAC initiation. Activin A, which is absent in normal acinar cells, was strongly induced during acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM), which was promoted by pancreatitis or the activation of KrasG12D in mice. Activin A expression during ADM was associated with the cellular senescence program that is induced in precursor lesions. Blocking activin A signaling through the use of a soluble form of activin receptor IIB (sActRIIB-Fc) and ALK4 knockout in mice expressing KrasG12D resulted in reduced senescence associated with decreased expression of p21, reduced phosphorylation of H2A histone family member X (H2AX), and increased proliferation. Thus, this study indicates that activin A acts as a protective senescence-associated secretory phenotype factor produced by Kras-induced senescent cells during ADM, which limits the expansion and proliferation of pancreatic neoplastic lesions. SIGNIFICANCE: This study identifies activin A to be a beneficial, senescence-secreted factor induced in pancreatic preneoplastic lesions, which limits their proliferation and ultimately slows progression into pancreatic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Zhao
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France.,Department of Geriatrics, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jia Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhichong Wu
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France
| | - Marie Chanal
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France
| | - Fabienne Guillaumond
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille, Unité 1068, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Marseille, France.,Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France.,Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR 7258), Centre national de la Recherche Scientifique, Marseille, France.,Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Delphine Goehrig
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France
| | - Sophie Bachy
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France
| | - Moitza Principe
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France
| | - Audrey Ziverec
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France
| | - Jean-Michel Flaman
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France
| | - Guillaume Collin
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France
| | - Richard Tomasini
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille, Unité 1068, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Marseille, France.,Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France.,Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR 7258), Centre national de la Recherche Scientifique, Marseille, France.,Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Arja Pasternack
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olli Ritvos
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sophie Vasseur
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille, Unité 1068, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Marseille, France.,Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France.,Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR 7258), Centre national de la Recherche Scientifique, Marseille, France.,Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - David Bernard
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France
| | - Ana Hennino
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France
| | - Philippe Bertolino
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France.
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Ervolino De Oliveira C, Dourado MR, Sawazaki-Calone Í, Costa De Medeiros M, Rossa Júnior C, De Karla Cervigne N, Esquiche León J, Lambert D, Salo T, Graner E, Coletta RD. Activin A triggers angiogenesis via regulation of VEGFA and its overexpression is associated with poor prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Int J Oncol 2020; 57:364-376. [PMID: 32377747 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2020.5058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Poor prognosis associated with the dysregulated expression of activin A in a number of malignancies has been related to with numerous aspects of tumorigenesis, including angiogenesis. The present study investigated the prognostic significance of activin A immunoexpression in blood vessels and cancer cells in a number of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cases and applied in vitro strategies to determine the impact of activin A on angiogenesis. In a cohort of 95 patients with OSCC, immunoexpression of activin A in both blood vessels and tumor cells was quantified and the association with clinicopathological parameters and survival was analyzed. Effects of activin A on the tube formation, proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were evaluated in gain‑of‑function (treatment with recombinant activin A) or loss‑of‑function [treatment with activin A‑antagonist follistatin or by stable transfection with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting activin A] conditions. Conditioned medium from an OSCC cell line with shRNA‑mediated depletion of activin A was also tested. The profile of pro‑ and anti‑angiogenic factors regulated by activin A was assessed with a human angiogenesis quantitative PCR (qPCR) array. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and its major isoforms were evaluated by reverse transcription‑qPCR and ELISA. Activin A expression in blood vessels demonstrated an independent prognostic value in the multivariate analysis with a hazard ratio of 2.47 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.30‑4.71; P=0.006) for disease‑specific survival and 2.09 (95% CI, 1.07‑4.08l: P=0.03) for disease‑free survival. Activin A significantly increased tubular formation of HUVECs concomitantly with an increase in proliferation. This effect was validated by reduced proliferation and tubular formation of HUVECs following inhibition of activin A by follistatin or shRNA, as well as by treatment of HUVECs with conditioned medium from activin A‑depleted OSCC cells. Activin A‑knockdown increased the migration of HUVECs. In addition, activin A stimulated the phosphorylation of SMAD2/3 and the expression and production of total VEGFA, significantly enhancing the expression of its pro‑angiogenic isoform 121. The present findings suggest that activin A is a predictor of the prognosis of patients with OSCC, and provide evidence that activin A, in an autocrine and paracrine manner, may contribute to OSCC angiogenesis through differential expression of the isoform 121 of VEGFA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maurício Rocha Dourado
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, SP 13414‑018, Brazil
| | - Íris Sawazaki-Calone
- Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, Dentistry School, Western Paraná State University, Cascavel, PR 85819‑170, Brazil
| | - Marcell Costa De Medeiros
- Departament of Diagnosis and Surgery, School of Dentistry at Araraquara, Araraquara, SP 14801‑385, Brazil
| | - Carlos Rossa Júnior
- Departament of Diagnosis and Surgery, School of Dentistry at Araraquara, Araraquara, SP 14801‑385, Brazil
| | | | - Jorge Esquiche León
- Departament of Stomatology, Public Oral Health and Forensic Dentistry, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14040‑904, Brazil
| | - Daniel Lambert
- Integrated Biosciences, School of Clinical Dentistry and Sheffield Cancer Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TG, UK
| | - Tuula Salo
- Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, University of Oulu, Oulu 90220, Finland
| | - Edgard Graner
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, SP 13414‑018, Brazil
| | - Ricardo D Coletta
- Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, SP 13414‑018, Brazil
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Cangkrama M, Wietecha M, Mathis N, Okumura R, Ferrarese L, Al-Nuaimi D, Antsiferova M, Dummer R, Innocenti M, Werner S. A paracrine activin A-mDia2 axis promotes squamous carcinogenesis via fibroblast reprogramming. EMBO Mol Med 2020; 12:e11466. [PMID: 32150356 PMCID: PMC7136968 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201911466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are key regulators of tumorigenesis and promising targets for next‐generation therapies. We discovered that cancer cell‐derived activin A reprograms fibroblasts into pro‐tumorigenic CAFs. Mechanistically, this occurs via Smad2‐mediated transcriptional regulation of the formin mDia2, which directly promotes filopodia formation and cell migration. mDia2 also induces expression of CAF marker genes through prevention of p53 nuclear accumulation, resulting in the production of a pro‐tumorigenic matrisome and secretome. The translational relevance of this finding is reflected by activin A overexpression in tumor cells and of mDia2 in the stroma of skin cancer and other malignancies and the correlation of high activin A/mDia2 levels with poor patient survival. Blockade of this signaling axis using inhibitors of activin, activin receptors, or mDia2 suppressed cancer cell malignancy and squamous carcinogenesis in 3D organotypic cultures, ex vivo, and in vivo, providing a rationale for pharmacological inhibition of activin A‐mDia2 signaling in stratified cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Cangkrama
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mateusz Wietecha
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Mathis
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rin Okumura
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luca Ferrarese
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dunja Al-Nuaimi
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Antsiferova
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Metello Innocenti
- Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center (BZH), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabine Werner
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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34
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Ratushnyy A, Ezdakova M, Buravkova L. Secretome of Senescent Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Negatively Regulates Angiogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21051802. [PMID: 32151085 PMCID: PMC7084202 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21051802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, paracrine regulation is considered as a major tool of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) involvement in tissue repair and renewal in adults. Aging results in alteration of tissue homeostasis including neovascularization. In this study, we examined the influence of replicative senescence on the angiogenic potential of adipose-derived MSCs (ASCs). Angiogenic activity of conditioned medium (CM) from senescent and “young” ASCs was evaluated in chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay in ovo using Japanese quail embryos. Also, the formation of capillary-like tubes by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in 3D basement membrane matrix “Matrigel” and HUVEC migration capacity were analyzed. Multiplex, dot-blot and gene expression analysis were performed to characterize transcription and production of about 100 angiogenesis-associated proteins. The results point to decreased angiogenic potential of senescent ASC secretome in ovo. A number of angiogenesis-associated proteins demonstrated elevation in CM after long-term cultivation. Meanwhile, VEGF (key positive regulator of angiogenesis) did not change transcription level and concentration in CM. Increasing both pro- (FGF-2, uPA, IL-6, IL-8 etc.) and antiangiogenic (IL-4, IP-10, PF4, Activin A, DPPIV etc.) factors was observed. Some proangiogenic genes were downregulated (IGF1, MMP1, TGFB3, PDGFRB, PGF). Senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) modifications after long-term cultivation lead to attenuation of angiogenic potential of ASC.
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35
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A potential role of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 (p21/WAF1) in the pathogenesis of endometriosis: Directions for future research. Med Hypotheses 2019; 133:109414. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.109414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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36
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Janik S, Bekos C, Hacker P, Raunegger T, Schiefer AI, Müllauer L, Veraar C, Dome B, Klepetko W, Ankersmit HJ, Moser B. Follistatin impacts Tumor Angiogenesis and Outcome in Thymic Epithelial Tumors. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17359. [PMID: 31757999 PMCID: PMC6874542 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53671-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor angiogenesis is a key factor in the progression of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). Activin A, a member of the TGFβ family, and its antagonist Follistatin are involved in several human malignancies and angiogenesis. We investigated Activin A and Follistatin in serum and tumor tissue of patients with TETs in relation to microvessel density (MVD), WHO histology classification, tumor stage and outcome. Membranous Activin A expression was detected in all tumor tissues of TETs, while Follistatin staining was found in tumor nuclei and cytoplasm. Patients with TETs presented with significantly higher Activin A and Follistatin serum concentrations compared to healthy volunteers, respectively. Follistatin serum concentrations correlated significantly with tumor stage and decreased to physiologic values after complete tumor resection. Follistatin serum concentrations correlated further with MVD and were associated with significantly worse freedom from recurrence (FFR). Low numbers of immature tumor vessels represented even an independent worse prognostic factor for FFR at multivariable analysis. To conclude, the Activin A - Follistatin axis is involved in the pathogenesis of TETs. Further study of Follistatin and Activin A in TETs is warranted as the molecules may serve as targets to inhibit tumor angiogenesis and tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Janik
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Diagnosis and Regeneration of Cardiac and Thoracic Diseases, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christine Bekos
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Diagnosis and Regeneration of Cardiac and Thoracic Diseases, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of General Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Philipp Hacker
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Diagnosis and Regeneration of Cardiac and Thoracic Diseases, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Raunegger
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Diagnosis and Regeneration of Cardiac and Thoracic Diseases, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ana-Iris Schiefer
- Clinical Institute of Pathology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonhard Müllauer
- Clinical Institute of Pathology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Cecilia Veraar
- Department of Anaesthesiology, General Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Balazs Dome
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Centre Vienna, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Walter Klepetko
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hendrik Jan Ankersmit
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Diagnosis and Regeneration of Cardiac and Thoracic Diseases, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Head FFG Project "APOSEC", FOLAB Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Moser
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Diagnosis and Regeneration of Cardiac and Thoracic Diseases, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria. .,Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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37
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Expression and gene regulation network of INHBA in Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma based on data mining. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14341. [PMID: 31586103 PMCID: PMC6778107 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50865-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibin subunit beta A(INHBA) encodes an individual from the TGF-β superfamily of proteins and the ligand could be further homo-dimerized to shape activin A or hetero-dimerized to frame inhibin with inhibin beta B. We studied INHBA expression, mutations, regulation, function networks and immune infiltrates in data from patients with Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) based on different open databases by utilizing multi-dimensional investigation techniques. This study gives staggered evidence for the significance of INHBA in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and its potential role as a novel biomarker. Our outcomes propose that INHBA overexpression in HNSCC has profound impacts in the center hub of post-transcriptional regulation, which is firmly identified with protein translation. Meanwhile, we also examine the function of the identified miRNAs that were related to INHBA and molecular function of these miRNAs were mainly enhanced in transcription factor activity, transcription regulator activity. In addition, B cells of immune infiltrates affecting the prognosis and might have a prognostic significance related to INHBA in HNSCC. Our outcomes show that data mining efficiently uncovers information about INHBA expression in HNSCC and more importance establishing a foundation for further investigation of the role of INHBA in carcinogenesis.
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38
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Cui X, Shang S, Lv X, Zhao J, Qi Y, Liu Z. Perspectives of small molecule inhibitors of activin receptor‑like kinase in anti‑tumor treatment and stem cell differentiation (Review). Mol Med Rep 2019; 19:5053-5062. [PMID: 31059090 PMCID: PMC6522871 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Activin receptor‑like kinases (ALKs), members of the type I activin receptor family, belong to the serine/threonine kinase receptors of the transforming growth factor‑β (TGF‑β) superfamily. ALKs mediate the roles of activin/TGF‑β in a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes, ranging from cell differentiation and proliferation to apoptosis. For example, the activities of ALKs are associated with an advanced tumor stage in prostate cancer and the chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Therefore, potent and selective small molecule inhibitors of ALKs would not only aid in investigating the function of activin/TGF‑β, but also in developing treatments for these diseases via the disruption of activin/TGF‑β. In recent studies, several ALK inhibitors, including LY‑2157299, SB‑431542 and A‑83‑01, have been identified and have been confirmed to affect stem cell differentiation and tumor progression in animal models. This review discusses the therapeutic perspective of small molecule inhibitors of ALKs as drug targets in tumor and stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueling Cui
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Shumi Shang
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Xinran Lv
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Yan Qi
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Zhonghui Liu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
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39
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Tsai CN, Tsai CL, Yi JS, Kao HK, Huang Y, Wang CI, Lee YS, Chang KP. Activin A regulates the epidermal growth factor receptor promoter by activating the PI3K/SP1 pathway in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5197. [PMID: 30914776 PMCID: PMC6435638 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41396-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and activin A are both overexpressed in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We evaluated their clinical correlation and activin A-mediated EGFR regulation in this study. Overexpression of both transcripts/proteins indicated a poorer prognosis in OSCC patients. Knockdown of endogenous INHBA repressed the expression of EGFR and inhibited activin A-mediated canonical Smads, noncanonical phosphorylation of AKT (ser473) (p-AKT ser473) and SP1. Inhibition of PI3K signaling via its inhibitor attenuated p-AKT ser473 and in turn reduced SP1 and EGFR expression in the presence of recombinant activin A (rActivin A) in OSCC cells, as revealed via a luciferase assay and western blotting. However, canonical Smad signaling repressed the EGFR promoter, as revealed by a luciferase assay. The transcription factor SP1, its coactivator CBP/p300, and Smad proteins were recruited to the EGFR proximal promoter following rActivin A treatment, as revealed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Smad2/3/4 dramatically outcompeted SP1 binding to the EGFR proximal promoter following mithramycin A treatment. Activin A activates the PI3K and Smad pathways to compete for binding to overlapping SP1 consensus sequences on the EGFR proximal promoter. Nevertheless, canonical p-Smad2 was largely repressed in OSCC tumor tissues, suggesting that the activin A-mediated noncanonical pathway is essential for the carcinogenesis of OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Neu Tsai
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, Chang-Gung University, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33302, Taiwan.,Department of Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Lung Tsai
- Genomic Medicine Core Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Shan Yi
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan.,Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33302, Taiwan
| | - Huang-Kai Kao
- Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan
| | - Yenlin Huang
- Department of Pathology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan
| | - Chun-I Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Shien Lee
- Genomic Medicine Core Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan.,Department of Biotechnology, Ming-Chuan University, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33348, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Ping Chang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan. .,Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Guishan Dist., Taoyuan City, 33302, Taiwan.
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40
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Govaere O, Cockell S, Van Haele M, Wouters J, Van Delm W, Van den Eynde K, Bianchi A, van Eijsden R, Van Steenbergen W, Monbaliu D, Nevens F, Roskams T. High-throughput sequencing identifies aetiology-dependent differences in ductular reaction in human chronic liver disease. J Pathol 2019; 248:66-76. [PMID: 30584802 DOI: 10.1002/path.5228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ductular reaction (DR) represents the activation of hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) and has been associated with features of advanced chronic liver disease; yet it is not clear whether these cells contribute to disease progression and how the composition of their micro-environment differs depending on the aetiology. This study aimed to identify HPC-associated signalling pathways relevant in different chronic liver diseases using a high-throughput sequencing approach. DR/HPCs were isolated using laser microdissection from patient samples diagnosed with HCV or primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), as models for hepatocellular or biliary regeneration. Key signals were validated at the protein level for a cohort of 56 patients (20 early and 36 advanced stage). In total, 330 genes were significantly differentially expressed between the HPCs in HCV and PSC. Recruitment and homing of inflammatory cells were distinctly different depending on the aetiology. HPCs in PSC were characterised by a response to oxidative stress (e.g. JUN, VNN1) and neutrophil-attractant chemokines (CXCL5, CXCL6, IL-8), whereas HPCs in HCV were identified by T- and B-lymphocyte infiltration. Moreover, we found that communication between HPCs and macrophages was aetiology driven. In PSC, a high frequency of CCL28-positive macrophages was observed in the portal infiltrate, already in early disease in the absence of advanced fibrosis, while in HCV, HPCs showed a strong expression of the macrophage scavenger receptor MARCO. Interestingly, DR/HPCs in PSC showed more deposition of ECM (e.g. FN1, LAMC2, collagens) compared to HCV, where an increase of pro-invasive genes (e.g. PDGFRA, IGF2) was observed. Additionally, endothelial cells in the vicinity of DR/HPCs showed differential immunopositivity (e.g. IGF2 and INHBA expression). In conclusion, our data shine light on the role of DR/HPCs in immune signalling, fibrogenesis and angiogenesis in chronic liver disease. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Govaere
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Simon Cockell
- Bioinformatics Support Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Matthias Van Haele
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jasper Wouters
- VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Kathleen Van den Eynde
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Arianna Bianchi
- Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | | | - Diethard Monbaliu
- Department of Abdominal Transplant Surgery, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frederik Nevens
- Department of Hepatology, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tania Roskams
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven and University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Bloise E, Ciarmela P, Dela Cruz C, Luisi S, Petraglia F, Reis FM. Activin A in Mammalian Physiology. Physiol Rev 2019; 99:739-780. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00002.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Activins are dimeric glycoproteins belonging to the transforming growth factor beta superfamily and resulting from the assembly of two beta subunits, which may also be combined with alpha subunits to form inhibins. Activins were discovered in 1986 following the isolation of inhibins from porcine follicular fluid, and were characterized as ovarian hormones that stimulate follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) release by the pituitary gland. In particular, activin A was shown to be the isoform of greater physiological importance in humans. The current understanding of activin A surpasses the reproductive system and allows its classification as a hormone, a growth factor, and a cytokine. In more than 30 yr of intense research, activin A was localized in female and male reproductive organs but also in other organs and systems as diverse as the brain, liver, lung, bone, and gut. Moreover, its roles include embryonic differentiation, trophoblast invasion of the uterine wall in early pregnancy, and fetal/neonate brain protection in hypoxic conditions. It is now recognized that activin A overexpression may be either cytostatic or mitogenic, depending on the cell type, with important implications for tumor biology. Activin A also regulates bone formation and regeneration, enhances joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, and triggers pathogenic mechanisms in the respiratory system. In this 30-yr review, we analyze the evidence for physiological roles of activin A and the potential use of activin agonists and antagonists as therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrrico Bloise
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Pasquapina Ciarmela
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Cynthia Dela Cruz
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Stefano Luisi
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Felice Petraglia
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Fernando M. Reis
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
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Seeruttun SR, Cheung WY, Wang W, Fang C, Liu ZM, Li JQ, Wu T, Wang J, Liang C, Zhou ZW. Identification of molecular biomarkers for the diagnosis of gastric cancer and lymph-node metastasis. Gastroenterol Rep (Oxf) 2018; 7:57-66. [PMID: 30792867 PMCID: PMC6375354 DOI: 10.1093/gastro/goy023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and objective Biomarkers are important tools for prompt diagnosis of cancer. This study aimed to identify reliable biomarkers for clinical applications in the diagnosis of gastric cancer and lymph-node (LN) metastasis. Methods Between 1 December 2014 and 31 December 2015, we prospectively collected samples of gastric-cancer tissues, corresponding matched-pair normal gastric mucosa, and their peri-gastric metastatic and non-metastatic LNs to identify quantitatively reliable genes using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Relative quantity (RQ) was used to calculate the mRNA expression levels of our target genes. Statistics were calculated using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s multiple comparison test. Analytical graphs were plotted using GraphPad Prism. Results Of nine assessed genes, the mRNA levels of inhibin beta A (INHBA) and secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) were most consistently highly expressed in tumor tissues by 15.4- and 15.6-fold, respectively, as compared with normal tissues (P < 0.001), with 91.3% sensitivity and 95.7% specificity (receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve area = 0.974) for the former and 82.6% sensitivity and 87.0% specificity (ROC curve area = 0.924) for the latter. Further analysis revealed no differentiating significance of SPP1 mRNA expression between metastatic and non-metastatic LNs (P = 0.470). In contrast, the INHBA mRNA level was up-regulated 4.1-fold in metastatic LNs (P < 0.001), with 80.0% sensitivity and 81.5% specificity (ROC curve area = 0.857), and was also able to successfully differentiate between more severe disease conditions, T3 and T4 (P = 0.003), M0 and M1 (P = 0.043) and different histological variants (intestinal type vs diffuse type, P = 0.019). Conclusions Our results showed that INHBA was the most optimally reliable biomarker for diagnosing gastric cancer and LN metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharvesh Raj Seeruttun
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Wing Yan Cheung
- Division of Life Science, Center for Cancer Research and State Key Lab for Molecular Neuroscience, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, P.R. China.,Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, P.R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Cheng Fang
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Min Liu
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Jin-Qing Li
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Ting Wu
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Jun Wang
- Division of Life Science, Center for Cancer Research and State Key Lab for Molecular Neuroscience, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, P.R. China.,Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, P.R. China
| | - Chun Liang
- Division of Life Science, Center for Cancer Research and State Key Lab for Molecular Neuroscience, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, P.R. China.,Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, P.R. China.,Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen-Peking University- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Wei Zhou
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
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43
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Pellatt AJ, Mullany LE, Herrick JS, Sakoda LC, Wolff RK, Samowitz WS, Slattery ML. The TGFβ-signaling pathway and colorectal cancer: associations between dysregulated genes and miRNAs. J Transl Med 2018; 16:191. [PMID: 29986714 PMCID: PMC6038278 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-018-1566-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The TGFβ-signaling pathway plays an important role in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Loss of function of several genes within this pathway, such as bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) have been seen as key events in CRC progression. Methods In this study we comprehensively evaluate differential gene expression (RNASeq) of 81 genes in the TGFβ-signaling pathway and evaluate how dysregulated genes are associated with miRNA expression (Agilent Human miRNA Microarray V19.0). We utilize paired carcinoma and normal tissue from 217 CRC cases. We evaluate the associations between differentially expressed genes and miRNAs and sex, age, disease stage, and survival months. Results Thirteen genes were significantly downregulated and 14 were significantly upregulated after considering fold change (FC) of > 1.50 or < 0.67 and multiple comparison adjustment. Bone morphogenetic protein genes BMP5, BMP6, and BMP2 and growth differentiation factor GDF7 were downregulated. BMP4, BMP7, INHBA (Inhibin beta A), TGFBR1, TGFB2, TGIF1, TGIF2, and TFDP1 were upregulated. In general, genes with the greatest dysregulation, such as BMP5 (FC 0.17, BMP6 (FC 0.25), BMP2 (FC 0.32), CDKN2B (FC 0.32), MYC (FC 3.70), BMP7 (FC 4.17), and INHBA (FC 9.34) showed dysregulation in the majority of the population (84.3, 77.4, 81.1, 80.2, 82.0, 51.2, and 75.1% respectively). Four genes, TGFBR2, ID4, ID1, and PITX2, were un-associated or slightly upregulated in microsatellite-stable (MSS) tumors while downregulated in microsatellite-unstable (MSI) tumors. Eight dysregulated genes were associated with miRNA differential expression. E2F5 and THBS1 were associated with one or two miRNAs; RBL1, TGFBR1, TGIF2, and INHBA were associated with seven or more miRNAs with multiple seed-region matches. Evaluation of the joint effects of mRNA:miRNA identified interactions that were stronger in more advanced disease stages and varied by survival months. Conclusion These data support an interaction between miRNAs and genes in the TGFβ-signaling pathway in association with CRC risk. These interactions are associated with unique clinical characteristics that may provide targets for further investigations. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12967-018-1566-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lila E Mullany
- Department of Medicine, University of Utah, 383 Colorow, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA
| | - Jennifer S Herrick
- Department of Medicine, University of Utah, 383 Colorow, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA
| | - Lori C Sakoda
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Roger K Wolff
- Department of Medicine, University of Utah, 383 Colorow, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA
| | - Wade S Samowitz
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Martha L Slattery
- Department of Medicine, University of Utah, 383 Colorow, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA.
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44
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Lyu S, Jiang C, Xu R, Huang Y, Yan S. INHBA upregulation correlates with poorer prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Manag Res 2018; 10:1585-1596. [PMID: 29950896 PMCID: PMC6014728 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s160186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose INHBA, which encodes a member of the TGF-beta superfamily of proteins, has been identified to play a critical role in different types of cancer. However, its clinical significance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has never been reported. Patients and methods In this study, we collected 239 ESCC paraffin-embedded specimens and measured the expression of INHBA with immunohistochemistry (IHC). The clinical and prognostic significance of INHBA expression was statistically analyzed. What is more, we conducted a meta-analysis to study the prognostic value of INHBA expression in multiple types of solid tumors. Results The results showed that INHBA expression was observed predominantly in the cytoplasm of cells in the ESCC specimens. INHBA expression was closely correlated with N categories (P=0.026). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that ESCC patients in the low INHBA expression subgroup had significantly better prognosis than those with high INHBA level. Subgroup analysis revealed that INHBA distinguished the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) when patients were stratified by TNM stage status and N status. Multivariate analysis results suggested that INHBA expression was an independent factor that affected OS (HR =1.679, P=0.022) and DFS (HR =1.715, P=0.017). In the meta-analysis, six papers with 1321 patients were included and patients with high INHBA level had worse prognosis than patients with low INHBA level (HR 2.50, 95% CI 1.75–3.57, P<0.0001). Conclusion High INHBA level predicts poor prognosis in ESCC and other solid tumors. More studies are required to elucidate the role of INHBA and its clinical application in cancer settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Lyu
- Department of Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Jiang
- Department of Cancer Center, People's Hospital of Baoan District, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Xu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuhua Huang
- Department of Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shumei Yan
- Department of Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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45
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Singh P, Jenkins LM, Horst B, Alers V, Pradhan S, Kaur P, Srivastava T, Hempel N, Győrffy B, Broude EV, Lee NY, Mythreye K. Inhibin Is a Novel Paracrine Factor for Tumor Angiogenesis and Metastasis. Cancer Res 2018. [PMID: 29535220 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-17-2316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Inhibin is a heterodimeric TGFβ family ligand that is expressed in many cancers and is a selective biomarker for ovarian cancers; however, its tumor-specific functions remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the α subunit of inhibin (INHA), which is critical for the functionality of dimeric inhibin A/B, correlates with microvessel density in human ovarian tissues and is predictive of poor clinical outcomes in multiple cancers. We demonstrate that inhibin-regulated angiogenesis is necessary for metastasis. Although inhibin had no direct impact on tumor cell signaling, both tumor cell-derived and recombinant inhibin elicit a strong paracrine response from endothelial cells by triggering SMAD1/5 activation and angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo Inhibin-induced angiogenesis was abrogated via anti-inhibin α antibodies. The endothelial-specific TGFβ receptor complex comprising ALK1 and endoglin was a crucial mediator of inhibin signaling, offering a molecular mechanism for inhibin-mediated angiogenesis. These results are the first to define a role for inhibin in tumor metastasis and vascularization and offer an antibody-based approach for targeting inhibin therapeutically.Significance: Inhibin is a predictor of poor patient survival in multiple cancers and is a potential target for antiangiogenic therapies. Cancer Res; 78(11); 2978-89. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Singh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Laura M Jenkins
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Ben Horst
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Victoria Alers
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Shrikant Pradhan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Prabhjot Kaur
- Department of Genetics, University of Delhi, South Campus, India
| | | | - Nadine Hempel
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Balázs Győrffy
- MTA TTK Lendület Cancer Biomarker Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, and Semmelweis University 2nd Department of Pediatrics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eugenia V Broude
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Nam Y Lee
- Division of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Karthikeyan Mythreye
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina. .,Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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46
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Donovan P, Dubey OA, Kallioinen S, Rogers KW, Muehlethaler K, Müller P, Rimoldi D, Constam DB. Paracrine Activin-A Signaling Promotes Melanoma Growth and Metastasis through Immune Evasion. J Invest Dermatol 2017; 137:2578-2587. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2017.07.845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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47
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Sun J, Liu X, Gao H, Zhang L, Ji Q, Wang Z, Zhou L, Wang Y, Sui H, Fan Z, Li Q. Overexpression of colorectal cancer oncogene CHRDL2 predicts a poor prognosis. Oncotarget 2017; 8:11489-11506. [PMID: 28009989 PMCID: PMC5355280 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) both promote and suppress tumorigenesis, and multiple BMP antagonists reportedly contribute to cancer progression. In this study, we demonstrated that the BMP antagonist Chordin-like 2 (CHRDL2) is upregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues, and that CHRDL2 levels correlate with clinical features of CRC patients, including tumor size, TNM staging, and tumor differentiation. In addition, survival rate and Cox proportional hazards model analyses showed that high CHRDL2 levels correlate with a poor prognosis in CRC. Moreover, CHRDL2 promoted CRC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, perhaps through up-regulation of Cyclin D1 and down-regulation of P21. Co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that CHRDL2 bound to BMPs, which inhibited p-Smad1/5, thereby promoting CRC cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis. These results suggest CHRDL2 could serve as a biomarker of poor prognosis in CRC, and provide evidence that CHRDL2 acts as an oncogene in human CRC, making it a novel potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Sun
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Integrative Medicine & Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Xuan Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hong Gao
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Integrative Medicine & Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Long Zhang
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Integrative Medicine & Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Qing Ji
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ziyuan Wang
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Integrative Medicine & Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Lihong Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Cancer Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Hua Sui
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Zhongze Fan
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Integrative Medicine & Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
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Jiang L, Si T, Yu M, Zeng X, Morse HC, Lu Y, Ouyang G, Zhou JX. The tumor suppressive role of inhibin βA in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Leuk Lymphoma 2017; 59:1202-1212. [PMID: 28877610 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2017.1372574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
INHBA (inhibin βA), a subunit of a ligand of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, is known to play diverse roles in various solid tumors. However, its role in hematologic malignancies remains unexplored. Here, we investigated the function of INHBA in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Both mRNA and protein levels of INHBA were significantly downregulated in primary DLBCL tissues, irrespective of germinal center B-cell-like (GCB) or non-GCB subtype, compared to those in benign tonsils. The low level of INHBA in patients with de novo DLBCL was correlated with reduced overall and progression-free survival. Ectopic expression of INHBA in DLBCL cell lines (OCI-Ly01 and SUDHL-10) resulted in reduced cell proliferation, increased spontaneous apoptosis and arrested cell cycle in vitro and suppressed xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, INHBA enhanced the chemosensitivity of DLBCL cells. Thus, our results provide novel evidence that INHBA functions as a tumor suppressor in DLBCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Jiang
- a Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology , Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China
| | - Ting Si
- a Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology , Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China.,b Department of Hematology , Affiliated Yinzhou Hospital, Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China
| | - Mei Yu
- a Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology , Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China
| | - Xinli Zeng
- c Department of ENT , Ningbo Second People's Hospital , Ningbo , China
| | - Herbert C Morse
- d Laboratory of Immunopathology , National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health , Rockville , MD , USA
| | - Ying Lu
- a Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology , Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China.,b Department of Hematology , Affiliated Yinzhou Hospital, Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China
| | - Guifang Ouyang
- a Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology , Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China.,e Department of Hematology , Ningbo First People's Hospital , Ningbo , China
| | - Jeff X Zhou
- a Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology , Ningbo University School of Medicine , Ningbo , China
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Merfeld-Clauss S, Lu H, Wu X, March KL, Traktuev DO. Hypoxia-induced activin A diminishes endothelial cell vasculogenic activity. J Cell Mol Med 2017; 22:173-184. [PMID: 28834227 PMCID: PMC5742743 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.13306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute ischaemia causes a significant loss of blood vessels leading to deterioration of organ function. Multiple ischaemic conditions are associated with up‐regulation of activin A, but its effect on endothelial cells (EC) in the context of hypoxia is understudied. This study evaluated the role of activin A in vasculogenesis in hypoxia. An in vitro vasculogenesis model, in which EC were cocultured with adipose stromal cells (ASC), was used. Incubation of cocultures at 0.5% oxygen led to decrease in EC survival and vessel density. Hypoxia up‐regulated inhibin BA (monomer of activin A) mRNA by 4.5‐fold and activin A accumulation in EC‐conditioned media by 10‐fold, but down‐regulated activin A inhibitor follistatin by twofold. Inhibin BA expression was also increased in human EC injected into ischaemic mouse muscles. Activin A secretion was positively modulated by hypoxia mimetics dimethyloxalylglycine and desferrioxamine. Silencing HIF1α or HIF2α expression decreased activin A secretion in EC exposed to hypoxia. Introduction of activin A to cocultures decreased EC number and vascular density by 40%; conversely, blockade of activin A expression in EC or its activity improved vasculogenesis in hypoxia. Activin A affected EC survival directly and by modulating ASC paracrine activity leading to diminished ability of the ASC secretome to support EC survival and vasculogenesis. In conclusion, hypoxia up‐regulates EC secretion of activin A, which, by affecting both EC and adjacent mesenchymal cells, creates a micro‐environment unfavourable for vasculogenesis. This finding suggests that blockade of activin A signalling in ischaemic tissue may improve preservation of the affected tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Merfeld-Clauss
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Indiana Center for Vascular Biology and Medicine, Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,VA Center for Regenerative Medicine, R.L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Hongyan Lu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Indiana Center for Vascular Biology and Medicine, Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,VA Center for Regenerative Medicine, R.L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Xue Wu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Keith L March
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Indiana Center for Vascular Biology and Medicine, Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,VA Center for Regenerative Medicine, R.L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Dmitry O Traktuev
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Indiana Center for Vascular Biology and Medicine, Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,VA Center for Regenerative Medicine, R.L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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50
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Abstract
Testes-specific protease 50 (TSP50), a novelly identified oncogene, has the capacity to induce cell proliferation, cell invasion and tumor growth. Further studies indicated that CAGA-luc (an activin-responsive reporter construct) reporter activity could be significantly suppressed by TSP50 overexpression, implying that the activin signaling may participate in TSP50-mediated cell proliferation. Here, we reported that TSP50 had an inhibitory effect on activin signaling. Mechanistic studies revealed that TSP50 could interact with ActRIIA, inhibit activin typeIreceptor (ActRIB) phosphorylation, repress Smad2/3 nuclear accumulation and finally promote cell proliferation by reducing the expression of activin signal target gene p27. Additionally, we found that ActRIB activation could reverse TSP50-mediated cell proliferation and tumor growth. Furthermore, analysis of human breast cancer specimens by immunohistochemistry indicated that TSP50 expression was negatively related to p-Smad2/3 and p27 protein levels. Most importantly, breast cancer diagnosis-related indicators such as tumor size, tumor grade, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) levels, were correlated well with TSP50/p-Samd2/3 and TSP50/p27 expression status. Thus, our studies revealed a novel regulatory mechanism underlying TSP50-induced cell proliferation and provided a new favorable intervention target for the treatment of breast cancer.
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