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Tang W, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Zhang Y. Vascular Niche Facilitates Acquired Drug Resistance to c-Met Inhibitor in Originally Sensitive Osteosarcoma Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14246201. [PMID: 36551686 PMCID: PMC9776923 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone tumor in children and adolescents characterized by drug resistance and poor prognosis. As one of the key oncogenes, c-Met is recognized as a promising therapeutic target for OS. In this report, we show that c-Met inhibitor PF02341066 specifically killed OS cells with highly phosphorylated c-Met in vitro. However, the inhibitory effect of PF02341066 was abrogated in vivo due to interference from the vascular niche. OS cells adjacent to microvessels or forming vascular mimicry suppressed c-Met expression and phosphorylation. Moreover, VEGFR2 was activated in OS cells and associated with acquired drug resistance. Dual targeting of c-Met and VEGFR2 could effectively shrink the tumor size in a xenograft model. c-Met-targeted therapy combined with VEGFR2 inhibition might be beneficial to achieve an ideal therapeutic effect in OS patients. Together, our results confirm the pivotal role of tumor heterogeneity and the microenvironment in drug response and reveal the molecular mechanism underlying acquired drug resistance to c-Met-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yan Zhang
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-20-3933-2955
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Miller B, Sewell-Loftin MK. Mechanoregulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 in Angiogenesis. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 8:804934. [PMID: 35087885 PMCID: PMC8787114 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.804934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The endothelial cells that compose the vascular system in the body display a wide range of mechanotransductive behaviors and responses to biomechanical stimuli, which act in concert to control overall blood vessel structure and function. Such mechanosensitive activities allow blood vessels to constrict, dilate, grow, or remodel as needed during development as well as normal physiological functions, and the same processes can be dysregulated in various disease states. Mechanotransduction represents cellular responses to mechanical forces, translating such factors into chemical or electrical signals which alter the activation of various cell signaling pathways. Understanding how biomechanical forces drive vascular growth in healthy and diseased tissues could create new therapeutic strategies that would either enhance or halt these processes to assist with treatments of different diseases. In the cardiovascular system, new blood vessel formation from preexisting vasculature, in a process known as angiogenesis, is driven by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) binding to VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) which promotes blood vessel development. However, physical forces such as shear stress, matrix stiffness, and interstitial flow are also major drivers and effectors of angiogenesis, and new research suggests that mechanical forces may regulate VEGFR-2 phosphorylation. In fact, VEGFR-2 activation has been linked to known mechanobiological agents including ERK/MAPK, c-Src, Rho/ROCK, and YAP/TAZ. In vascular disease states, endothelial cells can be subjected to altered mechanical stimuli which affect the pathways that control angiogenesis. Both normalizing and arresting angiogenesis associated with tumor growth have been strategies for anti-cancer treatments. In the field of regenerative medicine, harnessing biomechanical regulation of angiogenesis could enhance vascularization strategies for treating a variety of cardiovascular diseases, including ischemia or permit development of novel tissue engineering scaffolds. This review will focus on the impact of VEGFR-2 mechanosignaling in endothelial cells (ECs) and its interaction with other mechanotransductive pathways, as well as presenting a discussion on the relationship between VEGFR-2 activation and biomechanical forces in the extracellular matrix (ECM) that can help treat diseases with dysfunctional vascular growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronte Miller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Mary Kathryn Sewell-Loftin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.,O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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Cetuximab-Mediated Protection from Hypoxia- Induced Cell Death: Implications for Therapy Sequence in Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12103050. [PMID: 33092032 PMCID: PMC7589936 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12103050] [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: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Therapeutic antibodies are an integral part of treatment regimens for metastasized colorectal cancer. In KRAS wildtype tumors both bevacizumab and cetuximab are active. While bevacizumab has previously been shown to induce tumor hypoxia, we here report that EGFR inhibition by cetuximab protects colon cancer cells from hypoxia-induced cell death. This effect appears to be responsible for the inferior efficacy of a treatment sequence of bevacizumab followed by cetuximab versus an inverse sequence that we observed in a colorectal cancer mouse model. It also offers a mechanistic explanation for effects observed in clinical trials such as underadditive or even detrimental effects when combining bevacizumab and cetuximab (CAIRO2 trial) and the superior efficacy of first line cetuximab (FIRE-3 trial) under chemotherapy backbones in colorectal cancer. Abstract Monoclonal antibodies like cetuximab, targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and bevacizumab, targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), are an integral part of treatment regimens for metastasized colorectal cancer. However, inhibition of the EGFR has been shown to protect human glioma cells from cell death under hypoxic conditions. In colon carcinoma cells, the consequences of EGFR blockade in hypoxia (e.g., induced by bevacizumab) have not been evaluated yet. LIM1215 and SW948 colon carcinoma and LNT-229 glioblastoma cells were treated with cetuximab, PD153035, and erlotinib and analyzed for cell density and viability. The sequential administration of either cetuximab followed by bevacizumab (CET->BEV) or bevacizumab followed by cetuximab (BEV->CET) was investigated in a LIM1215 (KRAS wildtype) and SW948 (KRAS mutant) xenograft mouse model. In vitro, cetuximab protected from hypoxia. In the LIM1215 model, a survival benefit with cetuximab and bevacizumab monotherapy was observed, but only the sequence CET->BEV showed an additional benefit. This effect was confirmed in the SW948 model. Our observations support the hypothesis that bevacizumab modulates the tumor microenvironment (e.g., by inducing hypoxia) where cetuximab could trigger protective effects when administered later on. The sequence CET->BEV therefore seems to be superior as possible mutual adverse effects are bypassed.
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Ramadan WS, Zaher DM, Altaie AM, Talaat IM, Elmoselhi A. Potential Therapeutic Strategies for Lung and Breast Cancers through Understanding the Anti-Angiogenesis Resistance Mechanisms. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21020565. [PMID: 31952335 PMCID: PMC7014257 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21020565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast and lung cancers are among the top cancer types in terms of incidence and mortality burden worldwide. One of the challenges in the treatment of breast and lung cancers is their resistance to administered drugs, as observed with angiogenesis inhibitors. Based on clinical and pre-clinical findings, these two types of cancers have gained the ability to resist angiogenesis inhibitors through several mechanisms that rely on cellular and extracellular factors. This resistance is mediated through angiogenesis-independent vascularization, and it is related to cancer cells and their microenvironment. The mechanisms that cancer cells utilize include metabolic symbiosis and invasion, and they also take advantage of neighboring cells like macrophages, endothelial cells, myeloid and adipose cells. Overcoming resistance is of great interest, and researchers are investigating possible strategies to enhance sensitivity towards angiogenesis inhibitors. These strategies involved targeting multiple players in angiogenesis, epigenetics, hypoxia, cellular metabolism and the immune system. This review aims to discuss the mechanisms of resistance to angiogenesis inhibitors and to highlight recently developed approaches to overcome this resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wafaa S. Ramadan
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE; (W.S.R.); (D.M.Z.); (A.M.A.); (A.E.)
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE
| | - Dana M. Zaher
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE; (W.S.R.); (D.M.Z.); (A.M.A.); (A.E.)
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE
| | - Alaa M. Altaie
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE; (W.S.R.); (D.M.Z.); (A.M.A.); (A.E.)
- Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE
| | - Iman M. Talaat
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE; (W.S.R.); (D.M.Z.); (A.M.A.); (A.E.)
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, 21526 Alexandria, Egypt
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +971-65057221
| | - Adel Elmoselhi
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE; (W.S.R.); (D.M.Z.); (A.M.A.); (A.E.)
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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Exosome-Mediated Signaling in Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Tumor Progression. J Clin Med 2018; 8:jcm8010026. [PMID: 30591649 PMCID: PMC6352067 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8010026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence points to exosomes as key mediators of cell⁻cell communication, by transferring their specific cargo (e.g., proteins, lipids, DNA and RNA molecules) from producing to receiving cells. In cancer, the regulation of the exosome-mediated intercellular communication may be reshaped, inducing relevant changes in gene expression of recipient cells in addition to microenvironment alterations. Notably, exosomes may deliver signals able to induce the transdifferentiation process known as Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). In this review, we summarize recent findings on the role of exosomes in tumor progression and EMT, highlighting current knowledge on exosome-mediated intercellular communication in tumor-niche establishment, migration, invasion, and metastasis processes. This body of evidence suggests the relevance of taking into account exosome-mediated signaling and its multifaceted aspects to develop innovative anti-tumoral therapeutic approaches.
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Evolving Significance and Future Relevance of Anti-Angiogenic Activity of mTOR Inhibitors in Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2017; 9:cancers9110152. [PMID: 29104248 PMCID: PMC5704170 DOI: 10.3390/cancers9110152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
mTOR inhibitors have demonstrated remarkable anti-tumor activity in experimental models, mainly by reducing cancer cell growth and tumor angiogenesis. Their use in cancer patients as monotherapy has, however, generated only limited benefits, increasing median overall survival by only a few months. Likewise, in other targeted therapies, cancer cells develop resistance mechanisms to overcome mTOR inhibition. Hence, novel therapeutic strategies have to be designed to increase the efficacy of mTOR inhibitors in cancer. In this review, we discuss the present and future relevance of mTOR inhibitors in cancer therapy by focusing on their effects on tumor angiogenesis.
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Simone V, Brunetti O, Lupo L, Testini M, Maiorano E, Simone M, Longo V, Rolfo C, Peeters M, Scarpa A, Azzariti A, Russo A, Ribatti D, Silvestris N. Targeting Angiogenesis in Biliary Tract Cancers: An Open Option. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18020418. [PMID: 28212293 PMCID: PMC5343952 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18020418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are characterized by a bad prognosis and the armamentarium of drugs for their treatment is very poor. Although the inflammatory status of biliary tract represents the first step in the cancerogenesis, the microenvironment also plays a key role in the pathogenesis of BTCs, promoting tumor angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. Several molecules, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF), are involved in the angiogenesis process and their expression on tumor samples has been explored as prognostic marker in both cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer. Recent studies evaluated the genomic landscape of BTCs and evidenced that aberrations in several genes enrolled in the pro-angiogenic signaling, such as FGF receptor-2 (FGFR-2), are characteristic of BTCs. New drugs targeting the signaling pathways involved in angiogenesis have been tested in preclinical studies both in vitro and in vivo with promising results. Moreover, several clinical studies tested monoclonal antibodies against VEGF and tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting the VEGF and the MEK/ERK pathways. Herein, we evaluate both the pathogenic mechanisms of BTCs focused on angiogenesis and the preclinical and clinical data available regarding the use of new anti-angiogenic drugs in these malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Simone
- Operative Unit of Internal Medicine, Hospital "F.Ferrari", 73042 Casarano (Le), Italy.
| | - Oronzo Brunetti
- Medical Oncology Unit, Cancer Institute "Giovanni Paolo II", 70124 Bari, Italy.
| | - Luigi Lupo
- Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, Institute of General Surgery and Liver Transplantation, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy.
| | - Mario Testini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, Unit of Endocrine, Digestive and Emergency Surgery, 70124 Bari, Italy.
| | - Eugenio Maiorano
- Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, Operating Unit of Pathological Anatomy, "Aldo Moro" University, 70124 Bari, Italy.
| | - Michele Simone
- Surgical Oncology Unit, Cancer Institute "Giovanni Paolo II", 70124 Bari, Italy.
| | - Vito Longo
- Medical Oncology Unit, Hospital of Taranto, 74010 Taranto, Italy.
| | - Christian Rolfo
- Phase I-Early Clinical Trials Unit, Oncology Department, Antwerp University Hospital & Center for Oncological Research, 2650 Edegem, Belgium.
| | - Marc Peeters
- Oncology Department, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium.
| | - Aldo Scarpa
- ARC-NET (Applied Research on Cancer-Network) Research Centre, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy.
- Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Section of Pathology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy.
| | - Amalia Azzariti
- Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Cancer Institute "Giovanni Paolo II", 70124 Bari, Italy.
| | - Antonio Russo
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, 90144 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Domenico Ribatti
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari Medical School, 70124 Bari, Italy.
- Cancer Institute "Giovanni Paolo II", 70124 Bari, Italy.
| | - Nicola Silvestris
- Medical Oncology Unit, Cancer Institute "Giovanni Paolo II", 70124 Bari, Italy.
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