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Lomphithak T, Fadeel B. Die hard: cell death mechanisms and their implications in nanotoxicology. Toxicol Sci 2023; 192:kfad008. [PMID: 36752525 PMCID: PMC10109533 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad008] [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] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell death is a fundamental biological process, and its fine-tuned regulation is required for life. However, the complexity of regulated cell death is often reduced to a matter of live-dead discrimination. Here, we provide a perspective on programmed or regulated cell death, focusing on apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis (the latter three cell death modalities are examples of regulated necrosis). We also touch on other, recently described manifestations of (pathological) cell death including cuproptosis. Furthermore, we address how engineered nanomaterials impact on regulated cell death. We posit that an improved understanding of nanomaterial-induced perturbations of cell death may allow for a better prediction of the consequences of human exposure and could also yield novel approaches by which to mitigate these effects. Finally, we provide examples of the harnessing of nanomaterials to achieve cancer cell killing through the induction of regulated cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanpisit Lomphithak
- Division of Molecular Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Bengt Fadeel
- Division of Molecular Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
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Mirzayans R, Murray D. Do TUNEL and Other Apoptosis Assays Detect Cell Death in Preclinical Studies? Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21239090. [PMID: 33260475 PMCID: PMC7730366 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay detects DNA breakage by labeling the free 3ʹ-hydroxyl termini. Given that genomic DNA breaks arise during early and late stages of apoptosis, TUNEL staining continues to be widely used as a measure of apoptotic cell death. The advantages of the assay include its relative ease of performance and the broad availability of TUNEL assay kits for various applications, such as single-cell analysis of apoptosis in cell cultures and tissue samples. However, as briefly discussed herein, aside from some concerns relating to the specificity of the TUNEL assay itself, it was demonstrated some twenty years ago that the early stages of apoptosis, detected by TUNEL, can be reversed. More recently, compelling evidence from different biological systems has revealed that cells can recover from even late stage apoptosis through a process called anastasis. Specifically, such recovery has been observed in cells exhibiting caspase activation, genomic DNA breakage, phosphatidylserine externalization, and formation of apoptotic bodies. Furthermore, there is solid evidence demonstrating that apoptotic cells can promote neighboring tumor cell repopulation (e.g., through caspase-3-mediated secretion of prostaglandin E2) and confer resistance to anticancer therapy. Accordingly, caution should be exercised in the interpretation of results obtained by the TUNEL and other apoptosis assays (e.g., caspase activation) in terms of apoptotic cell demise.
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Fanfone D, Idbaih A, Mammi J, Gabut M, Ichim G. Profiling Anti-Apoptotic BCL-xL Protein Expression in Glioblastoma Tumorspheres. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12102853. [PMID: 33023187 PMCID: PMC7599739 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12102853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the cancers with the worst prognosis, despite huge efforts to understand its unusual heterogeneity and aggressiveness. This is mainly due to glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), which are also responsible for the frequent tumor recurrence following surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. In this study, we investigate the expression pattern of the anti-apoptotic BCL-xL protein in several GBM cell lines and the role it might play in GSC-enriched tumorspheres. We report that several GBM cell lines have an increased BCL-xL expression in tumorspheres compared to differentiated cells. Moreover, by artificially modulating BCL-xL expression, we unravel a correlation between BCL-xL and tumorsphere size. In addition, BCL-xL upregulation appears to sensitize GBM tumorspheres to newly developed BH3 mimetics, opening promising therapeutic perspectives for treating GBM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Fanfone
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon (CRCL) INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, 69008 Lyon, France; (D.F.); (J.M.); (M.G.)
- Cancer Cell Death Laboratory, Part of LabEx DEVweCAN, Cancer Initiation and Tumoral Cell Identity Department, CRCL, 69008 Lyon, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Ahmed Idbaih
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, 75013 Paris, France;
- AP-HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires La Pitié Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Service de Neurologie 2-Mazarin, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Jade Mammi
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon (CRCL) INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, 69008 Lyon, France; (D.F.); (J.M.); (M.G.)
- Cancer Cell Death Laboratory, Part of LabEx DEVweCAN, Cancer Initiation and Tumoral Cell Identity Department, CRCL, 69008 Lyon, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Mathieu Gabut
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon (CRCL) INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, 69008 Lyon, France; (D.F.); (J.M.); (M.G.)
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
- Stemness in Gliomas Laboratory, Cancer Initiation and Tumoral Cell Identity Department, CRCL, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Gabriel Ichim
- Cancer Research Centre of Lyon (CRCL) INSERM 1052, CNRS 5286, 69008 Lyon, France; (D.F.); (J.M.); (M.G.)
- Cancer Cell Death Laboratory, Part of LabEx DEVweCAN, Cancer Initiation and Tumoral Cell Identity Department, CRCL, 69008 Lyon, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon I, 69100 Villeurbanne, France
- Correspondence:
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von Hoven G, Qin Q, Neukirch C, Husmann M, Hellmann N. Staphylococcus aureus α-toxin: small pore, large consequences. Biol Chem 2020; 400:1261-1276. [PMID: 30951494 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2018-0472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The small β-pore-forming α-toxin, also termed α-hemolysin or Hla is considered to be an important virulence factor of Staphylococcus aureus. Perforation of the plasma membrane (PM) by Hla leads to uncontrolled flux of ions and water. Already a small number of toxin pores seems to be sufficient to induce complex cellular responses, many of which depend on the efflux of potassium. In this article, we discuss the implications of secondary membrane lesions, for example, by endogenous channels, for Hla-mediated toxicity, for calcium-influx and membrane repair. Activation of purinergic receptors has been proposed to be a major contributor to the lytic effects of various pore forming proteins, but new findings raise doubts that this holds true for Hla. However, the recently discovered cellular pore forming proteins gasdermin D and Mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL) which perforate the PM from the cytosolic side might contribute to both calcium-influx-dependent damage and membrane repair. Activation of endogenous pore forming proteins by Hla above a threshold concentration could explain the apparent dependence of pore characteristics on toxin concentrations. If secondary membrane damage in the aftermath of Hla-attack contributes significantly to overall PM permeability, it might be an interesting target for new therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisela von Hoven
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Straße 67, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Qianqian Qin
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Straße 67, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Claudia Neukirch
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Straße 67, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias Husmann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Obere Zahlbacher Straße 67, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Nadja Hellmann
- Institute for Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Johann-Joachim Becher-Weg 30, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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Mirzayans R, Murray D. Intratumor Heterogeneity and Therapy Resistance: Contributions of Dormancy, Apoptosis Reversal (Anastasis) and Cell Fusion to Disease Recurrence. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041308. [PMID: 32075223 PMCID: PMC7073004 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A major challenge in treating cancer is posed by intratumor heterogeneity, with different sub-populations of cancer cells within the same tumor exhibiting therapy resistance through different biological processes. These include therapy-induced dormancy (durable proliferation arrest through, e.g., polyploidy, multinucleation, or senescence), apoptosis reversal (anastasis), and cell fusion. Unfortunately, such responses are often overlooked or misinterpreted as “death” in commonly used preclinical assays, including the in vitro colony-forming assay and multiwell plate “viability” or “cytotoxicity” assays. Although these assays predominantly determine the ability of a test agent to convert dangerous (proliferating) cancer cells to potentially even more dangerous (dormant) cancer cells, the results are often assumed to reflect loss of cancer cell viability (death). In this article we briefly discuss the dark sides of dormancy, apoptosis, and cell fusion in cancer therapy, and underscore the danger of relying on short-term preclinical assays that generate population-based data averaged over a large number of cells. Unveiling the molecular events that underlie intratumor heterogeneity together with more appropriate experimental design and data interpretation will hopefully lead to clinically relevant strategies for treating recurrent/metastatic disease, which remains a major global health issue despite extensive research over the past half century.
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Mirzayans R, Andrais B, Murray D. Viability Assessment Following Anticancer Treatment Requires Single-Cell Visualization. Cancers (Basel) 2018; 10:cancers10080255. [PMID: 30071623 PMCID: PMC6115892 DOI: 10.3390/cancers10080255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A subset of cells within solid tumors become highly enlarged and enter a state of dormancy (sustained proliferation arrest) in response to anticancer treatment. Although dormant cancer cells might be scored as “dead” in conventional preclinical assays, they remain viable, secrete growth-promoting factors, and can give rise to progeny with stem cell-like properties. Furthermore, cancer cells exhibiting features of apoptosis (e.g., caspase-3 activation) following genotoxic stress can undergo a reversal process called anastasis and survive. Consistent with these observations, single-cell analysis of adherent cultures (solid tumor-derived cell lines with differing p53 status) has demonstrated that virtually all cells—irrespective of their size and morphology—that remain adherent to the culture dish for a long time (weeks) after treatment with anticancer agents exhibit the ability to metabolize 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl- tetrazolium bromide (MTT). The purpose of this commentary is to briefly review these findings and discuss the significance of single-cell (versus population averaged) observation methods for assessment of cancer cell viability and metabolic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razmik Mirzayans
- Department of Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada.
| | - Bonnie Andrais
- Department of Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada.
| | - David Murray
- Department of Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada.
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Mirzayans R, Andrais B, Murray D. Do Multiwell Plate High Throughput Assays Measure Loss of Cell Viability Following Exposure to Genotoxic Agents? Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18081679. [PMID: 28767065 PMCID: PMC5578069 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18081679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-based assays in multiwell plates are widely used for radiosensitivity and chemosensitivity assessment with different mammalian cell types. Despite their relative ease of performance, such assays lack specificity as they do not distinguish between the cytostatic (reversible/sustained growth arrest) and cytotoxic (loss of viability) effects of genotoxic agents. We recently reported studies with solid tumor-derived cell lines demonstrating that radiosensitivity as measured by multiwell plate colorimetric (e.g., XTT) and fluorimetric (e.g., CellTiter-Blue) assays reflects growth arrest but not loss of viability. Herein we report similar observations with cancer cell lines expressing wild-type p53 (A549 lung carcinoma) or mutant p53 (MDA–MB-231 breast carcinoma) after treatment with the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin. Importantly, we show that treatment of cancer cells with concentrations of cisplatin that result in 50% effect (i.e., IC50) in multiwell plate assays trigger the emergence of growth-arrested cells that exhibit highly enlarged morphology, remain viable and adherent to the culture dish, and metabolize the tetrazolium salt 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) to its formazan derivative. The emergence of markedly enlarged viable cells complicates the interpretation of chemosensitivity data obtained with multiwell plate high throughput assays. Relying solely on IC50 values could be misleading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razmik Mirzayans
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada.
| | - Bonnie Andrais
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada.
| | - David Murray
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada.
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Mirzayans R, Andrais B, Murray D. Impact of Premature Senescence on Radiosensitivity Measured by High Throughput Cell-Based Assays. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18071460. [PMID: 28684684 PMCID: PMC5535951 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18071460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2017] [Revised: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In most p53 wild-type human cell types, radiosensitivity evaluated by the colony formation assay predominantly reflects stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS) and not cell death (Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18, 928). SIPS is a growth-arrested state in which the cells acquire flattened and enlarged morphology, remain viable, secrete growth-promoting factors, and can give rise to tumor-repopulating progeny. The impact of SIPS on radiosensitivity measured by short-term assays remains largely unknown. We report that in four p53 wild-type human solid tumor-derived cell lines (HCT116, SKNSH, MCF7 and A172): (i) the conventional short-term growth inhibition assay (3 days post-irradiation) generates radiosensitivity data comparable to that measured by the laborious and time-consuming colony formation assay; (ii) radiation dose-response curves obtained by multiwell plate colorimetric/fluorimetric assays are markedly skewed towards radioresistance, presumably reflecting the emergence of highly enlarged, growth-arrested and viable cells; and (iii) radiation exposure (e.g., 8 Gy) does not trigger apoptosis or loss of viability over a period of 3 days post-irradiation. Irrespective of the cell-based assay employed, caution should be exercised to avoid misinterpreting radiosensitivity data in terms of loss of viability and, hence, cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razmik Mirzayans
- Department of Oncology University of Alberta, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada.
| | - Bonnie Andrais
- Department of Oncology University of Alberta, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada.
| | - David Murray
- Department of Oncology University of Alberta, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2, Canada.
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