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Hosseini K, Frenzel A, Fischer-Friedrich E. EMT induces characteristic changes of Rho GTPases and downstream effectors with a mitosis-specific twist. Phys Biol 2023; 20:066001. [PMID: 37652025 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/acf5bd] [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: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key cellular transformation for many physiological and pathological processes ranging from cancer over wound healing to embryogenesis. Changes in cell migration, cell morphology and cellular contractility were identified as hallmarks of EMT. These cellular properties are known to be tightly regulated by the actin cytoskeleton. EMT-induced changes of actin-cytoskeletal regulation were demonstrated by previous reports of changes of actin cortex mechanics in conjunction with modifications of cortex-associated f-actin and myosin. However, at the current state, the changes of upstream actomyosin signaling that lead to corresponding mechanical and compositional changes of the cortex are not well understood. In this work, we show in breast epithelial cancer cells MCF-7 that EMT results in characteristic changes of the cortical association of Rho-GTPases Rac1, RhoA and RhoC and downstream actin regulators cofilin, mDia1 and Arp2/3. In the light of our findings, we propose that EMT-induced changes in cortical mechanics rely on two hitherto unappreciated signaling paths-i) an interaction between Rac1 and RhoC and ii) an inhibitory effect of Arp2/3 activity on cortical association of myosin II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamran Hosseini
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Annika Frenzel
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Faculty of Physics, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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2
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Zulfiqar B, Farooq A, Kanwal S, Asghar K. Immunotherapy and targeted therapy for lung cancer: Current status and future perspectives. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1035171. [PMID: 36518665 PMCID: PMC9742438 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1035171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 08/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer has the highest incidence of morbidity and mortality throughout the globe. A large number of patients are diagnosed with lung cancer at the later stages of the disease. This eliminates surgery as an option and places complete dependence on radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and/or a combination of both, to halt disease progression by targeting the tumor cells. Unfortunately, these therapies have rarely proved to be effective, and this necessitates the search for alternative preventive approaches to reduce the mortality rate of lung cancer. One of the effective therapies against lung cancer comprises targeting the tumor microenvironment. Like any other cancer cells, lung cancer cells tend to use multiple pathways to maintain their survival and suppress different immune responses from the host's body. This review comprehensively covers the role and the mechanisms that involve the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) in lung adenocarcinoma and methods of treating it by altering the tumor microenvironment. It focuses on the insight and understanding of the lung cancer tumor microenvironment and chemokines, cytokines, and activating molecules that take part in angiogenesis and metastasis. The review paper accounts for the novel and current immunotherapy and targeted therapy available for lung cancer in clinical trials and in the research phases in depth. Special attention is being paid to mark out single or multiple genes that are required for malignancy and survival while developing targeted therapies for lung cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilal Zulfiqar
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Asim Farooq
- Department of Clinical Research, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Shahzina Kanwal
- Institute of Molecular Physiology at Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kashif Asghar
- Department of Basic Sciences Research, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan
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3
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Lee-Theilen M, Fadini DD, Hadhoud JR, van Dongen F, Kroll G, Rolle U, Fiegel HC. Hepatoblastoma Cancer Stem Cells Express PD-L1, Reveal Plasticity and Can Emerge upon Chemotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14235825. [PMID: 36497307 PMCID: PMC9736435 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235825] [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: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The biology of cancer stem cells (CSCs) of pediatric cancers, such as hepatoblastoma, is sparsely explored. This is mainly due to the very immature nature of these tumors, which complicates the distinction of CSCs from the other tumor cells. Previously, we identified a CSC population in hepatoblastoma cell lines expressing the CSC markers CD34 and CD90, cell surface Vimentin (csVimentin) and binding of OV-6. In this study, we detected the co-expression of the immune escape factor PD-L1 in the CSC population, whereas the other tumor cells remained negative. FACS data revealed that non-CSCs give rise to CSCs, reflecting plasticity of CSCs and non-CSCs in hepatoblastoma as seen in other tumors. When we treated cells with cisplatin and decitabine, a new CD34+/lowOV-6lowCD90+ population emerged that lacked csVimentin and PD-L1 expression. Expression analyses showed that this new CSC subset shared similar pluripotency and EMT features with the already-known CSCs. FACS results further revealed that this subset is also generated from non-CSCs. In conclusion, we showed that hepatoblastoma CSCs express PD-L1 and that the biology of hepatoblastoma CSCs is of a plastic nature. Chemotherapeutic treatment leads to another CSC subset, which is highly chemoresistant and could be responsible for a poor prognosis after postoperative chemotherapy.
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Cai S, Li N, Bai X, Liu L, Banerjee A, Lavudi K, Zhang X, Zhao J, Venere M, Duan W, Zhang J, Welliver MX, He K, Wang QE. ERK inactivation enhances stemness of NSCLC cells via promoting Slug-mediated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Theranostics 2022; 12:7051-7066. [PMID: 36276640 PMCID: PMC9576621 DOI: 10.7150/thno.73099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: The mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway (MAPK) is one of the major cancer-driving pathways found in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. ERK inhibitors (ERKi) have been shown to be effective in NSCLC patients with MAPK pathway mutations. However, like other MAPK inhibitors, ERKi rarely confers complete and durable responses. The mechanism of tumor relapse after ERKi treatment is yet defined. Methods: To best study the mechanism of tumor relapse after ERK inhibitor treatment in NSCLC patients, we treated various NSCLC cell lines and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) with ERK inhibitors and evaluated the enrichment of cancer stem cell (CSC) population. We then performed a Next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify potential pathways that are responsible for the CSC enrichment. Further, the involvement of specific pathways was examined using molecular and cellular methods. Finally, we investigated the therapeutic benefits of ERKi treatment combined with JAK/STAT pathway inhibitor using cellular and xenograft NSCLC models. Results: We found that ERKi treatment expands the CSC population in NSCLC cells through enhanced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-mediated cancer cell dedifferentiation. Mechanistically, ERK inactivation induces EMT via pSTAT3-mediated upregulation of Slug, in which, upregulation of miR-204 and downregulation of SPDEF, a transcription repressor of Slug, are involved. Finally, the JAK/STAT pathway inhibitor Ruxolitinib blocks the ERK inactivation-induced EMT and CSC expansion, as well as the tumor progression in xenograft models after ERKi treatment. Conclusions: This study revealed a potential tumor relapse mechanism of NSCLC after ERK inhibition through the unintended activation of the EMT program, ascertained the pSTAT-miR-204-SPDEF-Slug axis, and provided a promising combination inhibitor approach to prevent tumor relapse in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shurui Cai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Na Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Xuetao Bai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Lu Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ananya Banerjee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Kousalya Lavudi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jihe Zhao
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Monica Venere
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Wenrui Duan
- Department of Human & Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Junran Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Meng X. Welliver
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Kai He
- Department of Medical Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Qi-En Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Zhou M, Chen Y, Gu X, Wang C. A Comprehensive Bioinformatic Analysis for Identification of Myeloid-Associated Differentiation Marker as a Potential Negative Prognostic Biomarker in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Pathol Oncol Res 2022; 28:1610504. [PMID: 36061144 PMCID: PMC9437211 DOI: 10.3389/pore.2022.1610504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to identify a molecular marker associated with the prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: The RNA sequencing data and clinical information of NSCLC patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify the co-expression gene modules and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by comparing gene expression between NSCLC tumor tissues and normal tissues. Subsequently, the functional enrichment analysis of the DEGs was performed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and the GEPIA2 online tool were performed to investigate the relationship between the expression of these genes of interest and the survival of NSCLC patients, and to validate one most survival-relevent hub gene, as well as validated the hub gene using independent datasets from the GEO database. Further analysis was carried out to characterize the relationship between the hub gene and tumor immune cell infiltration, tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and other known biomarkers of lung cancer. The related genes were screened by analyzing the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and the survival model was constructed. GEPIA2 was applied in the potential analysis of pan-cancer biomarker of hub gene. Results: 57 hub genes were found to be involved in intercellular connectivity from the 779 identified differentially co-expressed genes. Myeloid-associated differentiation marker (MYADM) was strongly associated with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of NSCLC patients, and high MYADM expression was associated with poor prognosis. Thus, MYADM was identified as a risk factor. Additionally, MYADM was validated as a survival risk factor in NSCLC patients in two independent datasets. Further analysis showed that MYADM was nagetively associated with TMB, and was positively correlated with macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells, suggesting its role in regulating tumor immunity. The MYADM expression differed across many types of cancer and had the potential to serve as a pan-cancer marker. Conclusion:MYADM is an independent prognostic factor for NSCLC patients, which can predict the progression of cancer and play a role in the tumor immune cell infiltration in NSCLC.
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Parakh S, Ernst M, Poh AR. Multicellular Effects of STAT3 in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Opportunities. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:6228. [PMID: 34944848 PMCID: PMC8699548 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13246228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer and accounts for 85% of lung cancer cases. Aberrant activation of the Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) is frequently observed in NSCLC and is associated with a poor prognosis. Pre-clinical studies have revealed an unequivocal role for tumor cell-intrinsic and extrinsic STAT3 signaling in NSCLC by promoting angiogenesis, cell survival, cancer cell stemness, drug resistance, and evasion of anti-tumor immunity. Several STAT3-targeting strategies have also been investigated in pre-clinical models, and include preventing upstream receptor/ligand interactions, promoting the degradation of STAT3 mRNA, and interfering with STAT3 DNA binding. In this review, we discuss the molecular and immunological mechanisms by which persistent STAT3 activation promotes NSCLC development, and the utility of STAT3 as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in NSCLC. We also provide a comprehensive update of STAT3-targeting therapies that are currently undergoing clinical evaluation, and discuss the challenges associated with these treatment modalities in human patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagun Parakh
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia;
- Tumor Targeting Laboratory, The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia;
| | - Matthias Ernst
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia;
- Cancer and Inflammation Laboratory, The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
| | - Ashleigh R. Poh
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia;
- Cancer and Inflammation Laboratory, The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
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7
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Skurikhin E, Pershina O, Zhukova M, Widera D, Ermakova N, Pan E, Pakhomova A, Morozov S, Kubatiev A, Dygai A. Potential of Stem Cells and CART as a Potential Polytherapy for Small Cell Lung Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:778020. [PMID: 34926461 PMCID: PMC8678572 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.778020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the increasing urgency of the problem of treating small cell lung cancer (SCLC), information on the causes of its development is fragmentary. There is no complete understanding of the features of antitumor immunity and the role of the microenvironment in the development of SCLC resistance. This impedes the development of new methods for the diagnosis and treatment of SCLC. Lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have common pathogenetic factors. COPD is a risk factor for lung cancer including SCLC. Therefore, the search for effective approaches to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of SCLC in patients with COPD is an urgent task. This review provides information on the etiology and pathogenesis of SCLC, analyses the effectiveness of current treatment options, and critically evaluates the potential of chimeric antigen receptor T cells therapy (CART therapy) in SCLC. Moreover, we discuss potential links between lung cancer and COPD and the role of endothelium in the development of COPD. Finally, we propose a new approach for increasing the efficacy of CART therapy in SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenii Skurikhin
- Laboratory of Regenerative Pharmacology, Goldberg ED Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
- *Correspondence: Evgenii Skurikhin,
| | - Olga Pershina
- Laboratory of Regenerative Pharmacology, Goldberg ED Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Mariia Zhukova
- Laboratory of Regenerative Pharmacology, Goldberg ED Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Darius Widera
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Group, School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Natalia Ermakova
- Laboratory of Regenerative Pharmacology, Goldberg ED Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Edgar Pan
- Laboratory of Regenerative Pharmacology, Goldberg ED Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Angelina Pakhomova
- Laboratory of Regenerative Pharmacology, Goldberg ED Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Sergey Morozov
- Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Aslan Kubatiev
- Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander Dygai
- Laboratory of Regenerative Pharmacology, Goldberg ED Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk National Research Medical Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia
- Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia
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Cannabidiol Induces Cell Death in Human Lung Cancer Cells and Cancer Stem Cells. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14111169. [PMID: 34832951 PMCID: PMC8624994 DOI: 10.3390/ph14111169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, there is no effective therapy against lung cancer due to the development of resistance. Resistance contributes to disease progression, recurrence, and mortality. The presence of so-called cancer stem cells could explain the ineffectiveness of conventional treatment, and the development of successful cancer treatment depends on the targeting also of cancer stem cells. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid with anti-tumor properties. However, the effects on cancer stem cells are not well understood. The effects of CBD were evaluated in spheres enriched in lung cancer stem cells and adherent lung cancer cells. We found that CBD decreased viability and induced cell death in both cell populations. Furthermore, we found that CBD activated the effector caspases 3/7, increased the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins, increased the levels of reactive oxygen species, as well as a leading to a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in both populations. We also found that CBD decreased self-renewal, a hallmark of cancer stem cells. Overall, our results suggest that CBD is effective against the otherwise treatment-resistant cancer stem cells and joins a growing list of compounds effective against cancer stem cells. The effects and mechanisms of CBD in cancer stem cells should be further explored to find their Achilles heel.
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Schmidtlein PM, Volz C, Hackel A, Thürling I, Castven D, Braun R, Wellner UF, Konukiewitz B, Riemekasten G, Lehnert H, Marquardt JU, Ungefroren H. Activation of a Ductal-to-Endocrine Transdifferentiation Transcriptional Program in the Pancreatic Cancer Cell Line PANC-1 Is Controlled by RAC1 and RAC1b through Antagonistic Regulation of Stemness Factors. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215541. [PMID: 34771704 PMCID: PMC8583136 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary For patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) there is currently no cure; hence, novel effective therapies are desperately needed. Among PDAC patients, the tumor cell phenotypes are heterogeneous as a result of epithelial–mesenchymal transition, a process that endows them with the ability to metastasize, resist therapy, and generate cancer stem cells. The heightened plasticity of quasimesenchymal and potentially metastatic tumor cells may, however, also be exploited for their transdifferentiation into benign, highly differentiated or post-mitotic cells. Since PDAC patients often have a need for replacement of insulin-producing cells, conversion of tumor cells with a ductal/exocrine origin to endocrine β cell-like cells is an attractive therapeutic option. Successful transdifferentiation into insulin-producing cells has been reported for the quasimesenchymal cell line PANC-1; however, the mechanistic basis of this transformation process is unknown. Here, we show that the small GTPases, RAC1 and RAC1b control this process by antagonistic regulation of stemness genes. Abstract Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a driving force for tumor growth, metastatic spread, therapy resistance, and the generation of cancer stem cells (CSCs). However, the regained stem cell character may also be exploited for therapeutic conversion of aggressive tumor cells to benign, highly differentiated cells. The PDAC-derived quasimesenchymal-type cell lines PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 have been successfully transdifferentiated to endocrine precursors or insulin-producing cells; however, the underlying mechanism of this increased plasticity remains elusive. Given its crucial role in normal pancreatic endocrine development and tumor progression, both of which involve EMT, we analyzed here the role of the small GTPase RAC1. Ectopic expression in PANC-1 cells of dominant negative or constitutively active mutants of RAC1 activation blocked or enhanced, respectively, the cytokine-induced activation of a ductal-to-endocrine transdifferentiation transcriptional program (deTDtP) as revealed by induction of the NEUROG3, INS, SLC2A2, and MAFA genes. Conversely, ectopic expression of RAC1b, a RAC1 splice isoform and functional antagonist of RAC1-driven EMT, decreased the deTDtP, while genetic knockout of RAC1b dramatically increased it. We further show that inhibition of RAC1 activation attenuated pluripotency marker expression and self-renewal ability, while depletion of RAC1b dramatically enhanced stemness features and clonogenic potential. Finally, rescue experiments involving pharmacological or RNA interference-mediated inhibition of RAC1 or RAC1b, respectively, confirmed that both RAC1 isoforms control the deTDtP in an opposite manner. We conclude that RAC1 and RAC1b antagonistically control growth factor-induced activation of an endocrine transcriptional program and the generation of CSCs in quasimesenchymal PDAC cells. Our results have clinical implications for PDAC patients, who in addition to eradication of tumor cells have a need for replacement of insulin-producing cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Marie Schmidtlein
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (P.M.S.); (C.V.); (I.T.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
| | - Clara Volz
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (P.M.S.); (C.V.); (I.T.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
| | - Alexander Hackel
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (A.H.); (G.R.)
| | - Isabel Thürling
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (P.M.S.); (C.V.); (I.T.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
| | - Darko Castven
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (P.M.S.); (C.V.); (I.T.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
| | - Rüdiger Braun
- Clinic for Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (R.B.); (U.F.W.)
| | - Ulrich Friedrich Wellner
- Clinic for Surgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (R.B.); (U.F.W.)
| | - Björn Konukiewitz
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany;
| | - Gabriela Riemekasten
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (A.H.); (G.R.)
| | | | - Jens-Uwe Marquardt
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (P.M.S.); (C.V.); (I.T.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
| | - Hendrik Ungefroren
- First Department of Medicine, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany; (P.M.S.); (C.V.); (I.T.); (D.C.); (J.-U.M.)
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, D-24105 Kiel, Germany;
- Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany
- Correspondence:
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Polonio-Alcalá E, Rabionet M, Ruiz-Martínez S, Palomeras S, Porta R, Vásquez-Dongo C, Bosch-Barrera J, Puig T, Ciurana J. Polycaprolactone Electrospun Scaffolds Produce an Enrichment of Lung Cancer Stem Cells in Sensitive and Resistant EGFRm Lung Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215320. [PMID: 34771484 PMCID: PMC8582538 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The culture of lung cancer stem cells (LCSCs) is not possible using traditional flat polystyrene surfaces. The study of these tumor-initiating cells is fundamental due to their key role in the resistance to anticancer therapies, tumor recurrence, and metastasis. Hence, we evaluated the use of polycaprolactone electrospun (PCL-ES) scaffolds for culturing LCSC population in sensitive and resistant EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma models. Our findings revealed that both cell models seeded on PCL-ES structures showed a higher drug resistance, enhanced levels of several genes and proteins related to epithelial-to-mesenchymal process, stemness, and surface markers, and the activation of the Hedgehog pathway. We also determined that the non-expression of CD133 was associated with a low degree of histological differentiation, disease progression, distant metastasis, and worse overall survival in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer patients. Therefore, we confirmed PCL-ES scaffolds as a suitable three-dimensional cell culture model for the study of LCSC niche. Abstract The establishment of a three-dimensional (3D) cell culture model for lung cancer stem cells (LCSCs) is needed because the study of these stem cells is unable to be done using flat surfaces. The study of LCSCs is fundamental due to their key role in drug resistance, tumor recurrence, and metastasis. Hence, the purpose of this work is the evaluation of polycaprolactone electrospun (PCL-ES) scaffolds for culturing LCSCs in sensitive and resistant EGFR-mutated (EGFRm) lung adenocarcinoma cell models. We performed a thermal, physical, and biological characterization of 10% and 15%-PCL-ES structures. Several genes and proteins associated with LCSC features were analyzed by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Vimentin and CD133 tumor expression were evaluated in samples from 36 patients with EGFRm non-small cell lung cancer through immunohistochemistry. Our findings revealed that PC9 and PC9-GR3 models cultured on PCL-ES scaffolds showed higher resistance to osimertinib, upregulation of ABCB1, Vimentin, Snail, Twist, Sox2, Oct-4, and CD166, downregulation of E-cadherin and CD133, and the activation of Hedgehog pathway. Additionally, we determined that the non-expression of CD133 was significantly associated with a low degree of histological differentiation, disease progression, and distant metastasis. To sum up, we confirmed PCL-ES scaffolds as a suitable 3D cell culture model for the study of the LCSC niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Polonio-Alcalá
- Product, Process and Production Engineering Research Group (GREP), Department of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Construction, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (E.P.-A.); (M.R.)
- New Therapeutic Targets Laboratory (TargetsLab)-Oncology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (S.R.-M.); (S.P.); (R.P.); (C.V.-D.)
| | - Marc Rabionet
- Product, Process and Production Engineering Research Group (GREP), Department of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Construction, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (E.P.-A.); (M.R.)
- New Therapeutic Targets Laboratory (TargetsLab)-Oncology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (S.R.-M.); (S.P.); (R.P.); (C.V.-D.)
| | - Santiago Ruiz-Martínez
- New Therapeutic Targets Laboratory (TargetsLab)-Oncology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (S.R.-M.); (S.P.); (R.P.); (C.V.-D.)
| | - Sònia Palomeras
- New Therapeutic Targets Laboratory (TargetsLab)-Oncology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (S.R.-M.); (S.P.); (R.P.); (C.V.-D.)
| | - Rut Porta
- New Therapeutic Targets Laboratory (TargetsLab)-Oncology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (S.R.-M.); (S.P.); (R.P.); (C.V.-D.)
- Medical Oncology Department, Catalan Institute of Oncology, 17007 Girona, Spain;
| | - Carmen Vásquez-Dongo
- New Therapeutic Targets Laboratory (TargetsLab)-Oncology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (S.R.-M.); (S.P.); (R.P.); (C.V.-D.)
- Department of Pathology, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, 17007 Girona, Spain
| | | | - Teresa Puig
- New Therapeutic Targets Laboratory (TargetsLab)-Oncology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (S.R.-M.); (S.P.); (R.P.); (C.V.-D.)
- Correspondence: (T.P.); (J.C.); Tel.: +34-972-419-628 (T.P.); +34-972-418-384 (J.C.)
| | - Joaquim Ciurana
- Product, Process and Production Engineering Research Group (GREP), Department of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Construction, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain; (E.P.-A.); (M.R.)
- Correspondence: (T.P.); (J.C.); Tel.: +34-972-419-628 (T.P.); +34-972-418-384 (J.C.)
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11
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Kaushik V, Kulkarni Y, Felix K, Azad N, Iyer AKV, Yakisich JS. Alternative models of cancer stem cells: The stemness phenotype model, 10 years later. World J Stem Cells 2021; 13:934-943. [PMID: 34367485 PMCID: PMC8316871 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i7.934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The classical cancer stem cell (CSCs) theory proposed the existence of a rare but constant subpopulation of CSCs. In this model cancer cells are organized hierarchically and are responsible for tumor resistance and tumor relapse. Thus, eliminating CSCs will eventually lead to cure of cancer. This simplistic model has been challenged by experimental data. In 2010 we proposed a novel and controversial alternative model of CSC biology (the Stemness Phenotype Model, SPM). The SPM proposed a non-hierarchical model of cancer biology in which there is no specific subpopulation of CSCs in tumors. Instead, cancer cells are highly plastic in term of stemness and CSCs and non-CSCs can interconvert into each other depending on the microenvironment. This model predicts the existence of cancer cells ranging from a pure CSC phenotype to pure non-CSC phenotype and that survival of a single cell can originate a new tumor. During the past 10 years, a plethora of experimental evidence in a variety of cancer types has shown that cancer cells are indeed extremely plastic and able to interconvert into cells with different stemness phenotype. In this review we will (1) briefly describe the cumulative evidence from our laboratory and others supporting the SPM; (2) the implications of the SPM in translational oncology; and (3) discuss potential strategies to develop more effective therapeutic regimens for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek Kaushik
- School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, United States
| | - Yogesh Kulkarni
- School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, United States
| | - Kumar Felix
- School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, United States
| | - Neelam Azad
- School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, United States
| | - Anand Krishnan V Iyer
- School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, United States
| | - Juan Sebastian Yakisich
- School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, United States
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12
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Liang J, Oyang L, Rao S, Han Y, Luo X, Yi P, Lin J, Xia L, Hu J, Tan S, Tang L, Pan Q, Tang Y, Zhou Y, Liao Q. Rac1, A Potential Target for Tumor Therapy. Front Oncol 2021; 11:674426. [PMID: 34079763 PMCID: PMC8165220 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.674426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
RAS-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac.1) is one of the important members of Rho GTPases. It is well known that Rac1 is a cytoskeleton regulation protein that regulates cell adhesion, morphology, and movement. Rac1 is highly expressed in different types of tumors, which is related to poor prognosis. Studies have shown that Rac1 not only participates in the tumor cell cycle, apoptosis, proliferation, invasion, migration and angiogenesis, but also participates in the regulation of tumor stem cell, thus promoting the occurrence of tumors. Rac1 also plays a key role in anti-tumor therapy and participates in immune escape mediated by the tumor microenvironment. In addition, the good prospects of Rac1 inhibitors in cancer prevention and treatment are exciting. Therefore, Rac1 is considered as a potential target for the prevention and treatment of cancer. The necessity and importance of Rac1 are obvious, but it still needs further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Liang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Linda Oyang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shan Rao
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yaqian Han
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xia Luo
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Pin Yi
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jinguan Lin
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Longzheng Xia
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jiaqi Hu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shiming Tan
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lu Tang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China.,University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Qing Pan
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China.,University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Yanyan Tang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Clinical Research Center for Wound Healing in Hunan Province, Changsha, China
| | - Yujuan Zhou
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qianjin Liao
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Clinical Research Center for Wound Healing in Hunan Province, Changsha, China
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13
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Control of Intestinal Epithelial Permeability by Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor 5. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 12:1073-1092. [PMID: 33975030 PMCID: PMC8350072 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Epithelial cells form a monolayer at mucosal surface that functions as a highly selective barrier. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive lipid that elicits a broad range of biological effects via cognate G protein-coupled receptors. LPA receptor 5 (LPA5) is highly expressed in intestinal epithelial cells, but its role in the intestine is not well-known. Here we determined the role of LPA5 in regulation of intestinal epithelial barrier. METHODS Epithelial barrier integrity was determined in mice with intestinal epithelial cell (IEC)-specific LPA5 deletion, Lpar5ΔIEC. LPA was orally administered to mice, and intestinal permeability was measured. Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was used to induce colitis. Human colonic epithelial cell lines were used to determine the LPA5-mediated signaling pathways that regulate epithelial barrier. RESULTS We observed increased epithelial permeability in Lpar5ΔIEC mice with reduced claudin-4 expression. Oral administration of LPA decreased intestinal permeability in wild-type mice, but the effect was greatly mitigated in Lpar5ΔIEC mice. Serum lipopolysaccharide level and bacterial loads in the intestine and liver were elevated in Lpar5ΔIEC mice. Lpar5ΔIEC mice developed more severe colitis induced with DSS. LPA5 transcriptionally regulated claudin-4, and this regulation was dependent on transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor, which induced localization of Rac1 at the cell membrane. LPA induced the translocation of Stat3 to the cell membrane and promoted the interaction between Rac1 and Stat3. Inhibition of Stat3 ablated LPA-mediated regulation of claudin-4. CONCLUSIONS This study identifies LPA5 as a regulator of the intestinal barrier. LPA5 promotes claudin-4 expression in IECs through activation of Rac1 and Stat3.
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14
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Naderi A, Soltanmaohammadi E, Kaza V, Barlow S, Chatzistamou I, Kiaris H. Persistent effects of pair bonding in lung cancer cell growth in monogamous Peromyscus californicus. eLife 2021; 10:e64711. [PMID: 33960931 PMCID: PMC8104960 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological evidence suggests that social interactions and especially bonding between couples influence tumorigenesis, yet whether this is due to lifestyle changes, homogamy (likelihood of individuals to marry people of similar health), or directly associated with host-induced effects in tumors remains debatable. In the present study, we explored if tumorigenesis is associated with the bonding experience in monogamous rodents at which disruption of pair bonds is linked to anxiety and stress. Comparison of lung cancer cell spheroids that formed in the presence of sera from bonded and bond-disrupted deer mice showed that in monogamous Peromyscus polionotus and Peromyscus californicus, but not in polygamous Peromyscus maniculatus, the disruption of pair bonds altered the size and morphology of spheroids in a manner that is consistent with the acquisition of increased oncogenic potential. In vivo, consecutive transplantation of human lung cancer cells between P. californicus, differing in bonding experiences (n = 9 for bonded and n = 7 for bond-disrupted), and nude mice showed that bonding suppressed tumorigenicity in nude mice (p<0.05), suggesting that the protective effects of pair bonds persisted even after bonding ceased. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering indicated that the transcriptomes of lung cancer cells clustered according to the serum donors' bonding history while differential gene expression analysis pointed to changes in cell adhesion and migration. The results highlight the pro-oncogenic effects of pair-bond disruption, point to the acquisition of expression signatures in cancer cells that are relevant to the bonding experiences of serum donors, and question the ability of conventional mouse models to capture the whole spectrum of the impact of the host in tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asieh Naderi
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
| | - Elham Soltanmaohammadi
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
| | - Vimala Kaza
- Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
| | - Shayne Barlow
- Department of Physiology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Department of Laboratory Animal Resources, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
| | - Ioulia Chatzistamou
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
| | - Hippokratis Kiaris
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
- Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center, University of South CarolinaColumbiaUnited States
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15
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Hosseini K, Taubenberger A, Werner C, Fischer‐Friedrich E. EMT-Induced Cell-Mechanical Changes Enhance Mitotic Rounding Strength. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2020; 7:2001276. [PMID: 33042748 PMCID: PMC7539203 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202001276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
To undergo mitosis successfully, most animal cells need to acquire a round shape to provide space for the mitotic spindle. This mitotic rounding relies on mechanical deformation of surrounding tissue and is driven by forces emanating from actomyosin contractility. Cancer cells are able to maintain successful mitosis in mechanically challenging environments such as the increasingly crowded environment of a growing tumor, thus, suggesting an enhanced ability of mitotic rounding in cancer. Here, it is shown that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a hallmark of cancer progression and metastasis, gives rise to cell-mechanical changes in breast epithelial cells. These changes are opposite in interphase and mitosis and correspond to an enhanced mitotic rounding strength. Furthermore, it is shown that cell-mechanical changes correlate with a strong EMT-induced change in the activity of Rho GTPases RhoA and Rac1. Accordingly, it is found that Rac1 inhibition rescues the EMT-induced cortex-mechanical phenotype. The findings hint at a new role of EMT in successful mitotic rounding and division in mechanically confined environments such as a growing tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamran Hosseini
- Biotechnology CenterTechnische Universität DresdenTatzberg 47–49Dresden01307Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of LifeTechnische Universität DresdenDresden01062Germany
| | - Anna Taubenberger
- Biotechnology CenterTechnische Universität DresdenTatzberg 47–49Dresden01307Germany
| | - Carsten Werner
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research DresdenMax Bergmann CenterHohe Str. 6Dresden01069Germany
| | - Elisabeth Fischer‐Friedrich
- Biotechnology CenterTechnische Universität DresdenTatzberg 47–49Dresden01307Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of LifeTechnische Universität DresdenDresden01062Germany
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Lee SH, Reed-Newman T, Anant S, Ramasamy TS. Regulatory Role of Quiescence in the Biological Function of Cancer Stem Cells. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2020; 16:1185-1207. [DOI: 10.1007/s12015-020-10031-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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17
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Crowell LL, Yakisich JS, Aufderheide B, Adams TNG. Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy for Monitoring Chemoresistance of Cancer Cells. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E832. [PMID: 32878225 PMCID: PMC7570252 DOI: 10.3390/mi11090832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is an electrokinetic method that allows for the characterization of intrinsic dielectric properties of cells. EIS has emerged in the last decade as a promising method for the characterization of cancerous cells, providing information on inductance, capacitance, and impedance of cells. The individual cell behavior can be quantified using its characteristic phase angle, amplitude, and frequency measurements obtained by fitting the input frequency-dependent cellular response to a resistor-capacitor circuit model. These electrical properties will provide important information about unique biomarkers related to the behavior of these cancerous cells, especially monitoring their chemoresistivity and sensitivity to chemotherapeutics. There are currently few methods to assess drug resistant cancer cells, and therefore it is difficult to identify and eliminate drug-resistant cancer cells found in static and metastatic tumors. Establishing techniques for the real-time monitoring of changes in cancer cell phenotypes is, therefore, important for understanding cancer cell dynamics and their plastic properties. EIS can be used to monitor these changes. In this review, we will cover the theory behind EIS, other impedance techniques, and how EIS can be used to monitor cell behavior and phenotype changes within cancerous cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lexi L. Crowell
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA;
- Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Juan S. Yakisich
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, USA;
| | - Brian Aufderheide
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668, USA;
| | - Tayloria N. G. Adams
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA;
- Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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Walcher L, Kistenmacher AK, Suo H, Kitte R, Dluczek S, Strauß A, Blaudszun AR, Yevsa T, Fricke S, Kossatz-Boehlert U. Cancer Stem Cells-Origins and Biomarkers: Perspectives for Targeted Personalized Therapies. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1280. [PMID: 32849491 PMCID: PMC7426526 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 434] [Impact Index Per Article: 108.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of biomarkers in diagnosis, therapy and prognosis has gained increasing interest over the last decades. In particular, the analysis of biomarkers in cancer patients within the pre- and post-therapeutic period is required to identify several types of cells, which carry a risk for a disease progression and subsequent post-therapeutic relapse. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of tumor cells that can drive tumor initiation and can cause relapses. At the time point of tumor initiation, CSCs originate from either differentiated cells or adult tissue resident stem cells. Due to their importance, several biomarkers that characterize CSCs have been identified and correlated to diagnosis, therapy and prognosis. However, CSCs have been shown to display a high plasticity, which changes their phenotypic and functional appearance. Such changes are induced by chemo- and radiotherapeutics as well as senescent tumor cells, which cause alterations in the tumor microenvironment. Induction of senescence causes tumor shrinkage by modulating an anti-tumorigenic environment in which tumor cells undergo growth arrest and immune cells are attracted. Besides these positive effects after therapy, senescence can also have negative effects displayed post-therapeutically. These unfavorable effects can directly promote cancer stemness by increasing CSC plasticity phenotypes, by activating stemness pathways in non-CSCs, as well as by promoting senescence escape and subsequent activation of stemness pathways. At the end, all these effects can lead to tumor relapse and metastasis. This review provides an overview of the most frequently used CSC markers and their implementation as biomarkers by focussing on deadliest solid (lung, stomach, liver, breast and colorectal cancers) and hematological (acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia) cancers. Furthermore, it gives examples on how the CSC markers might be influenced by therapeutics, such as chemo- and radiotherapy, and the tumor microenvironment. It points out, that it is crucial to identify and monitor residual CSCs, senescent tumor cells, and the pro-tumorigenic senescence-associated secretory phenotype in a therapy follow-up using specific biomarkers. As a future perspective, a targeted immune-mediated strategy using chimeric antigen receptor based approaches for the removal of remaining chemotherapy-resistant cells as well as CSCs in a personalized therapeutic approach are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia Walcher
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Kistenmacher
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Huizhen Suo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Reni Kitte
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sarah Dluczek
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alexander Strauß
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - André-René Blaudszun
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tetyana Yevsa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Stephan Fricke
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Uta Kossatz-Boehlert
- Department of Immunology, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
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Yao W, Wang L, Huang H, Li X, Wang P, Mi K, Cheng J, Liu H, Gu C, Huang L, Huang J. All-trans retinoic acid reduces cancer stem cell-like cell-mediated resistance to gefitinib in NSCLC adenocarcinoma cells. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:315. [PMID: 32293355 PMCID: PMC7161137 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-06818-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The enrichment of cancer stem cell-like cells (CSCs) has been considered to be responsible for tumor progression after an initial response to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in patients with non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma (NSCLC/ADC). CSCs with ALDH1A1bright /CD44high expression contribute to the TKIs resistance in NSCLC/ADC cells. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has been shown to be a potential targeted therapy against CSCs due to its ability to inhibit ALDH1A1 activity. We therefore investigated whether ATRA could circumvent the resistance to improve the response to gefitinib in NSCLC/ADC cells. Methods Treatment of NSCLC/ADC A549 and H1650 cells with gefitinib enriched the gefitinib surviving cells (GSCs). The expression of ALDH1A1 and CD44 and the IC50 values for gefitinib were determined by flow cytometry (FCM) and crystal violet assay in GSCs and ATRA-treated GSCs, respectively. Using DEAB as the positive control, direct inhibitory effect of ATRA on ALDH1A1 activity was determined by ALDEFLUOR assay, Results GSCs showed higher expression of ALDH1A1 and CD44 and IC50 values for gefitinib than their respective parental cells, suggesting that gefitinib can lead to propagation of CSC-enriched gefitinib-resistant cells. Treatment with ATRA was found to significantly reduce the increased expression of ALDH1A1 and CD44 and the IC50 values for gefitinib in A549GSC and H1650GSC cells, and ATRA could directly inhibit active ALDH1A1 as compared to DEAB. Conclusion Our findings suggest that combination treatment with ATRA prevents gefitinib-induced enrichment of ALDH1A1bright/CD44high CSCs and enhances gefitinib-induced growth inhibition of NSCLC/ADC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiu Yao
- Department of Medical oncology, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Medical School of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Liyang Wang
- Department of Medical oncology, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Medical School of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Huan Huang
- Department of Medical oncology, Wuming Hospital Affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530000, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Medical oncology, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Medical School of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Pinjia Wang
- Department of Medical oncology, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Medical School of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Kun Mi
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sichuan Cancer Insititute, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sichuan Cancer Insititute, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Huifen Liu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sichuan Cancer Insititute, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Cuirong Gu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sichuan Cancer Insititute, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingxiao Huang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sichuan Cancer Insititute, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianming Huang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sichuan Cancer Insititute, No.55, Section 4, South Renmin Road, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China.
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Hao C, Liu G, Tian G. Autophagy inhibition of cancer stem cells promotes the efficacy of cisplatin against non-small cell lung carcinoma. Ther Adv Respir Dis 2020; 13:1753466619866097. [PMID: 31368411 PMCID: PMC6676261 DOI: 10.1177/1753466619866097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Clinical treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) by cisplatin eventually results in drug resistance, which cancer stem cells and autophagy are believed to be involved in. In the present study, we aimed to explore the effect of autophagy-inhibited cancer stem cells in NSCLC. Methods: Cancer stem cells were identified by CD133 expression levels detected by immunochemistry, real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and flow cytometry. Stemness was detected by sphere-forming assays of tumor cells. Autophagy was determined by LC3-II expression at mRNA and protein levels. The effect of chloroquine (CQ) on autophagy was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot and sphere-forming assay in vitro, and tumor growth in male NOD/SCID mice. Results: Cisplatin (CDDP) treatment enhanced CD133+ cell ratios in clinical NSCLC specimens and NSCLC cell line A549. The CD133+ cells enriched by CDDP exhibited higher autophagy levels. Autophagy inhibition by CQ inhibited CD133+ stemness and promoted CDDP efficiency in A549 cells. In addition, the combination of CDDP and CQ treatment significantly inhibited autophagy levels and cancer stem cell proportions in vitro, and dramatically suppressed tumor growth compared with individual agents. Conclusion: Autophagy inhibition of cancer stem cells could promote the efficacy of cisplatin against NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengcheng Hao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong, China
| | - Guiping Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong, China
| | - Guangliang Tian
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Liaocheng Cancer Hospital, No 45 Jianshe East Road, Liaocheng, Shandong, 252000, China
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21
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Liu D, Hong Y, Li Y, Hu C, Yip TC, Yu WK, Zhu Y, Fong CC, Wang W, Au SK, Wang S, Yang M. Targeted destruction of cancer stem cells using multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles that enable combined hyperthermia and chemotherapy. Theranostics 2020; 10:1181-1196. [PMID: 31938059 PMCID: PMC6956796 DOI: 10.7150/thno.38989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been implicated in cancer recurrence and therapy resistance. Therefore, a CSC-targeted therapy that disrupts the maintenance and survival of CSCs may offer an effective approach in killing tumor cells in primary tumors and preventing the metastasis caused by CSCs. Nanoparticles (NPs)-based thermotherapy and/or chemotherapy are promising therapeutic methods for cancer treatment. Methods: A silica-based multifunctional NP system was present, which encapsulated a chemotherapeutic agent and magnetic cores and coated with a specific antibody against the lung CSCs. The efficacy of this novel therapeutic strategy was systematically studied both in vitro and in vivo by simultaneous activating the combined thermotherapy and chemotherapy via CSC-targeted NPs. Results: These NPs were systematically administered and activated for targeted chemotherapy and thermotherapy by using an externally applied alternating magnetic field (AMF). The antibody-modified NPs targeted to lung CSCs with enhanced cellular uptake in vitro and extended accumulation in tumor in vivo. Up to 98% of lung CSCs was killed in vitro with 30-min application of AMF, due to the combined effects of hyperthermia and chemotherapeutic drug treatment. In in vivo models, this combined therapy significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in lung CSC xenograft-bearing mice, with minimal side effects and adverse effects. Conclusion: With good biocompatibility and targeting capability, the nanodrug delivery system may offer a promising clinical platform for the combined thermotherapy and chemotherapy. This work demonstrated the feasibility of developing multifunctional nanomedicine targeting CSCs for effective cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of the Ministry of Education, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China
| | - Yingcai Hong
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital, the Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen 510000, China
| | - Yaping Li
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Chong Hu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Tak-Chun Yip
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wai-Kin Yu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Yu Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Chi-Chun Fong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shenzhen People's Hospital, the Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen 510000, China
| | - Weimao Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Siu-Kie Au
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shubin Wang
- Department of Oncology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Mengsu Yang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Key Laboratory of Biochip Technology, Biotech and Health Centre, Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518057, China
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22
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Amino Acid-Mediated Metabolism: A New Power to Influence Properties of Stem Cells. Stem Cells Int 2019; 2019:6919463. [PMID: 31885621 PMCID: PMC6915148 DOI: 10.1155/2019/6919463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The self-renewal and differentiation potentials of stem cells are dependent on amino acid (AA) metabolism. We review the literature on the metabolic preference of both cancer and noncancer stem cells. The balance in AA metabolism is responsible for maintaining the functionality of noncancer stem cells, and altering the levels of AAs can influence the malignant biological behavior of cancer stem cells. AAs are considered nutrients participating in metabolism and playing a critical role in maintaining the activity of normal stem cells and the effect of therapy of cancer stem cells. Targeting AA metabolism helps inhibit the stemness of cancer stem cells and remodels the function of normal stem cells. This review summarizes the metabolic characteristics and regulation pathways of AA in different stem cells, not only from the nutritional perspective but also from the genomic perspective that have been reported in the recent five years. In addition, we briefly survey new therapeutic modalities that may help eradicate cancer stem cells by exploiting nutrient deprivation. Understanding AA uptake characteristics helps researchers define the preference for AA in different stem cells and enables clinicians make timely interventions to specifically target the cell behavior.
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23
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An N, Liu T, Zhu B, Yang Y, Yan X, Cao M, Chen Y, Liu R, Xia P, Liu C, Du J, Gao F, Yuan H, Liu H, Cai J. A bidirectional effect of Rac1 inhibition-Protects radiation-induced intestinal injury while inhibits tumor. Life Sci 2019; 240:117105. [PMID: 31786196 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2019.117105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Revised: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
AIMS To investigate whether Rac1 inhibition can alleviate radiation-induced intestinal injury (RIII), meanwhile exist no protection on tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS Rac1 inhibition was achieved by its specific inhibitor, NSC23766. Mice were pretreated with different intraperitoneal injections, which were normal saline for NS group (N = 9), and 2.5 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg of NSC23766 for Low-Dose group (N = 9) and High-Dose group (N = 9), respectively. After total body irritation (10Gy), small intestinal tissues were collected for Hematoxylin-Eosin (H&E) staining and Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl Transferase Mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL). Intestinal epithelial and tumor cell lines, namely MODE-k and CT-26, were used to further study the role of Rac1 inhibition on radiation damage. Flow cytometry was used to detect changes in reactive oxygen species production, cell cycles and mitochondrial membrane potential, the latter was also checked by fluorescence microscope. Changes of protein-expression associated with apoptosis and cell cycles were detected by Western blotting to explain the possible molecular mechanism. KEY FINDINGS Height of intestine villi and depth of crypt were higher (P < 0.01) and apoptosis ratio lower (P < 0.01) in High-Dose group compared with those in NS group. After radiation, Rac1 inhibition pre-treatment improved the vitality (P < 0.01) and reduced the apoptosis (P < 0.01) in MODE-k while yielded opposite results in CT-26, and reduced ROS production of MODE-k (P < 0.01) while had little effect on that of CT-26. Rac1 inhibition differently affected the cell cycles of normal cells and that of tumor cells. SIGNIFICANCE Inhibition of Rac1 could alleviate RIII, meanwhile assist the killing effect of radiation on tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni An
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tingting Liu
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Baoliang Zhu
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yajie Yang
- College of Basic Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Xiangyin Road, 200433 Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaodi Yan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Man Cao
- The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruling Liu
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Penglin Xia
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jicong Du
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fu Gao
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongbin Yuan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Hu Liu
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jianming Cai
- Department of Radiation Medicine, Faculty of Naval Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
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24
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Li L, Wang Y, Jiao L, Lin C, Lu C, Zhang K, Hu C, Ye J, Zhang D, Wu H, Feng M, He Y. Protective autophagy decreases osimertinib cytotoxicity through regulation of stem cell-like properties in lung cancer. Cancer Lett 2019; 452:191-202. [PMID: 30910592 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Osimertinib, a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor - tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), shows great efficacy in EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, the resistance is inevitable. Osimertinib induces autophagy in NSCLC cells, but the role of autophagy in osimertinib resistance is not clear. We discovered that enhanced autophagy is associated with osimertinib resistance in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of autophagy enhanced osimertinib cytotoxicity in both osimertinib-resistant and sensitive cells. Moreover, osimertinib-resistant cells exhibited stem cell-like properties, whereas autophagy inhibition decreased the stemness by downregulating the expression of SOX2 and ALDH1A1. Further, we found that knockdown of Beclin-1 inhibited the stem cell-like properties and restored osimertinib cytotoxicity. Osimertinib combined with chloroquine inhibited tumor growth more effectively than alone in xenograft mice. These results reveal that autophagy plays an adverse role in osimertinib cytotoxicity through inducing stem cell-like properties. Combination therapy of EGFR-TKI and autophagy inhibitor could provide a promising strategy to improve osimertinib cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Yubo Wang
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Lin Jiao
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Caiyu Lin
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Conghua Lu
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Kejun Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Chen Hu
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Junyi Ye
- Burning Rock Biotech, Guangzhou, 510300, China
| | - Dadong Zhang
- The Research and Development Institute of Precision Medicine, 3D Medicine Inc., Shanghai, 201114, China
| | - Haiyan Wu
- OrigiMed Co. Ltd, Shanghai, 201114, China
| | - Mingxia Feng
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China
| | - Yong He
- Department of Respiratory Disease, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China.
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25
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Tièche CC, Gao Y, Bührer ED, Hobi N, Berezowska SA, Wyler K, Froment L, Weis S, Peng RW, Bruggmann R, Schär P, Amrein MA, Hall SRR, Dorn P, Kocher G, Riether C, Ochsenbein A, Schmid RA, Marti TM. Tumor Initiation Capacity and Therapy Resistance Are Differential Features of EMT-Related Subpopulations in the NSCLC Cell Line A549. Neoplasia 2018; 21:185-196. [PMID: 30591423 PMCID: PMC6309124 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2018.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Cell lines are essential tools to standardize and compare experimental findings in basic and translational cancer research. The current dogma states that cancer stem cells feature an increased tumor initiation capacity and are also chemoresistant. Here, we identified and comprehensively characterized three morphologically distinct cellular subtypes in the non–small cell lung cancer cell line A549 and challenge the current cancer stem cell dogma. Subtype-specific cellular morphology is maintained during short-term culturing, resulting in the formation of holoclonal, meroclonal, and paraclonal colonies. A549 holoclone cells were characterized by an epithelial and stem-like phenotype, paraclone cells featured a mesenchymal phenotype, whereas meroclone cells were phenotypically intermediate. Cell-surface marker expression of subpopulations changed over time, indicating an active epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in vitro and in vivo. EMT has been associated with the overexpression of the immunomodulators PD-L1 and PD-L2, which were 37- and 235-fold overexpressed in para- versus holoclone cells, respectively. We found that DNA methylation is involved in epigenetic regulation of marker expression. Holoclone cells were extremely sensitive to cisplatin and radiotherapy in vitro, whereas paraclone cells were highly resistant. However, inhibition of the receptor tyrosine kinase AXL, whose expression is associated with an EMT, specifically targeted the otherwise highly resistant paraclone cells. Xenograft tumor formation capacity was 24- and 269-fold higher in holo- than mero- and paraclone cells, respectively. Our results show that A549 subpopulations might serve as a unique system to explore the network of stemness, cellular plasticity, tumor initiation capacity, invasive and metastatic potential, and chemo/radiotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Charles Tièche
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland; Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Yanyun Gao
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland; Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Elias Daniel Bührer
- Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nina Hobi
- ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, Organs-on-Chip Technologies, University of Bern, Switzerland, Institute of General Physiology, University of Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Kurt Wyler
- Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Laurène Froment
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland; Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Weis
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ren-Wang Peng
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland; Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rémy Bruggmann
- Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Primo Schär
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Alex Amrein
- Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sean Ralph Robert Hall
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland; Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Dorn
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland; Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gregor Kocher
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland; Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Carsten Riether
- Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Adrian Ochsenbein
- Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ralph Alexander Schmid
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland; Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Thomas Michael Marti
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Switzerland; Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Switzerland.
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26
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Heng WS, Gosens R, Kruyt FAE. Lung cancer stem cells: origin, features, maintenance mechanisms and therapeutic targeting. Biochem Pharmacol 2018; 160:121-133. [PMID: 30557553 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths despite recent breakthroughs in immunotherapy. The widely embraced cancer stem cell (CSC) theory has also been applied for lung cancer, postulating that an often small proportion of tumor cells with stem cell properties are responsible for tumor growth, therapeutic resistance and metastasis. The identification of these CSCs and underlying molecular maintenance mechanisms is considered to be absolutely necessary for developing therapies for their riddance, hence achieving remission. In this review, we will critically address the CSC concept in lung cancer and its advancement thus far. We will describe both normal lung stem cells and their malignant counterparts in order to identify common aspects with respect to their emergence and regulation. Subsequently, the importance of CSCs and their molecular features in lung cancers will be discussed in a preclinical and clinical context. We will highlight some examples on how lung CSCs attain stemness through different molecular modifications and cellular assistance from the tumor microenvironment. The exploitation of these mechanistic features for the development of pharmacological therapy will also be discussed. In summary, the validity of the CSC concept has been evidenced by various studies. Ongoing research to identify molecular mechanisms driving lung CSC have revealed potential new cell intrinsic as well as tumor microenvironment-derived therapeutic targets. Although successfully demonstrated in preclinical models, the clinical benefit of lung CSC targeted therapies has thus far not been demonstrated. Therefore, further research to validate the therapeutic value of CSC concept is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Win Sen Heng
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Reinoud Gosens
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Frank A E Kruyt
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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27
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Li Y, Yu WK, Chen L, Chan YS, Liu D, Fong CC, Xu T, Zhu G, Sun D, Yang M. Electrotaxis of tumor-initiating cells of H1975 lung adenocarcinoma cells is associated with both activation of stretch-activated cation channels (SACCs) and internal calcium release. Bioelectrochemistry 2018; 124:80-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2018.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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28
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Testa U, Castelli G, Pelosi E. Lung Cancers: Molecular Characterization, Clonal Heterogeneity and Evolution, and Cancer Stem Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2018; 10:E248. [PMID: 30060526 PMCID: PMC6116004 DOI: 10.3390/cancers10080248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer causes the largest number of cancer-related deaths in the world. Most (85%) of lung cancers are classified as non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (15%) (SCLC). The 5-year survival rate for NSCLC patients remains very low (about 16% at 5 years). The two predominant NSCLC histological phenotypes are adenocarcinoma (ADC) and squamous cell carcinoma (LSQCC). ADCs display several recurrent genetic alterations, including: KRAS, BRAF and EGFR mutations; recurrent mutations and amplifications of several oncogenes, including ERBB2, MET, FGFR1 and FGFR2; fusion oncogenes involving ALK, ROS1, Neuregulin1 (NRG1) and RET. In LSQCC recurrent mutations of TP53, FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, DDR2 and genes of the PI3K pathway have been detected, quantitative gene abnormalities of PTEN and CDKN2A. Developments in the characterization of lung cancer molecular abnormalities provided a strong rationale for new therapeutic options and for understanding the mechanisms of drug resistance. However, the complexity of lung cancer genomes is particularly high, as shown by deep-sequencing studies supporting the heterogeneity of lung tumors at cellular level, with sub-clones exhibiting different combinations of mutations. Molecular studies performed on lung tumors during treatment have shown the phenomenon of clonal evolution, thus supporting the occurrence of a temporal tumor heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Testa
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Germana Castelli
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Elvira Pelosi
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy.
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29
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Wang Y, Jiang M, Du C, Yu Y, Liu Y, Li M, Luo F. Utilization of lung cancer cell lines for the study of lung cancer stem cells. Oncol Lett 2018; 15:6791-6798. [PMID: 29731860 PMCID: PMC5920960 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is one of the most lethal types of cancer, and its poor prognosis is primarily due to drug resistance and cancer recurrence. As it is associated with a low five-year survival rate, lung cancer stem cells (LCSCs) have been the subject of numerous recent studies. For these studies of LCSCs, lung cancer cell lines are more commonly used than lung cancer tissues obtained from patients, as they are easier to acquire. The methods utilized for the identification of LCSCs from lung cancer cell lines include fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS), sphere-forming assay and bacterial surface display library screening. As LCSCs have certain proteins expressed on the surface (CD133, CD44 and CD24) or in the cytoplasm (ALDH and ABCG2), which may act as specific markers, the most frequently used technique to identify and obtain LCSCs is FACS. The current lack of recognized biomarkers in LCSCs makes the identification of LCSCs problematic. Furthermore, the various proportions of LCSCs in specific cell lines, as revealed by numerous previous studies, may cause the LCSC model to be questioned with regard to whether the utilization of certain lung cancer cell lines is dependable for LCSC studies. The current review focuses on lung cancer cell lines that are used for the study of LCSCs and the methods available to identify LCSCs with various markers. The present study also aimed to determine the proportion of LCSCs present in specific cell lines reported by various studies, and to discuss the suitability of specific lung cancer cell lines for the study of LCSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyi Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, Lung Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Ming Jiang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, Lung Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Chi Du
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, Lung Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China.,Department of Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Neijiang, Neijiang, Sichuan 641000, P.R. China
| | - Yang Yu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, Lung Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Yanyang Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, Lung Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Mei Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, Lung Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Feng Luo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, Lung Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
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30
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Vargová J, Mikeš J, Jendželovský R, Mikešová L, Kuchárová B, Čulka Ľ, Fedr R, Remšík J, Souček K, Kozubík A, Fedoročko P. Hypericin affects cancer side populations via competitive inhibition of BCRP. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 99:511-522. [PMID: 29665654 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.01.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs) are considered a root of tumorigenicity and resistance. However, their identification remains challenging. The use of the side population (SP) assay as a credible marker of CSLCs remains controversial. The SP assay relies on the elevated activity of ABC transporters that, in turn, can be modulated by hypericin (HYP), a photosensitizer and bioactive compound of St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum), a popular over-the-counter antidepressant. Here we aimed to comprehensively characterize the SP phenotype of cancer cells and to determine the impact of HYP on these cells. METHODS Flow cytometry and sorting-based assays were employed, including CD24-, CD44-, CD133-, and ALDH-positivity, clonogenicity, 3D-forming ability, ABC transporter expression and activity, and intracellular accumulation of HYP/Hoechst 33342. The tumorigenic ability of SP, nonSP, and HYP-treated cells was verified by xenotransplantation into immunodeficient mice. RESULTS The SP phenotype was associated with elevated expression of several investigated transporters and more intensive growth in non-adherent conditions but not with higher clonogenicity, tumorigenicity or ALDH-positivity. Despite stimulated BCRP level and MRP1 activity, HYP reversibly decreased the SP proportion, presumably via competitive inhibition of BCRP. HYP-selected SP cells acquired additional traits of resistance and extensively eliminated HYP. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that SP is not an unequivocal CSLC-marker. However, SP could play an important role in modulating HYP-treatment and serve as a negative predictive tool for HYP-based therapies. Moreover, the use of supplements containing HYP by cancer patients should be carefully considered, due to its proposed effect on drug efflux and complex impact on tumor cells, which have not yet been sufficiently characterized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Vargová
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 041 54, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Jaromír Mikeš
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 041 54, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Rastislav Jendželovský
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 041 54, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Lucia Mikešová
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 041 54, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Barbora Kuchárová
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 041 54, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Ľubomír Čulka
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 041 54, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Radek Fedr
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Královopolská 135, 612 65, Brno, Czech Republic; Center of Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekařská 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ján Remšík
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Královopolská 135, 612 65, Brno, Czech Republic; Center of Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekařská 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Souček
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Královopolská 135, 612 65, Brno, Czech Republic; Center of Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering, International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekařská 53, 656 91, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alois Kozubík
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Královopolská 135, 612 65, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Fedoročko
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 041 54, Košice, Slovak Republic.
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31
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Del Re M, Arrigoni E, Restante G, Passaro A, Rofi E, Crucitta S, De Marinis F, Di Paolo A, Danesi R. Concise Review: Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: The Role of Cancer Stem Cells. Stem Cells 2018; 36:633-640. [PMID: 29352734 DOI: 10.1002/stem.2787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Among the potential mechanisms involved in resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in non-small cell lung cancer, the manifestation of stem-like properties in cancer cells seems to have a crucial role. Alterations involved in the development of TKI resistance may be acquired in a very early phase of tumorigenesis, supporting the hypothesis that these aberrations may be present in cancer stem cells (CSCs). In this regard, the characterization of tumor subclones in the initial phase and the identification of the CSCs may be helpful in planning a specific treatment to target selected biomarkers, suppress tumor growth, and prevent drug resistance. The aim of this review is to elucidate the role of CSCs in the development of resistance to TKIs and its implication for the management of patients. Stem Cells 2018;36:633-640.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzia Del Re
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elena Arrigoni
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuliana Restante
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Antonio Passaro
- Division of Thoracic Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Rofi
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefania Crucitta
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo De Marinis
- Division of Thoracic Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonello Di Paolo
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Romano Danesi
- Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenetics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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32
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Di Martile M, Desideri M, De Luca T, Gabellini C, Buglioni S, Eramo A, Sette G, Milella M, Rotili D, Mai A, Carradori S, Secci D, De Maria R, Del Bufalo D, Trisciuoglio D. Histone acetyltransferase inhibitor CPTH6 preferentially targets lung cancer stem-like cells. Oncotarget 2017; 7:11332-48. [PMID: 26870991 PMCID: PMC4905477 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in tumor initiation, progression, therapeutic failure and tumor relapse. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of the thiazole derivative 3-methylcyclopentylidene-[4-(4′-chlorophenyl)thiazol-2-yl]hydrazone (CPTH6), a novel pCAF and Gcn5 histone acetyltransferase inhibitor, as a small molecule that preferentially targets lung cancer stem-like cells (LCSCs) derived from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Notably, although CPTH6 inhibits the growth of both LCSC and NSCLC cell lines, LCSCs exhibit greater growth inhibition than established NSCLC cells. Growth inhibitory effect of CPTH6 in LCSC lines is primarily due to apoptosis induction. Of note, differentiated progeny of LCSC lines is more resistant to CPTH6 in terms of loss of cell viability and reduction of protein acetylation, when compared to their undifferentiated counterparts. Interestingly, in LCSC lines CPTH6 treatment is also associated with a reduction of stemness markers. By using different HAT inhibitors we provide clear evidence that inhibition of HAT confers a strong preferential inhibitory effect on cell viability of undifferentiated LCSC lines when compared to their differentiated progeny. In vivo, CPTH6 is able to inhibit the growth of LCSC-derived xenografts and to reduce cancer stem cell content in treated tumors, as evidenced by marked reduction of tumor-initiating capacity in limiting dilution assays. Strikingly, the ability of CPTH6 to inhibit tubulin acetylation is also confirmed in vivo. Overall, our studies propose histone acetyltransferase inhibition as an attractive target for cancer therapy of NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Di Martile
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Marianna Desideri
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Teresa De Luca
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Gabellini
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Simonetta Buglioni
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Adriana Eramo
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Sette
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Michele Milella
- Clinical and Experimental Oncology Department, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Dante Rotili
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, 'Sapienza' University, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonello Mai
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, 'Sapienza' University, Rome, Italy.,Pasteur Institute, Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, 'Sapienza' University, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Carradori
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, 'Sapienza' University, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Secci
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, 'Sapienza' University, Rome, Italy
| | - Ruggero De Maria
- Scientific Director, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Donatella Del Bufalo
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Trisciuoglio
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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33
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Flores-Téllez TNJ, Villa-Treviño S, Piña-Vázquez C. Road to stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol 2017; 23:6750-6776. [PMID: 29085221 PMCID: PMC5645611 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i37.6750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2017] [Revised: 05/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Carcinogenic process has been proposed to relay on the capacity to induce local tissue damage and proliferative repair. Liver has a great regeneration capacity and currently, most studies point towards the dominant role of hepatocytes in regeneration at all levels of liver damage. The most frequent liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Historical findings originally led to the idea that the cell of origin of HCC might be a progenitor cell. However, current linage tracing studies put the progenitor hypothesis of HCC origin into question. In agreement with their dominant role in liver regeneration, mature hepatocytes are emerging as the cell of origin of HCC, although, the specific hepatocyte subpopulation of origin is yet to be determined. The relationship between the cancer cell of origin (CCO) and cancer-propagating cells, known as hepatic cancer stem cell (HCSC) is unknown. It has been challenging to identify the definitive phenotypic marker of HCSC, probably due to the existence of different cancer stem cells (CSC) subpopulations with different functions within HCC. There is a dynamic interconversion among different CSCs, and between CSC and non-CSCs. Because of that, CSC-state is currently defined as a description of a highly adaptable and dynamic intrinsic property of tumor cells, instead of a static subpopulation of a tumor. Altered conditions could trigger the gain of stemness, some of them include: EMT-MET, epigenetics, microenvironment and selective stimulus such as chemotherapy. This CSC heterogeneity and dynamism makes them out reach from therapeutic protocols directed to a single target. A further avenue of research in this line will be to uncover mechanisms that trigger this interconversion of cell populations within tumors and target it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresita NJ Flores-Téllez
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN No. 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco CP 07360, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Saúl Villa-Treviño
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN No. 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco CP 07360, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Carolina Piña-Vázquez
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN No. 2508 Col. San Pedro Zacatenco CP 07360, Ciudad de México, México
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34
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Powan P, Luanpitpong S, He X, Rojanasakul Y, Chanvorachote P. Detachment-induced E-cadherin expression promotes 3D tumor spheroid formation but inhibits tumor formation and metastasis of lung cancer cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2017; 313:C556-C566. [PMID: 28931539 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00096.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Revised: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is proposed to be a key mechanism responsible for metastasis-related deaths. Similarly, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been proposed to be a key driver of tumor metastasis. However, the link between the two events and their control mechanisms is unclear. We used a three-dimensional (3D) tumor spheroid assay and other CSC-indicating assays to investigate the role of E-cadherin in CSC regulation and its association to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in lung cancer cells. Ectopic overexpression and knockdown of E-cadherin were found to promote and retard, respectively, the formation of tumor spheroids in vitro but had opposite effects on tumor formation and metastasis in vivo in a xenograft mouse model. We explored the discrepancy between the in vitro and in vivo results and demonstrated, for the first time, that E-cadherin is required as a component of a major survival pathway under detachment conditions. Downregulation of E-cadherin increased the stemness of lung cancer cells but had an adverse effect on their survival, particularly on non-CSCs. Such downregulation also promoted anoikis resistance and invasiveness of lung cancer cells. These results suggest that anoikis assay could be used as an alternative method for in vitro assessment of CSCs that involves dysregulated adhesion proteins. Our data also suggest that agents that restore E-cadherin expression may be used as therapeutic agents for metastatic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phattrakorn Powan
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Cell-Based Drug and Health Products Development Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia; and
| | - Sudjit Luanpitpong
- Siriraj Center of Excellence for Stem Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Xiaoqing He
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia; and
| | - Yon Rojanasakul
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia; and.,Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Pithi Chanvorachote
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; .,Cell-Based Drug and Health Products Development Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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35
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Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and MicroRNAs in Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2017; 9:cancers9080101. [PMID: 28771186 PMCID: PMC5575604 DOI: 10.3390/cancers9080101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite major advances, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the major cause of cancer-related death in developed countries. Metastasis and drug resistance are the main factors contributing to relapse and death. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex molecular and cellular process involved in tissue remodelling that was extensively studied as an actor of tumour progression, metastasis and drug resistance in many cancer types and in lung cancers. Here we described with an emphasis on NSCLC how the changes in signalling pathways, transcription factors expression or microRNAs that occur in cancer promote EMT. Understanding the biology of EMT will help to define reversing process and treatment strategies. We will see that this complex mechanism is related to inflammation, cell mobility and stem cell features and that it is a dynamic process. The existence of intermediate phenotypes and tumour heterogeneity may be debated in the literature concerning EMT markers, EMT signatures and clinical consequences in NSCLC. However, given the role of EMT in metastasis and in drug resistance the development of EMT inhibitors is an interesting approach to counteract tumour progression and drug resistance. This review describes EMT involvement in cancer with an emphasis on NSCLC and microRNA regulation.
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36
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An SM, Lei HM, Ding XP, Sun F, Zhang C, Tang YB, Chen HZ, Shen Y, Zhu L. Interleukin-6 identified as an important factor in hypoxia- and aldehyde dehydrogenase-based gefitinib adaptive resistance in non-small cell lung cancer cells. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:3445-3454. [PMID: 28927099 PMCID: PMC5588073 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.6613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Gefitinib resistance and relapse of the disease were the greatest challenges facing clinical therapy of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Of note, regarding the hypoxia condition in solid tumor tissues in vivo, roles of hypoxia in gefitinib adaptive resistance and its association with lung cancer stem cells (LCSCs) have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, the role of hypoxia in gefitinib adaptive resistance and its association with aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)-based LCSC gefitinib resistance were comparatively studied using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology. Co-treatment of PC9 cells with gefitinib and hypoxia (1% O2) significantly enhanced adaptive resistance compared with gefitinib or hypoxia treatment alone. An ALDEFLUOR assay demonstrated that there was a significant increase of ALDH expression level in hypoxia and gefitinib co-treated PC9 cells, in addition to a higher ratio of G0/G1 quiescent cell enrichment and acquisition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. RNA-seq analysis revealed that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an important common factor in hypoxia and ALDH-based gefitinib resistance, supported by inflammation-associated tumor necrosis factor, nuclear factor-κB and Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling pathway enrichment. Furthermore, exposure of PC9 and HCC827 cells to IL-6 increased gefitinib adaptive resistance. Consequently, IL-6 expression level was a poor prognostic marker for patients with NSCLC and adenocarcinoma. Thus, targeting IL-6 combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment may be promising in NSCLC clinical therapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Min An
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.,Shanghai Universities Collaborative Innovation Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China
| | - Hui-Min Lei
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China
| | - Xu-Ping Ding
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China
| | - Fan Sun
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.,Department of Pharmacy, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, P.R. China
| | - Chun Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.,Department of Pharmacy, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, P.R. China
| | - Ya-Bin Tang
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.,Shanghai Universities Collaborative Innovation Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Zhuan Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.,Shanghai Universities Collaborative Innovation Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China
| | - Ying Shen
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.,Shanghai Universities Collaborative Innovation Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China
| | - Liang Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China.,Shanghai Universities Collaborative Innovation Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China
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37
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Guo X, Zheng H, Luo W, Zhang Q, Liu J, Yao K. 5T4-specific chimeric antigen receptor modification promotes the immune efficacy of cytokine-induced killer cells against nasopharyngeal carcinoma stem cell-like cells. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4859. [PMID: 28687750 PMCID: PMC5501797 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04756-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Relapse and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are presumably attributed to cancer stem cells (CSCs). In recent years, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified immune effector cells have been shown to have impressive antitumour efficacy. In this study, we aimed to identify appropriate tumour-associated antigens predominantly expressed on NPC stem cells (NPCSCs) and determine their suitability for CAR-engineered cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell therapy against NPC. By investigating the expression patterns of potential target antigens (ROR1, 5T4 and CAIX) in NPC, we found that the oncofetal antigen 5T4 was predominately expressed in NPC cell lines and tissues but absent in non-cancerous nasopharyngeal tissues. Moreover, significantly enhanced expression of 5T4 in NPC spheroids revealed its relationship with putative NPCSCs. Hence, we designed a CAR construct (5T4-28Z) specific for 5T4 and generated CAR-transduced CIK cells. Our results showed that the artificial CAR was efficiently expressed on the surface of CIK cells and that no native phenotypes were altered by the gene transduction. Functional assays revealed that 5T4-28Z-CIK cells possessed both CAR-mediated and CAR-independent anti-NPC activity and were capable of efficiently attacking NPC cells, especially NPCSC-like cells in vitro, suggesting that they might serve as an attractive tool for developing efficient therapies against NPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyang Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumour Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hang Zheng
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weiren Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumour Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qianbing Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumour Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingxian Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumour Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kaitai Yao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumour Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. .,Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China.
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38
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Yeo CD, Kang N, Choi SY, Kim BN, Park CK, Kim JW, Kim YK, Kim SJ. The role of hypoxia on the acquisition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cancer stemness: a possible link to epigenetic regulation. Korean J Intern Med 2017; 32:589-599. [PMID: 28704917 PMCID: PMC5511947 DOI: 10.3904/kjim.2016.302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A hypoxic microenvironment leads to cancer progression and increases the metastatic potential of cancer cells within tumors via epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stemness acquisition. The hypoxic response pathway can occur under oxygen tensions of < 40 mmHg through hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), which are considered key mediators in the adaptation to hypoxia. Previous studies have shown that cellular responses to hypoxia are required for EMT and cancer stemness maintenance through HIF-1α and HIF-2α. The principal transcription factors of EMT include Twist, Snail, Slug, Sip1 (Smad interacting protein 1), and ZEB1 (zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1). HIFs bind to hypoxia response elements within the promoter region of these genes and also target cancer stem cell-associated genes and mediate transcriptional responses to hypoxia during stem cell differentiation. Acquisition of stemness characteristics in epithelial cells can be induced by activation of the EMT process. The mechanism of these phenotypic changes includes epigenetic alterations, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, and microRNAs. Increased expression of EMT and pluripotent genes also play a role through demethylation of their promoters. In this review, we summarize the role of hypoxia on the acquisition of EMT and cancer stemness and the possible association with epigenetic regulation, as well as their therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Seung Joon Kim
- Correspondence to Seung Joon Kim, M.D. Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, 222 Banpodaero, Seocho-gu, Seoul 06591, Korea Tel: +82-2-2258-6063 Fax: +82-2-599-3589 E-mail:
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39
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Ungefroren H, Witte D, Lehnert H. The role of small GTPases of the Rho/Rac family in TGF-β-induced EMT and cell motility in cancer. Dev Dyn 2017; 247:451-461. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Ungefroren
- First Department of Medicine; University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Lübeck, and University of Lübeck; Lübeck Germany
- Department of General and Thoracic Surgery; UKSH, Campus Kiel; Kiel Germany
| | - David Witte
- First Department of Medicine; University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Lübeck, and University of Lübeck; Lübeck Germany
| | - Hendrik Lehnert
- First Department of Medicine; University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Campus Lübeck, and University of Lübeck; Lübeck Germany
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Vitale SG, Laganà AS, Capriglione S, Angioli R, La Rosa VL, Lopez S, Valenti G, Sapia F, Sarpietro G, Butticè S, Tuscano C, Fanale D, Tropea A, Rossetti D. Target Therapies for Uterine Carcinosarcomas: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18051100. [PMID: 28531111 PMCID: PMC5455008 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18051100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2017] [Revised: 05/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Carcinosarcomas (CS) in gynecology are very infrequent and represent only 2-5% of uterine cancers. Despite surgical cytoreduction and subsequent chemotherapy being the primary treatment for uterine CS, the overall five-year survival rate is 30 ± 9% and recurrence is extremely common (50-80%). Due to the poor prognosis of CS, new strategies have been developed in the last few decades, targeting known dysfunctional molecular pathways for immunotherapy. In this paper, we aimed to gather the available evidence on the latest therapies for the treatment of CS. We performed a systematic review using the terms "uterine carcinosarcoma", "uterine Malignant Mixed Müllerian Tumors", "target therapies", "angiogenesis therapy", "cancer stem cell therapy", "prognostic biomarker", and "novel antibody-drug". Based on our results, the differential expression and accessibility of epithelial cell adhesion molecule-1 on metastatic/chemotherapy-resistant CS cells in comparison to normal tissues and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) open up new possibilities in the field of target therapy. Nevertheless, future investigations are needed to clarify the impact of these new therapies on survival rate and medium-/long-term outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Giovanni Vitale
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy.
| | - Antonio Simone Laganà
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy.
| | - Stella Capriglione
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Campus Bio Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy.
| | - Roberto Angioli
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Campus Bio Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy.
| | - Valentina Lucia La Rosa
- Unit of Psychodiagnostics and Clinical Psychology, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy.
| | - Salvatore Lopez
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Campus Bio Medico University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy.
| | - Gaetano Valenti
- Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy.
| | - Fabrizio Sapia
- Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Sarpietro
- Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy.
| | - Salvatore Butticè
- Department of Human Pathology, Unit of Urology, University of Messina, 98124 Messina, Italy.
| | - Carmelo Tuscano
- Radiation Oncology Department, AO "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", 89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy.
| | - Daniele Fanale
- Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Tropea
- Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy.
| | - Diego Rossetti
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Desenzano del Garda Hospital, Section of Gavardo, 25085 Gavardo, Brescia, Italy.
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Engineering cancer stem-like cells from normal human lung epithelial cells. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175147. [PMID: 28380052 PMCID: PMC5381922 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been proposed that a subpopulation of tumour cells with stem cell-like characteristics, known as cancer stem cells (CSCs), drives tumour initiation and generates tumour heterogeneity, thus leading to cancer metastasis, recurrence, and drug resistance. Although there has been substantial progress in CSC research into many solid tumour types, an understanding of the biology of CSCs in lung cancer remains elusive, mainly because of their heterogeneous origins and high plasticity. Here, we demonstrate that engineered lung cancer cells derived from normal human airway basal epithelial cells possessed CSC-like characteristics in terms of multilineage differentiation potential and strong tumour-initiating ability. Moreover, we established an in vitro 3D culture system that allowed the in vivo differentiation process of the CSC-like cells to be recapitulated. This engineered CSC model provides valuable opportunities for studying the biology of CSCs and for exploring and evaluating novel therapeutic approaches and targets in lung CSCs.
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Yakisich JS, Venkatadri R, Azad N, Iyer AKV. Chemoresistance of Lung and Breast Cancer Cells Growing Under Prolonged Periods of Serum Starvation. J Cell Physiol 2017; 232:2033-2043. [PMID: 27504932 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The efficacy of chemotherapy is hindered by both tumor heterogeneity and acquired or intrinsic multi-drug resistance caused by the contribution of multidrug resistance proteins and stemness-associated prosurvival markers. Therefore, targeting multi-drug resistant cells would be much more effective against cancer. In this study, we characterized the chemoresistance properties of adherent (anchorage-dependent) lung H460 and breast MCF-7 cancer cells growing under prolonged periods of serum starvation (PPSS). We found that under PPSS, both cell lines were highly resistant to Paclitaxel, Colchicine, Hydroxyurea, Obatoclax, Wortmannin, and LY294002. Levels of several proteins associated with increased stemness such as Sox2, MDR1, ABCG2, and Bcl-2 were found to be elevated in H460 cells but not in MCF-7 cells. While pharmacological inhibition of either MDR1, ABCG2, Bcl-2 with Verapamil, Sorafenib, or Obatoclax, respectively decreased the levels of their target proteins under routine culture conditions as expected, such inhibition did not reverse PX resistance in PPSS conditions. Paradoxically, treatment with inhibitors in serum-starved conditions produced an elevation of their respective target proteins. In addition, we found that Digitoxin, an FDA approved drug that decrease the viability of cancer cells growing under PPSS, downregulates the expression of Sox2, MDR1, phospho- AKT, Wnt5a/b, and β-catenin. Our data suggest that PPSS-induced chemoresistance is the result of extensive rewiring of intracellular signaling networks and that multi-resistance can be effectively overcome by simultaneously targeting multiple targets of the rewired network. Furthermore, our PPSS model provides a simple and useful tool to screen drugs for their ability to target multiple pathways of cancer resistance. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 2033-2043, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Sebastian Yakisich
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia
| | - Rajkumar Venkatadri
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia
| | - Neelam Azad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia
| | - Anand Krishnan V Iyer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia
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Si J, Zhang P, Tian D, Wang X, Ma Y, Zhang J, Wang L, Yang Y. CMTM1_v17 is associated with chemotherapy resistance and poor prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer. World J Surg Oncol 2017; 15:34. [PMID: 28129775 PMCID: PMC5273821 DOI: 10.1186/s12957-016-1094-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Considering neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) prior to surgery could shrink and reduce the primary tumor and distant micro-metastases to reduce the high relapses rates, NAC has been an accepted therapeutic management for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). CMTM1_v17 is highly expressed in human testis tissues and solid tumor tissues but relatively low expression was obtained in the corresponding normal tissues. This study aims to investigate the significance of CMTM1_v17 in NSCLC and its association with platinum-based NAC efficacy. Methods 31 pairs of tumor tissues before and after NAC and 78 resected tumor tissues after NAC were utilized for immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of CMTM1_v17 protein. The correlation between CMTM1_v17 expression and chemotherapy efficacy was analyzed. The prognostic value of CMTM1_v17 index for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival and multivariable Cox regression. Results CMTM1_v17 expression was related to treatment effect and outcome in tumor tissues after NAC not before NAC from 31 cases of NSCLC. We identified that high CMTM1_v17 expression was associated with low objective remission rate (ORR) (P = 0.008) and poor prognosis (the median OS: 35.1 months vs 65.6 months, P = 0.0045; the median DFS: 17.27 months vs 35.54 months, P = 0.0207) in the 31 patients. Next, we detected CMTM1_v17 expression to confirm correlation between this protein status and clinical characteristics in 78 NSCLC patients with NAC treatment. The upregulation of CMTM1_v17 had a higher SD rate (P = 0.007) and worse outcome (the median OS: 41.0 months vs 80.6 months, P = 0.0028; the median DFS: 33.4 vs 64.8 months, P = 0.0032). COX multivariate analysis indicated that CMTM1_v17 is an independent prognostic risk factor on patients who have received NAC (OS: HR = 3.642, P = 0.002; DFS:HR = 3.094, P = 0.002). Conclusions CMTM1_v17 expression is significantly associated with chemoresistance and poor prognosis of the early stage NSCLC patients who have received NAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Si
- Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Panpan Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Dan Tian
- Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Xing Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Yuanyuan Ma
- Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Jianzhi Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Science, Health Science Center, Peking University, Beijing, 100142, China.
| | - Yue Yang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China.
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Glycine decarboxylase and HIF-1α expression are negative prognostic factors in primary resected early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. Virchows Arch 2017; 470:323-330. [DOI: 10.1007/s00428-016-2057-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Zou T, Mao X, Yin J, Li X, Chen J, Zhu T, Li Q, Zhou H, Liu Z. Emerging roles of RAC1 in treating lung cancer patients. Clin Genet 2016; 91:520-528. [PMID: 27790713 DOI: 10.1111/cge.12908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (RAC1), a member of the Rho family of small guanosine triphosphatases, is critical for many cellular activities, such as phagocytosis, adhesion, migration, motility, cell proliferation, and axonal growth. In addition, RAC1 plays an important role in cancer angiogenesis, invasion, and migration, and it has been reported to be related to most cancers, such as breast cancer, gastric cancer, testicular germ cell cancer, and lung cancer. Recently, the therapeutic target of RAC1 in cancer has been investigated. In addition, some investigations have shown that inhibition of RAC1 can reverse drug-resistance in non-small cell lung cancer. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in understanding the role of RAC1 in lung cancer and the underlying mechanisms and discuss its value in clinical therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Zou
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, P.R. China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - X Mao
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, P.R. China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - J Yin
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, P.R. China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - X Li
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, P.R. China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - J Chen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, P.R. China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - T Zhu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, P.R. China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - Q Li
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, P.R. China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - H Zhou
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, P.R. China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Changsha, P.R. China
| | - Z Liu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, P.R. China.,Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics, Changsha, P.R. China
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Prasanphanich AF, White DE, Gran MA, Kemp ML. Kinetic Modeling of ABCG2 Transporter Heterogeneity: A Quantitative, Single-Cell Analysis of the Side Population Assay. PLoS Comput Biol 2016; 12:e1005188. [PMID: 27851764 PMCID: PMC5113006 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The side population (SP) assay, a technique used in cancer and stem cell research, assesses the activity of ABC transporters on Hoechst staining in the presence and absence of transporter inhibition, identifying SP and non-SP cell (NSP) subpopulations by differential staining intensity. The interpretation of the assay is complicated because the transporter-mediated mechanisms fail to account for cell-to-cell variability within a population or adequately control the direct role of transporter activity on staining intensity. We hypothesized that differences in dye kinetics at the single-cell level, such as ABCG2 transporter-mediated efflux and DNA binding, are responsible for the differential cell staining that demarcates SP/NSP identity. We report changes in A549 phenotype during time in culture and with TGFβ treatment that correlate with SP size. Clonal expansion of individually sorted cells re-established both SP and NSPs, indicating that SP membership is dynamic. To assess the validity of a purely kinetics-based interpretation of SP/NSP identity, we developed a computational approach that simulated cell staining within a heterogeneous cell population; this exercise allowed for the direct inference of the role of transporter activity and inhibition on cell staining. Our simulated SP assay yielded appropriate SP responses for kinetic scenarios in which high transporter activity existed in a portion of the cells and little differential staining occurred in the majority of the population. With our approach for single-cell analysis, we observed SP and NSP cells at both ends of a transporter activity continuum, demonstrating that features of transporter activity as well as DNA content are determinants of SP/NSP identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam F. Prasanphanich
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Douglas E. White
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Margaret A. Gran
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Melissa L. Kemp
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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Carnero A, Lleonart M. The hypoxic microenvironment: A determinant of cancer stem cell evolution. Bioessays 2016; 38 Suppl 1:S65-74. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201670911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Amancio Carnero
- Oncohematology and Genetic Department, Molecular Biology of Cancer Group; Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS/HUVR/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla); Seville Spain
| | - Matilde Lleonart
- Pathology Department, Oncology and Pathology Group; Institut de Recerca Hospital Vall d'Hebron; Barcelona Spain
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Tièche CC, Peng RW, Dorn P, Froment L, Schmid RA, Marti TM. Prolonged pemetrexed pretreatment augments persistence of cisplatin-induced DNA damage and eliminates resistant lung cancer stem-like cells associated with EMT. BMC Cancer 2016; 16:125. [PMID: 26895954 PMCID: PMC4759918 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-016-2117-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality, and new therapeutic options are urgently needed. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 85 % of all lung cancers, with the current standard regimen of care for NSCLC including chemotherapy with pemetrexed as a single agent or in combination with platinum-based agents, e.g. cisplatin. Pemetrexed is a folic acid antagonist that inhibits the synthesis of precursor nucleotides, whereas cisplatin directly induces DNA adducts, the repair of which is dependent on sufficiently high nucleotide levels. In the clinical setting, the pemetrexed-cisplatin combination therapy is administered concomitantly. We hypothesized that prolonged pretreatment with pemetrexed could be beneficial, as prior depletion of nucleotide pools could sensitize cancer cells to subsequent treatment with cisplatin. Methods NSCLC A549 and H460 cells were treated with pemetrexed for 72 h. In addition, 24 h of cisplatin treatment was initiated at day 1, 2 or 3 resulting in either simultaneous pemetrexed application or pemetrexed pretreatment for 24 or 48 h, respectively. Cell growth and colony formation as well as senescence induction were quantified after treatment. Cell cycle distribution and phosphorylation of histone variant H2AX as a surrogate marker for DNA damage was quantified by flow cytometry. Relative changes in gene expression were determined by quantitative real time PCR. Results Prolonged pemetrexed pretreatment for 48 h prior to cisplatin treatment maximally delayed long-term cell growth and significantly reduced the number of recovering clones. Moreover, apoptosis and senescence were augmented and recovery from treatment-induced DNA damage was delayed. Interestingly, a cell population was identified that displayed an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and which had a stem cell phenotype. This population was highly resistant to concomitant pemetrexed-cisplatin treatment but was sensitized by pemetrexed pretreatment. Conclusions Adaptation of the standard treatment schedule to include pretreatment with pemetrexed optimizes the anticancer efficiency of pemetrexed-cisplatin combination therapy, which correlates with a persistence of treatment-induced DNA damage. Therefore, this study warrants further investigations to elucidate whether such an adaptation could enhance the effectiveness of the standard clinical treatment regimen. In addition, a subpopulation of therapy resistant cells with EMT and cancer stem cell features was identified that was resistant to the standard treatment regimen but sensitive to pemetrexed pretreatment combined with cisplatin. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2117-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Charles Tièche
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 50, 3008, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Ren-Wang Peng
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 50, 3008, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Patrick Dorn
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 50, 3008, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Laurène Froment
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 50, 3008, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Ralph Alexander Schmid
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 50, 3008, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Thomas Michael Marti
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 50, 3008, Bern, Switzerland.
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Enhancement of tumor initiation and expression of KCNMA1, MORF4L2 and ASPM genes in the adenocarcinoma of lung xenograft after vorinostat treatment. Oncotarget 2016; 6:8663-75. [PMID: 25796627 PMCID: PMC4496174 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.3536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are usually tolerant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and associated with tumor relapse. Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACI), is currently being used in clinical trials of lung cancer. However, SAHA facilitates the formation of induced pluripotent stem cells from somatic cells. We hypothesized that SAHA would mediate the CSCs properties and subsequently confer a more malignant phenotype in lung cancer. Transfected H1299 lung cancer cells, which stably expresses a triple fused reporter gene (DsRedm-Fluc-tTKsr39) under the control of CMV promoter was used to establish a xenograft mouse model. After the treatment of SAHA, H1299 cell line and tumor xenografts were sorted by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) based on aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. We found that SAHA could suppress the growth of xenografted H1299 tumors with decreased proportion of ALDHbr lung cancer cells indicating that SAHA may target CSCs. However, SAHA significantly enhanced the tumor initiating capacity and the expression of malignant genes such as KCNMA1, MORF4L2 and ASPM in the remaining living ALDHbr cells. These findings suggested that SAHA treatment created a more drug-resistant state in residual ALDHbr cells. The in vivo imaging technique may facilitate searching and characterization of CSCs.
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50
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Wang Y, Jiang M, Li Z, Wang J, Du C, Yanyang L, Yu Y, Wang X, Zhang N, Zhao M, Wang L, Li M, Luo F. Hypoxia and TGF-β1 lead to endostatin resistance by cooperatively increasing cancer stem cells in A549 transplantation tumors. Cell Biosci 2015; 5:72. [PMID: 26705466 PMCID: PMC4690275 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-015-0064-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and treatments for lung cancer have a high failure rate. Anti-angiogenic therapy is also often ineffective because of refractory disease. Endostatin (ES) is one of the most widely-used anti-angiogenic drugs for lung cancer in China, and resistance to it is a barrier that needs to be resolved. It has been shown that myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are involved in resistance to ES. Whether other cells and/or cell factors in the tumor microenvironment that have been shown to be related to resistance to other anti-cancer drugs are also involved in ES resistance is unknown. RESULTS In this study, we showed that after continuously treatment with ES for 12 days, volumes of A549 transplantation tumors of mice reached the sizes of tumors which were borne by mice that were treated with normal saline and this meant that resistance to ES appeared. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), which have been widely accepted as one of reasons responsible for resistance to many anti-tumor drugs were also being discovered increased proportionally in A549 transplantation tumors after ES treatment for 12 days. During further exploration of reasons for this increase, we discovered that after ES treatment, microvessel density and vascular endothelial growth factor level was decreased in tumors, whereas transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 level was elevated, and MDSCs, one of the sources of TGF-β1, were also increased. We speculate that hypoxia and TGF-β1 are responsible for the increased CSC number in A549 transplantation tumors. By using cobalt chloride to mimic hypoxia and human recombinant TGF-β1 in vitro, we found that hypoxia and TGF-β1can indeed enhance the stemness of A549 cells. In addition, the inductive effect of hypoxia is stronger than TGF-β1, and the combination of both is stronger than either alone, which is first report of such a finding, to our knowledge. CONCLUSIONS Increased TGF-β1 and strengthened hypoxia in A549 transplantation tumors, as a result of ES therapy, cooperatively increase proportion of CSCs that are involved in ES resistance which was revealed by failure of tumor volume repression after continuously treatment with ES for 12 days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyi Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 61004 People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Jiang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 61004 People's Republic of China
| | - Zhixi Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 61004 People's Republic of China
| | - Jiantao Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 61004 People's Republic of China
| | - Chi Du
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 61004 People's Republic of China.,Department of Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Neijiang, Neijiang, Sichuan 641000 People's Republic of China
| | - Liu Yanyang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 61004 People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Yu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 61004 People's Republic of China
| | - Xia Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 61004 People's Republic of China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 61004 People's Republic of China
| | - Maoyuan Zhao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 61004 People's Republic of China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 61004 People's Republic of China
| | - Mei Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 61004 People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Luo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 61004 People's Republic of China
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