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Hou X, Shou C, He M, Xu J, Cheng Y, Yuan Z, Lan M, Zhao Y, Yang Y, Chen X, Gao F. A combination of LightOn gene expression system and tumor microenvironment-responsive nanoparticle delivery system for targeted breast cancer therapy. Acta Pharm Sin B 2020; 10:1741-1753. [PMID: 33088693 PMCID: PMC7564032 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2020.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A light-switchable transgene system called LightOn gene expression system could regulate gene expression with a high on/off ratio under blue light, and have great potential for spatiotemporally controllable gene expression. We developed a nanoparticle drug delivery system (NDDS) to achieve tumor microenvironment-responsive and targeted delivery of diphtheria toxin A (DTA) fragment-encoded plasmids to tumor sites. The expression of DTA was induced by exposure to blue light. Nanoparticles composed of polyethylenimine and vitamin E succinate linked by a disulfide bond, and PEGylated hyaluronic acid modified with RGD peptide, accumulated in tumor tissues and were actively internalized into 4T1 cells via dual targeting to CD44 and αvβ3 receptors. The LightOn gene expression system was able to control target protein expression through regulation of the intensity or duration of blue light exposure. In vitro studies showed that light-induced DTA expression reduced 4T1 cell viability and induced apoptosis. Furthermore, the LightOn gene expression system enabled spatiotemporal control of the expression of DTA in a mouse 4T1 tumor xenograft model, which resulted in excellent antitumor effects, reduced tumor angiogenesis, and no systemic toxicity. The combination of the LightOn gene expression system and NDDS may be an effective strategy for treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Hou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Chenting Shou
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Muye He
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jiajun Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yi Cheng
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Zeting Yuan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Minbo Lan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yuzheng Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Optogenetics & Molecular Imaging Interdisciplinary Research Center, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Optogenetics & Molecular Imaging Interdisciplinary Research Center, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Xianjun Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomanufacturing Technology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Optogenetics & Molecular Imaging Interdisciplinary Research Center, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 21 64252449; fax: +86 21 64258277.
| | - Feng Gao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 21 64252449; fax: +86 21 64258277.
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Yao J, Zhang L, Hu L, Guo B, Hu X, Borjigin U, Wei Z, Chen Y, Lv M, Lau JTY, Wang X, Li G, Hu YP. Tumorigenic potential is restored during differentiation in fusion-reprogrammed cancer cells. Cell Death Dis 2016; 7:e2314. [PMID: 27468690 PMCID: PMC4973342 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2016.189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Detailed understanding of the mechanistic steps underlying tumor initiation and malignant progression is critical for insights of potentially novel therapeutic modalities. Cellular reprogramming is an approach of particular interest because it can provide a means to reset the differentiation state of the cancer cells and to revert these cells to a state of non-malignancy. Here, we investigated the relationship between cellular differentiation and malignant progression by the fusion of four independent mouse cancer cell lines from different tissues, each with differing developmental potentials, to pluripotent mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. Fusion was accompanied by loss of differentiated properties of the four parental cancer cell lines and concomitant emergence of pluripotency, demonstrating the feasibility to reprogram the malignant and differentiative properties of cancer cells. However, the original malignant and differentiative phenotypes re-emerge upon withdrawal of the fused cells from the embryonic environment in which they were maintained. cDNA array analysis of the malignant hepatoma progression implicated a role for Foxa1, and silencing Foxa1 prevented the re-emergence of malignant and differentiation-associated gene expression. Our findings support the hypothesis that tumor progression results from deregulation of stem cells, and our approach provides a strategy to analyze possible mechanisms in the cancer initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Yao
- Department of Cell Biology, Center for Stem Cells and Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China.,Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xian 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - L Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - L Hu
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xian 710061, People's Republic of China.,Basic Medical College, Shanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi 030024, People's Republic of China
| | - B Guo
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xian 710061, People's Republic of China
| | - X Hu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - U Borjigin
- Key Laboratory of National Education Ministry for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, People's Republic of China
| | - Z Wei
- Key Laboratory of National Education Ministry for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, People's Republic of China
| | - Y Chen
- Pearl Laboratory Animal Science and Technology Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - M Lv
- Pearl Laboratory Animal Science and Technology Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - J T Y Lau
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - X Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of National Education Ministry for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, People's Republic of China.,Hepatoscience Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA
| | - G Li
- Key Laboratory of National Education Ministry for Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Biotechnology, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, People's Republic of China
| | - Y-P Hu
- Department of Cell Biology, Center for Stem Cells and Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
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Collet G, Lamerant-Fayel N, Tertil M, El Hafny-Rahbi B, Stepniewski J, Guichard A, Foucault-Collet A, Klimkiewicz K, Petoud S, Matejuk A, Grillon C, Jozkowicz A, Dulak J, Kieda C. Hypoxia-regulated overexpression of soluble VEGFR2 controls angiogenesis and inhibits tumor growth. Mol Cancer Ther 2013; 13:165-78. [PMID: 24170768 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-13-0637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
VEGFs are found at high levels in hypoxic tumors. As major components directing pathologic neovascularization, they regulate stromal reactions. Consequently, novel strategies targeting and inhibiting VEGF overproduction upon hypoxia offer considerable potential for modern anticancer therapies controlling rather than destroying tumor angiogenesis. Here, we report the design of a vector expressing the soluble form of VEGF receptor-2 (sVEGFR2) driven by a hypoxia-responsive element (HRE)-regulated promoter. To enable in vivo imaging by infrared visualization, mCherry and IFP1.4 coding sequences were built into the vector. Plasmid construction was validated through transfection into embryonic human kidney HEK293 and murine B16F10 melanoma cells. sVEGFR2 was expressed in hypoxic conditions only, confirming that the gene was regulated by the HRE promoter. sVEGFR2 was found to bind efficiently and specifically to murine and human VEGF-A, reducing the growth of tumor and endothelial cells as well as impacting angiogenesis in vitro. The hypoxia-conditioned sVEGFR2 expression was shown to be functional in vivo: Tumor angiogenesis was inhibited and, on stable transfection of B16F10 melanoma cells, tumor growth was reduced. Enhanced expression of sVEGFR2 was accompanied by a modulation in levels of VEGF-A. The resulting balance reflected the effect on tumor growth and on control of angiogenesis. A concomitant increase of intratumor oxygen tension also suggested an influence on vessel normalization. The possibility to express an angiogenesis regulator as sVEGFR2, in a hypoxia-conditioned manner, significantly opens new strategies for tumor vessel-controlled normalization and the design of adjuvants for combined cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Collet
- Corresponding Authors: Claudine Kieda, CNRS, rue Charles Sadron, Orleans 45071, France.
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Barar J, Omidi Y. Targeted Gene Therapy of Cancer: Second Amendment toward Holistic Therapy. BIOIMPACTS : BI 2013; 3:49-51. [PMID: 23878787 DOI: 10.5681/bi.2013.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Accepted: 02/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
It seems solid tumors are developing smart organs with specialized cells creating specified bio-territory, the so called "tumor microenvironment (TME)", in which there is reciprocal crosstalk among cancer cells, immune system cells and stromal cells. TME as an intricate milieu also consists of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that can resist against chemotherapies. In solid tumors, metabolism and vascularization appears to be aberrant and tumor interstitial fluid (TIF) functions as physiologic barrier. Thus, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and gene therapy often fail to provide cogent clinical outcomes. It looms that it is the time to accept the fact that initiation of cancer could be generation of another form of life that involves a cluster of thousands of genes, while we have failed to observe all aspects of it. Hence, the current treatment modalities need to be re-visited to cover all key aspects of disease using combination therapy based on the condition of patients. Perhaps personalized cluster of genes need to be simultaneously targeted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaleh Barar
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Translational Research Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Barar J, Omidi Y. Translational Approaches towards Cancer Gene Therapy: Hurdles and Hopes. BIOIMPACTS : BI 2012; 2:127-43. [PMID: 23678451 DOI: 10.5681/bi.2012.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2012] [Revised: 09/02/2012] [Accepted: 09/11/2012] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Of the cancer gene therapy approaches, gene silencing, suicide/apoptosis inducing gene therapy, immunogene therapy and targeted gene therapy are deemed to sub-stantially control the biological consequences of genomic changes in cancerous cells. Thus, a large number of clinical trials have been conducted against various malignancies. In this review, we will discuss recent translational progresses of gene and cell therapy of cancer. METHODS Essential information on gene therapy of cancer were reviewed and discussed towards their clinical translations. RESULTS Gene transfer has been rigorously studied in vitro and in vivo, in which some of these gene therapy endeavours have been carried on towards translational investigations and clinical applications. About 65% of gene therapy trials are related to cancer therapy. Some of these trials have been combined with cell therapy to produce personalized medicines such as Sipuleucel-T (Provenge®, marketed by Dendreon, USA) for the treatment of asymptomatic/minimally symptomatic metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer. CONCLUSION Translational approach links two diverse boundaries of basic and clinical researches. For successful translation of geno-medicines into clinical applications, it is essential 1) to have the guidelines and standard operating procedures for development and application of the genomedicines specific to clinically relevant biomarker(s); 2) to conduct necessary animal experimental studies to show the "proof of concept" for the proposed genomedicines; 3) to perform an initial clinical investigation; and 4) to initiate extensive clinical trials to address all necessary requirements. In short, translational researches need to be refined to accelerate the geno-medicine development and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaleh Barar
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Translational Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Dougherty ST, Dougherty GJ. Mechanisms Conferring Resistance to Pro-Apoptotic Cancer Gene Therapy. J Cell Death 2011. [DOI: 10.4137/jcd.s4686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, we have described a novel approach to the treatment of cancer that employs a series of vectors that encode surface expressed chimeric proteins in which the cytoplasmic death domain of Fas is fused in-frame to the extracellular domain of one of a number of cell surface receptors that recognize and bind various ligands that are differentially expressed within the tumor microenvironment. Although the majority of tumor cells transduced with such vectors are killed in the presence of the corresponding cognate ligand, a small percentage survive and in vivo may go on to repopulate a treated tumor. In order to understand the mechanisms employed by tumors to escape the cytotoxic effects of pro-apoptotic signals triggered via Fas, we isolated a large number of 293 tumor cell clones that survive following transfection with a plasmid vector encoding Flk-1/Fas, a chimeric receptor that induces tumor cell death in the presence of the pro-angiogenic cytokine VEGF. Characterization of Flk-1/Fas-positive clones revealed that while survival can most often be attributed simply to the down-regulation of VEGF ligand expression, in cells that express both receptor and ligand, other proteins involved in the regulation of apoptosis may be targeted. Specifically, a Flk-1/Fas-positive, VEGF-positive clone was identified in which expression of APAF-1 was almost completely abrogated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shona T. Dougherty
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Botlagunta M, Krishnamachary B, Vesuna F, Winnard PT, Bol GM, Patel AH, Raman V. Expression of DDX3 is directly modulated by hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha in breast epithelial cells. PLoS One 2011; 6:e17563. [PMID: 21448281 PMCID: PMC3063174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2010] [Accepted: 02/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
DEAD box protein, DDX3, is aberrantly expressed in breast cancer cells ranging from weakly invasive to aggressive phenotypes and functions as an important regulator of cancer cell growth and survival. Here, we demonstrate that hypoxia inducible factor-1α is a transcriptional activator of DDX3 in breast cancer cells. Within the promoter region of the human DDX3 gene, we identified three putative hypoxia inducible factor-1 responsive elements. By luciferase reporter assays in combination with mutated hypoxia inducible factor-1 responsive elements, we determined that the hypoxia inducible factor-1 responsive element at position -153 relative to the translation start site is essential for transcriptional activation of DDX3 under hypoxic conditions. We also demonstrated that hypoxia inducible factor-1 binds to the DDX3 promoter and that the binding is specific, as revealed by siRNA against hypoxia inducible factor-1 and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Thus, the activation of DDX3 expression during hypoxia is due to the direct binding of hypoxia inducible factor-1 to hypoxia responsive elements in the DDX3 promoter. In addition, we observed a significant overlap in the protein expression pattern of hypoxia inducible factor-1α and DDX3 in MDA-MB-231 xenograft tumors. Taken together, our results demonstrate, for the first time, the role of DDX3 as a hypoxia-inducible gene that exhibits enhanced expression through the interaction of hypoxia inducible factor-1 with hypoxia inducible factor-1 responsive elements in its promoter region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahendran Botlagunta
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Balaji Krishnamachary
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Farhad Vesuna
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Paul T. Winnard
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Guus M. Bol
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Arvind H. Patel
- Medical Research Council Virology Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Venu Raman
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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