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Hoffmann H, Wartenberg M, Vorlova S, Karl-Schöller F, Kallius M, Reinhardt O, Öztürk A, Schuhmair LS, Burkhardt V, Gätzner S, Scheld D, Nandigama R, Zernecke A, Herterich S, Ergün S, Rosenwald A, Henke E. Normalization of Snai1-mediated vessel dysfunction increases drug response in cancer. Oncogene 2024:10.1038/s41388-024-03113-1. [PMID: 39095583 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-03113-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Blood vessels in tumors are often dysfunctional. This impairs the delivery of therapeutic agents to and distribution among the cancer cells. Subsequently, treatment efficacy is reduced, and dose escalation can increase adverse effects on non-malignant tissues. The dysfunctional vessel phenotypes are attributed to aberrant pro-angiogenic signaling, and anti-angiogenic agents can ameliorate traits of vessel dysfunctionality. However, they simultaneously reduce vessel density and thereby impede drug delivery and distribution. Exploring possibilities to improve vessel functionality without compromising vessel density in the tumor microenvironment, we evaluated transcription factors (TFs) involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as potential targets. Based on similarities between EMT and angiogenic activation of endothelial cells, we hypothesized that these TFs, Snai1 in particular, might serve as key regulators of vessel dysfunctionality. In vitro, experiments demonstrated that Snai1 (similarly Slug and Twist1) regulates endothelial permeability, permissiveness for tumor cell transmigration, and tip/stalk cell formation. Endothelial-specific, heterozygous knock-down of Snai1 in mice improved vascular quality in implanted tumors. This resulted in better oxygenation and reduced metastasis. Notably, the tumors in Snai1KD mice responded significantly better to chemotherapeutics as drugs were transported into the tumors at strongly increased rates and more homogeneously distributed. Thus, we demonstrate that restoring vessel homeostasis without affecting vessel density is feasible in malignant tumors. Combining such vessel re-engineering with anti-cancer drugs allows for strategic treatment approaches that reduce treatment toxicity on non-malignant tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene Hoffmann
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universität Würzburg, Koellikerstrasse 6, 97070, Würzburg, Germany
- Graduate School of Life Science, Universität Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Martin Wartenberg
- Institute of Pathology, Universität Würzburg, and Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken (CCCMF), Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
- Institute of Tissue Medicine and Pathology (ITMP), Universität Bern, Murtenstrasse 31, 3008, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Vorlova
- Institute of Experimental Biomedicine II, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2/D16, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Karl-Schöller
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universität Würzburg, Koellikerstrasse 6, 97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Kallius
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universität Würzburg, Koellikerstrasse 6, 97070, Würzburg, Germany
- Graduate School of Life Science, Universität Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Reinhardt
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universität Würzburg, Koellikerstrasse 6, 97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Asli Öztürk
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universität Würzburg, Koellikerstrasse 6, 97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Leah S Schuhmair
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universität Würzburg, Koellikerstrasse 6, 97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Verena Burkhardt
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universität Würzburg, Koellikerstrasse 6, 97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Gätzner
- Chair Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM), Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Roentgenring 11, 97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Scheld
- Zentrallabor, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rajender Nandigama
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universität Würzburg, Koellikerstrasse 6, 97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alma Zernecke
- Institute of Experimental Biomedicine II, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2/D16, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Herterich
- Zentrallabor, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Süleyman Ergün
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universität Würzburg, Koellikerstrasse 6, 97070, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Rosenwald
- Institute of Pathology, Universität Würzburg, and Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken (CCCMF), Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, 97082, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Erik Henke
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universität Würzburg, Koellikerstrasse 6, 97070, Würzburg, Germany.
- Graduate School of Life Science, Universität Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, 97082, Würzburg, Germany.
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2
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Han X, Zhu Y, Ke J, Zhai Y, Huang M, Zhang X, He H, Zhang X, Zhao X, Guo K, Li X, Han Z, Zhang Y. Progression of m 6A in the tumor microenvironment: hypoxia, immune and metabolic reprogramming. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:331. [PMID: 39033180 PMCID: PMC11271487 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-02092-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Recently, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) has aroused widespread discussion in the scientific community as a mode of RNA modification. m6A comprises writers, erasers, and readers, which regulates RNA production, nuclear export, and translation and is very important for human health. A large number of studies have found that the regulation of m6A is closely related to the occurrence and invasion of tumors, while the homeostasis and function of the tumor microenvironment (TME) determine the occurrence and development of tumors to some extent. TME is composed of a variety of immune cells (T cells, B cells, etc.) and nonimmune cells (tumor-associated mesenchymal stem cells (TA-MSCs), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), etc.). Current studies suggest that m6A is involved in regulating the function of various cells in the TME, thereby affecting tumor progression. In this manuscript, we present the composition of m6A and TME, the relationship between m6A methylation and characteristic changes in TME, the role of m6A methylation in TME, and potential therapeutic strategies to provide new perspectives for better treatment of tumors in clinical work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Han
- First Clinical College of Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China
| | - Yu Zhu
- Linfen Central Hospital, Linfen, China
| | - Juan Ke
- Linfen Central Hospital, Linfen, China
| | | | - Min Huang
- Linfen Central Hospital, Linfen, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Linfen Central Hospital, Linfen, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Zhongyu Han
- School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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3
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Bonet-Aleta J, Encinas-Gimenez M, Oi M, Pezacki AT, Sebastian V, de Martino A, Martín-Pardillos A, Martin-Duque P, Hueso JL, Chang CJ, Santamaria J. Nanomedicine Targeting Cuproplasia in Cancer: Labile Copper Sequestration Using Polydopamine Particles Blocks Tumor Growth In Vivo through Altering Metabolism and Redox Homeostasis. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:29844-29855. [PMID: 38829261 PMCID: PMC11181271 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c04336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Copper plays critical roles as a metal active site cofactor and metalloallosteric signal for enzymes involved in cell proliferation and metabolism, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA NPs), classically applied for metal removal from water, as a therapeutic strategy for depleting intracellular labile copper pools in triple-negative breast cancer models through the metal-chelating groups present on the PDA surface. By using the activity-based sensing probe FCP-1, we could track the PDA-induced labile copper depletion while leaving total copper levels unchanged and link it to the selective MDA-MB-231 cell death. Further mechanistic investigations revealed that PDA NPs increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, potentially through the inactivation of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), a copper-dependent antioxidant enzyme. Additionally, PDA NPs were found to interact with the mitochondrial membrane, resulting in an increase in the mitochondrial membrane potential, which may contribute to enhanced ROS production. We employed an in vivo tumor model to validate the therapeutic efficacy of PDA NPs. Remarkably, in the absence of any additional treatment, the presence of PDA NPs alone led to a significant reduction in tumor volume by a factor of 1.66 after 22 days of tumor growth. Our findings highlight the potential of PDA NPs as a promising therapeutic approach for selectively targeting cancer by modulating copper levels and inducing oxidative stress, leading to tumor growth inhibition as shown in these triple-negative breast cancer models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Bonet-Aleta
- Instituto
de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA) CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza, Campus Rio Ebro, Edificio I+D, C/Poeta Mariano Esquillor, s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Networking
Res. Center in Biomaterials, Bioengineering and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Campus Rio Ebro, C/María de Luna, 3, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Miguel Encinas-Gimenez
- Instituto
de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA) CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza, Campus Rio Ebro, Edificio I+D, C/Poeta Mariano Esquillor, s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Networking
Res. Center in Biomaterials, Bioengineering and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Campus Rio Ebro, C/María de Luna, 3, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto
de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) de Aragón, Avenida San Juan Bosco, 13, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Miku Oi
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Aidan T. Pezacki
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Victor Sebastian
- Instituto
de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA) CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza, Campus Rio Ebro, Edificio I+D, C/Poeta Mariano Esquillor, s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Networking
Res. Center in Biomaterials, Bioengineering and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Campus Rio Ebro, C/María de Luna, 3, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto
de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) de Aragón, Avenida San Juan Bosco, 13, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Alba de Martino
- Instituto
Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud (IACS), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS-Aragón), Edificio CIBA. Avenida San Juan
Bosco 13, planta 1, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ana Martín-Pardillos
- Instituto
de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA) CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza, Campus Rio Ebro, Edificio I+D, C/Poeta Mariano Esquillor, s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Networking
Res. Center in Biomaterials, Bioengineering and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Campus Rio Ebro, C/María de Luna, 3, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto
de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) de Aragón, Avenida San Juan Bosco, 13, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Pilar Martin-Duque
- Instituto
de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) de Aragón, Avenida San Juan Bosco, 13, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- Departamento
de Desarrollo de Medicamentos y Terapias Avanzadas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ctra. de Pozuelo, 28, 28222, Majadahonda Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose L. Hueso
- Instituto
de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA) CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza, Campus Rio Ebro, Edificio I+D, C/Poeta Mariano Esquillor, s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Networking
Res. Center in Biomaterials, Bioengineering and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Campus Rio Ebro, C/María de Luna, 3, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto
de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) de Aragón, Avenida San Juan Bosco, 13, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Christopher J. Chang
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, University
of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Helen
Willis Neuroscience Institute, University
of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Jesus Santamaria
- Instituto
de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon (INMA) CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza, Campus Rio Ebro, Edificio I+D, C/Poeta Mariano Esquillor, s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Networking
Res. Center in Biomaterials, Bioengineering and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department
of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Campus Rio Ebro, C/María de Luna, 3, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto
de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) de Aragón, Avenida San Juan Bosco, 13, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
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4
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Tátrai E, Ranđelović I, Surguta SE, Tóvári J. Role of Hypoxia and Rac1 Inhibition in the Metastatic Cascade. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1872. [PMID: 38791951 PMCID: PMC11120288 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16101872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The hypoxic condition has a pivotal role in solid tumors and was shown to correlate with the poor outcome of anticancer treatments. Hypoxia contributes to tumor progression and leads to therapy resistance. Two forms of a hypoxic environment might have relevance in tumor mass formation: chronic and cyclic hypoxia. The main regulators of hypoxia are hypoxia-inducible factors, which regulate the cell survival, proliferation, motility, metabolism, pH, extracellular matrix function, inflammatory cells recruitment and angiogenesis. The metastatic process consists of different steps in which hypoxia-inducible factors can play an important role. Rac1, belonging to small G-proteins, is involved in the metastasis process as one of the key molecules of migration, especially in a hypoxic environment. The effect of hypoxia on the tumor phenotype and the signaling pathways which may interfere with tumor progression are already quite well known. Although the role of Rac1, one of the small G-proteins, in hypoxia remains unclear, predominantly, in vitro studies performed so far confirm that Rac1 inhibition may represent a viable direction for tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enikő Tátrai
- The National Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, H-1122 Budapest, Hungary; (I.R.); (S.E.S.); (J.T.)
| | - Ivan Ranđelović
- The National Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, H-1122 Budapest, Hungary; (I.R.); (S.E.S.); (J.T.)
| | - Sára Eszter Surguta
- The National Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, H-1122 Budapest, Hungary; (I.R.); (S.E.S.); (J.T.)
- School of Ph. D. Studies, Semmelweis University, H-1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - József Tóvári
- The National Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, H-1122 Budapest, Hungary; (I.R.); (S.E.S.); (J.T.)
- School of Ph. D. Studies, Semmelweis University, H-1085 Budapest, Hungary
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5
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Danielpour D. Advances and Challenges in Targeting TGF-β Isoforms for Therapeutic Intervention of Cancer: A Mechanism-Based Perspective. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:533. [PMID: 38675493 PMCID: PMC11054419 DOI: 10.3390/ph17040533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The TGF-β family is a group of 25 kDa secretory cytokines, in mammals consisting of three dimeric isoforms (TGF-βs 1, 2, and 3), each encoded on a separate gene with unique regulatory elements. Each isoform plays unique, diverse, and pivotal roles in cell growth, survival, immune response, and differentiation. However, many researchers in the TGF-β field often mistakenly assume a uniform functionality among all three isoforms. Although TGF-βs are essential for normal development and many cellular and physiological processes, their dysregulated expression contributes significantly to various diseases. Notably, they drive conditions like fibrosis and tumor metastasis/progression. To counter these pathologies, extensive efforts have been directed towards targeting TGF-βs, resulting in the development of a range of TGF-β inhibitors. Despite some clinical success, these agents have yet to reach their full potential in the treatment of cancers. A significant challenge rests in effectively targeting TGF-βs' pathological functions while preserving their physiological roles. Many existing approaches collectively target all three isoforms, failing to target just the specific deregulated ones. Additionally, most strategies tackle the entire TGF-β signaling pathway instead of focusing on disease-specific components or preferentially targeting tumors. This review gives a unique historical overview of the TGF-β field often missed in other reviews and provides a current landscape of TGF-β research, emphasizing isoform-specific functions and disease implications. The review then delves into ongoing therapeutic strategies in cancer, stressing the need for more tools that target specific isoforms and disease-related pathway components, advocating mechanism-based and refined approaches to enhance the effectiveness of TGF-β-targeted cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Danielpour
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Laboratories, The Division of General Medical Sciences-Oncology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; ; Tel.: +1-216-368-5670; Fax: +1-216-368-8919
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Institute of Urology, University Hospitals, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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6
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Ventura-Antunes L, Nackenoff A, Romero-Fernandez W, Bosworth AM, Prusky A, Wang E, Carvajal-Tapia C, Shostak A, Harmsen H, Mobley B, Maldonado J, Solopova E, Caleb Snider J, David Merryman W, Lippmann ES, Schrag M. Arteriolar degeneration and stiffness in cerebral amyloid angiopathy are linked to β-amyloid deposition and lysyl oxidase. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.08.583563. [PMID: 38659767 PMCID: PMC11042178 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.08.583563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a vasculopathy characterized by vascular β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition on cerebral blood vessels. CAA is closely linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and intracerebral hemorrhage. CAA is associated with the loss of autoregulation in the brain, vascular rupture, and cognitive decline. To assess morphological and molecular changes associated with the degeneration of penetrating arterioles in CAA, we analyzed post-mortem human brain tissue from 26 patients with mild, moderate, and severe CAA end neurological controls. The tissue was optically cleared for three-dimensional light sheet microscopy, and morphological features were quantified using surface volume rendering. We stained Aβ, vascular smooth muscle (VSM), lysyl oxidase (LOX), and vascular markers to visualize the relationship between degenerative morphological features, including vascular dilation, dolichoectasia (variability in lumenal diameter) and tortuosity, and the volumes of VSM, Aβ, and LOX in arterioles. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to assess arteriolar wall stiffness, and we identified a pattern of morphological features associated with degenerating arterioles in the cortex. The volume of VSM associated with the arteriole was reduced by around 80% in arterioles with severe CAA and around 60% in cases with mild/moderate CAA. This loss of VSM correlated with increased arteriolar diameter and variability of diameter, suggesting VSM loss contributes to arteriolar laxity. These vascular morphological features correlated strongly with Aβ deposits. At sites of microhemorrhage, Aβ was consistently present, although the morphology of the deposits changed from the typical organized ring shape to sharply contoured shards with marked dilation of the vessel. AFM showed that arteriolar walls with CAA were more than 400% stiffer than those without CAA. Finally, we characterized the association of vascular degeneration with LOX, finding strong associations with VSM loss and vascular degeneration. These results show an association between vascular Aβ deposition, microvascular degeneration, and increased vascular stiffness, likely due to the combined effects of replacement of VSM by β-amyloid, cross-linking of extracellular matrices (ECM) by LOX, and possibly fibrosis. This advanced microscopic imaging study clarifies the association between Aβ deposition and vascular fragility. Restoration of physiologic ECM properties in penetrating arteries may yield a novel therapeutic strategy for CAA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alex Nackenoff
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Allison M Bosworth
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Alex Prusky
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Emmeline Wang
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Alena Shostak
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Hannah Harmsen
- Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Bret Mobley
- Department of Pathology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jose Maldonado
- Vanderbilt Neurovisualization Lab, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Elena Solopova
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - J. Caleb Snider
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - W. David Merryman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ethan S Lippmann
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Matthew Schrag
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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7
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Scianna M. Selected aspects of avascular tumor growth reproduced by a hybrid model of cell dynamics and chemical kinetics. Math Biosci 2024; 370:109168. [PMID: 38408698 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2024.109168] [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: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
We here propose a hybrid computational framework to reproduce and analyze aspects of the avascular progression of a generic solid tumor. Our method first employs an individual-based approach to represent the population of tumor cells, which are distinguished in viable and necrotic agents. The active part of the disease is in turn differentiated according to a set of metabolic states. We then describe the spatio-temporal evolution of the concentration of oxygen and of tumor-secreted proteolytic enzymes using partial differential equations (PDEs). A differential equation finally governs the local degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by the malignant mass. Numerical realizations of the model are run to reproduce tumor growth and invasion in a number scenarios that differ for cell properties (adhesiveness, duplication potential, proteolytic activity) and/or environmental conditions (level of tissue oxygenation and matrix density pattern). In particular, our simulations suggest that tumor aggressiveness, in terms of invasive depth and extension of necrotic tissue, can be reduced by (i) stable cell-cell contact interactions, (ii) poor tendency of malignant agents to chemotactically move upon oxygen gradients, and (iii) presence of an overdense matrix, if coupled by a disrupted proteolytic activity of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Scianna
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
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8
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Ajam-Hosseini M, Heydari R, Rasouli M, Akhoondi F, Asadi Hanjani N, Bekeschus S, Doroudian M. Lactic acid in macrophage polarization: A factor in carcinogenesis and a promising target for cancer therapy. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 222:116098. [PMID: 38431231 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116098] [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: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Cancer remains a formidable challenge, continually revealing its intricate nature and demanding novel treatment approaches. Within this intricate landscape, the tumor microenvironment and its dynamic components have gained prominence, particularly macrophages that can adopt diverse polarization states, exerting a profound influence on cancer progression. Recent revelations have spotlighted lactic acid as a pivotal player in this complex interplay. This review systematically explores lactic acid's multifaceted role in macrophage polarization, focusing on its implications in carcinogenesis. We commence by cultivating a comprehensive understanding of the tumor microenvironment and the pivotal roles played by macrophages. The dynamic landscape of macrophage polarization, typified by M1 and M2 phenotypes, is dissected to reveal its substantial impact on tumor progression. Lactic acid, a metabolic byproduct, emerges as a key protagonist, and we meticulously unravel the mechanisms underpinning its generation within cancer cells, shedding light on its intimate association with glycolysis and its transformative effects on the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, we decipher the intricate molecular framework that underlies lactic acid's pivotal role in facilitating macrophage polarization. Our review underscores lactic acid's dual role in carcinogenesis, orchestrating tumor growth and immune modulation within the tumor microenvironment, thereby profoundly influencing the balance between pro-tumor and anti-tumor immune responses. This duality highlights the therapeutic potential of selectively manipulating lactic acid metabolism for cancer treatment. Exploring strategies to inhibit lactic acid production by tumor cells, novel approaches to impede lactic acid transport in the tumor microenvironment, and the burgeoning field of immunotherapeutic cancer therapies utilizing lactic acid-induced macrophage polarization form the core of our investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mobarakeh Ajam-Hosseini
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Romina Heydari
- Department of Cell and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Milad Rasouli
- Department of Physics, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran; Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Fatemeh Akhoondi
- Department of Molecular Biology of the Cell, Faculty of Bioscience, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Niloofar Asadi Hanjani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Student Research Committee, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sander Bekeschus
- ZIK plasmatis, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Str 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany; Clinic and Policlinic for Dermatology and Venerology, Rostock University Medical Center, Strempelstr. 13, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Mohammad Doroudian
- Department of Cell and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.
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9
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Maiti BK, Moura I, Moura JJG. Molybdenum-Copper Antagonism In Metalloenzymes And Anti-Copper Therapy. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300679. [PMID: 38205937 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The connection between 3d (Cu) and 4d (Mo) via the "Mo-S-Cu" unit is called Mo-Cu antagonism. Biology offers case studies of such interactions in metalloproteins such as Mo/Cu-CO Dehydrogenases (Mo/Cu-CODH), and Mo/Cu Orange Protein (Mo/Cu-ORP). The CODH significantly maintains the CO level in the atmosphere below the toxic level by converting it to non-toxic CO2 for respiring organisms. Several models were synthesized to understand the structure-function relationship of these native enzymes. However, this interaction was first observed in ruminants, and they convert molybdate (MoO4 2- ) into tetrathiomolybdate (MoS4 2- ; TTM), reacting with cellular Cu to yield biological unavailable Mo/S/Cu cluster, then developing Cu-deficiency diseases. These findings inspire the use of TTM as a Cu-sequester drug, especially for treating Cu-dependent human diseases such as Wilson diseases (WD) and cancer. It is well known that a balanced Cu homeostasis is essential for a wide range of biological processes, but negative consequence leads to cell toxicity. Therefore, this review aims to connect the Mo-Cu antagonism in metalloproteins and anti-copper therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biplab K Maiti
- Department of Chemistry, School of sciences, Cluster University of Jammu, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India
| | - Isabel Moura
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology (FCT NOVA), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campus, de Caparica, Portugal
| | - José J G Moura
- LAQV, REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology (FCT NOVA), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campus, de Caparica, Portugal
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10
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Yi T, Wagner G. Malignant tumor cells engender second membrane-lined organelles for self-protection and tumor progression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317141121. [PMID: 38294933 PMCID: PMC10861905 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317141121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a leading cause of mortality in humans, but the efficacy of current treatments for many cancers is limited, as they lack unique mechanistically defined targets. Here, we show that, upon malignant transformation, aggressive oncocells generate a second membrane exterior to their plasma membrane to form cytocapsulas (CCs) and cytocapsular tubes (CCTs), which all together constitute cytocapsular oncocells with pleotropic biological functions in cancer patient tissues in vivo. Proteomic and biochemical analyses revealed that the PMCA2 calcium pump is highly up-regulated in CCs and CCTs in malignant tumors but not in normal tissues, thus identifying a unique cancer biomarker and target for cancer therapy. Cytocapsular oncocells are universally present in solid cancers and appear in hematologic cancers in immune organs. Multi-cell malignant tumors are also enveloped by protective CC membranes. These cytocapsular tumors (CTs) generate numerous CCTs that form freeways for cancer cell metastasis to both neighboring and distant destinations. Entire cytocapsular tumor networks (CTNs) dominate physical cancer metastasis pathways in cancer patients in vivo. Later, CCTs invade micro blood vessels and release cytocapsular oncocells into the blood, providing a source of circulating tumor cells. CTNs interconnect cytocapsular tumors in primary and secondary cancer niches, creating larger cytocapsular tumor network systems (CTNSs). Primary and secondary CTNSs are in turn interconnected, forming dynamic and integrated CTNSs. Thus, interconnected cytocapsular oncocells, CTNs, and CTNSs coordinate cancer progression via the integrated cytocapsular membrane systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingfang Yi
- Cytocapsula Research Institute, Cambridge, MA02142
- Centiver Ltd., Cambridge, MA02142
| | - Gerhard Wagner
- Cytocapsula Research Institute, Cambridge, MA02142
- Centiver Ltd., Cambridge, MA02142
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology of Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
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11
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Xie Y, Jiang H. The exploration of mitochondrial-related features helps to reveal the prognosis and immunotherapy methods of colorectal cancer. Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2024; 7:e1914. [PMID: 37903487 PMCID: PMC10809275 DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer cell survival, proliferation, and metabolism are all intertwined with mitochondria. However, a complete description of how the features of mitochondria relate to the tumor microenvironment (TME) and immunological landscape of colorectal cancer (CRC) has yet to be made. We performed subgroup analysis on CRC patient data obtained from the databases using non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) clustering. Construct a prognostic model using the mitochondrial-related gene (MRG) risk score, and then compare it to other models for accuracy. Comprehensive analyses of the risk score, in conjunction with the TME and immune landscape, were performed, and the relationship between the model and different types of cell death, radiation and chemotherapy, and drug resistance was investigated. Results from immunohistochemistry and single-cell sequencing were utilized to verify the model genes, and a drug sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate possible therapeutic medicines. The pan-cancer analysis is utilized to further investigate the role of genes in a wider range of malignancies. METHODS AND RESULTS We found that CRC patients based on MRG were divided into two groups with significant differences in survival outcomes and TME between groups. The predictive power of the risk score was further shown by building a prognostic model and testing it extensively in both internal and external cohorts. Multiple immune therapeutic responses and the expression of immunological checkpoints demonstrate that the risk score is connected to immunotherapy success. The correlation analysis of the risk score provide more ideas and guidance for prognostic models in clinical treatment. CONCLUSION The TME, immune cell infiltration, and responsiveness to immunotherapy in CRC were all thoroughly evaluated on the basis of MRG features. The comparative validation of multiple queues and models combined with clinical data ensures the effectiveness and clinical practicality of MRG features. Our studies help clinicians create individualized treatment programs for individuals with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun‐hui Xie
- Center of Gastrointestinal and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Department of General Surgery, The Third People's Hospital of ChengduAffiliated Hospital of Southwest Jiaotong UniversityChengduChina
| | - Hui‐zhong Jiang
- College of GraduateGuizhou University of Traditional Chinese MedicineGuiyangChina
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12
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Deo A, Sleeman JP, Shaked Y. The role of host response to chemotherapy: resistance, metastasis and clinical implications. Clin Exp Metastasis 2023:10.1007/s10585-023-10243-5. [PMID: 37999904 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-023-10243-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Chemotherapy remains the primary treatment for most metastatic cancers. However, the response to chemotherapy and targeted agents is often transient, and concurrent development of resistance is the primary impediment to effective cancer therapy. Strategies to overcome resistance to treatment have focused on cancer cell intrinsic factors and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Recent evidence indicates that systemic chemotherapy has a significant impact on the host that either facilitates tumor growth, allowing metastatic spread, or renders treatment ineffective. These host responses include the release of bone marrow-derived cells, activation of stromal cells in the TME, and induction of different molecular effectors. Here, we provide an overview of chemotherapy-induced systemic host responses that support tumor aggressiveness and metastasis, and which contribute to therapy resistance. Studying host responses to chemotherapy provides a solid basis for the development of adjuvant strategies to improve treatment outcomes and delay resistance to chemotherapy. This review discusses the emerging field of host response to cancer therapy, and its preclinical and potential clinical implications, explaining how under certain circumstances, these host effects contribute to metastasis and resistance to chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhilash Deo
- Department of Cell Biology and Cancer Science, Rappaport Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Jonathan P Sleeman
- European Centre for Angioscience (ECAS), Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT), IBCS-BIP, Campus Nord, 76344, Eggenstein- Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Yuval Shaked
- Department of Cell Biology and Cancer Science, Rappaport Technion Integrated Cancer Center, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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13
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Zhou Q, Xiang J, Qiu N, Wang Y, Piao Y, Shao S, Tang J, Zhou Z, Shen Y. Tumor Abnormality-Oriented Nanomedicine Design. Chem Rev 2023; 123:10920-10989. [PMID: 37713432 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Anticancer nanomedicines have been proven effective in mitigating the side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. However, challenges remain in augmenting their therapeutic efficacy. Nanomedicines responsive to the pathological abnormalities in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are expected to overcome the biological limitations of conventional nanomedicines, enhance the therapeutic efficacies, and further reduce the side effects. This Review aims to quantitate the various pathological abnormalities in the TME, which may serve as unique endogenous stimuli for the design of stimuli-responsive nanomedicines, and to provide a broad and objective perspective on the current understanding of stimuli-responsive nanomedicines for cancer treatment. We dissect the typical transport process and barriers of cancer drug delivery, highlight the key design principles of stimuli-responsive nanomedicines designed to tackle the series of barriers in the typical drug delivery process, and discuss the "all-into-one" and "one-for-all" strategies for integrating the needed properties for nanomedicines. Ultimately, we provide insight into the challenges and future perspectives toward the clinical translation of stimuli-responsive nanomedicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Zhou
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Cell Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jiajia Xiang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Cell Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Nasha Qiu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yechun Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ying Piao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shiqun Shao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jianbin Tang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhuxian Zhou
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Youqing Shen
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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14
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Löser R, Kuchar M, Wodtke R, Neuber C, Belter B, Kopka K, Santhanam L, Pietzsch J. Lysyl Oxidases as Targets for Cancer Therapy and Diagnostic Imaging. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202300331. [PMID: 37565736 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300331] [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: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
The understanding of the contribution of the tumour microenvironment to cancer progression and metastasis, in particular the interplay between tumour cells, fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix has grown tremendously over the last years. Lysyl oxidases are increasingly recognised as key players in this context, in addition to their function as drivers of fibrotic diseases. These insights have considerably stimulated drug discovery efforts towards lysyl oxidases as targets over the last decade. This review article summarises the biochemical and structural properties of theses enzymes. Their involvement in tumour progression and metastasis is highlighted from a biochemical point of view, taking into consideration both the extracellular and intracellular action of lysyl oxidases. More recently reported inhibitor compounds are discussed with an emphasis on their discovery, structure-activity relationships and the results of their biological characterisation. Molecular probes developed for imaging of lysyl oxidase activity are reviewed from the perspective of their detection principles, performance and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reik Löser
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Mommsenstraße 4, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Manuela Kuchar
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - Robert Wodtke
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christin Neuber
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - Birgit Belter
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - Klaus Kopka
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Mommsenstraße 4, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lakshmi Santhanam
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Jens Pietzsch
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, School of Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Mommsenstraße 4, 01069, Dresden, Germany
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15
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Behnam B, Taghizadeh-Hesary F. Mitochondrial Metabolism: A New Dimension of Personalized Oncology. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4058. [PMID: 37627086 PMCID: PMC10452105 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15164058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Energy is needed by cancer cells to stay alive and communicate with their surroundings. The primary organelles for cellular metabolism and energy synthesis are mitochondria. Researchers recently proved that cancer cells can steal immune cells' mitochondria using nanoscale tubes. This finding demonstrates the dependence of cancer cells on normal cells for their living and function. It also denotes the importance of mitochondria in cancer cells' biology. Emerging evidence has demonstrated how mitochondria are essential for cancer cells to survive in the harsh tumor microenvironments, evade the immune system, obtain more aggressive features, and resist treatments. For instance, functional mitochondria can improve cancer resistance against radiotherapy by scavenging the released reactive oxygen species. Therefore, targeting mitochondria can potentially enhance oncological outcomes, according to this notion. The tumors' responses to anticancer treatments vary, ranging from a complete response to even cancer progression during treatment. Therefore, personalized cancer treatment is of crucial importance. So far, personalized cancer treatment has been based on genomic analysis. Evidence shows that tumors with high mitochondrial content are more resistant to treatment. This paper illustrates how mitochondrial metabolism can participate in cancer resistance to chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy. Pretreatment evaluation of mitochondrial metabolism can provide additional information to genomic analysis and can help to improve personalized oncological treatments. This article outlines the importance of mitochondrial metabolism in cancer biology and personalized treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babak Behnam
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, Amarex Clinical Research, NSF International, Germantown, MD 20874, USA
| | - Farzad Taghizadeh-Hesary
- ENT and Head and Neck Research Center and Department, The Five Senses Health Institute, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1445613131, Iran
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1445613131, Iran
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16
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Couto JP, Vulin M, Jehanno C, Coissieux M, Hamelin B, Schmidt A, Ivanek R, Sethi A, Bräutigam K, Frei AL, Hager C, Manivannan M, Gómez‐Miragaya J, Obradović MMS, Varga Z, Koelzer VH, Mertz KD, Bentires‐Alj M. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase sustains a core epigenetic program that promotes metastatic colonization in breast cancer. EMBO J 2023; 42:e112559. [PMID: 37259596 PMCID: PMC10308372 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022112559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic colonization of distant organs accounts for over 90% of deaths related to solid cancers, yet the molecular determinants of metastasis remain poorly understood. Here, we unveil a mechanism of colonization in the aggressive basal-like subtype of breast cancer that is driven by the NAD+ metabolic enzyme nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT). We demonstrate that NNMT imprints a basal genetic program into cancer cells, enhancing their plasticity. In line, NNMT expression is associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with breast cancer. Accordingly, ablation of NNMT dramatically suppresses metastasis formation in pre-clinical mouse models. Mechanistically, NNMT depletion results in a methyl overflow that increases histone H3K9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) and DNA methylation at the promoters of PR/SET Domain-5 (PRDM5) and extracellular matrix-related genes. PRDM5 emerged in this study as a pro-metastatic gene acting via induction of cancer-cell intrinsic transcription of collagens. Depletion of PRDM5 in tumor cells decreases COL1A1 deposition and impairs metastatic colonization of the lungs. These findings reveal a critical activity of the NNMT-PRDM5-COL1A1 axis for cancer cell plasticity and metastasis in basal-like breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Pinto Couto
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical ResearchBaselSwitzerland
| | - Milica Vulin
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical ResearchBaselSwitzerland
| | - Charly Jehanno
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Marie‐May Coissieux
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical ResearchBaselSwitzerland
| | - Baptiste Hamelin
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Alexander Schmidt
- Proteomics Core Facility, BiozentrumUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Robert Ivanek
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Swiss Institute of BioinformaticsBaselSwitzerland
| | - Atul Sethi
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical ResearchBaselSwitzerland
- Swiss Institute of BioinformaticsBaselSwitzerland
| | - Konstantin Bräutigam
- Computational and Translational Pathology Group, Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital ZurichUniversity of ZurichZürichSwitzerland
- Institute of PathologyUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Anja L Frei
- Computational and Translational Pathology Group, Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital ZurichUniversity of ZurichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Carolina Hager
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Madhuri Manivannan
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Jorge Gómez‐Miragaya
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Milan MS Obradović
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical ResearchBaselSwitzerland
| | - Zsuzsanna Varga
- Computational and Translational Pathology Group, Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital ZurichUniversity of ZurichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Viktor H Koelzer
- Computational and Translational Pathology Group, Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital ZurichUniversity of ZurichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Kirsten D Mertz
- Institute of PathologyCantonal Hospital BasellandLiestalSwitzerland
| | - Mohamed Bentires‐Alj
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital BaselUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Department of SurgeryUniversity Hospital BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical ResearchBaselSwitzerland
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17
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Accattatis FM, Caruso A, Carleo A, Del Console P, Gelsomino L, Bonofiglio D, Giordano C, Barone I, Andò S, Bianchi L, Catalano S. CEBP-β and PLK1 as Potential Mediators of the Breast Cancer/Obesity Crosstalk: In Vitro and In Silico Analyses. Nutrients 2023; 15:2839. [PMID: 37447165 DOI: 10.3390/nu15132839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last two decades, obesity has reached pandemic proportions in several countries, and expanding evidence is showing its contribution to several types of malignancies, including breast cancer (BC). The conditioned medium (CM) from mature adipocytes contains a complex of secretes that may mimic the obesity condition in studies on BC cell lines conducted in vitro. Here, we report a transcriptomic analysis on MCF-7 BC cells exposed to adipocyte-derived CM and focus on the predictive functional relevance that CM-affected pathways/processes and related biomarkers (BMs) may have in BC response to obesity. CM was demonstrated to increase cell proliferation, motility and invasion as well as broadly alter the transcript profiles of MCF-7 cells by significantly modulating 364 genes. Bioinformatic functional analyses unraveled the presence of five highly relevant central hubs in the direct interaction networks (DIN), and Kaplan-Meier analysis sorted the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (CEBP-β) and serine/threonine-protein kinase PLK1 (PLK1) as clinically significant biomarkers in BC. Indeed, CEBP-β and PLK1 negatively correlated with BC overall survival and were up-regulated by adipocyte-derived CM. In addition to their known involvement in cell proliferation and tumor progression, our work suggests them as a possible "deus ex machina" in BC response to fat tissue humoral products in obese women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felice Maria Accattatis
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
| | - Amanda Caruso
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
| | - Alfonso Carleo
- Department of Pulmonology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Piercarlo Del Console
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
| | - Luca Gelsomino
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
| | - Daniela Bonofiglio
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
- Centro Sanitario, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
| | - Cinzia Giordano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
- Centro Sanitario, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
| | - Ines Barone
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
- Centro Sanitario, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Andò
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
- Centro Sanitario, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
| | - Laura Bianchi
- Section of Functional Proteomics, Department of Life Sciences, Via Aldo Moro, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Stefania Catalano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
- Centro Sanitario, Via P. Bucci, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende (CS), 87036 Cosenza, Italy
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18
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Aki S, Nakahara R, Maeda K, Osawa T. Cancer metabolism within tumor microenvironments. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2023; 1867:130330. [PMID: 36804842 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2023.130330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumor microenvironments could determine cancer heterogeneity and malignancy. Hypoxia, nutrition starvation, and acidic pH could contribute to cancer malignancy associated with genetic, epigenetic, and metabolic alterations, promoting invasion and metastasis. Cancer cells adapting to extreme tumor microenvironments could enable evasion of cell death and immune responses. It could stimulate drug resistance and recurrence, resulting in poor patient prognosis. Therefore, investigating druggable targets of the malignant cancer cells within tumor microenvironments is necessary, but such treatments are limited. Cell-cell metabolic interaction may also contribute to cancer malignancy within the tumor microenvironments. Organelle-organelle interactions have recently gained attention as new cancer therapy targets as they play essential roles in the metabolic adaptation to the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we overview (1) metabolic alterations within tumor microenvironments, (2) cell-to-cell, and (3) organelle-to-organelle metabolic interactions, and we add novel insights into cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho Aki
- Division of Nutriomics and Oncology, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan; Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Nakahara
- Division of Nutriomics and Oncology, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan; Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
| | - Keisuke Maeda
- Division of Nutriomics and Oncology, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Osawa
- Division of Nutriomics and Oncology, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan; Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan.
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19
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Nakahara R, Maeda K, Aki S, Osawa T. Metabolic adaptations of cancer in extreme tumor microenvironments. Cancer Sci 2023; 114:1200-1207. [PMID: 36630222 PMCID: PMC10067430 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells are highly heterogeneous to adapt to extreme tumor microenvironments (TMEs). TMEs challenge cancer cells via hypoxia, nutrition starvation, and acidic pH, promoting invasion and metastasis concomitant with genetic, epigenetic, and metabolic alterations. Metabolic adaptation to an extreme TME could allow cancer cells to evade cell death and immune responses, as well as resulting in drug resistance, recurrence, and poor patient prognosis. Therefore, elucidation of the metabolic adaptation of malignant cancer cells within TMEs is necessary, however, most are still elusive. Recently, adaptation of cancer cells within the TME can be analyzed via cell-cell interactions at the single-cell level. In addition, information into organelle-organelle interactions has recently been obtained. These cell-cell, and organelle-organelle interactions demonstrate the potential as new cancer therapy targets, as they play essential roles in the metabolic adaptation of cancer cells to the TME. In this manuscript, we review (1) metabolic adaptations within tumor microenvironments through (2) cell-to-cell, and (3) organelle-organelle metabolic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuichi Nakahara
- Division of Nutriomics and Oncology, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keisuke Maeda
- Division of Nutriomics and Oncology, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sho Aki
- Division of Nutriomics and Oncology, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Osawa
- Division of Nutriomics and Oncology, RCAST, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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20
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Sabbagh MG, Aliakbarian M, Khodashahi R, Ferns GA, Rahimi H, Ashrafzadeh K, Tavakkoli M, Arjmand MH. Targeting Lysyl Oxidase as a Potential Therapeutic Approach to Reducing Fibrotic Scars Post-operatively: Its Biological Role in Post-Surgical Scar Development. Curr Drug Targets 2023; 24:1099-1105. [PMID: 37929723 DOI: 10.2174/0113894501249450231023112949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Abdominal and pelvic surgery, or any surgical injury of the peritoneum, often leads to chronic abdominal adhesions that may lead to bowel obstruction, infertility, and pain. Current therapeutic strategies are usually ineffective, and the pathological mechanisms of the disease are unclear. Excess collagen cross-linking is a key mediator for extra-cellular matrix deposition and fibrogenesis. Lysyl oxidase is a key enzyme that catalyzes the formation of stabilizing cross-links in collagen. Dysregulation of Lysyl oxidase (Lox) expressing upregulates collagen cross-linking, leading ECM deposition. Tissue hypoxia during surgery induces molecular mechanisms and active transcription factors to promote the expression of several genes related to inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis, such as transforming growth factor beta, and Lox. Studies have shown that targeting Lox improves clinical outcomes and fibrotic parameters in liver, lung, and myocardial fibrosis, therefore, Lox may be a potential drug target in the prevention of postsurgical adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahin Ghorban Sabbagh
- Transplant Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mohsen Aliakbarian
- Transplant Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Surgical Oncology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Rozita Khodashahi
- Transplant Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Gordon-A Ferns
- Division of Medical Education, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | - Hoda Rahimi
- Transplant Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Kiarash Ashrafzadeh
- Transplant Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Tavakkoli
- Kidney Transplantation Complication Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Hassan Arjmand
- Transplant Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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21
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Prognostic Factors for the Efficiency of Radiation Therapy in Dogs with Oral Melanoma: A Pilot Study of Hypoxia in Intraosseous Lesions. Vet Sci 2022; 10:vetsci10010004. [PMID: 36669005 PMCID: PMC9861487 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Unresectable oral melanoma is often treated with radiation therapy (RT) and may show a temporary response to therapy. The clinical stage is one of the well-known prognostic factors for canine oral melanoma. However, the factors that directly affect the response to RT have remained unclear. This study aimed to validate the risk factors for recurrence after RT. Sixty-eight dogs with oral melanomas were included in this study. All dogs were treated with palliative RT using a linear accelerator without adjuvant therapies. After RT, the time to local recurrence (TTR) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using the log-rank test. As a result, clinical stage and response to therapy were the significant independent prognostic factors in the multivariate analysis. The presence of local bone lysis and non-combination with cytoreductive surgery were associated with a worse response to RT. Immunohistochemical analysis for hypoxia-inducible factor-1α indicated that tumor cells invading the bone are under hypoxic conditions, which may explain a poorer efficiency of RT in dogs with bone lysis. In conclusion, clinical stage and combination with debulking surgery were needed to improve the efficiency of RT.
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22
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Clemente-González C, Carnero A. Role of the Hypoxic-Secretome in Seed and Soil Metastatic Preparation. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14235930. [PMID: 36497411 PMCID: PMC9738438 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
During tumor growth, the delivery of oxygen to cells is impaired due to aberrant or absent vasculature. This causes an adaptative response that activates the expression of genes that control several essential processes, such as glycolysis, neovascularization, immune suppression, and the cancer stemness phenotype, leading to increased metastasis and resistance to therapy. Hypoxic tumor cells also respond to an altered hypoxic microenvironment by secreting vesicles, factors, cytokines and nucleic acids that modify not only the immediate microenvironment but also organs at distant sites, allowing or facilitating the attachment and growth of tumor cells and contributing to metastasis. Hypoxia induces the release of molecules of different biochemical natures, either secreted or inside extracellular vesicles, and both tumor cells and stromal cells are involved in this process. The mechanisms by which these signals that can modify the premetastatic niche are sent from the primary tumor site include changes in the extracellular matrix, recruitment and activation of different stromal cells and immune or nonimmune cells, metabolic reprogramming, and molecular signaling network rewiring. In this review, we will discuss how hypoxia might alter the premetastatic niche through different signaling molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Clemente-González
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío (HUVR), Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
- CIBERONC (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Amancio Carnero
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío (HUVR), Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
- CIBERONC (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
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23
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Carlson AL, Carrazco-Carrillo J, Loder A, Elkhadragy L, Schachtschneider KM, Padilla-Benavides T. The Oncopig as an Emerging Model to Investigate Copper Regulation in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:14012. [PMID: 36430490 PMCID: PMC9697225 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence points to several fundamental contributions that copper (Cu) has to promote the development of human pathologies such as cancer. These recent and increasing identification of the roles of Cu in cancer biology highlights a promising field in the development of novel strategies against cancer. Cu and its network of regulatory proteins are involved in many different contextual aspects of cancer from driving cell signaling, modulating cell cycle progression, establishing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and promoting tumor growth and metastasis. Human cancer research in general requires refined models to bridge the gap between basic science research and meaningful clinical trials. Classic studies in cultured cancer cell lines and animal models such as mice and rats often present caveats when extended to humans due to inherent genetic and physiological differences. However, larger animal models such as pigs are emerging as more appropriate tools for translational research as they present more similarities with humans in terms of genetics, anatomical structures, organ sizes, and pathological manifestations of diseases like cancer. These similarities make porcine models well-suited for addressing long standing questions in cancer biology as well as in the arena of novel drug and therapeutic development against human cancers. With the emergent roles of Cu in human health and pathology, the pig presents an emerging and valuable model to further investigate the contributions of this metal to human cancers. The Oncopig Cancer Model is a transgenic swine model that recapitulates human cancer through development of site and cell specific tumors. In this review, we briefly outline the relationship between Cu and cancer, and how the novel Oncopig Cancer Model may be used to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms and causal relationships between Cu and molecular targets involved in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa L. Carlson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Jaime Carrazco-Carrillo
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Aaron Loder
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Lobna Elkhadragy
- Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Kyle M. Schachtschneider
- Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61820, USA
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24
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Lysyl Oxidase Family Proteins: Prospective Therapeutic Targets in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012270. [PMID: 36293126 PMCID: PMC9602794 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The lysyl oxidase (LOX) family, consisting of LOX and LOX-like proteins 1–4 (LOXL1–4), is responsible for the covalent crosslinking of collagen and elastin, thus maintaining the stability of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and functioning in maintaining connective tissue function, embryonic development, and wound healing. Recent studies have found the aberrant expression or activity of the LOX family occurs in various types of cancer. It has been proved that the LOX family mainly performs tumor microenvironment (TME) remodeling function and is extensively involved in tumor invasion and metastasis, immunomodulation, proliferation, apoptosis, etc. With relevant translational research in progress, the LOX family is expected to be an effective target for tumor therapy. Here, we review the research progress of the LOX family in tumor progression and therapy to provide novel insights for future exploration of relevant tumor mechanism and new therapeutic targets.
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25
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Chen X, Yuan Q, Liu J, Xia S, Shi X, Su Y, Wang Z, Li S, Shang D. Comprehensive characterization of extracellular matrix-related genes in PAAD identified a novel prognostic panel related to clinical outcomes and immune microenvironment: A silico analysis with in vivo and vitro validation. Front Immunol 2022; 13:985911. [PMID: 36311789 PMCID: PMC9606578 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.985911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a vital component of the tumor microenvironment, which interplays with stromal and tumor cells to stimulate the capacity of cancer cells to proliferate, migrate, invade, and undergo angiogenesis. Nevertheless, the crucial functions of ECM-related genes (ECMGs) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) have not been systematically evaluated. Hence, a comprehensive evaluation of the ECMGs is required in pan-cancer, especially in PAAD. First, a pan-cancer overview of ECMGs was explored through the integration of expression profiles, prognostic values, mutation information, methylation levels, and pathway-regulation relationships. Seven ECMGs (i.e. LAMB3, LAMA3, ITGB6, ITGB4, ITGA2, LAMC2, and COL11A1) were identified to be hub genes of PAAD, which were obviously up-regulated in PAAD and considerably linked to tumor stage as well as prognosis. Subsequently, patients with PAAD were divided into 3 clusters premised on ECMG expression and ECM scores. Cluster 2 was the subtype with the best prognosis accompanied by the lowest ECM scores, further verifying ECM’s significant contribution to the pathophysiological processes of PAAD. Significant differences were observed for oncogene and tumor suppressor gene expression, immune microenvironment, and chemotherapy sensitivity across three ECM subtypes. After applying a variety of bioinformatics methods, a novel and robust ECM-associated mRNA-lncRNA-based prognostic panel (ECM-APP) was developed and validated for accurately predicting clinical outcomes of patients with PAAD. Patients with PAAD were randomly categorized into the train, internal validation, and external validation cohorts; meanwhile, each patient was allocated into high-risk (unfavorable prognosis) and low-risk (favorable prognosis) populations premised on the expression traits of ECM-related mRNAs and lncRNAs. The discrepancy in the tumor mutation burden and immune microenvironment might be responsible for the difference in prognoses across the high-risk and low-risk populations. Overall, our findings identified and validated seven ECMGs remarkably linked to the onset and progression of PAAD. ECM-based molecular classification and prognostic panel aid in the prognostic assessment and personalized intervention of patients with PAAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Chen
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Qihang Yuan
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Jifeng Liu
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Shilin Xia
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Xueying Shi
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Yuxin Su
- Department of Medical Imaging, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Northern Theater Command General Hospital, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhizhou Wang
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- *Correspondence: Dong Shang, ; Shuang Li, ; Zhizhou Wang,
| | - Shuang Li
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- *Correspondence: Dong Shang, ; Shuang Li, ; Zhizhou Wang,
| | - Dong Shang
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- Institute (College) of Integrative Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
- *Correspondence: Dong Shang, ; Shuang Li, ; Zhizhou Wang,
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26
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Jia Z, Gao J, Wang Y, Zhou T, Zhang X, Zu G. Clinicopathological and prognostic value of lysyl oxidase expression in gastric cancer: a systematic review, meta-analysis and bioinformatic analysis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16786. [PMID: 36202905 PMCID: PMC9537423 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21402-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The association between the expression of Lysyl oxidase (LOX) and its clinicopathological parameters and prognosis in patients with gastric cancer (GC) is still disputed. We performed this meta-analysis and bioinformatics analysis to clarify the relationship between the expression and methylation level of LOX with its clinicopathological parameters and prognostic value. We applied odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval to study the associations between LOX expression and clinicopathological parameters and overall survival (OS) in GC patients. In addition, association analysis of promoter methylation levels and expression of LOX with its prognostic value was performed using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and four Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. The PRISMA 2020 checklist was used to guide the data extraction and analysis. This meta-analysis includes seven clinical studies with a total of 1435 GC patients. LOX expression was related to lymph node metastasis and tumor distant metastasis in GC patients, but not to gender, tumor differentiation, Lauren classification, or tumor depth of invasion. Patients with GC grouped in high-expression of LOX had a much worse OS than those in low-expression. In addition, TCGA and four GEO datasets with 1279 samples were included in the bioinformatics analysis. The bioinformatics analysis showed that patients with high LOX levels had poor OS; low levels of methylation at some cg sites in the LOX gene were strongly related to poor OS and PFS; and methylation levels of LOX are negatively correlated with advanced tumor stage. The conclusion from comprehensive DNA methylation and gene expression analysis supports LOX as a specific diagnostic and prognosis biomarker in GC. LOX expression was related to lymph node metastasis, tumor distant metastasis and poor prognosis in GC. Low methylation levels were related to advanced tumor stage and poor prognosis in GC. Integrative analysis supports LOX as a specific diagnostic and prognosis biomarker in GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zirui Jia
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Dalian Municipal Central Hospital Affiliated to Dalian Medical University, No. 826 Southwest Road Shahekou District, Dalian, 116033, People's Republic of China.,Department of Graduate School, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Jiacheng Gao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Dalian Municipal Central Hospital Affiliated to Dalian Medical University, No. 826 Southwest Road Shahekou District, Dalian, 116033, People's Republic of China.,Department of Graduate School, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Yuhang Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Dalian Municipal Central Hospital Affiliated to Dalian Medical University, No. 826 Southwest Road Shahekou District, Dalian, 116033, People's Republic of China.,Department of Graduate School, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Tingting Zhou
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116011, China
| | - Xiangwen Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Dalian Municipal Central Hospital Affiliated to Dalian Medical University, No. 826 Southwest Road Shahekou District, Dalian, 116033, People's Republic of China
| | - Guo Zu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Dalian Municipal Central Hospital Affiliated to Dalian Medical University, No. 826 Southwest Road Shahekou District, Dalian, 116033, People's Republic of China.
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27
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Sun Q, Yang J, Shen W, Lu H, Hou X, Liu Y, Xu Y, Wu Q, Xuan Z, Yang Y, Yin D. Engineering mitochondrial uncoupler synergistic photodynamic nanoplatform to harness immunostimulatory pro-death autophagy/mitophagy. Biomaterials 2022; 289:121796. [PMID: 36108581 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Generally, autophagy/mitophagy, as a highly conserved lysosomal-based catabolic pathway, compromises the photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficiency by increasing the adaptation of tumor cells toward reactive oxygen species (ROS)-triggered protein damages and mitochondrial destruction. On the other hand, excessively activated autophagy/mitophagy cascades can provoke autophagic cell death and promote the endogenous antigens release of dying cells, thus playing a vital role in initiating the antitumor immune responses. To harness the exquisite immunomodulating effect of pro-death autophagy/mitophagy, we rationally constructed a MnO2 shell-coated multifunctional porphyrinic metal-organic framework (MOF) to load carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). The wrapped MnO2 shell could not only prevent premature release of CCCP during blood circulation but also conquer tumor hypoxia by catalyzing the decomposition of intratumoral H2O2. After entering tumor cells, the MnO2 shell could scavenge over-expressed glutathione (GSH), resulting in burst CCCP release and GSH-depletion/O2-generation enhanced PDT. More importantly, the released CCCP acts as a mitochondrial uncoupler can elicit mitochondrial depolarization and mitophagy, which could significantly boost the autophagy/mitophagy levels generated during PDT and consequently convert the pro-survival autophagy/mitophagy to pro-death, leading tumor cells to autophagic and immunogenic cell death. In vivo results reveal that the CCCP synergistic PDT could induce excessive immunostimulatory autophagy/mitophagy associated with T-cell responses and immunological memory, leading to complete ablation of primary tumors and prevention of tumor recurrence and lung metastasis. The effectiveness of this strategy may highlight the pro-death role and immunomodulating effect of autophagy/mitophagy in cancer therapy, providing a novel yet versatile avenue to enhance the efficacy of cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quanwei Sun
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Jinming Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Wei Shen
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230021 China
| | - Huiyu Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Xiaohui Hou
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Yujing Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Qinghua Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Zihua Xuan
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Ye Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Preparation Technology and Application, Hefei 230031, China; Engineering Technology Research Center of Modernized Pharmaceutics, Anhui Education Department (AUCM), Hefei, 230012, China.
| | - Dengke Yin
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230021 China; Engineering Technology Research Center of Modernized Pharmaceutics, Anhui Education Department (AUCM), Hefei, 230012, China.
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28
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Taghizadeh-Hesary F, Akbari H, Bahadori M, Behnam B. Targeted Anti-Mitochondrial Therapy: The Future of Oncology. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13101728. [PMID: 36292613 PMCID: PMC9602426 DOI: 10.3390/genes13101728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Like living organisms, cancer cells require energy to survive and interact with their environment. Mitochondria are the main organelles for energy production and cellular metabolism. Recently, investigators demonstrated that cancer cells can hijack mitochondria from immune cells. This behavior sheds light on a pivotal piece in the cancer puzzle, the dependence on the normal cells. This article illustrates the benefits of new functional mitochondria for cancer cells that urge them to hijack mitochondria. It describes how functional mitochondria help cancer cells’ survival in the harsh tumor microenvironment, immune evasion, progression, and treatment resistance. Recent evidence has put forward the pivotal role of mitochondria in the metabolism of cancer stem cells (CSCs), the tumor components responsible for cancer recurrence and metastasis. This theory highlights the mitochondria in cancer biology and explains how targeting mitochondria may improve oncological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzad Taghizadeh-Hesary
- ENT and Head and Neck Research Center and Department, The Five Senses Health Institute, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1445613131, Iran
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1445613131, Iran
- Correspondence: or (F.T.-H.); or (B.B.); Tel.: +98-912-608-6713 (F.T.-H.); Tel.: +1-407-920-4420 (B.B.)
| | - Hassan Akbari
- Department of Pathology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran P.O. Box 4739-19395, Iran
- Traditional Medicine School, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran P.O. Box 14155-6559, Iran
| | - Moslem Bahadori
- Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran P.O. Box 14155-6559, Iran
| | - Babak Behnam
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, Amarex Clinical Research, Germantown, MD 20874, USA
- Correspondence: or (F.T.-H.); or (B.B.); Tel.: +98-912-608-6713 (F.T.-H.); Tel.: +1-407-920-4420 (B.B.)
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Liburkin-Dan T, Nir-Zvi I, Razon H, Kessler O, Neufeld G. Knock-Out of the Five Lysyl-Oxidase Family Genes Enables Identification of Lysyl-Oxidase Pro-Enzyme Regulated Genes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911322. [PMID: 36232621 PMCID: PMC9570307 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The five lysyl-oxidase genes share similar enzymatic activities and contribute to tumor progression. We have knocked out the five lysyl-oxidase genes in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells using CRISPR/Cas9 in order to identify genes that are regulated by LOX but not by other lysyl-oxidases and in order to study such genes in more mechanistic detail in the future. Re-expression of the full-length cDNA encoding LOX identified four genes whose expression was downregulated in the knock-out cells and rescued following LOX re-expression but not re-expression of other lysyl-oxidases. These were the AGR2, STOX2, DNAJB11 and DNAJC3 genes. AGR2 and STOX2 were previously identified as promoters of tumor progression. In addition, we identified several genes that were not downregulated in the knock-out cells but were strongly upregulated following LOX or LOXL3 re-expression. Some of these, such as the DERL3 gene, also promote tumor progression. There was very little proteolytic processing of the re-expressed LOX pro-enzyme in the MDA-MB-231 cells, while in the HEK293 cells, the LOX pro-enzyme was efficiently cleaved. We introduced point mutations into the known BMP-1 and ADAMTS2/14 cleavage sites of LOX. The BMP-1 mutant was secreted but not cleaved, while the LOX double mutant dmutLOX was not cleaved or secreted. However, even in the presence of the irreversible LOX inhibitor β-aminoproprionitrile (BAPN), these point-mutated LOX variants induced the expression of these genes, suggesting that the LOX pro-enzyme has hitherto unrecognized biological functions.
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30
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Targeting HIF-1α by Natural and Synthetic Compounds: A Promising Approach for Anti-Cancer Therapeutics Development. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27165192. [PMID: 36014432 PMCID: PMC9413992 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27165192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Advancement in novel target detection using improved molecular cancer biology has opened up new avenues for promising anti-cancer drug development. In the past two decades, the mechanism of tumor hypoxia has become more understandable with the discovery of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). It is a major transcriptional regulator that coordinates the activity of various transcription factors and their downstream molecules involved in tumorigenesis. HIF-1α not only plays a crucial role in the adaptation of tumor cells to hypoxia but also regulates different biological processes, including cell proliferation, survival, cellular metabolism, angiogenesis, metastasis, cancer stem cell maintenance, and propagation. Therefore, HIF-1α overexpression is strongly associated with poor prognosis in patients with different solid cancers. Hence, pharmacological targeting of HIF-1α has been considered to be a novel cancer therapeutic strategy in recent years. In this review, we provide brief descriptions of natural and synthetic compounds as HIF-1α inhibitors that have the potential to accelerate anticancer drug discovery. This review also introduces the mode of action of these compounds for a better understanding of the chemical leads, which could be useful as cancer therapeutics in the future.
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31
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Zou J, Qin W. Comprehensive analysis of the cancer driver genes constructs a seven-gene signature for prediction of survival and tumor immunity in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:937948. [PMID: 36017503 PMCID: PMC9395598 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.937948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant and heterogeneous tumor with poor prognosis. Cancer driver genes (CDGs) play an important role in the carcinogenesis and progression of HCC. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the expression, mutation, and prognostic significance of 568 CDGs in HCC. A prognostic risk model was constructed based on seven CDGs (CDKN2C, HRAS, IRAK1, LOX, MYCN, NRAS, and PABPC1) and verified to be an independent prognostic factor in both TCGA and ICGC cohorts. The low-score group, which showed better prognosis, had a high proportion of CD8+ T cells and elevated expression of interferon-related signaling pathways. Additionally, we constructed a nomogram to extend the clinical applicability of the prognostic model, which exhibits excellent predictive accuracy for survival. Our study showed the important role of CDGs in HCC and provides a novel prognostic indicator for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zou
- Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wan Qin
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Wan Qin,
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32
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Xu Q, Zhang Y, Yang Z, Jiang G, Lv M, Wang H, Liu C, Xie J, Wang C, Guo K, Gu Z, Yong Y. Tumor microenvironment-activated single-atom platinum nanozyme with H 2O 2 self-supplement and O 2-evolving for tumor-specific cascade catalysis chemodynamic and chemoradiotherapy. Theranostics 2022; 12:5155-5171. [PMID: 35836808 PMCID: PMC9274735 DOI: 10.7150/thno.73039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanozyme-based tumor collaborative catalytic therapy has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. However, their cooperative outcome remains a great challenge due to the unique characteristics of tumor microenvironment (TME), such as insufficient endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) level, hypoxia, and overexpressed intracellular glutathione (GSH). Methods: Herein, a TME-activated atomic-level engineered PtN4C single-atom nanozyme (PtN4C-SAzyme) is fabricated to induce the "butterfly effect" of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through facilitating intracellular H2O2 cycle accumulation and GSH deprivation as well as X-ray deposition for ROS-involving CDT and O2-dependent chemoradiotherapy. Results: In the paradigm, the SAzyme could boost substantial ∙OH generation by their admirable peroxidase-like activity as well as X-ray deposition capacity. Simultaneously, O2 self-sufficiency, GSH elimination and elevated Pt2+ release can be achieved through the self-cyclic valence alteration of Pt (IV) and Pt (II) for alleviating tumor hypoxia, overwhelming the anti-oxidation defense effect and overcoming drug-resistance. More importantly, the PtN4C-SAzyme could also convert O2·- into H2O2 by their superior superoxide dismutase-like activity and achieve the sustainable replenishment of endogenous H2O2, and H2O2 can further react with the PtN4C-SAzyme for realizing the cyclic accumulation of ∙OH and O2 at tumor site, thereby generating a "key" to unlock the multi enzymes-like properties of SAzymes for tumor-specific self-reinforcing CDT and chemoradiotherapy. Conclusions: This work not only provides a promising TME-activated SAzyme-based paradigm with H2O2 self-supplement and O2-evolving capacity for intensive CDT and chemoradiotherapy but also opens new horizons for the construction and tumor catalytic therapy of other SAzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Xu
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Control Chemistry and Environmental Functional Materials for Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China.,Key Laboratory of General Chemistry of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yuetong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Control Chemistry and Environmental Functional Materials for Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China.,Key Laboratory of General Chemistry of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zulu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Control Chemistry and Environmental Functional Materials for Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China.,Key Laboratory of General Chemistry of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Guohui Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong 637000, China
| | - Mingzhu Lv
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Control Chemistry and Environmental Functional Materials for Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China.,Key Laboratory of General Chemistry of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Huan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Control Chemistry and Environmental Functional Materials for Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China.,Key Laboratory of General Chemistry of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Chenghui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Control Chemistry and Environmental Functional Materials for Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China.,Key Laboratory of General Chemistry of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jiani Xie
- College of Pharmacy and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
| | - Chengyan Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100040, China
| | - Kun Guo
- College of Pharmacy, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhanjun Gu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100040, China
| | - Yuan Yong
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Control Chemistry and Environmental Functional Materials for Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China.,Key Laboratory of General Chemistry of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, School of Chemistry and Environment, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China.,✉ Corresponding author: Yuan Yong, E-mail:
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33
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Zeng Z, Zuo Y, Jin Y, Peng Y, Zhu X. Identification of Extracellular Matrix Signatures as Novel Potential Prognostic Biomarkers in Lung Adenocarcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:872380. [PMID: 35711936 PMCID: PMC9197387 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.872380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is vital to normal cellular function and has emerged as a key factor in cancer initiation and metastasis. However, the prognostic and oncological values of ECM organization-related genes have not been comprehensively explored in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients. In this study, we included LUAD samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, training set) and other three validation sets (GSE87340, GSE140343 and GSE115002), then we constructed a three-gene prognostic signature based on ECM organization-related genes. The prognostic signature involving COL4A6, FGA and FSCN1 was powerful and robust in both the training and validation datasets. We further constructed a composite prognostic nomogram to facilitate clinical practice by integrating an ECM organization-related signature with clinical characteristics, including age and TNM stage. Patients with higher risk scores were characterized by proliferation, metastasis and immune hallmarks. It is worth noting that high-risk group showed higher fibroblast infiltration in tumor tissue. Accordingly, factors (IGFBP5, CLCF1 and IL6) reported to be secreted by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) showed higher expression level in the high-risk group. Our findings highlight the prognostic value of the ECM organization signature in LUAD and provide insights into the specific clinical and molecular features underlying the ECM organization-related signature, which may be important for patient treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuanli Zuo
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yang Jin
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yong Peng
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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34
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Migulina N, Tjin G, Faiz A, Borghuis T, Zhao F, Kaper HJ, Metzlar M, van Dijk E, Sharma PK, Timens W, Gosens R, Brandsma CA, Burgess JK. Differential roles for lysyl oxidase (like), family members in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; from gene and protein expression to function. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22374. [PMID: 35670745 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101553r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by long-term airflow obstruction with cigarette smoke as a key risk factor. Extracellular matrix (ECM) alterations in COPD may lead to small airway wall fibrosis. Altered collagen cross-linking, potentially mediated by the lysyl oxidase (LO) family of enzymes (LOX, LOXL1-4), orchestrates disturbed ECM homeostasis. In this study, we investigated the effects of smoking status and presence and severity of COPD on LOs gene and protein expression in the airways and the impact of LOs inhibition on airway contraction in an ex vivo mouse model. We used gene expression data from bronchial brushings, airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells in vitro and immunohistochemistry in lung tissue to assess smoke- and COPD-associated differences in LOs gene and protein expression in the small airways. We found higher LOX expression in current- compared to ex-smokers and higher LOXL1 expression in COPD compared to non-COPD patients. LOX and LOXL2 expression were upregulated in COPD ASM cells treated with cigarette smoke extract. LOXL1 and LOXL2 protein levels were higher in small airways from current- compared to non-smokers. In COPD patients, higher LOXL1 and lower LOX protein levels were observed, but no differences for LOXL2, LOXL3, and LOXL4 protein were detected in small airways. Inhibiting LOs activity increased airway contraction in murine lung slices. COPD-associated changes in LOs, in particular LOX and LOXL1, may be related to smoking and contribute to impaired airway function, providing potential novel targets for preventing or treating small airways changes in COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya Migulina
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Gavin Tjin
- Respiratory Cellular and Molecular Biology, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Central Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alen Faiz
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Faculty of Science, Respiratory Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Theo Borghuis
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Fenghua Zhao
- W.J. Kolff Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science-FB41, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Biomedical Engineering-FB40, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hans J Kaper
- W.J. Kolff Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science-FB41, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Biomedical Engineering-FB40, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marit Metzlar
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Eline van Dijk
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Prashant K Sharma
- W.J. Kolff Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science-FB41, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Biomedical Engineering-FB40, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wim Timens
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Reinoud Gosens
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Corry-Anke Brandsma
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Janette K Burgess
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, KOLFF Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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35
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Tajaldini M, Saeedi M, Amiriani T, Amiriani AH, Sedighi S, Mohammad Zadeh F, Dehghan M, Jahanshahi M, Zanjan Ghandian M, Khalili P, Poorkhani AH, Alizadeh AM, Khori V. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs); where do they stand in tumorigenesis and how they can change the face of cancer therapy? Eur J Pharmacol 2022; 928:175087. [PMID: 35679891 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) and its components have recently attracted tremendous attention in cancer treatment strategies, as alongside the genetic and epigenetic alterations in tumor cells, TME could also provide a fertile background for malignant cells to survive and proliferate. Interestingly, TME plays a vital role in the mediation of cancer metastasis and drug resistance even against immunotherapeutic agents. Among different cells that are presenting in TME, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have shown to have significant value in the regulation of angiogenesis, tumor metastasis, and drug-resistance through manipulating the composition as well as the organization of extracellular matrix (ECM). Evidence has shown that the presence of both TAMs and CAFs in TME is associated with poor prognosis and failure of chemotherapeutic agents. It seems that these cells together with ECM form a shield around tumor cells to protect them from the toxic agents and even the adaptive arm of the immune system, which is responsible for tumor surveillance. Given this, targeting TAMs and CAFs seems to be an essential approach to potentiate the cytotoxic effects of anti-cancer agents, either conventional chemotherapeutic drugs or immunotherapies. In the present review, we aimed to take a deep look at the mechanobiology of CAFs and TAMs in tumor progression and to discuss the available therapeutic approaches for harnessing these cells in TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahboubeh Tajaldini
- Ischemic Disorder Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Mohsen Saeedi
- Stem Cell Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Taghi Amiriani
- Ischemic Disorder Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Amiriani
- Ischemic Disorder Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Sima Sedighi
- Ischemic Disorder Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Mohammad Zadeh
- Ischemic Disorder Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Dehghan
- Ischemic Disorder Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Jahanshahi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Maziar Zanjan Ghandian
- Ischemic Disorder Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Pedram Khalili
- Ischemic Disorder Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | | | - Ali Mohammad Alizadeh
- Cancer Research Center, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Khori
- Ischemic Disorder Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
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36
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Wicks EE, Semenza GL. Hypoxia-inducible factors: cancer progression and clinical translation. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:159839. [PMID: 35642641 PMCID: PMC9151701 DOI: 10.1172/jci159839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 84.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are master regulators of oxygen homeostasis that match O2 supply and demand for each of the 50 trillion cells in the adult human body. Cancer cells co-opt this homeostatic system to drive cancer progression. HIFs activate the transcription of thousands of genes that mediate angiogenesis, cancer stem cell specification, cell motility, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, extracellular matrix remodeling, glucose and lipid metabolism, immune evasion, invasion, and metastasis. In this Review, the mechanisms and consequences of HIF activation in cancer cells are presented. The current status and future prospects of small-molecule HIF inhibitors for use as cancer therapeutics are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gregg L Semenza
- Department of Genetic Medicine.,Institute for Cell Engineering, and.,Stanley Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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37
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Mechanistic insight into lysyl oxidase in vascular remodeling and angiogenesis. Genes Dis 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2022.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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38
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Moreira AM, Ferreira RM, Carneiro P, Figueiredo J, Osório H, Barbosa J, Preto J, Pinto-do-Ó P, Carneiro F, Seruca R. Proteomic Identification of a Gastric Tumor ECM Signature Associated With Cancer Progression. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:818552. [PMID: 35340765 PMCID: PMC8942767 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.818552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an undisputable role in tissue homeostasis and its deregulation leads to altered mechanical and biochemical cues that impact cancer development and progression. Herein, we undertook a novel approach to address the role of gastric ECM in tumorigenesis, which remained largely unexplored. By combining decellularization techniques with a high-throughput quantitative proteomics approach, we have performed an extensive characterization of human gastric mucosa, uncovering its composition and distribution among tumor, normal adjacent and normal distant mucosa. Our results revealed a common ECM signature composed of 142 proteins and indicated that gastric carcinogenesis encompasses ECM remodeling through alterations in the abundance of 24 components, mainly basement membrane proteins. Indeed, we could only identify one de novo tumor-specific protein, the collagen alpha-1(X) chain (COL10A1). Functional analysis of the data demonstrated that gastric ECM remodeling favors tumor progression by activating ECM receptors and cellular processes involved in angiogenesis and cell-extrinsic metabolic regulation. By analyzing mRNA expression in an independent GC cohort available at the TGCA, we validated the expression profile of 12 differentially expressed ECM proteins. Importantly, the expression of COL1A2, LOX and LTBP2 significantly correlated with high tumor stage, with LOX and LTBP2 further impacting patient overall survival. These findings contribute for a better understanding of GC biology and highlight the role of core ECM components in gastric carcinogenesis and their clinical relevance as biomarkers of disease prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M. Moreira
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
- Doctoral Program on Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Applied to Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui M. Ferreira
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Carneiro
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Joana Figueiredo
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Hugo Osório
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - José Barbosa
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of General Surgery, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal
| | - John Preto
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of General Surgery, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal
| | - Perpétua Pinto-do-Ó
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering (INEB), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fátima Carneiro
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal
| | - Raquel Seruca
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Raquel Seruca,
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Wiechec E, Matic N, Ali A, Roberg K. Hypoxia induces radioresistance, epithelial‑mesenchymal transition, cancer stem cell‑like phenotype and changes in genes possessing multiple biological functions in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Oncol Rep 2022; 47:58. [PMID: 35059742 PMCID: PMC8808704 DOI: 10.3892/or.2022.8269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia has been linked with increased resistance to treatment in various solid tumors, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The aim of the present study was to identify genes involved in hypoxia‑mediated responses to radiotherapy in HNSCC. A total of three HNSCC cell lines with an epithelial phenotype were selected for this study and cultured under normoxic (21% O2) or hypoxic (1% O2) conditions. The sensitivity of the HNSCC cells to radiotherapy was assessed by a crystal violet assay. Western blotting (for protein expression), cDNA microarrays and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR (for gene expression) were also applied. Small interfering RNA silencing was used to knock down target genes. The results revealed that hypoxia negatively affected the response of HNSCC cells to radiotherapy. Of note, increased levels of N‑cadherin, vimentin and fibronectin, as well as stem cell‑associated transcription factors, were observed under hypoxia. The microarray analysis revealed a number of hypoxia‑regulated genes that were involved in multiple biological functions. However, downregulation of hypoxia‑regulated genes did not affect sensitivity to radiotherapy of the investigated cell lines. Taken together, the present findings indicated several important pathways and genes that were involved in hypoxia and radiotherapy resistance. It is hypothesized that panels of reported hypoxia‑regulated genes may be useful for the prediction of radiotherapy responses in patients with HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Wiechec
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Division of Cell Biology, Linköping University, 58185 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Natasa Matic
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology in Linköping, Anaesthetics, Operations and Specialty Surgery Center, Region Östergötland, 58185 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ashfaq Ali
- National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory; Department of Immune Technology, Lund University, 22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Karin Roberg
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Division of Cell Biology, Linköping University, 58185 Linköping, Sweden
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Singh T, Banerjee P, Uditi, Kumari S, Chopra A, Singh N, Qamar I. Expression of Regucalcin, a calcium-binding protein is regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor-1α. Life Sci 2022; 292:120278. [PMID: 35041836 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.120278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Regucalcin (RGN) regulates intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and the activity of several proteins involved in intracellular signaling pathways, which highlights its importance in cell biology. Regucalcin has cytoprotective effects reducing intracellular levels of oxidative stress, also playing a crucial role in the control of cell survival and apoptosis. In an effort to assess its gene regulation, we initially identified the expression of Regucalcin in rat lungs treated with hypoxia at various time points. Previously, HIF-1α expression was also reported to be upregulated in hypoxia. Interestingly hypoxic induced Regucalcin expression in a fashion similar to that of HIF-1α expression in rat lungs. Sequence analysis of the Regucalcin promoter region revealed the presence of putative HRE binding motifs. Further analysis of the 1 kb Regucalcin promoter region with 5' deletion and point mutants of HRE binding motif showed that the HRE binding site was critical for high promoter activity. In addition, HIF-1α protein binds directly to the HRE binding motifs within the Regucalcin promoter in-vivo, and regulates Regucalcin gene expression. All together, these findings suggest that Regucalcin is the novel target gene of HIF-1α and that Regucalcin gene expression in hypoxia may be regulated by the control of HIF-1α expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tripti Singh
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, U.P. 201312, India
| | - Pallabi Banerjee
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, U.P. 201312, India
| | - Uditi
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, U.P. 201312, India
| | - Sarita Kumari
- Laboratory Oncology Unit, Dr. BRA-IRCH, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Anita Chopra
- Laboratory Oncology Unit, Dr. BRA-IRCH, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Nagendra Singh
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, U.P. 201312, India
| | - Imteyaz Qamar
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, U.P. 201312, India.
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Chen X, Margaret C, Hicks MJ, Sarkar P, Gaber MW, Man TK. LOX upregulates FAK phosphorylation to promote metastasis in osteosarcoma. Genes Dis 2022; 10:254-266. [PMID: 37013056 PMCID: PMC10066266 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2021.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is a malignant bone tumor that commonly occurs in the pediatric population. Despite the use of chemotherapy and surgery, metastasis remains to be the leading cause of death in patients with osteosarcoma. We have previously reported that cytoplasmic mislocalization of p27 is associated with a poor outcome in osteosarcoma. In this study, we further show that lysyl oxidase (LOX) expression was associated with p27 mislocalization. LOX is an enigmatic molecule that acts as a tumor suppressor or a metastatic promoter; however, its role in osteosarcoma is still unclear. Hence, we performed both in vitro and in vivo analyses to dissect the role of LOX in osteosarcoma. The result of our survival analysis indicated that LOX expression significantly correlated with a poor outcome in osteosarcoma with or without controlling for the initial metastasis status (P < 0.05). Functionally, we found that higher LOX expression promoted osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness in vitro and produced a higher number of mice with pulmonary metastases in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model. Mechanistically, phospho-FAK was increased in osteosarcoma cells with high LOX expression. Our results further showed that FAK inhibition significantly reduced tumor cell proliferation and migration in vitro as well as LOX-mediated metastasis in mice. Together, our findings suggest that there is a novel link between p27 mislocalization and LOX expression. LOX plays a pivotal role in osteosarcoma metastasis by upregulating FAK phosphorylation. FAK inhibition may constitute a promising therapeutic strategy to reduce the development of metastasis in osteosarcoma with LOX overexpression.
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de Keijzer MJ, de Klerk DJ, de Haan LR, van Kooten RT, Franchi LP, Dias LM, Kleijn TG, van Doorn DJ, Heger M. Inhibition of the HIF-1 Survival Pathway as a Strategy to Augment Photodynamic Therapy Efficacy. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2451:285-403. [PMID: 35505024 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2099-1_19] [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] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-to-minimally invasive treatment modality that utilizes photoactivatable drugs called photosensitizers to disrupt tumors with locally photoproduced reactive oxygen species (ROS). Photosensitizer activation by light results in hyperoxidative stress and subsequent tumor cell death, vascular shutdown and hypoxia, and an antitumor immune response. However, sublethally afflicted tumor cells initiate several survival mechanisms that account for decreased PDT efficacy. The hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) pathway is one of the most effective cell survival pathways that contributes to cell recovery from PDT-induced damage. Several hundred target genes of the HIF-1 heterodimeric complex collectively mediate processes that are involved in tumor cell survival directly and indirectly (e.g., vascularization, glucose metabolism, proliferation, and metastasis). The broad spectrum of biological ramifications culminating from the activation of HIF-1 target genes reflects the importance of HIF-1 in the context of therapeutic recalcitrance. This chapter elaborates on the involvement of HIF-1 in cancer biology, the hypoxic response mechanisms, and the role of HIF-1 in PDT. An overview of inhibitors that either directly or indirectly impede HIF-1-mediated survival signaling is provided. The inhibitors may be used as pharmacological adjuvants in combination with PDT to augment therapeutic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J de Keijzer
- Jiaxing Key Laboratory for Photonanomedicine and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Medicine, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel J de Klerk
- Jiaxing Key Laboratory for Photonanomedicine and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Medicine, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lianne R de Haan
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Robert T van Kooten
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Leonardo P Franchi
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas (ICB) 2, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, GO, Brazil
- Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences, and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, epartment of Chemistry, Center of Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering-Photobiology and Photomedicine Research Group,University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lionel M Dias
- Jiaxing Key Laboratory for Photonanomedicine and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Medicine, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tony G Kleijn
- Jiaxing Key Laboratory for Photonanomedicine and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Medicine, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Diederick J van Doorn
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michal Heger
- Jiaxing Key Laboratory for Photonanomedicine and Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Medicine, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Abstract
Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of normal cells due to unchecked regulatory mechanisms working inside the rapidly dividing cells. In this complex cancer disease treatment, various strategies are utilized to get rid of cancer cells effectively. The different methods combine approaches used to treat cancer, such as radiotherapy, surgery, and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is among the most effective ways, along with radiotherapy and surgical removal of cancer tissue. Effective chemotherapy based on modification of conventional drugs along with various molecular therapeutic targets, which involve different inhibitors that work in a specific manner in inhibiting particular events activated in cancer cells-the understanding of molecular signaling pathways holds key in the development of targeted therapeutics. After the fundamental signaling pathway studies, a single signaling pathway targeting approach or multiple targeting could display remarkable results in cancer therapeutics. The signal approach includes the signal pathway target. However, a double targeted pathway could effectively aid in inhibiting cell growth or metastasis either due to triggering natural suicidal mechanism (apoptosis) activation. The particular environment of cells regulates cell growth and differentiation. Various proteins in the extracellular matrix (ECM) regulate the process of cancer initiation or progression. The ECM collagens, elastins proteins, fibronectins, and laminins might reduce the effectiveness of treatment therapy, reflecting them as an essential target. Any dysregulation in the composition of ECM reflects the regulatory ineffectiveness in a particular area. These have an association with poor prognosis, cell propagation, and metastasis, along drug resistance.Regulation in physiological processes associated with developmental process and maintaining the homeostasis. The pathogenesis of cancer might be connected to dysregulation in cell death programs, including autophagy, necrosis, and the most desirable cell death mechanism called apoptosis: programmed cell death, the highly regulatory mechanism of natural cell death involved in tissue development. The apoptosis involves characteristic feather of cell death which includes specific morphological change along with biochemical alteration. It includes tightly regulated irreversible events, i.e., phosphatidylserine externalization and DNA fragmentation, mainly via the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Targeting apoptosis in the development of therapeutics could be the ultimate process in treating cancer via chemotherapy. During apoptosis, cell death occurs without causing much damage or inflammation in neighboring cells. Various pro-apoptosis and anti-apoptosis proteins involved in the regulation of apoptosis could act as a remarkable target. The apoptosis inactivation is the critical dysregulatory process in the majority of cancer types. There is an increase in research development regarding apoptosis-targeted therapeutics. A understanding of apoptotic signaling pathways, a fundamental knowledge, aids in developing particular inhibitors for anti-apoptotic and activator of pro-apoptotic proteins.In both apoptosis pathways (extrinsic and intrinsic), pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins act as potential regulators in cell division and growth. The pro-apoptotic proteins Bax trigger the activation of the intrinsic pathway, an excellent target for developing therapeutics, and are currently in clinical trials. Similarly, the inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic proteins is also on track in the drug development process. The considerable importance of apoptosis-based anticancer drugs is also due to improving the drug sensitivity via reversing the resistive mechanisms in cancer cells. The dysregulatory or inactivated apoptosis mechanism involve Bcl-2 family proteins which include both pro-apoptotic members downregulation and anti-apoptotic upregulation, various inhibitors of apoptosis as inhibitory proteins (IAPs), cell cycle dysregulation, dysregulatory repair system, cell progression pathway activation of NF-κB, tumor suppressor (p53) regulation, and death receptors (DRs) of the extrinsic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gul-E-Saba Chaudhry
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.
| | - Abdah Md Akim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yeong Yik Sung
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
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Ramchandani D, Berisa M, Tavarez DA, Li Z, Miele M, Bai Y, Lee SB, Ban Y, Dephoure N, Hendrickson RC, Cloonan SM, Gao D, Cross JR, Vahdat LT, Mittal V. Copper depletion modulates mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to impair triple negative breast cancer metastasis. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7311. [PMID: 34911956 PMCID: PMC8674260 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27559-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Copper serves as a co-factor for a host of metalloenzymes that contribute to malignant progression. The orally bioavailable copper chelating agent tetrathiomolybdate (TM) has been associated with a significant survival benefit in high-risk triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. Despite these promising data, the mechanisms by which copper depletion impacts metastasis are poorly understood and this remains a major barrier to advancing TM to a randomized phase II trial. Here, using two independent TNBC models, we report a discrete subpopulation of highly metastatic SOX2/OCT4+ cells within primary tumors that exhibit elevated intracellular copper levels and a marked sensitivity to TM. Global proteomic and metabolomic profiling identifies TM-mediated inactivation of Complex IV as the primary metabolic defect in the SOX2/OCT4+ cell population. We also identify AMPK/mTORC1 energy sensor as an important downstream pathway and show that AMPK inhibition rescues TM-mediated loss of invasion. Furthermore, loss of the mitochondria-specific copper chaperone, COX17, restricts copper deficiency to mitochondria and phenocopies TM-mediated alterations. These findings identify a copper-metabolism-metastasis axis with potential to enrich patient populations in next-generation therapeutic trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Ramchandani
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Mirela Berisa
- Donald B. and Catherine C. Marron Cancer Metabolism Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Diamile A Tavarez
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Zhuoning Li
- Department of Microchemistry and Proteomics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Matthew Miele
- Department of Microchemistry and Proteomics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Yang Bai
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Sharrell B Lee
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Yi Ban
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Noah Dephoure
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Ronald C Hendrickson
- Department of Microchemistry and Proteomics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Suzanne M Cloonan
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- The School of Medicine and Tallaght University Hospital, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Dingcheng Gao
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Justin R Cross
- Donald B. and Catherine C. Marron Cancer Metabolism Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Linda T Vahdat
- Department of Medicine, Breast Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Vivek Mittal
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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Fiandaca G, Bernardi S, Scianna M, Delitala ME. A phenotype-structured model to reproduce the avascular growth of a tumor and its interaction with the surrounding environment. J Theor Biol 2021; 535:110980. [PMID: 34915043 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We here propose a one-dimensional spatially explicit phenotype-structured model to analyze selected aspects of avascular tumor progression. In particular, our approach distinguishes viable and necrotic cell fractions. The metabolically active part of the disease is, in turn, differentiated according to a continuous trait, that identifies cell variants with different degrees of motility and proliferation potential. A parabolic partial differential equation (PDE) then governs the spatio-temporal evolution of the phenotypic distribution of active cells within the host tissue. In this respect, active tumor agents are allowed to duplicate, move upon haptotactic and pressure stimuli, and eventually undergo necrosis. The mutual influence between the emerging malignancy and its environment (in terms of molecular landscape) is implemented by coupling the evolution law of the viable tumor mass with a parabolic PDE for oxygen kinetics and a differential equation that accounts for local consumption of extracellular matrix (ECM) elements. The resulting numerical realizations reproduce tumor growth and invasion in a number scenarios that differ for cell properties (i.e., individual migratory behavior, duplication and mutation potential) and environmental conditions (i.e., level of tissue oxygenation and homogeneity in the initial matrix profile). In particular, our simulations show that, in all cases, more mobile cell variants occupy the front edge of the tumor, whereas more proliferative clones are selected at the more internal regions. A necrotic core constantly occupies the bulk of the mass due to nutrient deprivation. This work may eventually suggest some biomedical strategies to partially reduce tumor aggressiveness, i.e., to enhance necrosis of malignant tissue and to promote the presence of more proliferative cell phenotypes over more invasive ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Fiandaca
- Department of Mathematical Sciences "G. L. Lagrange", Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
| | - Sara Bernardi
- Department of Mathematical Sciences "G. L. Lagrange", Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
| | - Marco Scianna
- Department of Mathematical Sciences "G. L. Lagrange", Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
| | - Marcello Edoardo Delitala
- Department of Mathematical Sciences "G. L. Lagrange", Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy.
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Structural Biology of the Tumor Microenvironment. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1350:91-100. [PMID: 34888845 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-83282-7_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cancers can be described as "rogue organs" (Balkwill FR, Capasso M, Hagemann T, J Cell Sci 125:5591-5596, 2012) because they are composed of multiple cell types and tissues. The transformed cells can recruit and alter healthy cells from surrounding tissues for their own benefit. It is these interactions that create the tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME describes the cells, factors, and extracellular matrix proteins that make up the tumor and the area around it; the biology of the TME influences tumor progression. Changes in the TME can lead to the growth and development of the tumor, the death of the tumor, or tumor metastasis. Metastasis is the process by which cancer spreads from its initial site to a different part of the body. Metastasis occurs when cancer cells enter the circulatory system or lymphatic system after they break away from a tumor. Once the cells leave, they can travel to a different part of the body and form new tumors. Therefore, understanding the TME is critical to fully understand cancer and find a way to successfully combat it. Knowledge of the TME can better inform researchers of the ability of potential therapies to reach tumor cells. It can also give researchers potential targets to kill the tumor. Instead of directly killing the cancer cells, therapies can target an aspect of the TME which could then halt tumor development or lead to tumor death. In other cases, targeting another aspect of the TME could make it easier for another therapy to kill the cancer cells, for example, using nanoparticles with collagenases to target the collagen in the surrounding environment to expose the cancer cells to drugs (Zinger A, et al, ACS Nano 13(10):11008-11021, 2019).The TME can be split simply into cells and the structural matrix. Within these groups are fibroblasts, structural proteins, immune cells, lymphocytes, bone marrow-derived inflammatory cells, blood vessels, and signaling molecules (Spill F, et al, Curr Opin Biotechnol 40:41-48, 2016; Del Prete A, et al, Curr Opin Pharmacol 35:40-47, 2017; Arneth B, Medicina (Kaunas) 56(1), 2019). From structure to providing nutrients for growth, each of these components plays a critical role in tumor maintenance. Together these components impact cancer growth, development, and resistance to therapies (Hanahan D, Coussens LM, Cancer Cell 21:309-322, 2012). In this chapter, we will describe the TME and express the importance of the cellular and structural elements of the TME.
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Kummar S, Srivastava AK, Navas T, Cecchi F, Lee YH, Bottaro DP, Park SR, Do KT, Jeong W, Johnson BC, Voth AR, Rubinstein L, Wright JJ, Parchment RE, Doroshow JH, Chen AP. Combination therapy with pazopanib and tivantinib modulates VEGF and c-MET levels in refractory advanced solid tumors. Invest New Drugs 2021; 39:1577-1586. [PMID: 34180036 PMCID: PMC8541958 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-021-01138-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGFR and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-MET signaling pathways act synergistically to promote angiogenesis. Studies indicate VEGF inhibition leads to increased levels of phosphorylated c-MET, bypassing VEGF-mediated angiogenesis and leading to chemoresistance. We conducted a phase 1 clinical trial with 32 patients with refractory solid tumors to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of combinations of VEGF-targeting pazopanib and the putative c-MET inhibitor ARQ197 (tivantinib) at 5 dose levels (DLs). Patients either took pazopanib and tivantinib from treatment initiation (escalation phase) or pazopanib alone for 7 days, with paired tumor sampling, prior to starting combination treatment (expansion phase). Hypertension was the most common adverse event. No more than 1 dose limiting toxicity (DLT) occurred at any DL, so the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was not determined; DL5 (800 mg pazopanib daily and 360 mg tivantinib BID) was used during the expansion phase. Twenty of 31 evaluable patients achieved stable disease lasting up to 22 cycles. Circulating VEGF, VEGFR2, HGF, and c-MET levels were assessed, and only VEGF levels increased. Tumor c-MET levels (total and phosphorylated) were determined in paired biopsies before and after 7 days of pazopanib treatment. Total intact c-MET decreased in 6 of 7 biopsy pairs, in contrast to previously reported c-MET elevation in response to VEGF inhibition. These results are discussed in the context of our previously reported analysis of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in these tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivaani Kummar
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Apurva K Srivastava
- Clinical Pharmacodynamics Biomarkers Program, Applied/Developmental Research Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Tony Navas
- Clinical Pharmacodynamics Biomarkers Program, Applied/Developmental Research Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
- Pfizer Inc, Groton, CT, 06340, USA
| | - Fabiola Cecchi
- Urologic Oncology Branch, NCI, Bethesda, NIH, 20892, USA
- AstraZeneca, Inc, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Young H Lee
- Urologic Oncology Branch, NCI, Bethesda, NIH, 20892, USA
- Altimmune, Inc, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | | | - Sook Ryun Park
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Department of Oncology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, 138-736, South Korea
| | - Khanh T Do
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Moderna Therapeutics, Inc, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Woondong Jeong
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Millennium Physicians, Tomball, TX, 77375, USA
| | - Barry C Johnson
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Andrea R Voth
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Larry Rubinstein
- Biostatistics Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - John J Wright
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ralph E Parchment
- Clinical Pharmacodynamics Biomarkers Program, Applied/Developmental Research Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - James H Doroshow
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Alice P Chen
- Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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D’Andrea MR, Cereda V, Coppola L, Giordano G, Remo A, De Santis E. Propensity for Early Metastatic Spread in Breast Cancer: Role of Tumor Vascularization Features and Tumor Immune Infiltrate. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13235917. [PMID: 34885027 PMCID: PMC8657227 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13235917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a complex and highly heterogeneous disease consisting of various subtypes. It is classified into human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER-2)-enriched, luminal A, luminal B and basal-like/triple negative (TNBC) breast cancer, based on histological and molecular features. At present, clinical decision-making in breast cancer is focused only on the assessment of tumor cells; nevertheless, it has been recognized that the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical biologic role in breast cancer. This is constituted by a large group of immune and non-immune cells, but also by non-cellular components, such as several cytokines. TME is deeply involved in angiogenesis, immune-evasion strategies, and propensity for early metastatic spread, impacting on prognosis and prediction of response to specific treatments. In this review, we focused our attention on the early morphological changes of tumor microenvironment (tumor vasculature features, presence of immune and non-immune cells infiltrating the stroma, levels of cytokines) during breast cancer development. At the same time, we correlate these characteristics with early metastatic propensity (defined as synchronous metastasis or early recurrence) with particular attention to breast cancer subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Rosario D’Andrea
- Clinical Oncology Unit, San Paolo Hospital, Largo Donatori del Sangue 1, Civitavecchia, 00053 Rome, Italy;
| | - Vittore Cereda
- Clinical Oncology Unit, San Paolo Hospital, Largo Donatori del Sangue 1, Civitavecchia, 00053 Rome, Italy;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-07-6659-1230
| | - Luigi Coppola
- Unit of Anatomy, Pathological Histology and Diagnostic Cytology, Department of Diagnostic and Pharma-Ceutical Services, Sandro Pertini Hospital, 00157 Rome, Italy;
| | - Guido Giordano
- Unit of Medical Oncology and Biomolecular Therapy, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Policlinico Riuniti, 71122 Foggia, Italy;
| | - Andrea Remo
- Pathology Unit, Mater Salutis Hospital, ULSS9, Legnago, 37045 Verona, Italy;
| | - Elena De Santis
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
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Macharia LW, Muriithi W, Heming CP, Nyaga DK, Aran V, Mureithi MW, Ferrer VP, Pane A, Filho PN, Moura-Neto V. The genotypic and phenotypic impact of hypoxia microenvironment on glioblastoma cell lines. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:1248. [PMID: 34798868 PMCID: PMC8605580 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08978-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma is a fatal brain tumour with a poor patient survival outcome. Hypoxia has been shown to reprogram cells towards a stem cell phenotype associated with self-renewal and drug resistance properties. Activation of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) helps in cellular adaptation mechanisms under hypoxia. Similarly, miRNAs are known to be dysregulated in GBM have been shown to act as critical mediators of the hypoxic response and to regulate key processes involved in tumorigenesis. METHODS Glioblastoma (GBM) cells were exposed to oxygen deprivation to mimic a tumour microenvironment and different cell aspects were analysed such as morphological changes and gene expression of miRNAs and survival genes known to be associated with tumorigenesis. RESULTS It was observed that miR-128a-3p, miR-34-5p, miR-181a/b/c, were down-regulated in 6 GBM cell lines while miR-17-5p and miR-221-3p were upregulated when compared to a non-GBM control. When the same GBM cell lines were cultured under hypoxic microenvironment, a further 4-10-fold downregulation was observed for miR-34-5p, miR-128a-3p and 181a/b/c while a 3-6-fold upregulation was observed for miR-221-3p and 17-5p for most of the cells. Furthermore, there was an increased expression of SOX2 and Oct4, GLUT-1, VEGF, Bcl-2 and survivin, which are associated with a stem-like state, increased metabolism, altered angiogenesis and apoptotic escape, respectively. CONCLUSION This study shows that by mimicking a tumour microenvironment, miRNAs are dysregulated, stemness factors are induced and alteration of the survival genes necessary for the cells to adapt to the micro-environmental factors occurs. Collectively, these results might contribute to GBM aggressiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Wanjiku Macharia
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Anatomia Patológica, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - (PPGAP-UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro- Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer (IECPN), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Rua do Rezende, 156 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20231-092, Brasil
| | - Wanjiru Muriithi
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro- Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer (IECPN), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Rua do Rezende, 156 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20231-092, Brasil
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (ICB-UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carlos Pilotto Heming
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro- Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer (IECPN), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Rua do Rezende, 156 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20231-092, Brasil
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (ICB-UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Dennis Kirii Nyaga
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro- Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer (IECPN), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Rua do Rezende, 156 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20231-092, Brasil
- Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Veronica Aran
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro- Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer (IECPN), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Rua do Rezende, 156 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20231-092, Brasil
| | | | - Valeria Pereira Ferrer
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro- Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer (IECPN), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Rua do Rezende, 156 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20231-092, Brasil
| | - Attilio Pane
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (ICB-UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Paulo Niemeyer Filho
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro- Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer (IECPN), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Rua do Rezende, 156 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20231-092, Brasil
| | - Vivaldo Moura-Neto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Anatomia Patológica, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - (PPGAP-UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Laboratório de Biomedicina do Cérebro- Instituto Estadual do Cérebro Paulo Niemeyer (IECPN), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Rua do Rezende, 156 - Centro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20231-092, Brasil.
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Mani S, Swargiary G, Ralph SJ. Targeting the redox imbalance in mitochondria: A novel mode for cancer therapy. Mitochondrion 2021; 62:50-73. [PMID: 34758363 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels affect many aspects of cell behavior. During carcinogenesis, moderate ROS production modifies gene expression to alter cell function, elevating metabolic activity and ROS. To avoid extreme ROS-activated death, cancer cells increase antioxidative capacity, regulating sustained ROS levels that promote growth. Anticancer therapies are exploring inducing supranormal, cytotoxic oxidative stress levels either inhibiting antioxidative capacity or promoting excess ROS to selectively destroy cancer cells, triggering mechanisms such as apoptosis, autophagy, necrosis, or ferroptosis. This review exemplifies pro-oxidants (natural/synthetic/repurposed drugs) and their clinical significance as cancer therapies providing revolutionary approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Mani
- Centre for Emerging Diseases, Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida, India.
| | - Geeta Swargiary
- Centre for Emerging Diseases, Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida, India
| | - Stephen J Ralph
- School of Medical Science, Griffith University, Southport, Australia.
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