1
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Lee SY, Jeong YW, Choe YH, Oh SJ, Miah R, Lee WJ, Lee SL, Bok EY, Yoo DS, Son YB. Identification of Reference Gene for Quantitative Gene Expression in Early-Term and Late-Term Cultured Canine Fibroblasts Derived from Ear Skin. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2722. [PMID: 39335311 PMCID: PMC11429031 DOI: 10.3390/ani14182722] [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: 08/11/2024] [Revised: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Fibroblasts are cells that reside within the fibrous or loose connective tissues of most mammalian organs. For research purposes, fibroblasts are often subjected to long-term culture under defined conditions, during which their properties can significantly change. It is essential to understand and document these changes to obtain reliable outcomes. For the quantification of specific gene expressions, the most reliable and widely used technique is quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Here, we assessed the impact of a reference gene's stability on a qRT-PCR analysis of long-term cultured canine skin fibroblasts. After successfully isolating the fibroblasts from canine skin tissues, they were cultured and evaluated for proliferation and β-galactosidase activity at different passage numbers. With extended culture, the fibroblasts showed a long doubling time and elevated β-galactosidase activity. Using three widely used algorithms, geNorm, Normfinder, and Bestkeeper, we identified HPRT1, YWHAZ, and GUSB as the most stable reference genes for both early- and late-passage fibroblasts. Conventional reference genes such as GAPDH were found to be less stable than those genes. The normalization of Vimentin by the stable genes showed statistical differences, whereas normalization by an unstable gene did not. Collectively, this study indicates that using stable reference genes is essential for accurately and reliably measuring gene expression in both early- and late-passage fibroblasts. These findings provide valuable insights into internal controls for gene expression studies and are expected to be utilized for analyzing gene expression patterns in molecular biology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Yun Lee
- Department of Theriogenology and Biotechnology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52628, Republic of Korea
- Stem Cell Convergence Research Center, Korea Research Institute Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Woo Jeong
- Department of Companion Animal and Animal Resources Science, Joongbu University, Geumsan 32713, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Ho Choe
- Department of Theriogenology and Biotechnology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52628, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Ju Oh
- Department of Theriogenology and Biotechnology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52628, Republic of Korea
| | - Rubel Miah
- Department of Obstetrics, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, 300 Yonbongdong, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Jae Lee
- Department of Obstetrics, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Lim Lee
- Department of Theriogenology and Biotechnology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52628, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute of Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52828, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Yeong Bok
- Division of Animal Diseases & Health, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Sung Yoo
- Departement of Veterinary Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, 300 Yonbongdong, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Bum Son
- Department of Obstetrics, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, 300 Yonbongdong, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
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2
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Lilja J, Kaivola J, Conway JRW, Vuorio J, Parkkola H, Roivas P, Dibus M, Chastney MR, Varila T, Jacquemet G, Peuhu E, Wang E, Pentikäinen U, Martinez D Posada I, Hamidi H, Najumudeen AK, Sansom OJ, Barsukov IL, Abankwa D, Vattulainen I, Salmi M, Ivaska J. SHANK3 depletion leads to ERK signalling overdose and cell death in KRAS-mutant cancers. Nat Commun 2024; 15:8002. [PMID: 39266533 PMCID: PMC11393128 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52326-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The KRAS oncogene drives many common and highly fatal malignancies. These include pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancer, where various activating KRAS mutations have made the development of KRAS inhibitors difficult. Here we identify the scaffold protein SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domain 3 (SHANK3) as a RAS interactor that binds active KRAS, including mutant forms, competes with RAF and limits oncogenic KRAS downstream signalling, maintaining mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) activity at an optimal level. SHANK3 depletion breaches this threshold, triggering MAPK/ERK signalling hyperactivation and MAPK/ERK-dependent cell death in KRAS-mutant cancers. Targeting this vulnerability through RNA interference or nanobody-mediated disruption of the SHANK3-KRAS interaction constrains tumour growth in vivo in female mice. Thus, inhibition of SHANK3-KRAS interaction represents an alternative strategy for selective killing of KRAS-mutant cancer cells through excessive signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Lilja
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Jasmin Kaivola
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
| | - James R W Conway
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Joni Vuorio
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hanna Parkkola
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Pekka Roivas
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Michal Dibus
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Megan R Chastney
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Taru Varila
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Guillaume Jacquemet
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Cell Biology, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
- Turku Bioimaging, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
- InFLAMES Research Flagship Center, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Emilia Peuhu
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
- Institute of Biomedicine, Cancer Research Laboratory FICAN West, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Emily Wang
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ulla Pentikäinen
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Hellyeh Hamidi
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Arafath K Najumudeen
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- CRUK Scotland Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Owen J Sansom
- CRUK Scotland Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Igor L Barsukov
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Daniel Abankwa
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 4365, Esch- sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Ilpo Vattulainen
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marko Salmi
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
- MediCity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
- InFLAMES Research Flagship Center, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Johanna Ivaska
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland.
- InFLAMES Research Flagship Center, University of Turku, FI-20520, Turku, Finland.
- Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
- Foundation for the Finnish Cancer Institute, Tukholmankatu 8, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
- Western Finnish Cancer Center, University of Turku, Turku, FI-20520, Finland.
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3
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Rajan AAN, Hutchins EJ. Post-transcriptional regulation as a conserved driver of neural crest and cancer-cell migration. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2024; 89:102400. [PMID: 39032482 PMCID: PMC11346372 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2024.102400] [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: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Cells have evolved mechanisms to migrate for diverse biological functions. A process frequently deployed during metazoan cell migration is the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). During EMT, adherent epithelial cells undergo coordinated cellular transitions to mesenchymalize and reduce their intercellular attachments. This is achieved via tightly regulated changes in gene expression, which modulates cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion to allow movement. The acquisition of motility and invasive properties following EMT allows some mesenchymal cells to migrate through complex environments to form tissues during embryogenesis; however, these processes may also be leveraged by cancer cells, which often co-opt these endogenous programs to metastasize. Post-transcriptional regulation is now emerging as a major conserved mechanism by which cells modulate EMT and migration, which we discuss here in the context of vertebrate development and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvind Arul Nambi Rajan
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Erica J Hutchins
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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4
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Huynh TN, Toperzer J, Scherer A, Gumina A, Brunetti T, Mansour MK, Markovitz DM, Russo BC. Vimentin regulates mitochondrial ROS production and inflammatory responses of neutrophils. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1416275. [PMID: 39139560 PMCID: PMC11319119 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1416275] [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: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The intermediate filament vimentin is present in immune cells and is implicated in proinflammatory immune responses. Whether and how it supports antimicrobial activities of neutrophils are not well established. Here, we developed an immortalized neutrophil model to examine the requirement of vimentin. We demonstrate that vimentin restricts the production of proinflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS), but enhances phagocytosis and swarming. We observe that vimentin is dispensable for neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, degranulation, and inflammasome activation. Moreover, gene expression analysis demonstrated that the presence of vimentin was associated with changes in expression of multiple genes required for mitochondrial function and ROS overproduction. Treatment of wild-type cells with rotenone, an inhibitor for complex I of the electron transport chain, increases the ROS levels. Likewise, treatment with mitoTEMPO, a SOD mimetic, rescues the ROS production in cells lacking vimentin. Together, these data show vimentin regulates neutrophil antimicrobial functions and alters ROS levels through regulation of mitochondrial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thao Ngoc Huynh
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Jody Toperzer
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Allison Scherer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Anne Gumina
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Tonya Brunetti
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Michael K. Mansour
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - David M. Markovitz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Brian C. Russo
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
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5
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Nazari H, Cho AN, Goss D, Thiery JP, Ebrahimi Warkiani M. Impact of brain organoid-derived sEVs on metastatic adaptation and invasion of breast carcinoma cells through a microphysiological system. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:3434-3455. [PMID: 38888211 DOI: 10.1039/d4lc00296b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Brain metastases are common in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), suggesting a complex process of cancer spread. The mechanisms enabling TNBC cell adaptation and proliferation in the brain remain unclear. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) play a crucial role in communication between breast carcinoma cells and the brain. However, the lack of relevant models hinders understanding of sEV-mediated communication. The present study assesses the impact of brain organoid-derived sEVs (BO-sEVs) on various behaviours of the MDA-MB-231 cell line, chosen as a representative of TNBC in a 3D microfluidic model. Our results demonstrate that 150-200 nm sEVs expressing CD63, CD9, and CD81 from brain organoid media decrease MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation, enhance their wound-healing capacity, alter their morphology into more mesenchymal mode, and increase their stemness. BO-sEVs led to heightened PD-L1, CD49f, and vimentin levels of expression in MDA-MB-231 cells, suggesting an amplified immunosuppressive, stem-like, and mesenchymal phenotype. Furthermore, these sEVs also induced the expression of neural markers such as GFAP in carcinoma cells. The cytokine antibody profiling array also showed that BO-sEVs enhanced the secretion of MCP-1, IL-6, and IL-8 by MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, sEVs significantly enhance the migration and invasion of carcinoma cells toward brain organoids in a 3D organoid-on-a-chip system. Our findings emphasize the potential significance of metastatic site-derived sEVs as pivotal mediators in carcinoma progression and adaptation to the brain microenvironment, thereby unveiling novel therapeutic avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hojjatollah Nazari
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Ann-Na Cho
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dale Goss
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Jean Paul Thiery
- UMR 7057 CNRS Matter and Complex Systems, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Majid Ebrahimi Warkiani
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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6
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Falahi F, Akbari-Birgani S, Mortazavi Y, Johari B. Caspase-9 suppresses metastatic behavior of MDA-MB-231 cells in an adaptive organoid model. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15116. [PMID: 38956424 PMCID: PMC11219723 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65711-z] [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: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Caspase-9, a cysteine-aspartate protease traditionally associated with intrinsic apoptosis, has recently emerged as having non-apoptotic roles, including influencing cell migration-an aspect that has received limited attention in existing studies. In our investigation, we aimed to explore the impact of caspase-9 on the migration and invasion behaviors of MDA-MB-231, a triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line known for its metastatic properties. We established a stable cell line expressing an inducible caspase-9 (iC9) in MDA-MB-231 and assessed their metastatic behavior using both monolayer and the 3D organotypic model in co-culture with human Foreskin fibroblasts (HFF). Our findings revealed that caspase-9 had an inhibitory effect on migration and invasion in both models. In monolayer culture, caspase-9 effectively suppressed the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells, comparable to the anti-metastatic agent panitumumab (Pan). Notably, the combination of caspase-9 and Pan exhibited a significant additional effect in reducing metastatic behavior. Interestingly, caspase-9 demonstrated superior efficacy compared to Pan in the organotypic model. Molecular analysis showed down regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and migratory markers, in caspase-9 activated cells. Additionally, flow cytometry analysis indicated a cell cycle arrest. Moreover, pre-treatment with activated caspase-9 sensitized cells to the chemotherapy of doxorubicin, thereby enhancing its effectiveness. In conclusion, the anti-metastatic potential of caspase-9 presents avenues for the development of novel therapeutic approaches for TNBC/metastatic breast cancer. Although more studies need to figure out the exact involving mechanisms behind this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Falahi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, 45137-66731, Iran
| | - Shiva Akbari-Birgani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, 45137-66731, Iran.
- Research Center for Basic Sciences and Modern Technologies (RBST), Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, 45137-66731, Iran.
| | - Yousef Mortazavi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
- Cancer Gene Therapy Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
| | - Behrooz Johari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
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7
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Shuai Q, Xu X, Liang Y, Halbiyat Z, Lu X, Hu Z, Peng Z, An J, Feng Z, Huang T, Zhao H, Liu Z, Xu J, Xie J. Engineered in vivo and in vitro tumor model recapitulates vasculogenic mimicry signatures in melanoma. Bioeng Transl Med 2024; 9:e10648. [PMID: 39036079 PMCID: PMC11256191 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) describes a process by which tumor cells formed a novel microcirculation pattern in an endothelial cell-free manner. Clinically, VM is associated with aggressive phenotype and poor patient survival. However, the current models for investigating VM include 2D monolayer cultures, Matrigel-based cultures, and animal models, each of which has limitations. Matrigel-based models often exhibit batch-to-batch variations, while in vivo tumor models currently produce insufficient amounts of VM. There is currently no suitable tumor model to discover new therapeutic targets against VM. Herein, we establish an extracellular matrix (ECM)-based engineered tumor model in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we demonstrate that matrix proteins enhanced the VM formation in the engineered xenograft model. Furthermore, we also investigated the role of collagen/fibronectin (FN) in melanoma progression and VM formation. Compared with cells cultured on TCPS plates, the B16F10 cells cultured on collagen/FN coated plates showed increased proliferation and stemness, and significantly enhanced invasion and formation of VM networks. Molecular mechanism analysis showed that Integrin/VE-cadherin/EphA2/PI3K/MMP-2 signaling pathways are responsible for VM formation. Our results indicate that collagen/FN matrix plays an important role in VM formation in melanoma, suggesting that ECM protein is a potential therapeutic target for anti-VM therapy for melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qizhi Shuai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and PreventionShanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Xinrui Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and PreventionShanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
- Laboratory of Ethnopharmacology, Tissue‐Orientated Property of Chinese Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceWest China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yuxiang Liang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and PreventionShanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
- Experimental Animal Center of Shanxi Medical UniversityShanxi Key Laboratory of Human Disease and Animal ModelsTaiyuanChina
| | - Zulala Halbiyat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and PreventionShanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Xin Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and PreventionShanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Zixuan Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and PreventionShanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Zhiwei Peng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and PreventionShanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Jie An
- Department of Nuclear MedicineThe First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Molecular Imaging of Precision Medicine, Shanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Zhiwei Feng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and PreventionShanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Tingjuan Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and PreventionShanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Hong Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and PreventionShanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Zhizhen Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and PreventionShanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary SurgeryThe First Hospital of Shanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
| | - Jun Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and PreventionShanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanChina
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8
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Gu W, Li C, Shen T, Tong L, Yuan W, Zheng X, Wang T, Wang S, Zhu B, Zhang C, Zhang C. NAT1 inhibits liver metastasis of colorectal cancer by regulating EMT and glycolysis. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:10546-10562. [PMID: 38916406 PMCID: PMC11236320 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205957] [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: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Metastasis is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths, and colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastasis is a major poor prognostic factor in CRC. NAT1 (N-acetyltransferase 1) plays a crucial role in the invasive and metastatic processes of colorectal cancer. The role and molecular mechanism of NAT1 on tumor cells were verified by establishing a cell model of overexpression and knockdown of NAT1, and further verified by establishing a liver metastasis model of colorectal cancer for animal experiments. In vivo and in vitro experiments have demonstrated that overexpression of NAT1 reduces the ability of metastasis and invasion of colorectal cancer cells. NAT1 overexpression inhibits the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, thereby suppressing the EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition) process and glycolytic ability of tumor cells. Additionally, decreased glycolytic ability results in reduced VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth factor) expression in colorectal cancer cells. The decreased VEGF expression leads to decreased angiogenesis and vascular permeability in liver metastases, ultimately reducing the occurrence of liver metastasis. Our findings highlight that overexpression of NAT1 significantly inhibits the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, thereby suppressing EMT, glycolytic ability, and VEGF expression in colorectal cancer cells, collectively preventing the development of liver metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Gu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Chen Li
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Free University of Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Tingting Shen
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Li Tong
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Wenkang Yuan
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Xiaofei Zheng
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Tianqi Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Siyu Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Benshuai Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Chong Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, China
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9
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Nasimi Shad A, Fanoodi A, Maharati A, Akhlaghipour I, Bina AR, Saburi E, Forouzanfar F, Moghbeli M. Role of microRNAs in tumor progression by regulation of kinesin motor proteins. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 270:132347. [PMID: 38754673 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132347] [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: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Aberrant cell proliferation is one of the main characteristics of tumor cells that can be affected by many cellular processes and signaling pathways. Kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs) are motor proteins that are involved in cytoplasmic transportations and chromosomal segregation during cell proliferation. Therefore, regulation of the KIF functions as vital factors in chromosomal stability is necessary to maintain normal cellular homeostasis and proliferation. KIF deregulations have been reported in various cancers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and signaling pathways are important regulators of KIF proteins. MiRNAs have key roles in regulation of the cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. In the present review, we discussed the role of miRNAs in tumor biology through the regulation of KIF proteins. It has been shown that miRNAs have mainly a tumor suppressor function via the KIF targeting. This review can be an effective step to introduce the miRNAs/KIFs axis as a probable therapeutic target in tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arya Nasimi Shad
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Ali Fanoodi
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Amirhosein Maharati
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Iman Akhlaghipour
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Amir Reza Bina
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Ehsan Saburi
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Forouzanfar
- Clinical Research Development Unit, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Meysam Moghbeli
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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10
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Huynh TN, Toperzer J, Scherer A, Gumina A, Brunetti T, Mansour MK, Markovitz DM, Russo BC. Vimentin regulates mitochondrial ROS production and inflammatory responses of neutrophils. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.11.589146. [PMID: 38659904 PMCID: PMC11042233 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.11.589146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The intermediate filament vimentin is present in immune cells and is implicated in proinflammatory immune responses. Whether and how it supports antimicrobial activities of neutrophils is not well established. Here, we developed an immortalized neutrophil model to examine the requirement of vimentin. We demonstrate that vimentin restricts the production of proinflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS), but enhances phagocytosis and swarming. We observe that vimentin is dispensable for neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, degranulation, and inflammasome activation. Moreover, gene expression analysis demonstrated that the presence of vimentin was associated with changes in expression of multiple genes required for mitochondrial function and ROS overproduction. Treatment of wild-type cells with rotenone, an inhibitor for complex I of the electron transport chain, increases the ROS levels. Likewise, treatment with mitoTEMPO, a SOD mimetic, rescues the ROS production in cells lacking vimentin. Together, these data show vimentin regulates neutrophil antimicrobial functions and alters ROS levels through regulation of mitochondrial activity.
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11
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Hammer A, Diakonova M. Prolactin-induced tyrosyl phosphorylation of PAK1 facilitates epithelial-mesenchymal transition. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.001136. [PMID: 38660565 PMCID: PMC11040397 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.001136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
PAK1 and prolactin (PRL) regulate breast cancer. Prolactin-activated JAK2 tyrosyl phosphorylates PAK1 (pTyr-PAK1). We demonstrate here that pTyr-PAK1 regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in breast cancer cells. PRL treatment of T47D PAK1 WT cells leads to downregulation of E-cadherin surface expression and "ectodomain shedding" (extracellular cleavage of E-cadherin). pTyr-PAK1 increases mRNA levels of Snail, Slug, and Twist2, transcriptional factors implicated in E-cadherin repression. pTyr-PAK1 also significantly increases PRL-dependent Slug activity leading to expression of vimentin, a hallmark of EMT. Thus, our current data on pTyr-PAK1 regulation of EMT bring insight into the role of PAK1 and PRL in human breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Hammer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, United States
| | - Maria Diakonova
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, United States
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12
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Zhang Q, Yuan Y, Cao S, Kang N, Qiu F. Withanolides: Promising candidates for cancer therapy. Phytother Res 2024; 38:1104-1158. [PMID: 38176694 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.8090] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Natural products have played a significant role throughout history in the prevention and treatment of numerous diseases, particularly cancers. As a natural product primarily derived from various medicinal plants in the Withania genus, withanolides have been shown in several studies to exhibit potential activities in cancer treatment. Consequently, understanding the molecular mechanism of withanolides could herald the discovery of new anticancer agents. Withanolides have been studied widely, especially in the last 20 years, and attracted the attention of numerous researchers. Currently, over 1200 withanolides have been classified, with approximately a quarter of them having been reported in the literature to be able to modulate the survival and death of cancer cells through multiple avenues. To what extent, though, has the anticancer effects of these compounds been studied? How far are they from being developed into clinical drugs? What are their potential, characteristic features, and challenges? In this review, we elaborate on the current knowledge of natural compounds belonging to this class and provide an overview of their natural sources, anticancer activity, mechanism of action, molecular targets, and implications for anticancer drug research. In addition, direct targets and clinical research to guide the design and implementation of future preclinical and clinical studies to accelerate the application of withanolides have been highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Zhang
- School of Medical Technology, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - YongKang Yuan
- School of Medical Technology, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Shijie Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Therapeutic Substance of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Kang
- School of Medical Technology, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Therapeutic Substance of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
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13
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Fergatova A, Affara NI. The cellular triumvirate: fibroblasts entangled in the crosstalk between cancer cells and immune cells. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1337333. [PMID: 38313431 PMCID: PMC10835808 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1337333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
This review article will focus on subpopulations of fibroblasts that get reprogrammed by tumor cells into cancer-associated fibroblasts. Throughout this article, we will discuss the intricate interactions between fibroblasts, immune cells, and tumor cells. Unravelling complex intercellular crosstalk will pave the way for new insights into cellular mechanisms underlying the reprogramming of the local tumor immune microenvironment and propose novel immunotherapy strategies that might have potential in harnessing and modulating immune system responses.
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14
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Ocak M, Usta DD, Arik Erol GN, Kaplanoglu GT, Konac E, Yar Saglam AS. Determination of In Vitro and In Vivo Effects of Taxifolin and Epirubicin on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Mouse Breast Cancer Cells. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2024; 23:15330338241241245. [PMID: 38515396 PMCID: PMC10958820 DOI: 10.1177/15330338241241245] [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: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: One of the most significant characteristics of cancer is epithelial-mesenchymal transition and research on the relationship between phenolic compounds and anticancer medications and epithelial-mesenchymal transition is widespread. Methods: In order to investigate the potential effects of Taxifolin on enhancing the effectiveness of Epirubicin in treating breast cancer, specifically in 4T1 cells and an allograft BALB/c model, the effects of Taxifolin and Epirubicin, both individually and in combination, were examined. Cell viability assays and cytotoxicity assays in 4T1 cells were performed. In addition, 4T1 cells were implanted into female BALB/c mice to conduct in vivo studies and evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Taxifolin and Epirubicin alone or in combination. Tumor volumes and histological analysis were also assessed in mice. To further understand the mechanisms involved, we examined the messenger RNA and protein levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related genes, as well as active Caspase-3/7 levels, using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, respectively. Results: In vitro results demonstrated that the coadministration of Taxifolin and Epirubicin reduced cell viability and cytotoxicity in 4T1 cell lines. In vivo, coadministration of Taxifolin and Epirubicin suppressed tumor growth in BALB/c mice with 4T1 breast cancer cells. Additionally, this combination treatment significantly increased the levels of active caspase-3/7 and downregulated the messenger RNA and protein levels of N-cadherin, β-catenin, vimentin, snail, and slug, but upregulated the E-cadherin gene. It significantly decreased the messenger RNA levels of the Zeb1 and Zeb2 genes. Conclusion: The in vitro and in vivo results of our study indicate that the concurrent use of Epirubicin with Taxifolin has supportive effects on breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammet Ocak
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Duygu Deniz Usta
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gokce Nur Arik Erol
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gulnur Take Kaplanoglu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ece Konac
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Atiye Seda Yar Saglam
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
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15
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Li J, Li X, Zhang Z, Wang S, Huang X, Min L, Li P. Helicobacter pylori promotes gastric fibroblast proliferation and migration by expulsing exosomal miR-124-3p. Microbes Infect 2024; 26:105236. [PMID: 37813158 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2023.105236] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Gastric fibroblasts (GFs) are direct targets of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). GFs infected with H. pylori exhibit marked changes in their morphology and biological behavior. However, the molecular mechanisms by which H. pylori regulates GFs remain unknown. In this study, we cocultured GFs with H. pylori for 48 h. As a result, GFs exhibited an elongated and spindle-shaped morphology. Further, cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) biomarkers were increased, and related behaviors were significantly enhanced in H. pylori-activated GFs. The number of extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by H. pylori-activated GFs remarkably increased. The miR-124-3p level was increased in secreted EVs but decreased in the cytoplasm of H. pylori-activated GFs. Overexpression of miRNA-124-3p in the original GFs significantly suppressed their proliferation and migration. In addition, the migration-promoting effects of H. pylori-activated GFs were suppressed by miR-124-3p and GW4869, which blocked EV generation. Finally, pull-down and luciferase assays revealed that SNAI2 is a target of miR-124-3p. The migration-inhibitory effects of GFs treated with miR-124-3p were eliminated by the overexpression of SNAI2, and the upregulation of SNAI2 in H. pylori-activated GFs was partially alleviated by miR-124-3p or GW4869. Overall, H. pylori infection promotes the proliferation and migration of GFs by accelerating the expulsion of EVs carrying miRNA-124-3p, a SNAI2 inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesion of Digestive Disease, 100050 Beijing, PR China; Department of Gastroenterology, Chui Yang Liu Hospital Affiliated to Tsinghua University, 100020 Beijing, PR China
| | - Xiangji Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesion of Digestive Disease, 100050 Beijing, PR China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesion of Digestive Disease, 100050 Beijing, PR China
| | - Shidong Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesion of Digestive Disease, 100050 Beijing, PR China
| | - Xinyuan Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesion of Digestive Disease, 100050 Beijing, PR China
| | - Li Min
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesion of Digestive Disease, 100050 Beijing, PR China.
| | - Peng Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Key Laboratory for Precancerous Lesion of Digestive Disease, 100050 Beijing, PR China.
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16
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Golconda P, Andrade-Medina M, Oberstein A. Subconfluent ARPE-19 Cells Display Mesenchymal Cell-State Characteristics and Behave like Fibroblasts, Rather Than Epithelial Cells, in Experimental HCMV Infection Studies. Viruses 2023; 16:49. [PMID: 38257749 PMCID: PMC10821009 DOI: 10.3390/v16010049] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has a broad cellular tropism and epithelial cells are important physiological targets during infection. The retinal pigment epithelial cell line ARPE-19 has been used to model HCMV infection in epithelial cells for decades and remains a commonly used cell type for studying viral entry, replication, and the cellular response to infection. We previously found that ARPE-19 cells, despite being derived from an epithelial cell explant, express extremely low levels of canonical epithelial proteins, such as E-cadherin and EpCAM. Here, we perform comparative studies of ARPE-19 and additional epithelial cell lines with strong epithelial characteristics. We find that ARPE-19 cells cultured under subconfluent conditions resemble mesenchymal fibroblasts, rather than epithelial cells; this is consistent with previous studies showing that ARPE-19 cultures require extended periods of high confluency culture to maintain epithelial characteristics. By reanalyzing public gene expression data and using machine learning, we find evidence that ARPE-19 cultures maintained across many labs exhibit mesenchymal characteristics and that the majority of studies employing ARPE-19 use them in a mesenchymal state. Lastly, by performing experimental HCMV infections across mesenchymal and epithelial cell lines, we find that ARPE-19 cells behave like mesenchymal fibroblasts, producing logarithmic yields of cell-free infectious progeny, while cell lines with strong epithelial character exhibit an atypical infectious cycle and naturally restrict the production of cell-free progeny. Our work highlights important characteristics of the ARPE-19 cell line and suggests that subconfluent ARPE-19 cells may not be optimal for modeling epithelial infection with HCMV or other human viruses. It also suggests that HCMV biosynthesis and/or spread may occur quite differently in epithelial cells compared to mesenchymal cells. These differences could contribute to viral persistence or pathogenesis in epithelial tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adam Oberstein
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 South Wolcott Ave., Chicago, IL 60612, USA; (P.G.); (M.A.-M.)
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17
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Adam-Artigues A, Arenas EJ, Arribas J, Prat A, Cejalvo JM. AXL - a new player in resistance to HER2 blockade. Cancer Treat Rev 2023; 121:102639. [PMID: 37864955 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2023.102639] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
HER2 is a driver in solid tumors, mainly breast, oesophageal and gastric cancer, through activation of oncogenic signaling pathways such as PI3K or MAPK. HER2 overexpression associates with aggressive disease and poor prognosis. Despite targeted anti-HER2 therapy has improved outcomes and is the current standard of care, resistance emerge in some patients, requiring additional therapeutic strategies. Several mechanisms, including the upregulation of receptors tyrosine kinases such as AXL, are involved in resistance. AXL signaling leads to cancer cell proliferation, survival, migration, invasion and angiogenesis and correlates with poor prognosis. In addition, AXL overexpression accompanied by a mesenchymal phenotype result in resistance to chemotherapy and targeted therapies. Preclinical studies show that AXL drives anti-HER2 resistance and metastasis through dimerization with HER2 and activation of downstream pathways in breast cancer. Moreover, AXL inhibition restores response to HER2 blockade in vitro and in vivo. Limited data in gastric and oesophageal cancer also support these evidences. Furthermore, AXL shows a strong value as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in HER2+ breast cancer patients, adding a remarkable translational relevance. Therefore, current studies enforce the potential of co-targeting AXL and HER2 to overcome resistance and supports the use of AXL inhibitors in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Enrique J Arenas
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Spain; Center for Biomedical Network Research on Cancer (CIBERONC), Spain.
| | - Joaquín Arribas
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Cancer (CIBERONC), Spain; Preclinical Research Program, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Spain; Cancer Research Program, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Spain.
| | - Aleix Prat
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Spain; Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Spain; SOLTI Breast Cancer Research Group, Spain.
| | - Juan Miguel Cejalvo
- INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, Spain; Preclinical Research Program, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Spain; Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clínico Universitario de València, Spain.
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18
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González-Callejo P, Vázquez-Aristizabal P, García-Astrain C, Jimenez de Aberasturi D, Henriksen-Lacey M, Izeta A, Liz-Marzán LM. 3D bioprinted breast tumor-stroma models for pre-clinical drug testing. Mater Today Bio 2023; 23:100826. [PMID: 37928251 PMCID: PMC10622882 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has been proposed for the reproducible production of 3D disease models that can be used for high-throughput drug testing and personalized medicine. However, most such models insufficiently reproduce the features and environment of real tumors. We report the development of bioprinted in vitro 3D tumor models for breast cancer, which physically and biochemically mimic important aspects of the native tumor microenvironment, designed to study therapeutic efficacy. By combining a mix of breast decellularized extracellular matrix and methacrylated hyaluronic acid with tumor-derived cells and non-cancerous stromal cells of biological relevance to breast cancer, we show that biological signaling pathways involved in tumor progression can be replicated in a carefully designed tumor-stroma environment. Finally, we demonstrate proof-of-concept application of these models as a reproducible platform for investigating therapeutic responses to commonly used chemotherapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paula Vázquez-Aristizabal
- CIC BiomaGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Tissue Engineering Group, Paseo Dr. Beguiristain s/n, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Clara García-Astrain
- CIC BiomaGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Dorleta Jimenez de Aberasturi
- CIC BiomaGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Malou Henriksen-Lacey
- CIC BiomaGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Ander Izeta
- Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Tissue Engineering Group, Paseo Dr. Beguiristain s/n, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Luis M. Liz-Marzán
- CIC BiomaGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009, Bilbao, Spain
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19
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Wang Z, Zhang N, Zhang M, Jiang Y, Ng AS, Bridges E, Zhang W, Zeng X, Luo Q, Liang J, Győrffy B, Hublitz P, Liang Z, Fischer R, Kerr D, Harris AL, Cai S. GTP Cyclohydrolase Drives Breast Cancer Development and Promotes EMT in an Enzyme-Independent Manner. Cancer Res 2023; 83:3400-3413. [PMID: 37463466 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-3471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
GTP cyclohydrolase (GCH1) is the rate-limiting enzyme for tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) biosynthesis. The catalysis of BH4 biosynthesis is tightly regulated for physiological neurotransmission, inflammation, and vascular tone. Paradoxically, BH4 has emerged as an oncometabolite regulating tumor growth, but the effects on tumor development remain controversial. Here, we found that GCH1 potentiated the growth of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and HER2+ breast cancer and transformed nontumor breast epithelial cells. Independent of BH4 production, GCH1 protein induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by binding to vimentin (Vim), which was mediated by HSP90. Conversely, GCH1 ablation impaired tumor growth, suppressed Vim in TNBC, and inhibited EGFR/ERK signaling while activating the p53 pathway in estrogen receptor-positive tumor cells. GCH1 deficiency increases tumor cell sensitivity to HSP90 inhibition and endocrine treatments. In addition, high GCH1 correlated with poor breast cancer survival. Together, this study reveals an enzyme-independent oncogenic role of GCH1, presenting it as a potential target for therapeutic development. SIGNIFICANCE GTP cyclohydrolase functions as an oncogene in breast cancer and binds vimentin to induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition independently of its enzyme activity, which confers targetable vulnerabilities for developing breast cancer treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijing Wang
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Sichuan University-Oxford University Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Sichuan University-Oxford University Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Miao Zhang
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
- School of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Yao Jiang
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Aik Seng Ng
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Esther Bridges
- Molecular Oncology Laboratories, University Department of Oncology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Wei Zhang
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Xin Zeng
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Qi Luo
- Xiamen Cancer Hospital, Xiamen First Hospital, Xiamen University, Fujian, China
| | - Jiabien Liang
- Xiamen Cancer Hospital, Xiamen First Hospital, Xiamen University, Fujian, China
| | - Balázs Győrffy
- TTK Cancer Biomarker Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, and Semmelweis University Department Bioinformatics and Department of Paediatrics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Philip Hublitz
- Genome Engineering Facility, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Zhu Liang
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Roman Fischer
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David Kerr
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian L Harris
- Molecular Oncology Laboratories, University Department of Oncology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Shijie Cai
- Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
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20
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Burstyn-Cohen T, Fresia R. TAM receptors in phagocytosis: Beyond the mere internalization of particles. Immunol Rev 2023; 319:7-26. [PMID: 37596991 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13267] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
TYRO3, AXL, and MERTK constitute the TAM family of receptor tyrosine kinases, activated by their ligands GAS6 and PROS1. TAMs are necessary for adult homeostasis in the immune, nervous, reproductive, skeletal, and vascular systems. Among additional cellular functions employed by TAMs, phagocytosis is central for tissue health. TAM receptors are dominant in providing phagocytes with the molecular machinery necessary to engulf diverse targets, including apoptotic cells, myelin debris, and portions of live cells in a phosphatidylserine-dependent manner. Simultaneously, TAMs drive the release of anti-inflammatory and tissue repair molecules. Disruption of the TAM-driven phagocytic pathway has detrimental consequences, resulting in autoimmunity, male infertility, blindness, and disrupted vascular integrity, and which is thought to contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. Although structurally and functionally redundant, the TAM receptors and ligands underlie complex signaling cascades, of which several key aspects are yet to be elucidated. We discuss similarities and differences between TAMs and other phagocytic pathways, highlight future directions and how TAMs can be harnessed therapeutically to modulate phagocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Burstyn-Cohen
- The Institute for Biomedical and Oral Research, Faculty of Dental Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Roberta Fresia
- The Institute for Biomedical and Oral Research, Faculty of Dental Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
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21
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Navarange SS, Bane SM, Mehta D, Shah S, Gupta S, Waghmare SK. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition status correlated with ultrastructural features, and TP53 mutation in patient-derived oral cancer cell lines. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:8469-8481. [PMID: 37639153 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08720-x] [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: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is a highly prevalent cancer in the Indian subcontinent. The major cause of mortality in OSCC patients is metastasis. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marks an important step in the metastatic process. Additionally, TP53, an important tumor suppressor gene, is also a significant determinant of the treatment outcome, and also plays a role in EMT. Therefore, understanding the interconnections between ultrastructural features, EMT status and TP53 mutational status is of vital importance. METHODS AND RESULTS The ultrastructure of five OSCC cell lines was visualized by transmission electron microscopy. Trans-well invasion and migration assays as well as scratch-wound assay, and the expression of various EMT-related genes were utilized to assess the EMT status of the cell lines. The TP53 exons were amplified for the ACOSC3, ACOSC4 and ACOSC16 cell lines and sequenced and the mutations in the gene were identified by sequence alignment. The TP53 mutation in the UPCI:SCC029B cell line has been previously reported, while UPCI:SCC040 has been reported to harbor a wild type TP53. The ACOSC4 cell line which showed the shortest intercellular gaps, also had the least invasive and migratory potential. Interestingly, ACOSC4 showed the highest expression of E-cadherin and the lowest expression of Vimentin, TWIST1, ZEB1, and MMPs. Additionally, TP53 gene of ACOSC4 was unmutated, whereas the ACOSC3 and ACOSC16 harbored TP53 mutations. The mutation in ACOSC3 (R196*) was also found in 7 TCGA samples. Similarly, the UPCI:SCC040 cell line that harbors a wild type TP53 showed shorter intracellular gaps. CONCLUSIONS Cellular migratory properties are associated with cellular ultrastructure, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition status and the status of TP53 mutation in the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushant S Navarange
- Waghmare Lab, Stem Cell Biology Group, Advanced Centre for Treatment Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Cancer Research Institute, Navi Mumbai, 410210, India
- Training School Complex, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Sanjay M Bane
- Waghmare Lab, Stem Cell Biology Group, Advanced Centre for Treatment Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Cancer Research Institute, Navi Mumbai, 410210, India
| | - Darshan Mehta
- Waghmare Lab, Stem Cell Biology Group, Advanced Centre for Treatment Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Cancer Research Institute, Navi Mumbai, 410210, India
- Training School Complex, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Sanket Shah
- Gupta Lab, Epigenetics and chromatin Biology Group, Advanced Centre for Treatment Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Cancer Research Institute, Navi Mumbai, 410210, India
- Training School Complex, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Sanjay Gupta
- Gupta Lab, Epigenetics and chromatin Biology Group, Advanced Centre for Treatment Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Cancer Research Institute, Navi Mumbai, 410210, India
- Training School Complex, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400085, India
| | - Sanjeev K Waghmare
- Waghmare Lab, Stem Cell Biology Group, Advanced Centre for Treatment Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Cancer Research Institute, Navi Mumbai, 410210, India.
- Training School Complex, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400085, India.
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22
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Xia YT, Zhang YQ, Chen L, Min L, Huang D, Zhang Y, Li C, Li ZH. Suppression of migration and invasion by taraxerol in the triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 via the ERK/Slug axis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291693. [PMID: 37751436 PMCID: PMC10522031 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
As one of the triterpene extracts of Taraxacum, a traditional Chinese plant, taraxerol (TRX) exhibits antitumor activity. In this study, we evaluated the effects of TRX on the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells, analyzed the molecular mechanism through network pharmacology and molecular docking, and finally verified it by in vitro experiments. The results showed that TRX could inhibit the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, while MAPK3 was the most promising target and could stably combine with TRX. In addition, the relative protein expression levels were detected by Western blot, and we observed that TRX could inhibit the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells via the ERK/Slug axis. Moreover, an ERK activator (tert-butylhydroquinone, tBHQ) partially reversed the suppressive effect of TRX on MDA-MB-231 cells. In conclusion, TRX inhibited the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells via the ERK/Slug axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-ting Xia
- Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Breast Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Third Hospital of Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yu-qin Zhang
- Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Breast Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Third Hospital of Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Lu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Breast Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Third Hospital of Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Liangliang Min
- Key Laboratory of Breast Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Third Hospital of Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Da Huang
- Key Laboratory of Breast Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Third Hospital of Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yulu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Breast Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Third Hospital of Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Cong Li
- Key Laboratory of Breast Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Third Hospital of Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Zhi-hua Li
- Key Laboratory of Breast Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Third Hospital of Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
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23
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Smit MM, Feller KJ, You L, Chien MP. Protocol for profiling in vitro intratumor heterogeneity using spatially annotated single-cell sequencing. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102447. [PMID: 37453069 PMCID: PMC10384656 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102447] [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: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we present a protocol for spatially annotated single-cell sequencing, a technique for spatially profiling intratumor heterogeneity with deep single-cell RNA sequencing and single-cell resolution. By combining live-cell imaging and photopatterned illumination, we describe steps to identify regions of interest in an in vitro tumor model, label the selected cells with photoactivatable dyes, and isolate and subject them to scRNAseq. This protocol can be applied to a range of cell lines and could be expanded to tissue sections. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Smit et al. (2022).1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrthe M Smit
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Kate J Feller
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Li You
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Miao-Ping Chien
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, 3000 CA Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, 3521 AL Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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24
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Cabrera-Rodríguez R, Pérez-Yanes S, Lorenzo-Sánchez I, Trujillo-González R, Estévez-Herrera J, García-Luis J, Valenzuela-Fernández A. HIV Infection: Shaping the Complex, Dynamic, and Interconnected Network of the Cytoskeleton. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13104. [PMID: 37685911 PMCID: PMC10487602 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713104] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 has evolved a plethora of strategies to overcome the cytoskeletal barrier (i.e., actin and intermediate filaments (AFs and IFs) and microtubules (MTs)) to achieve the viral cycle. HIV-1 modifies cytoskeletal organization and dynamics by acting on associated adaptors and molecular motors to productively fuse, enter, and infect cells and then traffic to the cell surface, where virions assemble and are released to spread infection. The HIV-1 envelope (Env) initiates the cycle by binding to and signaling through its main cell surface receptors (CD4/CCR5/CXCR4) to shape the cytoskeleton for fusion pore formation, which permits viral core entry. Then, the HIV-1 capsid is transported to the nucleus associated with cytoskeleton tracks under the control of specific adaptors/molecular motors, as well as HIV-1 accessory proteins. Furthermore, HIV-1 drives the late stages of the viral cycle by regulating cytoskeleton dynamics to assure viral Pr55Gag expression and transport to the cell surface, where it assembles and buds to mature infectious virions. In this review, we therefore analyze how HIV-1 generates a cell-permissive state to infection by regulating the cytoskeleton and associated factors. Likewise, we discuss the relevance of this knowledge to understand HIV-1 infection and pathogenesis in patients and to develop therapeutic strategies to battle HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romina Cabrera-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
| | - Silvia Pérez-Yanes
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
| | - Iria Lorenzo-Sánchez
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
| | - Rodrigo Trujillo-González
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
- Analysis Department, Faculty of Mathematics, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain
| | - Judith Estévez-Herrera
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
| | - Jonay García-Luis
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
| | - Agustín Valenzuela-Fernández
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Celular y Viral, Unidad de Farmacología, Sección de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), 38200 La Laguna, Spain; (R.C.-R.); (S.P.-Y.); (I.L.-S.); (R.T.-G.); (J.E.-H.); (J.G.-L.)
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25
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Reffsin S, Miller J, Ayyanathan K, Dunagin MC, Jain N, Schultz DC, Cherry S, Raj A. Single cell susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection is driven by variable cell states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.06.547955. [PMID: 37461472 PMCID: PMC10350037 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.06.547955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
The ability of a virus to infect a cell type is at least in part determined by the presence of host factors required for the viral life cycle. However, even within cell types that express known factors needed for infection, not every cell is equally susceptible, suggesting that our knowledge of the full spectrum of factors that promote infection is incomplete. Profiling the most susceptible subsets of cells within a population may reveal additional factors that promote infection. However, because viral infection dramatically alters the state of the cell, new approaches are needed to reveal the state of these cells prior to infection with virus. Here, we used single-cell clone tracing to retrospectively identify and characterize lung epithelial cells that are highly susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2. The transcriptional state of these highly susceptible cells includes markers of retinoic acid signaling and epithelial differentiation. Loss of candidate factors identified by our approach revealed that many of these factors play roles in viral entry. Moreover, a subset of these factors exert control over the infectable cell state itself, regulating the expression of key factors associated with viral infection and entry. Analysis of patient samples revealed the heterogeneous expression of these factors across both cells and patients in vivo. Further, the expression of these factors is upregulated in particular inflammatory pathologies. Altogether, our results show that the variable expression of intrinsic cell states is a major determinant of whether a cell can be infected by SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Reffsin
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jesse Miller
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kasirajan Ayyanathan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Margaret C. Dunagin
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Naveen Jain
- Genetics and Epigenetics, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David C. Schultz
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sara Cherry
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arjun Raj
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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26
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Zhang Y, Wang W, Min J, Liu S, Wang Q, Wang Y, Xiao Y, Li X, Zhou Z, Liu S. ZNF451 favors triple-negative breast cancer progression by enhancing SLUG-mediated CCL5 transcriptional expression. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112654. [PMID: 37342906 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112654] [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: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype with limited effective therapies because of the absence of definitive targets. Here, we demonstrate that the expression of ZNF451, a poorly characterized vertebrate zinc-finger protein, is upregulated in TNBC and associated with a poor prognosis. Elevated ZNF451 expression facilitates TNBC progression by interacting with and enhancing the activity of the transcriptional activator snail family transcriptional repressor 2 (SLUG). Mechanistically, the ZNF451-SLUG complex preferentially recruits the acetyltransferase p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) to the CCL5 promoter, selectively facilitating CCL5 transcription by enhancing the acetylation of SLUG and local chromatin, leading to recruitment and activation of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Disturbing the ZNF451-SLUG interaction using a peptide suppresses TNBC progression by reducing CCL5 expression and counteracting the migration and activation of TAMs. Collectively, our work provides mechanistic insights into the oncogene-like functions of ZNF451 and suggests that ZNF451 is a potential target for development of effective therapies against TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Wanyu Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Jiali Min
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Suosi Liu
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Qianrong Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Yu Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Yang Xiao
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Xia Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Zhiguang Zhou
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Shanshan Liu
- National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Diabetes Immunology, Ministry of Education, and Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
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27
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Pei JP, Wang Y, Ma LP, Wang X, Liu L, Zhang Y, Jin R, Ren ZQ, Deng Y, Shen JK, Meng T, Yu K. AXL antibody and AXL-ADC mediate antitumor efficacy via targeting AXL in tumor-intrinsic epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tumor-associated M2-like macrophage. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2023; 44:1290-1303. [PMID: 36650292 PMCID: PMC10203350 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-022-01047-6] [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: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The receptor tyrosine kinase AXL is an emerging driver of cancer recurrence, while its molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study we investigated how AXL regulated the disease progression and poor prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). We performed AXL transcriptome analysis from TCGA datasets, and found that AXL expression was significantly elevated in NSCLC and TNBC correlating with poor prognosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and immune-tolerant tumor microenvironment (TME). Knockdown of AXL or treatment with two independent AXL antibodies (named anti-AXL and AXL02) all diminished cell migration and EMT in AXL-high expressing NSCLC and TNBC cell lines. In a mouse model of 4T1 TNBC, administration of anti-AXL antibody substantially inhibited lung metastases formation and growth, accompanied by reduced downstream signaling activation, EMT and proliferation index, as well as an increased apoptosis and activated anti-tumor immunity. We found that AXL was abundantly activated in tumor nodule-infiltrated M2-macrophages. A specific anti-AXL antibody blocked bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMDM) M2-polarization in vitro. Targeting of AXL in M2-macrophage in addition to tumor cell substantially suppressed CSF-1 production and eliminated M2-macrophage in TME, leading to a coordinated enhancement in both the innate and adaptive immunity reflecting M1-like macrophages, mature dendritic cells, cytotoxic T cells and B cells. We generated a novel and humanized AXL-ADC (AXL02-MMAE) employing a site-specific conjugation platform. AXL02-MMAE exerted potent cytotoxicity against a panel of AXL-high expressing tumor cell lines (IC50 < 0.1 nmol/L) and suppressed in vivo growth of multiple NSCLC and glioma tumors (a minimum efficacy dose<1 mg/kg). Compared to chemotherapy, AXL02-MMAE achieved a superior efficacy in regressing large sized tumors, eliminated AXL-H tumor cell-dependent M2-macrophage infiltration with a robust accumulation of inflammatory macrophages and mature dendritic cells. Our results support AXL-targeted therapy for treatment of advanced NSCLC and TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Peng Pei
- Department of Pharmacology, Fudan University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Fudan University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Lan-Ping Ma
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Fudan University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Fudan University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Rui Jin
- Department of Pharmacology, Fudan University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Ren
- Department of Pharmacology, Fudan University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yan Deng
- Department of Pharmacology, Fudan University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jing-Kang Shen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Tao Meng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Ker Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Fudan University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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28
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Lien HE, Berg HF, Halle MK, Trovik J, Haldorsen IS, Akslen LA, Krakstad C. Single-cell profiling of low-stage endometrial cancers identifies low epithelial vimentin expression as a marker of recurrent disease. EBioMedicine 2023; 92:104595. [PMID: 37146405 PMCID: PMC10277918 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identification of aggressive low-stage endometrial cancers is challenging. So far, studies have failed to pinpoint robust features or biomarkers associated with risk of recurrence for these patients. METHODS Imaging mass cytometry was used to examine single-cell expression of 23 proteins in 36 primary FIGO IB endometrial cancers, of which 17 recurred. Single-cell information was extracted for each tumor and unsupervised clustering was used to identify cellular phenotypes. Distinct phenotypes and cellular neighborhoods were compared in relation to recurrence. Cellular differences were validated in a separate gene expression dataset and the TCGA EC dataset. Vimentin protein expression was evaluated by IHC in pre-operative samples from 518 patients to validate its robustness as a prognostic marker. FINDINGS The abundance of epithelial, immune or stromal cell types did not associate with recurrence. Clustering of patients based on tumor single cell marker expression revealed distinct patient clusters associated with outcome. A cell population neighboring CD8+ T cells, defined by vimentin, ER, and PR expressing epithelial cells, was more prevalent in non-recurrent tumors. Importantly, lower epithelial vimentin expression and lower gene expression of VIM associated with worse recurrence-free survival. Loss and low expression of vimentin was validated by IHC as a robust marker for recurrence in FIGO I stage disease and predicted poor prognosis also when including all patients and in endometrioid patients only. INTERPRETATION This study reveals distinct characteristics in low-stage tumors and points to vimentin as a clinically relevant marker that may aid in identifying a here to unidentified subgroup of high-risk patients. FUNDING A full list of funding that contributed to this study can be found in the Acknowledgements section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilde E Lien
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Hege F Berg
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Mari K Halle
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Jone Trovik
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ingfrid S Haldorsen
- Mohn Medical Imaging and Visualization Centre, Department of Radiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Section for Radiology, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Lars A Akslen
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Camilla Krakstad
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
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29
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Brown BA, Lazzara MJ. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals microenvironment context-specific routes for epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pancreas cancer cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.30.542969. [PMID: 37398348 PMCID: PMC10312528 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.30.542969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
In the PDAC tumor microenvironment, multiple factors initiate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that occurs heterogeneously among transformed ductal cells, but it is unclear if different drivers promote EMT through common or distinct signaling pathways. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to identify the transcriptional basis for EMT in pancreas cancer cells in response to hypoxia or EMT-inducing growth factors. Using clustering and gene set enrichment analysis, we find EMT gene expression patterns that are unique to the hypoxia or growth factor conditions or that are common between them. Among the inferences from the analysis, we find that the FAT1 cell adhesion protein is enriched in epithelial cells and suppresses EMT. Further, the receptor tyrosine kinase AXL is preferentially expressed in hypoxic mesenchymal cells in a manner correlating with YAP nuclear localization, which is suppressed by FAT1 expression. AXL inhibition prevents EMT in response to hypoxia but not growth factors. Relationships between FAT1 or AXL expression with EMT were confirmed through analysis of patient tumor scRNA-seq data. Further exploration of inferences from this unique dataset will reveal additional microenvironment context-specific signaling pathways for EMT that may represent novel drug targets for PDAC combination therapies.
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Isert L, Mehta A, Loiudice G, Oliva A, Roidl A, Merkel OM. An In Vitro Approach to Model EMT in Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097757. [PMID: 37175467 PMCID: PMC10177865 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097757] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
During the progression from ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to invasive breast cancer (IBC), cells must overcome the physically restraining basement membrane (BM), which compartmentalizes the epithelium from the stroma. Since the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the epithelial and stromal compartments are biochemically and physically distinct from one another, the progression demands a certain degree of cellular plasticity for a primary tumor to become invasive. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) depicts such a cell program, equipping cancer cells with features allowing for dissemination from the epithelial entity and stromal invasion at the single-cell level. Here, the reciprocal interference between an altering tumor microenvironment and the EMT phenotype was investigated in vitro. BM-typical collagen IV and stroma-typical collagen I coatings were applied as provisional 2D matrices. Pro-inflammatory growth factors were introduced to improve tissue mimicry. Whereas the growth on coated surfaces only slightly affected the EMT phenotype, the combinatorial action of collagen with growth factor TGF-β1 induced prominent phenotypic changes. However, EMT induction was independent of collagen type, and cellular accessibility for EMT-like changes was strongly cell-line dependent. Summarizing the entire body of data, an EMT-phenotyping model was used to determine cellular EMT status and estimate EMT-like changes. The miR200c-mediated reversion of mesenchymal MDA-MB-231 cells is reflected by our EMT-phenotype model, thus emphasizing its potential to predict the therapeutic efficacy of EMT-targeting drugs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenz Isert
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Aditi Mehta
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Gabriele Loiudice
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Altea Oliva
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Roidl
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Olivia M Merkel
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
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Vergara-Gómez L, Bizama C, Zhong J, Buchegger K, Suárez F, Rosa L, Ili C, Weber H, Obreque J, Espinoza K, Repetto G, Roa JC, Leal P, García P. A Novel Gemcitabine-Resistant Gallbladder Cancer Model Provides Insights into Molecular Changes Occurring during Acquired Resistance. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087238. [PMID: 37108401 PMCID: PMC10139168 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087238] [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: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment options for advanced gallbladder cancer (GBC) are scarce and usually rely on cytotoxic chemotherapy, but the effectiveness of any regimen is limited and recurrence rates are high. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of acquired resistance in GBC through the development and characterization of two gemcitabine-resistant GBC cell sublines (NOZ GemR and TGBC1 GemR). Morphological changes, cross-resistance, and migratory/invasive capabilities were evaluated. Then, microarray-based transcriptome profiling and quantitative SILAC-based phosphotyrosine proteomic analyses were performed to identify biological processes and signaling pathways dysregulated in gemcitabine-resistant GBC cells. The transcriptome profiling of parental and gemcitabine-resistant cells revealed the dysregulation of protein-coding genes that promote the enrichment of biological processes such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and drug metabolism. On the other hand, the phosphoproteomics analysis of NOZ GemR identified aberrantly dysregulated signaling pathways in resistant cells as well as active kinases, such as ABL1, PDGFRA, and LYN, which could be novel therapeutic targets in GBC. Accordingly, NOZ GemR showed increased sensitivity toward the multikinase inhibitor dasatinib compared to parental cells. Our study describes transcriptome changes and altered signaling pathways occurring in gemcitabine-resistant GBC cells, which greatly expands our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of acquired drug resistance in GBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Vergara-Gómez
- Biomedicine and Translational Research Laboratory, Centre of Excellence in Translational Medicine and Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (CEMT-BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile
| | - Carolina Bizama
- School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
- Center for Cancer Prevention and Control (CECAN), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Jun Zhong
- Delta Omics Biotechnology, Rockville, MD 20855, USA
| | - Kurt Buchegger
- Department of Basic Sciences, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile
| | - Felipe Suárez
- School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
| | - Lorena Rosa
- School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
| | - Carmen Ili
- Laboratory of Integrative Biology (LIBi), Centre of Excellence in Translational Medicine and Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (CEMT-BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile
| | - Helga Weber
- Biomedicine and Translational Research Laboratory, Centre of Excellence in Translational Medicine and Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (CEMT-BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile
| | - Javiera Obreque
- School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
| | - Karena Espinoza
- Center for Genetics and Genomics, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile
| | - Gabriela Repetto
- Center for Genetics and Genomics, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile
| | - Juan C Roa
- School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
- Center for Cancer Prevention and Control (CECAN), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy (IMII), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Pamela Leal
- Biomedicine and Translational Research Laboratory, Centre of Excellence in Translational Medicine and Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (CEMT-BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile
- Department of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Faculty of Agricultural and Forestry Science, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile
| | - Patricia García
- School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
- Center for Cancer Prevention and Control (CECAN), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
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Leonov S, Inyang O, Achkasov K, Bogdan E, Kontareva E, Chen Y, Fu Y, Osipov AN, Pustovalova M, Merkher Y. Proteomic Markers for Mechanobiological Properties of Metastatic Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054773. [PMID: 36902201 PMCID: PMC10003476 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054773] [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: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The major cause (more than 90%) of all cancer-related deaths is metastasis, thus its prediction can critically affect the survival rate. Metastases are currently predicted by lymph-node status, tumor size, histopathology and genetic testing; however, all these are not infallible, and obtaining results may require weeks. The identification of new potential prognostic factors will be an important source of risk information for the practicing oncologist, potentially leading to enhanced patient care through the proactive optimization of treatment strategies. Recently, the new mechanobiology-related techniques, independent of genetics, based on the mechanical invasiveness of cancer cells (microfluidic, gel indentation assays, migration assays etc.), demonstrated a high success rate for the detection of tumor cell metastasis propensity. However, they are still far away from clinical implementation due to complexity. Hence, the exploration of novel markers related to the mechanobiological properties of tumor cells may have a direct impact on the prognosis of metastasis. Our concise review deepens our knowledge of the factors that regulate cancer cell mechanotype and invasion, and incites further studies to develop therapeutics that target multiple mechanisms of invasion for improved clinical benefit. It may open a new clinical dimension that will improve cancer prognosis and increase the effectiveness of tumor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Leonov
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Olumide Inyang
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Konstantin Achkasov
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Elizaveta Bogdan
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Elizaveta Kontareva
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Yongheng Chen
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics & State Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Anticancer Drugs, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Ying Fu
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics & State Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Anticancer Drugs, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Andreyan N. Osipov
- State Research Center—Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center of Federal Medical-Biological Agency, 123098 Moscow, Russia
- N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Margarita Pustovalova
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
- State Research Center—Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center of Federal Medical-Biological Agency, 123098 Moscow, Russia
| | - Yulia Merkher
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
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Sham NFR, Hasani NAH, Hasan N, Karim MKA, Fuad SBSA, Hasbullah HH, Ibahim MJ. Acquired radioresistance in EMT6 mouse mammary carcinoma cell line is mediated by CTLA-4 and PD-1 through JAK/STAT/PI3K pathway. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3108. [PMID: 36813833 PMCID: PMC9946948 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29925-x] [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: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer recurrence is often associated with the acquisition of radioresistance by cancer tissues due to failure in radiotherapy. The underlying mechanism leading to the development of acquired radioresistance in the EMT6 mouse mammary carcinoma cell line and the potential pathway involved was investigated by comparing differential gene expressions between parental and acquired radioresistance cells. EMT6 cell line was exposed to 2 Gy/per cycle of gamma-ray and the survival fraction between EMT6-treated and parental cells was compared. EMT6RR_MJI (acquired radioresistance) cells was developed after 8 cycles of fractionated irradiation. The development of EMT6RR_MJI cells was confirmed with further irradiation at different doses of gamma-ray, and both the survival fraction and migration rates were measured. Higher survival fraction and migration rates were obtained in EMT6RR_MJI cells after exposure to 4 Gy and 8 Gy gamma-ray irradiations compared to their parental cells. Gene expression between EMT6RR_MJI and parental cells was compared, and 16 genes identified to possess more than tenfold changes were selected and validated using RT-PCR. Out of these genes, 5 were significantly up-regulated i.e., IL-6, PDL-1, AXL, GAS6 and APCDD1. Based on pathway analysis software, the development of acquired radioresistance in EMT6RR_MJI was hypothesized through JAK/STAT/PI3K pathway. Presently, CTLA-4 and PD-1 were determined to be associated with JAK/STAT/PI3K pathway, where both their expressions were significantly increased in EMT6RR_MJI compared to parental cells in the 1st, 4th and 8th cycle of radiation. As a conclusion, the current findings provided a mechanistic platform for the development of acquired radioresistance in EMT6RR_MJI through overexpression of CTLA-4 and PD-1, and novel knowledge on therapeutic targets for recurrent radioresistant cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Fatihah Ronny Sham
- Faculty of Medicine, Jalan Hospital, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor Branch, Sungai Buloh Campus, 47000, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Narimah Abdul Hamid Hasani
- Faculty of Medicine, Jalan Hospital, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor Branch, Sungai Buloh Campus, 47000, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nurhaslina Hasan
- Faculty of Dentistry, Jalan Hospital, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor Branch, Sungai Buloh Campus, 47000, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Syed Baharom Syed Ahmad Fuad
- Faculty of Medicine, Jalan Hospital, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor Branch, Sungai Buloh Campus, 47000, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Harissa Husainy Hasbullah
- Faculty of Medicine, Jalan Hospital, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor Branch, Sungai Buloh Campus, 47000, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mohammad Johari Ibahim
- Faculty of Medicine, Jalan Hospital, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor Branch, Sungai Buloh Campus, 47000, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
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Damane BP, Mulaudzi TV, Kader SS, Naidoo P, Savkovic SD, Dlamini Z, Mkhize-Kwitshana ZL. Unraveling the Complex Interconnection between Specific Inflammatory Signaling Pathways and Mechanisms Involved in HIV-Associated Colorectal Oncogenesis. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:748. [PMID: 36765706 PMCID: PMC9913377 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The advancement of HIV treatment has led to increased life expectancy. However, people living with HIV (PLWH) are at a higher risk of developing colorectal cancers. Chronic inflammation has a key role in oncogenesis, affecting the initiation, promotion, transformation, and advancement of the disease. PLWH are prone to opportunistic infections that trigger inflammation. It has been documented that 15-20% of cancers are triggered by infections, and this percentage is expected to be increased in HIV co-infections. The incidence of parasitic infections such as helminths, with Ascariasis being the most common, is higher in HIV-infected individuals. Cancer cells and opportunistic infections drive a cascade of inflammatory responses which assist in evading immune surveillance, making them survive longer in the affected individuals. Their survival leads to a chronic inflammatory state which further increases the probability of oncogenesis. This review discusses the key inflammatory signaling pathways involved in disease pathogenesis in HIV-positive patients with colorectal cancers. The possibility of the involvement of co-infections in the advancement of the disease, along with highlights on signaling mechanisms that can potentially be utilized as therapeutic strategies to prevent oncogenesis or halt cancer progression, are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Botle Precious Damane
- Department of Surgery, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Laboratory Medicine & Medical Sciences, Medical School Campus, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
| | - Thanyani Victor Mulaudzi
- Department of Surgery, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Sayed Shakeel Kader
- Department of Surgery, University of KwaZulu Natal, Congella, Durban 4013, South Africa
| | - Pragalathan Naidoo
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Laboratory Medicine & Medical Sciences, Medical School Campus, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
- SAMRC Research Capacity Development Division, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town 4091, South Africa
| | - Suzana D. Savkovic
- School of Medicine, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave., SL-79, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Zodwa Dlamini
- SAMRC Precision Oncology Research Unit (PORU), DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Precision Oncology and Cancer Prevention (POCP), Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Zilungile Lynette Mkhize-Kwitshana
- Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Laboratory Medicine & Medical Sciences, Medical School Campus, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
- SAMRC Research Capacity Development Division, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg, Cape Town 4091, South Africa
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35
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Jeethy Ram T, Lekshmi A, Darvin P, Rajappan P, Jagathnath Krishna KM, Anoop TM, Augustine P, Mathew AP, Cherian K, Bhargavan RV, Somanathan T, Radhakrishna Pillai M, Santhosh Kumar TR, Sujathan K. Co-expression of galectin-3 and vimentin in triple negative breast cancer cells promotes tumor progression, metastasis and survival. Tumour Biol 2023; 45:31-54. [PMID: 37574746 DOI: 10.3233/tub-230002] [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: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lack of druggable targets and complex expression heterogeneity of known targets is common among TNBC subtypes. An enhanced expression of galectin-3 in TNBCs has already been documented. We have observed a tumor progression-dependent galectin-3 expression in TNBCs compared to adjacent epithelium and non TNBCs. OBJECTIVE To unravel the association of galectin- 3 in tumor progression, aggressiveness and drug resistance in TNBC patients. METHODS Galectin-3 expression in 489 breast cancer tissues was correlated with clinicopathological features and the results were validated in cell lines and mouse model by silencing galectin-3 using shRNA and the proteins were profiled by western blot and qRT-PCR. Protein interaction was analyzed by GFP Trap and Mass spectrometry. RESULTS Galectin-3 expression correlated with tumor stage in TNBC and a lower galectin-3 expression was associated with poor patient survival. The positive correlation between galectin-3, vimentin and CD44 expression, pinpoints galectin-3 contribution to epithelial to mesenchymal transition, drug resistance and stemness. Vimentin was found as an interacting partner of galectin-3. Duplexing of galecin-3 and vimentin in patient samples revealed the presence of tumor cells co-expressing both galectin-3 and vimentin. In vitro studies also showed its role in tumor cell survival and metastatic potential, elementary for tumor progression. In vivo studies further confirmed its metastatic potential. CONCLUSIONS Tumor progression dependent expression pattern of galectin 3 was found to indicate prognosis. Co-expression of galectin-3 and vimentin in tumor cells promotes tumor dissemination, survival and its metastatic capability in TNBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Jeethy Ram
- Division of Cancer Research, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Asha Lekshmi
- Division of Cancer Research, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Pramod Darvin
- Cancer Research, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Prakash Rajappan
- Cancer Research, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | | | - T M Anoop
- Medical Oncology, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Paul Augustine
- Surgical Oncology, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Arun Peter Mathew
- Surgical Oncology, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Kurian Cherian
- Surgical Oncology, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Rexeena V Bhargavan
- Surgical Oncology, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Thara Somanathan
- Pathology, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - M Radhakrishna Pillai
- Cancer Research, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - T R Santhosh Kumar
- Cancer Research, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - K Sujathan
- Division of Cancer Research, Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
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Liao WL, Liu YF, Ying TH, Shieh JC, Hung YT, Lee HJ, Shen CY, Cheng CW. Inhibitory Effects of Ursolic Acid on the Stemness and Progression of Human Breast Cancer Cells by Modulating Argonaute-2. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010366. [PMID: 36613808 PMCID: PMC9820512 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The stemness and metastasis of cancer cells are crucial features in determining cancer progression. Argonaute-2 (AGO2) overexpression was reported to be associated with microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis, supporting the self-renewal and differentiation characteristics of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Ursolic acid (UA), a triterpene compound, has multiple biological functions, including anticancer activity. In this study, we find that UA inhibits the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines using the CCK-8 assay. UA induced a significant decrease in the fraction of CSC in which it was examined by changes in the expression of stemness biomarkers, including the Nanog and Oct4 genes. UA altered invasion and migration capacities by significant decreases in the levels of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) proteins of slug and vimentin. Furthermore, the co-reduction in oncogenic miRNA levels (miR-9 and miR-221) was a result of the down-modulation in AGO2 in breast cancer cells in vitro. Mechanically, UA increases PTEN expression to inactivate the FAK/PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and the decreased level of c-Myc in quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot imaging analyses. Our current understanding of the anticancer potential of UA in interrupting between EMT programming and the state of CSC suggests that UA can contribute to improvements in the clinical practice of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Ling Liao
- Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40433, Taiwan
- Center for Personalized Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40433, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Fan Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
| | - Tsung-Ho Ying
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
| | - Jia-Ching Shieh
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Tzu Hung
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
| | - Huei-Jane Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Yang Shen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Science, China Medical University, Taichung 40433, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (C.-Y.S.); (C.-W.C.); Tel.: +886-2-2789-9036 (C.-Y.S.); +886-4-2473-0022 (ext. 11677) (C.-W.C.); Fax: +886-2-2782-3047 (C.-Y.S.); +886-4-2372-3229 (C.-W.C.)
| | - Chun-Wen Cheng
- Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40201, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (C.-Y.S.); (C.-W.C.); Tel.: +886-2-2789-9036 (C.-Y.S.); +886-4-2473-0022 (ext. 11677) (C.-W.C.); Fax: +886-2-2782-3047 (C.-Y.S.); +886-4-2372-3229 (C.-W.C.)
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Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Vimentin-Induced Disruption of Cell-Cell Associations Augments Breast Cancer Cell Migration. Cells 2022; 11:cells11244035. [PMID: 36552797 PMCID: PMC9776984 DOI: 10.3390/cells11244035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In advanced metastatic cancers with reduced patient survival and poor prognosis, expression of vimentin, a type III intermediate filament protein is frequently observed. Vimentin appears to suppress epithelial characteristics and augments cell migration but the molecular basis for these changes is not well understood. Here, we have ectopically expressed vimentin in MCF-7 and investigated its genomic and functional implications. Vimentin changed the cell shape by decreasing major axis, major axis angle and increased cell migration, without affecting proliferation. Vimentin downregulated major keratin genes KRT8, KRT18 and KRT19. Transcriptome-coupled GO and KEGG analyses revealed that vimentin-affected genes were linked to either cell-cell/cell-ECM or cell cycle/proliferation specific pathways. Using shRNA mediated knockdown of vimentin in two cell types; MCF-7FV (ectopically expressing) and MDA-MB-231 (endogenously expressing), we identified a vimentin-specific signature consisting of 13 protein encoding genes (CDH5, AXL, PTPRM, TGFBI, CDH10, NES, E2F1, FOXM1, CDC45, FSD1, BCL2, KIF26A and WISP2) and two long non-coding RNAs, LINC00052 and C15ORF9-AS1. CDH5, an endothelial cadherin, which mediates cell-cell junctions, was the most downregulated protein encoding gene. Interestingly, downregulation of CDH5 by shRNA significantly increased cell migration confirming our RNA-Seq data. Furthermore, presence of vimentin altered the lamin expression in MCF-7. Collectively, we demonstrate, for the first time, that vimentin in breast cancer cells could change nuclear architecture by affecting lamin expression, which downregulates genes maintaining cell-cell junctions resulting in increased cell migration.
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Nitta RT, Luo EJ, Lim M, Li G. Can tumor treating fields induce DNA damage and reduce cell motility in medulloblastoma cell lines? J Neurosurg Pediatr 2022; 30:555-566. [PMID: 36208441 DOI: 10.3171/2022.8.peds22300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor and accounts for approximately 20% of all pediatric CNS tumors. Current multimodal treatment is associated with a 70%-90% 5-year survival rate; however, the prognosis for patients with tumor dissemination and recurrent MB remains poor. The majority of survivors exhibit long-term neurocognitive complications; thus, more effective and less toxic treatments are critically needed. Tumor treating fields (TTFields) are low-intensity, alternating electric fields that disrupt cell division through physical interactions with key molecules during mitosis. Side effects from TTField therapy are minimal, making it an ideal candidate for MB treatment. METHODS To determine if TTFields can be an effective treatment for MB, the authors conducted an in vitro study treating multiple MB cell lines. Three MB molecular subgroups (SHH [sonic hedgehog], group 3, and group 4) were treated for 24, 48, and 72 hours at 100, 200, 300, and 400 kHz. Combinatorial studies were conducted with the small-molecule casein kinase 2 inhibitor CX-4945. RESULTS TTFields reduced MB cell growth with an optimal frequency of 300 kHz, and the most efficacious treatment time was 72 hours. Treatment with TTFields dysregulated actin polymerization and corresponded with a reduction in cell motility and invasion. TTFields also induced DNA damage (γH2AX, 53BP1) that correlated with an increase in apoptotic cells. The authors discovered that CX-4945 works synergistically with TTFields to reduce MB growth. In addition, combining CX-4945 and TTFields increased the cellular actin dysregulation, which correlated with a decrease in MB migration. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study demonstrate that TTFields may be a novel and less toxic method to treat patients with MB.
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Fang Z, Meng Q, Xu J, Wang W, Zhang B, Liu J, Liang C, Hua J, Zhao Y, Yu X, Shi S. Signaling pathways in cancer-associated fibroblasts: recent advances and future perspectives. CANCER COMMUNICATIONS (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 43:3-41. [PMID: 36424360 PMCID: PMC9859735 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
As a critical component of the tumor microenvironment (TME), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play important roles in cancer initiation and progression. Well-known signaling pathways, including the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), Hedgehog (Hh), Notch, Wnt, Hippo, nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathways, as well as transcription factors, including hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1), P53, Snail, and Twist, constitute complex regulatory networks in the TME to modulate the formation, activation, heterogeneity, metabolic characteristics and malignant phenotype of CAFs. Activated CAFs remodel the TME and influence the malignant biological processes of cancer cells by altering the transcriptional and secretory characteristics, and this modulation partially depends on the regulation of signaling cascades. The results of preclinical and clinical trials indicated that therapies targeting signaling pathways in CAFs demonstrated promising efficacy but were also accompanied by some failures (e.g., NCT01130142 and NCT01064622). Hence, a comprehensive understanding of the signaling cascades in CAFs might help us better understand the roles of CAFs and the TME in cancer progression and may facilitate the development of more efficient and safer stroma-targeted cancer therapies. Here, we review recent advances in studies of signaling pathways in CAFs and briefly discuss some future perspectives on CAF research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zengli Fang
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Qingcai Meng
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Jin Xu
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Jiang Liu
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Chen Liang
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Jie Hua
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Yingjun Zhao
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Institutes of Biomedical SciencesShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Xianjun Yu
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Si Shi
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
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Kim HR, Warrington SJ, López-Guajardo A, Al Hennawi K, Cook SL, Griffith ZDJ, Symmes D, Zhang T, Qu Z, Xu Y, Chen R, Gad AKB. ALD-R491 regulates vimentin filament stability and solubility, cell contractile force, cell migration speed and directionality. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:926283. [PMID: 36483676 PMCID: PMC9723350 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.926283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasizing cells express the intermediate filament protein vimentin, which is used to diagnose invasive tumors in the clinic. However, the role of vimentin in cell motility, and if the assembly of non-filamentous variants of vimentin into filaments regulates cell migration remains unclear. We observed that the vimentin-targeting drug ALD-R491 increased the stability of vimentin filaments, by reducing filament assembly and/or disassembly. ALD-R491-treatment also resulted in more bundled and disorganized filaments and an increased pool of non-filamentous vimentin. This was accompanied by a reduction in size of cell-matrix adhesions and increased cellular contractile forces. Moreover, during cell migration, cells showed erratic formation of lamellipodia at the cell periphery, loss of coordinated cell movement, reduced cell migration speed, directionality and an elongated cell shape with long thin extensions at the rear that often detached. Taken together, these results indicate that the stability of vimentin filaments and the soluble pool of vimentin regulate the speed and directionality of cell migration and the capacity of cells to migrate in a mechanically cohesive manner. These observations suggest that the stability of vimentin filaments governs the adhesive, physical and migratory properties of cells, and expands our understanding of vimentin functions in health and disease, including cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyejeong Rosemary Kim
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ana López-Guajardo
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Khairat Al Hennawi
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah L. Cook
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Zak D. J. Griffith
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Deebie Symmes
- Aluda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Tao Zhang
- Cambridge-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical School of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhipeng Qu
- Cambridge-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical School of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Cambridge-Su Genomic Resource Center, Medical School of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ruihuan Chen
- Aluda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Annica K. B. Gad
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Madeira Chemistry Research Centre, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal
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Ramachandran J, Zhou W, Bardenhagen AE, Nasr T, Yates ER, Zorn AM, Ji H, Vokes SA. Hedgehog regulation of epithelial cell state and morphogenesis in the larynx. eLife 2022; 11:e77055. [PMID: 36398878 PMCID: PMC9718526 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77055] [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: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The larynx enables speech while regulating swallowing and respiration. Larynx function hinges on the laryngeal epithelium which originates as part of the anterior foregut and undergoes extensive remodeling to separate from the esophagus and form vocal folds that interface with the adjacent trachea. Here we find that sonic hedgehog (SHH) is essential for epithelial integrity in the mouse larynx as well as the anterior foregut. During larynx-esophageal separation, low Shh expression marks specific domains of actively remodeling epithelium that undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) characterized by the induction of N-Cadherin and movement of cells out of the epithelial layer. Consistent with a role for SHH signaling in regulating this process, Shh mutants undergo an abnormal EMT throughout the anterior foregut and larynx, marked by a cadherin switch, movement out of the epithelial layer and cell death. Unexpectedly, Shh mutant epithelial cells are replaced by a new population of FOXA2-negative cells that likely derive from adjacent pouch tissues and form a rudimentary epithelium. These findings have important implications for interpreting the etiology of HH-dependent birth defects within the foregut. We propose that SHH signaling has a default role in maintaining epithelial identity throughout the anterior foregut and that regionalized reductions in SHH trigger epithelial remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janani Ramachandran
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
| | - Weiqiang Zhou
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Anna E Bardenhagen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
| | - Talia Nasr
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM), Division of Developmental Biology, and Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of MedicineCincinnatiUnited States
| | - Ellen R Yates
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
| | - Aaron M Zorn
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM), Division of Developmental Biology, and Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of MedicineCincinnatiUnited States
| | - Hongkai Ji
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Steven A Vokes
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
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Li Y, Wang D, Ge H, Güngör C, Gong X, Chen Y. Cytoskeletal and Cytoskeleton-Associated Proteins: Key Regulators of Cancer Stem Cell Properties. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:1369. [PMID: 36355541 PMCID: PMC9698833 DOI: 10.3390/ph15111369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subpopulation of cancer cells possessing stemness characteristics that are closely associated with tumor proliferation, recurrence and resistance to therapy. Recent studies have shown that different cytoskeletal components and remodeling processes have a profound impact on the behavior of CSCs. In this review, we outline the different cytoskeletal components regulating the properties of CSCs and discuss current and ongoing therapeutic strategies targeting the cytoskeleton. Given the many challenges currently faced in targeted cancer therapy, a deeper comprehension of the molecular events involved in the interaction of the cytoskeleton and CSCs will help us identify more effective therapeutic strategies to eliminate CSCs and ultimately improve patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqiang Li
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- Department of General Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Heming Ge
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- Department of General Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Cenap Güngör
- Department of General Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Xuejun Gong
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Yongheng Chen
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
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Liu W, Gajendran B, Sample KM, Wang C, Hu A, Chen B, Li Y, Zacksenhaus E, Ben-David Y. A critical ETV4/Twist1/Vimentin axis in Ha-RAS-induced aggressive breast cancer. Cancer Gene Ther 2022; 29:1590-1599. [PMID: 35477769 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-022-00471-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
RAS oncogenes are major drivers of diverse types of cancer. However, they are largely not druggable, and therefore targeting critical downstream pathways and dependencies is an attractive approach. We have isolated a tumorigenic cell line (FE1.2), which exhibits mesenchymal characteristics, after inoculating Ha-Ras-expressing retrovirus into mammary glands of rats, and subsequently isolated a non-aggressive revertant cell line (FC5). This revertant has lost the rat Ha-Ras driver and showed a more epithelial morphology, slower proliferation in culture, and reduced tumorigenicity in vivo. Re-expression of human Ha-RAS in these cells (FC5-RAS) reinduced mesenchymal morphology, higher proliferation rate, and tumorigenicity that was still significantly milder than parental FE1.2 cells. RNA-seq analysis of FC5-RAS vs FC5-Vector cells identified multiple genes whose expressions were regulated by Ha-RAS. This analysis also identified many genes including those controlling cell growth whose expression was altered by loss of HA-Ras in FC5 cells but remained unchanged upon reintroduction of Ha-RAS. These results suggest that targeting the Ha-Ras driver oncogene induces partial tumor regression, but it still denotes strong efficacy for cancer therapy. Among the RAS-responsive genes, we identified Twist1 as a critical mediator of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition through the direct transcriptional regulation of vimentin. Mechanistically, we show that Twist1 is induced by the ETS gene, ETV4, downstream of Ha-RAS, and that inhibition of ETV4 suppressed the growth of breast cancer cells driven by the Ha-RAS pathway. Targeting the ETV4/Twist1/Vimentin axis may therefore offer a therapeutic modality for breast tumors driven by the Ha-RAS pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuling Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants/College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.,The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academic of Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Babu Gajendran
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants/College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.,The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academic of Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.,School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Klarke M Sample
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants/College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.,The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academic of Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Chunlin Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants/College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.,The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academic of Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Anling Hu
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants/College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.,The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academic of Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Beiling Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants/College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.,The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academic of Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Yanmei Li
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants/College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.,The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academic of Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Eldad Zacksenhaus
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Advanced Diagnostics, Toronto General Research Institute-University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yaacov Ben-David
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants/College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China. .,The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academic of Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
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Kuburich NA, den Hollander P, Pietz JT, Mani SA. Vimentin and cytokeratin: Good alone, bad together. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:816-826. [PMID: 34953942 PMCID: PMC9213573 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The cytoskeleton plays an integral role in maintaining the integrity of epithelial cells. Epithelial cells primarily employ cytokeratin in their cytoskeleton, whereas mesenchymal cells use vimentin. During the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cytokeratin-positive epithelial cells begin to express vimentin. EMT induces stem cell properties and drives metastasis, chemoresistance, and tumor relapse. Most studies of the functions of cytokeratin and vimentin have relied on the use of either epithelial or mesenchymal cell types. However, it is important to understand how these two cytoskeleton intermediate filaments function when co-expressed in cells undergoing EMT. Here, we discuss the individual and shared functions of cytokeratin and vimentin that coalesce during EMT and how alterations in intermediate filament expression influence carcinoma progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick A Kuburich
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Petra den Hollander
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Jordan T Pietz
- Department of Creative Services, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
| | - Sendurai A Mani
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States.
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Alexandrova A, Lomakina M. How does plasticity of migration help tumor cells to avoid treatment: Cytoskeletal regulators and potential markers. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:962652. [PMID: 36278174 PMCID: PMC9582651 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.962652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor shrinkage as a result of antitumor therapy is not the only and sufficient indicator of treatment success. Cancer progression leads to dissemination of tumor cells and formation of metastases - secondary tumor lesions in distant organs. Metastasis is associated with acquisition of mobile phenotype by tumor cells as a result of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and further cell migration based on cytoskeleton reorganization. The main mechanisms of individual cell migration are either mesenchymal, which depends on the activity of small GTPase Rac, actin polymerization, formation of adhesions with extracellular matrix and activity of proteolytic enzymes or amoeboid, which is based on the increase in intracellular pressure caused by the enhancement of actin cortex contractility regulated by Rho-ROCK-MLCKII pathway, and does not depend on the formation of adhesive structures with the matrix, nor on the activity of proteases. The ability of tumor cells to switch from one motility mode to another depending on cell context and environmental conditions, termed migratory plasticity, contributes to the efficiency of dissemination and often allows the cells to avoid the applied treatment. The search for new therapeutic targets among cytoskeletal proteins offers an opportunity to directly influence cell migration. For successful treatment it is important to assess the likelihood of migratory plasticity in a particular tumor. Therefore, the search for specific markers that can indicate a high probability of migratory plasticity is very important.
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Xu X, Zhang T, Angioletti-Uberti S, Lv Y. Binding of Proteins to Copolymers of Varying Charges and Hydrophobicity: A Molecular Mechanism and Computational Strategies. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:4118-4129. [PMID: 36166427 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Because of their ability to selectively bind to a target protein, copolymer nanoparticles (NPs) containing a selected combination of hydrophobic and charged groups have been frequently reported as potent antibody-like analogues. However, due to the intrinsic disorder of the copolymer NP in terms of its random monomer sequence and the cross-linked copolymer matrix, the copolymer NP is indeed strikingly different from a well-folded protein antibody and the complexation between the copolymer NP and a target protein is likely not due to a lock-key type of interaction but possibly due to a novel and unexplored molecular mechanism. Here, we study a key biomarker protein, vimentin, interacting with a set of random copolymer chains using implicit-water explicit-ion coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations along with biolayer interferometry (BLI) analysis. Due to the charge and hydrophobicity anisotropy on the vimentin dimer (VD) surface, a set of bound copolymers are found inhomogenously adsorbed on the VD, with energetic heterogeneity for different binding sites and cooperative effect in the adsorption. Increasing the charge or hydrophobicity of the copolymer may have different consequences on the adsorption. In this study, we found that with more copolymer charges, the protein coverage increases for copolymers of low hydrophobicity and decreases of high hydrophobicity, which is explained by the distribution and size of various functional patches on the VD in loading those copolymers. Employing a coverage-dependent Langmuir model, we propose a simulation protocol to address the full profile of the copolymer binding free energy through the fit to the simulated binding isotherm. The obtained results correlate well with those from the BLI experiment, indicating the significance of this method for the rational design of the copolymer NP with engineered protein binding affinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Xu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, 200 Xiao Ling Wei, Nanjing210094, P. R. China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing100029, P. R. China
| | - Stefano Angioletti-Uberti
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, LondonSW7 2AZ, U.K.,Thomas Young Centre for Theory and Simulation of Materials, Imperial College London, LondonSW7 2AZ, U.K
| | - Yongqin Lv
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing100029, P. R. China
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Park S, Park JM, Park M, Ko D, Kim S, Seo J, Nam KD, Jung E, Farrand L, Kim YJ, Kim JY, Seo JH. β-Escin overcomes trastuzumab resistance in HER2-positive breast cancer by targeting cancer stem-like features. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:289. [PMID: 36127671 PMCID: PMC9490928 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02713-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The emergence of de novo or intrinsic trastuzumab resistance is exceedingly high in breast cancer that is HER2 positive and correlates with an abundant cancer stem cell (CSC)-like population. We sought to examine the capacity of β-escin, an anti-inflammatory drug, to address trastuzumab resistance in HER2-positive breast cancer cells. Methods The effect of β-escin on trastuzumab-resistant and -sensitive cell lines in vitro was evaluated for apoptosis, expression of HER2 family members, and impact on CSC-like properties. An in vivo model of trastuzumab-resistant JIMT-1 was used to examine the efficacy and toxicity of β-escin. Results β-escin induced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis accompanied by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and increased active p18Bax fragmentation, leading to caspase-3/-7 activation. Attenuation of CSC-related features by β-escin challenge was accompanied by marked reductions in CD44high/CD24low stem-like cells and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) activity as well as hindrance of mammosphere formation. β-escin administration also significantly retarded tumor growth and angiogenesis in a trastuzumab-resistant JIMT-1 xenograft model via downregulation of CSC-associated markers and intracellular domain HER2. Importantly, β-escin selectively inhibited malignant cells and was less toxic to normal mammary cells, and no toxic effects were found in liver and kidney function in animals. Conclusions Taken together, our findings highlight β-escin as a promising candidate for the treatment of trastuzumab-resistant HER2-positive breast cancers. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-022-02713-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soeun Park
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Brain Korea 21 Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Research Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University, 97 Gurodong-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Min Park
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Brain Korea 21 Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Research Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University, 97 Gurodong-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, Republic of Korea
| | - Minsu Park
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Brain Korea 21 Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Research Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University, 97 Gurodong-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongmi Ko
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Brain Korea 21 Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Research Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University, 97 Gurodong-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, Republic of Korea
| | - Seongjae Kim
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Brain Korea 21 Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Research Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University, 97 Gurodong-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, Republic of Korea
| | - Juyeon Seo
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Brain Korea 21 Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Research Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University, 97 Gurodong-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, Republic of Korea
| | - Kee Dal Nam
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Research Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University, 97 Gurodong-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunsun Jung
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Research Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University, 97 Gurodong-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, Republic of Korea
| | - Lee Farrand
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - Yoon-Jae Kim
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea. .,Brain Korea 21 Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Biomedical Research Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University, 97 Gurodong-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ji Young Kim
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Biomedical Research Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University, 97 Gurodong-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jae Hong Seo
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea. .,Brain Korea 21 Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Biomedical Research Center, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University, 97 Gurodong-gil, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, Republic of Korea.
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Sivagurunathan S, Vahabikashi A, Yang H, Zhang J, Vazquez K, Rajasundaram D, Politanska Y, Abdala-Valencia H, Notbohm J, Guo M, Adam SA, Goldman RD. Expression of vimentin alters cell mechanics, cell-cell adhesion, and gene expression profiles suggesting the induction of a hybrid EMT in human mammary epithelial cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:929495. [PMID: 36200046 PMCID: PMC9527304 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.929495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vimentin is a Type III intermediate filament (VIF) cytoskeletal protein that regulates the mechanical and migratory behavior of cells. Its expression is considered to be a marker for the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) that takes place in tumor metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms regulated by the expression of vimentin in the EMT remain largely unexplored. We created MCF7 epithelial cell lines expressing vimentin from a cumate-inducible promoter to address this question. When vimentin expression was induced in these cells, extensive cytoplasmic VIF networks were assembled accompanied by changes in the organization of the endogenous keratin intermediate filament networks and disruption of desmosomes. Significant reductions in intercellular forces by the cells expressing VIFs were measured by quantitative monolayer traction force and stress microscopy. In contrast, laser trapping micro-rheology revealed that the cytoplasm of MCF7 cells expressing VIFs was stiffer than the uninduced cells. Vimentin expression activated transcription of genes involved in pathways responsible for cell migration and locomotion. Importantly, the EMT related transcription factor TWIST1 was upregulated only in wild type vimentin expressing cells and not in cells expressing a mutant non-polymerized form of vimentin, which only formed unit length filaments (ULF). Taken together, our results suggest that vimentin expression induces a hybrid EMT correlated with the upregulation of genes involved in cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suganya Sivagurunathan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Amir Vahabikashi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Haiqian Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge , MA, United States
| | - Jun Zhang
- Biophysics Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Kelly Vazquez
- Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Dhivyaa Rajasundaram
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Yuliya Politanska
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Hiam Abdala-Valencia
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jacob Notbohm
- Biophysics Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge , MA, United States
| | - Stephen A Adam
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Robert D Goldman
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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Liu N, Bowen CM, Shoja MM, Castro de Pereira KL, Dongur LP, Saad A, Russell WK, Broderick TC, Fair JH, Fagg WS. Comparative Analysis of Co-Cultured Amniotic Cell-Conditioned Media with Cell-Free Amniotic Fluid Reveals Differential Effects on Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition and Myofibroblast Activation. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10092189. [PMID: 36140291 PMCID: PMC9495976 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092189] [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: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Myofibroblast activation is a cellular response elicited by a variety of physiological or pathological insults whereby cells initiate a coordinated response intended to eradicate the insult and then revert back to a basal state. However, an underlying theme in various disease states is persistent myofibroblast activation that fails to resolve. Based on multiple observations, we hypothesized that the secreted factors harvested from co-culturing amniotic stem cells might mimic the anti-inflammatory state that cell-free amniotic fluid (AF) elicits. We optimized an amnion epithelial and amniotic fluid cell co-culture system, and tested this hypothesis in the context of myofibroblast activation. However, we discovered that co-cultured amniotic cell conditioned media (coACCM) and AF have opposing effects on myofibroblast activation: coACCM activates the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stimulates gene expression patterns associated with myofibroblast activation, while AF does the opposite. Intriguingly, extracellular vesicles (EVs) purified from AF are necessary and sufficient to activate EMT and inflammatory gene expression patterns, while the EV-depleted AF potently represses these responses. In summary, these data indicate that coACCM stimulates myofibroblast activation, while AF represses it. We interpret these findings to suggest that coACCM, AF, and fractionated AF represent unique biologics that elicit different cellular responses that are correlated with a wide variety of pathological states, and therefore could have broad utility in the clinic and the lab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiyou Liu
- Division of Transplant, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Charles M. Bowen
- Division of Transplant, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- John Sealy School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Mohammadali M. Shoja
- Division of Transplant, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | | | - Laxmi Priya Dongur
- Division of Transplant, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- John Sealy School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Antonio Saad
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - William K. Russell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Thomas Christopher Broderick
- Merakris Therapeutics, RTP Frontier, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
- Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
| | - Jeffrey H. Fair
- Division of Transplant, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - William Samuel Fagg
- Division of Transplant, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
- Merakris Therapeutics, RTP Frontier, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(409)-772-2412; Fax: +1-(409)-747-7364
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50
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Inhibitory effect of the novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor DCC-2036 on triple-negative breast cancer stem cells through AXL-KLF5 positive feedback loop. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:749. [PMID: 36042208 PMCID: PMC9428169 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05185-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive histological subtype of breast cancer, exhibits a high risk of early recurrence rate and a poor prognosis, and it is primarily associated with the abundance of cancer stem cells (CSCs). At present, the strategies for effectively eradicating or inhibiting TNBC CSCs are still limited, which makes the development of novel drugs with anti-CSCs function be of great value for the treatment of TNBC, especially the refractory TNBC. In this study, we found that the small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor DCC-2036 suppressed TNBC stem cells by inhibiting the tyrosine kinase AXL and the transcription factor KLF5. DCC-2036 downregulated the expression of KLF5 by decreasing the protein stability of KLF5 via the AXL-Akt-GSK3β signal axis, and in turn, the downregulation of KLF5 further reduced the expression of AXL via binding to its promotor (-171 to -162 bp). In addition, p-AXL/AXL levels were positively correlated with KLF5 expression in human TNBC specimens. These findings indicated that DCC-2036 is able to suppress the CSCs in TNBC by targeting the AXL-KLF5 positive feedback loop. Moreover, our findings indicated that DCC-2036 increased the sensitivity of TNBC chemotherapy. Therefore, this study proposes a potential drug candidate and several targets for the treatment of refractory TNBC.
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