1
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Archer M, Begemann D, Gonzalez-Kozlova E, Nepali PR, Labanca E, Shepherd P, Dogra N, Navone N, Kyprianou N. Kinesin Facilitates Phenotypic Targeting of Therapeutic Resistance in Advanced Prostate Cancer. Mol Cancer Res 2024; 22:730-745. [PMID: 38648082 PMCID: PMC11296928 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-23-1047] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms underlying resistance is critical to improving therapeutic outcomes in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Previous work showed that dynamic interconversions between epithelial-mesenchymal transition to mesenchymal-epithelial transition defines the phenotypic landscape of prostate tumors, as a potential driver of the emergence of therapeutic resistance. In this study, we use in vitro and in vivo preclinical MDA PCa patient-derived xenograft models of resistant human prostate cancer to determine molecular mechanisms of cross-resistance between antiandrogen therapy and taxane chemotherapy, underlying the therapeutically resistant phenotype. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that resistant and sensitive prostate cancer C4-2B cells have a unique differential gene signature response to cabazitaxel. Gene pathway analysis showed that sensitive cells exhibit an increase in DNA damage, while resistant cells express genes associated with protein regulation in response to cabazitaxel. The patient-derived xenograft model specimens are from patients who have metastatic lethal castration-resistant prostate cancer, treated with androgen deprivation therapy, antiandrogens, and chemotherapy including second-line taxane chemotherapy, cabazitaxel. Immunohistochemistry revealed high expression of E-cadherin and low expression of vimentin resulting in redifferentiation toward an epithelial phenotype. Furthermore, the mitotic kinesin-related protein involved in microtubule binding and the SLCO1B3 transporter (implicated in cabazitaxel intracellular transport) are associated with resistance in these prostate tumors. Combinational targeting of kinesins (ispinesib) with cabazitaxel was more effective than single monotherapies in inducing cell death in resistant prostate tumors. Implications: Our findings are of translational significance in identifying kinesin as a novel target of cross-resistance toward enhancing therapeutic vulnerability and improved clinical outcomes in patients with advanced prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maddison Archer
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Diane Begemann
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Edgar Gonzalez-Kozlova
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Prerna R. Nepali
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Estefania Labanca
- Department of GU Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter Shepherd
- Department of GU Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Navneet Dogra
- Department of Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology and Molecular & Cell Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nora Navone
- Department of GU Medical Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Natasha Kyprianou
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology and Molecular & Cell Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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2
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Bakht MK, Beltran H. Biological determinants of PSMA expression, regulation and heterogeneity in prostate cancer. Nat Rev Urol 2024:10.1038/s41585-024-00900-z. [PMID: 38977769 DOI: 10.1038/s41585-024-00900-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is an important cell-surface imaging biomarker and therapeutic target in prostate cancer. The PSMA-targeted theranostic 177Lu-PSMA-617 was approved in 2022 for men with PSMA-PET-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, not all patients respond to PSMA-radioligand therapy, in part owing to the heterogeneity of PSMA expression in the tumour. The PSMA regulatory network is composed of a PSMA transcription complex, an upstream enhancer that loops to the FOLH1 (PSMA) gene promoter, intergenic enhancers and differentially methylated regions. Our understanding of the PSMA regulatory network and the mechanisms underlying PSMA suppression is evolving. Clinically, molecular imaging provides a unique window into PSMA dynamics that occur on therapy and with disease progression, although challenges arise owing to the limited resolution of PET. PSMA regulation and heterogeneity - including intertumoural and inter-patient heterogeneity, temporal changes, lineage dynamics and the tumour microenvironment - affect PSMA theranostics. PSMA response and resistance to radioligand therapy are mediated by a number of potential mechanisms, and complementary biomarkers beyond PSMA are under development. Understanding the biological determinants of cell surface target regulation and heterogeneity can inform precision medicine approaches to PSMA theranostics as well as other emerging therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin K Bakht
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Himisha Beltran
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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3
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Lautert-Dutra W, Melo CM, Chaves LP, Sousa FC, Crozier C, Dion D, Avante FS, Saggioro FP, dos Reis RB, Archangelo LF, Bayani J, Squire JA. Investigating the Role of SNAI1 and ZEB1 Expression in Prostate Cancer Progression and Immune Modulation of the Tumor Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1480. [PMID: 38672562 PMCID: PMC11048607 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081480] [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: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is an immunologically cold tumor and the molecular processes that underlie this behavior are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated a primary cohort of intermediate-risk PCa (n = 51) using two NanoString profiling panels designed to study cancer progression and immune response. We identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and pathways associated with biochemical recurrence (BCR) and clinical risk. Confirmatory analysis was performed using the TCGA-PRAD cohort. Noteworthy DEGs included collagens such as COL1A1, COL1A2, and COL3A1. Changes in the distribution of collagens may influence the immune activity in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In addition, immune-related DEGs such as THY1, IRF5, and HLA-DRA were also identified. Enrichment analysis highlighted pathways such as those associated with angiogenesis, TGF-beta, UV response, and EMT. Among the 39 significant DEGs, 11 (28%) were identified as EMT target genes for ZEB1 using the Harmonizome database. Elevated ZEB1 expression correlated with reduced BCR risk. Immune landscape analysis revealed that ZEB1 was associated with increased immunosuppressive cell types in the TME, such as naïve B cells and M2 macrophages. Increased expression of both ZEB1 and SNAI1 was associated with elevated immune checkpoint expression. In the future, modulation of EMT could be beneficial for overcoming immunotherapy resistance in a cold tumor, such as PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Lautert-Dutra
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (W.L.-D.); (C.M.M.); (L.P.C.)
| | - Camila Morais Melo
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (W.L.-D.); (C.M.M.); (L.P.C.)
| | - Luiz Paulo Chaves
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (W.L.-D.); (C.M.M.); (L.P.C.)
| | - Francisco Cesar Sousa
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (F.C.S.); (F.S.A.); (R.B.d.R.)
| | - Cheryl Crozier
- Diagnostic Development, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G 0A3, Canada; (C.C.); (D.D.); (J.B.)
| | - Dan Dion
- Diagnostic Development, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G 0A3, Canada; (C.C.); (D.D.); (J.B.)
| | - Filipe S. Avante
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (F.C.S.); (F.S.A.); (R.B.d.R.)
| | - Fabiano Pinto Saggioro
- Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil;
| | - Rodolfo Borges dos Reis
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (F.C.S.); (F.S.A.); (R.B.d.R.)
| | - Leticia Fröhlich Archangelo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Pathogenic Bioagents, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil;
| | - Jane Bayani
- Diagnostic Development, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G 0A3, Canada; (C.C.); (D.D.); (J.B.)
- Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1E2, Canada
| | - Jeremy A. Squire
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (W.L.-D.); (C.M.M.); (L.P.C.)
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (F.C.S.); (F.S.A.); (R.B.d.R.)
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L3N6, Canada
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4
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Wang R, Yan Z. Cancer spreading patterns based on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1259953. [PMID: 38665432 PMCID: PMC11043583 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1259953] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Metastasis is a major cause of cancer-related deaths, underscoring the necessity to discern the rules and patterns of cancer cell spreading. Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity contributes to cancer aggressiveness and metastasis. Despite establishing key determinants of cancer aggressiveness and metastatic ability, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanism is unknown. We aimed to propose a classification system for cancer cells based on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, focusing on hysteresis of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype. Methods: We extensively reviewed the concept of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, specifically considering the hysteresis of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype. Results: In this review and hypothesis article, based on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity, especially the hysteresis of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype, we proposed a classification of cancer cells, indicating that cancer cells with epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity potential could be classified into four types: irreversible hysteresis, weak hysteresis, strong hysteresis, and hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype. These four types of cancer cells had varied biology, spreading features, and prognoses. Discussion: Our results highlight that the proposed classification system offers insights into the diverse behaviors of cancer cells, providing implications for cancer aggressiveness and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhaopeng Yan
- Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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5
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Celià-Terrassa T, Kang Y. How important is EMT for cancer metastasis? PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002487. [PMID: 38324529 PMCID: PMC10849258 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002487] [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] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a biological phenomenon of cellular plasticity initially reported in embryonic development, has been increasingly recognized for its importance in cancer progression and metastasis. Despite tremendous progress being made in the past 2 decades in our understanding of the molecular mechanism and functional importance of EMT in cancer, there are several mysteries around EMT that remain unresolved. In this Unsolved Mystery, we focus on the variety of EMT types in metastasis, cooperative and collective EMT behaviors, spatiotemporal characterization of EMT, and strategies of therapeutically targeting EMT. We also highlight new technical advances that will facilitate the efforts to elucidate the unsolved mysteries of EMT in metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni Celià-Terrassa
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yibin Kang
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Princeton Branch, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
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6
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Ambrosini G, Cordani M, Zarrabi A, Alcon-Rodriguez S, Sainz RM, Velasco G, Gonzalez-Menendez P, Dando I. Transcending frontiers in prostate cancer: the role of oncometabolites on epigenetic regulation, CSCs, and tumor microenvironment to identify new therapeutic strategies. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:36. [PMID: 38216942 PMCID: PMC10790277 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01462-0] [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: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer, as one of the most prevalent malignancies in males, exhibits an approximate 5-year survival rate of 95% in advanced stages. A myriad of molecular events and mutations, including the accumulation of oncometabolites, underpin the genesis and progression of this cancer type. Despite growing research demonstrating the pivotal role of oncometabolites in supporting various cancers, including prostate cancer, the root causes of their accumulation, especially in the absence of enzymatic mutations, remain elusive. Consequently, identifying a tangible therapeutic target poses a formidable challenge. In this review, we aim to delve deeper into the implications of oncometabolite accumulation in prostate cancer. We center our focus on the consequential epigenetic alterations and impacts on cancer stem cells, with the ultimate goal of outlining novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Ambrosini
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Marco Cordani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ali Zarrabi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Natural Sciences, Istinye University, Istanbul, 34396, Turkey
- Department of Research Analytics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600 077, India
| | - Sergio Alcon-Rodriguez
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, School of Medicine, Julián Claveria 6, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), University of Oviedo, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), 33011, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Rosa M Sainz
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, School of Medicine, Julián Claveria 6, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), University of Oviedo, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), 33011, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Guillermo Velasco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Gonzalez-Menendez
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, School of Medicine, Julián Claveria 6, 33006, Oviedo, Spain.
- Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), University of Oviedo, 33006, Oviedo, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), 33011, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Ilaria Dando
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134, Verona, Italy.
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7
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Bhatia S, Gunter JH, Burgess JT, Adams MN, O'Byrne K, Thompson EW, Duijf PH. Stochastic epithelial-mesenchymal transitions diversify non-cancerous lung cell behaviours. Transl Oncol 2023; 37:101760. [PMID: 37611490 PMCID: PMC10466920 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) is a hallmark of cancer. By enabling cells to shift between different morphological and functional states, EMP promotes invasion, metastasis and therapy resistance. We report that near-diploid non-cancerous human epithelial lung cells spontaneously shift along the EMP spectrum without genetic changes. Strikingly, more than half of single cell-derived clones adopt a mesenchymal morphology. We independently characterise epithelial-like and mesenchymal-like clones. Mesenchymal clones lose epithelial markers, display larger cell aspect ratios and lower motility, with mostly unaltered proliferation rates. Stemness marker expression and metabolic rewiring diverge independently of phenotypes. In 3D culture, more epithelial clones become mesenchymal-like. Thus, non-cancerous epithelial cells may acquire cancer metastasis-associated features prior to genetic alterations and cancerous transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sugandha Bhatia
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia.
| | - Jennifer H Gunter
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre-Queensland (APCRC-Q), Queensland University of Technology, Woolloongabba 4102, Australia
| | - Joshua T Burgess
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Mark N Adams
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Kenneth O'Byrne
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Erik W Thompson
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia
| | - Pascal Hg Duijf
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at the Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba 4102, QLD, Australia; Centre for Cancer Biology, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide SA, 5001, Australia; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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8
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Jain P, Pillai M, Duddu AS, Somarelli JA, Goyal Y, Jolly MK. Dynamical hallmarks of cancer: Phenotypic switching in melanoma and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 96:48-63. [PMID: 37788736 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.09.007] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity was recently incorporated as a hallmark of cancer. This plasticity can manifest along many interconnected axes, such as stemness and differentiation, drug-sensitive and drug-resistant states, and between epithelial and mesenchymal cell-states. Despite growing acceptance for phenotypic plasticity as a hallmark of cancer, the dynamics of this process remains poorly understood. In particular, the knowledge necessary for a predictive understanding of how individual cancer cells and populations of cells dynamically switch their phenotypes in response to the intensity and/or duration of their current and past environmental stimuli remains far from complete. Here, we present recent investigations of phenotypic plasticity from a systems-level perspective using two exemplars: epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in carcinomas and phenotypic switching in melanoma. We highlight how an integrated computational-experimental approach has helped unravel insights into specific dynamical hallmarks of phenotypic plasticity in different cancers to address the following questions: a) how many distinct cell-states or phenotypes exist?; b) how reversible are transitions among these cell-states, and what factors control the extent of reversibility?; and c) how might cell-cell communication be able to alter rates of cell-state switching and enable diverse patterns of phenotypic heterogeneity? Understanding these dynamic features of phenotypic plasticity may be a key component in shifting the paradigm of cancer treatment from reactionary to a more predictive, proactive approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paras Jain
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Maalavika Pillai
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | | | - Jason A Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Yogesh Goyal
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
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9
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Gupta KR, Kyprianou N. Microbiota and the landscape of the prostate tumor microenvironment. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL UROLOGY 2023; 11:352-360. [PMID: 37941651 PMCID: PMC10628624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Prostate cancer remains one of the most common causes of cancer-related death in men globally. Progression of prostate cancer to lethal metastatic disease is mediated by multiple contributors. The role of prostate microbiota and their metabolites in metastasis, therapeutic resistance to castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), and tumor relapse has yet to be fully investigated. Characterization of microflora can provide new mechanistic insights into the functional significance in the emergence of therapeutic resistance, identification of novel effective targeted therapies, and development of biomarkers during prostate cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) and its components work concurrently with the prostate microbiota in promoting prostate cancer development and progression to metastasis. In this article, we discuss the growing evidence on the functional contribution of microbiota to the phenotypic landscape of the TME and its effect on prostate cancer therapeutic targeting and recurrent disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasmira R Gupta
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew York, New York 10029, USA
| | - Natasha Kyprianou
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew York, New York 10029, USA
- Oncological Sciences and Pathology & Cell Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew York, New York 10029, USA
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10
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Hodgson K, Orozco-Moreno M, Scott E, Garnham R, Livermore K, Thomas H, Zhou Y, He J, Bermudez A, Garcia Marques FJ, Bastian K, Hysenaj G, Archer Goode E, Heer R, Pitteri S, Wang N, Elliott DJ, Munkley J. The role of GCNT1 mediated O-glycosylation in aggressive prostate cancer. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17031. [PMID: 37813880 PMCID: PMC10562493 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43019-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and a major cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. Nearly all affected men develop resistance to current therapies and there is an urgent need to develop new treatments for advanced disease. Aberrant glycosylation is a common feature of cancer cells implicated in all of the hallmarks of cancer. A major driver of aberrant glycosylation in cancer is the altered expression of glycosylation enzymes. Here, we show that GCNT1, an enzyme that plays an essential role in the formation of core 2 branched O-glycans and is crucial to the final definition of O-glycan structure, is upregulated in aggressive prostate cancer. Using in vitro and in vivo models, we show GCNT1 promotes the growth of prostate tumours and can modify the glycome of prostate cancer cells, including upregulation of core 2 O-glycans and modifying the O-glycosylation of secreted glycoproteins. Furthermore, using RNA sequencing, we find upregulation of GCNT1 in prostate cancer cells can alter oncogenic gene expression pathways important in tumour growth and metastasis. Our study highlights the important role of aberrant O-glycosylation in prostate cancer progression and provides novel insights regarding the mechanisms involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty Hodgson
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University Institute of Biosciences, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Margarita Orozco-Moreno
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University Institute of Biosciences, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Emma Scott
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University Institute of Biosciences, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Rebecca Garnham
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University Institute of Biosciences, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Karen Livermore
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University Institute of Biosciences, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Huw Thomas
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Paul O'Gorman Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Yuhan Zhou
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Mellanby Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jiepei He
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Mellanby Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Abel Bermudez
- Department of Radiology, Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Fernando Jose Garcia Marques
- Department of Radiology, Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Kayla Bastian
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University Institute of Biosciences, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Gerald Hysenaj
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University Institute of Biosciences, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Emily Archer Goode
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University Institute of Biosciences, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Rakesh Heer
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Paul O'Gorman Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
- Department of Urology, Freeman Hospital, The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7DN, UK
| | - Sharon Pitteri
- Department of Radiology, Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, The Mellanby Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - David J Elliott
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University Institute of Biosciences, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Jennifer Munkley
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University Institute of Biosciences, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK.
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11
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Haerinck J, Goossens S, Berx G. The epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity landscape: principles of design and mechanisms of regulation. Nat Rev Genet 2023; 24:590-609. [PMID: 37169858 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00601-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) enables cells to interconvert between several states across the epithelial-mesenchymal landscape, thereby acquiring hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypic features. This plasticity is crucial for embryonic development and wound healing, but also underlies the acquisition of several malignant traits during cancer progression. Recent research using systems biology and single-cell profiling methods has provided novel insights into the main forces that shape EMP, which include the microenvironment, lineage specification and cell identity, and the genome. Additionally, key roles have emerged for hysteresis (cell memory) and cellular noise, which can drive stochastic transitions between cell states. Here, we review these forces and the distinct but interwoven layers of regulatory control that stabilize EMP states or facilitate epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs) and discuss the therapeutic potential of manipulating the EMP landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jef Haerinck
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steven Goossens
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Unit for Translational Research in Oncology, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Geert Berx
- Molecular and Cellular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium.
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12
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Hoch CC, Stögbauer F, Wollenberg B. Unraveling the Role of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Salivary Glands: A Comprehensive Review. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15112886. [PMID: 37296849 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15112886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) is considered a challenging malignancy; it is characterized by a slow-growing nature, yet a high risk of recurrence and distant metastasis, presenting significant hurdles in its treatment and management. At present, there are no approved targeted agents available for the management of SACC and systemic chemotherapy protocols that have demonstrated efficacy remain to be elucidated. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex process that is closely associated with tumor progression and metastasis, enabling epithelial cells to acquire mesenchymal properties, including increased mobility and invasiveness. Several molecular signaling pathways have been implicated in the regulation of EMT in SACC, and understanding these mechanisms is crucial to identifying new therapeutic targets and developing more effective treatment approaches. This manuscript aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest research on the role of EMT in SACC, including the molecular pathways and biomarkers involved in EMT regulation. By highlighting the most recent findings, this review offers insights into potential new therapeutic strategies that could improve the management of SACC patients, especially those with recurrent or metastatic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosima C Hoch
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Fabian Stögbauer
- Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Barbara Wollenberg
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
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13
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Gogola S, Rejzer M, Bahmad HF, Abou-Kheir W, Omarzai Y, Poppiti R. Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition-Related Markers in Prostate Cancer: From Bench to Bedside. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15082309. [PMID: 37190236 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent type of cancer in men worldwide, with 288,300 new cases and 34,700 deaths estimated in the United States in 2023. Treatment options for early-stage disease include external beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy, radical prostatectomy, active surveillance, or a combination of these. In advanced cases, androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is considered the first-line therapy; however, PCa in most patients eventually progresses to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) despite ADT. Nonetheless, the transition from androgen-dependent to androgen-independent tumors is not yet fully understood. The physiological processes of epithelial-to-non-epithelial ("mesenchymal") transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) are essential for normal embryonic development; however, they have also been linked to higher tumor grade, metastatic progression, and treatment resistance. Due to this association, EMT and MET have been identified as important targets for novel cancer therapies, including CRPC. Here, we discuss the transcriptional factors and signaling pathways involved in EMT, in addition to the diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers that have been identified in these processes. We also tackle the various studies that have been conducted from bench to bedside and the current landscape of EMT-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Gogola
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Michael Rejzer
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Hisham F Bahmad
- The Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL 33140, USA
| | - Wassim Abou-Kheir
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107, Lebanon
| | - Yumna Omarzai
- The Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL 33140, USA
- Department of Pathology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Robert Poppiti
- The Arkadi M. Rywlin M.D. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL 33140, USA
- Department of Pathology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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14
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Subhadarshini S, Markus J, Sahoo S, Jolly MK. Dynamics of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity: What Have Single-Cell Investigations Elucidated So Far? ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:11665-11673. [PMID: 37033874 PMCID: PMC10077445 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) is a key driver of cancer metastasis and therapeutic resistance, through which cancer cells can reversibly and dynamically alter their molecular and functional traits along the epithelial-mesenchymal spectrum. While cells in the epithelial phenotype are usually tightly adherent, less metastatic, and drug-sensitive, those in the hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal and/or mesenchymal state are more invasive, migratory, drug-resistant, and immune-evasive. Single-cell studies have emerged as a powerful tool in gaining new insights into the dynamics of EMP across various cancer types. Here, we review many recent studies that employ single-cell analysis techniques to better understand the dynamics of EMP in cancer both in vitro and in vivo. These single-cell studies have underlined the plurality of trajectories cells can traverse during EMP and the consequent heterogeneity of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypes seen at both preclinical and clinical levels. They also demonstrate how diverse EMP trajectories may exhibit hysteretic behavior and how the rate of such cell-state transitions depends on the genetic/epigenetic background of recipient cells, as well as the dose and/or duration of EMP-inducing growth factors. Finally, we discuss the relationship between EMP and patient survival across many cancer types. We also present a next set of questions related to EMP that could benefit much from single-cell observations and pave the way to better tackle phenotypic switching and heterogeneity in clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joel Markus
- Centre
for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre
for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre
for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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15
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Subbalakshmi AR, Sahoo S, Manjunatha P, Goyal S, Kasiviswanathan VA, Mahesh Y, Ramu S, McMullen I, Somarelli JA, Jolly MK. The ELF3 transcription factor is associated with an epithelial phenotype and represses epithelial-mesenchymal transition. J Biol Eng 2023; 17:17. [PMID: 36864480 PMCID: PMC9983220 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-023-00333-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) involves bidirectional transitions between epithelial, mesenchymal and multiple intermediary hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypes. While the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its associated transcription factors are well-characterised, the transcription factors that promote mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) and stabilise hybrid E/M phenotypes are less well understood. RESULTS Here, we analyse multiple publicly-available transcriptomic datasets at bulk and single-cell level and pinpoint ELF3 as a factor that is strongly associated with an epithelial phenotype and is inhibited during EMT. Using mechanism-based mathematical modelling, we also show that ELF3 inhibits the progression of EMT. This behaviour was also observed in the presence of an EMT inducing factor WT1. Our model predicts that the MET induction capacity of ELF3 is stronger than that of KLF4, but weaker than that of GRHL2. Finally, we show that ELF3 levels correlates with worse patient survival in a subset of solid tumour types. CONCLUSION ELF3 is shown to be inhibited during EMT progression and is also found to inhibit the progression of complete EMT suggesting that ELF3 may be able to counteract EMT induction, including in the presence of EMT-inducing factors, such as WT1. The analysis of patient survival data indicates that the prognostic capacity of ELF3 is specific to cell-of-origin or lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayalur Raghu Subbalakshmi
- grid.34980.360000 0001 0482 5067Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bangalore, India
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- grid.34980.360000 0001 0482 5067Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bangalore, India
| | - Prakruthi Manjunatha
- grid.444321.40000 0004 0501 2828Department of Medical Electronics, M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, 560054 Bangalore, India
| | - Shaurya Goyal
- grid.429017.90000 0001 0153 2859Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, 721302 Kharagpur, India
| | - Vignesh A Kasiviswanathan
- grid.512757.30000 0004 1761 9897Department of Biotechnology, JSS Science and Technology University, 570006 Mysore, India
| | - Yeshwanth Mahesh
- grid.34980.360000 0001 0482 5067Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012 Bangalore, India
| | - Soundharya Ramu
- grid.419655.a0000 0001 0008 3668Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Warangal, 506004 Warangal, India
| | - Isabelle McMullen
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Department of Medicine, Duke University, NC 27708 Durham, USA
| | - Jason A. Somarelli
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Department of Medicine, Duke University, NC 27708 Durham, USA ,grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, NC 27708 Durham, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, 560012, Bangalore, India.
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16
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Jindal R, Nanda A, Pillai M, Ware KE, Singh D, Sehgal M, Armstrong AJ, Somarelli JA, Jolly MK. Emergent dynamics of underlying regulatory network links EMT and androgen receptor-dependent resistance in prostate cancer. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:1498-1509. [PMID: 36851919 PMCID: PMC9957767 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.01.031] [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: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Advanced prostate cancer patients initially respond to hormone therapy, be it in the form of androgen deprivation therapy or second-generation hormone therapies, such as abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide. However, most men with prostate cancer eventually develop hormone therapy resistance. This resistance can arise through multiple mechanisms, such as through genetic mutations, epigenetic mechanisms, or through non-genetic pathways, such as lineage plasticity along epithelial-mesenchymal or neuroendocrine-like axes. These mechanisms of hormone therapy resistance often co-exist within a single patient's tumor and can overlap within a single cell. There exists a growing need to better understand how phenotypic heterogeneity and plasticity results from emergent dynamics of the regulatory networks governing androgen independence. Here, we investigated the dynamics of a regulatory network connecting the drivers of androgen receptor (AR) splice variant-mediated androgen independence and those of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Model simulations for this network revealed four possible phenotypes: epithelial-sensitive (ES), epithelial-resistant (ER), mesenchymal-resistant (MR) and mesenchymal-sensitive (MS), with the latter phenotype occurring rarely. We observed that well-coordinated "teams" of regulators working antagonistically within the network enable these phenotypes. These model predictions are supported by multiple transcriptomic datasets both at single-cell and bulk levels, including in vitro EMT induction models and clinical samples. Further, our simulations reveal spontaneous stochastic switching between the ES and MR states. Addition of the immune checkpoint molecule, PD-L1, to the network was able to capture the interactions between AR, PD-L1, and the mesenchymal marker SNAIL, which was also confirmed through quantitative experiments. This systems-level understanding of the driver of androgen independence and EMT could aid in understanding non-genetic transitions and progression of such cancers and help in identifying novel therapeutic strategies or targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashi Jindal
- Center for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.,Undergraduate Programme, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Abheepsa Nanda
- Center for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.,Undergraduate Programme, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Maalavika Pillai
- Center for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.,Undergraduate Programme, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Kathryn E Ware
- Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Divyoj Singh
- Center for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.,Undergraduate Programme, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Manas Sehgal
- Center for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Andrew J Armstrong
- Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.,Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Jason A Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Center for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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17
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Jain P, Corbo S, Mohammad K, Sahoo S, Ranganathan S, George JT, Levine H, Taube J, Toneff M, Jolly MK. Epigenetic memory acquired during long-term EMT induction governs the recovery to the epithelial state. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20220627. [PMID: 36628532 PMCID: PMC9832289 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its reverse mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) are critical during embryonic development, wound healing and cancer metastasis. While phenotypic changes during short-term EMT induction are reversible, long-term EMT induction has been often associated with irreversibility. Here, we show that phenotypic changes seen in MCF10A cells upon long-term EMT induction by TGFβ need not be irreversible, but have relatively longer time scales of reversibility than those seen in short-term induction. Next, using a phenomenological mathematical model to account for the chromatin-mediated epigenetic silencing of the miR-200 family by ZEB family, we highlight how the epigenetic memory gained during long-term EMT induction can slow the recovery to the epithelial state post-TGFβ withdrawal. Our results suggest that epigenetic modifiers can govern the extent and time scale of EMT reversibility and advise caution against labelling phenotypic changes seen in long-term EMT induction as 'irreversible'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paras Jain
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | - Sophia Corbo
- Department of Biology, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, USA
| | - Kulsoom Mohammad
- Department of Biology, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, USA
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | | | - Jason T. George
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 76798, USA
| | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics and Departments of Physics and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joseph Taube
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA
| | - Michael Toneff
- Department of Biology, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
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18
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Bilal M, Javaid A, Amjad F, Youssif TA, Afzal S. An overview of prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis: Potential role of miRNAs. Transl Oncol 2022; 26:101542. [PMID: 36148731 PMCID: PMC9493385 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2022.101542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer among men worldwide, with the estimated sixth leading cause of cancer death. Despite major advancements in clinical biology and imaging, digital rectal examination (DRE), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and biopsies indication remain the keystone for screening. Several kits are used to detect genomic changes and non-coding RNAs in the sample. However, its indication remains controversial for screening purposes. There is an urged need for non-invasive biomarkers to implement precision medicine. Recent research shows that miRNAs have an important role in the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic agents as non-invasive biomarkers. Though prostate cancer data remains controversial in other cancer types, such as breast cancer, miR-21 expression is upregulated. Here, we reported a prolonged revision of miRNAs as prostate cancer prognostic, diagnostic, and predictive tools, including data on androgen receptor (AR) signaling, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, and cancer stem cells (CSCs) regulation. The combined utilization of miRNAs with other tests will help patients and clinicians to select the most appropriate personalized treatment and to avoid overdiagnosis and unnecessary biopsies. Future clinical applications of our reported novel miRNAs have a substantial role in the primary diagnosis of prostate cancer to help treatment decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Bilal
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Japan; SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Aqsa Javaid
- Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Farhat Amjad
- Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | | | - Samia Afzal
- Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
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19
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Chu X, Wang J. Insights into the cell fate decision-making processes from chromosome structural reorganizations. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2022; 3:041402. [PMID: 38505520 PMCID: PMC10914134 DOI: 10.1063/5.0107663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The cell fate decision-making process, which provides the capability of a cell transition to a new cell type, involves the reorganizations of 3D genome structures. Currently, the high temporal resolution picture of how the chromosome structural rearrangements occur and further influence the gene activities during the cell-state transition is still challenging to acquire. Here, we study the chromosome structural reorganizations during the cell-state transitions among the pluripotent embryonic stem cell, the terminally differentiated normal cell, and the cancer cell using a nonequilibrium landscape-switching model implemented in the molecular dynamics simulation. We quantify the chromosome (de)compaction pathways during the cell-state transitions and find that the two pathways having the same destinations can merge prior to reaching the final states. The chromosomes at the merging states have similar structural geometries but can differ in long-range compartment segregation and spatial distribution of the chromosomal loci and genes, leading to cell-type-specific transition mechanisms. We identify the irreversible pathways of chromosome structural rearrangements during the forward and reverse transitions connecting the same pair of cell states, underscoring the critical roles of nonequilibrium dynamics in the cell-state transitions. Our results contribute to the understanding of the cell fate decision-making processes from the chromosome structural perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiakun Chu
- Advanced Materials Thrust, Function Hub, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Nansha, Guangzhou, Guangdong 511400, China
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794, USA
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20
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Cooke M, Zhang X, Zhang S, Eruslanov E, Lal P, Daniel RE, Feldman MD, Abba MC, Kazanietz MG. PROTEIN KINASE C ALPHA IS A CENTRAL NODE FOR TUMORIGENIC TRANSCRIPTIONAL NETWORKS IN HUMAN PROSTATE CANCER. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:1372-1387. [PMID: 36818489 PMCID: PMC9933888 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant expression of protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes is a hallmark of cancer. The different members of the PKC family control cellular events associated with cancer development and progression. Whereas the classical/conventional PKCα isozyme has been linked to tumor suppression in most cancer types, here we demonstrate that this kinase is required for the mitogenic activity of aggressive human prostate cancer cells displaying aberrantly high PKCα expression. Immunohistochemical analysis showed abnormal up-regulation of PKCα in human primary prostate tumors. Interestingly, silencing PKCα expression from aggressive prostate cancer cells impairs cell cycle progression, proliferation and invasion, as well as their tumorigenic activity in a mouse xenograft model. Mechanistic analysis revealed that PKCα exerts a profound control of gene expression, particularly over genes and transcriptional networks associated with cell cycle progression and E2F transcription factors. PKCα RNAi depletion from PC3 prostate cancer cells led to a reduction in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) genes, as well as a prominent down-regulation of the immune checkpoint ligand PD-L1. This PKCα-dependent gene expression profile was corroborated in silico using human prostate cancer databases. Our studies established PKCα as a multifunctional kinase that plays pleiotropic roles in prostate cancer, particularly by controlling genetic networks associated with tumor growth and progression. The identification of PKCα as a pro-tumorigenic kinase in human prostate cancer provides strong rationale for the development of therapeutic approaches towards targeting PKCα or its effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Cooke
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Medicine, Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Xuyao Zhang
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Suli Zhang
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Evgeniy Eruslanov
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Priti Lal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Reba E. Daniel
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael D. Feldman
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Martin C. Abba
- Centro de Investigaciones Inmunológicas Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Marcelo G. Kazanietz
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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21
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Nobre AR, Dalla E, Yang J, Huang X, Wullkopf L, Risson E, Razghandi P, Anton ML, Zheng W, Seoane JA, Curtis C, Kenigsberg E, Wang J, Aguirre-Ghiso JA. ZFP281 drives a mesenchymal-like dormancy program in early disseminated breast cancer cells that prevents metastatic outgrowth in the lung. NATURE CANCER 2022; 3:1165-1180. [PMID: 36050483 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-022-00424-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence shows that cancer cells can disseminate from early evolved primary lesions much earlier than the classical metastasis models predicted. Here, we reveal at a single-cell resolution that mesenchymal-like (M-like) and pluripotency-like programs coordinate dissemination and a long-lived dormancy program of early disseminated cancer cells (DCCs). The transcription factor ZFP281 induces a permissive state for heterogeneous M-like transcriptional programs, which associate with a dormancy signature and phenotype in vivo. Downregulation of ZFP281 leads to a loss of an invasive, M-like dormancy phenotype and a switch to lung metastatic outgrowth. We also show that FGF2 and TWIST1 induce ZFP281 expression to induce the M-like state, which is linked to CDH1 downregulation and upregulation of CDH11. We found that ZFP281 not only controls the early dissemination of cancer cells but also locks early DCCs in a dormant state by preventing the acquisition of an epithelial-like proliferative program and consequent metastases outgrowth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rita Nobre
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine and Department of Otolaryngology, Department of Oncological Sciences, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Erica Dalla
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine and Department of Otolaryngology, Department of Oncological Sciences, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jihong Yang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia Center for Human Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Zhang Boli Intelligent Health Innovation Lab, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia Center for Human Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lena Wullkopf
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine and Department of Otolaryngology, Department of Oncological Sciences, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emma Risson
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine and Department of Otolaryngology, Department of Oncological Sciences, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pedram Razghandi
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Cancer Dormancy and Tumor Microenvironment Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Melisa Lopez Anton
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine and Department of Otolaryngology, Department of Oncological Sciences, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Wei Zheng
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Cancer Dormancy and Tumor Microenvironment Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jose A Seoane
- Cancer Computational Biology Group, Vall d´Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medicine and Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christina Curtis
- Department of Medicine and Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ephraim Kenigsberg
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- The Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jianlong Wang
- Department of Medicine, Columbia Center for Human Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julio A Aguirre-Ghiso
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine and Department of Otolaryngology, Department of Oncological Sciences, Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Cancer Dormancy and Tumor Microenvironment Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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22
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Stochastic population dynamics of cancer stemness and adaptive response to therapies. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:387-398. [PMID: 36073715 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Intratumoral heterogeneity can exist along multiple axes: Cancer stem cells (CSCs)/non-CSCs, drug-sensitive/drug-tolerant states, and a spectrum of epithelial-hybrid-mesenchymal phenotypes. Further, these diverse cell-states can switch reversibly among one another, thereby posing a major challenge to therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, understanding the origins of phenotypic plasticity and heterogeneity remains an active area of investigation. While genomic components (mutations, chromosomal instability) driving heterogeneity have been well-studied, recent reports highlight the role of non-genetic mechanisms in enabling both phenotypic plasticity and heterogeneity. Here, we discuss various processes underlying phenotypic plasticity such as stochastic gene expression, chromatin reprogramming, asymmetric cell division and the presence of multiple stable gene expression patterns ('attractors'). These processes can facilitate a dynamically evolving cell population such that a subpopulation of (drug-tolerant) cells can survive lethal drug exposure and recapitulate population heterogeneity on drug withdrawal, leading to relapse. These drug-tolerant cells can be both pre-existing and also induced by the drug itself through cell-state reprogramming. The dynamics of cell-state transitions both in absence and presence of the drug can be quantified through mathematical models. Such a dynamical systems approach to elucidating patterns of intratumoral heterogeneity by integrating longitudinal experimental data with mathematical models can help design effective combinatorial and/or sequential therapies for better clinical outcomes.
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23
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Wang X, Cheng W, Dou X, Tan F, Yan S, Zhou Z, Li Y, Xu B, Liu C, Ge H, Tian M, Liu F, Li L, Zhang S, Li Q, Pei H, Pei Q. The new 'coN' staging system combining lymph node metastasis and tumour deposit provides a more accurate prognosis for TNM stage III colon cancer. Cancer Med 2022; 12:2538-2550. [PMID: 35912894 PMCID: PMC9939212 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Despite controversy over its origin and definition, the significance of tumour deposit (TD) has been underestimated in the tumour node metastasis (TNM) staging system for colon cancer, especially in stage III patients. We aimed to further confirm the prognostic value of TD in stage III colon cancer and to establish a more accurate 'coN' staging system combining TD and lymph node metastasis (LNM). METHODS Information on stage III colon cancer patients with a definite TD status was retrospectively collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database between 2010 and 2017. The effect of TD on prognosis was estimated using Cox regression analysis. Maximally selected rank statistics were used to select the optimal cut-off value of TD counts. The predictive power of conventional N staging and the new coN staging was evaluated and compared by Akaike's information criterion (AIC), Harrell's concordance index (C-index) and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Clinicopathological data of stage III colon cancer patients in the Xiangya database from 2014 to 2018 were collected to validate the coN staging system. RESULTS A total of 39,185 patients with stage III colon cancer were included in our study: 38,446 in the SEER cohort and 739 in the Xiangya cohort. The incidence of TD in stage III colon cancer was approximately 30% (26% in SEER and 30% in the Xiangya database). TD was significantly associated with poorer overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.31-1.44, p < 0.001 in SEER). The optimal cut-off value of TD counts was 4, and the patients were classified into the TD0 (count = 0), TD1 (count = 1-3) and TD2 (count ≥ 4) groups accordingly. The estimated 5-year OS was significantly different among the three groups (69.4%, 95% CI 68.8%-70.0% in TD0; 60.5%, 95% CI 58.9%-62.2% in TD1 and 42.6%, 95% CI 39.2%-46.4% in TD2, respectively, p < 0.001). The coN system integrating LNM and TD was established, and patients with stage III colon cancer were reclassified into five subgroups (coN1a, coN1b, coN2a, coN2b and coN2c). Compared with conventional N staging, the coN staging Cox model had a smaller AIC (197097.581 vs. 197358.006) and a larger C-index (0.611 vs. 0.601). The AUCs of coN staging at 3, 5 and 7 years were also greater than those of conventional N staging (0.6305, 0.6326, 0.6314 vs. 0.6186, 0.6197, 0.6160). Concomitant with the SEER cohort results, the coN staging Cox model of the Xiangya cohort also had a smaller AIC (2883.856 vs. 2906.741) and a larger C-index (0.669 vs. 0.633). Greater AUCs at 3, 5 and 7 years for coN staging were also observed in the Xiangya cohort (0.6983, 0.6774, 0.6502 vs. 0.6512, 0.6368, 0.6199). CONCLUSIONS Not only the presence but also the number of TDs is associated with poor prognosis in stage III colon cancer. A combined N staging system integrating LNM and TD provides more accurate prognostic prediction than the latest AJCC N staging in stage III colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xitao Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan ProvinceChangshaPeople's Republic of China,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders (Xiangya Hospital)Central South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Hunan Provincial People's HospitalThe First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolin Dou
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Fengbo Tan
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Shipeng Yan
- Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of MedicineCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Zhongyi Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Yuqiang Li
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Biaoxiang Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Chongshun Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Heming Ge
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Mengxiang Tian
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Fangchun Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Third Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Liling Li
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Sai Zhang
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Qingling Li
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Haiping Pei
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Qian Pei
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China,Key Laboratory of Molecular Radiation Oncology Hunan ProvinceChangshaPeople's Republic of China,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders (Xiangya Hospital)Central South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
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Regulation of Tissue Factor by CD44 Supports Coagulant Activity in Breast Tumor Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14133288. [PMID: 35805061 PMCID: PMC9266039 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Metastasis and thromboembolic complications are the main cause of cancer-associated death. An overexpression of coagulation factors, and particularly Tissue factor, by tumor cells is a key event implicated in this observed hypercoagulability. Tissue Factor is indeed a cellular initiator of the coagulation cascade which has been associated with aggressive tumor phenotypes such as those characteristic of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transitions (EMTs) and Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs). Understanding molecular mechanisms controlling Tissue Factor overexpression in those tumor phenotypes is thus an important aspect of cancer research. We show here that CD44 (a transmembrane marker of CSC and EMT phenotypes) contributes to regulate TF expression at a transcriptional level, thereby supporting procoagulant properties in tumor cells that facilitate their metastatic spread. Abstract Previous work identified Tissue Factor (TF), a key activator of the coagulation cascade, as a gene induced in cellular contexts of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transitions (EMTs), providing EMT+ Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) with coagulant properties that facilitate their metastatic seeding. Deciphering further molecular aspects of TF regulation in tumor cells, we report here that CD44 and TF coexpress in EMT contexts, and that CD44 acts as a regulator of TF expression supporting procoagulant properties and metastatic seeding. A transcriptional regulatory mechanism bridging CD44 to TF expression was further evidenced. Comparing different TF –promoter luciferase reporter constructs, we indeed found that the shortest -111 pb TF promoter fragment harboring three Specificity Protein 1 (Sp1) binding sites is still responsive to CD44 silencing. The observation that (i) mutation within Sp1 binding sites decreased the basal activity of the -111 pb TF promoter construct, (ii) CD44 silencing decreased Sp1 protein and mRNA levels and (iii) Sp1 silencing diminished TF expression further points to Sp1 as a key mediator linking CD44 to TF regulation. All together, these data thus report a transcriptional regulatory mechanism of TF expression by CD44 supporting procoagulant activity and metastatic competence of CTCs.
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25
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High Expression of PDLIM2 Predicts a Poor Prognosis in Prostate Cancer and Is Correlated with Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Immune Cell Infiltration. J Immunol Res 2022; 2022:2922832. [PMID: 35707002 PMCID: PMC9192325 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2922832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To elucidate the clinical and prognostic role of PDZ and LIM domain protein (PDLIM) genes and the association to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and immune cell infiltration in patients with prostate cancer (PRAD). Methods The data of RNA-seq, DNA methylation, and clinical features of PRAD patients were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to define the prognostic value of PDLIM gene expression and the association with EMT and immune cell infiltration. A tissue microarray including 134 radical prostatectomy specimens was served as validation by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining analysis. Results The mRNA levels of PDLIM1/2/3/4/6/7 were significantly downregulated, while PDLIM5 was upregulated in PRAD (P < 0.05). High expression of PDLIM2 mRNA suggests poor progression free interval in PRAD patients. DNA methylation of PDLIM2 was correlated with its mRNA expression level, and that the cg22973076 methylation site in PDLIM2 was associated with shorter PFI (P < 0.05) in PRAD. Single-sample gene-set enrichment and gene functional enrichment results showed that PDLIM2 was correlated with EMT and immune processes. Spearman's test showed a significant correlation with six reported EMT signatures and several EMT signature-related genes. Tumor microenvironment analysis revealed that the PDLIM2 mRNA expression was positively correlated with the immune score, stromal score, and various tumor infiltrating immune cells. Additionally, the results showed that patients in the high-PDLIM2 mRNA expression group may be more sensitive to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Finally, IHC analysis further implicated the protein level of PDLIM2 was upregulated in PRAD and acts as a novel potential biomarker in predicting tumor progression. Conclusion Our study suggests that PDLIM family genes might be significantly correlated with oncogenesis and the progression of PRAD. PDLIM2 correlated with EMT and immune cell infiltration by acting as an oncogene in PRAD, which may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for PRAD patients.
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26
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Role of CD44 isoforms in epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and metastasis. Clin Exp Metastasis 2022; 39:391-406. [PMID: 35023031 PMCID: PMC10042269 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-022-10146-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Cellular plasticity lies at the core of cancer progression, metastasis, and resistance to treatment. Stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in cancer are concepts that represent a cancer cell's ability to coopt and adapt normal developmental programs to promote survival and expansion. The cancer stem cell model states that a small subset of cancer cells with stem cell-like properties are responsible for driving tumorigenesis and metastasis while remaining especially resistant to common chemotherapeutic drugs. Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity describes a cancer cell's ability to transition between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes which drives invasion and metastasis. Recent research supports the existence of stable epithelial/mesenchymal hybrid phenotypes which represent highly plastic states with cancer stem cell characteristics. The cell adhesion molecule CD44 is a widely accepted marker for cancer stem cells, and it lies at a functional intersection between signaling networks regulating both stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity. CD44 expression is complex, with alternative splicing producing many isoforms. Interestingly, not only does the pattern of isoform expression change during transitions between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes in cancer, but these isoforms have distinct effects on cell behavior including the promotion of metastasis and stemness. The role of CD44 both downstream and upstream of signaling pathways regulating epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and stemness make this protein a valuable target for further research and therapeutic intervention.
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27
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Hassan S, Blick T, Wood J, Thompson EW, Williams ED. Circulating Tumour Cells Indicate the Presence of Residual Disease Post-Castration in Prostate Cancer Patient-Derived Xenograft Models. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:858013. [PMID: 35493092 PMCID: PMC9043137 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.858013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is the lethal form of prostate cancer. Epithelial mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) has been associated with disease progression to CRPC, and prostate cancer therapies targeting the androgen signalling axis, including androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), promote EMP. We explored effects of castration on EMP in the tumours and circulating tumour cells (CTCs) of patient-derived xenograft (PDX)-bearing castrated mice using human-specific RT-qPCR assays and immunocytochemistry. Expression of prostate epithelial cell marker KLK3 was below detection in most tumours from castrated mice (62%, 23/37 mice), consistent with its known up-regulation by androgens. Endpoint tumour size after castration varied significantly in a PDX model-specific pattern; while most tumours were castration-sensitive (BM18, LuCaP70), the majority of LuCaP105 tumours continued to grow following castration. By contrast, LuCaP96 PDX showed a mixed response to castration. CTCs were detected in 33% of LuCaP105, 43% of BM18, 47% of LuCaP70, and 54% of LuCaP96 castrated mice using RPL32 mRNA measurement in plasma. When present, CTC numbers estimated using human RPL32 expression ranged from 1 to 458 CTCs per ml blood, similar to our previous observations in non-castrated mice. In contrast to their non-castrated counterparts, there was no relationship between tumour size and CTC burden in castrated mice. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of the gene expression profiles of CTCs collected from castrated and non-castrated mice revealed distinct CTC sub-groups within the pooled population that were classified as having mesenchymal, epithelial, or EMP hybrid gene expression profiles. The epithelial signature was only found in CTCs from non-castrated mice. Hybrid and mesenchymal signatures were detected in CTCs from both castrated and non-castrated mice, with an emphasis towards mesenchymal phenotypes in castrated mice. Post-castration serum PSA levels were either below detection or very low for all the CTC positive samples highlighting the potential usefulness of CTCs for disease monitoring after androgen ablation therapy. In summary, our study of castration effects on prostate cancer PDX CTCs showed that CTCs were often detected in the castrate setting, even in mice with no palpable tumours, and demonstrated the superior ability of CTCs to reveal residual disease over the conventional clinical biomarker serum PSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Hassan
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Faculty of Health, School of Biomedical Sciences at Translational Research Institute (TRI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Tony Blick
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Faculty of Health, School of Biomedical Sciences at Translational Research Institute (TRI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jack Wood
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Faculty of Health, School of Biomedical Sciences at Translational Research Institute (TRI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre, Queensland (APCRC-Q) and Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative (QBCI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Erik W. Thompson
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Faculty of Health, School of Biomedical Sciences at Translational Research Institute (TRI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Elizabeth D. Williams
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Faculty of Health, School of Biomedical Sciences at Translational Research Institute (TRI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre, Queensland (APCRC-Q) and Queensland Bladder Cancer Initiative (QBCI), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- *Correspondence: Elizabeth D. Williams,
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28
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Cancer: More than a geneticist’s Pandora’s box. J Biosci 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12038-022-00254-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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29
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Lu CH, Wu CH, Hsieh PF, Wu CY, Kuo WWT, Ou CH, Lin VCH. Small interfering RNA targeting N-cadherin regulates cell proliferation and migration in enzalutamide-resistant prostate cancer. Oncol Lett 2022; 23:90. [PMID: 35126732 PMCID: PMC8805176 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2022.13210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzalutamide is one of the options for treating patients with castration-resistant or metastatic prostate cancer. However, a substantial proportion of patients become resistant to enzalutamide after a period of treatment. Cells in these tumors typically exhibit increased proliferative and migratory capabilities, in which N-cadherin (CDH2) appear to serve an important role. In the present study, by up- and downregulating the expression of CDH2, the possible effects of CDH2 on the prostate cancer cell line LNCaP were investigated. Male sex hormone-sensitive LNCaP cells treated with 10 µM enzalutamide were named LNCaP enzalutamide-resistant (EnzaR) cells. Reverse transcription-PCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence staining were used to measure CDH2, E-cadherin, α-SMA, Snail and Slug expression. Transfection with the pCMV-CDH2 plasmid was performed for CDH2 upregulation, whilst transfection with small interfering RNA (siRNA)-CDH2 was performed for CDH2 downregulation. MTT and Cell Counting Kit-4 assays were used to evaluate the proportion of viable cancer cells. Subsequently, gap closure assay was performed to evaluate the migratory capability of both LNCaP and LNCaP EnzaR cell lines. CDH2 expression was found to be increased in LNCaP EnzaR cells compared with that in LNCaP cells. CDH2 overexpression increased cell viability and migration in both LNCaP and LNCaP EnzaR cell lines. By contrast, the opposite trend was observed after CDH2 expression was knocked down. CDH2 expression also showed a high association with that of four epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers, which was confirmed by western blotting. Based on these results, it was concluded that knocking down CDH2 expression using siRNA transfection mediated significant influence on LNCaP EnzaR cell physiology, which may be a potential therapeutic option for prostate cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Hsin Lu
- Division of Urology, Penghu Hospital, Penghu 880001, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung 824005, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, E-Da Cancer Hospital, Kaohsiung 824005, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chun-Hsien Wu
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung 824005, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Department of Chemical Engineering and Institute of Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering, Kaohsiung 824005, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Department of Nursing, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 824005, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Pei-Fang Hsieh
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung 824005, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Chung-Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan 717302, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chen-Yu Wu
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung 824005, Taiwan, R.O.C.,School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 824005, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Wade Wei-Ting Kuo
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung 824005, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Department of Chemical Engineering and Institute of Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering, Kaohsiung 824005, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chien-Hui Ou
- Department of Urology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 704302, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Victor Chia Hsiang Lin
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung 824005, Taiwan, R.O.C.,School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 824005, Taiwan, R.O.C
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30
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Schwarz FM, Schniewind I, Besso MJ, Lange S, Linge A, Patil SG, Löck S, Klusa D, Dietrich A, Voss-Böhme A, Nowrouzi A, Krause M, Dubrovska A, Kurth I, Peitzsch C. Plasticity within aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive cells determines prostate cancer radiosensitivity. Mol Cancer Res 2022; 20:794-809. [PMID: 35135863 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-21-0806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Tumor heterogeneity and cellular plasticity are key determinants of tumor progression, metastatic spread and therapy response driven by the cancer stem cell (CSC) population. Within the present study, we analyzed irradiation-induced plasticity within the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)-positive population in prostate cancer (PCa). The radiosensitivity of xenograft tumors derived from ALDH+ and ALDH- cells was determined with local tumor control analyses and demonstrated different dose-response profiles, time to relapse and focal adhesion signaling. The transcriptional heterogeneity was analyzed in pools of ten DU145 and PC3 cells with multiplex gene expression analyses and illustrated a higher degree of heterogeneity within the ALDH+ population that even increases upon irradiation in comparison to ALDH- cells. Phenotypic conversion and clonal competition were analyzed with fluorescence protein-labeled cells to distinguish cellular origins in competitive 3D cultures and xenograft tumors. We found that the ALDH+ population outcompetes ALDH- cells and drives tumor growth, in particular upon irradiation. The observed dynamics of the cellular state compositions between ALDH+ and ALDH- cells in vivo before and after tumor irradiation was reproduced by a probabilistic Markov compartment model that incorporates cellular plasticity, clonal competition and phenotype-specific radiosensitivities. Transcriptional analyses indicate that the cellular conversion from ALDH- into ALDH+ cells within xenograft tumors under therapeutic pressure was partially mediated through induction of the transcriptional repressor SNAI2. In summary, irradiation-induced cellular conversion events are present in xenograft tumors derived from PCa cells and may be responsible for radiotherapy failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska M Schwarz
- Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, National Center for Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Iñaki Schniewind
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, National Center for Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Maria J Besso
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Steffen Lange
- Faculty of Informatics/Mathematics, University of Applied Science, Dresden, Germany
| | - Annett Linge
- Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, National Center for Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Shivaprasad G Patil
- Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, National Center for Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Steffen Löck
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, National Center for Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daria Klusa
- Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, National Center for Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Antje Dietrich
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, National Center for Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anja Voss-Böhme
- Faculty of Informatics/Mathematics, University of Applied Science, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ali Nowrouzi
- Clinical Cooperation Unit Translational Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mechthild Krause
- Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, National Center for Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anna Dubrovska
- Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, National Center for Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ina Kurth
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute of Radiation Oncology (HIRO), National Center for Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia Peitzsch
- Institute of Radiooncology - OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, National Center for Radiation Oncology (NCRO), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Sahoo S, Ashraf B, Duddu AS, Biddle A, Jolly MK. Interconnected high-dimensional landscapes of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and stemness in cancer. Clin Exp Metastasis 2022; 39:279-290. [PMID: 34993766 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-021-10139-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Establishing macrometastases at distant organs is a highly challenging process for cancer cells, with extremely high attrition rates. A very small percentage of disseminated cells have the ability to dynamically adapt to their changing micro-environments through reversibly switching to another phenotype, aiding metastasis. Such plasticity can be exhibited along one or more axes-epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) being the two most studied, and often tacitly assumed to be synonymous. Here, we review the emerging concepts related to EMP and CSCs across multiple cancers. Both processes are multi-dimensional in nature; for instance, EMP can be defined on morphological, molecular and functional changes, which may or may not be synchronized. Similarly, self-renewal, multi-lineage potential, and resistance to anoikis and/or therapy may not all occur simultaneously in CSCs. Thus, understanding the complexity in defining EMP and CSCs is essential if we are to understand their contribution to cancer metastasis. This will require a more comprehensive understanding of the non-linearity of these processes. These processes are dynamic, reversible, and semi-independent in nature; cells traverse the inter-connected high-dimensional EMP and CSC landscapes in diverse paths, each of which may exhibit a distinct EMP-CSC coupling. Our proposed model offers a potential unifying framework for elucidating the coupled decision-making along these dimensions and highlights a key set of open questions to be answered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India.,UG Programme, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Bazella Ashraf
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Kashmir, Ganderbal, India
| | - Atchuta Srinivas Duddu
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Adrian Biddle
- Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India.
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32
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Subbalakshmi AR, Ashraf B, Jolly MK. Biophysical and biochemical attributes of hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotypes. Phys Biol 2022; 19. [PMID: 34986465 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ac482c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a biological phenomenon associated with explicit phenotypic and molecular changes in cellular traits. Unlike the earlier-held popular belief of it being a binary process, EMT is now thought of as a landscape including diverse hybrid E/M phenotypes manifested by varying degrees of the transition. These hybrid cells can co-express both epithelial and mesenchymal markers and/or functional traits, and can possess the property of collective cell migration, enhanced tumor-initiating ability, and immune/targeted therapy-evasive features, all of which are often associated with worse patient outcomes. These characteristics of the hybrid E/M cells have led to a surge in studies that map their biophysical and biochemical hallmarks that can be helpful in exploiting their therapeutic vulnerabilities. This review discusses recent advances made in investigating hybrid E/M phenotype(s) from diverse biophysical and biochemical aspects by integrating live cell-imaging, cellular morphology quantification and mathematical modelling, and highlights a set of questions that remain unanswered about the dynamics of hybrid E/M states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayalur Raghu Subbalakshmi
- Indian Institute of Science, Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Bangalore, 560012, INDIA
| | - Bazella Ashraf
- Central University of Kashmir, Department of Biotechnology, Ganderbal, Jammu and Kashmir, 191201, INDIA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Indian Institute of Science, Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Bangalore, 560012, INDIA
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33
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Mandal S, Tejaswi T, Janivara R, Srikrishnan S, Thakur P, Sahoo S, Chakraborty P, Sohal SS, Levine H, George JT, Jolly MK. Transcriptomic-Based Quantification of the Epithelial-Hybrid-Mesenchymal Spectrum across Biological Contexts. Biomolecules 2021; 12:29. [PMID: 35053177 PMCID: PMC8773604 DOI: 10.3390/biom12010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) underlies embryonic development, wound healing, and cancer metastasis and fibrosis. Cancer cells exhibiting EMP often have more aggressive behavior, characterized by drug resistance, and tumor-initiating and immuno-evasive traits. Thus, the EMP status of cancer cells can be a critical indicator of patient prognosis. Here, we compare three distinct transcriptomic-based metrics-each derived using a different gene list and algorithm-that quantify the EMP spectrum. Our results for over 80 cancer-related RNA-seq datasets reveal a high degree of concordance among these metrics in quantifying the extent of EMP. Moreover, each metric, despite being trained on cancer expression profiles, recapitulates the expected changes in EMP scores for non-cancer contexts such as lung fibrosis and cellular reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells. Thus, we offer a scoring platform to quantify the extent of EMP in vitro and in vivo for diverse biological applications including cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susmita Mandal
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.M.); (T.T.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Tanishq Tejaswi
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.M.); (T.T.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
- Undergraduate Programme, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Rohini Janivara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA;
| | - Syamanthak Srikrishnan
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India; (S.S.); (P.T.)
| | - Pradipti Thakur
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India; (S.S.); (P.T.)
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.M.); (T.T.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Priyanka Chakraborty
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.M.); (T.T.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
| | - Sukhwinder Singh Sohal
- Respiratory Translational Research Group, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston 7248, Australia;
| | - Herbert Levine
- Departments of Physics and Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jason T. George
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India; (S.M.); (T.T.); (S.S.); (P.C.)
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34
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Chaves LP, Melo CM, Saggioro FP, dos Reis RB, Squire JA. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Signaling and Prostate Cancer Stem Cells: Emerging Biomarkers and Opportunities for Precision Therapeutics. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1900. [PMID: 34946849 PMCID: PMC8701270 DOI: 10.3390/genes12121900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancers may reactivate a latent embryonic program called the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) during the development of metastatic disease. Through EMT, tumors can develop a mesenchymal phenotype similar to cancer stem cell traits that contributes to metastasis and variation in therapeutic responses. Some of the recurrent somatic mutations of prostate cancer affect EMT driver genes and effector transcription factors that induce the chromatin- and androgen-dependent epigenetic alterations that characterize castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). EMT regulators in prostate cancer comprise transcription factors (SNAI1/2, ZEB1, TWIST1, and ETS), tumor suppressor genes (RB1, PTEN, and TP53), and post-transcriptional regulators (miRNAs) that under the selective pressures of antiandrogen therapy can develop an androgen-independent metastatic phenotype. In prostate cancer mouse models of EMT, Slug expression, as well as WNT/β-Catenin and notch signaling pathways, have been shown to increase stemness potential. Recent single-cell transcriptomic studies also suggest that the stemness phenotype of advanced prostate cancer may be related to EMT. Other evidence correlates EMT and stemness with immune evasion, for example, activation of the polycomb repressor complex I, promoting EMT and stemness and cytokine secretion through RB1, TP53, and PRC1. These findings are helping clinical trials in CRPC that seek to understand how drugs and biomarkers related to the acquisition of EMT can improve drug response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Paulo Chaves
- Department of Genetics, Medicine School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14048-900, SP, Brazil; (L.P.C.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Camila Morais Melo
- Department of Genetics, Medicine School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14048-900, SP, Brazil; (L.P.C.); (C.M.M.)
| | - Fabiano Pinto Saggioro
- Pathology Department, Medicine School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14048-900, SP, Brazil;
| | - Rodolfo Borges dos Reis
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Medicine School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14048-900, SP, Brazil;
| | - Jeremy Andrew Squire
- Department of Genetics, Medicine School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14048-900, SP, Brazil; (L.P.C.); (C.M.M.)
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
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35
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Mazzu YZ, Liao Y, Nandakumar S, Sjöström M, Jehane LE, Ghale R, Govindarajan B, Gerke TA, Lee GSM, Luo JH, Chinni SR, Mucci LA, Feng FY, Kantoff PW. Dynamic expression of SNAI2 in prostate cancer predicts tumor progression and drug sensitivity. Mol Oncol 2021; 16:2451-2469. [PMID: 34792282 PMCID: PMC9251866 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease, understanding the crosstalk between complex genomic and epigenomic alterations will aid in developing targeted therapeutics. We demonstrate that, even though snail family transcriptional repressor 2 (SNAI2) is frequently amplified in prostate cancer, it is epigenetically silenced in this disease, with dynamic changes in SNAI2 levels showing distinct clinical relevance. Integrative clinical data from 18 prostate cancer cohorts and experimental evidence showed that gene fusion between transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) and ETS transcription factor ERG (ERG) (TMPRSS2–ERG fusion) is involved in the silencing of SNAI2. We created a silencer score to evaluate epigenetic repression of SNAI2, which can be reversed by treatment with DNA methyltransferase inhibitors and histone deacetylase inhibitors. Silencing of SNAI2 facilitated tumor cell proliferation and luminal differentiation. Furthermore, SNAI2 has a major influence on the tumor microenvironment by reactivating tumor stroma and creating an immunosuppressive microenvironment in prostate cancer. Importantly, SNAI2 expression levels in part determine sensitivity to the cancer drugs dasatinib and panobinostat. For the first time, we defined the distinct clinical relevance of SNAI2 expression at different disease stages. We elucidated how epigenetic silencing of SNAI2 controls the dynamic changes of SNAI2 expression that are essential for tumor initiation and progression and discovered that restoring SNAI2 expression by treatment with panobinostat enhances dasatinib sensitivity, indicating a new therapeutic strategy for prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Z Mazzu
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - YuRou Liao
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Subhiksha Nandakumar
- Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martin Sjöström
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lina E Jehane
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Romina Ghale
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Travis A Gerke
- Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gwo-Shu Mary Lee
- Department of Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jian-Hua Luo
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Lorelei A Mucci
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Felix Y Feng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Urology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Philip W Kantoff
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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36
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Nastały P, Smentoch J, Popęda M, Martini E, Maiuri P, Żaczek AJ, Sowa M, Matuszewski M, Szade J, Kalinowski L, Niemira M, Brandt B, Eltze E, Semjonow A, Bednarz-Knoll N. Low Tumor-to-Stroma Ratio Reflects Protective Role of Stroma against Prostate Cancer Progression. J Pers Med 2021; 11:1088. [PMID: 34834440 PMCID: PMC8622253 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11111088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor-to-stroma ratio (TSR) is a prognostic factor that expresses the relative amounts of tumor and intratumoral stroma. In this study, its clinical and molecular relevance was evaluated in prostate cancer (PCa). The feasibility of automated quantification was tested in digital scans of tissue microarrays containing 128 primary tumors from 72 PCa patients stained immunohistochemically for epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), followed by validation in a cohort of 310 primary tumors from 209 PCa patients. In order to investigate the gene expression differences between tumors with low and high TSR, we applied multigene expression analysis (nCounter® PanCancer Progression Panel, NanoString) of 42 tissue samples. TSR scores were categorized into low (<1 TSR) and high (≥1 TSR). In the pilot cohort, 31 patients (43.1%) were categorized as low and 41 (56.9%) as high TSR score, whereas 48 (23.0%) patients from the validation cohort were classified as low TSR and 161 (77.0%) as high. In both cohorts, high TSR appeared to indicate the shorter time to biochemical recurrence in PCa patients (Log-rank test, p = 0.04 and p = 0.01 for the pilot and validation cohort, respectively). Additionally, in the multivariate analysis of the validation cohort, TSR predicted BR independent of other factors, i.e., pT, pN, and age (p = 0.04, HR 2.75, 95%CI 1.07-7.03). Our data revealed that tumors categorized into low and high TSR score show differential expression of various genes; the genes upregulated in tumors with low TSR score were mostly associated with extracellular matrix and cell adhesion regulation. Taken together, this study shows that high stroma content can play a protective role in PCa. Automatic EpCAM-based quantification of TSR might improve prognostication in personalized medicine for PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Nastały
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland; (P.N.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (A.J.Ż.)
- FIRC (Italian Foundation for Cancer Research), Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM), 20139 Milan, Italy; (E.M.); (P.M.)
| | - Julia Smentoch
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland; (P.N.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (A.J.Ż.)
| | - Marta Popęda
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland; (P.N.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (A.J.Ż.)
| | - Emanuele Martini
- FIRC (Italian Foundation for Cancer Research), Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM), 20139 Milan, Italy; (E.M.); (P.M.)
| | - Paolo Maiuri
- FIRC (Italian Foundation for Cancer Research), Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM), 20139 Milan, Italy; (E.M.); (P.M.)
| | - Anna J. Żaczek
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland; (P.N.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (A.J.Ż.)
| | - Marek Sowa
- Department of Urology, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland; (M.S.); (M.M.)
| | - Marcin Matuszewski
- Department of Urology, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland; (M.S.); (M.M.)
| | - Jolanta Szade
- Department of Pathomorphology, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Leszek Kalinowski
- Department of Medical Laboratory Diagnostics-Biobank, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland;
- Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI.pl), 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Magdalena Niemira
- Clinical Research Centre, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-276 Bialystok, Poland;
| | - Burkhard Brandt
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Centre Schleswig-Holstein, 24105 Kiel, Germany;
| | - Elke Eltze
- Institute of Pathology Saarbruecken-Rastpfuhl, 66113 Saarbruecken, Germany;
| | - Axel Semjonow
- Department of Urology, Prostate Center, University Clinic Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Natalia Bednarz-Knoll
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland; (P.N.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (A.J.Ż.)
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37
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Zhang N, Ng AS, Cai S, Li Q, Yang L, Kerr D. Novel therapeutic strategies: targeting epithelial-mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer. Lancet Oncol 2021; 22:e358-e368. [PMID: 34339656 DOI: 10.1016/s1470-2045(21)00343-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process during which cells lose their epithelial characteristics, for instance apical-basal cell polarity and cell-cell contact, and gain mesenchymal properties, such as increased motility. In colorectal cancer, EMT has an important role in tumour progression, metastasis, and drug resistance. There has been accumulating evidence from preclinical and early clinical studies that show that EMT markers might serve as outcome predictors and potential therapeutic targets in colorectal cancer. This Review describes the fundamentals of EMT, including biology, newly partial EMT, and associated changes. We also provide a comprehensive summary of therapeutic compounds capable of targeting EMT markers, including drugs in preclinical and clinical trials and those with repurpose potential. Lastly, we explore the obstacles of EMT bench-to-bedside drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhang
- West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; University of Oxford-Sichuan University Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Oxford, UK; Department of Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Aik Seng Ng
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; University of Oxford-Sichuan University Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Oxford, UK
| | - Shijie Cai
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; University of Oxford-Sichuan University Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Oxford, UK
| | - Qiu Li
- West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Li Yang
- West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; University of Oxford-Sichuan University Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Oxford, UK; Department of Gastroenterology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - David Kerr
- West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; University of Oxford-Sichuan University Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Oxford, UK
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Novel Target Opportunities in Non-Metastatic Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13102426. [PMID: 34067832 PMCID: PMC8157020 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13102426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Nearly one third of men will incur biochemical recurrence after treatment for localized prostate cancer. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the therapeutic mainstay; however, some patients will transition to a castrate resistant state (castrate resistant prostate cancer, CRPC). Subjects with CRPC may develop symptomatic metastatic disease (mCRPC) and incur mortality several years later. Prior to metastatic disease, however, men acquire non-metastatic CRPC (nmCRPC) which lends the unique opportunity for intervention to delay disease progression and symptoms. This review addresses current therapies for nmCRPC, as well as novel therapeutics and pathway strategies targeting men with nmCRPC.
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39
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What we can learn from embryos to understand the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition in tumor progression. Biochem J 2021; 478:1809-1825. [PMID: 33988704 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Epithelial plasticity involved the terminal and transitional stages that occur during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET), both are essential at different stages of early embryonic development that have been co-opted by cancer cells to undergo tumor metastasis. These processes are regulated at multiple instances, whereas the post-transcriptional regulation of key genes mediated by microRNAs is gaining major attention as a common and conserved pathway. In this review, we focus on discussing the latest findings of the cellular and molecular basis of the less characterized process of MET during embryonic development, with special attention to the role of microRNAs. Although we take in consideration the necessity of being cautious when extrapolating the obtained evidence, we propose some commonalities between early embryonic development and cancer progression that can shed light into our current understanding of this complex event and might aid in the design of specific therapeutic approaches.
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Børretzen A, Gravdal K, Haukaas SA, Mannelqvist M, Beisland C, Akslen LA, Halvorsen OJ. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition regulators Twist, Slug, and Snail are associated with aggressive tumour features and poor outcome in prostate cancer patients. J Pathol Clin Res 2021; 7:253-270. [PMID: 33605548 PMCID: PMC8073012 DOI: 10.1002/cjp2.202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The prognostic importance of transcription factors promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and angiogenesis has not been well explored in prostate cancer patients with long follow-up, nor the interplay between these factors. The objective of this study was to assess the individual protein expression and co-expression of Twist, Slug (Snai2), Snail (Snai1), and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (Hif-1α) in prostate cancer in relation to EMT, angiogenesis, hypoxia, tumour features, disease recurrence, and patient survival. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on tissue microarray sections from 338 radical prostatectomies with long follow-up. In addition, 41 cases of prostatic hyperplasia, 33 non-skeletal metastases, 13 skeletal metastases, and 33 castration-resistant prostate carcinomas were included. Our findings were validated in external gene expression data sets. Twist was overexpressed in primary prostate cancer and markedly reduced in distant metastases (p < 0.0005). Strong expression of Twist and Slug was associated with Hif-1α in localised prostate cancer (p ≤ 0.001), and strong Twist was associated with Hif-1α in castration-resistant carcinomas (p = 0.044). Twist, Slug, and increased Snail at the tumour stromal border were associated with vascular factors (p ≤ 0.045). Each of the three EMT-regulating transcription factors were associated with aggressive tumour features and shorter time to recurrence and cancer-specific death. Notably, the co-expression of factors demonstrated an enhanced influence on outcome. In the subgroup of E-cadherinlow carcinomas, strong Slug was associated with shorter time to all end points and was an independent predictor of time to multiple end points, including cancer-specific death (hazard ratio 3.0, p = 0.041). To conclude, we demonstrate an important relation between EMT, hypoxia, and angiogenesis and a strong link between the investigated EMT regulators and aggressive tumour features and poor patient outcome in prostate cancer. Despite the retrospective nature of this long-term study, our findings could have a significant impact on the future treatment of prostate cancer, where tailored therapies might be directed simultaneously against epithelial-mesenchymal phenotypes, angiogenesis, and tumour hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Børretzen
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Gade Laboratory for Pathology, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
- Department of PathologyHaukeland University HospitalBergenNorway
| | - Karsten Gravdal
- Department of PathologyHaukeland University HospitalBergenNorway
| | - Svein A Haukaas
- Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
- Department of UrologyHaukeland University HospitalBergenNorway
| | - Monica Mannelqvist
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Gade Laboratory for Pathology, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
| | - Christian Beisland
- Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
- Department of UrologyHaukeland University HospitalBergenNorway
| | - Lars A Akslen
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Gade Laboratory for Pathology, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
- Department of PathologyHaukeland University HospitalBergenNorway
| | - Ole J Halvorsen
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Gade Laboratory for Pathology, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of BergenBergenNorway
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Liu QL, Luo M, Huang C, Chen HN, Zhou ZG. Epigenetic Regulation of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition in the Cancer Metastatic Cascade: Implications for Cancer Therapy. Front Oncol 2021; 11:657546. [PMID: 33996581 PMCID: PMC8117142 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.657546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the end stage of cancer progression and the direct cause of most cancer-related deaths. The spreading of cancer cells from the primary site to distant organs is a multistep process known as the metastatic cascade, including local invasion, intravasation, survival in the circulation, extravasation, and colonization. Each of these steps is driven by the acquisition of genetic and/or epigenetic alterations within cancer cells, leading to subsequent transformation of metastatic cells. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a cellular process mediating the conversion of cell from epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype, and its reverse transformation, termed mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET), together endow metastatic cells with traits needed to generate overt metastases in different scenarios. The dynamic shift between these two phenotypes and their transitional state, termed partial EMT, emphasizes the plasticity of EMT. Recent advances attributed this plasticity to epigenetic regulation, which has implications for the therapeutic targeting of cancer metastasis. In this review, we will discuss the association between epigenetic events and the multifaceted nature of EMT, which may provide insights into the steps of the cancer metastatic cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-Luo Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Maochao Luo
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Canhua Huang
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, and West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Hai-Ning Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Zong-Guang Zhou
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
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Marima R, Hull R, Mathabe K, Setlai B, Batra J, Sartor O, Mehrotra R, Dlamini Z. Prostate cancer racial, socioeconomic, geographic disparities: targeting the genomic landscape and splicing events in search for diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic targets. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:1012-1030. [PMID: 33948343 PMCID: PMC8085879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of deaths in men globally. This is a heterogeneous and complex disease that urgently warrants further insight into its pathology. Developed countries have thus far the highest PCa incidence rates, with comparatively low mortality rates. Even though PCa in the Asian population seems to have high incidence and mortality rates, the African countries are emerging as the focal center for this disease. It has also been reported that the Sub-Saharan (SSA) countries have both the highest incidence and mortality rates. To date, few studies have reported the link between PCa and African populations. Adequate evidence is still missing to fully comprehend this relationship. While it has been brought to attention that racial, geographical and socioeconomic status are contributing factors, men of African descent across the globe, irrespective of their geographical position have higher PCa incidence and mortality rates compared to their white counterparts. To date, hormone therapy is the mainstay treatment of PCa, while the dysregulation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling is a hallmark of PCa. One of the emerging problems with this therapeutic approach is resistance to antiandrogens, and that AR splice isoforms implicated in the progression of PCa lack the therapeutic ligand-binding domain (LBD) target. AR splice variants targeted therapy is emerging and in clinical trials. Leveraging PCa transcriptomics is key towards PCa precision medicine. The aim of this review is to outline the PCa epidemiology globally and in Africa, PCa associated risk factors, discuss AR signaling and PCa mechanisms, the role of dysregulated splicing in PCa as novel prognostic indicators and therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahaba Marima
- SAMRC/UP Precision Prevention and Novel Drug Targets for HIV-Associated Cancers Extramural Unit, Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of PretoriaHatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Rodney Hull
- SAMRC/UP Precision Prevention and Novel Drug Targets for HIV-Associated Cancers Extramural Unit, Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of PretoriaHatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Kgomotso Mathabe
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of PretoriaHatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Botle Setlai
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of PretoriaHatfield 0028, South Africa
| | - Jyotsna Batra
- Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland, Translational Research InstituteBrisbane 4102, Australia
- Cancer Program, School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of TechnologyBrisbane 4102, Australia
| | - Oliver Sartor
- SAMRC/UP Precision Prevention and Novel Drug Targets for HIV-Associated Cancers Extramural Unit, Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of PretoriaHatfield 0028, South Africa
- Tulane Cancer Center, Tulane Medical SchoolNew Orleans, LA 70112, United States
| | - Ravi Mehrotra
- SAMRC/UP Precision Prevention and Novel Drug Targets for HIV-Associated Cancers Extramural Unit, Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of PretoriaHatfield 0028, South Africa
- India Cancer Research Consortium (ICMR-DHR) Department of Health ResearchRed Cross Road, New Delhi 110001, India
| | - Zodwa Dlamini
- SAMRC/UP Precision Prevention and Novel Drug Targets for HIV-Associated Cancers Extramural Unit, Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI), University of PretoriaHatfield 0028, South Africa
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Xiao M, Hasmim M, Lequeux A, Moer KV, Tan TZ, Gilles C, Hollier BG, Thiery JP, Berchem G, Janji B, Noman MZ. Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition Regulates Surface PD-L1 via CMTM6 and CMTM7 Induction in Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13051165. [PMID: 33803139 PMCID: PMC7963182 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13051165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a mechanism endowing tumor cells with aggressive properties and escape immune surveillance. Here, we reported that activating EMT process in breast cancer cells upregulates CMTM6, an essential protein required for cell surface expression of PD-L1. In addition to CMTM6, our in silico data on triple negative breast cancer patients showed a positive correlation between EMT markers and two other members of CMTM family (CMTM3 and CMTM7). These results were validated in EMT-inducible MCF-7 model that exhibited a downregulation of cell surface expression of PD-L1 by dual targeting CMTM6 and CMTM7. Considering the prominent role of PD-L1 in tumor immune evasion, our study provides an additional clue on how PD-L1 is regulated in aggressive breast cancer cells and pave the way to assess the therapeutic benefit of EMT inhibitors in combination with anti PD-L1 blockade in highly aggressive breast cancer patients. Abstract CMTM6 is a critical regulator of cell surface expression of PD-L1 in tumor cells, but little is known about the transcriptional regulation of CMTM6. Here we report that the expression of CMTM6 positively correlates with the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) score in breast cancer cell lines and with the major EMT marker Vimentin in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC). We showed that CMTM6 is concomitantly overexpressed with PD-L1 in breast mesenchymal compared with the epithelial cells. Driving a mesenchymal phenotype in SNAI1-inducible MCF-7 cells (MCF-7Mes cells) increased both PD-L1 and CMTM6. CMTM6 silencing in MCF-7Mes cells partially reduced cell surface expression of PD-L1, indicating that a proportion of the PD-L1 on the surface of MCF-7Mes cells depends on CMTM6. We also found a positive correlation between CMTM3 and CMTM7 expression with EMT score in breast cancer cells, and with Vimentin in TNBC patients. Dual knockdown of CMTM6 and CMTM7 significantly decreased PD-L1 surface expression in MCF-7Mes cells, indicating that both CMTM6 and CMTM7 regulate the expression of PD-L1. This study highlights the importance of CMTM6 and CMTM7 in EMT-induced PD-L1 and suggests that EMT, CMTM6 or CMTM7 modulators can be combined with anti-PD-L1 in patients with highly aggressive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malina Xiao
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, L-1526 Strassen, Luxembourg; (M.X.); (M.H.); (A.L.); (K.V.M.); (G.B.)
| | - Meriem Hasmim
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, L-1526 Strassen, Luxembourg; (M.X.); (M.H.); (A.L.); (K.V.M.); (G.B.)
| | - Audrey Lequeux
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, L-1526 Strassen, Luxembourg; (M.X.); (M.H.); (A.L.); (K.V.M.); (G.B.)
| | - Kris Van Moer
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, L-1526 Strassen, Luxembourg; (M.X.); (M.H.); (A.L.); (K.V.M.); (G.B.)
| | - Tuan Zea Tan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore;
| | - Christine Gilles
- GIGA-Cancer, Laboratory of Tumor and Development Biology, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium;
| | - Brett G. Hollier
- Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre-Queensland (APCRC-Q), School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia;
| | - Jean Paul Thiery
- Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health, Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou 510320, China;
| | - Guy Berchem
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, L-1526 Strassen, Luxembourg; (M.X.); (M.H.); (A.L.); (K.V.M.); (G.B.)
- Department of Hemato-Oncology, Centre Hospitalier du Luxembourg, L-1210 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Bassam Janji
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, L-1526 Strassen, Luxembourg; (M.X.); (M.H.); (A.L.); (K.V.M.); (G.B.)
- Correspondence: (B.J.); (M.Z.N.)
| | - Muhammad Zaeem Noman
- Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment (TIME) Group, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg City, L-1526 Strassen, Luxembourg; (M.X.); (M.H.); (A.L.); (K.V.M.); (G.B.)
- Correspondence: (B.J.); (M.Z.N.)
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Leistico JR, Saini P, Futtner CR, Hejna M, Omura Y, Soni PN, Sandlesh P, Milad M, Wei JJ, Bulun S, Parker JB, Barish GD, Song JS, Chakravarti D. Epigenomic tensor predicts disease subtypes and reveals constrained tumor evolution. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108927. [PMID: 33789109 PMCID: PMC8111960 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the epigenomic evolution and specificity of disease subtypes from complex patient data remains a major biomedical problem. We here present DeCET (decomposition and classification of epigenomic tensors), an integrative computational approach for simultaneously analyzing hierarchical heterogeneous data, to identify robust epigenomic differences among tissue types, differentiation states, and disease subtypes. Applying DeCET to our own data from 21 uterine benign tumor (leiomyoma) patients identifies distinct epigenomic features discriminating normal myometrium and leiomyoma subtypes. Leiomyomas possess preponderant alterations in distal enhancers and long-range histone modifications confined to chromatin contact domains that constrain the evolution of pathological epigenomes. Moreover, we demonstrate the power and advantage of DeCET on multiple publicly available epigenomic datasets representing different cancers and cellular states. Epigenomic features extracted by DeCET can thus help improve our understanding of disease states, cellular development, and differentiation, thereby facilitating future therapeutic, diagnostic, and prognostic strategies. Leistico et al. apply tensor decomposition and classification methods to integrate information from hierarchical heterogenous epigenomic datasets and identify histone modification patterns that discriminate disease conditions, tissue types, and differentiation states. Leiomyomas are shown to possess alterations in distal enhancers and large-scale regions confined to chromatin contact domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob R Leistico
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Priyanka Saini
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Christopher R Futtner
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Miroslav Hejna
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Yasuhiro Omura
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Pritin N Soni
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Poorva Sandlesh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Magdy Milad
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jian-Jun Wei
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Serdar Bulun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - J Brandon Parker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Grant D Barish
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jun S Song
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA; Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
| | - Debabrata Chakravarti
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Lovnicki J, Gan Y, Feng T, Li Y, Xie N, Ho CH, Lee AR, Chen X, Nappi L, Han B, Fazli L, Huang J, Gleave ME, Dong X. LIN28B promotes the development of neuroendocrine prostate cancer. J Clin Invest 2021; 130:5338-5348. [PMID: 32634132 DOI: 10.1172/jci135373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapy-induced neuroendocrine prostate cancer (t-NEPC) is a highly aggressive subtype of prostate cancer with poor patient survival. Emerging evidence indicates that t-NEPC can develop when prostate adenocarcinoma cells acquire cancer stem-like cell signaling in the presence of androgen receptor inhibition, followed by redifferentiation toward neuroendocrine lineage and subsequent t-NEPC progression. Whether the stem-like signaling is controlled by the core pluripotency stem cell genes (e.g., LIN28 and SOX2) remains unknown. Here, we report that the transcription of the LIN28B isoform and SOX2 were co-upregulated in t-NEPC patient tumors, patient-derived xenografts, transgenic mice, and cell models. Immunohistochemistry validated that LIN28B and SOX2 protein expression were elevated in t-NEPC patient biopsies. Using prostate adenocarcinoma and t-NEPC cell models, we demonstrated that LIN28B induced a stem-like gene network, neuroendocrine biomarkers, and neuroendocrine cell morphology. LIN28B depletion by CRISPR inhibited t-NEPC tumorigenesis and xenograft growth. These LIN28B functions were mediated mainly through the suppression of let-7 miRNA expression, resulting in de-repression of the transcription factor HMGA2 and HMGA2-mediated SOX2 expression. This study revealed a mechanism by which t-NEPC can develop through the LIN28B/let-7/SOX2 axis that regulates a cancer cell stem-like gene network, highlighting LIN28B as a potential therapeutic target in t-NEPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Lovnicki
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yu Gan
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tingting Feng
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Key Laboratory of Experimental Teratology, Ministry of Education, and Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yinan Li
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ning Xie
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chia-Hao Ho
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ahn R Lee
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Xufeng Chen
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lucia Nappi
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bo Han
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Teratology, Ministry of Education, and Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Ladan Fazli
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jiaoti Huang
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Martin E Gleave
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Xuesen Dong
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Department of Urologic Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Aggarwal V, Montoya CA, Donnenberg VS, Sant S. Interplay between tumor microenvironment and partial EMT as the driver of tumor progression. iScience 2021; 24:102113. [PMID: 33659878 PMCID: PMC7892926 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), an evolutionary conserved phenomenon, has been extensively studied to address the unresolved variable treatment response across therapeutic regimes in cancer subtypes. EMT has long been envisaged to regulate tumor invasion, migration, and therapeutic resistance during tumorigenesis. However, recently it has been highlighted that EMT involves an intermediate partial EMT (pEMT) phenotype, defined by incomplete loss of epithelial markers and incomplete gain of mesenchymal markers. It has been further emphasized that pEMT transition involves a spectrum of intermediate hybrid states on either side of pEMT spectrum. Emerging evidence underlines bi-directional crosstalk between tumor cells and surrounding microenvironment in acquisition of pEMT phenotype. Although much work is still ongoing to gain mechanistic insights into regulation of pEMT phenotype, it is evident that pEMT plays a critical role in tumor aggressiveness, invasion, migration, and metastasis along with therapeutic resistance. In this review, we focus on important role of tumor-intrinsic factors and tumor microenvironment in driving pEMT and emphasize that engineered controlled microenvironments are instrumental to provide mechanistic insights into pEMT biology. We also discuss the significance of pEMT in regulating hallmarks of tumor progression i.e. cell cycle regulation, collective migration, and therapeutic resistance. Although constantly evolving, current progress and momentum in the pEMT field holds promise to unravel new therapeutic targets to halt tumor progression at early stages as well as tackle the complex therapeutic resistance observed across many cancer types. Partial EMT phenotype drives key hallmarks of tumor progression Role of tumor microenvironment in pEMT phenotype via cellular signaling pathways Engineering 3D in vitro models to study pEMT phenotype Opportunities and challenges in understanding pEMT phenotype
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaishali Aggarwal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Catalina Ardila Montoya
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Vera S Donnenberg
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Shilpa Sant
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.,McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy; Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering; McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC-Hillman Cancer Center, 700 Technology Drive, Room 4307, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
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Abstract
The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the corresponding reverse process, mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), are dynamic and reversible cellular programs orchestrated by many changes at both biochemical and morphological levels. A recent surge in identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying EMT/MET has led to the development of various mathematical models that have contributed to our improved understanding of dynamics at single-cell and population levels: (a) multi-stability-how many phenotypes can cells attain during an EMT/MET?, (b) reversibility/irreversibility-what time and/or concentration of an EMT inducer marks the "tipping point" when cells induced to undergo EMT cannot revert?, (c) symmetry in EMT/MET-do cells take the same path when reverting as they took during the induction of EMT?, and (d) non-cell autonomous mechanisms-how does a cell undergoing EMT alter the tendency of its neighbors to undergo EMT? These dynamical traits may facilitate a heterogenous response within a cell population undergoing EMT/MET. Here, we present a few examples of designing different mathematical models that can contribute to decoding EMT/MET dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubham Tripathi
- PhD Program in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jianhua Xing
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Herbert Levine
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Physics and Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
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48
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Deshmukh S, Saini S. Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Tumor Progression, and Its Possible Role in the Onset of Cancer. Front Genet 2020; 11:604528. [PMID: 33329751 PMCID: PMC7734151 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.604528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity among isogenic cells/individuals has been known for at least 150 years. Even Mendel, working on pea plants, realized that not all tall plants were identical. However, Mendel was more interested in the discontinuous variation between genetically distinct individuals. The concept of environment dictating distinct phenotypes among isogenic individuals has since been shown to impact the evolution of populations in numerous examples at different scales of life. In this review, we discuss how phenotypic heterogeneity and its evolutionary implications exist at all levels of life, from viruses to mammals. In particular, we discuss how a particular disease condition (cancer) is impacted by heterogeneity among isogenic cells, and propose a potential role that phenotypic heterogeneity might play toward the onset of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saniya Deshmukh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Supreet Saini
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
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EGFR as a stable marker of prostate cancer dissemination to bones. Br J Cancer 2020; 123:1767-1774. [PMID: 32901137 PMCID: PMC7722745 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-01052-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prostate cancer (PCa) is among the most commonly diagnosed malignancies in men. Although 5-year survival in patients with localised disease reaches nearly 100%, metastatic disease still remains incurable. Therefore, there is a need for markers indicating metastatic dissemination. Methods EGFR overexpression (EGFRover) was tracked in 1039 primary tumours, circulating tumour cells from 39 d’Amico high-risk patients and metastatic samples from 21 castration-resistant PCa cases. EGFR status was compared to clinical parameters and multiple molecular factors were assessed using immunohistochemistry and gene ontology analysis. The functional aspect of EGFR was evaluated by plating PC-3 cells on soft and rigid matrices. Results EGFRover was found in 14% of primary tumours, where it was associated with shorter metastasis-free survival and was an independent indicator of worse overall survival. EGFRover correlated with a pro-migratory and pro-metastatic phenotype of tumour cells as well as rich collagen fibre content. All circulating tumour cells (detected in 13% of cases) were positive for EGFR, independent of their EMT-related phenotype. EGFRover was more prevalent in castration-resistant bone metastases (29% of patients) and supported growth of human PCa cells on rigid matrices mimicking bone stiffness. Conclusions EGFRover is a stable, EMT-independent marker of PCa disseminating to rigid organs, preferentially bones.
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Plygawko AT, Kan S, Campbell K. Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity: emerging parallels between tissue morphogenesis and cancer metastasis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20200087. [PMID: 32829692 PMCID: PMC7482222 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Many cells possess epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity (EMP), which allows them to shift reversibly between adherent, static and more detached, migratory states. These changes in cell behaviour are driven by the programmes of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET), both of which play vital roles during normal development and tissue homeostasis. However, the aberrant activation of these processes can also drive distinct stages of cancer progression, including tumour invasiveness, cell dissemination and metastatic colonization and outgrowth. This review examines emerging common themes underlying EMP during tissue morphogenesis and malignant progression, such as the context dependence of EMT transcription factors, a central role for partial EMTs and the nonlinear relationship between EMT and MET. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Contemporary morphogenesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Plygawko
- Department of Biomedical Science and Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Shohei Kan
- Department of Biomedical Science and Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Kyra Campbell
- Department of Biomedical Science and Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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