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Liu J, Huang J, Lu J, Ouyang R, Xu W, Zhang J, Chen-Xiao K, Wu C, Shang D, Go VLWB, Guo J, Xiao GG. Obg-like ATPase 1 exacerbated gemcitabine drug resistance of pancreatic cancer. iScience 2024; 27:110027. [PMID: 38883822 PMCID: PMC11177196 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110027] [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: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly malignant disease with a poor prognosis due to inefficient diagnosis and tenacious drug resistance. Obg-like ATPase 1 (OLA1) is overexpressed in many malignant tumors. The molecular mechanism of OLA1 underlying gemcitabine (GEM)-induced drug resistance was investigated in this study. An enhanced expression of OLA1 was observed in a GEM acquired resistant pancreatic cancer cell lines and in patients with pancreatic cancer. Overexpressed OLA1 showed poor overall survival rates in patients with pancreatic cancer. Dysregulation of the OLA1 reduced expression of CD44+/CD133+, and improved the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to GEM. OLA1 highly expression facilitated the formation of the OLA1/Sonic Hedgehog (SHH)/Hedgehog-interacting protein (HHIP) complex in nuclei, resulting in the inhibition of negative feedback of Hedgehog signaling induced by HHIP. This study suggests that OLA1 may be developed as an innovative drug target for an effective therapy of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianzhou Liu
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
- Institute of clinical medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Jing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Jun Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Runze Ouyang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Wenchao Xu
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Jianlu Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Kevin Chen-Xiao
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California Berkeley, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chengjun Wu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Dong Shang
- Department of General Surgery, Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, Liaoning, China
| | - Vay Liang W Bill Go
- The UCLA Agi Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Junchao Guo
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Gary Guishan Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
- The UCLA Agi Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Functional Genomics and Proteomics Laboratory, Osteoporosis Research Center, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
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2
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Niharika, Ureka L, Roy A, Patra SK. Dissecting SOX2 expression and function reveals an association with multiple signaling pathways during embryonic development and in cancer progression. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189136. [PMID: 38880162 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189136] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
SRY (Sex Determining Region) box 2 (SOX2) is an essential transcription factor that plays crucial roles in activating genes involved in pre- and post-embryonic development, adult tissue homeostasis, and lineage specifications. SOX2 maintains the self-renewal property of stem cells and is involved in the generation of induced pluripotency stem cells. SOX2 protein contains a particular high-mobility group domain that enables SOX2 to achieve the capacity to participate in a broad variety of functions. The information about the involvement of SOX2 with gene regulatory elements, signaling networks, and microRNA is gradually emerging, and the higher expression of SOX2 is functionally relevant to various cancer types. SOX2 facilitates the oncogenic phenotype via cellular proliferation and enhancement of invasive tumor properties. Evidence are accumulating in favor of three dimensional (higher order) folding of chromatin and epigenetic control of the SOX2 gene by chromatin modifications, which implies that the expression level of SOX2 can be modulated by epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, specifically, via DNA methylation and histone H3 modification. In view of this, and to focus further insights into the roles SOX2 plays in physiological functions, involvement of SOX2 during development, precisely, the advances of our knowledge in pre- and post-embryonic development, and interactions of SOX2 in this scenario with various signaling pathways in tumor development and cancer progression, its potential as a therapeutic target against many cancers are summarized and discussed in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niharika
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Lina Ureka
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Ankan Roy
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Samir Kumar Patra
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India.
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3
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Chen W, Wang F, Yu X, Qi J, Dong H, Cui B, Zhang Q, Wu Y, An J, Ni N, Liu C, Han Y, Zhang S, Schmitt CA, Deng J, Yu Y, Du J. LncRNA MIR31HG fosters stemness malignant features of non-small cell lung cancer via H3K4me1- and H3K27Ace-mediated GLI2 expression. Oncogene 2024; 43:1328-1340. [PMID: 37950038 PMCID: PMC11065682 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02883-4] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs are responsible for oncogenesis and the development of stemness features, including multidrug resistance and metastasis, in various cancers. Expression of lncRNA MIR31HG in lung cancer tissues and peripheral sera of lung cancer patients were remarkably higher than that of healthy individuals and indicated a poor prognosis. Functional analysis showed that MIR31HG fosters stemness-associated malignant features of non-small cell lung cancer cells. Further mechanistic investigation revealed that MIR31HG modulated GLI2 expression via WDR5/MLL3/P300 complex-mediated H3K4me and H3K27Ace modification. In vivo MIR31HG repression with an antisense oligonucleotide attenuated tumor growth and distal organ metastasis, whereas MIR31HG promotion remarkably encouraged cellular invasion in lung and liver tissues. Our data suggested that MIR31HG is a potential diagnostic indicator and druggable therapeutic target to facilitate multiple strategic treatments for lung cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Chen
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China
| | - Fei Wang
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China
| | - Xinyuan Yu
- Department of Oncology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China
| | - Jingjing Qi
- Department of Hematology and Internal Oncology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenbergerstraße 69, 4040, Linz, Austria
| | - Hongliang Dong
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China
| | - Bingjie Cui
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China
| | - Yan Wu
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China
- Department of Oncology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China
| | - Jiajia An
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256603, PR China
| | - Na Ni
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China
| | - Cuilan Liu
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China
| | - Yuchen Han
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256603, PR China
| | - Shuo Zhang
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China
- Department of Gynecology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China
| | - Clemens A Schmitt
- Johannes Kepler University, Altenbergerstraße 69, 4040, Linz, Austria
- Kepler University Hospital, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Krankenhausstraße 9, 4020, Linz, Austria
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Medical Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, and Molekulares Krebsforschungszentrum - MKFZ, Campus Virchow Klinikum, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, 13125, Berlin, Germany
- Deutsches Konsortium für Translationale Krebsforschung (German Cancer Consortium), Partner site, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jiong Deng
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China.
| | - Yong Yu
- Department of Hematology and Internal Oncology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Altenbergerstraße 69, 4040, Linz, Austria.
| | - Jing Du
- Medical Research Center, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China.
- Department of Oncology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China.
- Department of Gynecology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, PR China.
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4
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Lee HK, Na YJ, Seong SM, Ahn D, Choi KC. Cordycepin Enhanced Therapeutic Potential of Gemcitabine against Cholangiocarcinoma via Downregulating Cancer Stem-Like Properties. Biomol Ther (Seoul) 2024; 32:369-378. [PMID: 38589021 PMCID: PMC11063483 DOI: 10.4062/biomolther.2023.198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Cordycepin, a valuable bioactive component isolated from Cordyceps militaris, has been reported to possess anti-cancer potential and the property to enhance the effects of chemotherapeutic agents in various types of cancers. However, the ability of cordycepin to chemosensitize cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cells to gemcitabine has not yet been evaluated. The current study was performed to evaluate the above, and the mechanisms associated with it. The study analyzed the effects of cordycepin in combination with gemcitabine on the cancer stem-like properties of the CCA SNU478 cell line, including its anti-apoptotic, migratory, and antioxidant effects. In addition, the combination of cordycepin and gemcitabine was evaluated in the CCA xenograft model. The cordycepin treatment significantly decreased SNU478 cell viability and, in combination with gemcitabine, additively reduced cell viability. The cordycepin and gemcitabine co-treatment significantly increased the Annexin V+ population and downregulated B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) expression, suggesting that the decreased cell viability in the cordycepin+gemcitabine group may result from an increase in apoptotic death. In addition, the cordycepin and gemcitabine co-treatment significantly reduced the migratory ability of SNU478 cells in the wound healing and trans-well migration assays. It was observed that the cordycepin and gemcitabine cotreatment reduced the CD44highCD133high population in SNU478 cells and the expression level of sex determining region Y-box 2 (Sox-2), indicating the downregulation of the cancer stem-like population. Cordycepin also enhanced oxidative damage mediated by gemcitabine in MitoSOX staining associated with the upregulated Kelch like ECH Associated Protein 1 (Keap1)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression ratio. In the SNU478 xenograft model, co-administration of cordycepin and gemcitabine additively delayed tumor growth. These results indicate that cordycepin potentiates the chemotherapeutic property of gemcitabine against CCA, which results from the downregulation of its cancer-stem-like properties. Hence, the combination therapy of cordycepin and gemcitabine may be a promising therapeutic strategy in the treatment of CCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Kyu Lee
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun-Jung Na
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Su-Min Seong
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Dohee Ahn
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Chul Choi
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
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5
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Chintamaneni PK, Pindiprolu SKSS, Swain SS, Karri VVSR, Nesamony J, Chelliah S, Bhaskaran M. Conquering chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer: Exploring novel drug therapies and delivery approaches amidst desmoplasia and hypoxia. Cancer Lett 2024; 588:216782. [PMID: 38453046 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer poses a significant challenge within the field of oncology due to its aggressive behaviour, limited treatment choices, and unfavourable outlook. With a mere 10% survival rate at the 5-year mark, finding effective interventions becomes even more pressing. The intricate relationship between desmoplasia and hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment further complicates matters by promoting resistance to chemotherapy and impeding treatment efficacy. The dense extracellular matrix and cancer-associated fibroblasts characteristic of desmoplasia create a physical and biochemical barrier that impedes drug penetration and fosters an immunosuppressive milieu. Concurrently, hypoxia nurtures aggressive tumor behaviour and resistance to conventional therapies. a comprehensive exploration of emerging medications and innovative drug delivery approaches. Notably, advancements in nanoparticle-based delivery systems, local drug delivery implants, and oxygen-carrying strategies are highlighted for their potential to enhance drug accessibility and therapeutic outcomes. The integration of these strategies with traditional chemotherapies and targeted agents reveals the potential for synergistic effects that amplify treatment responses. These emerging interventions can mitigate desmoplasia and hypoxia-induced barriers, leading to improved drug delivery, treatment efficacy, and patient outcomes in pancreatic cancer. This review article delves into the dynamic landscape of emerging anticancer medications and innovative drug delivery strategies poised to overcome the challenges imposed by desmoplasia and hypoxia in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavan Kumar Chintamaneni
- Department of Pharmaceutics, GITAM School of Pharmacy, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Rudraram, 502329 Telangana, India.
| | | | - Swati Swagatika Swain
- Department of Pharmaceutics, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Jerry Nesamony
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Toledo HSC, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH, 43614, USA
| | - Selvam Chelliah
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX-77004, USA
| | - Mahendran Bhaskaran
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Toledo HSC, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH, 43614, USA.
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6
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Sweed D, Elhamed SMA, Aiad HAS, Ehsan NA, Hemida AS, Dawoud MM. STIM1/SOX2 proteins are co-expressed in the tumor and microenvironmental stromal cells of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and ampullary carcinoma. World J Surg Oncol 2024; 22:84. [PMID: 38532463 DOI: 10.1186/s12957-024-03356-y] [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: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and ampullary carcinoma (AAC) are lethal malignancies with modest benefits from surgery. SOX2 and STIM1 have been linked to anticancer activity in several human malignancies. This study included 94 tumor cases: 48 primary PDAC, 25 metastatic PDAC, and 21 primary AAC with corresponding non-tumor tissue. All cases were immunohistochemically stained for STIM1 and SOX2 and results were correlated with clinicopathologic data, patient survival, and BCL2 immunostaining results. Results revealed that STIM1 and SOX2 epithelial/stromal expressions were significantly higher in PDAC and AAC in comparison to the control groups. STIM1 and SOX2 expressions were positively correlated in the primary and metastatic PDAC (P = 0.016 and, P = 0.001, respectively). However, their expressions were not significantly associated with BCL2 expression. SOX2 epithelial/stromal expressions were positively correlated with the large tumor size in the primary AAC group (P = 0.052, P = 0.044, respectively). STIM1 stromal and SOX2 epithelial over-expressions had a bad prognostic impact on the overall survival of AAC (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001, respectively). Therefore, STIM1 and SOX2 co-expression in tumor cells and intra-tumoral stroma could contribute to the development of PDAC and AAC. STIM1/SOX2 expression is linked to a bad prognosis in AAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Sweed
- Pathology Department, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shibin Al Koom, Egypt
| | | | - Hayam Abdel Samie Aiad
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shibin Al Koom, 32511, Egypt
| | - Nermine Ahmed Ehsan
- Pathology Department, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shibin Al Koom, Egypt
| | - Aiat Shaban Hemida
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shibin Al Koom, 32511, Egypt
| | - Marwa Mohammed Dawoud
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shibin Al Koom, 32511, Egypt.
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7
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Mueller LM, Isaacson A, Wilson H, Salowka A, Tay I, Gong M, Elbarbary NS, Raile K, Spagnoli FM. Heterozygous missense variant in GLI2 impairs human endocrine pancreas development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2483. [PMID: 38509065 PMCID: PMC10954617 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46740-8] [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: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Missense variants are the most common type of coding genetic variants. Their functional assessment is fundamental for defining any implication in human diseases and may also uncover genes that are essential for human organ development. Here, we apply CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing on human iPSCs to study a heterozygous missense variant in GLI2 identified in two siblings with early-onset and insulin-dependent diabetes of unknown cause. GLI2 is a primary mediator of the Hedgehog pathway, which regulates pancreatic β-cell development in mice. However, neither mutations in GLI2 nor Hedgehog dysregulation have been reported as cause or predisposition to diabetes. We establish and study a set of isogenic iPSC lines harbouring the missense variant for their ability to differentiate into pancreatic β-like cells. Interestingly, iPSCs carrying the missense variant show altered GLI2 transcriptional activity and impaired differentiation of pancreatic progenitors into endocrine cells. RNASeq and network analyses unveil a crosstalk between Hedgehog and WNT pathways, with the dysregulation of non-canonical WNT signaling in pancreatic progenitors carrying the GLI2 missense variant. Collectively, our findings underscore an essential role for GLI2 in human endocrine development and identify a gene variant that may lead to diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Mueller
- Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
| | - Abigail Isaacson
- Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
| | - Heather Wilson
- Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Salowka
- Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
| | - Isabel Tay
- Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT, United Kingdom
| | - Maolian Gong
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Charité, Berlin, Germany
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Charité Medical Faculty, Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Nancy Samir Elbarbary
- Department of Pediatrics, Diabetes and Endocrine Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Klemens Raile
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Charité, Berlin, Germany
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Charité Medical Faculty, Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Francesca M Spagnoli
- Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, King's College London, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT, United Kingdom.
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Luo C, Yu Y, Zhu J, Chen L, Li D, Peng X, Liu Z, Li Q, Cao Q, Huang K, Yuan R. Deubiquitinase PSMD7 facilitates pancreatic cancer progression through activating Nocth1 pathway via modifying SOX2 degradation. Cell Biosci 2024; 14:35. [PMID: 38494478 PMCID: PMC10944620 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-024-01213-9] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ubiquitination is a critical post-translational modification which can be reversed with an enzyme family known as deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). It has been reported that dysregulation of deubiquitination leads to carcinogenesis. As a member of the DUBs family, proteasome 26 S subunit non-ATPase 7 (PSMD7) serves as an underlying tumour-promoting factor in multiple cancers. However, the clinical significance and biological functions of PSMD7 in pancreatic cancer (PC) remain unclear. RESULTS In this study, we first reported frequent overexpression of PSMD7 in PC tissues, and high levels of PSMD7 were markedly linked to shorter survival and a malignant phenotype in PC patients. An array of in vitro and in vivo gain/loss-of-function tests revealed that PSMD7 facilitates the progression of PC cells. Additionally, we found that PSMD7 promotes PC cell progression by activating the Notch homolog 1 (Notch1) signalling. Interestingly, in PC cells, the inhibitory effect of PSMD7 knockdown on cellular processes was comparable to that observed upon Notch1 knockdown. Mechanistically, PSMD7 deubiquitinated and stabilised sex determining region Y (SRY)-box 2 (SOX2), a key mediator of Notch1 signalling. The stabilisation of SOX2, mediated by PSMD7, dramatically increased SOX2 protein levels, subsequently activating the Notch1 pathway. Finally, restoration of SOX2 expression abrogated the PSMD7-silenced antitumour effect. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our work identifies and validates PSMD7 as a promoter of PC progression through augmentation of the Notch1 signalling pathway mediated by SOX2. This finding suggests that PSMD7 holds promise as a potential therapeutic target for the management of this refractory disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Luo
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China
| | - Yi Yu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China
- Department of Urology Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China
| | - Jinfeng Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410219, China
| | - Leifeng Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China
| | - Dan Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China
| | - Xingyu Peng
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China
| | - Zitao Liu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China
| | - Qing Cao
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China
| | - Kai Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Jiangxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330029, China
| | - Rongfa Yuan
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China.
- Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for General Surgery Disease, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, China.
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9
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Huang XD, Chen YW, Tian L, Du L, Cheng XC, Lu YX, Lin DD, Xiao FJ. NUDT21 interacts with NDUFS2 to activate the PI3K/AKT pathway and promotes pancreatic cancer pathogenesis. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2024; 150:8. [PMID: 38195952 PMCID: PMC10776698 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05540-1] [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: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND NUDT21 (Nudix Hydrolase 21) has been shown to play an essential role in multiple biological processes. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is one of the most fatal cancers in the world. However, the biological function of NUDT21 in PAAD remains rarely understood. The aim of this research was to identify the prediction value of NUDT21 in diagnosis, prognosis, immune infiltration, and signal pathway in PAAD. METHODS Combined with the data in online databases, we analyzed the expression, immune infiltration, function enrichment, signal pathway, diagnosis, and prognosis of NUDT21 in PAAD. Then, the biological function of NUDT21 and its interacted protein in PAAD was identified through plasmid transduction system and protein mass spectrometry. Expression of NUDT21 was further verified in clinical specimens by immunofluorescence. RESULTS We found that NUDT21 was upregulated in PAAD tissues and was significantly associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of pancreatic cancer through bioinformatic data analysis. We also found that overexpression of NUDT21 enhanced PAAD cells proliferation and migration, whereas knockdown NUDT21 restored the effects through in vitro experiment. Moreover, NDUFS2 was recognized as a potential target of NUDT21.We further verified that the expression of NDUFS2 was positively correlated with NUDT21 in PAAD clinical specimens. Mechanically, we found that NUDT21 stabilizes NDUFS2 and activates the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. CONCLUSION Our investigation reveals that NUDT21 is a previously unrecognized oncogenic factor in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment target of PAAD, and we suggest that NUDT21 might be a novel therapeutic target in PAAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Dong Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong-Wei Chen
- Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, The First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, People's Republic of China
| | - Lv Tian
- School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, 130015, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Du
- Department of Experimental Hematology and Biochemistry, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, 100850, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Chen Cheng
- Department of Experimental Hematology and Biochemistry, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, 100850, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Xin Lu
- Department of Experimental Hematology and Biochemistry, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, 100850, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong-Dong Lin
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, People's Republic of China.
| | - Feng-Jun Xiao
- Department of Experimental Hematology and Biochemistry, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, 100850, People's Republic of China.
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10
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Ding Y, Wang H, Wang Q, Jiang H, Li Z, Yu Z, Wang Q, Xu M. Pan-Cancer Analysis Reveals SOX2 as a Promising Prognostic and Immunotherapeutic Biomarker Across Various Cancer Types, Including Pancreatic Cancer. J Cancer 2024; 15:251-274. [PMID: 38164286 PMCID: PMC10751676 DOI: 10.7150/jca.88397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
SOX2 is associated with the initiation, growth, and progression of various tumors and is related to stem cells. However, further studies of SOX2 in a pan-cancer context are warranted. In this study, we obtained pan-cancer and clinical data from TCGA, GTEx, STRING, and TISIDB databases and we analyzed the relationship between SOX2 expression levels and changes in gene diagnostics and survival prognosis. Additionally, we compared the expression levels of SOX2 in pancreatic cancer and healthy pancreatic tissues using Wilcoxon's rank-sum test. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted to identify potential signaling pathways and biological functions. To determine the prognostic value, we used the area under the curve (AUC) and Cox regression analysis. We further developed nomograms to predict overall survival at 1, 6, and 12 months after cancer diagnosis. Moreover, we assessed immune cell infiltration using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis. The methylation status of SOX2 was analyzed using the UALCAN and MethSurv databases. Furthermore, we verified the differential expression of SOX2 in pancreatic cancer cell lines by western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. We also confirmed the effect of SOX2 on the invasion and migration of pancreatic cancer cells using transwell and scratch assays. The biological effects were confirmed using a clone-formation assay. Our findings suggest that SOX2 is highly expressed in various tumor tissues and has potential clinical significance. It can be used as a new biomarker for pancreatic adenocarcinoma and plays a crucial role in immune infiltration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuntao Ding
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Huizhi Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Qiaowei Wang
- Hematological Disease Institute of Jiangsu University, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China
| | - Han Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Zhangzuo Li
- Hematological Disease Institute of Jiangsu University, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China
| | - Zhengyue Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Min Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
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11
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Chen W, Hu Z, Guo Z. Targeting CD24 in Cancer Immunotherapy. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3159. [PMID: 38137380 PMCID: PMC10740697 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11123159] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is a hot area in cancer treatment, and one of the keys to this therapy is the identification of the right tumour-associated or tumour-specific antigen. Cluster of differentiation 24 (CD24) is an emerging tumour-associated antigen that is commonly and highly expressed in various tumours. In addition, CD24 is associated with several cancer-related signalling pathways and closely interacts with other molecules and immune cells to influence tumour progression. Monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, and CAR-NK cell therapy are currently available for the treatment of CD24. In this review, we summarise the existing therapeutic approaches and possible future directions targeting CD24.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhigang Hu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China;
| | - Zhigang Guo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China;
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12
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Chiang CL, Ma Y, Hou YC, Pan J, Chen SY, Chien MH, Zhang ZX, Hsu WH, Wang X, Zhang J, Li H, Sun L, Fallen S, Lee I, Chen XY, Chu YS, Zhang C, Cheng TS, Jiang W, Kim BYS, Reategui E, Lee R, Yuan Y, Liu HC, Wang K, Hsiao M, Huang CYF, Shan YS, Lee AS, James Lee L. Dual targeted extracellular vesicles regulate oncogenic genes in advanced pancreatic cancer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6692. [PMID: 37872156 PMCID: PMC10593751 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42402-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumours carry multiple gene mutations and respond poorly to treatments. There is currently an unmet need for drug carriers that can deliver multiple gene cargoes to target high solid tumour burden like PDAC. Here, we report a dual targeted extracellular vesicle (dtEV) carrying high loads of therapeutic RNA that effectively suppresses large PDAC tumours in mice. The EV surface contains a CD64 protein that has a tissue targeting peptide and a humanized monoclonal antibody. Cells sequentially transfected with plasmid DNAs encoding for the RNA and protein of interest by Transwell®-based asymmetric cell electroporation release abundant targeted EVs with high RNA loading. Together with a low dose chemotherapy drug, Gemcitabine, dtEVs suppress large orthotopic PANC-1 and patient derived xenograft tumours and metastasis in mice and extended animal survival. Our work presents a clinically accessible and scalable way to produce abundant EVs for delivering multiple gene cargoes to large solid tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Ling Chiang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Yifan Ma
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Ya-Chin Hou
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
- Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Junjie Pan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Sin-Yu Chen
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Hsien Chien
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Zhi-Xuan Zhang
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Hsiang Hsu
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan
| | - Xinyu Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Lili Sun
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education and School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | | | - Inyoul Lee
- Institute of Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Xing-Yu Chen
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan
| | - Yeh-Shiu Chu
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan
| | - Chi Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Tai-Shan Cheng
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan
| | - Wen Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Betty Y S Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Eduardo Reategui
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Robert Lee
- College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Yuan Yuan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education and School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, PR China
| | - Hsiao-Chun Liu
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
- Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Kai Wang
- Institute of Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Michael Hsiao
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Ying F Huang
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan.
| | - Yan-Shen Shan
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
- Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
| | - Andrew S Lee
- Institute for Cancer Research, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- School of Chemical Biology and Biochemistry, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - L James Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 11221, Taiwan.
- Spot Biosystems Ltd., Palo Alto, CA, 94305, USA.
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13
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Miller JS, Bennett NE, Rhoades JA. Targeting hedgehog-driven mechanisms of drug-resistant cancers. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1286090. [PMID: 37954979 PMCID: PMC10634604 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1286090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the cellular plasticity that is inherent to cancer, the acquisition of resistance to therapy remains one of the biggest obstacles to patient care. In many patients, the surviving cancer cell subpopulation goes on to proliferate or metastasize, often as the result of dramatically altered cell signaling and transcriptional pathways. A notable example is the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, which is a driver of several cancer subtypes and aberrantly activated in a wide range of malignancies in response to therapy. This review will summarize the field's current understanding of the many roles played by Hh signaling in drug resistance and will include topics such as non-canonical activation of Gli proteins, amplification of genes which promote tolerance to chemotherapy, the use of hedgehog-targeted drugs and tool compounds, and remaining gaps in our knowledge of the transcriptional mechanisms at play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade S. Miller
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Pharmacology Training Program, Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Center for Bone Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville VA Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Natalie E. Bennett
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Center for Bone Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville VA Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, United States
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Julie A. Rhoades
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Pharmacology Training Program, Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Center for Bone Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville VA Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, United States
- Program in Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States
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14
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Paradise BD, Gainullin VG, Almada LL, Sigafoos AN, Sen S, Vera RE, Raja Arul GL, Toruner M, Pease DR, Gonzalez AL, Mentucci FM, Grasso DH, Fernandez-Zapico ME. SUFU promotes GLI activity in a Hedgehog-independent manner in pancreatic cancer. Biochem J 2023; 480:1199-1216. [PMID: 37477952 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway, through which the GLI family of transcription factors (TF) is stimulated, is commonly observed in cancer cells. One well-established mechanism of this increased activity is through the inactivation of Suppressor of Fused (SUFU), a negative regulator of the Hh pathway. Relief from negative regulation by SUFU facilitates GLI activity and induction of target gene expression. Here, we demonstrate a novel role for SUFU as a promoter of GLI activity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In non-ciliated PDAC cells unresponsive to Smoothened agonism, SUFU overexpression increases GLI transcriptional activity. Conversely, knockdown (KD) of SUFU reduces the activity of GLI in PDAC cells. Through array PCR analysis of GLI target genes, we identified B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) among the top candidates down-regulated by SUFU KD. We demonstrate that SUFU KD results in reduced PDAC cell viability, and overexpression of BCL2 partially rescues the effect of reduced cell viability by SUFU KD. Further analysis using as a model GLI1, a major TF activator of the GLI family in PDAC cells, shows the interaction of SUFU and GLI1 in the nucleus through previously characterized domains. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay shows the binding of both SUFU and GLI1 at the promoter of BCL2 in PDAC cells. Finally, we demonstrate that SUFU promotes GLI1 activity without affecting its protein stability. Through our findings, we propose a novel role of SUFU as a positive regulator of GLI1 in PDAC, adding a new mechanism of Hh/GLI signaling pathway regulation in cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke D Paradise
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, U.S.A
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, U.S.A
| | | | - Luciana L Almada
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, U.S.A
| | - Ashley N Sigafoos
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, U.S.A
| | - Sandhya Sen
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, U.S.A
| | - Renzo E Vera
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, U.S.A
| | - Glancis Luzeena Raja Arul
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, U.S.A
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, U.S.A
| | - Murat Toruner
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, U.S.A
| | - David R Pease
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, U.S.A
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, U.S.A
| | - Alina L Gonzalez
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa (INCITAP), Universidad Nacional de La Pampa - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (UNLPam-CONICET), La Pampa 6300, Argentina
| | | | - Daniel H Grasso
- Instituto de Estudios de la Inmunidad Humoral (IDEHU), Escuela de Farmacia y Bioquimica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires 1113, Argentina
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15
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Khan MA, Khan P, Ahmad A, Fatima M, Nasser MW. FOXM1: A small fox that makes more tracks for cancer progression and metastasis. Semin Cancer Biol 2023; 92:1-15. [PMID: 36958703 PMCID: PMC10199453 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) are indispensable for the modulation of various signaling pathways associated with normal cell homeostasis and disease conditions. Among cancer-related TFs, FOXM1 is a critical molecule that regulates multiple aspects of cancer cells, including growth, metastasis, recurrence, and stem cell features. FOXM1 also impact the outcomes of targeted therapies, chemotherapies, and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in various cancer types. Recent advances in cancer research strengthen the cancer-specific role of FOXM1, providing a rationale to target FOXM1 for developing targeted therapies. This review compiles the recent studies describing the pivotal role of FOXM1 in promoting metastasis of various cancer types. It also implicates the contribution of FOXM1 in the modulation of chemotherapeutic resistance, antitumor immune response/immunotherapies, and the potential of small molecule inhibitors of FOXM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Arafat Khan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Parvez Khan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Aatiya Ahmad
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Mahek Fatima
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Mohd Wasim Nasser
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA; Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.
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16
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Ding LN, Yu YY, Ma CJ, Lei CJ, Zhang HB. SOX2-associated signaling pathways regulate biological phenotypes of cancers. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 160:114336. [PMID: 36738502 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
SOX2 is a transcription factor involved in multiple stages of embryonic development. In related reports, SOX2 was found to be abnormally expressed in tumor tissues and correlated with clinical features such as TNM staging, tumor grade, and prognosis in patients with various cancer types. In most cancer types, SOX2 is a tumor-promoting factor that regulates tumor progression and metastasis primarily by maintaining the stemness of cancer cells. In addition, SOX2 also regulates the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, ferroptosis and drug resistance of cancer cells. However, SOX2 acts as a tumor suppressor in some cases in certain cancer types, such as gastric and lung cancer. These key regulatory functions of SOX2 involve complex regulatory networks, including protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions through signaling pathways and noncoding RNA interactions, modulating SOX2 expression may be a potential therapeutic strategy for clinical cancer patients. Therefore, we sorted out the phenotypes related to SOX2 in cancer, hoping to provide a basis for further clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L N Ding
- Department of Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Y Y Yu
- Department of Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - C J Ma
- Department of Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - C J Lei
- Department of Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - H B Zhang
- Department of Oncology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab on Chinese Medicine and Immune Disease Research, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, Guangzhou, China; State Key Laboratory of Dampness Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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17
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Beutel AK, Halbrook CJ. Barriers and opportunities for gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer therapy. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2023; 324:C540-C552. [PMID: 36571444 PMCID: PMC9925166 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00331.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) has become one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths across the world. A lack of durable responses to standard-of-care chemotherapies renders its treatment particularly challenging and largely contributes to the devastating outcome. Gemcitabine, a pyrimidine antimetabolite, is a cornerstone in PDA treatment. Given the importance of gemcitabine in PDA therapy, extensive efforts are focusing on exploring mechanisms by which cancer cells evade gemcitabine cytotoxicity, but strategies to overcome them have not been translated into patient care. Here, we will introduce the standard treatment paradigm for patients with PDA, highlight mechanisms of gemcitabine action, elucidate gemcitabine resistance mechanisms, and discuss promising strategies to circumvent them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alica K Beutel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christopher J Halbrook
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California
- Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, California
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18
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Re-Sensitizing Cancer Stem Cells to Conventional Chemotherapy Agents. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032122. [PMID: 36768445 PMCID: PMC9917165 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells are found in many cancer types. They comprise a distinct subpopulation of cells within the tumor that exhibit properties of stem cells. They express a number of cell surface markers, such as CD133, CD44, ALDH, and EpCAM, as well as embryonic transcription factors Oct4, Nanog, and SOX2. CSCs are more resistant to conventional chemotherapy and can potentially drive tumor relapse. Therefore, it is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms that drive chemoresistance and to target them with specific therapy effectively. Highly conserved developmental signaling pathways such as Wnt, Hedgehog, and Notch are commonly reported to play a role in CSCs chemoresistance development. Studies show that particular pathway inhibitors combined with conventional therapy may re-establish sensitivity to the conventional therapy. Another significant contributor of chemoresistance is a specific tumor microenvironment. Surrounding stroma in the form of cancer-associated fibroblasts, macrophages, endothelial cells, and extracellular matrix components produce cytokines and other factors, thus creating a favorable environment and decreasing the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy. Anti-stromal agents may potentially help to overcome these effects. Epigenetic changes and autophagy were also among the commonly reported mechanisms of chemoresistance. This review provides an overview of signaling pathway components involved in the development of chemoresistance of CSCs and gathers evidence from experimental studies in which CSCs can be re-sensitized to conventional chemotherapy agents across different cancer types.
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19
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Periplocin exerts antitumor activity by regulating Nrf2-mediated signaling pathway in gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cells. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 157:114039. [PMID: 36423542 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114039] [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: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although gemcitabine-based chemotherapy is common and effective for pancreatic cancer (PC), acquired drug resistance is one of the major reasons for treatment failure. Therefore, a novel therapeutic approach for gemcitabine-resistant PC is required. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is an oxidative stress-responsive transcription factor regulating antioxidant responses and plays a crucial role in chemoresistance. In the present study, the antitumor activity of periplocin, a natural cardiac glycoside, was evaluated in an established gemcitabine-resistant PC cell line (PANC-GR). Nrf2 was overexpressed in gemcitabine-resistant cells, and Nrf2 knockdown recovered gemcitabine sensitivity in PANC-GR cells. The antiproliferative activity of periplocin was highly associated with Nrf2 downregulation and Nrf2-mediated signaling pathways in PANC-GR cells. Periplocin also increased reactive oxygen species production inducing G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in PANC-GR cells. Periplocin and gemcitabine combined significantly inhibited tumor growth in a PANC-GR cells-implanted xenograft mouse model via Nrf2 downregulation. Overall, these findings suggest that periplocin might be a novel therapeutic agent against gemcitabine resistance, as it could recover sensitivity to gemcitabine by regulating Nrf2-mediated signaling pathways in gemcitabine-resistant PC cells.
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20
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Nayak D, Weadick B, Govindarajan R. Combination of Tissue Microarray Profiling and Multiplexed IHC Approaches to Investigate Transport Mechanism of Nucleoside Analog Drug Resistance. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2660:95-121. [PMID: 37191793 PMCID: PMC10311792 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3163-8_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] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Nucleoside analogs (NAs) are an established class of anticancer agents being used clinically for the treatment of diverse cancers, either as monotherapy or in combination with other established anticancer or pharmacological agents. To date, nearly a dozen anticancer NAs are approved by the FDA, and several novel NAs are being tested in preclinical and clinical trials for future applications. However, improper delivery of NAs into tumor cells because of alterations in expression of one or more drug carrier proteins (e.g., solute carrier (SLC) transporters) within tumor cells or cells surrounding the tumor microenvironment stands as one of the primary reasons for therapeutic drug resistance. The combination of tissue microarray (TMA) and multiplexed immunohistochemistry (IHC) is an advanced, high-throughput approach over conventional IHC that enables researchers to effectively investigate alterations to numerous such chemosensitivity determinants simultaneously in hundreds of tumor tissues derived from patients. In this chapter, taking an example of a TMA from pancreatic cancer patients treated with gemcitabine (a NA chemotherapeutic agent), we describe the step-by-step procedure of performing multiplexed IHC, imaging of TMA slides, and quantification of expression of some relevant markers in these tissue sections as optimized in our laboratory and discuss considerations while designing and carrying out this experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debasis Nayak
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Brenna Weadick
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rajgopal Govindarajan
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Translational Therapeutics, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
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21
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Zhang S, Chen Y, Hu Q, Zhao T, Wang Z, Zhou Y, Wei Y, Zhao H, Wang J, Yang Y, Zhang J, Shi S, Zhang Y, Yang L, Fu Z, Liu K. SOX2 inhibits LLGL2 polarity protein in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via miRNA-142-3p. Cancer Biol Ther 2022; 23:1-15. [PMID: 36131361 PMCID: PMC9519027 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2022.2126248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
ABBREVIATIONS CCK-8, Cell Counting Kit 8; Chip, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; EC, Esophageal cancer; EMT, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; ESCC, Esophageal squamous cell carcinomas; LLGL2, lethal (2) giant larvae protein homolog 2; LLGL2ov, LLGL2 overexpression; MET, mesenchymal-epithelial transition; miRNAs, MicroRNAs; PRM-MS, Parallel reaction monitoring-Mass spectrometry; SD, Standard deviation; SOX, sex determining region Y (SRY)-like box; SOX2-Kd, SOX2-knockdwon; TUNEL, TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihui Zhang
- Central Laboratory, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Yunyun Chen
- Central Laboratory, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Qiong Hu
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Department of Clinic Medical Laboratory, Zhoushan Hospital, Zhoushan, China
| | - Tingting Zhao
- Central Laboratory, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Zhuo Wang
- Central Laboratory, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yijian Zhou
- Central Laboratory, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yuxuan Wei
- Central Laboratory, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Hongzhou Zhao
- Central Laboratory, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Junkai Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yaxin Yang
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Jiaying Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Songlin Shi
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yujun Zhang
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Ling Yang
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Zhichao Fu
- Department of radiotherapy, 900 Hospital of the Joint Logistics Team (Dongfang Hospital, Xiamen University), Fuzhou, China
| | - Kuancan Liu
- Central Laboratory, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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22
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Mirzaei S, Paskeh MDA, Entezari M, Mirmazloomi SR, Hassanpoor A, Aboutalebi M, Rezaei S, Hejazi ES, Kakavand A, Heidari H, Salimimoghadam S, Taheriazam A, Hashemi M, Samarghandian S. SOX2 function in cancers: Association with growth, invasion, stemness and therapy response. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 156:113860. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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23
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Sufu- and Spop-mediated regulation of Gli2 is essential for the control of mammalian cochlear hair cell differentiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206571119. [PMID: 36252002 PMCID: PMC9618052 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206571119] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of mammalian auditory epithelium, the organ of Corti, requires precise control of both cell cycle withdrawal and differentiation. Sensory progenitors (prosensory cells) in the cochlear apex exit the cell cycle first but differentiate last. Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling is required for the spatiotemporal regulation of prosensory cell differentiation, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that suppressor of fused (Sufu), a negative regulator of Shh signaling, is essential for controlling the timing and progression of hair cell (HC) differentiation. Removal of Sufu leads to abnormal Atoh1 expression and a severe delay of HC differentiation due to elevated Gli2 mRNA expression. Later in development, HC differentiation defects are restored in the Sufu mutant by the action of speckle-type PDZ protein (Spop), which promotes Gli2 protein degradation. Deletion of both Sufu and Spop results in robust Gli2 activation, exacerbating HC differentiation defects. We further demonstrate that Gli2 inhibits HC differentiation through maintaining the progenitor state of Sox2+ prosensory cells. Along the basal-apical axis of the developing cochlea, the Sox2 expression level is higher in the progenitor cells than in differentiating cells and is down-regulated from base to apex as differentiation proceeds. The dynamic spatiotemporal change of Sox2 expression levels is controlled by Shh signaling through Gli2. Together, our results reveal key functions of Gli2 in sustaining the progenitor state, thereby preventing HC differentiation and in turn governing the basal-apical progression of HC differentiation in the cochlea.
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24
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Jiang J. Hedgehog signaling mechanism and role in cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 85:107-122. [PMID: 33836254 PMCID: PMC8492792 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cell-cell communication through evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways governs embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. Deregulation of these signaling pathways has been implicated in a wide range of human diseases including cancer. One such pathway is the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway, which was originally discovered in Drosophila and later found to play a fundamental role in human development and diseases. Abnormal Hh pathway activation is a major driver of basal cell carcinomas (BCC) and medulloblastoma. Hh exerts it biological influence through a largely conserved signal transduction pathway from the activation of the GPCR family transmembrane protein Smoothened (Smo) to the conversion of latent Zn-finger transcription factors Gli/Ci proteins from their repressor (GliR/CiR) to activator (GliA/CiA) forms. Studies from model organisms and human patients have provided deep insight into the Hh signal transduction mechanisms, revealed roles of Hh signaling in a wide range of human cancers, and suggested multiple strategies for targeting this pathway in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Jiang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
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25
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Lee DE, Kang HW, Kim SY, Kim MJ, Jeong JW, Hong WC, Fang S, Kim HS, Lee YS, Kim HJ, Park JS. Ivermectin and gemcitabine combination treatment induces apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells via mitochondrial dysfunction. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:934746. [PMID: 36091811 PMCID: PMC9459089 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.934746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer characterized by high mortality and poor prognosis, with a survival rate of less than 5 years in advanced stages. Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, exerts antitumor effects in various cancer types. This is the first study to evaluate the anticancer effects of the combination of ivermectin and gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer. We found that the ivermectin–gemcitabine combination treatment suppressed pancreatic cancer more effectively than gemcitabine alone treatment. The ivermectin–gemcitabine combination inhibited cell proliferation via G1 arrest of the cell cycle, as evidenced by the downregulation of cyclin D1 expression and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT-3) signaling pathway. Ivermectin–gemcitabine increased cell apoptosis by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction via the overproduction of reactive oxygen species and decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential. This combination treatment also decreased the oxygen consumption rate and inhibited mitophagy, which is important for cancer cell death. Moreover, in vivo experiments confirmed that the ivermectin–gemcitabine group had significantly suppressed tumor growth compared to the gemcitabine alone group. These results indicate that ivermectin exerts synergistic effects with gemcitabine, preventing pancreatic cancer progression, and could be a potential antitumor drug for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Eun Lee
- Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Medical Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyeon Woong Kang
- Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Medical Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - So Yi Kim
- Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Medical Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Myeong Jin Kim
- Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Medical Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jae Woong Jeong
- Department of Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Woosol Chris Hong
- Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Medical Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sungsoon Fang
- Department of Medical Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyung Sun Kim
- Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yun Sun Lee
- Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Medical Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyo Jung Kim
- Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Hyo Jung Kim, ; Joon Seong Park,
| | - Joon Seong Park
- Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Hyo Jung Kim, ; Joon Seong Park,
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26
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Panagiotou E, Syrigos NK, Charpidou A, Kotteas E, Vathiotis IA. CD24: A Novel Target for Cancer Immunotherapy. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12081235. [PMID: 36013184 PMCID: PMC9409925 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12081235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cluster of differentiation 24 (CD24) is a small, highly glycosylated cell adhesion protein that is normally expressed by immune as well as epithelial, neural, and muscle cells. Tumor CD24 expression has been linked with alterations in several oncogenic signaling pathways. In addition, the CD24/Siglec-10 interaction has been implicated in tumor immune evasion, inhibiting macrophage-mediated phagocytosis as well as natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity. CD24 blockade has shown promising results in preclinical studies. Although there are limited data on efficacy, monoclonal antibodies against CD24 have demonstrated clinical safety and tolerability in two clinical trials. Other treatment modalities evaluated in the preclinical setting include antibody–drug conjugates and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy. In this review, we summarize current evidence and future perspectives on CD24 as a potential target for cancer immunotherapy.
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27
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Wang Z, Wang J, Zhao H, Zhao T, Chen Y, Jiang M, Zhang S, Wei Y, Zhang J, Zhou Y, Shi S, Fu Z, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Yang L, Que J, Liu K. Targeting the SOX2/PARP1 complex to intervene in the growth of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 153:113309. [PMID: 35738180 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113309] [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: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevated SOX2 protein levels are closely correlated with the increased incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, establishing effective target measures for ESCC treatments continue to be researched. It has been previously proposed that SOX2 represents a potential therapeutic target for ESCC. Here, we found that the enzyme Poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) enriched in ESCCs interact with SOX2. Inhibition of PARP1 with 3-aminobenzamide (3-ABA) or shRNA knockdown reduced the proliferation of ESCCs, accompanied by decreased protein levels of SOX2. RNA sequencing demonstrated that PARP1 inhibition affected multiple signaling pathways involved in cancer cell proliferation. Additionally, 3-ABA synergistically suppressed the growth of ESCC cells when combined with cisplatin, and metformin potentiated the suppressive effect of 3-ABA on ESCC cell growth. Together these findings suggest that targeting SOX2 binding partner PARP1 provides a possible avenue to treat patients with high levels of SOX2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Wang
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Junkai Wang
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Hongzhou Zhao
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Tingting Zhao
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yunyun Chen
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Ming Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology of The Children's Hospital, Institute of Genetics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Shihui Zhang
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Yuxuan Wei
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Jiaying Zhang
- School of Life Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yijian Zhou
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Songlin Shi
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Zhichao Fu
- Department of radiotherapy, 900 Hospital of the Joint Logistics Team (Dongfang Hospital, Xiamen University), Fuzhou, Fujian 350025, China
| | - Yaxin Yang
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Yujun Zhang
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Ling Yang
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Jianwen Que
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Kuancan Liu
- Central Laboratory, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
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28
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Principe DR, Aissa AF, Kumar S, Pham TND, Underwood PW, Nair R, Ke R, Rana B, Trevino JG, Munshi HG, Benevolenskaya EV, Rana A. Calcium channel blockers potentiate gemcitabine chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2200143119. [PMID: 35476525 PMCID: PMC9170157 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2200143119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There is currently no effective treatment for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). While palliative chemotherapy offers a survival benefit to most patients, nearly all will eventually progress on treatment and long-term survivability remains poor. Given the lack of subsequent line treatment options, in this study, we sought to identify novel strategies to prevent, delay, or overcome resistance to gemcitabine, one of the most widely used medications in PDAC. Using a combination of single-cell RNA sequencing and high-throughput proteomic analysis, we identified a subset of gemcitabine-resistant tumor cells enriched for calcium/calmodulin signaling. Pharmacologic inhibition of calcium-dependent calmodulin activation led to the rapid loss of drug-resistant phenotypes in vitro, which additional single-cell RNA sequencing identified was due to impaired activation of the RAS/ERK signaling pathway. Consistent with these observations, calcium chelation or depletion of calcium in the culture media also impaired ERK activation in gemcitabine-resistant cells, and restored therapeutic responses to gemcitabine in vitro. We observed similar results using calcium channel blockers (CCBs) such as amlodipine, which inhibited prosurvival ERK signaling in vitro and markedly enhanced therapeutic responses to gemcitabine in both orthotopic xenografts and transgenic models of PDAC. Combined, these results offer insight into a potential means of gemcitabine resistance and suggest that select CCBs may provide a clinical benefit to PDAC patients receiving gemcitabine-based chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. Principe
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60612
- Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Alexandre F. Aissa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Thao N. D. Pham
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60611
| | - Patrick W. Underwood
- Department of Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Rakesh Nair
- Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Rong Ke
- Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Basabi Rana
- Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Jose G. Trevino
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284
| | - Hidayatullah G. Munshi
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60611
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
| | | | - Ajay Rana
- Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612
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29
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Chen ZW, Hu JF, Wang ZW, Liao CY, Kang FP, Lin CF, Huang Y, Huang L, Tian YF, Chen S. Circular RNA circ-MTHFD1L induces HR repair to promote gemcitabine resistance via the miR-615-3p/RPN6 axis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2022; 41:153. [PMID: 35459186 PMCID: PMC9034615 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02343-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer is the main reason for the poor treatment effect of pancreatic cancer patients. Exploring chemotherapy resistance-related genes has been a difficult and hot topic of oncology. Numerous studies implicate the key roles of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the development of pancreatic cancer. However, the regulation of circRNAs in the process of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) chemotherapy resistance is not yet fully clear. METHODS Based on the cross-analysis of the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and the data of our center, we explored a new molecule, hsa_circ_0078297 (circ-MTHFD1L), related to chemotherapy resistance. QRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs in human PDAC tissues and their matched normal tissues. The interaction between circ-MTHFD1L and miR-615-3p/RPN6 signal axis was confirmed by a series of experiments such as Dual-luciferase reporter assay, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. RESULTS Circ-MTHFD1L was significantly increased in PDAC tissues and cells. And in PDAC patients, the higher the expression level of circ-MTHFD1L, the worse the prognosis. Mechanism analysis showed that circ-MTHFD1L, as an endogenous miR-615-3p sponge, upregulates the expression of RPN6, thereby promoting DNA damage repair and exerting its effect on enhancing gemcitabine chemotherapy resistance. More importantly, we also found that Silencing circ-MTHFD1L combined with olaparib can increase the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer to gemcitabine. CONCLUSION Circ-MTHFD1L maintains PDAC gemcitabine resistance through the miR-615-3p/RPN6 signal axis. Circ-MTHFD1L may be a molecular marker for the effective treatment of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Wen Chen
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Fei Hu
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zu-Wei Wang
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng-Yu Liao
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng-Ping Kang
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Cai-Feng Lin
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Jinshan Branch of Fujian Province Hospital, Fuzhou, 350007, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Huang
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
- Center for Experimental Research in Clinical Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Long Huang
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Medical University, No. 134, East Street, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yi-Feng Tian
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Medical University, No. 134, East Street, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shi Chen
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fujian Medical University, No. 134, East Street, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, People's Republic of China.
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30
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Krstic A, Pavic A, Avdovic E, Markovic Z, Stevanovic M, Petrovic I. Coumarin-Palladium(II) Complex Acts as a Potent and Non-Toxic Anticancer Agent against Pancreatic Carcinoma Cells. Molecules 2022; 27:2115. [PMID: 35408514 PMCID: PMC9000835 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27072115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic carcinoma still represents one of the most lethal malignant diseases in the world although some progress has been made in treating the disease in the past decades. Current multi-agent treatment options have improved the overall survival of patients, however, more effective treatment strategies are still needed. In this paper we have characterized the anticancer potential of coumarin-palladium(II) complex against pancreatic carcinoma cells. Cells viability, colony formation and migratory potential of pancreatic carcinoma cells were assessed in vitro, followed by evaluation of apoptosis induction and in vivo testing on zebrafish. Presented results showed remarkable reduction in pancreatic carcinoma cells growth both in vitro and in vivo, being effective at micromolar concentrations (0.5 μM). Treatments induced apoptosis, increased BAX/BCL-2 ratio and suppressed the expression of SOX9 and SOX18, genes shown to be significantly up-regulated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Importantly, treatments of the zebrafish-pancreatic adenocarcinoma xenografts resulted in significant reduction in tumor mass, without provoking any adverse toxic effects including hepatotoxicity. Presented results indicate the great potential of the tested compound and the perspective of its further development towards pancreatic cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Krstic
- Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 444a, 11042 Belgrade, Serbia; (A.K.); (A.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Aleksandar Pavic
- Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 444a, 11042 Belgrade, Serbia; (A.K.); (A.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Edina Avdovic
- Department of Science, Institute of Information Technologies, University of Kragujevac, Jovana Cvijica bb, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia; (E.A.); (Z.M.)
| | - Zoran Markovic
- Department of Science, Institute of Information Technologies, University of Kragujevac, Jovana Cvijica bb, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia; (E.A.); (Z.M.)
| | - Milena Stevanovic
- Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 444a, 11042 Belgrade, Serbia; (A.K.); (A.P.); (M.S.)
- Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Kneza Mihaila 35, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Isidora Petrovic
- Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 444a, 11042 Belgrade, Serbia; (A.K.); (A.P.); (M.S.)
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31
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Li B, Chu Y, Yan B, Ma X, Liu D, Wang S, Wang Y, Jia Y. Reciprocal Expression of Differentiated Embryonic Chondrocyte Expressed Genes Result in Functional Antagonism in Gastric Cancer. Dig Dis Sci 2022; 67:904-914. [PMID: 33704624 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-021-06921-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Differentiated embryonic chondrocyte expressed genes (DECs) are critical regulators of cellular proliferation and differentiation. However, DEC1 and DEC2 as family member have opposite or identical roles in tumor, acting as an "accelerator" or a "brake" in progression. AIMS The possible crosstalk between DEC1 and DEC2 in the gastric cancer (GC). METHODS The association of DEC1 and DEC2 expression with prognosis was investigated by immunohistochemistry. The expression pattern of DECs in GC cells was examined using the CCLE database. DECs knockdown or overexpression was conducted via lentiviral transfection. The proliferation of GC cells was evaluated by CCK8, EdU, and Colony forming. ChIP and luciferase reporter assays were used to verify interaction between DEC1 and the DEC2 promoter. The combination downstream with DEC1 and DEC2 was predicted by bioinformation, with Western blot providing further verification. RESULTS We found that reciprocal expression of DEC1 and DEC2 works together to sustain the progression of GC by promoting cell growth. We confirmed this observation in vivo, showing that inhibition DEC1expression could increase DEC2 expression. DEC1 suppresses DEC2 expression by directly binding to the E-box of the DEC2 promoter in GC cells. Furthermore, this regulation of DEC1 on DEC2 enables the further indirect or cooperative activation of additional downstream target genes, MAPK, and STAT3. CONCLUSION Our data demonstrate that DEC1 and DEC2 interact physically and functionally and identify a novel mode of cross-regulatory interaction between DECs that abrogates their functional activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binbin Li
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250013, People's Republic of China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Weihai Municipal Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Weihai, 264200, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Chu
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250013, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing Yan
- Departments of General Surgery, Jinan Central Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250013, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoli Ma
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250013, People's Republic of China
| | - Duanrui Liu
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250013, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanglin Wang
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250013, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunshan Wang
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250013, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanfei Jia
- Research Center of Basic Medicine, Jinan Central Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250013, People's Republic of China.
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A Novel Small Molecular Prostaglandin Receptor EP4 Antagonist, L001, Suppresses Pancreatic Cancer Metastasis. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27041209. [PMID: 35208999 PMCID: PMC8879074 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27041209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic pancreatic cancer remains a major clinical challenge, emphasizing the urgent need for the exploitation of novel therapeutic approaches with superior response. In this study, we demonstrate that the aberrant activation of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) receptor 4 (EP4) is a pro-metastatic signal in pancreatic cancer. To explore the therapeutic role of EP4 signaling, we developed a potent and selective EP4 antagonist L001 with single-nanomolar activity using a panel of cell functional assays. EP4 antagonism by L001 effectively repressed PGE2-elicited cell migration and the invasion of pancreatic cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, L001 alone or combined with the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine exhibited remarkably anti-metastasis activity in a pancreatic cancer hepatic metastasis model with excellent tolerability and safety. Mechanistically, EP4 blockade by L001 abrogated Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP)-driven pro-metastatic factor expression in pancreatic cancer cells. The suppression of YAP’s activity was also observed upon L001 treatment in vivo. Together, these findings support the notions that EP4–YAP signaling axis is a vital pro-metastatic pathway in pancreatic cancer and that EP4 inhibition with L001 may deliver a therapeutic benefit for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.
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Resveratrol Analog 4-Bromo-Resveratrol Inhibits Gastric Cancer Stemness through the SIRT3-c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Signaling Pathway. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2021; 44:63-72. [PMID: 35723384 PMCID: PMC8929134 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for gastric cancer, but the currently available therapeutic drugs have limited efficacy. Studies have suggested that gastric cancer stem cells may play a key role in drug resistance in chemotherapy. Therefore, new agents that selectively target gastric cancer stem cells in gastric tumors are urgently required. Sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) is a deacetylase that regulates mitochondrial metabolic homeostasis to maintain stemness in glioma stem cells. Targeting the mitochondrial protein SIRT3 may provide a novel therapeutic option for gastric cancer treatment. However, the mechanism by which stemness is regulated through SIRT3 inhibition in gastric cancer remains unknown. We evaluated the stemness inhibition ability of the SIRT3 inhibitor 4′-bromo-resveratrol (4-BR), an analog of resveratrol in human gastric cancer cells. Our results suggested that 4-BR inhibited gastric cancer cell stemness through the SIRT3-c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway and may aid in gastric cancer stem-cell–targeted therapy.
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Long noncoding RNA LINC00261 upregulates ITIH5 to impair tumorigenic ability of pancreatic cancer stem cells. Cell Death Discov 2021; 7:220. [PMID: 34446696 PMCID: PMC8390744 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-021-00575-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated tumor development in a range of different cancers, including pancreatic cancer (PC). Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a drug-resistant cancer cell subset, drive tumor progression in PC. In this work, we aimed to investigate the mechanism by which lncRNA LINC00261 affects the biological functions of CSCs during the progression of PC. Microarray analysis of differentially expressed genes and lncRNAs suggested that LINC00261 is downregulated in PC. Both LINC00261 and ITIH5 were confirmed to be downregulated in PC cells and PC stem cells. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function investigations were performed to analyze their effects on cell proliferation, drug resistance, cell cycle distribution, self-renewal, invasion, and ultimately overall tumorigenicity. These experiments revealed that the expression of stem cell markers was reduced, and cell proliferation, self-renewal ability, cell invasion, drug resistance, and tumorigenicity were all suppressed by upregulation of LINC00261 or ITIH5. The results of dual-luciferase reporter gene, ChIP, and RIP assays indicated that LINC00261 binds directly to GATA6, increasing its activity at the ITIH5 promoter. The presence of LINC00261 and GATA6 inhibited the self-renewal and tumorigenesis of PC stem cells, while silence of ITIH5 rescued those functions. Collectively, this study identifies the tumor suppressive activity of LINC00261 in PC, showing that this lncRNA limits the functions of PC stem through an ITIH5/GATA6 regulatory pathway.
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35
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Liang Y, Yang L, Xie J. The Role of the Hedgehog Pathway in Chemoresistance of Gastrointestinal Cancers. Cells 2021; 10:cells10082030. [PMID: 34440799 PMCID: PMC8391142 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The hedgehog pathway, which plays a significant role in embryonic development and stem cell regulation, is activated in gastrointestinal cancers. Chemotherapy is widely used in cancer treatment. However, chemoresistance becomes a substantial obstacle in cancer therapy. This review focuses on the recent advances in the hedgehog pathway's roles in drug resistance of gastrointestinal cancers and the novel drugs and strategies targeting hedgehog signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yabing Liang
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Clinical Medical Research Center of the Affiliated Hospital, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010050, China;
| | - Ling Yang
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Clinical Medical Research Center of the Affiliated Hospital, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010050, China;
- Correspondence: (L.Y.); (J.X.)
| | - Jingwu Xie
- Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Correspondence: (L.Y.); (J.X.)
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36
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Principe DR, Underwood PW, Korc M, Trevino JG, Munshi HG, Rana A. The Current Treatment Paradigm for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma and Barriers to Therapeutic Efficacy. Front Oncol 2021; 11:688377. [PMID: 34336673 PMCID: PMC8319847 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.688377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a dismal prognosis, with a median survival time of 10-12 months. Clinically, these poor outcomes are attributed to several factors, including late stage at the time of diagnosis impeding resectability, as well as multi-drug resistance. Despite the high prevalence of drug-resistant phenotypes, nearly all patients are offered chemotherapy leading to modest improvements in postoperative survival. However, chemotherapy is all too often associated with toxicity, and many patients elect for palliative care. In cases of inoperable disease, cytotoxic therapies are less efficacious but still carry the same risk of serious adverse effects, and clinical outcomes remain particularly poor. Here we discuss the current state of pancreatic cancer therapy, both surgical and medical, and emerging factors limiting the efficacy of both. Combined, this review highlights an unmet clinical need to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the poor therapeutic responses seen in patients with PDAC, in hopes of increasing drug efficacy, extending patient survival, and improving quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. Principe
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | | | - Murray Korc
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Jose G. Trevino
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Hidayatullah G. Munshi
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Ajay Rana
- Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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Dang Q, Shao B, Zhou Q, Chen C, Guo Y, Wang G, Liu J, Kan Q, Yuan W, Sun Z. RNA N 6-Methyladenosine in Cancer Metastasis: Roles, Mechanisms, and Applications. Front Oncol 2021; 11:681781. [PMID: 34211849 PMCID: PMC8239292 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.681781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer metastasis is a symptom of adverse prognosis, a prime origin of therapy failure, and a lethal challenge for cancer patients. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most prevailing modification in messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) of higher eukaryotes, has attracted increasing attention. Growing studies have verified the pivotal roles of m6A methylation in controlling mRNAs and ncRNAs in diverse physiological processes. Remarkably, recent findings have showed that aberrant methylation of m6A-related RNAs could influence cancer metastasis. In this review, we illuminate how m6A modifiers act on mRNAs and ncRNAs and modulate metastasis in several cancers, and put forward the clinical application prospects of m6A methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Dang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Bo Shao
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Quanbo Zhou
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yaxin Guo
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Department of Basic Medical, Academy of Medical Sciences of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Henan Academy of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guixian Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jinbo Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Quancheng Kan
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Weitang Yuan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhenqiang Sun
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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NLRP3 augmented resistance to gemcitabine in triple-negative breast cancer cells via EMT/IL-1β/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Biosci Rep 2021; 40:225471. [PMID: 32578856 PMCID: PMC7335831 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20200730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Gemcitabine is widely used in the treatment of breast cancer (BC). However, the resistance to drugs remains a tough concern. The study explored the potential mechanism concerning gemcitabine resistance in triple-negative BC (TNBC) in vitro. Methods: TNBC cells (TNBCC) and gemcitabine-resistance cell lines (GRC) were used. We investigated the sensitivity to gemcitabine responsive to regulation of Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) expression in TNBCC in different gemcitabine concentrations. RT-PCR checked NLRP3 mRNA expression and MTT assessed the cell cytotoxicity. Gemcitabine resistance was studied in GRC exposed to 0, 1, 3, 5 nm gemcitabine after GRC were treated with NLRP3 agonist Nigericin sodium salt (NSS) or antagonist CY-09. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarkers were evaluated via RT-PCR and inflammasome IL-1β, β-catenin content and GSK-3β activity were measured by ELISA methods. Last, we inactivated the signaling and examined the NLRP3, EMT mRNA expression by RT-PCR, IL-1β, β-catenin content and GSK-3β activity by ELISA and cell cytotoxicity through MTT. Results: NLRP3 up-regulation improved cell survival and reduced sensitivity to gemcitabine (P<0.05). NLRP3 had higher expression in GRC than TNBCC. GRC cell viability dropped as the gemcitabine concentration increased. NLRP3 up-regulation added to resistance to gemcitabine in GRC (P<0.05). NLRP3 agonist might induce EMT process, activate wnt/β-catenin signaling and IL-1β, while inactivation of wnt/β-catenin signaling could result in the inhibition of NLRP3, IL-1β and EMT as well as cell viability in GRC (P<0.05). Conclusion: NLRP3 could enhance resistance to gemcitabine via IL-1β/EMT/Wnt/β-catenin signaling, which suggested that NLRP3 antagonist CY-09 might be incorporated into gemcitabine treatment for TNBC.
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Herrera‐Solorio AM, Peralta‐Arrieta I, Armas López L, Hernández‐Cigala N, Mendoza Milla C, Ortiz Quintero B, Catalán Cárdenas R, Pineda Villegas P, Rodríguez Villanueva E, Trejo Iriarte CG, Zúñiga J, Arrieta O, Ávila‐Moreno F. LncRNA SOX2-OT regulates AKT/ERK and SOX2/GLI-1 expression, hinders therapy, and worsens clinical prognosis in malignant lung diseases. Mol Oncol 2021; 15:1110-1129. [PMID: 33433063 PMCID: PMC8024737 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The involvement of LncRNA SOX2-overlapping transcript (SOX2-OT), SOX2, and GLI-1 transcription factors in cancer has been well documented. Nonetheless, it is still unknown whether co-expressed SOX2-OT/SOX2 or SOX2-OT/SOX2/GLI-1 axes are epigenetically/transcriptionally involved in terms of resistance to oncology therapy and in poorer clinical outcomes for patients with lung cancer. We evaluated the role of SOX2-OT/SOX2 and SOX2-OT/SOX2/GLI-1 axes using RT-qPCR, western blot, immunofluorescence analyses, gene silencing, cellular cytotoxic, and ChIP-qPCR assays on human cell lines, solid lung malignant tumors, and normal lung tissue. We detected that the SOX2-OT/SOX2/GLI-1 axis promotes resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-erlotinib and cisplatin-based therapy. Evidence from this study show that SOX2-OT modulates the expression/activation of EGFR-pathway members AKT/ERK. Further, both SOX2-OT and GLI-1 genes are epigenetically regulated at their promoter sequences, in an LncRNA SOX2-OT-dependent manner, mainly through modifying the enrichment of the activation histone mark H3K4me3/H3K27Ac, versus the repressive histone mark H3K9me3/H3K27me3. In addition, we identified that inhibition of SOX2-OT and reduced expression of SOX2/GLI-1 sensitizes lung cancer cells to EGFR/TKI-erlotinib or cisplatin-based treatment. Finally, we show that high co-expression of SOX2-OT/SOX2 transcripts and SOX2/GLI-1 proteins appears to correlate with a poor clinical prognosis and lung malignant phenotype. Collectively, these results present evidence that LncRNA SOX2-OT modulates an orchestrated resistance mechanism, promoting poor prognosis and human lung malignancy through genetic, epigenetic, and post-translational mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abril Marcela Herrera‐Solorio
- Biomedicine Research Unit (UBIMED)Lung Diseases and Cancer Epigenomics LaboratoryFacultad de Estudios Superiores (FES) IztacalaNational Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)Tlalnepantla de BazMexico
| | - Irlanda Peralta‐Arrieta
- Biomedicine Research Unit (UBIMED)Lung Diseases and Cancer Epigenomics LaboratoryFacultad de Estudios Superiores (FES) IztacalaNational Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)Tlalnepantla de BazMexico
| | - Leonel Armas López
- Biomedicine Research Unit (UBIMED)Lung Diseases and Cancer Epigenomics LaboratoryFacultad de Estudios Superiores (FES) IztacalaNational Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)Tlalnepantla de BazMexico
| | - Nallely Hernández‐Cigala
- Biomedicine Research Unit (UBIMED)Lung Diseases and Cancer Epigenomics LaboratoryFacultad de Estudios Superiores (FES) IztacalaNational Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)Tlalnepantla de BazMexico
| | - Criselda Mendoza Milla
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER), Ismael Cosío VillegasMexico CityMexico
| | - Blanca Ortiz Quintero
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER), Ismael Cosío VillegasMexico CityMexico
| | - Rodrigo Catalán Cárdenas
- Thoracic Oncology UnitLaboratory of Personalized MedicineInstituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCAN)Mexico CityMexico
| | - Priscila Pineda Villegas
- Biomedicine Research Unit (UBIMED)Lung Diseases and Cancer Epigenomics LaboratoryFacultad de Estudios Superiores (FES) IztacalaNational Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)Tlalnepantla de BazMexico
| | - Evelyn Rodríguez Villanueva
- Grupo de Investigación en Células Troncales e Ingeniería de Tejidos (GICTIT)Laboratorio de Investigación en Odontología AlmarazFES‐IztacalaNational Autonomous University of México (UNAM)Tlalnepantla de BazMexico
| | - Cynthia G. Trejo Iriarte
- Grupo de Investigación en Células Troncales e Ingeniería de Tejidos (GICTIT)Laboratorio de Investigación en Odontología AlmarazFES‐IztacalaNational Autonomous University of México (UNAM)Tlalnepantla de BazMexico
| | - Joaquín Zúñiga
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER), Ismael Cosío VillegasMexico CityMexico
| | - Oscar Arrieta
- Thoracic Oncology UnitLaboratory of Personalized MedicineInstituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCAN)Mexico CityMexico
| | - Federico Ávila‐Moreno
- Biomedicine Research Unit (UBIMED)Lung Diseases and Cancer Epigenomics LaboratoryFacultad de Estudios Superiores (FES) IztacalaNational Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)Tlalnepantla de BazMexico
- National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER), Ismael Cosío VillegasMexico CityMexico
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Crosstalk between miRNAs and signaling pathways involved in pancreatic cancer and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 901:174006. [PMID: 33711308 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide with 5-year survival rates below 8%. Most patients with PC and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) die after relapse and cancer progression as well as resistance to treatment. Pancreatic tumors contain a high desmoplastic stroma that forms a rigid mass and has a potential role in tumor growth and metastasis. PC initiates from intraepithelial neoplasia lesions leading to invasive cancer through various pathways. These lesions harbor particular changes in signaling pathways involved in the tumorigenesis process. These events affect both the epithelial cells, including the tumor and the surrounding stroma, and eventually lead to the formation of complex signaling networks. Genetic studies of PC have revealed common molecular features such as the presence of mutations in KRAS gene in more than 90% of patients, as well as the inactivation or deletion mutations of some tumor suppressor genes including TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4. In recent years, studies have also identified different roles of microRNAs in PC pathogenesis as well as their importance in PC diagnosis and treatment, and their involvement in various signaling pathways. In this study, we discussed the most common pathways involved in PC and PDAC as well as their role in tumorigenesis and progression. Furthermore, the miRNAs participating in the regulation of these signaling pathways in PC progression are summarized in this study. Therefore, understanding more about pathways involved in PC can help with the development of new and effective therapies in the future.
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Liang S, Takahashi H, Hirose T, Kuramitsu Y, Hatakeyama S, Yoshiyama H, Wang R, Hamada JI, Iizasa H. NONO Is a Negative Regulator of SOX2 Promoter. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2021; 17:359-367. [PMID: 32576581 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Sex determining region Y (SRY)-box 2 (SOX2) is a transcription factor essential for the maintenance of proliferation and self-renewal of cancer stem cells and is associated with breast cancer initiation. Regulation of cancer stem cell plasticity by SOX2 requires both positive and negative SOX2 transcription factors, but the negative regulator is still largely unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS SOX2 promoter-binding proteins were identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry, luciferase assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation. The effects of one such transcription factor on SOX2 expression was investigated by knockdown and overexpression experiments. RESULTS Non-POU domain-containing octamer-binding protein (NONO) (also known as 54-kDa nuclear RNA-binding protein, P54NRB) was identified as a SOX2 promoter-binding protein and a negative regulator of SOX2 expression. Its activity was controlled by its coiled-coil domain and the C-terminal domain. CONCLUSION These results suggest that NONO acts as a key regulator of SOX2 transcription through the repression of SOX2 promoter activity in breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Liang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomarker High-throughput Screening and Target Translation of Breast and Gastrointestinal Tumor, Oncology Department, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, P.R. China.,Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan.,Division of Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Hidehisa Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.,Department of Molecular Biology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medical Science, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Hirose
- Division of RNA Bio-function, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kuramitsu
- Health Science University of Hokkaido School of Nursing & Social Services, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Shigetsugu Hatakeyama
- Department of Biochemistry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Hironori Yoshiyama
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan
| | - Ruoyu Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomarker High-throughput Screening and Target Translation of Breast and Gastrointestinal Tumor, Oncology Department, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, P.R. China
| | - Jun-Ichi Hamada
- Division of Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan .,Health Science University of Hokkaido School of Nursing & Social Services, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Hisashi Iizasa
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, Japan .,Division of Stem Cell Biology, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan
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Liu YF, Luo D, Li X, Li ZQ, Yu X, Zhu HW. PVT1 Knockdown Inhibits Autophagy and Improves Gemcitabine Sensitivity by Regulating the MiR-143/HIF-1α/VMP1 Axis in Pancreatic Cancer. Pancreas 2021; 50:227-234. [PMID: 33565800 DOI: 10.1097/mpa.0000000000001747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms of gemcitabine sensitivity is needed to improve the therapeutic effects of this drug in pancreatic cancer. METHODS PANC-1 cells were transfected with small hairpin RNA against PVT1 or microRNA (miR)-143 mimics or inhibitor. The gemcitabine sensitivity of pancreatic cancer was evaluated. Autophagosomes were analyzed with an immunofluorescence assay. Cell viability and proliferation were examined with MTT assays. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to analyze the expression of PVT1, miR-143, HIF-1α, VMP1, LC3I/II, p62, and Beclin-1. The interactions of PVT1/miR-143 and miR-143/HIF-1α were assessed by dual-luciferase reporter assays. RESULTS PVT1 was upregulated while miR-143 was downregulated in pancreatic cancer. Both PVT1 knockdown and miR-143 overexpression suppressed autophagy and improved gemcitabine sensitivity in pancreatic cancer. PVT1 directly sponged miR-143 to regulate HIF-1α expression. MiR-143 inhibitor reversed the effect of PVT1 knockdown on autophagy and gemcitabine sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS PVT1 knockdown inhibited autophagy and improved gemcitabine sensitivity via the miR-143/HIF-1α/VMP1 axis in pancreatic cancer. Our investigation elucidated a novel regulatory mechanism of gemcitabine sensitivity and may contribute to improve the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy drugs on pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Fei Liu
- From the Departments of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery II
| | - Dong Luo
- From the Departments of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery II
| | - Xia Li
- Endocrinology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Li
- From the Departments of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery II
| | - Xiao Yu
- From the Departments of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery II
| | - Hong-Wei Zhu
- From the Departments of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery II
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Lu Y, Zhu Y, Deng S, Chen Y, Li W, Sun J, Xu X. Targeting the Sonic Hedgehog Pathway to Suppress the Expression of the Cancer Stem Cell (CSC)-Related Transcription Factors and CSC-Driven Thyroid Tumor Growth. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030418. [PMID: 33499351 PMCID: PMC7866109 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid cancers respond poorly to surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy. Cancer stem cells play an important role in tumor growth, drug resistance, and recurrence. This study focuses on how the sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway maintains thyroid cancer stem cell self-renewal and whether it can be targeted for anticancer therapy. The authors report that the Shh pathway regulates the expression of BMI1 and SOX2, two genes involved in stem cell self-renewal, and that targeting the Shh pathway has little effect on thyroid tumor xenografts but can inhibit the growth of tumor xenografts derived from thyroid cancer stem cells. This study advances the knowledge on how thyroid cancer stem cells regenerate and highlights the potential therapeutic values of targeting the Shh pathway. Abstract The sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway plays important roles in tumorigenesis, tumor growth, drug resistance, and metastasis. We and others have reported earlier that this pathway is highly activated in thyroid cancer. However, its role in thyroid cancer stem cell (CSC) self-renewal and tumor development remains incompletely understood. B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 homolog (BMI1) and SRY-Box Transcription Factor 2 (SOX2) are two CSC-related transcription factors that have been implicated in promoting CSC self-renewal. The objective of our current investigation was to determine the role of the Shh pathway in regulating BMI1 and SOX2 expression in thyroid cancer and promoting thyroid tumor growth and development. Here we report that inhibition of the Shh pathway by Gli1 siRNA or by cyclopamine and GANT61 reduced BMI1 and SOX2 expression in SW1736 and KAT-18 cells, two anaplastic thyroid cancer cell lines. The opposite results were obtained in cells overexpressing Gli1 or its downstream transcription factor Snail. The Shh pathway regulated SOX2 and BMI1 expression at a transcriptional and post-transcriptional level, respectively. GANT61 treatment suppressed the growth of SW1736 CSC-derived tumor xenografts but did not significantly inhibit the growth of tumors grown from bulk tumor cells. Clinicopathological analyses of thyroid tumor specimens by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining revealed that BMI1 and SOX2 were highly expressed in thyroid cancer and correlated with Gli1 expression. Our study provides evidence that activation of the Shh pathway leads to increased BMI1 and SOX2 expression in thyroid cancer and promotes thyroid CSC-driven tumor initiation. Targeting the Shh pathway may have therapeutic value for treating thyroid cancer and preventing recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurong Lu
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China; (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (S.D.); (Y.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Yiwen Zhu
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China; (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (S.D.); (Y.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Shihan Deng
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China; (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (S.D.); (Y.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Yuhuang Chen
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China; (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (S.D.); (Y.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Wei Li
- College of Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China;
| | - Jing Sun
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China; (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (S.D.); (Y.C.); (J.S.)
| | - Xiulong Xu
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China; (Y.L.); (Y.Z.); (S.D.); (Y.C.); (J.S.)
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-514-8797-7382; Fax: +86-514-8797-7046
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Targeting non-canonical activation of GLI1 by the SOX2-BRD4 transcriptional complex improves the efficacy of HEDGEHOG pathway inhibition in melanoma. Oncogene 2021; 40:3799-3814. [PMID: 33958721 PMCID: PMC8175236 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01783-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Despite the development of new targeted and immune therapies, the prognosis of metastatic melanoma remains bleak. Therefore, it is critical to better understand the mechanisms controlling advanced melanoma to develop more effective treatment regimens. Hedgehog/GLI (HH/GLI) signaling inhibitors targeting the central pathway transducer Smoothened (SMO) have shown to be clinical efficacious in skin cancer; however, several mechanisms of non-canonical HH/GLI pathway activation limit their efficacy. Here, we identify a novel SOX2-BRD4 transcriptional complex driving the expression of GLI1, the final effector of the HH/GLI pathway, providing a novel mechanism of non-canonical SMO-independent activation of HH/GLI signaling in melanoma. Consistently, we find a positive correlation between the expression of GLI1 and SOX2 in human melanoma samples and cell lines. Further, we show that combined targeting of canonical HH/GLI pathway with the SMO inhibitor MRT-92 and of the SOX2-BRD4 complex using a potent Proteolysis Targeted Chimeras (PROTACs)-derived BRD4 degrader (MZ1), yields a synergistic anti-proliferative effect in melanoma cells independently of their BRAF, NRAS, and NF1 mutational status, with complete abrogation of GLI1 expression. Combination of MRT-92 and MZ1 strongly potentiates the antitumor effect of either drug as single agents in an orthotopic melanoma model. Together, our data provide evidence of a novel mechanism of non-canonical activation of GLI1 by the SOX2-BRD4 transcriptional complex, and describe the efficacy of a new combinatorial treatment for a subset of melanomas with an active SOX2-BRD4-GLI1 axis.
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Hub gene identification and prognostic model construction for isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation in glioma. Transl Oncol 2020; 14:100979. [PMID: 33290989 PMCID: PMC7720094 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2020.100979] [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: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We identified ten hub genes which were driving IDH status in GBM and LGG. We constructed a prognostic model for IDH-mutant patients. Our findings have important clinical implications for accurate treatment in glioma.
Our study attempted to identify hub genes related to isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation in glioma and develop a prognostic model for IDH-mutant glioma patients. In a first step, ten hub genes significantly associated with the IDH status were identified by weighted gene coexpression analysis (WGCNA). The functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that the most enriched terms of these hub genes were cadherin binding and glutathione metabolism. Three of these hub genes were significantly linked with the survival of glioma patients. 328 samples of IDH-mutant glioma were separated into two datasets: a training set (N = 228) and a test set (N = 100). Based on the training set, we identified two IDH-mutant subtypes with significantly different pathological features by using consensus clustering. A 31 gene-signature was identified by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm and used for establishing a differential prognostic model for IDH-mutant patients. In addition, the test set was employed for validating the prognostic model, and the model was proven to be of high value in classifying prognostic information of samples. The functional annotation revealed that the genes related to the model were mainly enriched in nuclear division, DNA replication, and cell cycle. Collectively, this study provided novel insights into the molecular mechanism of IDH mutation in glioma, and constructed a prognostic model which can be effective for predicting prognosis of glioma patients with IDH-mutation, which might promote the development of IDH target agents in glioma therapies and contribute to accurate prognostication and management in IDH-mutant glioma patients.
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Kakwere H, Ingham ES, Tumbale SK, Ferrara KW. Gemcitabine-retinoid prodrug loaded nanoparticles display in vitro antitumor efficacy towards drug-resilient human PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2020; 117:111251. [PMID: 32919625 PMCID: PMC7684797 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2020.111251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The treatment of pancreatic cancer with gemcitabine is hampered by its rapid metabolism in vivo, the dense stroma around the tumor site which prevents the drug from reaching the cancerous cells and drug resistance. To address these challenges, this study describes the preparation of a retinoid prodrug of gemcitabine, GemRA (gemcitabine conjugated to retinoic acid), and its formulation into a nanoparticulate system applicable for pancreatic cancer treatment. Retinoic acid targets stellate cells which are part of the stroma and can thus augment the delivery of gemcitabine. GemRA dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide presented efficacy towards PANC-1 (human) and mT4 (mouse) pancreatic cancer cell lines but its poor solubility in aqueous solution affects its applicability. Thus, the preparation of the nanoparticles was initially attempted through self-assembly of GemRA, which resulted in the formation of unstable aggregates that precipitated during preparation. As a result, encapsulation of the drug into micelles of polyethylene glycol-retinoic acid (PGRA) amphiphilic conjugates was accomplished and resulted in successful incorporation of GemRA into nanoparticles of ca. 33 nm by dynamic light scattering and 25 nm by transmission electron microscopy. The nanoparticles had good stability in aqueous media and protected gemcitabine from the enzymatic action of cytidine deaminase, which converts gemcitabine to its inactive metabolite upon circulation. Cellular uptake of the nanoparticles by PANC-1 cells was confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy and flow cytometry. Treatment of PANC-1 cells in vitro with the prodrug-loaded nanoparticles resulted in a significant reduction in cell viability (IC50 ca. 5 μM) compared to treatment with gemcitabine (IC50 > 1000 μM). The ability of the GemRA-loaded nanoparticles to induce cellular apoptosis of treated PANC-1 cells was ascertained via a TUNEL assay suggesting these nanoparticles are effective in pancreatic cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamilton Kakwere
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Ingham
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California (Davis), Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Spencer K Tumbale
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Katherine W Ferrara
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Metz EP, Wuebben EL, Wilder PJ, Cox JL, Datta K, Coulter D, Rizzino A. Tumor quiescence: elevating SOX2 in diverse tumor cell types downregulates a broad spectrum of the cell cycle machinery and inhibits tumor growth. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:941. [PMID: 32998722 PMCID: PMC7528478 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-07370-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Quiescent tumor cells pose a major clinical challenge due to their ability to resist conventional chemotherapies and to drive tumor recurrence. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that promote quiescence of tumor cells could help identify therapies to eliminate these cells. Significantly, recent studies have determined that the function of SOX2 in cancer cells is highly dose dependent. Specifically, SOX2 levels in tumor cells are optimized to promote tumor growth: knocking down or elevating SOX2 inhibits proliferation. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that quiescent tumor cells express higher levels of SOX2 compared to adjacent proliferating cells. Currently, the mechanisms through which elevated levels of SOX2 restrict tumor cell proliferation have not been characterized. Methods To understand how elevated levels of SOX2 restrict the proliferation of tumor cells, we engineered diverse types of tumor cells for inducible overexpression of SOX2. Using these cells, we examined the effects of elevating SOX2 on their proliferation, both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we examined how elevating SOX2 influences their expression of cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), and p27Kip1. Results Elevating SOX2 in diverse tumor cell types led to growth inhibition in vitro. Significantly, elevating SOX2 in vivo in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, medulloblastoma, and prostate cancer cells induced a reversible state of tumor growth arrest. In all three tumor types, elevation of SOX2 in vivo quickly halted tumor growth. Remarkably, tumor growth resumed rapidly when SOX2 returned to endogenous levels. We also determined that elevation of SOX2 in six tumor cell lines decreased the levels of cyclins and CDKs that control each phase of the cell cycle, while upregulating p27Kip1. Conclusions Our findings indicate that elevating SOX2 above endogenous levels in a diverse set of tumor cell types leads to growth inhibition both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, our findings indicate that SOX2 can function as a master regulator by controlling the expression of a broad spectrum of cell cycle machinery. Importantly, our SOX2-inducible tumor studies provide a novel model system for investigating the molecular mechanisms by which elevated levels of SOX2 restrict cell proliferation and tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan P Metz
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-6805, USA
| | - Erin L Wuebben
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-6805, USA
| | - Phillip J Wilder
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-6805, USA
| | - Jesse L Cox
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-6805, USA
| | - Kaustubh Datta
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-6805, USA
| | - Donald Coulter
- Department of Pediatrics, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-6805, USA
| | - Angie Rizzino
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-6805, USA. .,Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-6805, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-6805, USA.
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Functional characterization of SOX2 as an anticancer target. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2020; 5:135. [PMID: 32728033 PMCID: PMC7391717 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-020-00242-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
SOX2 is a well-characterized pluripotent factor that is essential for stem cell self-renewal, reprogramming, and homeostasis. The cellular levels of SOX2 are precisely regulated by a complicated network at the levels of transcription, post-transcription, and post-translation. In many types of human cancer, SOX2 is dysregulated due to gene amplification and protein overexpression. SOX2 overexpression is associated with poor survival of cancer patients. Mechanistically, SOX2 promotes proliferation, survival, invasion/metastasis, cancer stemness, and drug resistance. SOX2 is, therefore, an attractive anticancer target. However, little progress has been made in the efforts to discover SOX2 inhibitors, largely due to undruggable nature of SOX2 as a transcription factor. In this review, we first briefly introduced SOX2 as a transcription factor, its domain structure, normal physiological functions, and its involvement in human cancers. We next discussed its role in embryonic development and stem cell-renewal. We then mainly focused on three aspects of SOX2: (a) the regulatory mechanisms of SOX2, including how SOX2 level is regulated, and how SOX2 cross-talks with multiple signaling pathways to control growth and survival; (b) the role of SOX2 in tumorigenesis and drug resistance; and (c) current drug discovery efforts on targeting SOX2, and the future perspectives to discover specific SOX2 inhibitors for effective cancer therapy.
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Ahmed AA, Marchetti C, Ohnmacht SA, Neidle S. A G-quadruplex-binding compound shows potent activity in human gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cells. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12192. [PMID: 32699225 PMCID: PMC7376204 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68944-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gemcitabine is a drug of choice in the treatment of human pancreatic cancer. Chemo-resistance to this drug is common and has been attributed to a variety of distinct mechanisms, involving > 100 genes. A recently developed small-molecule G-quadruplex ligand, the trisubstituted naphthalene diimide compound CM03, has previously been shown to have equivalent potency to gemcitabine in the pancreatic cancer cell line MIA PaCa-2. We report here on cell lines of increased resistance to gemcitabine that have been generated from this line, with the most resistant having 1,000-fold reduced sensitivity to gemcitabine. These resistant lines retain nM sensitivity to CM03. The molecular basis for the retention of potency by this G-quadruplex ligand has been examined using whole transcriptome data analysis with RNA-seq. This has revealed that the pattern of pathways down regulated by CM03 in the parental MIA PaCa-2 cell line is largely unaffected in the gemcitabine-resistant line. The analysis has also shown that the expression patterns of numerous genes involved in gemcitabine sensitivity are down regulated in the resistant line upon CM03 treatment. These results are supportive of the concept that G-quadruplex small molecules such as CM03 have potential for clinical use in the treatment of gemcitabine-resistant human pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Abdullah Ahmed
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Chiara Marchetti
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Stephan A Ohnmacht
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Stephen Neidle
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AX, UK.
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Liu J, Luo X, Guo R, Jing W, Lu H. Cell Metabolomics Reveals Berberine-Inhibited Pancreatic Cancer Cell Viability and Metastasis by Regulating Citrate Metabolism. J Proteome Res 2020; 19:3825-3836. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Laboratory for Functional Metabolomics Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xialin Luo
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Laboratory for Functional Metabolomics Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Rui Guo
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Laboratory for Functional Metabolomics Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Wanghui Jing
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China
| | - Haitao Lu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Laboratory for Functional Metabolomics Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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