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Fan Y, Liu W, Qi L, Zhao Q, Li S, Zou H, Kong C, Li Z, Ren J, Liu Z, Wang B. Correlation of disulfidptosis and periodontitis: New insights and clinical significance. Arch Oral Biol 2024; 166:106046. [PMID: 38991331 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2024.106046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to investigate and predict the therapeutic agents associated with disulfidptosis in periodontitis. DESIGN The dataset GSE10334 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and used to train a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) algorithm to identify genes associated with disulfidptosis in periodontitis. GSE16134 validation sets, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and gingival immunofluorescence were used to verify the results.Single-gene Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore the potential mechanisms and functions of the characterized genes. Immune infiltration and correlation analyses were performed, and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks were constructed. Effective therapeutic drugs were then predicted using the DGIdb database, and molecular docking was used to validate binding affinity. RESULTS Six genes (SLC7A11, SLC3A2, RPN1, NCKAP1, LRPPRC, and NDUFS1) associated with disulfidptosis in periodontitis were obtained. Validation results from external datasets and experiments were consistent with the screening results. Single-gene GSEA analysis was mainly enriched for antigen presentation and immune-related pathways and functions.Immune infiltration and correlation analyses revealed significant regulatory relationships between these genes and plasma cells, resting dendritic cell, and activated NK cells. The ceRNA network was visualized. And ME-344, NV-128, and RILUZOLE, which have good affinity to target genes, were identified as promising agents for the treatment of periodontitis. CONCLUSIONS SLC7A11, SLC3A2, RPN1, NCKAP1, LRPPRC, and NDUFS1 are targets associated with disulfidptosis in periodontitis, and ME-344, NV-128, and RILUZOLE are promising agents for the treatment of periodontitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Fan
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Wantong Liu
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Le Qi
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Qi Zhao
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Sining Li
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - He Zou
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Chen Kong
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Zhiwei Li
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Jiwei Ren
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Zhihui Liu
- Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Bowei Wang
- The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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Gui S, Yu W, Xie J, Peng L, Xiong Y, Song Z, Luo H, Xiao J, Yuan S, Cheng Z. SLC7A11 promotes EMT and metastasis in invasive pituitary neuroendocrine tumors by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Endocr Connect 2024; 13:e240097. [PMID: 38722255 PMCID: PMC11227052 DOI: 10.1530/ec-24-0097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Invasive pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) are the most prevalent types of intracranial and neuroendocrine tumors. Their aggressive growth and difficulty in complete resection result in a high recurrence rate. Cystine transporter solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) is overexpressed in various cancers, which contributes to tumor growth, progression, and metastasis by promoting cystine uptake and glutathione biosynthesis. We identified SLC7A11 as an invasive biomarker based on three Gene Expression Omnibus cohorts. This study aimed to investigate the role of SLC7A11 in invasive PitNETs. Cell proliferation was assessed using CCK-8 and colony formation assays, while cell apoptosis was estimated with flow cytometry. Wound healing assays and transwell assays were utilized to evaluate migration and invasion ability. Our findings demonstrated that SLC7A11 was markedly upregulated in invasive PitNETs, and was associated with the invasiveness of PitNETs. Knockdown of SLC7A11 could largely suppress tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, SLC7A11 depletion was implicated in regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition and inactivating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. These insights suggest SLC7A11 as a potential therapeutic target for invasive PitNETs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shikai Gui
- Department of Neurosurgery, the 2nd affiliated hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Wanli Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery, the 2nd affiliated hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Jiabao Xie
- Department of Neurosurgery, the 2nd affiliated hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Lunshan Peng
- Department of Neurosurgery, the 2nd affiliated hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Yuanyuan Xiong
- Department of Neurosurgery, the 2nd affiliated hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Zhen Song
- Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Department of Urology, the 2nd affiliated hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Haitao Luo
- Department of Neurosurgery, the 2nd affiliated hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Juexian Xiao
- Department of Neurosurgery, the 2nd affiliated hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Shengtao Yuan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Screening, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zujue Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, the 2nd affiliated hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
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Zhang J, Ye ZW, Townsend DM, Tew KD. Redox pathways in melanoma. Adv Cancer Res 2024; 162:125-143. [PMID: 39069367 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2024.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Cases of melanoma are doubling every 12 years, and in stages III and IV, the disease is associated with high mortality rates concomitant with unresectable metastases and therapeutic drug resistance. Despite some advances in treatment success, there is a marked need to understand more about the pathology of the disease. The present review provides an overview of how melanoma cells use and modulate redox pathways to facilitate thiol homeostasis and melanin biosynthesis and describes plausible redox targets that may improve therapeutic approaches in managing malignant disease and metastasis. Melanotic melanoma has some unique characteristics. Making melanin requires a considerable dedication of cellular energy resources and utilizes glutathione and glutathione transferases in certain steps in the biosynthetic pathway. Melanin is an antioxidant but is also functionally important in hematopoiesis and influential in various aspects of host immune responses, giving it unique characteristics. Together with other redox traits that are specific to melanoma, a discussion of possible therapeutic approaches is also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States.
| | - Zhi-Wei Ye
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Danyelle M Townsend
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Kenneth D Tew
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
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Dhas N, Kudarha R, Tiwari R, Tiwari G, Garg N, Kumar P, Kulkarni S, Kulkarni J, Soman S, Hegde AR, Patel J, Garkal A, Sami A, Datta D, Colaco V, Mehta T, Vora L, Mutalik S. Recent advancements in nanomaterial-mediated ferroptosis-induced cancer therapy: Importance of molecular dynamics and novel strategies. Life Sci 2024; 346:122629. [PMID: 38631667 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Ferroptosis is a novel type of controlled cell death resulting from an imbalance between oxidative harm and protective mechanisms, demonstrating significant potential in combating cancer. It differs from other forms of cell death, such as apoptosis and necrosis. Molecular therapeutics have hard time playing the long-acting role of ferroptosis induction due to their limited water solubility, low cell targeting capacity, and quick metabolism in vivo. To this end, small molecule inducers based on biological factors have long been used as strategy to induce cell death. Research into ferroptosis and advancements in nanotechnology have led to the discovery that nanomaterials are superior to biological medications in triggering ferroptosis. Nanomaterials derived from iron can enhance ferroptosis induction by directly releasing large quantities of iron and increasing cell ROS levels. Moreover, utilizing nanomaterials to promote programmed cell death minimizes the probability of unfavorable effects induced by mutations in cancer-associated genes such as RAS and TP53. Taken together, this review summarizes the molecular mechanisms involved in ferroptosis along with the classification of ferroptosis induction. It also emphasized the importance of cell organelles in the control of ferroptosis in cancer therapy. The nanomaterials that trigger ferroptosis are categorized and explained. Iron-based and noniron-based nanomaterials with their characterization at the molecular and cellular levels have been explored, which will be useful for inducing ferroptosis that leads to reduced tumor growth. Within this framework, we offer a synopsis, which traverses the well-established mechanism of ferroptosis and offers practical suggestions for the design and therapeutic use of nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namdev Dhas
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Ritu Kudarha
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Ruchi Tiwari
- Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology (Pharmacy), Kalpi road, Bhauti, Kanpur 208020, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Gaurav Tiwari
- Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology (Pharmacy), Kalpi road, Bhauti, Kanpur 208020, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Neha Garg
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Praveen Kumar
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sanjay Kulkarni
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Jahnavi Kulkarni
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Soji Soman
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Aswathi R Hegde
- Faculty of Pharmacy, M S Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, New BEL Road, MSR Nagar, Bangalore 560054, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Atul Garkal
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382481, India; Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Anam Sami
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382481, India
| | - Deepanjan Datta
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Viola Colaco
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Tejal Mehta
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382481, India
| | - Lalitkumar Vora
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, United Kingdom
| | - Srinivas Mutalik
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India.
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Fateeva A, Eddy K, Chen S. Current State of Melanoma Therapy and Next Steps: Battling Therapeutic Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1571. [PMID: 38672652 PMCID: PMC11049326 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is the most aggressive and deadly form of skin cancer due to its high propensity to metastasize to distant organs. Significant progress has been made in the last few decades in melanoma therapeutics, most notably in targeted therapy and immunotherapy. These approaches have greatly improved treatment response outcomes; however, they remain limited in their abilities to hinder disease progression due, in part, to the onset of acquired resistance. In parallel, intrinsic resistance to therapy remains an issue to be resolved. In this review, we summarize currently available therapeutic options for melanoma treatment and focus on possible mechanisms that drive therapeutic resistance. A better understanding of therapy resistance will provide improved rational strategies to overcome these obstacles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Fateeva
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; (A.F.); (K.E.)
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Kevinn Eddy
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; (A.F.); (K.E.)
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Suzie Chen
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; (A.F.); (K.E.)
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ 07018, USA
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6
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Cong Y, Cai G, Ding C, Zhang H, Chen J, Luo S, Liu J. Disulfidptosis-related signature elucidates the prognostic, immunologic, and therapeutic characteristics in ovarian cancer. Front Genet 2024; 15:1378907. [PMID: 38694875 PMCID: PMC11061395 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1378907] [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: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Ovarian cancer (OC) is the deadliest malignancy in gynecology, but the mechanism of its initiation and progression is poorly elucidated. Disulfidptosis is a novel discovered type of regulatory cell death. This study aimed to develop a novel disulfidptosis-related prognostic signature (DRPS) for OC and explore the effects and potential treatment by disulfidptosis-related risk stratification. Methods The disulfidptosis-related genes were first analyzed in bulk RNA-Seq and a prognostic nomogram was developed and validated by LASSO algorithm and multivariate cox regression. Then we systematically assessed the clinicopathological and mutational characteristics, pathway enrichment analysis, immune cell infiltration, single-cell-level expression, and drug sensitivity according to DRPS. Results The DRPS was established with 6 genes (MYL6, PDLIM1, ACTN4, FLNB, SLC7A11, and CD2AP) and the corresponding prognostic nomogram was constructed based on the DRPS, FIGO stage, grade, and residual disease. Stratified by the risk score derived from DRPS, patients in high-risk group tended to have worse prognosis, lower level of disulfidptosis, activated oncogenic pathways, inhibitory tumor immune microenvironment, and higher sensitivity to specific drugs including epirubicin, stauroporine, navitoclax, and tamoxifen. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed the expression level of genes in the DRPS significantly varied in different cell types between tumor and normal tissues. The protein-level expression of genes in the DRPS was validated by the immunohistochemical staining analysis. Conclusion In this study, the DRPS and corresponding prognostic nomogram for OC were developed, which was important for OC prognostic assessment, tumor microenvironment modification, drug sensitivity prediction, and exploration of potential mechanisms in tumor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyan Cong
- Department of Oncology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guangyao Cai
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengcheng Ding
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jieping Chen
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shiwei Luo
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jihong Liu
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrical and Gynecological Diseases, Guangzhou, China
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Eddy K, Gupta K, Eddin MN, Marinaro C, Putta S, Sauer JM, Chaly A, Freeman KB, Pelletier JC, Fateeva A, Furmanski P, Silk AW, Reitz AB, Zloza A, Chen S. Assessing Longitudinal Treatment Efficacies and Alterations in Molecular Markers Associated with Glutamatergic Signaling and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in a Spontaneous Melanoma Mouse Model. JID INNOVATIONS 2024; 4:100262. [PMID: 38445232 PMCID: PMC10914525 DOI: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2024.100262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous work done by our laboratory described the use of an immunocompetent spontaneous melanoma-prone mouse model, TGS (TG-3/SKH-1), to evaluate treatment outcomes using inhibitors of glutamatergic signaling and immune checkpoint for 18 weeks. We showed a significant therapeutic efficacy with a notable sex-biased response in male mice. In this follow-up 18-week study, the dose of the glutamatergic signaling inhibitor was increased (from 1.7 mg/kg to 25 mg/kg), which resulted in improved responses in female mice but not male mice. The greatest reduction in tumor progression was observed in male mice treated with single-agent troriluzole and anti-PD-1. Furthermore, a randomly selected group of mice was removed from treatment after 18 weeks and maintained for up to an additional 48 weeks demonstrating the utility of the TGS mouse model to perform a ≥1-year preclinical therapeutic study in a physiologically relevant tumor-host environment. Digital spatial imaging analyses were performed in tumors and tumor microenvironments across treatment modalities using antibody panels for immune cell types and immune cell activation. The results suggest that immune cell populations and cytotoxic activities of T cells play critical roles in treatment responses in these mice. Examination of a group of molecular protein markers based on the proposed mechanisms of action of inhibitors of glutamatergic signaling and immune checkpoint showed that alterations in expression levels of xCT, γ-H2AX, EAAT2, PD-L1, and PD-1 are likely associated with the loss of treatment responses. These results suggest the importance of tracking changes in molecular markers associated with the mechanism of action of therapeutics over the course of a longitudinal preclinical therapeutic study in spatial and temporal manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevinn Eddy
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Graduate Program in Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Kajal Gupta
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mohamad Naser Eddin
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Christina Marinaro
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Sanjana Putta
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - John Michael Sauer
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Anna Chaly
- Fox Chase Therapeutics Discovery, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | - Anna Fateeva
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Graduate Program in Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Philip Furmanski
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
- Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Ann W. Silk
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Allen B. Reitz
- Fox Chase Therapeutics Discovery, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrew Zloza
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Cell Therapy, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Suzie Chen
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Graduate Program in Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
- Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
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8
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Jakobsen S, Nielsen CU. Exploring Amino Acid Transporters as Therapeutic Targets for Cancer: An Examination of Inhibitor Structures, Selectivity Issues, and Discovery Approaches. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:197. [PMID: 38399253 PMCID: PMC10893028 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16020197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Amino acid transporters are abundant amongst the solute carrier family and have an important role in facilitating the transfer of amino acids across cell membranes. Because of their impact on cell nutrient distribution, they also appear to have an important role in the growth and development of cancer. Naturally, this has made amino acid transporters a novel target of interest for the development of new anticancer drugs. Many attempts have been made to develop inhibitors of amino acid transporters to slow down cancer cell growth, and some have even reached clinical trials. The purpose of this review is to help organize the available information on the efforts to discover amino acid transporter inhibitors by focusing on the amino acid transporters ASCT2 (SLC1A5), LAT1 (SLC7A5), xCT (SLC7A11), SNAT1 (SLC38A1), SNAT2 (SLC38A2), and PAT1 (SLC36A1). We discuss the function of the transporters, their implication in cancer, their known inhibitors, issues regarding selective inhibitors, and the efforts and strategies of discovering inhibitors. The goal is to encourage researchers to continue the search and development within the field of cancer treatment research targeting amino acid transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Jakobsen
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Carsten Uhd Nielsen
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark
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Chang M, He C, Du Y, Qiu Y, Wang L, Chen H. RaT: Raman Transformer for highly accurate melanoma detection with critical features visualization. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2024; 305:123475. [PMID: 37806238 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2023.123475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma is an important cause of death from skin cancer. Early and accurate diagnosis can effectively reduce mortality. But the current diagnosis relies on the experience of pathologists, increasing the rate of misdiagnosis. In this paper, Raman Transformer (RaT) model is proposed by combining Raman spectroscopy and a Transformer encoder to distinguish the Raman spectra of melanoma and normal tissue. To make the spectral data more suitable for the Transformer encoder, we split the Raman spectrum into segments and map them into block vectors, which are then input into the Transformer encoder and classified using the multi-head self-attention mechanism and the Multilayer Perceptron (MLP). The RaT model achieves 99.69% accuracy, 99.61% sensitivity, and 99.82% specificity, which is higher than the classical principal component analysis with the neural network (PCA + NNET) method. In addition, we visualize and explain the fingerprint peaks found by the RaT model and their corresponding biological information. Our proposed RaT model provides a novel and reliable method for processing Raman spectral data, which is expected to help distinguish melanoma from normal cells, diagnose other diseases, and save human lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Chang
- Key Laboratory of Optical Technology and Instrument for Medicine, Ministry of Education, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China.
| | - Chen He
- Key Laboratory of Optical Technology and Instrument for Medicine, Ministry of Education, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Yi Du
- Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yemin Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Optical Technology and Instrument for Medicine, Ministry of Education, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Luyao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Optical Technology and Instrument for Medicine, Ministry of Education, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Hui Chen
- Key Laboratory of Optical Technology and Instrument for Medicine, Ministry of Education, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
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10
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Tan SLW, Tan HM, Israeli E, Fatihah I, Ramachandran V, Ali SB, Goh SJA, Wee J, Tan AQL, Tam WL, Han W. Up-regulation of SLC7A11/xCT creates a vulnerability to selenocystine-induced cytotoxicity. Biochem J 2023; 480:2045-2058. [PMID: 38078799 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20230317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The SLC7A11/xCT cystine and glutamate antiporter has emerged as an attractive target for cancer therapy due to its selective overexpression in multiple cancers and its role in preventing ferroptosis. Utilizing pharmacological and genetic approaches in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, we demonstrate that overexpression of SLC7A11 engenders hypersensitivity towards l-selenocystine, a naturally occurring diselenide that bears close structural similarity to l-cystine. We find that the abundance of SLC7A11 positively correlates with sensitivity to l-selenocystine, but surprisingly, not to Erastin, an inhibitor of SLC7A11 activity. Our data indicate that SLC7A11 acts as a transport channel for l-selenocystine, which preferentially incites acute oxidative stress and damage eventuating to cell death in cells that highly express SLC7A11. Hence, our findings raise the prospect of l-selenocystine administration as a novel strategy for targeting cancers that up-regulate SLC7A11 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn Lu Wen Tan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Hui Min Tan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Erez Israeli
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Indah Fatihah
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Vignesh Ramachandran
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Shamsia Bte Ali
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Shane Jun An Goh
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Jillian Wee
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Alicia Qian Ler Tan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Wai Leong Tam
- NUS Centre for Cancer Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Republic of Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Republic of Singapore
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis Drive, Genome, Singapore 138672, Republic of Singapore
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Republic of Singapore
| | - Weiping Han
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore
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11
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Eddy K, Gupta K, Pelletier JC, Isola AL, Marinaro C, Rasheed MA, Campagnolo J, Eddin MN, Rossi M, Fateeva A, Reuhl K, Shah R, Robinson AK, Chaly A, Freeman KB, Chen W, Diaz J, Furmanski P, Silk AW, Reitz AB, Zloza A, Chen S. A Spontaneous Melanoma Mouse Model Applicable for a Longitudinal Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Study. J Invest Dermatol 2023; 143:2007-2018.e6. [PMID: 36997110 PMCID: PMC10524215 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.03.1664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Mouse models that reflect human disorders provide invaluable tools for the translation of basic science discoveries to clinical therapies. However, many of these in vivo therapeutic studies are short term and do not accurately mimic patient conditions. In this study, we used a fully immunocompetent, transgenic mouse model, TGS, in which the spontaneous development of metastatic melanoma is driven by the ectopic expression of a normal neuronal receptor, mGluR1, as a model to assess longitudinal treatment response (up to 8 months) with an inhibitor of glutamatergic signaling, troriluzole, which is a prodrug of riluzole, plus an antibody against PD-1, an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Our results reveal a sex-biased treatment response that led to improved survival in troriluzole and/or anti-PD-1-treated male mice that correlated with differential CD8+ T cells and CD11b+ myeloid cell populations in the tumor-stromal interface, supporting the notion that this model is a responsive and tractable system for evaluating therapeutic regimens for melanoma in an immunocompetent setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevinn Eddy
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Kajal Gupta
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Allison L Isola
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Annandale, New Jersey, USA
| | - Christina Marinaro
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Maryam Abdur Rasheed
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Joseph Campagnolo
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Mohamad Naser Eddin
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Marco Rossi
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplant Research, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Anna Fateeva
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Kenneth Reuhl
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Raj Shah
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Ann K Robinson
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Anna Chaly
- Fox Chase Therapeutics Discovery, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Katie B Freeman
- Fox Chase Therapeutics Discovery, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Wenjin Chen
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jesus Diaz
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplant Research, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Philip Furmanski
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Ann W Silk
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Allen B Reitz
- Fox Chase Therapeutics Discovery, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrew Zloza
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplant Research, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Suzie Chen
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.
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12
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Olukoya AO, Stires H, Bahnassy S, Persaud S, Guerra Y, Ranjit S, Ma S, Cruz MI, Benitez C, Rozeboom AM, Ceuleers H, Berry DL, Jacobsen BM, Raj GV, Riggins RB. Riluzole Suppresses Growth and Enhances Response to Endocrine Therapy in ER+ Breast Cancer. J Endocr Soc 2023; 7:bvad117. [PMID: 37766843 PMCID: PMC10521904 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvad117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Resistance to endocrine therapy in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer remains a significant clinical problem. Riluzole is FDA-approved for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A benzothiazole-based glutamate release inhibitor with several context-dependent mechanism(s) of action, riluzole has shown antitumor activity in multiple malignancies, including melanoma, glioblastoma, and breast cancer. We previously reported that the acquisition of tamoxifen resistance in a cellular model of invasive lobular breast cancer is accompanied by the upregulation of GRM mRNA expression and growth inhibition by riluzole. Methods We tested the ability of riluzole to reduce cell growth, alone and in combination with endocrine therapy, in a diverse set of ER+ invasive ductal and lobular breast cancer-derived cell lines, primary breast tumor explant cultures, and the estrogen-independent, ESR1-mutated invasive lobular breast cancer patient-derived xenograft model HCI-013EI. Results Single-agent riluzole suppressed the growth of ER+ invasive ductal and lobular breast cancer cell lines in vitro, inducing a histologic subtype-associated cell cycle arrest (G0-G1 for ductal, G2-M for lobular). Riluzole induced apoptosis and ferroptosis and reduced phosphorylation of multiple prosurvival signaling molecules, including Akt/mTOR, CREB, and Fak/Src family kinases. Riluzole, in combination with either fulvestrant or 4-hydroxytamoxifen, additively suppressed ER+ breast cancer cell growth in vitro. Single-agent riluzole significantly inhibited HCI-013EI patient-derived xenograft growth in vivo, and the combination of riluzole plus fulvestrant significantly reduced proliferation in ex vivo primary breast tumor explant cultures. Conclusion Riluzole may offer therapeutic benefits in diverse ER+ breast cancers, including lobular breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayodeji O Olukoya
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Hillary Stires
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Shaymaa Bahnassy
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Sonali Persaud
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Yanira Guerra
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Suman Ranjit
- Department of Biochemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Shihong Ma
- Departments of Urology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - M Idalia Cruz
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Carlos Benitez
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Aaron M Rozeboom
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Hannah Ceuleers
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Deborah L Berry
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Britta M Jacobsen
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO 80045, USA
| | - Ganesh V Raj
- Departments of Urology and Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Rebecca B Riggins
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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13
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Li Z, Qiao X, Liu XM, Shi SH, Qiao X, Xu JY. Blocking xCT and PI3K/Akt pathway synergized with DNA damage of Riluzole-Pt(IV) prodrugs for cancer treatment. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 250:115233. [PMID: 36863224 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Cancer treatment requires the participation of multiple targets/pathways, and single approach is hard to effectively curb the proliferation and metastasis of carcinoma cells. In this work, we conjugated FDA-approved riluzole and platinum(II) drugs into a series of unreported riluzole-Pt(IV) compounds, which were designed to simultaneously target DNA, the solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11, xCT), and the human ether a go-go related gene 1 (hERG1), to exert synergistic anticancer effect. Among them, c,c,t-[PtCl2(NH3)2(OH)(glutarylriluzole)] (compound 2) displayed excellent antiproliferative activity with IC50 value of 300-times lower than that of cisplatin in HCT-116, and optimal selectivity index between carcinoma and human normal liver cells (LO2). Mechanism studies indicated that compound 2 released riluzole and active Pt(II) species after entering cells to exhibit a prodrug behavior against cancer, which obviously increased DNA-damage and cell apoptosis, as well as suppressed metastasis in HCT-116. Compound 2 persisted in the xCT-target of riluzole and blocked the biosynthesis of glutathione (GSH) to trigger oxidative stress, which could boost the killing to cancer cells and reduce Pt-drug resistance. Meanwhile, compound 2 significantly inhibited invasion and metastasis of HCT-116 cells by targeting hERG1 to interrupt the phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases/proteinserine-threonine kinase (PI3K/Akt), and reverse epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT). Based on our results, the riluzole-Pt(IV) prodrugs studied in this work could be regarded as a new class of very promising candidates for cancer treatment compared to traditional platinum drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Li
- Department of Chemical Biology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Xin Qiao
- Department of Chemical Biology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Xiao-Meng Liu
- Department of Chemical Biology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Shu-Hao Shi
- Department of Chemical Biology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Xin Qiao
- Department of Chemical Biology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Jing-Yuan Xu
- Department of Chemical Biology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China; Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China.
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14
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Koda S, Hu J, Ju X, Sun G, Shao S, Tang RX, Zheng KY, Yan J. The role of glutamate receptors in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1123841. [PMID: 36817470 PMCID: PMC9929049 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1123841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutamate, as one of the most important carbon sources in the TCA cycle, is central in metabolic processes that will subsequently influence tumor progression. Several factors can affect the expression of glutamate receptors, playing either a tumor-promoting or tumor-suppressor role in cancer. Thus, the activation of glutamate receptors by the ligand could play a role in tumor development as ample studies have demonstrated the expression of glutamate receptors in a broad range of tumor cells. Glutamate and its receptors are involved in the regulation of different immune cells' development and function, as suggested by the receptor expression in immune cells. The activation of glutamate receptors can enhance the effectiveness of the effector's T cells, or decrease the cytokine production in immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells, increasing the antitumor immune response. These receptors are essential for the interaction between tumor and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the regulation of antitumor immune responses. Although the role of glutamate in the TCA cycle has been well studied, few studies have deeply investigated the role of glutamate receptors in the regulation of cancer and immune cells within the TME. Here, by a systematic review of the available data, we will critically assess the physiopathological relevance of glutamate receptors in the regulation of cancer and immune cells in the TME and provide some unifying hypotheses for futures research on the role of glutamate receptors in the immune modulation of the tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephane Koda
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, National Experimental Demonstration Center for Basic Medicine Education, Xuzhou Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Hu
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Life Science, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoman Ju
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, National Experimental Demonstration Center for Basic Medicine Education, Xuzhou Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guowei Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, National Experimental Demonstration Center for Basic Medicine Education, Xuzhou Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Simin Shao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, National Experimental Demonstration Center for Basic Medicine Education, Xuzhou Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ren-Xian Tang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, National Experimental Demonstration Center for Basic Medicine Education, Xuzhou Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kui-Yang Zheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, National Experimental Demonstration Center for Basic Medicine Education, Xuzhou Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,*Correspondence: Juming Yan, ; Kui-Yang Zheng,
| | - Juming Yan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, National Experimental Demonstration Center for Basic Medicine Education, Xuzhou Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China,*Correspondence: Juming Yan, ; Kui-Yang Zheng,
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15
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Bioinformatics Identification of Ferroptosis-Associated Biomarkers and Therapeutic Compounds in Psoriasis. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:3818216. [PMID: 36276287 PMCID: PMC9581596 DOI: 10.1155/2022/3818216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Purpose. Psoriasis is closely linked to ferroptosis. This study aimed to identify potential ferroptosis-associated genes in psoriasis using bioinformatics. Methods. Data from the GSE30999 dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and the ferroptosis-associated genes were retrieved from FerrDb. The differentially expressed ferroptosis-associated genes were identified using Venn diagrams. Subsequently, a network of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between psoriasis targets and ferroptosis-associated genes was constructed based on the STRING database and analyzed by Cytoscape software. The Metascape portal conducted Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Moreover, the expression of ferroptosis-related genes was verified in the GSE13355 dataset. Finally, the verified genes were used to predict the therapeutic drugs for psoriasis using the DGIdb/CMap database. SwissDock was used to examine ligand docking, and UCSF Chimera displayed the results visually. Results. Among 85 pairs of psoriasis lesion (LS) and no-lesion (NL) samples from patients, 19 ferroptosis-associated genes were found to be differentially expressed (3 upregulated genes and 16 downregulated genes). Based on the PPI results, these ferroptosis-associated genes interact with each other. The GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes indicated several enriched terms related to the oxidative stress response. The GSE13355 dataset verified the results of the bioinformatics analysis obtained from the GSE30999 dataset regarding SLC7A5, SLC7A11, and CHAC1. Psoriasis-related compounds corresponding to SLC7A5 and SLC7A11 were also identified, including Melphalan, Quisqualate, Riluzole, and Sulfasalazine. Conclusion. We identified 3 differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes through bioinformatics analysis. SLC7A5, SLC7A11, and CHAC1 may affect the development of psoriasis by regulating ferroptosis. These results open new avenues in understanding the treatment of psoriasis.
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16
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Implications of a Neuronal Receptor Family, Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors, in Cancer Development and Progression. Cells 2022; 11:cells11182857. [PMID: 36139432 PMCID: PMC9496915 DOI: 10.3390/cells11182857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is the second leading cause of death, and incidences are increasing globally. Simply defined, cancer is the uncontrolled proliferation of a cell, and depending on the tissue of origin, the cancer etiology, biology, progression, prognosis, and treatment will differ. Carcinogenesis and its progression are associated with genetic factors that can either be inherited and/or acquired and are classified as an oncogene or tumor suppressor. Many of these genetic factors converge on common signaling pathway(s), such as the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways. In this review, we will focus on the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) family, an upstream protein that transmits extracellular signals into the cell and has been shown to regulate many aspects of tumor development and progression. We explore the involvement of members of this receptor family in various cancers that include breast cancer, colorectal cancer, glioma, kidney cancer, melanoma, oral cancer, osteosarcoma, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and T-cell cancers. Intriguingly, depending on the member, mGluRs can either be classified as oncogenes or tumor suppressors, although in general most act as an oncogene. The extensive work done to elucidate the role of mGluRs in various cancers suggests that it might be a viable strategy to therapeutically target glutamatergic signaling.
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Galluccio M, Scalise M, Pappacoda G, Scarpelli M, Bonanomi M, Gaglio D, Indiveri C. Production of recombinant human xCT (SLC7A11) and reconstitution in proteoliposomes for functional studies. Front Physiol 2022; 13:993626. [PMID: 36148304 PMCID: PMC9485625 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.993626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The plasma membrane transporter xCT belongs to the SLC7 family and has the physiological role of mediating the exchange of glutamate and cystine across the cell plasma membrane, being crucial for redox control. The xCT protein forms a heterodimer with the ancillary protein CD98. Over the years, xCT became a hot pharmacological target due to the documented over-expression in virtually all human cancers, which rely on cystine availability for their progression. Notwithstanding, several unknown aspects of xCT biology still exist that require a suitable single protein experimental model, to be addressed. To this aim, the recombinant host Escherichia coli has been exploited to over-express the human isoform of xCT. In this widely used and low-cost system, the optimization for growth and protein production has been achieved by acting on the metabolic needs of the bacterial strains. Then, the His-tagged protein has been purified by Ni2+-chelating chromatography and reconstituted in proteoliposomes for transport activity assays. The expressed protein was in a folded/active state allowing functional and kinetic characterization. Interestingly, the features of the recombinant protein meet those of the native one extracted from intact cells, further confirming the suitability of E. coli as a host for the expression of human proteins. This study opens perspectives for elucidating other molecular aspects of xCT, as well as for studying the interaction with endogenous and exogenous compounds, relevant to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Galluccio
- Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, Department DiBEST (Biologia Ecologia Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
| | - Mariafrancesca Scalise
- Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, Department DiBEST (Biologia Ecologia Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
| | - Gilda Pappacoda
- Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, Department DiBEST (Biologia Ecologia Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
| | - Martina Scarpelli
- Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, Department DiBEST (Biologia Ecologia Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
| | - Marcella Bonanomi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- ISBE.IT/Centre of Systems Biology, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Gaglio
- ISBE.IT/Centre of Systems Biology, Milan, Italy
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology (IBFM), National Research Council (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | - Cesare Indiveri
- Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, Department DiBEST (Biologia Ecologia Scienze della Terra), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
- CNR Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics, and Molecular Biotechnologies (IBIOM), Bari, Italy
- *Correspondence: Cesare Indiveri,
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The Role of SLC7A11 in Cancer: Friend or Foe? Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14133059. [PMID: 35804831 PMCID: PMC9264807 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
SLC7A11 controls the uptake of extracellular cystine in exchange for glutamate at a ratio of 1:1, and it is overexpressed in a variety of tumours. Accumulating evidence has shown that the expression of SLC7A11 is fine-tuned at multiple levels, and plays diverse functional and pharmacological roles in tumours, such as cellular redox homeostasis, cell growth and death, and cell metabolism. Many reports have suggested that the inhibition of SLC7A11 expression and activity is favourable for tumour therapy; thus, SLC7A11 is regarded as a potential therapeutic target. However, emerging evidence also suggests that on some occasions, the inhibition of SLC7A11 is beneficial to the survival of cancer cells, and confers the development of drug resistance. In this review, we first briefly introduce the biological properties of SLC7A11, including its structure and physiological functions, and further summarise its regulatory network and potential regulators. Then, focusing on its role in cancer, we describe the relationships of SLC7A11 with tumourigenesis, survival, proliferation, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance in more detail. Finally, since SLC7A11 has been linked to cancer through multiple approaches, we propose that its contribution and regulatory mechanism require further elucidation. Thus, more personalised therapeutic strategies should be adapted when targeting SLC7A11.
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19
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Hu P, Xu Y, Jiang Y, Huang J, Liu Y, Wang D, Tao T, Sun Z, Liu Y. The mechanism of the imbalance between proliferation and ferroptosis in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells based on the activation of SLC7A11. Eur J Pharmacol 2022; 928:175093. [PMID: 35700835 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175093] [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: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic, progressive pulmonary vascular disease. Pulmonary vascular remodelling (PVR) is one of the main pathological features of PAH. The main cause of PVR is cell death inhibition and excessive proliferation in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), which are also affected by oxidative stress. Ferroptosis is a newly identified form of cell death, which is associated with oxidative damage. It depends on the excessive accumulation of lipid peroxides and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells. Solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) is a subunit of the cystine/glutamate antiporter system Xc-, which inhibits ferroptosis by eliminating ROS through the promotion of GSH synthesis in cancer cells. However, very few studies exist on the relationship between ferroptosis and SLC7A11 in PAH. In this study, SLC7A11 was up-regulated in Sugen5416/hypoxia-induced PAH rats and patients with PAH. Moreover, SLC7A11 inhibited ferroptosis and promoted proliferation by overexpressing SLC7A11 in PASMCs. Additionally, ubiquitin aldehyde binding 1 (OTUB1), the main regulator of SLC7A11 stability, was involved in the ferroptosis and proliferation of PASMCs. Furthermore, erastin induced ferroptosis by inhibiting SLC7A11 and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expressions in vivo and in vitro, suggesting that the continuous proliferation in hypoxic PASMCs could be reversed by erastin. Therefore, this study identifies novel targets and new research directions regarding PAH pathogenesis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panpan Hu
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, 222061, China
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, 222061, China; Department of Pharmacy, Lianyungang Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222061, China
| | - Yanjiao Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, 222061, China
| | - Jie Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, 222061, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, 222061, China
| | - Dapeng Wang
- Department of Intensive Medicine, Wuxi People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ting Tao
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, 222061, China
| | - Zengxian Sun
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, 222061, China; Department of Pharmacy, Lianyungang Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222061, China
| | - Yun Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, 222061, China; Department of Pharmacy, Lianyungang Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, 222061, China.
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20
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Cai L, Hu X, Ye L, Bai P, Jie Y, Shu K. Long non-coding RNA ADAMTS9-AS1 attenuates ferroptosis by Targeting microRNA-587/solute carrier family 7 member 11 axis in epithelial ovarian cancer. Bioengineered 2022; 13:8226-8239. [PMID: 35311457 PMCID: PMC9161843 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2022.2049470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) accounts for approximately 90% of all ovarian cancer cases and is the most common cause of gynecological cancer death. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of EOC will help develop better diagnostics and more effective treatments. This study aimed to investigate whether long non-coding RNA ADAMTS9-AS1 (ADAMTS9-AS1) could regulate solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) expression and inhibit ferroptosis by sponging micoRNA-587 in EOC progression. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting results showed that ADAMTS9-AS1 expression was elevated in EOC cells; microRNA-587 expression was up-regulated and SLC7A11 expression was down-regulated after knocking down ADAMTS9-AS1 by transfection with siRNAs; however, microRNA-587 inhibitor reversed SLC7A11 expression in ADAMTS9-AS1 knocking down cells. Ferroptosis related marker detection and cell function assay confirmed that knocking down ADAMTS9-AS1 inhibited EOC cells proliferation and migration by promoting ferroptosis. Overexpression of micoRNA-587 also promoted ferroptosis while inhibited cells proliferation and migration in EOC cells. Additionally, micoRNA-587 inhibitor reversed the effect of ADAMTS9-AS1 silence on the ferroptosis and cell function. Moreover, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay confirmed that miR-587 was as a sponge for ADAMTS9-AS1 and SLC7A11. In conclusion, our study found that ADAMTS9-AS1 attenuated ferroptosis by targeting miR-587/SLC7A11 axis in EOC. Our study provides a new therapeutic target for EOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Cai
- Department of gynecologic oncology, Maternal and Child Health Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xiaoqing Hu
- Department of gynecologic oncology, Maternal and Child Health Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Lu Ye
- Department of Pathology, Maternal and Child Health Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Pingjuan Bai
- Department of Pathology, Maternal and Child Health Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Youkun Jie
- Department of Pathology, Maternal and Child Health Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
| | - Kuanyong Shu
- Department of gynecologic oncology, Maternal and Child Health Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, China
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21
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xCT contributes to colorectal cancer tumorigenesis through upregulation of the MELK oncogene and activation of the AKT/mTOR cascade. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:373. [PMID: 35440604 PMCID: PMC9019093 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04827-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractColorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed and deadly malignant tumors globally, and its occurrence and progression are closely related to the poor histological features and complex molecular characteristics among patients. It is urgent to identify specific biomarkers for effective treatment of CRC. In this study, we performed comprehensive experiments to validate the role of xCT expression in CRC tumorigenesis and stemness and confirmed xCT knockdown significantly suppressed the proliferation, migration, and stemness of CRC cells in vitro and effectively inhibited CRC tumorigenesis and metastasis in vivo. In addition, bioinformatic analysis and luciferase assays were used to identify E2F1 as a critical upstream transcription factor of SLC7A11 (the gene encoding for xCT) that facilitated CRC progression and cell stemness. Subsequent RNA sequencing, western blotting, rescue assay, and immunofluorescence assays revealed MELK directly co-expressed with xCT in CRC cells, and its upregulation significantly attenuated E2F1/xCT-mediated tumorigenesis and stemness in CRC. Further molecular mechanism exploration confirmed that xCT knockdown may exert an antitumor effect by controlling the activation of MELK-mediated Akt/mTOR signaling. Erastin, a specific inhibitor of xCT, was also proven to effectively inhibit CRC tumorigenesis and cell stemness. Altogether, our study showed that E2F1/xCT is a promising therapeutic target of CRC that promotes tumorigenesis and cell stemness. Erastin is also an effective antitumoral agent for CRC.
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22
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Carpenter EL, Becker AL, Indra AK. NRF2 and Key Transcriptional Targets in Melanoma Redox Manipulation. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14061531. [PMID: 35326683 PMCID: PMC8946769 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanocytes are dendritic, pigment-producing cells located in the skin and are responsible for its protection against the deleterious effects of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which include DNA damage and elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS). They do so by synthesizing photoprotective melanin pigments and distributing them to adjacent skin cells (e.g., keratinocytes). However, melanocytes encounter a large burden of oxidative stress during this process, due to both exogenous and endogenous sources. Therefore, melanocytes employ numerous antioxidant defenses to protect themselves; these are largely regulated by the master stress response transcription factor, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2). Key effector transcriptional targets of NRF2 include the components of the glutathione and thioredoxin antioxidant systems. Despite these defenses, melanocyte DNA often is subject to mutations that result in the dysregulation of the proliferative mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and the cell cycle. Following tumor initiation, endogenous antioxidant systems are co-opted, a consequence of elevated oxidative stress caused by metabolic reprogramming, to establish an altered redox homeostasis. This altered redox homeostasis contributes to tumor progression and metastasis, while also complicating the application of exogenous antioxidant treatments. Further understanding of melanocyte redox homeostasis, in the presence or absence of disease, would contribute to the development of novel therapies to aid in the prevention and treatment of melanomas and other skin diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan L. Carpenter
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; (E.L.C.); (A.L.B.)
| | - Alyssa L. Becker
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; (E.L.C.); (A.L.B.)
- John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
| | - Arup K. Indra
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA; (E.L.C.); (A.L.B.)
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Linus Pauling Science Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Correspondence:
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23
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Jyotsana N, Ta KT, DelGiorno KE. The Role of Cystine/Glutamate Antiporter SLC7A11/xCT in the Pathophysiology of Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:858462. [PMID: 35280777 PMCID: PMC8904967 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.858462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
SLC7A11/xCT is an antiporter that mediates the uptake of extracellular cystine in exchange for glutamate. Cystine is reduced to cysteine, which is a rate-limiting precursor in glutathione synthesis; a process that protects cells from oxidative stress and is, therefore, critical to cell growth, proliferation, and metabolism. SLC7A11 is expressed in different tissues and plays diverse functional roles in the pathophysiology of various diseases, including cancer, by regulating the processes of redox homeostasis, metabolic flexibility/nutrient dependency, immune system function, and ferroptosis. SLC7A11 expression is associated with poor prognosis and drug resistance in cancer and, therefore, represents an important therapeutic target. In this review, we discuss the molecular functions of SLC7A11 in normal versus diseased tissues, with a special focus on how it regulates gastrointestinal cancers. Further, we summarize current therapeutic strategies targeting SLC7A11 as well as novel avenues for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Jyotsana
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Kenny T. Ta
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Kathleen E. DelGiorno
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Research Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
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24
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García-Gaytán AC, Hernández-Abrego A, Díaz-Muñoz M, Méndez I. Glutamatergic system components as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer in non-neural organs. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1029210. [PMID: 36457557 PMCID: PMC9705578 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1029210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate is one of the most abundant amino acids in the blood. Besides its role as a neurotransmitter in the brain, it is a key substrate in several metabolic pathways and a primary messenger that acts through its receptors outside the central nervous system (CNS). The two main types of glutamate receptors, ionotropic and metabotropic, are well characterized in CNS and have been recently analyzed for their roles in non-neural organs. Glutamate receptor expression may be particularly important for tumor growth in organs with high concentrations of glutamate and might also influence the propensity of such tumors to set metastases in glutamate-rich organs, such as the liver. The study of glutamate transporters has also acquired relevance in the physiology and pathologies outside the CNS, especially in the field of cancer research. In this review, we address the recent findings about the expression of glutamatergic system components, such as receptors and transporters, their role in the physiology and pathology of cancer in non-neural organs, and their possible use as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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25
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Oxidative Stress-Related Mechanisms in Melanoma and in the Acquired Resistance to Targeted Therapies. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10121942. [PMID: 34943045 PMCID: PMC8750393 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10121942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is a highly aggressive cancer with the poorest prognosis, representing the deadliest form of skin cancer. Activating mutations in BRAF are the most frequent genetic alterations, present in approximately 50% of all melanoma cases. The use of specific inhibitors towards mutant BRAF variants and MEK, a downstream signaling target of BRAF in the MAPK pathway, has significantly improved progression-free and overall survival in advanced melanoma patients carrying BRAF mutations. Nevertheless, despite these improvements, resistance still develops within the first year of therapy in around 50% of patients, which is a significant problem in managing BRAF-mutated advanced melanoma. Understanding these mechanisms is one of the mainstreams of the research on BRAFi/MEKi acquired resistance. Both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms have been described. Moreover, in recent years, oxidative stress has emerged as another major force involved in all the phases of melanoma development, from initiation to progression until the onsets of the metastatic phenotype and chemoresistance, and has thus become a target for therapy. In the present review, we discuss the current knowledge on oxidative stress and its signaling in melanoma, as well as the oxidative stress-related mechanisms in the acquired resistance to targeted therapies.
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26
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Yadav P, Sharma P, Sundaram S, Venkatraman G, Bera AK, Karunagaran D. SLC7A11/ xCT is a target of miR-5096 and its restoration partially rescues miR-5096-mediated ferroptosis and anti-tumor effects in human breast cancer cells. Cancer Lett 2021; 522:211-224. [PMID: 34571083 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.09.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer cells evade cell death by overexpressing SLC7A11, which functions by transporting cystine into cells in exchange for intracellular glutamate facilitating glutathione synthesis and reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated stress. Using an in silico approach, we predicted an miRNA (miR-5096) that can target and downregulate SLC7A11. We demonstrated SLC7A11 as a target of miR-5096 by 3'UTR luciferase assay and further validated it by identifying reduced mRNA and protein levels of SLC7A11 upon miR-5096 overexpression. miR-5096-induced ferroptotic cell death in human breast cancer cells was confirmed by concurrently increased ROS, OH-, lipid ROS, and iron accumulation levels and decreased GSH and mitochondrial membrane potential (MitoTracker™ Orange) with mitochondrial shrinkage and partial cristae loss (observed by TEM). miR-5096 inhibited colony formation, transwell migration, and breast cancer cell invasion, whereas antimiR-5096 promoted these tumorigenic properties. Ectopic expression of SLC7A11 partly reversed miR-5096-mediated effects on cell survival, ROS, lipid peroxides, iron accumulation, GSH, hydroxyl radicals, mitochondrial membrane potential, and colony formation. miR-5096 modulated the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in vitro and inhibited the metastatic potential of MDA-MB-231 cells in a tumor xenograft model of zebrafish larvae. Our results demonstrate that miR-5096 is a tumor-suppressive miRNA in breast cancer cells, and this paper discusses its therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam Yadav
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600036, India
| | - Priyanshu Sharma
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600036, India
| | - Sandhya Sundaram
- Department of Pathology, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Ramachandra University, Porur, Chennai, 600116, India
| | - Ganesh Venkatraman
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Technology and Research, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, 600116, India
| | - Amal Kanti Bera
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600036, India
| | - Devarajan Karunagaran
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600036, India.
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27
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Ke Y, Chen X, Su Y, Chen C, Lei S, Xia L, Wei D, Zhang H, Dong C, Liu X, Yin F. Low Expression of SLC7A11 Confers Drug Resistance and Worse Survival in Ovarian Cancer via Inhibition of Cell Autophagy as a Competing Endogenous RNA. Front Oncol 2021; 11:744940. [PMID: 34790572 PMCID: PMC8591223 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.744940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance is the main cause of chemotherapy failure in ovarian cancer (OC), and identifying potential druggable targets of autophagy is a novel and promising approach to overcoming drug resistance. In this study, 131 genes associated with autophagy were identified from three autophagy-related databases, and of these, 14 were differentially expressed in 90 drug-resistant OC tissues versus 197 sensitive tissues according to the Cancer Genome Atlas ovarian cancer cohort. Among these 14 genes, SLC7A11 was significantly decreased in two paclitaxel-resistant OC cells (HeyA8-R and SKOV3-R) and in 90 drug-resistant tissues compared with their controls. In vitro overexpression of SLC7A11 significantly increased the sensitivity of HeyA8-R cells to paclitaxel, inhibited colony formation, induced apoptosis, and arrested cell cycle. Further, low SLC7A11 expression was correlated with poor overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and post-progression survival (PPS) in 1815 OC patients. Mechanistically, SLC7A11 strongly regulated cell autophagy as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) based on pan-cancer analyses of 32 tumor types. Specifically, as a ceRNA for autophagy genes STX17, RAB33B, and UVRAG, SLC7A11 was strongly and positively co-expressed with these three genes in 20, 12, and 12 different tumors, respectively, in 379 OC tissues and in 90 drug-resistant OC tissues, and the former two were significantly upregulated in SLC7A11-overexpressed HeyA8-R cells. Further, SLC7A11 induced the protein expression of other autophagy genes, such as LC3, Atg16L1, and Atg7, and the expression of the respective proteins was further increased when the cells were treated with paclitaxel. The results strongly suggest that SLC7A11 regulates autophagy via ceRNA interactions with the three abovementioned genes in pan-cancer and in drug-resistant OC. Moreover, low expression of STX17 and UVRAG also significantly predicted low OS, PFS, and PPS. The combination of SLC7A11 with STX17 was more predictive of OS and PFS than either individually, and the combination of SLC7A11 with UVRAG was highly predictive of OS and PPS. The above results indicated that decreased SLC7A11 resulted in drug resistance and effected low rates of survival in OC patients, probably via ceRNA interactions with autophagy genes, and thus the gene could serve as a therapeutic target and potential biomarker in OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Ke
- Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xiaoying Chen
- Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Yuting Su
- Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Cuilan Chen
- Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Shunmei Lei
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Ageing-Related Disease of Chinese Ministry of Education, Centre for Translational Medicine and School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Lianping Xia
- Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Dan Wei
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Ageing-Related Disease of Chinese Ministry of Education, Centre for Translational Medicine and School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Ageing-Related Disease of Chinese Ministry of Education, Centre for Translational Medicine and School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Caihua Dong
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Ageing-Related Disease of Chinese Ministry of Education, Centre for Translational Medicine and School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Xia Liu
- Key Laboratory of Longevity and Ageing-Related Disease of Chinese Ministry of Education, Centre for Translational Medicine and School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Fuqiang Yin
- Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.,Key Laboratory of High-Incidence-Tumor Prevention and Treatment (Guangxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Nanning, China
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28
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Blyufer A, Lhamo S, Tam C, Tariq I, Thavornwatanayong T, Mahajan SS. Riluzole: A neuroprotective drug with potential as a novel anti‑cancer agent (Review). Int J Oncol 2021; 59:95. [PMID: 34713302 PMCID: PMC8562386 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2021.5275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Riluzole, a glutamate release inhibitor, has been in use for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for over two decades since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Recently, riluzole has been evaluated in cancer cells and indicated to block cell proliferation and/or induce cell death. Riluzole has been proven effective as an anti-neoplastic drug in cancers of various tissue origins, including the skin, breast, pancreas, colon, liver, bone, brain, lung and nasopharynx. While cancer cells expressing glutamate receptors frequently respond to riluzole treatment, numerous types of cancer cell lacking glutamate receptors unexpectedly responded to riluzole treatment as well. Riluzole was demonstrated to interfere with glutamate secretion, growth signaling pathways, Ca2+ homeostasis, glutathione synthesis, reactive oxygen species generation and integrity of DNA, as well as autophagic and apoptotic pathways. Of note, riluzole is highly effective in inducing cell death in cisplatin-resistant lung cancer cells. Furthermore, riluzole pretreatment sensitizes glioma and melanoma to radiation therapy. In addition, in triple-negative breast cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma and glioblastoma, riluzole has synergistic effects in combination with select drugs. In an effort to highlight the therapeutic potential of riluzole, the current study reviewed the effect and outcome of riluzole treatment on numerous cancer types investigated thus far. The mechanism of action and the various molecular pathways affected by riluzole are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelina Blyufer
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Sonam Lhamo
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Cassey Tam
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Iffat Tariq
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | | | - Shahana S Mahajan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10010, USA
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29
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Liu MR, Zhu WT, Pei DS. System Xc -: a key regulatory target of ferroptosis in cancer. Invest New Drugs 2021; 39:1123-1131. [PMID: 33506324 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-021-01070-0/tables/1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Ferroptosis is a type of oxidative stress-dependent regulated necrosis characterized by excessive lipid peroxide accumulation. This novel cell death modality has been implicated in preventing cancer progression. Cancer cells tend to modulate their redox state to prevent excessive peroxidation, eventually facilitating tumor growth. System Xc- (a cystine/glutamate antiporter system) is a promising target in cancer cells for ferroptosis induction. The overexpression of system Xc-, especially its core subunit xCT, has been reported in several tumors, and these high expression levels were closely related to cancer cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis and the tumor microenvironment. xCT might serve as a novel biomarker, and its upregulation almost always indicates drug tolerance and poor survival. Therefore, system Xc- inhibition may enhance chemotherapy sensitivity and optimize patient prognosis. Here, we elaborate on the mediation of ferroptosis by suppressing system Xc- and the relevant underlying molecular mechanism in cancer cells. The spotlight on this approach to cancer treatment is creating a new horizon and pointing to future opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Ru Liu
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-shan Road, Jiangsu, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - Wen-Tao Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-shan Road, Jiangsu, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - Dong-Sheng Pei
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-shan Road, Jiangsu, 221004, Xuzhou, China.
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Eddy K, Chen S. Glutamatergic Signaling a Therapeutic Vulnerability in Melanoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3874. [PMID: 34359771 PMCID: PMC8345431 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Like other cancers, melanomas are associated with the hyperactivation of two major cell signaling cascades, the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways. Both pathways are activated by numerous genes implicated in the development and progression of melanomas such as mutated BRAF, RAS, and NF1. Our lab was the first to identify yet another driver of melanoma, Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 1 (protein: mGluR1, mouse gene: Grm1, human gene: GRM1), upstream of the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways. Binding of glutamate, the natural ligand of mGluR1, activates MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways and sets in motion the deregulated cellular responses in cell growth, cell survival, and cell metastasis. In this review, we will assess the proposed modes of action that mediate the oncogenic properties of mGluR1 in melanoma and possible application of anti-glutamatergic signaling modulator(s) as therapeutic strategy for the treatment of melanomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevinn Eddy
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Suzie Chen
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
- Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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Wu J, Liao XH, Wu QL, Yu W. MiR-128-3p targets xCT gene in colorectal cancer: Molecular mechanism and correlation with patients' clinicopathological features. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2021; 29:526-536. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v29.i10.526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common malignant tumor of the digestive system. However, the molecular mechanism of the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells has not been fully elucidated. Cystine/glutamate antiporter (xCT) has been shown to be overexpressed in a variety of tumors and is associated with ferroptosis.
AIM To investigate the molecular mechanism of Mir-128-3p targeting xCT gene in inhibiting the proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer cells and the correlation with patients' clinicopathological characteristics.
METHODS The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Oncomine databases were applied to compare the expression of xCT gene in tumor tissue and corresponding normal tissue of human colorectal cancer and various solid tumors. The relationship between xCT expression level and lymphocyte infiltration was analyzed in the tumor immune estimation resource (TIMER) database. GSE18392 was downloaded from gene expression omnibus (GEO) database to screen differentially expressed miRNAs between cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues. The screening criteria were log2FC > 1 and adjP < 0.05. Online prediction algorithm of miRNA target genes (targetscan, Mirdb, and Starbase) was used to predict the upstream target miRNAs of xCT. The expression levels of xCT and miR-128-3p were detected by RT-PCR in normal human intestinal epithelial cells, colorectal cancer cell lines, and 38 pairs of colorectal cancer tissues and adjacent tissues. MTT and wound healing assays were applied to detect the cell proliferation and migration ability after transfection with miR-128-3p.
RESULTS The expression level of xCT in colorectal cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.05). MiR-128-3p was identified to target the xCT gene in the upstream. Luciferase reporter gene assay showed that miR-128-3p could bind to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of xCT gene. xCT was overexpressed in human colon cancer cell lines compared to normal human colorectal cells (P < 0.05). However, miR-128-3p was downregulated in colorectal human colon cancer cell lines compared to normal human colorectal cells (P < 0.05). Transfection with miR-128-3p mimic could significantly downregulate the expression level of xCT in SW480 cells, and inhibit the proliferation and migration of SW480 cells. The expression level of xCT in 16 cases of colorectal cancer tissues was significantly higher than that of adjacent tissues (P < 0.05), while the relative expression level of miR-128-3p in cancer tissues was significantly lower than that of adjacent tissues (P < 0.05). The positive rate of xCT in cancer tissues (63.2%) was correlated tumor differentiation (P < 0.05) and vascular invasion (P < 0.05). The expression level of xCT was related to the infiltration of CD8 + T cells, neutrophils, and dendritic cells in colon cancer (P < 0.05), and the infiltration of CD8 + T cells and neutrophils in rectal cancer (P < 0.05), but not correlated with the infiltration of other lymphocytes (P > 0.05).
CONCLUSION The expression of xCT is up-regulated in colorectal cancer. MiR-128-3p can inhibit the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells by binding with the 3' UTR of xCT. The miR-128-3p/xCT pathway is expected to become a new potential target for colorectal cancer targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wu
- Department of Pathology, Lishui People's Hospital (the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University; the First Affiliated Hospital of Lishui University), Lishui 323000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xu-Hui Liao
- Department of Pathology, Lishui People's Hospital (the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University; the First Affiliated Hospital of Lishui University), Lishui 323000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Qin-Li Wu
- Department of Pathology, Lishui People's Hospital (the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University; the First Affiliated Hospital of Lishui University), Lishui 323000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Wei Yu
- Department of Pathology, Lishui People's Hospital (the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University; the First Affiliated Hospital of Lishui University), Lishui 323000, Zhejiang Province, China
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Zhuang J, Liu X, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Guan G. Sulfasalazine, a potent suppressor of gastric cancer proliferation and metastasis by inhibition of xCT: Conventional drug in new use. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:5372-5380. [PMID: 33988296 PMCID: PMC8184680 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the role of sulfasalazine on proliferation and metastasis in gastric cancer by inhibition of xCT. The relationships between clinical characteristics and xCT expression were analysed. An immunohistochemical staining assay and Western blot were performed among gastric cancers and normal gastric tissues. qPCR and Western blot were also used to evaluate the mRNA and protein expression in the normal gastric cell and eight gastric cancer cells, respectively. CCK‐8 and colony formation assays were used to evaluate the effect of sulfasalazine on the proliferation and colony formation ability of three gastric cancers. The effect of sulfasalazine on the migration and invasion abilities of three cancer cells was assessed by the Transwell assay. xCT protein is up‐regulated in gastric cancer specimens and cells. Three gastric cancer cells with high, medium and low expression of xCT were selected for the following analyses. CCK‐8 assays revealed that sulfasalazine could attenuate the proliferation of HGC‐27 and AGS. Also, the colony formation assay revealed that sulfasalazine might attenuate the colony formation ability in HGC‐27 and AGS cells. Plus, the Transwell assays demonstrated that sulfasalazine might attenuate the migration and invasion abilities in HGC‐27 and AGS cells. In conclusion, higher expression of xCT is associated with advanced tumour stage and poor overall survival of gastric cancer. Sulfasalazine can attenuate the proliferation, colony formation, metastasis and invasion of gastric cancer in vitro. Further study is required to validate our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinfu Zhuang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xing Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuanfeng Yang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yiyi Zhang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Guoxian Guan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
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Liu N, Zhang J, Yin M, Liu H, Zhang X, Li J, Yan B, Guo Y, Zhou J, Tao J, Hu S, Chen X, Peng C. Inhibition of xCT suppresses the efficacy of anti-PD-1/L1 melanoma treatment through exosomal PD-L1-induced macrophage M2 polarization. Mol Ther 2021; 29:2321-2334. [PMID: 33744468 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells increase glutamate release through the cystine/glutamate transporter cystine-glutamate exchange (xCT) to balance oxidative homeostasis in tumor cells and promote tumor progression. Although clinical studies have shown the potential of targeting programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) signaling in melanoma, response rates are low. However, it remains unclear how glutamate metabolism affects anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment efficacy in melanoma. Here, we demonstrated that although inhibition of xCT either by pharmacological inhibitor (sulfasalazine [SAS]), approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for inflammatory diseases, or genetic knockdown induced reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related death in melanoma cells, inhibition of xCT significantly reduced the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade through upregulating PD-L1 expression via the transcription factors IRF4/EGR1, as a consequence, exosomes carrying relatively large amounts of PD-L1 secreted from melanoma cells resulted in M2 macrophage polarization and reduced the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in melanoma. Taken together, our results reveal that inhibition of xCT by SAS is a promising therapeutic strategy for melanoma; on the other hand, SAS treatment blunted the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 via exosomal PD-L1-induced macrophage M2 polarization and eventually induced anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nian Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Human Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China
| | - JiangLin Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Human Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China
| | - Mingzhu Yin
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Human Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China
| | - Hong Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Human Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Human Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China
| | - Jiaoduan Li
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Human Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China
| | - Bei Yan
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Human Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China
| | - Yeye Guo
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Human Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China
| | - Jianda Zhou
- Department of Plastic Surgery of Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Juan Tao
- Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Shuo Hu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Human Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China.
| | - Cong Peng
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; Human Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410000, China.
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Fairweather SJ, Shah N, Brӧer S. Heteromeric Solute Carriers: Function, Structure, Pathology and Pharmacology. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 21:13-127. [PMID: 33052588 DOI: 10.1007/5584_2020_584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Solute carriers form one of three major superfamilies of membrane transporters in humans, and include uniporters, exchangers and symporters. Following several decades of molecular characterisation, multiple solute carriers that form obligatory heteromers with unrelated subunits are emerging as a distinctive principle of membrane transporter assembly. Here we comprehensively review experimentally established heteromeric solute carriers: SLC3-SLC7 amino acid exchangers, SLC16 monocarboxylate/H+ symporters and basigin/embigin, SLC4A1 (AE1) and glycophorin A exchanger, SLC51 heteromer Ost α-Ost β uniporter, and SLC6 heteromeric symporters. The review covers the history of the heteromer discovery, transporter physiology, structure, disease associations and pharmacology - all with a focus on the heteromeric assembly. The cellular locations, requirements for complex formation, and the functional role of dimerization are extensively detailed, including analysis of the first complete heteromer structures, the SLC7-SLC3 family transporters LAT1-4F2hc, b0,+AT-rBAT and the SLC6 family heteromer B0AT1-ACE2. We present a systematic analysis of the structural and functional aspects of heteromeric solute carriers and conclude with common principles of their functional roles and structural architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Fairweather
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. .,Resarch School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
| | - Nishank Shah
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Stefan Brӧer
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
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Lee N, Carlisle AE, Peppers A, Park SJ, Doshi MB, Spears ME, Kim D. xCT-Driven Expression of GPX4 Determines Sensitivity of Breast Cancer Cells to Ferroptosis Inducers. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10020317. [PMID: 33672555 PMCID: PMC7923775 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10020317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Inducers of ferroptosis such as the glutathione depleting agent Erastin and the GPX4 inhibitor Rsl-3 are being actively explored as potential therapeutics in various cancers, but the factors that determine their sensitivity are poorly understood. Here, we show that expression levels of both subunits of the cystine/glutamate antiporter xCT determine the expression of GPX4 in breast cancer, and that upregulation of the xCT/selenocysteine biosynthesis/GPX4 production axis paradoxically renders the cancer cells more sensitive to certain types of ferroptotic stimuli. We find that GPX4 is strongly upregulated in a subset of breast cancer tissues compared to matched normal samples, and that this is tightly correlated with the increased expression of the xCT subunits SLC7A11 and SLC3A2. Erastin depletes levels of the antioxidant selenoproteins GPX4 and GPX1 in breast cancer cells by inhibiting xCT-dependent extracellular reduction which is required for selenium uptake and selenocysteine biosynthesis. Unexpectedly, while breast cancer cells are resistant compared to nontransformed cells against oxidative stress inducing drugs, at the same time they are hypersensitive to lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis induced by Erastin or Rsl-3, indicating that they are 'addicted' to the xCT/GPX4 axis. Our findings provide a strategic basis for targeting the anti-ferroptotic machinery of breast cancer cells depending on their xCT status, which can be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namgyu Lee
- Cell and Cancer Biology, Department of Molecular, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA; (N.L.); (A.E.C.); (A.P.); (M.B.D.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Anne E. Carlisle
- Cell and Cancer Biology, Department of Molecular, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA; (N.L.); (A.E.C.); (A.P.); (M.B.D.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Austin Peppers
- Cell and Cancer Biology, Department of Molecular, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA; (N.L.); (A.E.C.); (A.P.); (M.B.D.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Sung Jin Park
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA;
| | - Mihir B. Doshi
- Cell and Cancer Biology, Department of Molecular, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA; (N.L.); (A.E.C.); (A.P.); (M.B.D.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Meghan E. Spears
- Cell and Cancer Biology, Department of Molecular, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA; (N.L.); (A.E.C.); (A.P.); (M.B.D.); (M.E.S.)
| | - Dohoon Kim
- Cell and Cancer Biology, Department of Molecular, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA; (N.L.); (A.E.C.); (A.P.); (M.B.D.); (M.E.S.)
- Correspondence:
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Liu MR, Zhu WT, Pei DS. System Xc -: a key regulatory target of ferroptosis in cancer. Invest New Drugs 2021; 39:1123-1131. [PMID: 33506324 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-021-01070-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Ferroptosis is a type of oxidative stress-dependent regulated necrosis characterized by excessive lipid peroxide accumulation. This novel cell death modality has been implicated in preventing cancer progression. Cancer cells tend to modulate their redox state to prevent excessive peroxidation, eventually facilitating tumor growth. System Xc- (a cystine/glutamate antiporter system) is a promising target in cancer cells for ferroptosis induction. The overexpression of system Xc-, especially its core subunit xCT, has been reported in several tumors, and these high expression levels were closely related to cancer cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis and the tumor microenvironment. xCT might serve as a novel biomarker, and its upregulation almost always indicates drug tolerance and poor survival. Therefore, system Xc- inhibition may enhance chemotherapy sensitivity and optimize patient prognosis. Here, we elaborate on the mediation of ferroptosis by suppressing system Xc- and the relevant underlying molecular mechanism in cancer cells. The spotlight on this approach to cancer treatment is creating a new horizon and pointing to future opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Ru Liu
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-shan Road, Jiangsu, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - Wen-Tao Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-shan Road, Jiangsu, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - Dong-Sheng Pei
- Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-shan Road, Jiangsu, 221004, Xuzhou, China.
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Cysteine and Folate Metabolism Are Targetable Vulnerabilities of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030425. [PMID: 33498690 PMCID: PMC7866204 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030425] [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: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In this work, we studied the metabolic reprogramming of same-patient-derived cell lines with increasing metastatic potential to develop new therapeutic approaches against metastatic colorectal cancer. Using a novel systems biology approach to integrate multiple layers of omics data, we predicted and validated that cystine uptake and folate metabolism, two key pathways related to redox metabolism, are potential targets against metastatic colorectal cancer. Our findings indicate that metastatic cell lines are selectively dependent on redox homeostasis, paving the way for new targeted therapies. Abstract With most cancer-related deaths resulting from metastasis, the development of new therapeutic approaches against metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is essential to increasing patient survival. The metabolic adaptations that support mCRC remain undefined and their elucidation is crucial to identify potential therapeutic targets. Here, we employed a strategy for the rational identification of targetable metabolic vulnerabilities. This strategy involved first a thorough metabolic characterisation of same-patient-derived cell lines from primary colon adenocarcinoma (SW480), its lymph node metastasis (SW620) and a liver metastatic derivative (SW620-LiM2), and second, using a novel multi-omics integration workflow, identification of metabolic vulnerabilities specific to the metastatic cell lines. We discovered that the metastatic cell lines are selectively vulnerable to the inhibition of cystine import and folate metabolism, two key pathways in redox homeostasis. Specifically, we identified the system xCT and MTHFD1 genes as potential therapeutic targets, both individually and combined, for combating mCRC.
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Li Y, Zhou Y, Ma L, Liu D, Dai Z, Shen J. miR-3677-3p promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via inhibiting GSK3β. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2020; 52:1404-1412. [PMID: 33200777 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmaa125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs play important roles in regulating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) formation, progression and metastasis. However, their functions and the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unclear. Here, we found that miR-3677-3p was highly expressed in primary tumor tissues of HCC patients. And its inhibition by using sponge in HCC cells could suppress cell proliferation significantly, but it has no effect on cell apoptosis. Through directly targeting to the 3' untranslated region of glycogen synthase kinase 3-β (GSK3β), miR-3677-3p could inhibit GSK3β expression. Our study revealed that the miR-3677-3p/GSK3β axis may play a crucial role in HCC and miR-3677-3p may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker or a therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfei Li
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai 201318, China
- School of Medical Technology, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai 201318, China
| | - Yajie Zhou
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai 201318, China
| | - Linlin Ma
- School of Medical Technology, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai 201318, China
| | - Dingsheng Liu
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai 201318, China
| | - Zhensheng Dai
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Shanghai Pudong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai 201399, China
| | - Junwei Shen
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai 201318, China
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, Tongji University Affiliated Eastern Hospital, Shanghai 200092, China
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Lin W, Wang C, Liu G, Bi C, Wang X, Zhou Q, Jin H. SLC7A11/xCT in cancer: biological functions and therapeutic implications. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:3106-3126. [PMID: 33163260 PMCID: PMC7642655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Amino acid transporters mediate substrates across cellular membranes and their fine-tuned regulations are critical to cellular metabolism, growth, and death. As the functional component of system Xc-, which imports extracellular cystine with intracellular glutamate release at a ratio of 1:1, SLC7A11 has diverse functional roles in regulating many pathophysiological processes such as cellular redox homeostasis, ferroptosis, and drug resistance in cancer. Notably, accumulated evidence demonstrated that SLC7A11 is overexpressed in many types of cancers and is associated with patients' poor prognosis. As a result, SLC7A11 becomes a new potential target for cancer therapy. In this review, we first briefly introduce the structure and function of SLC7A11, then discuss its pathological role in cancer. We next summarize current available data of how SLC7A11 is subjected to fine regulations at multiple levels. We further describe the potential inhibitors of the SLC7A11 and their roles in human cancer cells. Finally, we propose novel insights for future perspectives on the modulation of SLC7A11, as well as possible targeted strategies for SLC7A11-based anti-cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Lin
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Key Lab of Biotherapy in Zhejiang, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chaoqun Wang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityDongyang 322100, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guangping Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Yan’an UniversityYan’an 716000, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chao Bi
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xian Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qiyin Zhou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hongchuan Jin
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Key Lab of Biotherapy in Zhejiang, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou 310016, Zhejiang, China
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Cystine transporter SLC7A11/xCT in cancer: ferroptosis, nutrient dependency, and cancer therapy. Protein Cell 2020; 12:599-620. [PMID: 33000412 PMCID: PMC8310547 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-020-00789-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1008] [Impact Index Per Article: 252.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The cystine/glutamate antiporter SLC7A11 (also commonly known as xCT) functions to import cystine for glutathione biosynthesis and antioxidant defense and is overexpressed in multiple human cancers. Recent studies revealed that SLC7A11 overexpression promotes tumor growth partly through suppressing ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death induced by excessive lipid peroxidation. However, cancer cells with high expression of SLC7A11 (SLC7A11high) also have to endure the significant cost associated with SLC7A11-mediated metabolic reprogramming, leading to glucose- and glutamine-dependency in SLC7A11high cancer cells, which presents potential metabolic vulnerabilities for therapeutic targeting in SLC7A11high cancer. In this review, we summarize diverse regulatory mechanisms of SLC7A11 in cancer, discuss ferroptosis-dependent and -independent functions of SLC7A11 in promoting tumor development, explore the mechanistic basis of SLC7A11-induced nutrient dependency in cancer cells, and conceptualize therapeutic strategies to target SLC7A11 in cancer treatment. This review will provide the foundation for further understanding SLC7A11 in ferroptosis, nutrient dependency, and tumor biology and for developing novel effective cancer therapies.
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Liu J, Xia X, Huang P. xCT: A Critical Molecule That Links Cancer Metabolism to Redox Signaling. Mol Ther 2020; 28:2358-2366. [PMID: 32931751 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
System xc- cystine/glutamate antiporter, composed of a light-chain subunit (xCT, SLC7A11) and a heavy-chain subunit (CD98hc, SLC3A2), is mainly responsible for the cellular uptake of cystine in exchange for intracellular glutamate. In recent years, the xCT molecule has been found to play an important role in tumor growth, progression, metastasis, and multidrug resistance in various types of cancer. Interestingly, xCT also exhibits an essential function in regulating tumor-associated ferroptosis. Despite significant progress in targeting the system xc- transporter in cancer treatment, the underlying mechanisms still remain elusive. It is also unclear why solid tumors are more sensitive to xCT inhibitors such as sulfasalazine, as compared to hematological malignancies. This review mainly focuses on the role of xCT cystine/glutamate transporter in regard to tumor growth, chemoresistance, tumor-selective ferroptosis, and the mechanisms regulating xCT gene expression. The potential therapeutic implications of targeting the system xc- and its combination with chemotherapeutic agents or immunotherapy to suppress tumor growth and overcome drug resistance are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyun Liu
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, 651 Dongfeng East Road, Guangzhou 510060, China; Metabolic Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University Zhongshan School of Medicine, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China.
| | - Xiaojun Xia
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, 651 Dongfeng East Road, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Peng Huang
- Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, 651 Dongfeng East Road, Guangzhou 510060, China; Metabolic Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University Zhongshan School of Medicine, 74 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou 510080, China.
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Onaciu A, Munteanu R, Munteanu VC, Gulei D, Raduly L, Feder RI, Pirlog R, Atanasov AG, Korban SS, Irimie A, Berindan-Neagoe I. Spontaneous and Induced Animal Models for Cancer Research. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 10:E660. [PMID: 32878340 PMCID: PMC7555044 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10090660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Considering the complexity of the current framework in oncology, the relevance of animal models in biomedical research is critical in light of the capacity to produce valuable data with clinical translation. The laboratory mouse is the most common animal model used in cancer research due to its high adaptation to different environments, genetic variability, and physiological similarities with humans. Beginning with spontaneous mutations arising in mice colonies that allow for pursuing studies of specific pathological conditions, this area of in vivo research has significantly evolved, now capable of generating humanized mice models encompassing the human immune system in biological correlation with human tumor xenografts. Moreover, the era of genetic engineering, especially of the hijacking CRISPR/Cas9 technique, offers powerful tools in designing and developing various mouse strains. Within this article, we will cover the principal mouse models used in oncology research, beginning with behavioral science of animals vs. humans, and continuing on with genetically engineered mice, microsurgical-induced cancer models, and avatar mouse models for personalized cancer therapy. Moreover, the area of spontaneous large animal models for cancer research will be briefly presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anca Onaciu
- Research Center for Advanced Medicine - Medfuture, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.O.); (R.M.); (R.-I.F.)
| | - Raluca Munteanu
- Research Center for Advanced Medicine - Medfuture, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.O.); (R.M.); (R.-I.F.)
| | - Vlad Cristian Munteanu
- Department of Urology, The Oncology Institute “Prof Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Diana Gulei
- Research Center for Advanced Medicine - Medfuture, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.O.); (R.M.); (R.-I.F.)
| | - Lajos Raduly
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.R.); (R.P.)
| | - Richard-Ionut Feder
- Research Center for Advanced Medicine - Medfuture, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (A.O.); (R.M.); (R.-I.F.)
| | - Radu Pirlog
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.R.); (R.P.)
- Department of Morphological Sciences, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Atanas G. Atanasov
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland
- Institute of Neurobiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 23 Acad. G. Bonchev str., 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
- Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Schuyler S. Korban
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA;
| | - Alexandru Irimie
- 11th Department of Surgical Oncology and Gynaecological Oncology, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Department of Surgery, The Oncology Institute Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta, 34–36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 23 Marinescu Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (L.R.); (R.P.)
- Department of Functional Genomics and Experimental Pathology, The Oncology Institute “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta”, 34-36 Republicii Street, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Liu L, Liu R, Liu Y, Li G, Chen Q, Liu X, Ma S. Cystine-glutamate antiporter xCT as a therapeutic target for cancer. Cell Biochem Funct 2020; 39:174-179. [PMID: 32749001 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Cystine/glutamic acid reverse transporter (System Xc - ), a member of the amino acid transporter family, consists of two subunits, light chain xCT and heavy chain 4F2hc. xCT is the cystine/glutamate antiporter solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), which promotes cystine uptake and glutathione biosynthetic, thus protecting against oxidative stress and ferroptosis. Studies have confirmed that xCT is highly expressed in a variety of tumour and is associated with tumour proliferation, invasion, metastasis, drug resistance and ferroptosis, and can be used as a potential target for tumour treatment. This review provides insights into the biological effects of xCT and contribute to the development of new xCT-based strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Liu
- Platform for Radiation Protection and Emergency Preparedness of Southern Zhejiang, School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Rui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Radiobiology (Ministry of Health), School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Platform for Radiation Protection and Emergency Preparedness of Southern Zhejiang, School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Guanghui Li
- Platform for Radiation Protection and Emergency Preparedness of Southern Zhejiang, School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Qing Chen
- Platform for Radiation Protection and Emergency Preparedness of Southern Zhejiang, School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiaodong Liu
- Platform for Radiation Protection and Emergency Preparedness of Southern Zhejiang, School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Shumei Ma
- Platform for Radiation Protection and Emergency Preparedness of Southern Zhejiang, School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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Böhme I, Schönherr R, Eberle J, Bosserhoff AK. Membrane Transporters and Channels in Melanoma. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 2020; 181:269-374. [PMID: 32737752 DOI: 10.1007/112_2020_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Recent research has revealed that ion channels and transporters can be important players in tumor development, progression, and therapy resistance in melanoma. For example, members of the ABC family were shown to support cancer stemness-like features in melanoma cells, while several members of the TRP channel family were reported to act as tumor suppressors.Also, many transporter proteins support tumor cell viability and thus suppress apoptosis induction by anticancer therapy. Due to the high number of ion channels and transporters and the resulting high complexity of the field, progress in understanding is often focused on single molecules and is in total rather slow. In this review, we aim at giving an overview about a broad subset of ion transporters, also illustrating some aspects of the field, which have not been addressed in detail in melanoma. In context with the other chapters in this special issue on "Transportome Malfunctions in the Cancer Spectrum," a comparison between melanoma and these tumors will be possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Böhme
- Institute of Biochemistry, Emil Fischer Center, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Roland Schönherr
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Jürgen Eberle
- Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, Skin Cancer Center Charité, University Medical Center Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja Katrin Bosserhoff
- Institute of Biochemistry, Emil Fischer Center, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany. .,Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) Erlangen-EMN, Erlangen, Germany.
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Armando RG, Gómez DLM, Gomez DE. New drugs are not enough‑drug repositioning in oncology: An update. Int J Oncol 2020; 56:651-684. [PMID: 32124955 PMCID: PMC7010222 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2020.4966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug repositioning refers to the concept of discovering novel clinical benefits of drugs that are already known for use treating other diseases. The advantages of this are that several important drug characteristics are already established (including efficacy, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and toxicity), making the process of research for a putative drug quicker and less costly. Drug repositioning in oncology has received extensive focus. The present review summarizes the most prominent examples of drug repositioning for the treatment of cancer, taking into consideration their primary use, proposed anticancer mechanisms and current development status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romina Gabriela Armando
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Science and Technology Department, National University of Quilmes, Bernal B1876, Argentina
| | - Diego Luis Mengual Gómez
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Science and Technology Department, National University of Quilmes, Bernal B1876, Argentina
| | - Daniel Eduardo Gomez
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Science and Technology Department, National University of Quilmes, Bernal B1876, Argentina
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Osrodek M, Hartman ML, Czyz M. Physiologically Relevant Oxygen Concentration (6% O 2) as an Important Component of the Microenvironment Impacting Melanoma Phenotype and Melanoma Response to Targeted Therapeutics In Vitro. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20174203. [PMID: 31461993 PMCID: PMC6747123 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20174203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell phenotype largely depends on oxygen availability. The atmospheric oxygen concentration (21%) used in in vitro studies is much higher than in any human tissue. Using well-characterized patient-derived melanoma cell lines, we compared: (i) activities of several signaling pathways, and (ii) the effects of vemurafenib and trametinib in hyperoxia (21% O2), normoxia (6% O2) and hypoxia (1% O2). A high plasticity of melanoma cells in response to changes in oxygen supplementation and drug treatment was observed, and the transcriptional reprograming and phenotypic changes varied between cell lines. Normoxia enhanced the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), glucose metabolism/transport-related genes, and changed percentages of NGFR- and MITF-positive cells in cell line-dependent manner. Increased protein stability might be responsible for high PGC1α level in MITFlow melanoma cells. Vemurafenib and trametinib while targeting the activity of MAPK/ERK pathway irrespective of oxygen concentration, were less effective in normoxia than hyperoxia in reducing levels of VEGF, PGC1α, SLC7A11 and Ki-67-positive cells in cell line-dependent manner. In conclusion, in vitro studies performed in atmospheric oxygen concentration provide different information on melanoma cell phenotype and response to drugs than performed in normoxia, which might partially explain the discrepancies between results obtained in vitro and in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Osrodek
- Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer, Medical University of Lodz, 6/8 Mazowiecka Street, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
| | - Mariusz L Hartman
- Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer, Medical University of Lodz, 6/8 Mazowiecka Street, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Czyz
- Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer, Medical University of Lodz, 6/8 Mazowiecka Street, 92-215 Lodz, Poland.
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