1
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Ghosh R, Herberg S. The role of YAP/TAZ mechanosignaling in trabecular meshwork and Schlemm's canal cell dysfunction. Vision Res 2024; 224:108477. [PMID: 39208753 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2024.108477] [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: 06/01/2024] [Revised: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
This focused review highlights the importance of yes-associated protein (YAP)/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ binding motif (TAZ) mechanosignaling in human trabecular meshwork and Schlemm's canal cells in response to glaucoma-associated extracellular matrix stiffening and cyclic mechanical stretch, as well as biochemical pathway modulators (with signaling crosstalk) including transforming growth factor beta 2, glucocorticoids, Wnt, lysophosphatidic acid, vascular endothelial growth factor, and oxidative stress. We provide a comprehensive overview of relevant literature from the last decade, highlight intriguing research avenues with translational potential, and close with an outlook on future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajanya Ghosh
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Center for Vision Research, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | - Samuel Herberg
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Center for Vision Research, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA; BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA; Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
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2
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Mahnoor S, Molnar C, Velázquez D, Reina J, Llamazares S, Heinen JP, Mora J, Gonzalez C. Human EWS-FLI protein levels and neomorphic functions show a complex, function-specific dose-response relationship in Drosophila. Open Biol 2024; 14:240043. [PMID: 39013417 PMCID: PMC11251760 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.240043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is a cancer that arises in the bones and soft tissues, typically driven by the Ewing's sarcoma breakpoint region 1-Friend leukemia virus integration 1 (EWS-FLI) oncogene. Implementation of genetically modified animal models of EwS has proved difficult largely owing to EWS-FLI's high toxicity. The EWS-FLI1FS frameshift variant that circumvents toxicity but is still able to perform key oncogenic functions provided the first study model in Drosophila. However, the quest for Drosophila lines expressing full-length, unmodified EWS-FLI remained open. Here, we show that EWS-FLI1FS's lower toxicity is owed to reduced protein levels caused by its frameshifted C-terminal peptide, and report new strategies through which we have generated Drosophila lines that express full-length, unmodified EWS-FLI. Using these lines, we have found that the upregulation of transcription from GGAA-microsatellites (GGAAμSats) presents a positive linear correlation within a wide range of EWS-FLI protein concentrations. In contrast, rather counterintuitively, GGAAμSats-independent transcriptomic dysregulation presents relatively minor differences across the same range, suggesting that GGAAμSat-dependent and -independent transcriptional upregulation present different kinetics of response with regards to changing EWS-FLI protein concentration. Our results underpin the functional relevance of varying EWS-FLI expression levels and provide experimental tools to investigate, in Drosophila, the effect of the EWS-FLI 'high' and 'low' states that have been reported and are suspected to be important for EwS in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Mahnoor
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Molnar
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diego Velázquez
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose Reina
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salud Llamazares
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jan Peter Heinen
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaume Mora
- Developmental Tumor Biology Laboratory, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB), Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cayetano Gonzalez
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
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3
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Diazzi S, Ablain J. Nonepithelial cancer dissemination: specificities and challenges. Trends Cancer 2024; 10:356-368. [PMID: 38135572 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2023.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial cancers have served as a paradigm to study tumor dissemination but recent data have highlighted significant differences with nonepithelial cancers. Here, we review the current knowledge on nonepithelial tumor dissemination, drawing examples from the latest developments in melanoma, glioma, and sarcoma research. We underscore the importance of the reactivation of developmental processes during cancer progression and describe the nongenetic mechanisms driving nonepithelial tumor spread. We also outline therapeutic opportunities and ongoing clinical approaches to fight disseminating cancers. Finally, we discuss remaining challenges and emerging questions in the field. Defining the core principles underlying nonepithelial cancer dissemination may uncover actionable vulnerabilities of metastatic tumors and help improve the prognosis of patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Diazzi
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Centre Léon Bérard, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Julien Ablain
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Centre Léon Bérard, INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
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4
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Li H, Kuhn M, Kelly RA, Singh A, Palanivel KK, Salama I, De Ieso ML, Stamer WD, Ganapathy PS, Herberg S. Targeting YAP/TAZ mechanosignaling to ameliorate stiffness-induced Schlemm's canal cell pathobiology. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2024; 326:C513-C528. [PMID: 38105758 PMCID: PMC11192480 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00438.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Pathological alterations in the biomechanical properties of the Schlemm's canal (SC) inner wall endothelium and its immediate vicinity are strongly associated with ocular hypertension in glaucoma due to decreased outflow facility. Specifically, the underlying trabecular meshwork is substantially stiffer in glaucomatous eyes compared with that from normal eyes. This raises the possibility of a critical involvement of mechanotransduction processes in driving SC cell dysfunction. Yes-associated protein (YAP) has emerged as a key contributor to glaucoma pathogenesis. However, the molecular underpinnings of SC cell mechanosignaling via YAP and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) in response to glaucomatous extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffening are not well understood. Using a novel biopolymer hydrogel that facilitates dynamic and reversible stiffness tuning, we investigated how ECM stiffening modulates YAP/TAZ activity in primary human SC cells, and whether disruption of YAP/TAZ mechanosignaling attenuates SC cell pathobiology and increases ex vivo outflow facility. We demonstrated that ECM stiffening drives pathologic YAP/TAZ activation and cytoskeletal reorganization in SC cells, which was fully reversible by matrix softening in a distinct time-dependent manner. Furthermore, we showed that pharmacologic or genetic disruption of YAP/TAZ mechanosignaling abrogates stiffness-induced SC cell dysfunction involving altered cytoskeletal and ECM remodeling. Finally, we found that perfusion of the clinically used, small molecule YAP/TAZ inhibitor verteporfin (without light activation) increases ex vivo outflow facility in normal mouse eyes. Collectively, our data provide new evidence for a pathologic role of aberrant YAP/TAZ mechanosignaling in SC cell dysfunction and suggest that YAP/TAZ inhibition has therapeutic value for treating ocular hypertension in glaucoma.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Pathologically altered biomechanical properties of the Schlemm's canal (SC) inner wall microenvironment were recently validated as the cause for increased outflow resistance in ocular hypertensive glaucoma. However, the involvement of specific mechanotransduction pathways in these disease processes is largely unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Yes-associated protein (YAP)/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are central regulators of glaucoma-like SC cell dysfunction in response to extracellular matrix stiffening and that targeted disruption of YAP/TAZ mechanosignaling attenuates SC cell pathobiology and enhances outflow function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Li
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
- BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - Megan Kuhn
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke Eye Center, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Ruth A Kelly
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke Eye Center, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Ayushi Singh
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
- BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - Kavipriya Kovai Palanivel
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - Izzy Salama
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - Michael L De Ieso
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke Eye Center, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - W Daniel Stamer
- Department of Ophthalmology, Duke Eye Center, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States
| | - Preethi S Ganapathy
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
- BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - Samuel Herberg
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
- BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, United States
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5
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Chellini L, Scarfò M, Bonvissuto D, Sette C, Paronetto MP. The DNA/RNA helicase DHX9 orchestrates the KDM2B-mediated transcriptional regulation of YAP1 in Ewing sarcoma. Oncogene 2024; 43:225-234. [PMID: 38017132 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02894-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Ewing sarcomas (ES) are aggressive paediatric tumours of bone and soft tissues. Resistance to chemotherapy and high propensity to metastasize remain the main causes of treatment failure. Thus, identifying novel targets for alternative therapeutic approaches is urgently needed. DNA/RNA helicases are emerging as crucial regulators of many cellular processes often deregulated in cancer. Among them, DHX9 is up-regulated in ES and collaborates with EWS-FLI1 in ES transformation. We report that DHX9 silencing profoundly impacts on the oncogenic properties of ES cells. Transcriptome profiling combined to bioinformatic analyses disclosed a gene signature commonly regulated by DHX9 and the Lysine Demethylase KDM2B, with the Hippo pathway regulator YAP1 as a prominent target. Mechanistically, we found that DHX9 enhances H3K9 chromatin demethylation by KDM2B and favours RNA Polymerase II recruitment, thus promoting YAP1 expression. Conversely, EWS-FLI1 binding to the promoter represses YAP1 expression. These findings identify the DHX9/KDM2B complex as a new druggable target to counteract ES malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Chellini
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
| | - Marzia Scarfò
- Plaisant Polo Tecnologico s.r.l, Castel Romano, Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Bonvissuto
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Sette
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- GSTeP-Organoids Core Facility, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Paronetto
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy.
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6
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Yasir M, Park J, Chun W. EWS/FLI1 Characterization, Activation, Repression, Target Genes and Therapeutic Opportunities in Ewing Sarcoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15173. [PMID: 37894854 PMCID: PMC10607184 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite their clonal origins, tumors eventually develop into complex communities made up of phenotypically different cell subpopulations, according to mounting evidence. Tumor cell-intrinsic programming and signals from geographically and temporally changing microenvironments both contribute to this variability. Furthermore, the mutational load is typically lacking in childhood malignancies of adult cancers, and they still exhibit high cellular heterogeneity levels largely mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. Ewing sarcomas represent highly aggressive malignancies affecting both bone and soft tissue, primarily afflicting adolescents. Unfortunately, the outlook for patients facing relapsed or metastatic disease is grim. These tumors are primarily fueled by a distinctive fusion event involving an FET protein and an ETS family transcription factor, with the most prevalent fusion being EWS/FLI1. Despite originating from a common driver mutation, Ewing sarcoma cells display significant variations in transcriptional activity, both within and among tumors. Recent research has pinpointed distinct fusion protein activities as a principal source of this heterogeneity, resulting in markedly diverse cellular phenotypes. In this review, we aim to characterize the role of the EWS/FLI fusion protein in Ewing sarcoma by exploring its general mechanism of activation and elucidating its implications for tumor heterogeneity. Additionally, we delve into potential therapeutic opportunities to target this aberrant fusion protein in the context of Ewing sarcoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Wanjoo Chun
- Department of Pharmacology, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea; (M.Y.); (J.P.)
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7
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Gong H, Xue B, Ru J, Pei G, Li Y. Targeted Therapy for EWS-FLI1 in Ewing Sarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4035. [PMID: 37627063 PMCID: PMC10452796 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15164035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is a rare and predominantly pediatric malignancy of bone and soft tissue in children and adolescents. Although international collaborations have greatly improved the prognosis of most EwS, the occurrence of macrometastases or relapse remains challenging. The prototypic oncogene EWS-FLI1 acts as an aberrant transcription factor that drives the cellular transformation of EwS. In addition to its involvement in RNA splicing and the DNA damage response, this chimeric protein directly binds to GGAA repeats, thereby modifying the transcriptional profile of EwS. Direct pharmacological targeting of EWS-FLI1 is difficult because of its intrinsically disordered structure. However, targeting the EWS-FLI1 protein complex or downstream pathways provides additional therapeutic options. This review describes the EWS-FLI1 protein partners and downstream pathways, as well as the related target therapies for the treatment of EwS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helong Gong
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110004, China;
| | - Busheng Xue
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China;
| | - Jinlong Ru
- Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Centre Munich, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany;
| | - Guoqing Pei
- Department of Orthopedics, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China;
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110004, China;
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8
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Palamaris K, Levidou G, Kordali K, Masaoutis C, Rontogianni D, Theocharis S. Searching for Novel Biomarkers in Thymic Epithelial Tumors: Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Hippo Pathway Components in a Cohort of Thymic Epithelial Tumors. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1876. [PMID: 37509515 PMCID: PMC10377518 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the pivotal role of the Hippo pathway in different facets of tumorigenesis, which has been vigorously established in multiple heterogenous malignancies, we attempted to evaluate its potential utility as a prognostic-predictive biomarker in thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). For this purpose, we performed a comprehensive immunohistochemical analysis of four Hippo cascade components (YAP, TAZ, TEAD4 and LATS1) in a sizeable cohort of TETs and attempted to identify possible correlations of their H-score with various clinicopathological parameters. TAZ and TEAD4 displayed both cytoplasmic and nuclear immunoreactivity in almost equal frequency, with their cytoplasmic H-score being strongly associated with more aggressive high-grade tumors (type B3, thymic carcinoma) and more advanced pathological stages. On the other hand, a primarily nuclear staining pattern was encountered in both YAP and LATS1, with the YAP nuclear H-score being higher in more indolent (type A) and earlier stage tumors. Interestingly, none of the four examined factors displayed any statistically significant correlation with patient overall (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS). In summary, our results provide some initial insight into the expression profile of these core Hippo pathway components in thymic neoplasms and point towards some clear associations with tumor characteristics, which are of paramount translational-clinical research with profound implications in therapeutic targeting of this pathway in the context of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kostas Palamaris
- First Department of Pathology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Georgia Levidou
- Department of Pathology, Paracelsus Medical University, 90419 Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Katerina Kordali
- First Department of Pathology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Christos Masaoutis
- First Department of Pathology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitra Rontogianni
- First Department of Pathology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Stamatios Theocharis
- First Department of Pathology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
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9
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Sturtzel C, Grissenberger S, Bozatzi P, Scheuringer E, Wenninger-Weinzierl A, Zajec Z, Dernovšek J, Pascoal S, Gehl V, Kutsch A, Granig A, Rifatbegovic F, Carre M, Lang A, Valtingojer I, Moll J, Lötsch D, Erhart F, Widhalm G, Surdez D, Delattre O, André N, Stampfl J, Tomašič T, Taschner-Mandl S, Distel M. Refined high-content imaging-based phenotypic drug screening in zebrafish xenografts. NPJ Precis Oncol 2023; 7:44. [PMID: 37202469 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-023-00386-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish xenotransplantation models are increasingly applied for phenotypic drug screening to identify small compounds for precision oncology. Larval zebrafish xenografts offer the opportunity to perform drug screens at high-throughput in a complex in vivo environment. However, the full potential of the larval zebrafish xenograft model has not yet been realized and several steps of the drug screening workflow still await automation to increase throughput. Here, we present a robust workflow for drug screening in zebrafish xenografts using high-content imaging. We established embedding methods for high-content imaging of xenografts in 96-well format over consecutive days. In addition, we provide strategies for automated imaging and analysis of zebrafish xenografts including automated tumor cell detection and tumor size analysis over time. We also compared commonly used injection sites and cell labeling dyes and show specific site requirements for tumor cells from different entities. We demonstrate that our setup allows us to investigate proliferation and response to small compounds in several zebrafish xenografts ranging from pediatric sarcomas and neuroblastoma to glioblastoma and leukemia. This fast and cost-efficient assay enables the quantification of anti-tumor efficacy of small compounds in large cohorts of a vertebrate model system in vivo. Our assay may aid in prioritizing compounds or compound combinations for further preclinical and clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Sturtzel
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
- Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - S Grissenberger
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - P Bozatzi
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - E Scheuringer
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
- Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - A Wenninger-Weinzierl
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
- Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - Z Zajec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - J Dernovšek
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - S Pascoal
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - V Gehl
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - A Kutsch
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Advanced Polymers for Biomaterials and 3D Printing, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - A Granig
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Advanced Polymers for Biomaterials and 3D Printing, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - F Rifatbegovic
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - M Carre
- Service d'Hématologie & Oncologie Pédiatrique, Timone Hospital, AP-HM, Marseille, France
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille, France
| | - A Lang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - I Valtingojer
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Sanofi Research Center, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - J Moll
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Sanofi Research Center, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
- Renon Biotech and Pharma Consulting, Unterinn am Ritten (Bz), Italy
| | - D Lötsch
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - F Erhart
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - G Widhalm
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Central Nervous System Tumors Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - D Surdez
- Balgrist University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - O Delattre
- INSERM U830, Diversity and Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Lab, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Center, Institut Curie Research Center, Paris, France
| | - N André
- Service d'Hématologie & Oncologie Pédiatrique, Timone Hospital, AP-HM, Marseille, France
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Inserm, Institut Paoli Calmettes, Marseille, France
| | - J Stampfl
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Advanced Polymers for Biomaterials and 3D Printing, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - T Tomašič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - S Taschner-Mandl
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria.
| | - M Distel
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria.
- Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria.
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10
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Grissenberger S, Sturtzel C, Wenninger-Weinzierl A, Radic-Sarikas B, Scheuringer E, Bierbaumer L, Etienne V, Némati F, Pascoal S, Tötzl M, Tomazou EM, Metzelder M, Putz EM, Decaudin D, Delattre O, Surdez D, Kovar H, Halbritter F, Distel M. High-content drug screening in zebrafish xenografts reveals high efficacy of dual MCL-1/BCL-X L inhibition against Ewing sarcoma. Cancer Lett 2023; 554:216028. [PMID: 36462556 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.216028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma is a pediatric bone and soft tissue cancer with an urgent need for new therapies to improve disease outcome. To identify effective drugs, phenotypic drug screening has proven to be a powerful method, but achievable throughput in mouse xenografts, the preclinical Ewing sarcoma standard model, is limited. Here, we explored the use of xenografts in zebrafish for high-throughput drug screening to discover new combination therapies for Ewing sarcoma. We subjected xenografts in zebrafish larvae to high-content imaging and subsequent automated tumor size analysis to screen single agents and compound combinations. We identified three drug combinations effective against Ewing sarcoma cells: Irinotecan combined with either an MCL-1 or an BCL-XL inhibitor and in particular dual inhibition of the anti-apoptotic proteins MCL-1 and BCL-XL, which efficiently eradicated tumor cells in zebrafish xenografts. We confirmed enhanced efficacy of dual MCL-1/BCL-XL inhibition compared to single agents in a mouse PDX model. In conclusion, high-content screening of small compounds on Ewing sarcoma zebrafish xenografts identified dual MCL-1/BCL-XL targeting as a specific vulnerability and promising therapeutic strategy for Ewing sarcoma, which warrants further investigation towards clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caterina Sturtzel
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Wenninger-Weinzierl
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - Branka Radic-Sarikas
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Scheuringer
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Bierbaumer
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - Vesnie Etienne
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Fariba Némati
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Susana Pascoal
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus Tötzl
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - Eleni M Tomazou
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Metzelder
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva M Putz
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - Didier Decaudin
- Laboratory of Preclinical Investigation, Department of Translational Research, Institut Curie, PSL University, Paris, France; Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie Research Centre, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Delattre
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Diversity and Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Lab, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Centre, Institut Curie Research Centre, Paris, France
| | - Didier Surdez
- INSERM U830, Équipe Labellisée LNCC, Diversity and Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Lab, PSL Research University, SIREDO Oncology Centre, Institut Curie Research Centre, Paris, France; Balgrist University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich (UZH), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Heinrich Kovar
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Dept. Pediatrics, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Martin Distel
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria; Zebrafish Platform Austria for Preclinical Drug Screening (ZANDR), Vienna, Austria.
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11
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Zhou L, Pan LZ, Fan YJ. DNMT3b affects colorectal cancer development by regulating FLI1 through DNA hypermethylation. Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2023; 39:364-376. [PMID: 36655868 DOI: 10.1002/kjm2.12647] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Friend leukemia integration 1 (FLI1) is an ETS transcription factor family member. Here, we identified cg11017065 as the most hyper-methylated cytosine and guanine (CpG) in colorectal cancer (CRC), which belongs to the FLI1 gene. Moreover, integrated bioinformatics prediction and analysis of our cohort showed that FLI1 expression was downregulated and DNA methylation was elevated in CRC. Bioinformatics prediction also indicated that patients overexpressing FLI1 had higher survival rates than those with low FLI1 expression. CRC cells with ectopic expression of FLI1 had reduced invasion, migration, cloning ability and increased apoptosis. Furthermore, DNA-methyltransferase 3b (DNMT3b) was found to be significantly overexpressed in CRC, and low DNMT3b expression predicted a prolonged survival. DNMT3b bound to the FLI1 promoter. Inhibition of DNMT3b increased FLI1 expression and inhibited the malignant phenotype of CRC cells. Inhibition of FLI1 reversed the phenotypic modulation by DNMT3b depletion in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, our data indicate that DNMT3b potentiates CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through downregulating FLI1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, Suzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Zhen Pan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Suzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue-Juan Fan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Suzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
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12
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Genetic Alterations and Deregulation of Hippo Pathway as a Pathogenetic Mechanism in Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14246211. [PMID: 36551696 PMCID: PMC9776600 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Hippo pathway is an evolutionarily conserved modulator of developmental biology with a key role in tissue and organ size regulation under homeostatic conditions. Like other signaling pathways with a significant role in embryonic development, the deregulation of Hippo signaling contributes to oncogenesis. Central to the Hippo pathway is a conserved cascade of adaptor proteins and inhibitory kinases that converge and regulate the activity of the oncoproteins YAP and TAZ, the final transducers of the pathway. Elevated levels and aberrant activation of YAP and TAZ have been described in many cancers. Though most of the studies describe their pervasive activation in epithelial neoplasms, there is increasing evidence pointing out its relevance in mesenchymal malignancies as well. Interestingly, somatic or germline mutations in genes of the Hippo pathway are scarce compared to other signaling pathways that are frequently disrupted in cancer. However, in the case of sarcomas, several examples of genetic alteration of Hippo members, including gene fusions, have been described during the last few years. Here, we review the current knowledge of Hippo pathway implication in sarcoma, describing mechanistic hints recently reported in specific histological entities and how these alterations represent an opportunity for targeted therapy in this heterogeneous group of neoplasm.
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13
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Apfelbaum AA, Wrenn ED, Lawlor ER. The importance of fusion protein activity in Ewing sarcoma and the cell intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate it: A review. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1044707. [PMID: 36505823 PMCID: PMC9727305 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1044707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence shows that despite clonal origins tumors eventually become complex communities comprised of phenotypically distinct cell subpopulations. This heterogeneity arises from both tumor cell intrinsic programs and signals from spatially and temporally dynamic microenvironments. While pediatric cancers usually lack the mutational burden of adult cancers, they still exhibit high levels of cellular heterogeneity that are largely mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. Ewing sarcomas are aggressive bone and soft tissue malignancies with peak incidence in adolescence and the prognosis for patients with relapsed and metastatic disease is dismal. Ewing sarcomas are driven by a single pathognomonic fusion between a FET protein and an ETS family transcription factor, the most common of which is EWS::FLI1. Despite sharing a single driver mutation, Ewing sarcoma cells demonstrate a high degree of transcriptional heterogeneity both between and within tumors. Recent studies have identified differential fusion protein activity as a key source of this heterogeneity which leads to profoundly different cellular phenotypes. Paradoxically, increased invasive and metastatic potential is associated with lower EWS::FLI1 activity. Here, we review what is currently understood about EWS::FLI1 activity, the cell autonomous and tumor microenvironmental factors that regulate it, and the downstream consequences of these activity states on tumor progression. We specifically highlight how transcription factor regulation, signaling pathway modulation, and the extracellular matrix intersect to create a complex network of tumor cell phenotypes. We propose that elucidation of the mechanisms by which these essential elements interact will enable the development of novel therapeutic approaches that are designed to target this complexity and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elizabeth R. Lawlor
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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14
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Regulation of Metastasis in Ewing Sarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14194902. [PMID: 36230825 PMCID: PMC9563756 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is a type of bone and soft tissue tumor in children and adolescents. Over 85% of cases are caused by the expression of fusion protein EWSR1-FLI1 generated by chromosome translocation. Acting as a potent chimeric oncoprotein, EWSR1-FLI1 binds to chromatin, changes the epigenetic states, and thus alters the expression of a large set of genes. Several studies have revealed that the expression level of EWSR1-FLI1 is variable and dynamic within and across different EwS cell lines and primary tumors, leading to tumoral heterogeneity. Cells with high EWSR1-FLI1 expression (EWSR1-FLI1-high) proliferate in an exponential manner, whereas cells with low EWSR1-FLI1 expression (EWSR1-FLI1-low) tend to have a strong propensity to migrate, invade, and metastasize. Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The continuous evolution of EwS research has revealed some of the molecular underpinnings of this dissemination process. In this review, we discuss the molecular signatures that contribute to metastasis.
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15
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Li Y, Yang S, Liu Y, Yang S. Mice with Trp53 and Rb1 deficiency in chondrocytes spontaneously develop chondrosarcoma via overactivation of YAP signaling. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:570. [PMID: 35760773 PMCID: PMC9237030 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04916-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Chondrosarcoma (CHS) is a rare type of soft sarcoma with increased production of cartilage matrix arising from soft bone tissues. Currently, surgical resection is the primary clinical treatment for chondrosarcoma due to the poor response to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, the therapeutic effect is not satisfactory due to the higher local recurrence rate. Thus, management and elucidation of the pathological mechanism of chondrosarcoma remain an ongoing challenge, and the development of effective chondrosarcoma mouse models and treatment options are urgently needed. Here, we generated a new transgenic chondrosarcoma model by double conditional deletions of Trp53 and Rb1 in chondrocyte lineage which spontaneously caused spinal chondrosarcoma and lung metastasis. Bioinformatic analysis of the human soft sarcoma database showed that Trp53 and Rb1 genes had higher mutations, reaching up to approximately 33.5% and 8.7%, respectively. Additionally, Trp53 and Rb1 signatures were decreased in the human and mouse chondrosarcoma tissues. Mechanistically, we found that YAP expression and activity were significantly increased in mouse Col2-Cre;Trp53f/f/Rb1f/f chondrosarcoma tissues compared to the adjacent normal cartilage. Knockdown of YAP in primary chondrosarcoma cells significantly inhibited chondrosarcoma proliferation, invasion, and tumorsphere formation. Chondrocyte lineage ablation of YAP delayed chondrosarcoma progression and lung metastasis in Col2-Cre;Trp53f/f/Rb1f/f mice. Moreover, we found that metformin served as a YAP inhibitor, which bound to the activity area of YAP protein, and inhibited chondrosarcoma cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and progression in vitro and significantly suppressed chondrosarcoma formation in vivo. Collectively, this study identifies the inhibition of YAP may be an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of chondrosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- Department of Basic & Translational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Shuting Yang
- Department of Basic & Translational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, 116023, Dalian, China
| | - Shuying Yang
- Department of Basic & Translational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- The Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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16
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Saratov V, Ngo QA, Pedot G, Sidorov S, Wachtel M, Niggli FK, Schäfer BW. CRISPR activation screen identifies TGFβ-associated PEG10 as a crucial tumor suppressor in Ewing sarcoma. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10671. [PMID: 35739280 PMCID: PMC9225990 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12659-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
As the second most common pediatric bone and soft tissue tumor, Ewing sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive disease with a pathognomonic chromosomal translocation t(11;22) resulting in expression of EWS-FLI1, an "undruggable" fusion protein acting as transcriptional modulator. EWS-FLI1 rewires the protein expression in cancer cells by activating and repressing a multitude of genes. The role and contribution of most repressed genes remains unknown to date. To address this, we established a CRISPR activation system in clonal SKNMC cell lines and interrogated a custom focused library covering 871 genes repressed by EWS-FLI1. Among the hits several members of the TGFβ pathway were identified, where PEG10 emerged as prime candidate due to its strong antiproliferative effect. Mechanistic investigations revealed that PEG10 overexpression caused cellular dropout via induction of cell death. Furthermore, non-canonical TGFβ pathways such as RAF/MEK/ERK, MKK/JNK, MKK/P38, known to lead to apoptosis or autophagy, were highly activated upon PEG10 overexpression. Our study sheds new light onto the contribution of TGFβ signalling pathway repression to ES tumorigenesis and suggest that its re-activation might constitute a novel therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim Saratov
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Quy A Ngo
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gloria Pedot
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Semjon Sidorov
- Experimental Infectious Diseases and Cancer Research, Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital of Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marco Wachtel
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Felix K Niggli
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beat W Schäfer
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 32, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland.
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17
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Farahat M, Hara ES, Anada R, Kazi GAS, Akhter NM, Matsumoto T. Mechanotransductive Mechanisms of Biomimetic Hydrogel Cues Modulating Meckel's Cartilage Degeneration. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2022; 6:e2101315. [PMID: 35347898 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202101315] [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: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Meckel's cartilage, a cartilage rod present in the mandible during developmental stages, shows a unique developmental fate: while the anterior and posterior portions undergo ossification, the middle part degenerates. Previously, it was shown that a stiff environment promoted cartilage degeneration in the middle region, while a soft environment enhanced the mineralization in the anterior region of Meckel's cartilage. This study aims to elucidate the spatio-temporal changes in the mechanosensing properties of Meckel's cartilage during its early developmental stages and clarify the mechanotransduction-related mechanisms involved in its degeneration. The results show that the expression of Hippo pathway effector yes-associated protein (YAP) is only detectable in the Meckel's cartilage onward embryonic day (E)14.5, indicating that mechanosensing is dependent on the tissue developmental stage. Consistently, microenvironmental stiffness-induced cartilage degeneration can only be induced in cartilages onward E14.5, but not in those at earlier developmental stages. Expressions of integrin-β1 and cartilage matrix-degrading enzymes, matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) and MMP-13, are significantly enhanced in the degeneration area. Moreover, verteporfin (YAP inhibitor) and integrin-β1 antibody block the substrate stiffness-induced degeneration by suppressing the expressions of MMP-1 and MMP-13. These data provide new insights into the interplay between biochemical and mechanical cues determining the fate of Meckel's cartilage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud Farahat
- Department of Biomaterials, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Emilio S Hara
- Department of Biomaterials, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Risa Anada
- Department of Biomaterials, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Gulsan A S Kazi
- Department of Applied Life Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Nahid M Akhter
- Department of Biomaterials, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Takuya Matsumoto
- Department of Biomaterials, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
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18
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Li Y, Yang S, Yang S. Verteporfin Inhibits the Progression of Spontaneous Osteosarcoma Caused by Trp53 and Rb1 Deficiency in Ctsk-Expressing Cells via Impeding Hippo Pathway. Cells 2022; 11:1361. [PMID: 35456040 PMCID: PMC9031376 DOI: 10.3390/cells11081361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignancy of bone in children and adolescents. Others and our previous studies have shown that Yes-associated protein (YAP)/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) as core components of the Hippo pathway are crucial regulators of osteosarcoma formation and progression. Recent studies demonstrated that verteporfin (VP) is an inhibitor of YAP/TAZ signaling in xenograft osteosarcoma. However, whether VP can inhibit primary osteosarcoma in mice is unknown. Mutations of Trp53 and Rb1 occur in approximately 50~70% of human osteosarcoma. In this study, we successfully generated the Ctsk-Cre;Trp53f/f/Rb1f/f mice in which Trp53/Rb1 was ablated in Ctsk-expressing cells and found that Ctsk-Cre;Trp53f/f/Rb1f/f mice spontaneously developed osteosarcoma with increased expansive osteoid lesions in the cortical bone with aging. Loss of Trp53/Rb1 in Ctsk-expressing cells significantly promoted the expression and nuclear translocation of YAP/TAZ. Micro-CT results showed that inhibition of YAP/TAZ by VP delays osteosarcoma progression and protected against bone erosion in Ctsk-Cre;Trp53f/f/Rb1f/f mice. Importantly, the Kaplan-Meier survival curves displayed a significantly longer survival rate after VP treatment in Ctsk-Cre;Trp53f/f/Rb1f/f mice compared to non-injected groups. In vitro studies further showed that VP inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion in Trp53/Rb1-mutant Ctsk-expressing cells. Moreover, the results from promoter luciferase activity analysis showed that the transcriptional activity of YAP/TAZ was significantly increased in osteosarcoma tissue from Ctsk-Cre;Trp53f/f/Rb1f/f mice, which was attenuated by VP treatment. Overall, these findings suggest that targeting Hippo pathway by VP may be a potential therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Li
- Department of Basic & Translational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (Y.L.); (S.Y.)
| | - Shuting Yang
- Department of Basic & Translational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (Y.L.); (S.Y.)
| | - Shuying Yang
- Department of Basic & Translational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (Y.L.); (S.Y.)
- Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- The Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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19
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Chiarini F, Paganelli F, Balestra T, Capanni C, Fazio A, Manara MC, Landuzzi L, Petrini S, Evangelisti C, Lollini PL, Martelli AM, Lattanzi G, Scotlandi K. Lamin A and the LINC complex act as potential tumor suppressors in Ewing Sarcoma. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:346. [PMID: 35422060 PMCID: PMC9010457 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04729-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Lamin A, a main constituent of the nuclear lamina, is involved in mechanosignaling and cell migration through dynamic interactions with the LINC complex, formed by the nuclear envelope proteins SUN1, SUN2 and the nesprins. Here, we investigated lamin A role in Ewing Sarcoma (EWS), an aggressive bone tumor affecting children and young adults. In patients affected by EWS, we found a significant inverse correlation between LMNA gene expression and tumor aggressiveness. Accordingly, in experimental in vitro models, low lamin A expression correlated with enhanced cell migration and invasiveness and, in vivo, with an increased metastatic load. At the molecular level, this condition was linked to altered expression and anchorage of nuclear envelope proteins and increased nuclear retention of YAP/TAZ, a mechanosignaling effector. Conversely, overexpression of lamin A rescued LINC complex organization, thus reducing YAP/TAZ nuclear recruitment and preventing cell invasiveness. These effects were also obtained through modulation of lamin A maturation by a statin-based pharmacological treatment that further elicited a more differentiated phenotype in EWS cells. These results demonstrate that drugs inducing nuclear envelope remodeling could be exploited to improve therapeutic strategies for EWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Chiarini
- CNR Institute of Molecular Genetics "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", Unit of Bologna, 40136, Bologna, Italy. .,IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 40136, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Francesca Paganelli
- CNR Institute of Molecular Genetics "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", Unit of Bologna, 40136, Bologna, Italy.,Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, 40136, Bologna, Italy
| | - Tommaso Balestra
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Experimental Oncology Laboratory, 40136, Bologna, Italy.,Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, 40138, Bologna, Italy
| | - Cristina Capanni
- CNR Institute of Molecular Genetics "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", Unit of Bologna, 40136, Bologna, Italy.,IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 40136, Bologna, Italy
| | - Antonietta Fazio
- Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, 40136, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Manara
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Experimental Oncology Laboratory, 40136, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lorena Landuzzi
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Experimental Oncology Laboratory, 40136, Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefania Petrini
- Confocal Microscopy Core Facility, Research Center, Bambino Gesu' Children's Hospital IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Camilla Evangelisti
- Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, 40136, Bologna, Italy
| | - Pier-Luigi Lollini
- Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, 40138, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alberto M Martelli
- Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, 40136, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giovanna Lattanzi
- CNR Institute of Molecular Genetics "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", Unit of Bologna, 40136, Bologna, Italy. .,IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 40136, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Katia Scotlandi
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Experimental Oncology Laboratory, 40136, Bologna, Italy.
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20
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He K, Li Z, Ye K, Zhou Y, Yan M, Qi H, Hu H, Dai Y, Tang Y. Novel sequential therapy with metformin enhances the effects of cisplatin in testicular germ cell tumours via YAP1 signalling. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:113. [PMID: 35264157 PMCID: PMC8905836 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02534-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) are the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in young men. Although cisplatin has been shown to be effective to treat TGCT patients, long-term follow-up has shown that TGCT survivors who accepted cisplatin treatment suffered from a greater number of adverse reactions than patients who underwent orchiectomy alone. As metformin has shown an anticancer effect in various cancers, we investigated whether metformin could enhance the effects of cisplatin to treat TGCTs. Methods The anticancer effects of different treatment strategies consisting of metformin and cisplatin in TCam-2 and NTERA-2 cells were assessed in vitro and in vivo. First, we used a colony formation assay, CCK-8 and MTT assays to explore the viability of TGCT cells. Flow cytometry was used to assess the cell cycle and apoptosis of TGCTs. Then, Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of TGCTs cells after different treatments. In addition, a xenograft model was used to investigate the effects of the different treatments on the proliferation of TGCT cells. Immunohistochemistry assays were performed to analyse the expression of related proteins in the tissues from the xenograft model. Results Metformin inhibited the proliferation of TCam-2 and NTERA-2 cells by arresting them in G1 phase, while metformin did not induce apoptosis in TGCT cells. Compared with cisplatin monotherapy, the CCK-8, MTT assay and colony formation assay showed that sequential treatment with metformin and cisplatin produced enhanced anticancer effects. Further study showed that metformin blocked the cells in G1 phase by inducing phosphorylated YAP1 and reducing the expression of cyclin D1, CDK6, CDK4 and RB, which enhanced the chemosensitivity of cisplatin and activated the expression of cleaved caspase 3 in TGCTs. Conclusions Our study discovers the important role of YAP1 in TGCTs and reports a new treatment strategy that employs the sequential administration of metformin and cisplatin, which can reduce the required cisplatin dose and enhance the sensitivity of TGCT cells to cisplatin. Therefore, this sequential treatment strategy may facilitate the development of basic and clinical research for anticancer therapies to treat TGCTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kancheng He
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Zitaiyu Li
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Kun Ye
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Yihong Zhou
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Minbo Yan
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Hao Qi
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Huating Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine/Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macao, China
| | - Yingbo Dai
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China. .,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yuxin Tang
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China. .,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.
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21
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Weiss F, Lauffenburger D, Friedl P. Towards targeting of shared mechanisms of cancer metastasis and therapy resistance. Nat Rev Cancer 2022; 22:157-173. [PMID: 35013601 PMCID: PMC10399972 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-021-00427-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Resistance to therapeutic treatment and metastatic progression jointly determine a fatal outcome of cancer. Cancer metastasis and therapeutic resistance are traditionally studied as separate fields using non-overlapping strategies. However, emerging evidence, including from in vivo imaging and in vitro organotypic culture, now suggests that both programmes cooperate and reinforce each other in the invasion niche and persist upon metastatic evasion. As a consequence, cancer cell subpopulations exhibiting metastatic invasion undergo multistep reprogramming that - beyond migration signalling - supports repair programmes, anti-apoptosis processes, metabolic adaptation, stemness and survival. Shared metastasis and therapy resistance signalling are mediated by multiple mechanisms, such as engagement of integrins and other context receptors, cell-cell communication, stress responses and metabolic reprogramming, which cooperate with effects elicited by autocrine and paracrine chemokine and growth factor cues present in the activated tumour microenvironment. These signals empower metastatic cells to cope with therapeutic assault and survive. Identifying nodes shared in metastasis and therapy resistance signalling networks should offer new opportunities to improve anticancer therapy beyond current strategies, to eliminate both nodular lesions and cells in metastatic transit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Weiss
- Department of Cell Biology, RIMLS, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Douglas Lauffenburger
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Peter Friedl
- Department of Cell Biology, RIMLS, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
- David H. Koch Center for Applied Research of Genitourinary Cancers, Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Cancer Genomics Center, Utrecht, Netherlands.
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22
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Khoogar R, Li F, Chen Y, Ignatius M, Lawlor ER, Kitagawa K, Huang THM, Phelps DA, Houghton PJ. Single-cell RNA profiling identifies diverse cellular responses to EWSR1/FLI1 downregulation in Ewing sarcoma cells. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2022; 45:19-40. [PMID: 34997546 PMCID: PMC10959445 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-021-00640-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The EWSR1/FLI1 gene fusion is the most common rearrangement leading to cell transformation in Ewing sarcoma (ES). Previous studies have indicated that expression at the cellular level is heterogeneous, and that levels of expression may oscillate, conferring different cellular characteristics. In ES the role of EWSR1/FLI1 in regulating subpopulation dynamics is currently unknown. METHODS We used siRNA to transiently suppress EWSR1/FLI1 expression and followed population dynamics using both single cell expression profiling, CyTOF and functional assays to define characteristics of exponentially growing ES cells and of ES cells in which EWSR1/FLI1 had been downregulated. Novel transcriptional states with distinct features were assigned using random forest feature selection in combination with machine learning. Cells isolated from ES xenografts in immune-deficient mice were interrogated to determine whether characteristics of specific subpopulations of cells in vitro could be identified. Stem-like characteristics were assessed by primary and secondary spheroid formation in vitro, and invasion/motility was determined for each identified subpopulation. Autophagy was determined by expression profiling, cell sorting and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS We defined a workflow to study EWSR1/FLI1 driven transcriptional states and phenotypes. We tracked EWSR1/FLI1 dependent proliferative activity over time to discover sources of intra-tumoral diversity. Single-cell RNA profiling was used to compare expression profiles in exponentially growing populations (si-Control) or in two dormant populations (D1, D2) in which EWSR1/FLI1 had been suppressed. Three distinct transcriptional states were uncovered contributing to ES intra-heterogeneity. Our predictive model identified ~1% cells in a dormant-like state and ~ 2-4% cells with stem-like and neural stem-like features in an exponentially proliferating ES cell line and in ES xenografts. Following EWSR1/FLI1 knockdown, cells re-entering the proliferative cycle exhibited greater stem-like properties, whereas for those cells remaining quiescent, FAM134B-dependent dormancy may provide a survival mechanism. CONCLUSIONS We show that time-dependent changes induced by suppression of oncogenic EWSR1/FLI1 expression induces dormancy, with different subpopulation dynamics. Cells re-entering the proliferative cycle show enhanced stem-like characteristics, whereas those remaining dormant for prolonged periods appear to survive through autophagy. Cells with these characteristics identified in exponentially growing cell populations and in tumor xenografts may confer drug resistance and could potentially contribute to metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxane Khoogar
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Fuyang Li
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Myron Ignatius
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Lawlor
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, University of Washington Medical School, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Katsumi Kitagawa
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Tim H-M Huang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Doris A Phelps
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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23
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Truong D, Cherradi-Lamhamedi SE, Ludwig JA. Targeting the IGF/PI3K/mTOR Pathway and AXL/YAP1/TAZ pathways in Primary Bone Cancer. J Bone Oncol 2022; 33:100419. [PMID: 35251924 PMCID: PMC8892134 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbo.2022.100419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary bone cancers (PBC) belong to the family of mesenchymal tumors classified based on their cellular origin, extracellular matrix, genetic regulation, and epigenetic modification. The three major PBC types, Ewing sarcoma, osteosarcoma, and chondrosarcoma, are frequently aggressive tumors, highly metastatic, and typically occur in children and young adults. Despite their distinct origins and pathogenesis, these sarcoma subtypes rely upon common signaling pathways to promote tumor progression, metastasis, and survival. The IGF/PI3K/mTOR and AXL/YAP/TAZ pathways, in particular, have gained significant attention recently given their ties to oncogenesis, cell fate and differentiation, metastasis, and drug resistance. Naturally, these pathways – and their protein constituents – have caught the eye of the pharmaceutical industry, and a wide array of small molecule inhibitors and antibody drug-conjugates have emerged. Here, we review how the IGF/PI3K/mTOR and AXL/YAP/TAZ pathways promote PBC and highlight the drug candidates under clinical trial investigation.
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24
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Ban J, Fock V, Aryee DNT, Kovar H. Mechanisms, Diagnosis and Treatment of Bone Metastases. Cells 2021; 10:2944. [PMID: 34831167 PMCID: PMC8616226 DOI: 10.3390/cells10112944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone and bone marrow are among the most frequent metastatic sites of cancer. The occurrence of bone metastasis is frequently associated with a dismal disease outcome. The prevention and therapy of bone metastases is a priority in the treatment of cancer patients. However, current therapeutic options for patients with bone metastatic disease are limited in efficacy and associated with increased morbidity. Therefore, most current therapies are mainly palliative in nature. A better understanding of the underlying molecular pathways of the bone metastatic process is warranted to develop novel, well-tolerated and more successful treatments for a significant improvement of patients' quality of life and disease outcome. In this review, we provide comparative mechanistic insights into the bone metastatic process of various solid tumors, including pediatric cancers. We also highlight current and innovative approaches to biologically targeted therapy and immunotherapy. In particular, we discuss the role of the bone marrow microenvironment in the attraction, homing, dormancy and outgrowth of metastatic tumor cells and the ensuing therapeutic implications. Multiple signaling pathways have been described to contribute to metastatic spread to the bone of specific cancer entities, with most knowledge derived from the study of breast and prostate cancer. However, it is likely that similar mechanisms are involved in different types of cancer, including multiple myeloma, primary bone sarcomas and neuroblastoma. The metastatic rate-limiting interaction of tumor cells with the various cellular and noncellular components of the bone-marrow niche provides attractive therapeutic targets, which are already partially exploited by novel promising immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jozef Ban
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (J.B.); (V.F.); (D.N.T.A.)
| | - Valerie Fock
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (J.B.); (V.F.); (D.N.T.A.)
| | - Dave N. T. Aryee
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (J.B.); (V.F.); (D.N.T.A.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Heinrich Kovar
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, 1090 Vienna, Austria; (J.B.); (V.F.); (D.N.T.A.)
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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25
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RhoA enhances osteosarcoma resistance to MPPa-PDT via the Hippo/YAP signaling pathway. Cell Biosci 2021; 11:179. [PMID: 34627383 PMCID: PMC8501741 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-021-00690-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most prevalent primary bone malignancy affecting adolescents, yet the emergence of chemoradiotherapeutic resistance has limited efforts to cure affected patients to date. Pyropheophorbide-α methyl ester-mediated photodynamic therapy (MPPa-PDT) is a recently developed, minimally invasive treatment for OS that is similarly constrained by such therapeutic resistance. This study sought to explore the mechanistic basis for RhoA-activated YAP1 (YAP)-mediated resistance in OS. Methods The relationship between YAP expression levels and patient prognosis was analyzed, and YAP levels in OS cell lines were quantified. Immunofluorescent staining was used to assess YAP nuclear translocation. OS cell lines (HOS and MG63) in which RhoA and YAP were knocked down or overexpressed were generated using lentiviral vectors. CCK-8 assays were used to examine OS cell viability, while the apoptotic death of these cells was monitored via Hoechst staining, Western blotting, and flow cytometry. Tumor-bearing nude mice were additionally used to assess the relationship between lentivirus-mediated alterations in RhoA expression and MPPa-PDT treatment outcomes. TUNEL and immunohistochemical staining approaches were leveraged to assess apoptotic cell death in tissue samples. Results OS patients exhibited higher levels of YAP expression, and these were correlated with a poor prognosis. MPPa-PDT induced apoptosis in OS cells, and such MPPa-PDT-induced apoptosis was enhanced following YAP knockdown whereas it was suppressed by YAP overexpression. RhoA and YAP expression levels were positively correlated in OS patients, and both active and total RhoA protein levels rose in OS cells following MPPa-PDT treatment. When RhoA was knocked down, levels of unphosphorylated YAP and downstream target genes were significantly reduced, while RhoA/ROCK2/LIMK2 pathway phosphorylation was suppressed, whereas RhoA overexpression resulted in the opposite phenotype. MPPa-PDT treatment was linked to an increase in HMGCR protein levels, and the inhibition of RhoA or HMGCR was sufficient to suppress RhoA activity and to decrease the protein levels of YAP and its downstream targets. Mevalonate administration partially reversed these reductions in the expression of YAP and YAP target genes. RhoA knockdown significantly enhanced the apoptotic death of OS cells in vitro and in vivo following MPPa-PDT treatment, whereas RhoA overexpression had the opposite effect. Conclusions These results suggest that the mevalonate pathway activates RhoA, which in turn activates YAP and promotes OS cell resistance to MPPa-PDT therapy. Targeting the RhoA/ROCK2/LIMK2/YAP pathway can significantly improve the efficacy of MPPa-PDT treatment for OS. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13578-021-00690-6.
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26
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Kim J, Lim H, Moon S, Cho SY, Kim M, Park JH, Park HW, No KT. Hot Spot Analysis of YAP-TEAD Protein-Protein Interaction Using the Fragment Molecular Orbital Method and Its Application for Inhibitor Discovery. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4246. [PMID: 34439400 PMCID: PMC8391968 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13164246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The Hippo pathway is an important signaling pathway modulating growth control and cancer cell proliferation. Dysregulation of the Hippo pathway is a common feature of several types of cancer cells. The modulation of the interaction between yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional enhancer associated domain (TEAD) in the Hippo pathway is considered an attractive target for cancer therapeutic development, although the inhibition of PPI is a challenging task. In order to investigate the hot spots of the YAP and TEAD1 interacting complex, an ab initio Fragment Molecular Orbital (FMO) method was introduced. With the hot spots, pharmacophores for the inhibitor design were constructed, then virtual screening was performed to an in-house library. Next, we performed molecular docking simulations and FMO calculations for screening results to study the binding modes and affinities between PPI inhibitors and TEAD1. As a result of the virtual screening, three compounds were selected as virtual hit compounds. In order to confirm their biological activities, cellular (luciferase activity, proximity ligation assay and wound healing assay in A375 cells, qRT-PCR in HEK 293T cells) and biophysical assays (surface plasmon resonance assays) were performed. Based on the findings of the study, we propose a novel PPI inhibitor BY03 and demonstrate a profitable strategy to analyze YAP-TEAD PPI and discover novel PPI inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jongwan Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea;
- Bioinformatics and Molecular Design Research Center (BMDRC), Incheon 21983, Korea
| | - Hocheol Lim
- The Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Integrative Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Yonsei University, Incheon 21983, Korea;
| | - Sungho Moon
- Baobab AiBIO Co., Ltd., Incheon 21983, Korea; (S.M.); (S.Y.C.); (M.K.)
| | - Seon Yeon Cho
- Baobab AiBIO Co., Ltd., Incheon 21983, Korea; (S.M.); (S.Y.C.); (M.K.)
| | - Minhye Kim
- Baobab AiBIO Co., Ltd., Incheon 21983, Korea; (S.M.); (S.Y.C.); (M.K.)
| | - Jae Hyung Park
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (J.H.P.); (H.W.P.)
| | - Hyun Woo Park
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea; (J.H.P.); (H.W.P.)
| | - Kyoung Tai No
- Bioinformatics and Molecular Design Research Center (BMDRC), Incheon 21983, Korea
- Baobab AiBIO Co., Ltd., Incheon 21983, Korea; (S.M.); (S.Y.C.); (M.K.)
- Institute of Convergence Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Incheon 21983, Korea
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27
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Unraveling the IGF System Interactome in Sarcomas Exploits Novel Therapeutic Options. Cells 2021; 10:cells10082075. [PMID: 34440844 PMCID: PMC8392407 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant bioactivity of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system results in the development and progression of several pathologic conditions including cancer. Preclinical studies have shown promising anti-cancer therapeutic potentials for anti-IGF targeted therapies. However, a clear but limited clinical benefit was observed only in a minority of patients with sarcomas. The molecular complexity of the IGF system, which comprises multiple regulators and interactions with other cancer-related pathways, poses a major limitation in the use of anti-IGF agents and supports the need of combinatorial therapeutic strategies to better tackle this axis. In this review, we will initially highlight multiple mechanisms underlying IGF dysregulation in cancer and then focus on the impact of the IGF system and its complexity in sarcoma development and progression as well as response to anti-IGF therapies. We will also discuss the role of Ephrin receptors, Hippo pathway, BET proteins and CXCR4 signaling, as mediators of sarcoma malignancy and relevant interactors with the IGF system in tumor cells. A deeper understanding of these molecular interactions might provide the rationale for novel and more effective therapeutic combinations to treat sarcomas.
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28
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Miallot R, Galland F, Millet V, Blay JY, Naquet P. Metabolic landscapes in sarcomas. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:114. [PMID: 34294128 PMCID: PMC8296645 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-021-01125-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic rewiring offers novel therapeutic opportunities in cancer. Until recently, there was scant information regarding soft tissue sarcomas, due to their heterogeneous tissue origin, histological definition and underlying genetic history. Novel large-scale genomic and metabolomics approaches are now helping stratify their physiopathology. In this review, we show how various genetic alterations skew activation pathways and orient metabolic rewiring in sarcomas. We provide an update on the contribution of newly described mechanisms of metabolic regulation. We underscore mechanisms that are relevant to sarcomagenesis or shared with other cancers. We then discuss how diverse metabolic landscapes condition the tumor microenvironment, anti-sarcoma immune responses and prognosis. Finally, we review current attempts to control sarcoma growth using metabolite-targeting drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Miallot
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille Luminy, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille, France.
| | - Franck Galland
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille Luminy, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Virginie Millet
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille Luminy, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Yves Blay
- Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon 1, Lyon Recherche Innovation contre le Cancer, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, France
| | - Philippe Naquet
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille Luminy, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille, France.
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29
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Islam MS, Afrin S, Singh B, Jayes FL, Brennan JT, Borahay MA, Leppert PC, Segars JH. Extracellular matrix and Hippo signaling as therapeutic targets of antifibrotic compounds for uterine fibroids. Clin Transl Med 2021; 11:e475. [PMID: 34323413 PMCID: PMC8255059 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uterine fibroids are highly prevalent, collagen-rich, mechanically stiff, fibrotic tumors for which new therapeutic options are needed. Increased extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness activates mechanical signaling and Hippo/YAP promoting fibroid growth, but no prior studies have tested either as a therapeutic target. We tested the hypothesis that injection of a purified form of collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) that selectively digests type I and type III collagens would alter ECM stiffness, Hippo signaling, and selectively reduce fibroid cell growth. We also used two FDA-approved drugs, verteporfin and nintedanib, to elucidate the role of Hippo/YAP signaling in uterine fibroid and myometrial cells. METHODS The clinical trial was registered (NCT02889848). Stiffness of samples was measured by rheometry. Protein expression in surgical samples was analyzed via immunofluorescence. Protein and gene expression in uterine fibroid or myometrial cell lines were measured by real time PCR and western blot, and immunofluorescence. RESULTS Injection of CCH at high doses (0.1-0.2 mg/cm3 ) into fibroids resulted in a 46% reduction in stiffness in injected fibroids compared to controls after 60 days. Levels of the cell proliferation marker proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were decreased in fibroids 60 days after injection at high doses of CCH. Key Hippo signaling factors, specifically the transcriptionally inactive phosphorylated YAP (p-YAP), was increased at high CCH doses, supporting the role of YAP in fibroid growth. Furthermore, inhibition of YAP via verteporfin (YAP inhibitor) decreased cell proliferation, gene and protein expression of key factors promoting fibrosis and mechanotransduction in fibroid cells. Additionally, the anti-fibrotic drug, nintedanib, inhibited YAP and showed anti-fibrotic effects. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report that in vivo injection of collagenase into uterine fibroids led to a reduction in Hippo/YAP signaling and crucial genes and pathways involved in fibroid growth. These results indicate that targeting ECM stiffness and Hippo signaling might be an effective strategy for uterine fibroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Soriful Islam
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Division of Reproductive Sciences & Women's Health ResearchJohns Hopkins MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Sadia Afrin
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Division of Reproductive Sciences & Women's Health ResearchJohns Hopkins MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Bhuchitra Singh
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Division of Reproductive Sciences & Women's Health ResearchJohns Hopkins MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Friederike L. Jayes
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Joshua T. Brennan
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Division of Reproductive Sciences & Women's Health ResearchJohns Hopkins MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Mostafa A. Borahay
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Division of Reproductive Sciences & Women's Health ResearchJohns Hopkins MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Phyllis C. Leppert
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - James H. Segars
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Division of Reproductive Sciences & Women's Health ResearchJohns Hopkins MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
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30
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Mohajan S, Jaiswal PK, Vatanmakarian M, Yousefi H, Sankaralingam S, Alahari SK, Koul S, Koul HK. Hippo pathway: Regulation, deregulation and potential therapeutic targets in cancer. Cancer Lett 2021; 507:112-123. [PMID: 33737002 PMCID: PMC10370464 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Hippo pathway is a master regulator of development, cell proliferation, stem cell function, tissue regeneration, homeostasis, and organ size control. Hippo pathway relays signals from different extracellular and intracellular events to regulate cell behavior and functions. Hippo pathway is conserved from Protista to eukaryotes. Deregulation of the Hippo pathway is associated with numerous cancers. Alteration of the Hippo pathway results in cell invasion, migration, disease progression, and therapy resistance in cancers. However, the function of the various components of the mammalian Hippo pathway is yet to be elucidated in detail especially concerning tumor biology. In the present review, we focused on the Hippo pathway in different model organisms, its regulation and deregulation, and possible therapeutic targets for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman Mohajan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSUHSC, Shreveport, USA
| | - Praveen Kumar Jaiswal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSUHSC, School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA; Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, USA
| | - Mousa Vatanmakarian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSUHSC, School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA
| | - Hassan Yousefi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSUHSC, School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA
| | | | - Suresh K Alahari
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSUHSC, School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA; Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, USA
| | - Sweaty Koul
- Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, USA
| | - Hari K Koul
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSUHSC, School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA; Urology, LSUHSC, School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA; Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, LSUHSC, New Orleans, USA.
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31
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Zöllner SK, Amatruda JF, Bauer S, Collaud S, de Álava E, DuBois SG, Hardes J, Hartmann W, Kovar H, Metzler M, Shulman DS, Streitbürger A, Timmermann B, Toretsky JA, Uhlenbruch Y, Vieth V, Grünewald TGP, Dirksen U. Ewing Sarcoma-Diagnosis, Treatment, Clinical Challenges and Future Perspectives. J Clin Med 2021; 10:1685. [PMID: 33919988 PMCID: PMC8071040 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10081685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma, a highly aggressive bone and soft-tissue cancer, is considered a prime example of the paradigms of a translocation-positive sarcoma: a genetically rather simple disease with a specific and neomorphic-potential therapeutic target, whose oncogenic role was irrefutably defined decades ago. This is a disease that by definition has micrometastatic disease at diagnosis and a dismal prognosis for patients with macrometastatic or recurrent disease. International collaborations have defined the current standard of care in prospective studies, delivering multiple cycles of systemic therapy combined with local treatment; both are associated with significant morbidity that may result in strong psychological and physical burden for survivors. Nevertheless, the combination of non-directed chemotherapeutics and ever-evolving local modalities nowadays achieve a realistic chance of cure for the majority of patients with Ewing sarcoma. In this review, we focus on the current standard of diagnosis and treatment while attempting to answer some of the most pressing questions in clinical practice. In addition, this review provides scientific answers to clinical phenomena and occasionally defines the resulting translational studies needed to overcome the hurdle of treatment-associated morbidities and, most importantly, non-survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan K. Zöllner
- Pediatrics III, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany;
- West German Cancer Center (WTZ), University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (S.B.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (A.S.); (B.T.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen/Düsseldorf, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - James F. Amatruda
- Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA;
| | - Sebastian Bauer
- West German Cancer Center (WTZ), University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (S.B.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (A.S.); (B.T.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen/Düsseldorf, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sarcoma Center, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Stéphane Collaud
- West German Cancer Center (WTZ), University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (S.B.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (A.S.); (B.T.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen/Düsseldorf, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ruhrlandklinik, University of Essen-Duisburg, 45239 Essen, Germany
| | - Enrique de Álava
- Institute of Biomedicine of Sevilla (IbiS), Virgen del Rocio University Hospital, CSIC, University of Sevilla, CIBERONC, 41013 Seville, Spain;
- Department of Normal and Pathological Cytology and Histology, School of Medicine, University of Seville, 41009 Seville, Spain
| | - Steven G. DuBois
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (S.G.D.); (D.S.S.)
| | - Jendrik Hardes
- West German Cancer Center (WTZ), University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (S.B.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (A.S.); (B.T.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen/Düsseldorf, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
- Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Sarcoma Center, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hartmann
- Division of Translational Pathology, Gerhard-Domagk Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany;
- West German Cancer Center (WTZ), Network Partner Site, University Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Heinrich Kovar
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute and Medical University Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Markus Metzler
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen, Germany;
| | - David S. Shulman
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (S.G.D.); (D.S.S.)
| | - Arne Streitbürger
- West German Cancer Center (WTZ), University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (S.B.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (A.S.); (B.T.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen/Düsseldorf, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
- Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Sarcoma Center, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Beate Timmermann
- West German Cancer Center (WTZ), University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (S.B.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (A.S.); (B.T.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen/Düsseldorf, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
- Department of Particle Therapy, University Hospital Essen, West German Proton Therapy Centre, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Jeffrey A. Toretsky
- Departments of Oncology and Pediatrics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA;
| | - Yasmin Uhlenbruch
- St. Josefs Hospital Bochum, University Hospital, 44791 Bochum, Germany;
| | - Volker Vieth
- Department of Radiology, Klinikum Ibbenbüren, 49477 Ibbenbühren, Germany;
| | - Thomas G. P. Grünewald
- Division of Translational Pediatric Sarcoma Research, Hopp-Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- Division of Translational Pediatric Sarcoma Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Core Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Uta Dirksen
- Pediatrics III, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany;
- West German Cancer Center (WTZ), University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; (S.B.); (S.C.); (J.H.); (A.S.); (B.T.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Essen/Düsseldorf, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
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Parks SE, Yustein JT. PAK1 and PAK4 as therapeutic targets for Ewing sarcoma: a commentary. JOURNAL OF CANCER BIOLOGY 2021; 2:94-97. [PMID: 36594908 PMCID: PMC9802585 DOI: 10.46439/cancerbiology.2.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive pediatric bone tumor that is prone to metastasis. Due to low five-year survival rates and limited therapeutic options for metastatic disease, there is a dire clinical need for improved ES treatments. Targeting p21-activated kinases (PAKs) may be key. PAK1 and PAK4 are associated with aggressive ES and poor patient outcomes, although their molecular mechanisms remain largely uncharacterized in this disease. This commentary aims to highlight the recent advancements made to the understanding of PAK1 and PAK4 in ES in the paper "p21-activated kinases as viable therapeutic targets for the treatment of high-risk Ewing sarcoma" by Qasim et al.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney E. Parks
- Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers and The Faris D. Virani Ewing Sarcoma Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Cancer and Cell Biology Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jason T. Yustein
- Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers and The Faris D. Virani Ewing Sarcoma Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Cancer and Cell Biology Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA,Author for correspondence:
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