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Ma S, Long G, Jiang Z, Zhang Y, Sun L, Pan Y, You Q, Guo X. Recent advances in targeting histone H3 lysine 36 methyltransferases for cancer therapy. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 274:116532. [PMID: 38805937 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Histone H3 lysine 36 (H3K36) methylation is a typical epigenetic histone modification that is involved in various biological processes such as DNA transcription, repair and recombination in vivo. Mutations, translocations, and aberrant gene expression associated with H3K36 methyltransferases have been implicated in different malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia, lung cancer, multiple myeloma, and others. Herein, we provided a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in small molecule inhibitors targeting H3K36 methyltransferases. We analyzed the structures and biological functions of the H3K36 methyltransferases family members. Additionally, we discussed the potential directions for future development of inhibitors targeting H3K36 methyltransferases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Ma
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Guanlu Long
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Zheng Jiang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Liangkui Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yun Pan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Qidong You
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Xiaoke Guo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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2
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Feng W, Niu N, Lu P, Chen Z, Rao H, Zhang W, Ma C, Liu C, Xu Y, Gao WQ, Xue J, Li L. Multilevel Regulation of NF-κB Signaling by NSD2 Suppresses Kras-Driven Pancreatic Tumorigenesis. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2309387. [PMID: 38889281 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202309387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a clinically challenging cancer with a dismal overall prognosis. NSD2 is an H3K36-specific di-methyltransferase that has been reported to play a crucial role in promoting tumorigenesis. Here, the study demonstrates that NSD2 acts as a putative tumor suppressor in Kras-driven pancreatic tumorigenesis. NSD2 restrains the mice from inflammation and Kras-induced ductal metaplasia, while NSD2 loss facilitates pancreatic tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, NSD2-mediated H3K36me2 promotes the expression of IκBα, which inhibits the phosphorylation of p65 and NF-κB nuclear translocation. More importantly, NSD2 interacts with the DNA binding domain of p65, attenuating NF-κB transcriptional activity. Furthermore, inhibition of NF-κB signaling relieves the symptoms of Nsd2-deficient mice and sensitizes Nsd2-null PDAC to gemcitabine. Clinically, NSD2 expression decreased in PDAC patients and negatively correlated to nuclear p65 expression. Together, the study reveals the important tumor suppressor role of NSD2 and multiple mechanisms by which NSD2 suppresses both p65 phosphorylation and downstream transcriptional activity during pancreatic tumorigenesis. This study opens therapeutic opportunities for PDAC patients with NSD2 low/loss by combined treatment with gemcitabine and NF-κBi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Ningning Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Ping Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Hanyu Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Chunxiao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Changwei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Yue Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Wei-Qiang Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Jing Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Li Li
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
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3
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Yang C, Li B, Feng Z, Li H, Yang H, Yang Z, Liu L, Shi Q, Wang H, Chen ZZ, Huang X, Wang J, Wang Y. Discovery of a Highly Potent Lysine Methyltransferases G9a/NSD2 Dual Inhibitor to Treat Solid Tumors. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 39008565 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Both G9a and NSD2 have been recognized as promising therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. However, G9a inhibitors only showed moderate inhibitory activity against solid tumors and NSD2 inhibitors were limited to the treatment of hematological malignancies. Inspired by the advantages of dual-target inhibitors that show great potential in enhancing efficiency, we developed a series of highly potent G9a/NSD2 dual inhibitors to treat solid tumors. The candidate 16 demonstrated much enhanced antiproliferative activity compared to the selective G9a inhibitor 3 and NSD2 inhibitor 15. In addition, it exhibited superior potency in inhibiting colony formation, inducing cell apoptosis, and blocking cancer cell metastasis. Furthermore, it effectively inhibited the catalytic functions of both G9a and NSD2 in cells and exhibited significant antitumor efficacy in the PANC-1 xenograft model with good safety. Therefore, compound 16 as a highly potent G9a/NSD2 dual inhibitor presents an attractive anticancer drug candidate for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunju Yang
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Bang Li
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zongbo Feng
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Huaxuan Li
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Hong Yang
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai 200031, P. R. China
| | - Zhenjiao Yang
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Li Liu
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Qiongyu Shi
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai 200031, P. R. China
| | - Hong Wang
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
- State Key Laboratory of Anti-Infective Drug Development, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhong-Zhu Chen
- College of Pharmacy, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Targeted and Innovative Therapeutics, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing 402160, China
| | - Xun Huang
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai 200031, P. R. China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Junjian Wang
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
- State Key Laboratory of Anti-Infective Drug Development, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yuanxiang Wang
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
- State Key Laboratory of Anti-Infective Drug Development, Guangzhou 510006, China
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4
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Liu L, Parolia A, Liu Y, Hou C, He T, Qiao Y, Eyunni S, Luo J, Li C, Wang Y, Zhou F, Huang W, Ren X, Wang Z, Chinnaiyan AM, Ding K. Discovery of LLC0424 as a Potent and Selective in Vivo NSD2 PROTAC Degrader. J Med Chem 2024; 67:6938-6951. [PMID: 38687638 PMCID: PMC11094793 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Nuclear receptor-binding SET domain-containing 2 (NSD2), a methyltransferase that primarily installs the dimethyl mark on lysine 36 of histone 3 (H3K36me2), has been recognized as a promising therapeutic target against cancer. However, existing NSD2 inhibitors suffer from low activity or inferior selectivity, and none of them can simultaneously remove the methyltransferase activity and chromatin binding function of NSD2. Herein we report the discovery of a novel NSD2 degrader LLC0424 by leveraging the proteolysis-targeting chimera technology. LLC0424 potently degraded NSD2 protein with a DC50 value of 20 nM and a Dmax value of 96% in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) RPMI-8402 cells. Mechanistic studies revealed LLC0424 to selectively induce NSD2 degradation in a cereblon- and proteasome-dependent fashion. LLC0424 also caused continuous downregulation of H3K36me2 and growth inhibition of ALL cell lines with NSD2 mutation. Importantly, intravenous or intraperitoneal injection of LLC0424 showed potent NSD2 degradation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianchao Liu
- State
Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai
Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, no. 345 Lingling Road., Shanghai 200032, People’s Republic of China
| | - Abhijit Parolia
- Michigan
Center for Translational Pathology, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department
of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Rogel
Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department
of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Yihan Liu
- Michigan
Center for Translational Pathology, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Cancer
Biology
Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Caiyun Hou
- International
Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization
and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE),
Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development,
College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue East, Guangzhou 511400, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tongchen He
- Michigan
Center for Translational Pathology, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Yuanyuan Qiao
- Michigan
Center for Translational Pathology, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department
of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Sanjana Eyunni
- Michigan
Center for Translational Pathology, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department
of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Molecular
and Cellular Pathology Program, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Jie Luo
- Michigan
Center for Translational Pathology, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department
of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Chungen Li
- State
Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai
Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, no. 345 Lingling Road., Shanghai 200032, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yongxing Wang
- Livzon
Research Institute, Livzon Pharmaceutical
Group Inc., no. 38 Chuangye North Road, Jinwan District, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Fengtao Zhou
- International
Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization
and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE),
Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development,
College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue East, Guangzhou 511400, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weixue Huang
- State
Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai
Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, no. 345 Lingling Road., Shanghai 200032, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaomei Ren
- State
Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai
Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, no. 345 Lingling Road., Shanghai 200032, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhen Wang
- State
Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai
Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, no. 345 Lingling Road., Shanghai 200032, People’s Republic of China
| | - Arul M. Chinnaiyan
- Michigan
Center for Translational Pathology, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department
of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Rogel
Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department
of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Howard
Hughes Medical Institute, University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Ke Ding
- State
Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai
Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, no. 345 Lingling Road., Shanghai 200032, People’s Republic of China
- International
Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization
and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE),
Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development,
College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue East, Guangzhou 511400, People’s Republic of China
- Hangzhou Institute
of Medicine (HlM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
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5
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Kanaoka S, Okabe A, Kanesaka M, Rahmutulla B, Fukuyo M, Seki M, Hoshii T, Sato H, Imamura Y, Sakamoto S, Ichikawa T, Kaneda A. Chromatin activation with H3K36me2 and compartment shift in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Cancer Lett 2024; 588:216815. [PMID: 38490329 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifiers are upregulated during the process of prostate cancer, acquiring resistance to castration therapy and becoming lethal metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, the relationship between regulation of histone modifications and chromatin structure in CRPC has yet not fully been validated. Here, we reanalyzed publicly available clinical transcriptome and clinical outcome data and identified NSD2, a histone methyltransferase that catalyzes H3K36me2, as an epigenetic modifier that was upregulated in CRPC and whose increased expression in prostate cancer correlated with higher recurrence rate. We performed ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, and Hi-C to conduct comprehensive epigenomic and transcriptomic analyses to identify epigenetic reprogramming in CRPC. In regions where H3K36me2 was increased, H3K27me3 was decreased, and the compartment was shifted from inactive to active. In these regions, 68 aberrantly activated genes were identified as candidate downstream genes of NSD2 in CRPC. Among these genes, we identified KIF18A as critical for CRPC growth. Under NSD2 upregulation in CRPC, epigenetic alteration with H3K36me2-gain and H3K27me3-loss occurs accompanying with an inactive-to-active compartment shift, suggesting that histone modification and chromatin structure cooperatively change prostate carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanji Kanaoka
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan; Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Atsushi Okabe
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan; Health and Disease Omics Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Manato Kanesaka
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan; Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Bahityar Rahmutulla
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Masaki Fukuyo
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Motoaki Seki
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Takayuki Hoshii
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Sato
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan; Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yusuke Imamura
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shinichi Sakamoto
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Ichikawa
- Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kaneda
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan; Health and Disease Omics Center, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
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6
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He L, Cao Y, Sun L. NSD family proteins: Rising stars as therapeutic targets. CELL INSIGHT 2024; 3:100151. [PMID: 38371593 PMCID: PMC10869250 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellin.2024.100151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications, intricately regulate gene expression patterns by influencing DNA accessibility and chromatin structure in higher organisms. These modifications are heritable, are independent of primary DNA sequences, undergo dynamic changes during development and differentiation, and are frequently disrupted in human diseases. The reversibility of epigenetic modifications makes them promising targets for therapeutic intervention and drugs targeting epigenetic regulators (e.g., tazemetostat, targeting the H3K27 methyltransferase EZH2) have been applied in clinical therapy for multiple cancers. The NSD family of H3K36 methyltransferase enzymes-including NSD1 (KMT3B), NSD2 (MMSET/WHSC1), and NSD3 (WHSC1L1)-are now receiving drug development attention, with the exciting advent of an NSD2 inhibitor (KTX-1001) advancing to Phase I clinical trials for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. NSD proteins recognize and catalyze methylation of histone lysine marks, thereby regulating chromatin integrity and gene expression. Multiple studies have implicated NSD proteins in human disease, noting impacts from translocations, aberrant expression, and various dysfunctional somatic mutations. Here, we review the biological functions of NSD proteins, epigenetic cooperation related to NSD proteins, and the accumulating evidence linking these proteins to developmental disorders and tumorigenesis, while additionally considering prospects for the development of innovative epigenetic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin He
- Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University International Cancer Institute, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yiping Cao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University International Cancer Institute, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Luyang Sun
- Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University International Cancer Institute, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
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7
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Parolia A, Eyunni S, Verma BK, Young E, Liu L, George J, Aras S, Das CK, Mannan R, Rasool RU, Luo J, Carson SE, Mitchell-Velasquez E, Liu Y, Xiao L, Gajjala PR, Jaber M, Wang X, He T, Qiao Y, Pang M, Zhang Y, Alhusayan M, Cao X, Tavana O, Hou C, Wang Z, Ding K, Chinnaiyan AM, Asangani IA. NSD2 is a requisite subunit of the AR/FOXA1 neo-enhanceosome in promoting prostate tumorigenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.22.581560. [PMID: 38464251 PMCID: PMC10925163 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.22.581560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
The androgen receptor (AR) is a ligand-responsive transcription factor that binds at enhancers to drive terminal differentiation of the prostatic luminal epithelia. By contrast, in tumors originating from these cells, AR chromatin occupancy is extensively reprogrammed to drive hyper-proliferative, metastatic, or therapy-resistant phenotypes, the molecular mechanisms of which remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the tumor-specific enhancer circuitry of AR is critically reliant on the activity of Nuclear Receptor Binding SET Domain Protein 2 (NSD2), a histone 3 lysine 36 di-methyltransferase. NSD2 expression is abnormally gained in prostate cancer cells and its functional inhibition impairs AR trans-activation potential through partial off-loading from over 40,000 genomic sites, which is greater than 65% of the AR tumor cistrome. The NSD2-dependent AR sites distinctly harbor a chimeric AR-half motif juxtaposed to a FOXA1 element. Similar chimeric motifs of AR are absent at the NSD2-independent AR enhancers and instead contain the canonical palindromic motifs. Meta-analyses of AR cistromes from patient tumors uncovered chimeric AR motifs to exclusively participate in tumor-specific enhancer circuitries, with a minimal role in the physiological activity of AR. Accordingly, NSD2 inactivation attenuated hallmark cancer phenotypes that were fully reinstated upon exogenous NSD2 re-expression. Inactivation of NSD2 also engendered increased dependency on its paralog NSD1, which independently maintained AR and MYC hyper-transcriptional programs in cancer cells. Concordantly, a dual NSD1/2 PROTAC degrader, called LLC0150, was preferentially cytotoxic in AR-dependent prostate cancer as well as NSD2-altered hematologic malignancies. Altogether, we identify NSD2 as a novel subunit of the AR neo-enhanceosome that wires prostate cancer gene expression programs, positioning NSD1/2 as viable paralog co-targets in advanced prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijit Parolia
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sanjana Eyunni
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Pathology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Brijesh Kumar Verma
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Eleanor Young
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lianchao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - James George
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Shweta Aras
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Chandan Kanta Das
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rahul Mannan
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Reyaz ur Rasool
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jie Luo
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sandra E. Carson
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Erick Mitchell-Velasquez
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yihan Liu
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lanbo Xiao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Prathibha R. Gajjala
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mustapha Jaber
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Xiaoju Wang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tongchen He
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Qiao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Matthew Pang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yuping Zhang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mohammed Alhusayan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xuhong Cao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Omid Tavana
- Bioscience, Research and Early Development, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Caiyun Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Ke Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Arul M. Chinnaiyan
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Irfan A. Asangani
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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8
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Filippi A, Aurelian J, Mocanu MM. Analysis of the Gene Networks and Pathways Correlated with Tissue Differentiation in Prostate Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3626. [PMID: 38612439 PMCID: PMC11011430 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most prevalent non-cutaneous cancer in men. Early PCa detection has been made possible by the adoption of screening methods based on the serum prostate-specific antigen and Gleason score (GS). The aim of this study was to correlate gene expression with the differentiation level of prostate adenocarcinomas, as indicated by GS. We used data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and included 497 prostate cancer patients, 52 of which also had normal tissue sample sequencing data. Gene ontology analysis revealed that higher GSs were associated with greater responses to DNA damage, telomere lengthening, and cell division. Positive correlation was found with transcription factor activator of the adenovirus gene E2 (E2F) and avian myelocytomatosis viral homolog (MYC) targets, G2M checkpoints, DNA repair, and mitotic spindles. Immune cell deconvolution revealed high M0 macrophage counts and an increase in M2 macrophages dependent on the GS. The molecular pathways most correlated with GSs were cell cycle, RNA transport, and calcium signaling (depleted). A combinatorial approach identified a set of eight genes able to differentiate by k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN) between normal tissues, low-Gleason tissues, and high-Gleason tissues with high accuracy. In conclusion, our study could be a step forward to better understanding the link between gene expression and PCa progression and aggressiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Filippi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Justin Aurelian
- Department of Specific Disciplines, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania;
- Department of Urology, “Prof. Dr. Th. Burghele” Clinical Hospital, 050653 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Maria-Magdalena Mocanu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania;
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9
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Zhang J, Xie W, Ni B, Li Z, Feng D, Zhang Y, Han Q, Zhou H, Gu M, Tan R. NSD2 modulates Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission in chronic renal allograft interstitial fibrosis by methylating STAT1. Pharmacol Res 2024; 200:107051. [PMID: 38190956 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.107051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Renal interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (IF/TA) is a prominent pathological feature of chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD). Our previous study has demonstrated that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a significant role in shaping the development of IF/TA. Nuclear SET domain (NSD2), a histone methyltransferase catalyzing methylation at lysine 36 of histone 3, is crucially involved in the development and progression of solid tumors. But its role in the development of renal allograft interstitial fibrosis has yet to be elucidated. Here, we characterize NSD2 as a crucial mediator in the mouse renal transplantation model in vivo and a model of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) stimulated-human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) in vitro. Functionally, NSD2 knockdown inhibits EMT, dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1)-mediated mitochondrial fission in mice. Conversely, NSD2 overexpression exacerbates fibrosis-associated phenotypes and mitochondrial fission in tubular cells. Mechanistically, tubular NSD2 aggravated the Drp-1 mediated mitochondrial fission via STAT1/ERK/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in TNF-α-induced epithelial cell models. Momentously, mass spectrometry (MS) Analysis and site-directed mutagenesis assays revealed that NSD2 interacted with and induced Mono-methylation of STAT1 on K173, leading to its phosphorylation, IMB1-dependent nuclear translocation and subsequent influence on TNF-α-induced EMT and mitochondrial fission in NSD2-dependent manner. Collectively, these findings shed light on the mechanisms and suggest that targeting NSD2 could be a promising therapeutic approach to enhance tubular cell survival and alleviate interstitial fibrosis in renal allografts during CAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjian Zhang
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Weibin Xie
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Bin Ni
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhuohang Li
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Dengyuan Feng
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Qianguang Han
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Hai Zhou
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Min Gu
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ruoyun Tan
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Nanjing 210029, China.
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10
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Li Q, Zhu J, Zhang Y, Pan Y, Li Z, Wang M, Gao Y, Feng D, He X, Zhang C. Association of WHSC1/NSD2 and T-cell infiltration with prostate cancer metastasis and prognosis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21629. [PMID: 38062230 PMCID: PMC10703870 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48906-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Progress in immunotherapy for prostate cancer (PCa) lags that for other cancers, mainly because of limited immune infiltration in PCa. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of NSD2 as an immunotherapeutic target in PCa. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the expression pattern of NSD2 in 34 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 36 cases of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), and 57 cases of PCa, including 19 cases of metastatic castration-resistant prostatic cancer (mCRPC). Single-cell RNA sequencing and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to correlate NSD2 with certain downstream pathways. Furthermore, the Immuno-Oncology-Biological-Research (IOBR) software package was used to analyze the potential roles of NSD2 in the tumor microenvironment. We found that the positive expression rate of NSD2 increased progressively in BPH, PIN and PCa. mCRPC had the highest staining intensity for NSD2. High NSD2 expression was positively correlated with the infiltration level of CD4+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and negatively correlated with that of CD8+ TILs. Importantly, a new immune classification based on NSD2 expression and CD4+ TILs and CD8+ TILs was successfully used to stratify PCa patients based on OS.PSA and CD4+ TILs are independent risk factors for PCa bone metastasis. This study demonstrates a novel role for NSD2 in defining immune infiltrate on in PCa and highlights the great potential for its application in immunotherapy response evaluation for prostate malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiheng Li
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Yunnan, China
| | - Jiang Zhu
- Department of Urology Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Yunnan, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Yunnan, China
| | - Yun Pan
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhengjin Li
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Yunnan, China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Yunnan, China
| | - Yixuan Gao
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Yunnan, China
| | - Dongmei Feng
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiaoyong He
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Yunnan, China
| | - Chunmei Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Yunnan, China.
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11
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Ikram S, Rege A, Negesse MY, Casanova AG, Reynoird N, Green EM. The SMYD3-MAP3K2 signaling axis promotes tumor aggressiveness and metastasis in prostate cancer. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi5921. [PMID: 37976356 PMCID: PMC10656069 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi5921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling is frequently linked to metastatic prostate cancer (PCa); therefore, the characterization of modulators of this pathway is critical for defining therapeutic vulnerabilities for metastatic PCa. The lysine methyltransferase SET and MYND domain 3 (SMYD3) methylates MAPK kinase kinase 2 (MAP3K2) in some cancers, causing enhanced activation of MAPK signaling. In PCa, SMYD3 is frequently overexpressed and associated with disease severity; however, its molecular function in promoting tumorigenesis has not been defined. We demonstrate that SMYD3 critically regulates tumor-associated phenotypes via its methyltransferase activity in PCa cells and mouse xenograft models. SMYD3-dependent methylation of MAP3K2 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition associated behaviors by altering the abundance of the intermediate filament vimentin. Furthermore, activation of the SMYD3-MAP3K2 signaling axis supports a positive feedback loop continually promoting high levels of SMYD3. Our data provide insight into signaling pathways involved in metastatic PCa and enhance understanding of mechanistic functions for SMYD3 to reveal potential therapeutic opportunities for PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabeen Ikram
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Apurv Rege
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Maraki Y. Negesse
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alexandre G. Casanova
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicolas Reynoird
- Grenoble Alpes University, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Grenoble, France
| | - Erin M. Green
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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12
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Zamora I, Freeman MR, Encío IJ, Rotinen M. Targeting Key Players of Neuroendocrine Differentiation in Prostate Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13673. [PMID: 37761978 PMCID: PMC10531052 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241813673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a highly aggressive subtype of prostate cancer (PC) that commonly emerges through a transdifferentiation process from prostate adenocarcinoma and evades conventional therapies. Extensive molecular research has revealed factors that drive lineage plasticity, uncovering novel therapeutic targets to be explored. A diverse array of targeting agents is currently under evaluation in pre-clinical and clinical studies with promising results in suppressing or reversing the neuroendocrine phenotype and inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis. This new knowledge has the potential to contribute to the development of novel therapeutic approaches that may enhance the clinical management and prognosis of this lethal disease. In the present review, we discuss molecular players involved in the neuroendocrine phenotype, and we explore therapeutic strategies that are currently under investigation for NEPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Zamora
- Department of Health Science, Public University of Navarre, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Michael R. Freeman
- Departments of Urology and Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ignacio J. Encío
- Department of Health Science, Public University of Navarre, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Navarre Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Mirja Rotinen
- Department of Health Science, Public University of Navarre, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Navarre Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
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13
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Ma Z, Bolinger AA, Chen H, Zhou J. Drug Discovery Targeting Nuclear Receptor Binding SET Domain Protein 2 (NSD2). J Med Chem 2023; 66:10991-11026. [PMID: 37578463 PMCID: PMC11092389 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear receptor binding SET domain proteins (NSDs) catalyze the mono- or dimethylation of histone 3 lysine 36 (H3K36me1 and H3K36me2), using S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) as a methyl donor. As a key member of the NSD family of proteins, NSD2 plays an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of various diseases such as cancers, inflammations, and infectious diseases, serving as a promising drug target. Developing potent and specific NSD2 inhibitors may provide potential novel therapeutics. Several NSD2 inhibitors and degraders have been discovered while remaining in the early stage of drug development. Excitingly, KTX-1001, a selective NSD2 inhibitor, has entered clinical trials. In this Perspective, the structures and functions of NSD2, its roles in various human diseases, and the recent advances in drug discovery strategies targeting NSD2 have been summarized. The challenges, opportunities, and future directions for developing NSD2 inhibitors and degraders are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zonghui Ma
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Andrew A Bolinger
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Haiying Chen
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Jia Zhou
- Chemical Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
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14
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Dan J, Du Z, Zhang J, Chen T. The interplay between H3K36 methylation and DNA methylation in cancer. Cancer Biol Med 2023; 20:j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0234. [PMID: 37602556 PMCID: PMC10476472 DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jiameng Dan
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Zeling Du
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Jinghong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Taiping Chen
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA
- Programs in Genetics and Epigenetics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston 77030, USA
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15
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Bhat ZR, Gahlawat A, Kumar N, Sharma N, Garg P, Tikoo K. Target validation and structure-based virtual screening to Discover potential lead molecules against the oncogenic NSD1 histone methyltransferase. In Silico Pharmacol 2023; 11:21. [PMID: 37575680 PMCID: PMC10421842 DOI: 10.1007/s40203-023-00158-0] [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: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to validate Nuclear receptor-binding SET Domain NSD1 as a cancer drug target followed by the design of lead molecules against NSD1. TCGA clinical data, molecular expression techniques were used to validate the target and structure-based virtual screening was performed to design hits against NSD1. Clinical data analysis suggests the role of NSD1 in metastasis, prognosis and influence on overall survival in various malignancies. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression profile of NSD1 was evaluated in various cell lines. NSD1 was exploited as a target protein for in silico design of inhibitors using two major databases including ZINC15 and ChemDiv by structure-based virtual screening approach. Virtual screening was performed using the pharmacophore hypothesis designed with a protein complex S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) as an endogenous ligand. Subsequently, a combined score was used to distinguish the top 10 compounds from the docking screened compounds having high performance in all four scores (docking score, XP, Gscore, PhaseScreenScore, and MMGBSA delta G Bind). Finally, the top three Zinc compounds were subjected to molecular dynamic simulation. The binding MMGBSA data suggests that ZINC000257261703 and ZINC000012405780 can be taken for in vitro and in vivo studies as they have lesser MMGBSA energy towards the cofactor binding site of NSD1 than the sinefungin. Our data validates NSD1 as a cancer drug target and provides promising structures that can be utilized for further lead optimization and rational drug design to open new gateways in the field of cancer therapeutics. Graphical abstract Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-023-00158-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahid Rafiq Bhat
- Laboratory of Epigenetics and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar, India
| | - Anuj Gahlawat
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar, 160062 Punjab India
| | - Navneet Kumar
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar, 160062 Punjab India
| | - Nisha Sharma
- Laboratory of Epigenetics and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar, India
| | - Prabha Garg
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar, 160062 Punjab India
| | - Kulbhushan Tikoo
- Laboratory of Epigenetics and Diseases, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar, India
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16
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Li JJ, Vasciaveo A, Karagiannis D, Sun Z, Chen X, Socciarelli F, Frankenstein Z, Zou M, Pannellini T, Chen Y, Gardner K, Robinson BD, de Bono J, Abate-Shen C, Rubin MA, Loda M, Sawyers CL, Califano A, Lu C, Shen MM. NSD2 maintains lineage plasticity and castration-resistance in neuroendocrine prostate cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.18.549585. [PMID: 37502956 PMCID: PMC10370123 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.18.549585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The clinical use of potent androgen receptor (AR) inhibitors has promoted the emergence of novel subtypes of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), including neuroendocrine prostate cancer (CRPC-NE), which is highly aggressive and lethal 1 . These mCRPC subtypes display increased lineage plasticity and often lack AR expression 2-5 . Here we show that neuroendocrine differentiation and castration-resistance in CRPC-NE are maintained by the activity of Nuclear Receptor Binding SET Domain Protein 2 (NSD2) 6 , which catalyzes histone H3 lysine 36 dimethylation (H3K36me2). We find that organoid lines established from genetically-engineered mice 7 recapitulate key features of human CRPC-NE, and can display transdifferentiation to neuroendocrine states in culture. CRPC-NE organoids express elevated levels of NSD2 and H3K36me2 marks, but relatively low levels of H3K27me3, consistent with antagonism of EZH2 activity by H3K36me2. Human CRPC-NE but not primary NEPC tumors expresses high levels of NSD2, consistent with a key role for NSD2 in lineage plasticity, and high NSD2 expression in mCRPC correlates with poor survival outcomes. Notably, CRISPR/Cas9 targeting of NSD2 or expression of a dominant-negative oncohistone H3.3K36M mutant results in loss of neuroendocrine phenotypes and restores responsiveness to the AR inhibitor enzalutamide in mouse and human CRPC-NE organoids and grafts. Our findings indicate that NSD2 inhibition can reverse lineage plasticity and castration-resistance, and provide a potential new therapeutic target for CRPC-NE.
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17
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Patel GK, Verma SK, Misra S, Chand G, Rao RN. Editorial: Molecular drivers of prostate cancer pathogenesis and therapy resistance. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1239478. [PMID: 37427384 PMCID: PMC10328384 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1239478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Girijesh Kumar Patel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India
| | - Santosh Kumar Verma
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Biotechnology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India
| | - Shagun Misra
- Department of Radiotherapy, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India
| | - Gyan Chand
- Department of Endocrine Surgery, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India
| | - Ram Nawal Rao
- Department of Pathology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India
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18
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Recent advances in nuclear receptor-binding SET domain 2 (NSD2) inhibitors: An update and perspectives. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 250:115232. [PMID: 36863225 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear receptor-binding SET domain 2 (NSD2) is a histone lysine methyltransferase (HKMTase), which is mainly responsible for the di-methylation of lysine residues on histones, which are involved in the regulation of various biological pathways. The amplification, mutation, translocation, or overexpression of NSD2 can be linked to various diseases. NSD2 has been identified as a promising drug target for cancer therapy. However, relatively few inhibitors have been discovered and this field still needs further exploration. This review provides a detailed summary of the biological studies related to NSD2 and the current progress of inhibitors, research, and describes the challenges in the development of NSD2 inhibitors, including SET (su(var), enhancer-of-zeste, trithorax) domain inhibitors and PWWP1 (proline-tryptophan-tryptophan-proline 1) domain inhibitors. Through analysis and discussion of the NSD2-related crystal complexes and the biological evaluation of related small molecules, we hope to provide insights for future drug design and optimization methods that will stimulate the development of novel NSD2 inhibitors.
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19
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Lin J, Zhuo Y, Zhang Y, Liu R, Zhong W. Molecular predictors of metastasis in patients with prostate cancer. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2023; 23:199-215. [PMID: 36860119 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2023.2187289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prostate cancer is a serious threat to the health of older adults worldwide. The quality of life and survival time of patients sharply decline once metastasis occurs. Thus, early screening for prostate cancer is very advanced in developed countries. The detection methods used include Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) detection and digital rectal examination. However, the lack of universal access to early screening in some developing countries has resulted in an increased number of patients presenting with metastatic prostate cancer. In addition, the treatment methods for metastatic and localized prostate cancer are considerably different. In many patients, early-stage prostate cancer cells often metastasize due to delayed observation, negative PSA results, and delay in treatment time. Therefore, the identification of patients who are prone to metastasis is important for future clinical studies. AREAS COVERED this review introduced a large number of predictive molecules related to prostate cancer metastasis. These molecules involve the mutation and regulation of tumor cell genes, changes in the tumor microenvironment, and the liquid biopsy. EXPERT OPINION In next decade, PSMA PET/CT and liquid biopsy will be the excellent predicting tools, while 177 Lu- PSMA-RLT will be showed excellent anti-tumor efficacy in mPCa patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jundong Lin
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yangjia Zhuo
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yixun Zhang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ren Liu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Weide Zhong
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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20
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Zhang Y, Zhang Q, Zhang Y, Han J. The Role of Histone Modification in DNA Replication-Coupled Nucleosome Assembly and Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054939. [PMID: 36902370 PMCID: PMC10003558 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Histone modification regulates replication-coupled nucleosome assembly, DNA damage repair, and gene transcription. Changes or mutations in factors involved in nucleosome assembly are closely related to the development and pathogenesis of cancer and other human diseases and are essential for maintaining genomic stability and epigenetic information transmission. In this review, we discuss the role of different types of histone posttranslational modifications in DNA replication-coupled nucleosome assembly and disease. In recent years, histone modification has been found to affect the deposition of newly synthesized histones and the repair of DNA damage, further affecting the assembly process of DNA replication-coupled nucleosomes. We summarize the role of histone modification in the nucleosome assembly process. At the same time, we review the mechanism of histone modification in cancer development and briefly describe the application of histone modification small molecule inhibitors in cancer therapy.
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21
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Vasciaveo A, Arriaga JM, de Almeida FN, Zou M, Douglass EF, Picech F, Shibata M, Rodriguez-Calero A, de Brot S, Mitrofanova A, Chua CW, Karan C, Realubit R, Pampou S, Kim JY, Afari SN, Mukhammadov T, Zanella L, Corey E, Alvarez MJ, Rubin MA, Shen MM, Califano A, Abate-Shen C. OncoLoop: A Network-Based Precision Cancer Medicine Framework. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:386-409. [PMID: 36374194 PMCID: PMC9905319 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-22-0342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Prioritizing treatments for individual patients with cancer remains challenging, and performing coclinical studies using patient-derived models in real time is often unfeasible. To circumvent these challenges, we introduce OncoLoop, a precision medicine framework that predicts drug sensitivity in human tumors and their preexisting high-fidelity (cognate) model(s) by leveraging drug perturbation profiles. As a proof of concept, we applied OncoLoop to prostate cancer using genetically engineered mouse models (GEMM) that recapitulate a broad spectrum of disease states, including castration-resistant, metastatic, and neuroendocrine prostate cancer. Interrogation of human prostate cancer cohorts by Master Regulator (MR) conservation analysis revealed that most patients with advanced prostate cancer were represented by at least one cognate GEMM-derived tumor (GEMM-DT). Drugs predicted to invert MR activity in patients and their cognate GEMM-DTs were successfully validated in allograft, syngeneic, and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of tumors and metastasis. Furthermore, OncoLoop-predicted drugs enhanced the efficacy of clinically relevant drugs, namely, the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab and the AR inhibitor enzalutamide. SIGNIFICANCE OncoLoop is a transcriptomic-based experimental and computational framework that can support rapid-turnaround coclinical studies to identify and validate drugs for individual patients, which can then be readily adapted to clinical practice. This framework should be applicable in many cancer contexts for which appropriate models and drug perturbation data are available. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 247.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Vasciaveo
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
| | - Juan Martín Arriaga
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
| | - Francisca Nunes de Almeida
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
| | - Min Zou
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
| | - Eugene F. Douglass
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
| | - Florencia Picech
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
| | - Maho Shibata
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Genetics and Development, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
- Department of Urology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
| | - Antonio Rodriguez-Calero
- Department for Biomedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland 3008
- Institute of Pathology, University of Bern and Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland 3008
| | - Simone de Brot
- COMPATH, Institute of Animal Pathology, University of Bern, Switzerland 3012
| | - Antonina Mitrofanova
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
| | - Chee Wai Chua
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Genetics and Development, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
- Department of Urology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
| | - Charles Karan
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- J.P. Sulzberger Columbia Genome Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
| | - Ronald Realubit
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- J.P. Sulzberger Columbia Genome Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
| | - Sergey Pampou
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- J.P. Sulzberger Columbia Genome Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
| | - Jaime Y. Kim
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
| | - Stephanie N. Afari
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
| | - Timur Mukhammadov
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
| | - Luca Zanella
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
| | - Eva Corey
- Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA 98195
| | - Mariano J. Alvarez
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- DarwinHealth Inc, New York, NY
| | - Mark A. Rubin
- Department for Biomedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland 3008
- Bern Center for Precision Medicine (BCPM) Bern, Switzerland 3008
| | - Michael M. Shen
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Genetics and Development, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
- Department of Urology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
| | - Andrea Califano
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- J.P. Sulzberger Columbia Genome Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
| | - Cory Abate-Shen
- Department of Systems Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Urology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA 10032
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY USA 10032
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22
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Xu C, Zhao S, Cai L. Epigenetic (De)regulation in Prostate Cancer. Cancer Treat Res 2023; 190:321-360. [PMID: 38113006 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-45654-1_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is a heterogeneous disease exhibiting both genetic and epigenetic deregulations. Epigenetic alterations are defined as changes not based on DNA sequence, which include those of DNA methylation, histone modification, and chromatin remodeling. Androgen receptor (AR) is the main driver for PCa and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) remains a backbone treatment for patients with PCa; however, ADT resistance almost inevitably occurs and advanced diseases develop termed castration-resistant PCa (CRPC), due to both genetic and epigenetic changes. Due to the reversible nature of epigenetic modifications, inhibitors targeting epigenetic factors have become promising anti-cancer agents. In this chapter, we focus on recent studies about the dysregulation of epigenetic regulators crucially involved in the initiation, development, and progression of PCa and discuss the potential use of inhibitors targeting epigenetic modifiers for treatment of advanced PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Xu
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Shuai Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Ling Cai
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
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23
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Thakur C, Qiu Y, Zhang Q, Carruthers NJ, Yu M, Bi Z, Fu Y, Wadgaonkar P, Almutairy B, Seno A, Stemmer PM, Chen F. Deletion of mdig enhances H3K36me3 and metastatic potential of the triple negative breast cancer cells. iScience 2022; 25:105057. [PMID: 36124233 PMCID: PMC9482110 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In this report, we provide evidence showing diminished expression of the mineral dust-induced gene (mdig), a previously identified oncogenic gene, in human triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Using a mouse model of orthotopic xenograft of the TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells, we demonstrate that mdig promotes the growth of primary tumors but inhibits metastasis of these cells in vivo. Knockout of mdig resulted in an enhancement of H3K36me3 in the genome and upregulation of some X chromosome-linked genes for cell motility, invasion, and metastasis. Silencing MAGED2, one of the most upregulated and H3K36me3-enriched genes resulted from mdig depletion, can partially reverse the invasive migration of the mdig knockout cells. The anti-metastatic and inhibitory role of mdig on H3K36me3 was cross-validated in another cell line, A549 lung cancer cells. Together, our data suggest that mdig is antagonist against H3K36me3 that enforces expression of genes, such as MAGED2, for cell invasion and metastasis. Loss of mdig expression in TNBC and metastatic breast cancer Knockout of mdig enforces metastasis of the TNBC cells Mdig antagonizes H3K36me3 that promotes expression of X-linked metastatic genes Silencing MAGED2 reduces invasive migration of the mdig knockout cells
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Affiliation(s)
- Chitra Thakur
- Stony Brook Cancer Center and Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Lauterbur Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Yiran Qiu
- Stony Brook Cancer Center and Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Lauterbur Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Nicholas J Carruthers
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Miaomiao Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.,Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, 44 Xiaoheyan Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, 110042 Liaoning Province, China
| | - Zhuoyue Bi
- Stony Brook Cancer Center and Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Lauterbur Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Yao Fu
- Stony Brook Cancer Center and Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Lauterbur Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Priya Wadgaonkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Bandar Almutairy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.,College of Pharmacy, Al-Dawadmi Campus, Shaqra University, P.O. Box 11961, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Akimasa Seno
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.,Faculty of Engineering, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Paul M Stemmer
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- Stony Brook Cancer Center and Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Lauterbur Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
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24
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Quan Y, Zhang X, Wang M, Ping H. Histone lysine methylation patterns in prostate cancer microenvironment infiltration: Integrated bioinformatic analysis and histological validation. Front Oncol 2022; 12:981226. [PMID: 36237332 PMCID: PMC9552767 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.981226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Epigenetic reprogramming through dysregulated histone lysine methylation (HLM) plays a crucial role in prostate cancer (PCa) progression. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate HLM modification patterns in PCa microenvironment infiltration. Materials and methods Ninety-one HLM regulators in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset were analyzed using bioinformatics. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and survival analyses were performed using TCGA-PRAD clinicopathologic and follow-up information. Consensus clustering analysis divided patients into subgroups. Gene ontology (GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed on the DEGs. Tumor mutation burden (TMB) and tumor microenvironment (TME) cell infiltration were evaluated in different HLM clusters. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis assessed HLM regulators in clinical PCa tissues. Results The tumor vs. normal (TN), Gleason score (GS) > 7 vs. GS < 7, pathological T stage (pT) = 2 vs. pT = 3, and TP53 mutation vs. wild-type comparisons using TCGA-PRAD dataset revealed 3 intersecting HLM regulators (EZH2, NSD2, and KMT5C) that were consistently upregulated in advanced PCa (GS > 7, pT3, HR > 1, and TP53 mutation) (P < 0.05) and verified in clinical PCa tissues. Consensus clustering analysis revealed three distinct HLM modification patterns (HLMclusters). However, no significant differences in recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were found among the groups (P > 0.05). We screened 189 HLM phenotype-related genes that overlapped in the pairwise comparisons of HLMclusters and P < 0.01 in the Cox regression analysis. Three distinct subgroups (geneClusters) were revealed based on the 189 genes, in which cluster A involved the most advanced PCa (PSA > 10, T3-4, GS8-10, and biochemical recurrence) and the poorest RFS. The HLM score (HLMscore) was calculated by principal component analysis (PCA) of HLM phenotype-related genes that have positive predictive value for RFS (P < 0.001) and immune therapy responses (in the CTLA4-positive and -negative responses accompanied by a PD1-negative response). Conclusion We comprehensively evaluated HLM regulators in the PCa microenvironment using TCGA-PRAD, revealing a nonnegligible role of HLM patterns in PCa complexity and heterogeneity. Elucidating the effects of HLM regulators in PCa may enhance prognostics, aggressiveness assessments, and immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjun Quan
- Department of Urology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- Department of Urology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Mingdong Wang
- Department of Urology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Ping
- Department of Urology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Beihang University & Capital Medical University, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Hao Ping,
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25
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NSD2 as a Promising Target in Hematological Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911075. [PMID: 36232375 PMCID: PMC9569587 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations of the epigenetic machinery are critically involved in cancer development and maintenance; therefore, the proteins in charge of the generation of epigenetic modifications are being actively studied as potential targets for anticancer therapies. A very important and widespread epigenetic mark is the dimethylation of Histone 3 in Lysine 36 (H3K36me2). Until recently, it was considered as merely an intermediate towards the generation of the trimethylated form, but recent data support a more specific role in many aspects of genome regulation. H3K36 dimethylation is mainly carried out by proteins of the Nuclear SET Domain (NSD) family, among which NSD2 is one of the most relevant members with a key role in normal hematopoietic development. Consequently, NSD2 is frequently altered in several types of tumors—especially in hematological malignancies. Herein, we discuss the role of NSD2 in these pathological processes, and we review the most recent findings in the development of new compounds aimed against the oncogenic forms of this novel anticancer candidate.
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26
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Lam UTF, Tan BKY, Poh JJX, Chen ES. Structural and functional specificity of H3K36 methylation. Epigenetics Chromatin 2022; 15:17. [PMID: 35581654 PMCID: PMC9116022 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-022-00446-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The methylation of histone H3 at lysine 36 (H3K36me) is essential for maintaining genomic stability. Indeed, this methylation mark is essential for proper transcription, recombination, and DNA damage response. Loss- and gain-of-function mutations in H3K36 methyltransferases are closely linked to human developmental disorders and various cancers. Structural analyses suggest that nucleosomal components such as the linker DNA and a hydrophobic patch constituted by histone H2A and H3 are likely determinants of H3K36 methylation in addition to the histone H3 tail, which encompasses H3K36 and the catalytic SET domain. Interaction of H3K36 methyltransferases with the nucleosome collaborates with regulation of their auto-inhibitory changes fine-tunes the precision of H3K36me in mediating dimethylation by NSD2 and NSD3 as well as trimethylation by Set2/SETD2. The identification of specific structural features and various cis-acting factors that bind to different forms of H3K36me, particularly the di-(H3K36me2) and tri-(H3K36me3) methylated forms of H3K36, have highlighted the intricacy of H3K36me functional significance. Here, we consolidate these findings and offer structural insight to the regulation of H3K36me2 to H3K36me3 conversion. We also discuss the mechanisms that underlie the cooperation between H3K36me and other chromatin modifications (in particular, H3K27me3, H3 acetylation, DNA methylation and N6-methyladenosine in RNAs) in the physiological regulation of the epigenomic functions of chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulysses Tsz Fung Lam
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bryan Kok Yan Tan
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - John Jia Xin Poh
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ee Sin Chen
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,National University Health System (NUHS), Singapore, Singapore. .,NUS Center for Cancer Research, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,Integrative Sciences & Engineering Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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27
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The role of NSD1, NSD2, and NSD3 histone methyltransferases in solid tumors. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:285. [PMID: 35532818 PMCID: PMC9520630 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04321-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
NSD1, NSD2, and NSD3 constitute the nuclear receptor-binding SET Domain (NSD) family of histone 3 lysine 36 (H3K36) methyltransferases. These structurally similar enzymes mono- and di-methylate H3K36, which contribute to the maintenance of chromatin integrity and regulate the expression of genes that control cell division, apoptosis, DNA repair, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Aberrant expression or mutation of members of the NSD family is associated with developmental defects and the occurrence of some types of cancer. In this review, we discuss the effect of alterations in NSDs on cancer patient's prognosis and response to treatment. We summarize the current understanding of the biological functions of NSD proteins, focusing on their activities and the role in the formation and progression in solid tumors biology, as well as how it depends on tumor etiologies. This review also discusses ongoing efforts to develop NSD inhibitors as a promising new class of cancer therapeutic agents.
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28
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Lv N, Jin S, Liang Z, Wu X, Kang Y, Su L, Dong Y, Wang B, Ma T, Shi L. PP2Cδ Controls the Differentiation and Function of Dendritic Cells Through Regulating the NSD2/mTORC2/ACLY Pathway. Front Immunol 2022; 12:751409. [PMID: 35069527 PMCID: PMC8777276 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.751409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) are recognized as a key orchestrator of immune response and homeostasis, deregulation of which may lead to autoimmunity such as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Herein we show that the phosphatase PP2Cδ played a pivotal role in regulating DC activation and function, as PP2Cδ ablation caused aberrant maturation, activation, and Th1/Th17-priming of DCs, and hence induced onset of exacerbated EAE. Mechanistically, PP2Cδ restrained the expression of the essential subunit of mTORC2, Rictor, primarily through de-phosphorylating and proteasomal degradation of the methyltransferase NSD2 via CRL4DCAF2 E3 ligase. Loss of PP2Cδ in DCs accordingly sustained activation of the Rictor/mTORC2 pathway and boosted glycolytic and mitochondrial metabolism. Consequently, ATP-citrate lyse (ACLY) was increasingly activated and catalyzed acetyl-CoA for expression of the genes compatible with hyperactivated DCs under PP2Cδ deletion. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that PP2Cδ has an essential role in controlling DCs activation and function, which is critical for prevention of autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nianyin Lv
- Department of Immunology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Sufeng Jin
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China.,Key Lab of Inflammation and Immunoregulation, Hangzhou Normal University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zihao Liang
- Department of Immunology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaohui Wu
- Department of Immunology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yanhua Kang
- Department of Immunology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.,Key Lab of Inflammation and Immunoregulation, Hangzhou Normal University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lan Su
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yeping Dong
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bingwei Wang
- College of Medicine and Integrated Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Tonghui Ma
- College of Medicine and Integrated Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Liyun Shi
- Department of Immunology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.,Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
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29
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Epigenetic Coregulation of Androgen Receptor Signaling. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1390:277-293. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-11836-4_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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30
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Sengupta D, Zeng L, Li Y, Hausmann S, Ghosh D, Yuan G, Nguyen TN, Lyu R, Caporicci M, Morales Benitez A, Coles GL, Kharchenko V, Czaban I, Azhibek D, Fischle W, Jaremko M, Wistuba II, Sage J, Jaremko Ł, Li W, Mazur PK, Gozani O. NSD2 dimethylation at H3K36 promotes lung adenocarcinoma pathogenesis. Mol Cell 2021; 81:4481-4492.e9. [PMID: 34555356 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The etiological role of NSD2 enzymatic activity in solid tumors is unclear. Here we show that NSD2, via H3K36me2 catalysis, cooperates with oncogenic KRAS signaling to drive lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) pathogenesis. In vivo expression of NSD2E1099K, a hyperactive variant detected in individuals with LUAD, rapidly accelerates malignant tumor progression while decreasing survival in KRAS-driven LUAD mouse models. Pathologic H3K36me2 generation by NSD2 amplifies transcriptional output of KRAS and several complementary oncogenic gene expression programs. We establish a versatile in vivo CRISPRi-based system to test gene functions in LUAD and find that NSD2 loss strongly attenuates tumor progression. NSD2 knockdown also blocks neoplastic growth of PDXs (patient-dervived xenografts) from primary LUAD. Finally, a treatment regimen combining NSD2 depletion with MEK1/2 inhibition causes nearly complete regression of LUAD tumors. Our work identifies NSD2 as a bona fide LUAD therapeutic target and suggests a pivotal epigenetic role of the NSD2-H3K36me2 axis in sustaining oncogenic signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Liyong Zeng
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yumei Li
- Division of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Simone Hausmann
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Debopam Ghosh
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Gang Yuan
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thuyen N Nguyen
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ruitu Lyu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Marcello Caporicci
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ana Morales Benitez
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Garry L Coles
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Vladlena Kharchenko
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Iwona Czaban
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dulat Azhibek
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wolfgang Fischle
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mariusz Jaremko
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Julien Sage
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Łukasz Jaremko
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wei Li
- Division of Computational Biomedicine, Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Pawel K Mazur
- Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Or Gozani
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Shrestha A, Kim N, Lee SJ, Jeon YH, Song JJ, An H, Cho SJ, Kadayat TM, Chin J. Targeting the Nuclear Receptor-Binding SET Domain Family of Histone Lysine Methyltransferases for Cancer Therapy: Recent Progress and Perspectives. J Med Chem 2021; 64:14913-14929. [PMID: 34488340 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Nuclear receptor-binding SET domain (NSD) proteins are a class of histone lysine methyltransferases (HKMTases) that are amplified, mutated, translocated, or overexpressed in various types of cancers. Several campaigns to develop NSD inhibitors for cancer treatment have begun following recent advances in knowledge of NSD1, NSD2, and NSD3 structures and functions as well as the U.S. FDA approval of the first HKMTase inhibitor (tazemetostat, an EZH2 inhibitor) to treat follicular lymphoma and epithelioid sarcoma. This perspective highlights recent findings on the structures of catalytic su(var), enhancer-of-zeste, trithorax (SET) domains and other functional domains of NSD methyltransferases. In addition, recent progress and efforts to discover NSD-specific small molecule inhibitors against cancer-targeting catalytic SET domains, plant homeodomains, and proline-tryptophan-tryptophan-proline domains are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarajana Shrestha
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Nayeon Kim
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Su-Jeong Lee
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Hyun Jeon
- Laboratory Animal Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Joon Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hongchan An
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Jin Cho
- Convergence Research Center for Diagnosis, Treatment and Care System of Dementia, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Tara Man Kadayat
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungwook Chin
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
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Identification of histone methyltransferase NSD2 as an important oncogenic gene in colorectal cancer. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:974. [PMID: 34671018 PMCID: PMC8528846 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04267-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second common cause of cancer-related human mortalities. Dysregulation of histone 3 (H3) methylation could lead to transcriptional activation of multiple oncogenes, which is closely associated with CRC tumorigenesis and progression. Nuclear receptor-binding SET Domain protein 2 (NSD2) is a key histone methyltransferase catalyzing histone H3 lysine 36 dimethylation (H3K36me2). Its expression, the potential functions, and molecular mechanisms in CRC are studied here. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) bioinformatics results showed that the NSD2 mRNA expression is elevated in both colon cancers and rectal cancers. Furthermore, NSD2 mRNA and protein expression levels in local colon cancer tissues are significantly higher than those in matched surrounding normal tissues. In primary human colon cancer cells and established CRC cell lines, shRNA-induced silencing or CRISPR/Cas9-induced knockout of NSD2 inhibited cell viability, proliferation, cell cycle progression, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, NSD2 shRNA or knockout induced mitochondrial depolarization, DNA damage, and apoptosis in the primary and established CRC cells. Contrarily, ectopic NSD2 overexpression in primary colon cancer cells further enhanced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. H3K36me2, expressions of multiple oncogenes (ADAM9, EGFR, Sox2, Bcl-2, SYK, and MET) and Akt activation were significantly decreased after NSD2 silencing or knockout in primary colon cancer cells. Their levels were however increased after ectopic NSD2 overexpression. A catalytic inactive NSD2 (Y1179A) also inhibited H3K36me2, multiple oncogenes expression, and Akt activation, as well as cell proliferation and migration in primary colon cancer cells. In vivo, intratumoral injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-packed NSD2 shRNA largely inhibited primary colon cancer cell xenograft growth in nude mice. Together, NSD2 exerted oncogenic functions in CRC and could be a promising therapeutic target.
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Li S, Shi Z, Fu S, Li Q, Li B, Sang L, Wu D. Exosomal-mediated transfer of APCDD1L-AS1 induces 5-fluorouracil resistance in oral squamous cell carcinoma via miR-1224-5p/nuclear receptor binding SET domain protein 2 (NSD2) axis. Bioengineered 2021; 12:7188-7204. [PMID: 34546854 PMCID: PMC8806529 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1979442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) poses a threat to public health worldwide. LncRNA APCDD1L-AS1 has been reported to participate in tumorigenesis and development of acquired chemoresistance. However, the role of APCDD1L-AS1 in 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance regulation within OSCC is still obscure. In this study, 5-FU-resistant cell models were established with OSCC cell lines (HSC-3 and HN-4). Gene expressions and protein levels were detected by RT-qPCR and Western blotting, respectively. CCK-8, colony forming, and flow cytometry were utilized to measure IC50 value, cell viability, and cell apoptosis of 5-FU-resistant OSCC cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay were applied to identify the associations between miR-1224-5p and APCDD1L-AS1 or NSD2. Herein, high APCDD1L-AS1 expression was shown in OSCC tissues and cells resistant to 5-FU and related to the worse prognosis of OSCC patients. APCDD1L-AS1 knockdown impaired 5-FU resistance in 5-FU-resistant OSCC cells by reducing IC50 value, suppressing cell viability, and accelerating cell apoptosis. Besides, extracellular APCDD1L-AS1 could be transferred to sensitive cells via exosome incorporation, thereby transmitting 5-FU resistance in OSCC cells. Besides, miR-1224-5p was a molecular target of APCDD1L-AS1 and directly targeted NSD2 in 5-FU-resistant cells. MiR-1224-5p exhibited a much lower level in 5-FU-resistant tissues and increased 5-FU sensitivity in 5-FU-resistant OSCC cells. Moreover, NSD2 upregulation neutralized the influence of blocking APCDD1L-AS1 in HSC-3/5-FU and HN-4/5-FU cells on 5-FU resistance. To sum up, our study demonstrated that exosomal APCDD1L-AS1 conferred resistance to 5-FU in HSC-3/5-FU and HN-4/5-FU cells via the miR-1224-5p/NSD2 axis, thus providing a novel target for OSCC chemoresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen Li
- Department of Stomatology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, China
| | - Zhiyan Shi
- Department of Stomatology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, China
| | - Suwei Fu
- Department of Stomatology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, China
| | - Qingfu Li
- Department of Stomatology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, China
| | - Bei Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Xiaolan Hospital, Southern Medical University, Zhongshan, Henan, 450003, China
| | - Lixiao Sang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics Birth Clinic, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, China
| | - Donghong Wu
- Department of Stomatology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, China
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Najafi M, Majidpoor J, Toolee H, Mortezaee K. The current knowledge concerning solid cancer and therapy. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2021; 35:e22900. [PMID: 34462987 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.22900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Solid cancers comprise a large number of new cases and deaths from cancer each year globally. There are a number of strategies for addressing tumors raised from solid organs including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, combinational therapy, and stem cell and extracellular vesicle (EV) therapy. Surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are the dominant cures, but are not always effective, in which even in a localized tumor there is a possibility of tumor relapse after surgical resection. Over half of the cancer patients will receive radiotherapy as a part of their therapeutic schedule. Radiotherapy can cause an abscopal response for boosting the activity of the immune system outside the local field of radiation, but it may also cause an unwanted bystander effect, predisposing nonradiated cells into carcinogenesis. In the context of immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibition is known as the standard-of-care, but the major concern is in regard with cold cancers that show low responses to such therapy. Stem-cell therapy can be used to send prodrugs toward the tumor area; this strategy, however, has its own predicaments, such as unwanted attraction toward the other sites including healthy tissues and its instability. A substitute to such therapy and quite a novel strategy is to use EVs, by virtue of their stability and potential to cross biological barriers and long-term storage of contents. Combination therapy is the current focus. Despite advances in the field, there are still unmet concerns in the area of effective cancer therapy, raising challenges and opportunities for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoud Najafi
- Medical Technology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.,Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Department, School of Paramedical Sciences, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Jamal Majidpoor
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran
| | - Heidar Toolee
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
| | - Keywan Mortezaee
- Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.,Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
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35
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Want MY, Karasik E, Gillard B, McGray AJR, Battaglia S. Inhibition of WHSC1 Allows for Reprogramming of the Immune Compartment in Prostate Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168742. [PMID: 34445452 PMCID: PMC8395944 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy initially demonstrated promising results in prostate cancer (PCa), but the modest or negative results of many recent trials highlight the need to overcome the poor immunogenicity of this cancer. The design of effective therapies for PCa is challenged by the limited understanding of the interface between PCa cells and the immune system in mediating therapeutic resistance. Prompted by our recent observations that elevated WHSC1, a histone methyltransferase known to promote progression of numerous cancers, can silence antigen processing and presentation in PCa, we performed a single-cell analysis of the intratumoral immune dynamics following in vivo pharmacological inhibition of WHSC1 in mice grafted with TRAMP C2 cells. We observed an increase in cytotoxic T and NK cells accumulation and effector function, accompanied by a parallel remodeling of the myeloid compartment, as well as abundant shifts in key ligand–receptor signaling pathways highlighting changes in cell-to-cell communication driven by WHSC1 inhibition. This comprehensive profiling of both immune and molecular changes during the course of WHSC1 blockade deepens our fundamental understanding of how anti-tumor immune responses develop and can be enhanced therapeutically for PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muzamil Y. Want
- Department of Immunology, Division of Translational Immuno Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; (M.Y.W.); (A.J.R.M.)
| | - Ellen Karasik
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; (E.K.); (B.G.)
| | - Bryan Gillard
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; (E.K.); (B.G.)
| | - A. J. Robert McGray
- Department of Immunology, Division of Translational Immuno Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; (M.Y.W.); (A.J.R.M.)
| | - Sebastiano Battaglia
- Department of Immunology, Division of Translational Immuno Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA; (M.Y.W.); (A.J.R.M.)
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
- Correspondence:
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36
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Yu CY, Mitrofanova A. Mechanism-Centric Approaches for Biomarker Detection and Precision Therapeutics in Cancer. Front Genet 2021; 12:687813. [PMID: 34408770 PMCID: PMC8365516 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.687813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomarker discovery is at the heart of personalized treatment planning and cancer precision therapeutics, encompassing disease classification and prognosis, prediction of treatment response, and therapeutic targeting. However, many biomarkers represent passenger rather than driver alterations, limiting their utilization as functional units for therapeutic targeting. We suggest that identification of driver biomarkers through mechanism-centric approaches, which take into account upstream and downstream regulatory mechanisms, is fundamental to the discovery of functionally meaningful markers. Here, we examine computational approaches that identify mechanism-centric biomarkers elucidated from gene co-expression networks, regulatory networks (e.g., transcriptional regulation), protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, and molecular pathways. We discuss their objectives, advantages over gene-centric approaches, and known limitations. Future directions highlight the importance of input and model interpretability, method and data integration, and the role of recently introduced technological advantages, such as single-cell sequencing, which are central for effective biomarker discovery and time-cautious precision therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Y. Yu
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, School of Health Professions, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Antonina Mitrofanova
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, School of Health Professions, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
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37
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Yang B, Li L, Tong G, Zeng Z, Tan J, Su Z, Liu Z, Lin J, Gao W, Chen J, Zeng S, Wu G, Li L, Zhu S, Liu Q, Lin L. Circular RNA circ_001422 promotes the progression and metastasis of osteosarcoma via the miR-195-5p/FGF2/PI3K/Akt axis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2021; 40:235. [PMID: 34271943 PMCID: PMC8283840 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02027-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in diverse processes that drive cancer development. However, the expression landscape and mechanistic function of circRNAs in osteosarcoma (OS) remain to be studied. Methods Bioinformatic analysis and high-throughput RNA sequencing tools were employed to identify differentially expressed circRNAs between OS and adjacent noncancerous tissues. The expression level of circ_001422 in clinical specimens and cell lines was measured using qRT-PCR. The association of circ_001422 expression with the clinicopathologic features of 55 recruited patients with OS was analyzed. Loss- and gain-of-function experiments were conducted to explore the role of circ_001422 in OS cells. RNA immunoprecipitation, fluorescence in situ hybridization, bioinformatics database analysis, RNA pulldown assays, dual-luciferase reporter assays, mRNA sequencing, and rescue experiments were conducted to decipher the competitive endogenous RNA regulatory network controlled by circ_001422. Results We characterized a novel and abundant circRNA, circ_001422, that promoted OS progression. Circ_001422 expression was dramatically increased in OS cell lines and tissues compared with noncancerous samples. Higher circ_001422 expression correlated with more advanced clinical stage, larger tumor size, higher incidence of distant metastases and poorer overall survival in OS patients. Circ_001422 knockdown markedly repressed the proliferation and metastasis and promoted the apoptosis of OS cells in vivo and in vitro, whereas circ_001422 overexpression exerted the opposite effects. Mechanistically, competitive interactions between circ_001422 and miR-195-5p elevated FGF2 expression while also initiating PI3K/Akt signaling. These events enhanced the malignant characteristics of OS cells. Conclusions Circ_001422 accelerates OS tumorigenesis and metastasis by modulating the miR-195-5p/FGF2/PI3K/Akt axis, implying that circ_001422 can be therapeutically targeted to treat OS. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-021-02027-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingsheng Yang
- Department of Joint and Orthopedics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China
| | - Lutao Li
- Department of Joint and Orthopedics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China
| | - Ge Tong
- Department of Medical Ultrasonics, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Hepatology Research, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Zhirui Zeng
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis & Drug Research on Common Chronic Diseases, Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550009, China
| | - Jianye Tan
- Department of Joint and Orthopedics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China
| | - Zexin Su
- Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Zhengwei Liu
- Department of Joint and Orthopedics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China
| | - Jiezhao Lin
- Department of Spinal Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China
| | - Wenwen Gao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Jianping Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Sisi Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Guofeng Wu
- Department of Joint and Orthopedics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Joint and Orthopedics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China
| | - Shuang Zhu
- Department of Joint and Orthopedics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China
| | - Qiuzhen Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology Research, Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
| | - Lijun Lin
- Department of Joint and Orthopedics, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282, China.
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Mortezaee K. Normalization in tumor ecosystem: Opportunities and challenges. Cell Biol Int 2021; 45:2017-2030. [PMID: 34189798 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.11655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Current research in cancer therapy aims to exploit efficient strategies to have long-lasting effects on tumors and to reduce or even revoke the chance of recurrence. Within the tumor stroma, O2 and nutrients are abnormally distributed between various cells (preferentially for supplying cancer cells), the immune contexture is abnormally positioned (permissive essentially for cells exhibiting tumor-promoting capacity), the fibroblast and fibrotic content is abnormally distributed (presence of both extracellular matrix [ECM] stiffening and ECM-degrading factors both for tumor-promoting purposes), and the tumor vasculature is abnormally orchestrated (for hindering drug delivery and increasing the chance of tumor metastasis). Resistance is actually an adaptive response to an imbalance in the tumor ecosystem; thus, the key consideration for effective cancer therapy is to bring back the normal status in this ecosystem so as to reach the desired durable outcome. Vascular normalization, metabolic modulation (glucose delivery in particular), balancing cellular dispersion, and balancing the pH rate and O2 delivery within the tumor microenvironment are suggested strategies to reverse abnormality within the tumor stroma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keywan Mortezaee
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
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39
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Paul D. Cancer as a form of life: Musings of the cancer and evolution symposium. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 165:120-139. [PMID: 33991584 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Advanced cancer is one of the major problems in oncology as currently, despite the recent technological and scientific advancements, the mortality of metastatic disease remains very high at 70-90%. The field of oncology is in urgent need of novel ideas in order to improve quality of life and prognostic of cancer patients. The Cancer and Evolution Symposium organized online October 14-16, 2020 brought together a group of specialists from different fields that presented innovative strategies for better understanding, preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer. Today still, the main reasons behind the high incidence and mortality of advanced cancer are, on one hand, the paucity of funding and effort directed to cancer prevention and early detection, and, on the other hand, the lack of understanding of the cancer process itself. I argue that besides being a disease, cancer is also a form of life, and, this frame of reference may provide a fresh look on this complex process. Here, I provide a different angle to several contemporary cancer theories discussing them from the perspective of "cancer-forms of life" (i.e. bionts) point of view. The perspectives and the several "bionts" introduced here, by no means exclusive or comprehensive, are just a shorthand that will hopefully encourage the readers, to further explore the contemporary oncology theoretical landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doru Paul
- Medical Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Avenue 12th Floor, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
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40
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Filon M, Gawdzik J, Truong A, Allen G, Huang W, Khemees T, Machhi R, Lewis P, Yang B, Denu J, Jarrard D. Tandem histone methyltransferase upregulation defines a unique aggressive prostate cancer phenotype. Br J Cancer 2021; 125:247-254. [PMID: 33976366 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01398-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Histone modifications alter transcriptional gene function and participate in cancer progression. Enhancer-of-Zeste-Homologue-2 (EZH2) and Nuclear-Receptor-Binding-SET-domain2 (NSD2) methylate H3K27 and H3K36, respectively, to regulate transcription. Given the therapeutic interest in these enzymes, we investigated expression and coregulation in hormone-sensitive (HS) and castrate-resistant (CR) prostate cancer (PC). METHODS EZH2 and NSD2 levels were quantified using VECTRA analysis in HS and CRPC tissue microarrays (n = 105 + 66). Expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (n = 498), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (n = 240), and Stand Up to Cancer/Prostate Cancer Foundation (n = 444) cBioportal datasets were queried, and associations between EZH2 and NSD2 and clinicopathologic variables determined. RESULTS Tumour expression of NSD2, but not EZH2, increased in CRPC (p = 0.05, 0.09). Epithelial nuclei co-expressing NSD2 and EZH2 increased in CRPC compared to HSPC (69 vs 42%, p = 0.02), and in metastatic tissue relative to benign (55 vs 35%, p = 0.02). cBioportal analysis revealed collinear NSD2/EZH2 expression (Spearman = 0.57, 0.58, 0.58, all p < 0.001). NSD2/EZH2 co-expression significantly associates with clinicopathologic characteristics including grade group, stage and seminal vesicle involvement. On univariate and multivariate analysis tumours co-expressing NSD2 and EZH2 conferred increased risk of recurrence (hazard ratio: 2.6, 95% confidence inerval: 1.2-5.4, p = 0.01). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed reduced progression-free-survival of NSD2 and EZH2 co-expression patients in datasets (p < 0.001, 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Increased EZH2/NSD2 co-expression is overrepresented in CRPC, metastases and associates with shorter disease-free survival in PC patients. Coregulation of these two histone methyltransferases is a biomarker for aggressive PC and licenses them as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikolaj Filon
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Joseph Gawdzik
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Andrew Truong
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Glenn Allen
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Tariq Khemees
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Rehaan Machhi
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Peter Lewis
- Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.,Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.,Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and the Morgridge Institute for Research, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Bing Yang
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - John Denu
- Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.,Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.,Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and the Morgridge Institute for Research, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - David Jarrard
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA. .,Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA. .,Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
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41
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Majidpoor J, Mortezaee K. The efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in cold cancers and future perspectives. Clin Immunol 2021; 226:108707. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2021.108707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Abstract
Tumors are equipped with a highly complex machinery of interrelated events so as to adapt to hazardous conditions, preserve a growing cell mass and thrive at the site of metastasis. Tumor cells display metastatic propensity toward specific organs where the stromal milieu is appropriate for their further colonization. Effective colonization relies on the plasticity of tumor cells in adapting to the conditions of the new area by reshaping their epigenetic landscape. Breast cancer cells, for instance, are able to adopt brain-like or epithelial/osteoid features in order to pursue effective metastasis into brain and bone, respectively. The aim of this review is to discuss recent insights into organ tropism in tumor metastasis, outlining potential strategies to address this driver of tumor aggressiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keywan Mortezaee
- Cancer & Immunology Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, 66177‐13446, Iran
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, 66177‐13446, Iran
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43
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NSD2 promotes tumor angiogenesis through methylating and activating STAT3 protein. Oncogene 2021; 40:2952-2967. [PMID: 33742125 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01747-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Tumor angiogenesis plays vital roles in tumorigenesis and development; regulatory mechanism of angiogenesis is still not been fully elucidated. NSD2, a histone methyltransferase catalyzing di-methylation of histone H3 at lysine 36, has been proved a critical molecule in proliferation, metastasis, and tumorigenesis. But its role in tumor angiogenesis remains unknown. Here we demonstrated that NSD2 promoted tumor angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we confirmed that the angiogenic function of NSD2 was mediated by STAT3. Momentously, we found that NSD2 promoted the methylation and activation of STAT3. In addition, mass spectrometry and site-directed mutagenesis assays revealed that NSD2 methylated STAT3 at lysine 163 (K163). Meanwhile, K to R mutant at K163 of STAT3 attenuated the activation and angiogenic function of STAT3. Taken together, we conclude that methylation of STAT3 catalyzed by NSD2 promotes the activation of STAT3 pathway and enhances the ability of tumor angiogenesis. Our findings investigate a NSD2-dependent methylation-phosphorylation regulation pattern of STAT3 and reveal that NSD2/STAT3/VEGFA axis might be a potential target for tumor therapy.
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44
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Lee JE, Kim MY. Cancer epigenetics: Past, present and future. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 83:4-14. [PMID: 33798724 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cancer was thought to be caused solely by genetic mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. In the last 35 years, however, epigenetic changes have been increasingly recognized as another primary driver of carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Epigenetic deregulation in cancer often includes mutations and/or aberrant expression of chromatin-modifying enzymes, their associated proteins, and even non-coding RNAs, which can alter chromatin structure and dynamics. This leads to changes in gene expression that ultimately contribute to the emergence and evolution of cancer cells. Studies of the deregulation of chromatin modifiers in cancer cells have reshaped the way we approach cancer and guided the development of novel anticancer therapeutics that target epigenetic factors. There remain, however, a number of unanswered questions in this field that are the focus of present research. Areas of particular interest include the actions of emerging classes of epigenetic regulators of carcinogenesis and the tumor microenvironment, as well as epigenetic tumor heterogeneity. In this review, we discuss past findings on epigenetic mechanisms of cancer, current trends in the field of cancer epigenetics, and the directions of future research that may lead to the identification of new prognostic markers for cancer and the development of more effective anticancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Eun Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Young Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea; KAIST Institute for the BioCentury, Cancer Metastasis Control Center, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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45
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Wang W, Chen Y, Zhao J, Chen L, Song W, Li L, Lin GN. Alternatively Splicing Interactomes Identify Novel Isoform-Specific Partners for NSD2. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:612019. [PMID: 33718354 PMCID: PMC7947288 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.612019] [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: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear receptor SET domain protein (NSD2) plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome (WHS) and is overexpressed in multiple human myelomas, but its protein-protein interaction (PPI) patterns, particularly at the isoform/exon levels, are poorly understood. We explored the subcellular localizations of four representative NSD2 transcripts with immunofluorescence microscopy. Next, we used label-free quantification to perform immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry (IP-MS) analyses of the transcripts. Using the interaction partners for each transcript detected in the IP-MS results, we identified 890 isoform-specific PPI partners (83% are novel). These PPI networks were further divided into four categories of the exon-specific interactome. In these exon-specific PPI partners, two genes, RPL10 and HSPA8, were successfully confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and Western blotting. RPL10 primarily interacted with Isoforms 1, 3, and 5, and HSPA8 interacted with all four isoforms, respectively. Using our extended NSD2 protein interactions, we constructed an isoform-level PPI landscape for NSD2 to serve as reference interactome data for NSD2 spliceosome-level studies. Furthermore, the RNA splicing processes supported by these isoform partners shed light on the diverse roles NSD2 plays in WHS and myeloma development. We also validated the interactions using Western blotting, RPL10, and the three NSD2 (Isoform 1, 3, and 5). Our results expand gene-level NSD2 PPI networks and provide a basis for the treatment of NSD2-related developmental diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weidi Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China
| | - Yucan Chen
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingjing Zhao
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weichen Song
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Li
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guan Ning Lin
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China
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46
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Cheng WC, Wang HJ. Current advances of targeting epigenetic modifications in neuroendocrine prostate cancer. Tzu Chi Med J 2021; 33:224-232. [PMID: 34386358 PMCID: PMC8323647 DOI: 10.4103/tcmj.tcmj_220_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is the most lethal malignancy of prostate cancer (PCa). Treatment with next-generation androgen receptor (AR) pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) has successfully extended patients' lifespan. However, with the emergence of drug resistance, PCa tumors increasingly adapt to potent ARPI therapies by transitioning to alternative cellular lineage. Such therapy-induced drug resistance is largely driven from the cellular plasticity of PCa cells to alter their phenotypes of AR independence for cell growth and survival. Some of the resistant PCa cells undergo cellular reprogramming to form neuroendocrine phenotypes. Recent evidences suggest that this cellular reprogramming or the lineage plasticity is driven by dysregulation of the epigenome and transcriptional networks. Aberrant DNA methylation and altered expression of epigenetic modifiers, such as enhancer of zeste-homolog 2, transcription factors, histone demethylases, are hallmarks of NEPC. In this review, we discuss the nature of the epigenetic and transcriptional landscapes of PCa cells which lose their AR independence and transition to the neuroendocrine lineage. We also discuss how oncogenic signaling and metabolic reprogramming fuel epigenetic and transcriptional alterations. In addition, the current state of epigenetic therapies for NEPC is addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Chi Cheng
- SDGs Teaching and Research Headquarters, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Jung Wang
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.,Doctoral Degree Program in Translational Medicine, Tzu Chi University and Academia Sinica, Hualien, Taiwan
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47
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Gao B, Liu X, Li Z, Zhao L, Pan Y. Overexpression of EZH2/NSD2 Histone Methyltransferase Axis Predicts Poor Prognosis and Accelerates Tumor Progression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 10:600514. [PMID: 33665162 PMCID: PMC7921704 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.600514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Two histone methyltransferases, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and nuclear SET domain-containing 2 (NSD2), are aberrantly expressed in several types of human cancers. However, the regulatory relationship between EZH2 and NSD2 and their prognostic values in breast cancer (BC) have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that EZH2 and NSD2 were overexpressed in BC compared with benign lesions and normal tissues using tissue microarray, immunohistochemistry, and bioinformatic databases. Both EZH2 and NSD2 expression were associated with pathological grade of tumor and lymph node metastasis. A comprehensive survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier Plotter database indicated that EZH2 expression was negatively correlated with relapse-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and postprogression survival (PPS) in 3951 BC patients, and NSD2 expression was negatively correlated with RFS and DMFS. Notably, EZH2 and NSD2 expression were coordinately higher in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) than that in other subtypes. Stable knockdown of EZH2 using lentiviral shRNA vector significantly reduced the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468, and downregulated NSD2 expression as well as the levels of H3K27me3 and H3K36me2, two histone methylation markers catalyzed by EZH2 and NSD2, respectively. By contrast, overexpression of EZH2 using adenovirus vector displayed an inverse phenotype. Furthermore, knockdown of NSD2 in EZH2-overexpressing cells could dramatically attenuate EZH2-mediated oncogenic effects. Bioinformatic analysis further revealed the function and pathway enrichments of co-expressed genes and interactive genes of EZH2/NSD2 axis, suggesting that EZH2/NSD2 axis was associated with cell division, mitotic nuclear division and transition of mitotic cell cycle in TNBC. Taken together, EZH2/NSD2 axis may act as a predictive marker for poor prognosis and accelerate the progression of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Gao
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Xiumin Liu
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Zhengjin Li
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Lixian Zhao
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Yun Pan
- Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, China
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48
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Want MY, Tsuji T, Singh PK, Thorne JL, Matsuzaki J, Karasik E, Gillard B, Cortes Gomez E, Koya RC, Lugade A, Odunsi K, Battaglia S. WHSC1/NSD2 regulates immune infiltration in prostate cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2020-001374. [PMID: 33589522 PMCID: PMC7887377 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapy in prostate cancer (PCa) lags behind the progresses obtained in other cancer types partially because of its limited immune infiltration. Tumor-resident immune cells have been detected in the prostate, but the regulatory mechanisms that govern tumor infiltration are still poorly understood. To address this gap, we investigated the role of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome candidate 1 (WHSC1), a histone methyltransferase enzyme that targets dimethyl and trimethyl H3K36. WHSC1 is known to promote malignant growth and progression in multiple tumors, but its role in the interface between PCa and immune system is unknown. METHODS RNA Sequencing (RNASeq) data from patients with PCa from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were collected and divided into top/bottom 30% based on the expression of WHSC1 and disease-free survival was calculated. Publicly available chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIPSeq) data were obtained from Cistrome and integrated with the available RNASeq data. RNASeq, ATACSeq and methylomic were analyzed using R Bioconductor packages comparing C42 cells with or without stable knockdown on WHSC1. Flow cytometry was used to measure Major Histocompatibility complex (MHC) levels, MHC-bound ovalbumin and tumor infiltration. C57B6 and NOD scid gamma (NSG) mice were subcutaneously grafted with TRansgenic Adenocarcinoma of the Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) C2 cells and treated with MCTP39 (10 mg/kg); tumor size was monitored over time and curves were compared using permutation analyses. All analyses used a significance threshold of 0.05. RESULTS Leveraging TCGA data, we demonstrated that elevated WHSC1 levels positively correlate with the presence of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. We validated those results in vitro, demonstrating that genetic and pharmacological inhibition of WHSC1 restores antigen presentation. This occurs via an elegant epigenetic regulation of gene expression at the chromatin and DNA methylation levels. In vivo studies in immunocompetent mice also show an increased frequency of CD8+ T cells in tumors from mice treated with WHSC1 inhibitor, supporting the hypothesis that the antitumor effect following WHSC1 inhibition requires a fully functional immune system. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates a novel role for WHSC1 in defining immune infiltration in PCa, with significant future implications for the use of immunotherapies in prostate malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muzamil Y Want
- Center For Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Takemasa Tsuji
- Center For Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Prashant K Singh
- Genomics Shared Resource, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - James L Thorne
- School of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
| | - Junko Matsuzaki
- Center For Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Ellen Karasik
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Bryan Gillard
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Eduardo Cortes Gomez
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Richard C Koya
- Center For Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Amit Lugade
- Center For Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Kunle Odunsi
- Center For Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Sebastiano Battaglia
- Center For Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Abstract
Metastasis is the most complex and deadly event. Tumor-stromal interface is a place where invasion of tumor cells in the form of single-cell or collective migration occurs, with the latter being less common but more efficient. Initiation of metastasis relies on the tumor cell cross-talking with stromal cells and taking an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in single cells, and a hybrid EMT in collective migratory cells. Stromal cross-talking along with an abnormal leaky vasculature facilitate intravasation of tumor cells, here the cells are called circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Tumor cells isolated from the primary tumor exploit several mechanisms to maintain their survival including rewiring metabolic demands to use sources available within the new environments, avoiding anoikis cell death when cells are detached from extracellular matrix (ECM), adopting flow mechanic by acquiring platelet shielding and immunosuppression by negating the activity of suppressor immune cells, such as natural killer (NK) cells. CTCs will adhere to the interstituim of the secondary organ/s, within which the newly arrived disseminative tumor cells (DTCs) undergo either dormancy or proliferation. Metastatic outgrowth is under the influence of several factors, such as the activity of macrophages, impaired autophagy and secondary site inflammatory events. Metastasis can be targeted by multiple ways, such as repressing the promoters of pre-metastatic niche (PMN) formation, suppressing environmental contributors, such as hypoxia, oxidative and metabolic stressors, and targeting signaling and cell types that take major contribution to the whole process. These strategies can be used in adjuvant with other therapeutics, such as immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamal Majidpoor
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Keywan Mortezaee
- Cancer and Immunology Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
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50
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Zheng Y, Tang L, Chen G, Liu Z. Comprehensive Bioinformatics Analysis of Key Methyltransferases and Demethylases for Histone Lysines in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2020; 19:1533033820983284. [PMID: 33355042 PMCID: PMC7871294 DOI: 10.1177/1533033820983284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background & Aims: Methylation of lysines on histones, controlled by various methyltransferases and demethylases, is an important component of epigenetic modifications, and abnormal regulation of such enzymes serves as common events in hepatocellular carcinoma. We determined to identify important methyltransferases and demethylases that might regulate the development of hepatocellular carcinoma by bioinformatics. Methods: The Oncomine and UALCAN databases were used to retrieve mRNA expression levels of histone lysine methyltransferases and demethylases in hepatocellular carcinoma. Data analyses of genetic alterations, mainly mutations and copy number alterations, were performed on the cBioportal platform. Protein-protein interactions were established in the STRING database. Results: mRNA expression of 8 genes correlated with clinical staging and grading, whereas 4 genes indicated a role in the prognosis, all co-expressed with SEDB1 and WHSC1. Genetically, 12 genes showing an alteration rate higher than 5% were identified, and only 3 were indicative of prognosis. Copy number gains in ASH1L, SETDB1, and KDM5B might partially contribute to the upregulation of their mRNA expression. The close relationship of mutations in MLL2/MLL3 with driver gene mutations in hepatocellular carcinoma provided a rationale for further investigation. Conclusions: We identified 11 methyltransferases and demethylases for major histone lysines that might be promising research targets in the pathogenesis, development, and prediction of prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma using bioinformatics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zheng
- Department of Oncology, First Hospital, 117971Jilin University, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Lili Tang
- Institute of Military Cognition and Brain Sciences, 71040Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Guojiang Chen
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 71040Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziling Liu
- Department of Oncology, First Hospital, 117971Jilin University, Jilin, People's Republic of China
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