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Huang S, Yang J, Xie T, Jiang Y, Hong Y, Liu X, He X, Buratto D, Zhang D, Zhou R, Liang T, Bai X. Inhibition of DEF-p65 Interactions as a Potential Avenue to Suppress Tumor Growth in Pancreatic Cancer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2401845. [PMID: 38757623 PMCID: PMC11267266 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202401845] [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: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The limited success of current targeted therapies for pancreatic cancer underscores an urgent demand for novel treatment modalities. The challenge in mitigating this malignancy can be attributed to the digestive organ expansion factor (DEF), a pivotal yet underexplored factor in pancreatic tumorigenesis. The study uses a blend of in vitro and in vivo approaches, complemented by the theoretical analyses, to propose DEF as a promising anti-tumor target. Analysis of clinical samples reveals that high expression of DEF is correlated with diminished survival in pancreatic cancer patients. Crucially, the depletion of DEF significantly impedes tumor growth. The study further discovers that DEF binds to p65, shielding it from degradation mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in cancer cells. Based on these findings and computational approaches, the study formulates a DEF-mimicking peptide, peptide-031, designed to disrupt the DEF-p65 interaction. The effectiveness of peptide-031 in inhibiting tumor proliferation has been demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. This study unveils the oncogenic role of DEF while highlighting its prognostic value and therapeutic potential in pancreatic cancer. In addition, peptide-031 is a promising therapeutic agent with potent anti-tumor effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sicong Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgerythe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou310000China
- Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou310000China
- Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou310000China
| | - Jiaqi Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgerythe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou310000China
- Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou310000China
- Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou310000China
- Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic DiseasesHangzhou310000China
| | - Teng Xie
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, College of Life SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310000China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced StudyZhejiang UniversityShanghai200000China
| | - Yangwei Jiang
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, College of Life SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310000China
| | - Yifan Hong
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgerythe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou310000China
- Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou310000China
- Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou310000China
| | - Xinyuan Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgerythe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou310000China
- Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou310000China
- Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou310000China
| | - Xuyan He
- Life Sciences InstituteZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310000China
| | - Damiano Buratto
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, College of Life SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310000China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced StudyZhejiang UniversityShanghai200000China
| | - Dong Zhang
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, College of Life SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310000China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced StudyZhejiang UniversityShanghai200000China
| | - Ruhong Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgerythe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou310000China
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, College of Life SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310000China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced StudyZhejiang UniversityShanghai200000China
- Department of ChemistryColumbia UniversityNew York10027USA
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310000China
| | - Tingbo Liang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgerythe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou310000China
- Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou310000China
- Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou310000China
- Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic DiseasesHangzhou310000China
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310000China
| | - Xueli Bai
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgerythe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou310000China
- Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou310000China
- Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhou310000China
- Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic DiseasesHangzhou310000China
- Cancer CenterZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310000China
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Garg B, Khan S, Babu DS, Mose E, Gulay K, Sharma S, Sood D, Wenzel AT, Martsinkovskiy A, Patel J, Jaquish D, Lambies G, D'Ippolito A, Austgen K, Johnston B, Orlando D, Jang GH, Gallinger S, Goodfellow E, Brodt P, Commisso C, Tamayo P, Mesirov JP, Tiriac H, Lowy AM. MICAL2 Is a Super Enhancer Associated Gene that Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Growth and Metastasis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.26.600548. [PMID: 38979336 PMCID: PMC11230455 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.26.600548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the deadliest solid cancers and thus identifying more effective therapies is a major unmet need. In this study we characterized the super enhancer (SE) landscape of human PDAC to identify novel, potentially targetable, drivers of the disease. Our analysis revealed that MICAL2 is a super enhancer-associated gene in human PDAC. MICAL2 is a flavin monooxygenase that induces actin depolymerization and indirectly promotes SRF transcription by modulating the availability of serum response factor coactivators myocardin related transcription factors (MRTF-A and MRTF-B). We found that MICAL2 is overexpressed in PDAC and correlates with poor patient prognosis. Transcriptional analysis revealed that MICAL2 upregulates KRAS and EMT signaling pathways, contributing to tumor growth and metastasis. In loss and gain of function experiments in human and mouse PDAC cells, we observed that MICAL2 promotes both ERK1/2 and AKT activation. Consistent with its role in actin depolymerization and KRAS signaling, loss of MICAL2 expression also inhibited macropinocytosis. Through in vitro phenotypic analyses, we show that MICAL2, MRTF-A and MRTF-B influence PDAC cell proliferation, migration and promote cell cycle progression. Importantly, we demonstrate that MICAL2 is essential for in vivo tumor growth and metastasis. Interestingly, we find that MRTF-B, but not MRTF-A, phenocopies MICAL2-driven phenotypes in vivo . This study highlights the multiple ways in which MICAL2 impacts PDAC biology and suggests that its inhibition may impede PDAC progression. Our results provide a foundation for future investigations into the role of MICAL2 in PDAC and its potential as a target for therapeutic intervention.
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Ren J, Ren B, Liu X, Cui M, Fang Y, Wang X, Zhou F, Gu M, Xiao R, Bai J, You L, Zhao Y. Crosstalk between metabolic remodeling and epigenetic reprogramming: A new perspective on pancreatic cancer. Cancer Lett 2024; 587:216649. [PMID: 38311052 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant solid tumor with a poor prognosis and a high mortality rate. Thus, exploring the mechanisms underlying the development and progression of pancreatic cancer is critical for identifying targets for diagnosis and treatment. Two important hallmarks of cancer-metabolic remodeling and epigenetic reprogramming-are interconnected and closely linked to regulate one another, creating a complex interaction landscape that is implicated in tumorigenesis, invasive metastasis, and immune escape. For example, metabolites can be involved in the regulation of epigenetic enzymes as substrates or cofactors, and alterations in epigenetic modifications can in turn regulate the expression of metabolic enzymes. The crosstalk between metabolic remodeling and epigenetic reprogramming in pancreatic cancer has gained considerable attention. Here, we review the emerging data with a focus on the reciprocal regulation of metabolic remodeling and epigenetic reprogramming. We aim to highlight how these mechanisms could be applied to develop better therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Ren
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Bo Ren
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Ming Cui
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Yuan Fang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Xing Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Feihan Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Minzhi Gu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Ruiling Xiao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Jialu Bai
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Lei You
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
| | - Yupei Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; Key Laboratory of Research in Pancreatic Tumor, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100023, PR China; National Science and Technology Key Infrastructure on Translational Medicine in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100023, PR China.
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Mukherjee A, Abraham S, Singh A, Balaji S, Mukunthan KS. From Data to Cure: A Comprehensive Exploration of Multi-omics Data Analysis for Targeted Therapies. Mol Biotechnol 2024:10.1007/s12033-024-01133-6. [PMID: 38565775 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-024-01133-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
In the dynamic landscape of targeted therapeutics, drug discovery has pivoted towards understanding underlying disease mechanisms, placing a strong emphasis on molecular perturbations and target identification. This paradigm shift, crucial for drug discovery, is underpinned by big data, a transformative force in the current era. Omics data, characterized by its heterogeneity and enormity, has ushered biological and biomedical research into the big data domain. Acknowledging the significance of integrating diverse omics data strata, known as multi-omics studies, researchers delve into the intricate interrelationships among various omics layers. This review navigates the expansive omics landscape, showcasing tailored assays for each molecular layer through genomes to metabolomes. The sheer volume of data generated necessitates sophisticated informatics techniques, with machine-learning (ML) algorithms emerging as robust tools. These datasets not only refine disease classification but also enhance diagnostics and foster the development of targeted therapeutic strategies. Through the integration of high-throughput data, the review focuses on targeting and modeling multiple disease-regulated networks, validating interactions with multiple targets, and enhancing therapeutic potential using network pharmacology approaches. Ultimately, this exploration aims to illuminate the transformative impact of multi-omics in the big data era, shaping the future of biological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnab Mukherjee
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Suzanna Abraham
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Akshita Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - S Balaji
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - K S Mukunthan
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India.
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5
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Orlacchio A, Muzyka S, Gonda TA. Epigenetic therapeutic strategies in pancreatic cancer. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 383:1-40. [PMID: 38359967 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal solid malignancies, characterized by its aggressiveness and metastatic potential, with a 5-year survival rate of only 8-11%. Despite significant improvements in PDAC treatment and management, therapeutic alternatives are still limited. One of the main reasons is its high degree of intra- and inter-individual tumor heterogeneity which is established and maintained through a complex network of transcription factors and epigenetic regulators. Epigenetic drugs, have shown promising preclinical results in PDAC and are currently being evaluated in clinical trials both for their ability to sensitize cancer cells to cytotoxic drugs and to counteract the immunosuppressive characteristic of PDAC tumor microenvironment. In this review, we discuss the current status of epigenetic treatment strategies to overcome molecular and cellular PDAC heterogeneity in order to improve response to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Orlacchio
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Stephen Muzyka
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Tamas A Gonda
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, New York University, New York, NY, United States.
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6
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Wolters-Eisfeld G, Hackert T, Güngör C. Unmasking metabolic dependencies in pancreatic cancer: aberrant polyamine synthesis as a promising new therapeutic target. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:410. [PMID: 37884518 PMCID: PMC10603029 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01662-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit Wolters-Eisfeld
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thilo Hackert
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Cenap Güngör
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
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7
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Bahado‐Singh RO, Turkoglu O, Aydas B, Vishweswaraiah S. Precision oncology: Artificial intelligence, circulating cell-free DNA, and the minimally invasive detection of pancreatic cancer-A pilot study. Cancer Med 2023; 12:19644-19655. [PMID: 37787018 PMCID: PMC10587955 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6604] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer (PC) is among the most lethal cancers. The lack of effective tools for early detection results in late tumor detection and, consequently, high mortality rate. Precision oncology aims to develop targeted individual treatments based on advanced computational approaches of omics data. Biomarkers, such as global alteration of cytosine (CpG) methylation, can be pivotal for these objectives. In this study, we performed DNA methylation profiling of pancreatic cancer patients using circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and artificial intelligence (AI) including Deep Learning (DL) for minimally invasive detection to elucidate the epigenetic pathogenesis of PC. METHODS The Illumina Infinium HD Assay was used for genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of cfDNA in treatment-naïve patients. Six AI algorithms were used to determine PC detection accuracy based on cytosine (CpG) methylation markers. Additional strategies for minimizing overfitting were employed. The molecular pathogenesis was interrogated using enrichment analysis. RESULTS In total, we identified 4556 significantly differentially methylated CpGs (q-value < 0.05; Bonferroni correction) in PC versus controls. Highly accurate PC detection was achieved with all 6 AI platforms (Area under the receiver operator characteristics curve [0.90-1.00]). For example, DL achieved AUC (95% CI): 1.00 (0.95-1.00), with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. A separate modeling approach based on logistic regression-based yielded an AUC (95% CI) 1.0 (1.0-1.0) with a sensitivity and specificity of 100% for PC detection. The top four biological pathways that were epigenetically altered in PC and are known to be linked with cancer are discussed. CONCLUSION Using a minimally invasive approach, AI, and epigenetic analysis of circulating cfDNA, high predictive accuracy for PC was achieved. From a clinical perspective, our findings suggest that that early detection leading to improved overall survival may be achievable in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray O. Bahado‐Singh
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyCorewell Health – William Beaumont University HospitalRoyal OakMichiganUSA
| | - Onur Turkoglu
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyCorewell Health – William Beaumont University HospitalRoyal OakMichiganUSA
| | - Buket Aydas
- Department of Care Management AnalyticsBlue Cross Blue Shield of MichiganDetroitMichiganUSA
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8
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Bararia A, Das A, Mitra S, Banerjee S, Chatterjee A, Sikdar N. Deoxyribonucleic acid methylation driven aberrations in pancreatic cancer-related pathways. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2023; 15:1505-1519. [PMID: 37746645 PMCID: PMC10514732 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i9.1505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) presents a catastrophic disease with poor overall survival at advanced stages, with immediate requirement of new and effective treatment options. Besides genetic mutations, epigenetic dysregulation of signaling pathway-associated enriched genes are considered as novel therapeutic target. Mechanisms beneath the deoxyribonucleic acid methylation and its utility in developing of epi-drugs in PanCa are under trails. Combinations of epigenetic medicines with conventional cytotoxic treatments or targeted therapy are promising options to improving the dismal response and survival rate of PanCa patients. Recent studies have identified potentially valid pathways that support the prediction that future PanCa clinical trials will include vigorous testing of epigenomic therapies. Epigenetics thus promises to generate a significant amount of new knowledge of biological and medical importance. Our review could identify various components of epigenetic mechanisms known to be involved in the initiation and development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and related precancerous lesions, and novel pharmacological strategies that target these components could potentially lead to breakthroughs. We aim to highlight the possibilities that exist and the potential therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akash Bararia
- Human Genetics Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata 700108, India
| | - Amlan Das
- Department of Biochemistry, Royal Global University, Assam 781035, India
| | - Sangeeta Mitra
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Kalyani, West Bengal 741235, India
| | - Sudeep Banerjee
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Tata Medical Center, Kolkata 700160, India
| | - Aniruddha Chatterjee
- Department of Pathology, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- School of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun 248007, India
| | - Nilabja Sikdar
- Human Genetics Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata 700108, India
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Urbanova M, Cihova M, Buocikova V, Slopovsky J, Dubovan P, Pindak D, Tomas M, García-Bermejo L, Rodríguez-Garrote M, Earl J, Kohl Y, Kataki A, Dusinska M, Sainz B, Smolkova B, Gabelova A. Nanomedicine and epigenetics: New alliances to increase the odds in pancreatic cancer survival. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115179. [PMID: 37481927 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115179] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the deadliest cancers worldwide, primarily due to its robust desmoplastic stroma and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), which facilitate tumor progression and metastasis. In addition, fibrous tissue leads to sparse vasculature, high interstitial fluid pressure, and hypoxia, thereby hindering effective systemic drug delivery and immune cell infiltration. Thus, remodeling the TME to enhance tumor perfusion, increase drug retention, and reverse immunosuppression has become a key therapeutic strategy. In recent years, targeting epigenetic pathways has emerged as a promising approach to overcome tumor immunosuppression and cancer progression. Moreover, the progress in nanotechnology has provided new opportunities for enhancing the efficacy of conventional and epigenetic drugs. Nano-based drug delivery systems (NDDSs) offer several advantages, including improved drug pharmacokinetics, enhanced tumor penetration, and reduced systemic toxicity. Smart NDDSs enable precise targeting of stromal components and augment the effectiveness of immunotherapy through multiple drug delivery options. This review offers an overview of the latest nano-based approaches developed to achieve superior therapeutic efficacy and overcome drug resistance. We specifically focus on the TME and epigenetic-targeted therapies in the context of PDAC, discussing the advantages and limitations of current strategies while highlighting promising new developments. By emphasizing the immense potential of NDDSs in improving therapeutic outcomes in PDAC, our review paves the way for future research in this rapidly evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Urbanova
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Marina Cihova
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Verona Buocikova
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jan Slopovsky
- 2nd Department of Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Klenova 1, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia; Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Spitalska 24, 813 72 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Dubovan
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Surgical Oncology, National CancerInstitute in Bratislava, Klenova 1, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia; Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Limbová12, 833 03 Bratislava
| | - Daniel Pindak
- Department of Surgical Oncology, National CancerInstitute in Bratislava, Klenova 1, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia; Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Limbová12, 833 03 Bratislava
| | - Miroslav Tomas
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Surgical Oncology, National CancerInstitute in Bratislava, Klenova 1, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia; Faculty of Medicine, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Limbová12, 833 03 Bratislava
| | - Laura García-Bermejo
- Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets Group, Area4, Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Carretera Colmenar Km 9100, 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes Rodríguez-Garrote
- Molecular Epidemiology and Predictive Tumor Markers Group, Area 3, Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Carretera Colmenar Km 9100, 28034 Madrid, Spain; CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julie Earl
- Molecular Epidemiology and Predictive Tumor Markers Group, Area 3, Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Carretera Colmenar Km 9100, 28034 Madrid, Spain; CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yvonne Kohl
- Department Bioprocessing & Bioanalytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, 66280 Sulzbach, Germany
| | - Agapi Kataki
- 1st Department of Propaedeutic Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Vasilissis Sofias 114, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Dusinska
- Health Effects Laboratory, Department of Environmental Chemistry, NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Instituttveien 18, 2002 Kjeller, Norway
| | - Bruno Sainz
- CIBERONC, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas"Alberto Sols" (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Biomarkers and Personalized Approach to Cancer (BIOPAC) Group, Area 3, Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Bozena Smolkova
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Alena Gabelova
- Department of Nanobiology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia..
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Liu H, Li Z, Zhang L, Zhang M, Liu S, Wang J, Yang C, Peng Q, Du C, Jiang N. Necroptosis-Related Prognostic Model for Pancreatic Carcinoma Reveals Its Invasion and Metastasis Potential through Hybrid EMT and Immune Escape. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1738. [PMID: 37371833 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11061738] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Necroptosis, pro-inflammatory programmed necrosis, has been reported to exert momentous roles in pancreatic cancer (PC). Herein, the objective of this study is to construct a necroptosis-related prognostic model for detecting pancreatic cancer. In this study, the intersection between necroptosis-related genes and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) was obtained based on GeneCards database, GEO database (GSE28735 and GSE15471), and verified using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Next, a prognostic model with Cox and LASSO regression analysis, and divided the patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. Subsequently, the Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival curve and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to assess the predictive ability of overall survival (OS) of PC patients. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to predict the potential biofunction and possible mechanical pathways. The EMTome database and an immune analysis were applied to further explore underlying mechanism. Finally, clinical samples of PDAC patients were utilized to verify the expression of model genes via immunohistochemistry (IHC), and the normal human pancreatic ductal cell line, hTERT-HPNE as well as human pancreatic ductal carcinoma cell lines, PANC-1 and PL45, were used to identify the levels of model genes by Western blot (WB) and immunofluorescence (IF) in vitro. The results showed that 13 necroptosis-related DEGs (NRDEGs) were screened based on GEO database, and finally four of five prognostic genes, including KRT7, KRT19, IGF2BP3, CXCL5, were further identified by TCGA to successfully construct a prognostic model. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis ultimately confirmed that this prognostic model has independent prognostic significance, KM curve suggested that the OS of low-risk group was longer than high-risk group, and the area under receiver (AUC) of ROC for 1, 3, 5 years was 0.733, 0.749 and 0.667, respectively. A GO analysis illustrated that model genes may participate in cell-cell junction, cadherin binding, cell adhesion molecule binding, and neutrophil migration and chemotaxis, while KEGG showed involvement in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, ECMreceptor interaction, IL-17 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, etc. Moreover, our results showed KRT7 and KRT19 were closely related to EMT markers, and EMTome database manifested that KRT7 and KRT19 are highly expressed in both primary and metastatic pancreatic cancer, declaring that model genes promoted invasion and metastasis potential through EMT. In addition, four model genes were positively correlated with Th2, which has been reported to take part in promoting immune escape, while model genes except CXCL5 were negatively correlated with TFH cells, indicating that model genes may participate in immunity. Additionally, IHC results showed that model genes were higher expressed in PC tissues than that in adjacent tumor tissues, and WB and IF also suggested that model genes were more highly expressed in PANC-1 and PL45 than in hTERT-HPNE. Tracing of a necroptosis-related prognostic model for pancreatic carcinoma reveals its invasion and metastasis potential through EMT and immunity. The construction of this model and the possible mechanism of necroptosis in PDAC was preliminarily explored to provide reliable new biomarkers for the early diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haichuan Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Zhenghang Li
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - La Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Mi Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Shanshan Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Jianwei Wang
- School of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Changhong Yang
- Department of Bioinformatics, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Qiling Peng
- School of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Chengyou Du
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Ning Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
- Molecular Medicine Diagnostic and Testing Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
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11
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Torres AJF, Duryea J, McDonald OG. Pancreatic cancer epigenetics: adaptive metabolism reprograms starving primary tumors for widespread metastatic outgrowth. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2023; 42:389-407. [PMID: 37316634 PMCID: PMC10591521 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-023-10116-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a paradigm for adaptation to extreme stress. That is because genetic drivers are selected during tissue injury with epigenetic imprints encoding wound healing responses. Ironically, epigenetic memories of trauma that facilitate neoplasia can also recreate past stresses to restrain malignant progression through symbiotic tumor:stroma crosstalk. This is best exemplified by positive feedback between neoplastic chromatin outputs and fibroinflammatory stromal cues that encase malignant glands within a nutrient-deprived desmoplastic stroma. Because epigenetic imprints are chemically encoded by nutrient-derived metabolites bonded to chromatin, primary tumor metabolism adapts to preserve malignant epigenetic fidelity during starvation. Despite these adaptations, stromal stresses inevitably awaken primordial drives to seek more hospitable climates. The invasive migrations that ensue facilitate entry into the metastatic cascade. Metastatic routes present nutrient-replete reservoirs that accelerate malignant progression through adaptive metaboloepigenetics. This is best exemplified by positive feedback between biosynthetic enzymes and nutrient transporters that saturate malignant chromatin with pro-metastatic metabolite byproducts. Here we present a contemporary view of pancreatic cancer epigenetics: selection of neoplastic chromatin under fibroinflammatory pressures, preservation of malignant chromatin during starvation stresses, and saturation of metastatic chromatin by nutritional excesses that fuel lethal metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaldo J Franco Torres
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Rosenstiel Medical Sciences Building Room 4086A, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jeffrey Duryea
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Rosenstiel Medical Sciences Building Room 4086A, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Oliver G McDonald
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Rosenstiel Medical Sciences Building Room 4086A, Miami, FL, USA.
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
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12
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Fraunhoffer NA, Moreno Vega AI, Abuelafia AM, Morvan M, Lebarbier E, Mary-Huard T, Zimmermann MT, Lomberk G, Urrutia R, Dusetti N, Blum Y, Nicolle R, Iovanna J. Priming therapy by targeting enhancer-initiated pathways in patient-derived pancreatic cancer cells. EBioMedicine 2023; 92:104602. [PMID: 37148583 PMCID: PMC10189188 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Systems biology leveraging multi-OMICs technologies, is rapidly advancing development of precision therapies and matching patients to targeted therapies, leading to improved responses. A new pillar of precision oncology lies in the power of chemogenomics to discover drugs that sensitizes malignant cells to other therapies. Here, we test a chemogenomic approach using epigenomic inhibitors (epidrugs) to reset patterns of gene expression driving the malignant behavior of pancreatic tumors. METHODS We tested a targeted library of ten epidrugs targeting regulators of enhancers and super-enhancers on reprogramming gene expression networks in seventeen patient-derived primary pancreatic cancer cell cultures (PDPCCs), of both basal and classical subtypes. We subsequently evaluated the ability of these epidrugs to sensitize pancreatic cancer cells to five chemotherapeutic drugs that are clinically used for this malignancy. FINDINGS To comprehend the impact of epidrug priming at the molecular level, we evaluated the effect of each epidrugs at the transcriptomic level of PDPCCs. The activating epidrugs showed a higher number of upregulated genes than the repressive epidrugs (χ2 test p-value <0.01). Furthermore, we developed a classifier using the baseline transcriptome of epidrug-primed-chemosensitized PDPCCs to predict the best epidrug-priming regime to a given chemotherapy. Six signatures with a significant association with the chemosensitization centroid (R ≤ -0.80; p-value < 0.01) were identified and validated in a subset of PDPCCs. INTERPRETATION We conclude that targeting enhancer-initiated pathways in patient-derived primary cells, represents a promising approach for developing new therapies for human pancreatic cancer. FUNDING This work was supported by INCa (Grants number 2018-078 to ND and 2018- 079 to JI), Canceropole PACA (ND), Amidex Foundation (ND), and INSERM (JI).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas A Fraunhoffer
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France; Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO), Facultad de Medicina, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Microbiología, Parasitología e Inmunología, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Aura I Moreno Vega
- Tumour Identity Card Program (CIT), French League Against Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Analía Meilerman Abuelafia
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
| | - Marie Morvan
- Laboratoire Modal'X - UMR 9023, Université Paris Nanterre, Nanterre, France
| | - Emilie Lebarbier
- Laboratoire Modal'X - UMR 9023, Université Paris Nanterre, Nanterre, France; Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, UMR MIA Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau 91120, France
| | - Tristan Mary-Huard
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, UMR MIA Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau 91120, France
| | - Michael T Zimmermann
- Genomics and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Gwen Lomberk
- Genomics and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Raul Urrutia
- Genomics and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Nelson Dusetti
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
| | - Yuna Blum
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, INSERM, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes) - UMR 6290, ERL U1305, Rennes, France
| | - Remy Nicolle
- Tumour Identity Card Program (CIT), French League Against Cancer, Paris, France; Université Paris Cité, Centre de Recherche sur l'Inflammation (CRI), INSERM, U1149, CNRS, ERL 8252, Paris F-75018, France
| | - Juan Iovanna
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France; Hospital de Alta Complejidad El Cruce, Florencio Varela, BA, Argentina; University Arturo Jauretche, Florencio Varela, BA, Argentina.
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13
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Pandey S, Gupta VK, Lavania SP. Role of epigenetics in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Epigenomics 2023; 15:89-110. [PMID: 36647796 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2022-0177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive cancers, associated with poor survival outcomes. Lack of early diagnosis, resistance to conventional therapeutic treatments (including immunotherapy) and recurrence are some of the major hurdles in PDAC and contribute to its poor survival rate. While the risk of genetic predisposition to cancers is widely acknowledged and understood, recent advances in whole-genome and next-generation sequencing techniques have led to the acknowledgment of the role played by epigenetics, especially in PDAC. Epigenetic changes are heritable genetic modifications that influence gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. Epigenetic mechanisms (e.g., DNA methylation, post-translational modification of histone complexes and ncRNA) that result in reversible changes in gene expression are increasingly understood to be responsible for tumor initiation, development and even escape from immune surveillance. Our review seeks to highlight the various components of the epigenetic machinery that are known to be implicated in PDAC initiation and development and the feasibility of targeting these components to identify novel pharmacological strategies that could potentially lead to breakthroughs in PDAC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somnath Pandey
- Department of Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Vineet K Gupta
- Department of Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Shweta P Lavania
- Department of Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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14
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Metformin Induces Apoptosis in Human Pancreatic Cancer (PC) Cells Accompanied by Changes in the Levels of Histone Acetyltransferases (Particularly, p300/CBP-Associated Factor (PCAF) Protein Levels). Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16010115. [PMID: 36678613 PMCID: PMC9863441 DOI: 10.3390/ph16010115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence (mainly from experimental research) suggests that metformin possesses anticancer properties through the induction of apoptosis and inhibition of the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. However, its effect on the enzymes responsible for histone acetylation status, which plays a key role in carcinogenesis, remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of metformin on histone acetyltransferases (HATs) (i.e., p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF), p300, and CBP) and on histone deacetylases (HDACs) (i.e., SIRT-1 in human pancreatic cancer (PC) cell lines, 1.2B4, and PANC-1). The cells were exposed to metformin, an HAT inhibitor (HATi), or a combination of an HATi with metformin for 24, 48, or 72 h. Cell viability was determined using an MTT assay, and the percentage of early apoptotic cells was determined with an Annexin V-Cy3 Apoptosis Detection Assay Kit. Caspase-9 activity was also assessed. SIRT-1, PCAF, p300, and CBP expression were determined at the mRNA and protein levels using RT-PCR and Western blotting methods, respectively. Our results reveal an increase in caspase-9 in response to the metformin, indicating that it induced the apoptotic death of both 1.2B4 and PANC-1 cells. The number of cells in early apoptosis and the activity of caspase-9 decreased when treated with an HATi alone or a combination of an HATi with metformin, as compared to metformin alone. Moreover, metformin, an HATi, and a combination of an HATi with metformin also modified the mRNA expression of SIRT-1, PCAF, CBP, and p300. However, metformin did not change the expression of the studied genes in 1.2B4 cells. The results of the Western blot analysis showed that metformin diminished the protein expression of PCAF in both the 1.2B4 and PANC-1 cells. Hence, it appears possible that PCAF may be involved in the metformin-mediated apoptosis of PC cells.
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15
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Wu H, Guo S, Liu X, Li Y, Su Z, He Q, Liu X, Zhang Z, Yu L, Shi X, Gao S, Wang H, Pan Y, Ma C, Liu R, Dai M, Jin G, Liang Z. Noninvasive detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using the methylation signature of circulating tumour DNA. BMC Med 2022; 20:458. [PMID: 36434648 PMCID: PMC9701032 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02647-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has the lowest overall survival rate primarily due to the late onset of symptoms and rapid progression. Reliable and accurate tests for early detection are lacking. We aimed to develop a noninvasive test for early PDAC detection by capturing the circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) methylation signature in blood. METHODS Genome-wide methylation profiles were generated from PDAC and nonmalignant tissues and plasma. Methylation haplotype blocks (MHBs) were examined to discover de novo PDAC markers. They were combined with multiple cancer markers and screened for PDAC classification accuracy. The most accurate markers were used to develop PDACatch, a targeted methylation sequencing assay. PDACatch was applied to additional PDAC and healthy plasma cohorts to train, validate and independently test a PDAC-discriminating classifier. Finally, the classifier was compared and integrated with carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) to evaluate and maximize its accuracy and utility. RESULTS In total, 90 tissues and 546 plasma samples were collected from 232 PDAC patients, 25 chronic pancreatitis (CP) patients and 323 healthy controls. Among 223 PDAC cases with known stage information, 43/119/38/23 cases were of Stage I/II/III/IV. A total of 171 de novo PDAC-specific markers and 595 multicancer markers were screened for PDAC classification accuracy. The top 185 markers were included in PDACatch, from which a 56-marker classifier for PDAC plasma was trained, validated and independently tested. It achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.91 in both the validation (31 PDAC, 26 healthy; sensitivity = 84%, specificity = 89%) and independent tests (74 PDAC, 65 healthy; sensitivity = 82%, specificity = 88%). Importantly, the PDACatch classifier detected CA19-9-negative PDAC plasma at sensitivities of 75 and 100% during the validation and independent tests, respectively. It was more sensitive than CA19-9 in detecting Stage I (sensitivity = 80 and 68%, respectively) and early-stage (Stage I-IIa) PDAC (sensitivity = 76 and 70%, respectively). A combinatorial classifier integrating PDACatch and CA19-9 outperformed (AUC=0.94) either PDACatch (0.91) or CA19-9 (0.89) alone (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The PDACatch assay demonstrated high sensitivity for early PDAC plasma, providing potential utility for noninvasive detection of early PDAC and indicating the effectiveness of methylation haplotype analyses in discovering robust cancer markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanwen Wu
- Department of Pathology, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No.1, Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Shiwei Guo
- Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical, University (the Second Military Medical University), No.168, Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xiaoding Liu
- Department of Pathology, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No.1, Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yatong Li
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No.1, Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Zhixi Su
- Singlera Genomics (Shanghai) Ltd., No. 500, Furonghua Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Qiye He
- Singlera Genomics (Shanghai) Ltd., No. 500, Furonghua Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xiaoqian Liu
- Department of Pathology, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No.1, Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Zhiwen Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No.1, Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Lianyuan Yu
- Department of Pathology, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No.1, Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Xiaohan Shi
- Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical, University (the Second Military Medical University), No.168, Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Suizhi Gao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical, University (the Second Military Medical University), No.168, Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Huan Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical, University (the Second Military Medical University), No.168, Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Yaqi Pan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical, University (the Second Military Medical University), No.168, Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Chengcheng Ma
- Singlera Genomics (Shanghai) Ltd., No. 500, Furonghua Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Rui Liu
- Singlera Genomics (Shanghai) Ltd., No. 500, Furonghua Road, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Menghua Dai
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No.1, Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Gang Jin
- Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Navy Medical, University (the Second Military Medical University), No.168, Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200433, China.
| | - Zhiyong Liang
- Department of Pathology, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No.1, Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China.
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16
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Zhang J, Chen M, Fang C, Luo P. A cancer-associated fibroblast gene signature predicts prognosis and therapy response in patients with pancreatic cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1052132. [PMID: 36465388 PMCID: PMC9716208 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1052132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a lethal malignancy with a 5-year survival rate of about 10% in the United States, and it is becoming an increasingly prominent cause of cancer death. Among pancreatic cancer patients, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) accounts for more than 90% of all cases and has a very poor prognosis with an average survival of only 1 year in about 18% of all tumor stages. In the past years, there has been an increasing interest in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and their roles in PDAC. Recent data reveals that CAFs in PDAC are heterogeneous and various CAF subtypes have been demonstrated to promote tumor development while others hinder cancer proliferation. Furthermore, CAFs and other stromal populations can be potentially used as novel prognostic markers in cancer. In the present study, in order to evaluate the prognostic value of CAFs in PDAC, CAF infiltration rate was evaluated in 4 PDAC datasets of TCGA, GEO, and ArrayExpress databases and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between CAF-high and CAF-low patients were identified. Subsequently, a CAF-based gene expression signature was developed and studied for its association with overall survival (OS). Additionally, functional enrichment analysis, somatic alteration analysis, and prognostic risk model construction was conducted on the identified DEGs. Finally, oncoPredict algorithm was implemented to assess drug sensitivity prediction between high- and low-risk cohorts. Our results revealed that CAF risk-high patients have a worse survival rate and increased CAF infiltration is a poor prognostic indicator in pancreatic cancer. Functional enrichment analysis also revealed that "extracellular matrix organization" and "vasculature development" were the top enriched pathways among the identified DEGs. We also developed a panel of 12 genes, which in additional to its prognostic value, could predict higher chemotherapy resistance rate. This CAF-based panel can be potentially utilized alone or in conjunction with other clinical parameters to make early predictions and prognosticate responsiveness to treatment in PDAC patients. Indeed, it is necessary to conduct extensive prospective investigations to confirm the clinical utility of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinbao Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Meiling Chen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory on Hematology, Fujian Institute of Hematology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Chuanfa Fang
- Department of Gastroenteric Hernia Surgery, Ganzhou Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Jiangxi, Ganzhou, China
| | - Peng Luo
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
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Ishii T, Akiyama Y, Shimada S, Kabashima A, Asano D, Watanabe S, Ishikawa Y, Ueda H, Akahoshi K, Ogawa K, Ono H, Kudo A, Tanabe M, Tanaka S. Identification of a novel target of SETD1A histone methyltransferase and the clinical significance in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Sci 2022; 114:463-476. [PMID: 36271761 PMCID: PMC9899616 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15615] [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: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although histone H3K4 methyltransferase SETD1A is overexpressed in various cancer types, the molecular mechanism underlying its overexpression and its target genes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remain unclarified. We conducted immunohistochemical staining for SETD1A in 105 human PDAC specimens to assess the relationship between SETD1A overexpression and clinicopathological features. The function and target genes of SETD1A were investigated using human pancreatic cancer cell lines. SETD1A expression was upregulated in 51.4% of patients with PDAC and was an independent prognostic factor associated with shorter disease-free survival after resection (p < 0.05). Knockdown and overexpression of SETD1A showed that SETD1A plays a crucial role in increasing the proliferation and motility of PDAC cells. SETD1A overexpression increased tumorigenicity. RNA sequencing of SETD1A-knockdown cells revealed downregulation of RUVBL1, an oncogenic protein ATP-dependent DNA helicase gene. ChIP analysis revealed that SETD1A binds to the RUVBL1 promoter region, resulting in increased H3K4me3 levels. Knockdown of RUVBL1 showed inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of PDAC cells, which are similar biological effects to SETD1A knockdown. High expression of both SETD1A and RUVBL1 was an independent prognostic factor not only for disease-free survival but also for overall survival (p < 0.05). In conclusion, we identified RUVBL1 as a novel downstream target gene of the SETD1A-H3K4me3 pathway. Co-expression of SETD1A and RUVBL1 is an important factor for predicting the prognosis of patients with PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Ishii
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of MedicineTokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan,Department of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic SurgeryGraduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Yoshimitsu Akiyama
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of MedicineTokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Shu Shimada
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of MedicineTokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Ayano Kabashima
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of MedicineTokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Daisuke Asano
- Department of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic SurgeryGraduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Shuichi Watanabe
- Department of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic SurgeryGraduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Yoshiya Ishikawa
- Department of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic SurgeryGraduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Hiroki Ueda
- Department of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic SurgeryGraduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Keiichi Akahoshi
- Department of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic SurgeryGraduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Kosuke Ogawa
- Department of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic SurgeryGraduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Hiroaki Ono
- Department of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic SurgeryGraduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Atsushi Kudo
- Department of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic SurgeryGraduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Minoru Tanabe
- Department of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic SurgeryGraduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Shinji Tanaka
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of MedicineTokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan,Department of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic SurgeryGraduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental UniversityTokyoJapan
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18
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DNA methylome in pancreatic cancer identified novel promoter hyper-methylation in NPY and FAIM2 genes associated with poor prognosis in Indian patient cohort. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:334. [PMID: 36329447 PMCID: PMC9635159 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02737-1] [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: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the leading cancers worldwide and has a poor survival, with a 5-year survival rate of only 8.5%. In this study we investigated altered DNA methylation associated with PDAC severity and prognosis. Methods Methylome data, generated using 450 K bead array, was compared between paired PDAC and normal samples in the TCGA cohort (n = 9) and our Indian cohort (n = 7). The total Indian Cohort (n = 75) was split into cohort 1 (n = 7), cohort 2 (n = 22), cohort 3 (n = 26) and cohort 4 (n = 20).Validation of differential methylation (6 selected CpG loci) and associated gene expression for differentially methylated genes (10 selected gDMs) were carried out in separate validation cohorts, using MSP, RT-PCR and IHC correlations between methylation and gene expression were observed in TCGA, GTEx cohorts and in validation cohorts. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was done to study differential prognosis, during 2–5 years of follow-up. Results We identified 156 DMPs, mapped to 91 genes (gDMs), in PDAC; 68 (43.5%) DMPs were found to be differentially methylated both in TCGA cohort and our cohort, with significant concordance at hypo- and hyper-methylated loci. Enrichments of “regulation of ion transport”, “Interferon alpha/beta signalling”, “morphogenesis and development” and “transcriptional dysregulation” pathways were observed among 91 gDMs. Hyper-methylation of NPY and FAIM2 genes with down-regulated expression in PDAC, were significantly associated with poor prognosis in the Indian patient cohort. Conclusions Ethnic variations among populations may determine the altered epigenetic landscape in the PDAC patients of the Indian cohort. Our study identified novel differentially methylated genes (mainly NPY and FAIM2) and also validated the previously identified differentially methylated CpG sites associated with PDAC cancer patient’s survival. Comparative analysis of our data with TCGA and CPTAC cohorts showed that both NPY and FAIM2 hyper-methylation and down-regulations can be novel epigenetically regulated genes in the Indian patient population, statistically significantly associated with poor survival and advanced tumour stages. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-022-02737-1.
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19
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Jiang S, Fagman JB, Ma Y, Liu J, Vihav C, Engstrom C, Liu B, Chen C. A comprehensive review of pancreatic cancer and its therapeutic challenges. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:7635-7649. [PMID: 36173644 PMCID: PMC9550249 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a devastating and lethal human malignancy with no curable chemo-treatments available thus far. More than 90% of pancreatic tumors are formed from ductal epithelium as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which often accompany with the expression of mutant K-ras. The incidences of pancreatic cancer are expected to increase rapidly worldwide in the near future, due to environmental pollution, obesity epidemics and etc. The dismal prognosis of this malignancy is contributed to its susceptibility to tumor micro-metastasis from inception and the lack of methods to detect precursor lesions at very early stages of the onset until clinical symptoms occur. In recent years, basic and clinical studies have been making promising progresses for discovering markers to determine the subtypes or stages of this malignancy, which allow effectively implementing personalized therapeutic interventions. The purpose of this review is to discuss the existing knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of pancreatic cancer and the current state of treatment options with the emphasis on targeting therapeutic approaches. The specific focuses are on the molecular mechanisms of the disease, identifications of drug resistance, establishment of immune escaping mechanisms as well as potential of targeting identified pathways in combinations with existing chemo-drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Jiang
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Johan Bourghardt Fagman
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Yunyun Ma
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jian Liu
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China
| | - Caroline Vihav
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Engstrom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Beidong Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Changyan Chen
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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20
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Multi-omics data integration and modeling unravels new mechanisms for pancreatic cancer and improves prognostic prediction. NPJ Precis Oncol 2022; 6:57. [PMID: 35978026 PMCID: PMC9385633 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-022-00299-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), has recently been found to be a heterogeneous disease, although the extension of its diversity remains to be fully understood. Here, we harmonize transcriptomic profiles derived from both PDAC epithelial and microenvironment cells to develop a Master Regulators (MR)-Gradient model that allows important inferences on transcriptional networks, epigenomic states, and metabolomics pathways that underlies this disease heterogeneity. This gradient model was generated by applying a blind source separation based on independent components analysis and robust principal component analyses (RPCA), following regulatory network inference. The result of these analyses reveals that PDAC prognosis strongly associates with the tumor epithelial cell phenotype and the immunological component. These studies were complemented by integration of methylome and metabolome datasets generated from patient-derived xenograft (PDX), together experimental measurements of metabolites, immunofluorescence microscopy, and western blot. At the metabolic level, PDAC favorable phenotype showed a positive correlation with enzymes implicated in complex lipid biosynthesis. In contrast, the unfavorable phenotype displayed an augmented OXPHOS independent metabolism centered on the Warburg effect and glutaminolysis. Epigenetically, we find that a global hypermethylation profile associates with the worst prognosis. Lastly, we report that, two antagonistic histone code writers, SUV39H1/SUV39H2 (H3K9Me3) and KAT2B (H3K9Ac) were identified key deregulated pathways in PDAC. Our analysis suggests that the PDAC phenotype, as it relates to prognosis, is determined by a complex interaction of transcriptomic, epigenomic, and metabolic features. Furthermore, we demonstrated that PDAC prognosis could be modulated through epigenetics.
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21
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Mokini Z, Cama A, Forget P. Anesthetics and Long Term Cancer Outcomes: May Epigenetics Be the Key for Pancreatic Cancer? MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2022; 58:1102. [PMID: 36013569 PMCID: PMC9414834 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58081102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge shows a divergence of results between preclinical and clinical studies regarding anesthesia and postoperative progression of cancer. While laboratory and animal data from then 2000s onwards raised much enthusiasm in this field of research leading to several clinical investigations worldwide, data from randomized trials seem to have killed off hope for many scientists. However several aspects of the actual knowledge should be reevaluated and there is space for new strategies of investigation. In this paper, we perform a critical review of actual knowledge and propose new research strategies with a special focus on anesthetic management and repurposed anesthetic adjuvants for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhirajr Mokini
- ESAIC Mentorship Program, BE-1000 Brussels, Belgium
- The European Platform for Research Outcomes after PerIoperative Interventions in Surgery for Cancer Research Group (Euro-Periscope): The Onco-Anaesthesiology Research Group (RG), BE-1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alessandro Cama
- The European Platform for Research Outcomes after PerIoperative Interventions in Surgery for Cancer Research Group (Euro-Periscope): The Onco-Anaesthesiology Research Group (RG), BE-1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Patrice Forget
- The European Platform for Research Outcomes after PerIoperative Interventions in Surgery for Cancer Research Group (Euro-Periscope): The Onco-Anaesthesiology Research Group (RG), BE-1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Epidemiology Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
- Department of Anaesthesia, National Health Service (NHS) Grampian, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
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22
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TP53-Status-Dependent Oncogenic EZH2 Activity in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14143451. [PMID: 35884510 PMCID: PMC9320674 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14143451] [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: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Epigenetic alterations contribute to the aggressiveness and therapy resistance of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, epigenetic regulators, including Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2), reveal a strong context-dependent activity. Our study aimed to examine the context-defining molecular prerequisites of oncogenic EZH2 activity in PDAC to assess the therapeutic efficacy of targeting EZH2. Our preclinical study using diverse PDAC models demonstrates that the TP53 status determines oncogenic EZH2 activity. Only in TP53-wildtype (wt) PDAC subtypes was EZH2 blockade associated with a favorable PDAC prognosis mainly through cell-death response. We revealed that EZH2 depletion increases p53wt stability by the de-repression of CDKN2A. Therefore, our study provides preclinical evidence that an intact CDKN2A-p53wt axis is indispensable for a beneficial outcome of EZH2 depletion and highlights the significance of molecular stratification to improve epigenetic targeting in PDAC. Abstract Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents a lethal malignancy with a consistently poor outcome. Besides mutations in PDAC driver genes, the aggressive tumor biology of the disease and its remarkable therapy resistance are predominantly installed by potentially reversible epigenetic dysregulation. However, epigenetic regulators act in a context-dependent manner with opposing implication on tumor progression, thus critically determining the therapeutic efficacy of epigenetic targeting. Herein, we aimed at exploring the molecular prerequisites and underlying mechanisms of oncogenic Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) activity in PDAC progression. Preclinical studies in EZH2 proficient and deficient transgenic and orthotopic in vivo PDAC models and transcriptome analysis identified the TP53 status as a pivotal context-defining molecular cue determining oncogenic EZH2 activity in PDAC. Importantly, the induction of pro-apoptotic gene signatures and processes as well as a favorable PDAC prognosis upon EZH2 depletion were restricted to p53 wildtype (wt) PDAC subtypes. Mechanistically, we illustrate that EZH2 blockade de-represses CDKN2A transcription for the subsequent posttranslational stabilization of p53wt expression and function. Together, our findings suggest an intact CDKN2A-p53wt axis as a prerequisite for the anti-tumorigenic consequences of EZH2 depletion and emphasize the significance of molecular stratification for the successful implementation of epigenetic targeting in PDAC.
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23
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Agostini A, Orlacchio A, Carbone C, Guerriero I. Understanding Tricky Cellular and Molecular Interactions in Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment: New Food for Thought. Front Immunol 2022; 13:876291. [PMID: 35711414 PMCID: PMC9193393 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.876291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents 90% of all pancreatic cancer cases and shows a high mortality rate among all solid tumors. PDAC is often associated with poor prognosis, due to the late diagnosis that leads to metastasis development, and limited efficacy of available treatments. The tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a reliable source of novel targets for therapy, and even if many of the biological interactions among stromal, immune, and cancer cells that populate the TME have been studied, much more needs to be clarified. The great limitation in the efficacy of current standard chemoterapy is due to both the dense fibrotic inaccessible TME barrier surrounding cancer cells and the immunological evolution from a tumor-suppressor to an immunosuppressive environment. Nevertheless, combinatorial therapies may prove more effective at overcoming resistance mechanisms and achieving tumor cell killing. To achieve this result, a deeper understanding of the pathological mechanisms driving tumor progression and immune escape is required in order to design rationale-based therapeutic strategies. This review aims to summarize the present knowledge about cellular interactions in the TME, with much attention on immunosuppressive functioning and a specific focus on extracellular matrix (ECM) contribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Agostini
- Medical Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Medical Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Arturo Orlacchio
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carmine Carbone
- Medical Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Guerriero
- Biogem, Biology and Molecular Genetics Institute, Ariano Irpino, Italy
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24
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Orben F, Lankes K, Schneeweis C, Hassan Z, Jakubowsky H, Krauß L, Boniolo F, Schneider C, Schäfer A, Murr J, Schlag C, Kong B, Öllinger R, Wang C, Beyer G, Mahajan UM, Xue Y, Mayerle J, Schmid RM, Kuster B, Rad R, Braun CJ, Wirth M, Reichert M, Saur D, Schneider G. Epigenetic drug screening defines a PRMT5 inhibitor-sensitive pancreatic cancer subtype. JCI Insight 2022; 7:e151353. [PMID: 35439169 PMCID: PMC9220834 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.151353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic therapies for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remain unsatisfactory. Clinical prognosis is particularly poor for tumor subtypes with activating aberrations in the MYC pathway, creating an urgent need for novel therapeutic targets. To unbiasedly find MYC-associated epigenetic dependencies, we conducted a drug screen in pancreatic cancer cell lines. Here, we found that protein arginine N-methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) inhibitors triggered an MYC-associated dependency. In human and murine PDACs, a robust connection of MYC and PRMT5 was detected. By the use of gain- and loss-of-function models, we confirmed the increased efficacy of PRMT5 inhibitors in MYC-deregulated PDACs. Although inhibition of PRMT5 was inducing DNA damage and arresting PDAC cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, apoptotic cell death was executed predominantly in cells with high MYC expression. Experiments in primary patient-derived PDAC models demonstrated the existence of a highly PRMT5 inhibitor-sensitive subtype. Our work suggests developing PRMT5 inhibitor-based therapies for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Orben
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar and
| | | | - Christian Schneeweis
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar and
- Institute for Translational Cancer Research and Experimental Cancer Therapy, Technical University Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Zonera Hassan
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar and
| | - Hannah Jakubowsky
- Institute for Translational Cancer Research and Experimental Cancer Therapy, Technical University Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Lukas Krauß
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar and
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Fabio Boniolo
- Institute for Translational Cancer Research and Experimental Cancer Therapy, Technical University Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Carolin Schneider
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar and
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Arlett Schäfer
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar and
| | - Janine Murr
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar and
| | | | - Bo Kong
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM, Munich, Germany
- Department of General Surgery, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Rupert Öllinger
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, TUM School of Medicine and
| | - Chengdong Wang
- Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, TUM School of Life Sciences, TUM, Freising, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Georg Beyer
- Department of Medicine II, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Munich, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Munich, Germany
| | - Ujjwal M. Mahajan
- Department of Medicine II, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Munich, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Munich, Germany
| | - Yonggan Xue
- Department of Medicine II, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Munich, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Mayerle
- Department of Medicine II, LMU University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Munich, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Roland M. Schmid
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar and
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Munich, Germany
| | - Bernhard Kuster
- Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, TUM School of Life Sciences, TUM, Freising, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Bavarian Center for Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry (BayBioMS), TUM, Freising, Germany
| | - Roland Rad
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, TUM School of Medicine and
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian J. Braun
- Department of Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Wirth
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maximilian Reichert
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar and
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Center for Protein Assemblies (CPA), TUM, Garching, Germany
- Translational Pancreatic Research Cancer Center, Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM, Munich, Germany
| | - Dieter Saur
- Institute for Translational Cancer Research and Experimental Cancer Therapy, Technical University Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Günter Schneider
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar and
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, Göttingen, Germany
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25
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Kato H, Tateishi K, Fujiwara H, Nakatsuka T, Yamamoto K, Kudo Y, Hayakawa Y, Nakagawa H, Tanaka Y, Ijichi H, Otsuka M, Iwadate D, Oyama H, Kanai S, Noguchi K, Suzuki T, Sato T, Hakuta R, Ishigaki K, Saito K, Saito T, Takahara N, Kishikawa T, Hamada T, Takahashi R, Miyabayashi K, Mizuno S, Kogure H, Nakai Y, Hirata Y, Toyoda A, Ichikawa K, Qu W, Morishita S, Arita J, Tanaka M, Ushiku T, Hasegawa K, Fujishiro M, Koike K. MNX1-HNF1B Axis Is Indispensable for Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm Lineages. Gastroenterology 2022; 162:1272-1287.e16. [PMID: 34953915 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2021.12.254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Chromatin architecture governs cell lineages by regulating the specific gene expression; however, its role in the diversity of cancer development remains unknown. Among pancreatic cancers, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) with an associated invasive carcinoma (IPMNinv) arise from 2 distinct precursors, and their fundamental differences remain obscure. Here, we aimed to assess the difference of chromatin architecture regulating the transcriptional signatures or biological features in pancreatic cancers. METHODS We established 28 human organoids from distinct subtypes of pancreatic tumors, including IPMN, IPMNinv, and PDAC. We performed exome sequencing (seq), RNA-seq, assay for transposase-accessible chromatin-seq, chromatin immunoprecipitation-seq, high-throughput chromosome conformation capture, and phenotypic analyses with short hairpin RNA or clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats interference. RESULTS Established organoids successfully reproduced the histology of primary tumors. IPMN and IPMNinv organoids harbored GNAS, RNF43, or KLF4 mutations and showed the distinct expression profiles compared with PDAC. Chromatin accessibility profiles revealed the gain of stomach-specific open regions in IPMN and the pattern of diverse gastrointestinal tissues in IPMNinv. In contrast, PDAC presented an impressive loss of accessible regions compared with normal pancreatic ducts. Transcription factor footprint analysis and functional assays identified that MNX1 and HNF1B were biologically indispensable for IPMN lineages. The upregulation of MNX1 was specifically marked in the human IPMN lineage tissues. The MNX1-HNF1B axis governed a set of genes, including MYC, SOX9, and OLFM4, which are known to be essential for gastrointestinal stem cells. High-throughput chromosome conformation capture analysis suggested the HNF1B target genes to be 3-dimensionally connected in the genome of IPMNinv. CONCLUSIONS Our organoid analyses identified the MNX1-HNF1B axis to be biologically significant in IPMN lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Kato
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tateishi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Hiroaki Fujiwara
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Division of Gastroenterology, The Institute for Adult Diseases, Asahi Life Foundation, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuma Nakatsuka
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keisuke Yamamoto
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yotaro Kudo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoku Hayakawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hayato Nakagawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuo Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideaki Ijichi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Motoyuki Otsuka
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Dosuke Iwadate
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroki Oyama
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sachiko Kanai
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kensaku Noguchi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsunori Suzuki
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Sato
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryunosuke Hakuta
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazunaga Ishigaki
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kei Saito
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomotaka Saito
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naminatsu Takahara
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Kishikawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Hamada
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryota Takahashi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji Miyabayashi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Suguru Mizuno
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Kogure
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yousuke Nakai
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Endoscopy and Endoscopic Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Hirata
- Division of Advanced Genome Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Comparative Genomics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Kazuki Ichikawa
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Wei Qu
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shinichi Morishita
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Junichi Arita
- Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Division, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mariko Tanaka
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Ushiku
- Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Hasegawa
- Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Division, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Fujishiro
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Koike
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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26
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Shan L, Hao C, Jun Z, Qinghe C. Histone methyltransferase Dot1L inhibits pancreatic cancer cell apoptosis by promoting NUPR1 expression. J Int Med Res 2022; 50:3000605221088431. [PMID: 35350907 PMCID: PMC8973069 DOI: 10.1177/03000605221088431] [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] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To explore functions of the histone H3 lysine 79 (K79) methyltransferase Dot1L in the development of pancreatic cancer and evaluate the possibility of targeting Dot1L to inhibit pancreatic cancer progression. Methods Patient samples were used to detect differences in Dot1L expression between tumor and adjacent tissues and to determine correlations between Dot1L expression in patients with different stages of pancreatic cancer. Lentiviral-mediated knockdown of Dot1L expression and flow cytometry were used to detect apoptosis in pancreatic cancer lacking Dot1L expression; chromatin immunoprecipitation and quantitative PCR were used to detect downstream target genes of Dot1L. Results We show that Dot1L is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer, and that its expression is related to pancreatic cancer stage. Knocking down Dot1L significantly promoted apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells, while overexpressing Dot1L inhibited apoptosis. Mechanistically, Dot1L regulated apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells by promoting NUPR1 expression. The enriched H3K79 trimethylation in the transcription initiation region of NUPR1 promoted its expression. Overexpressing NUPR1 inhibited the pancreatic cancer cell apoptosis caused by Dot1L knockdown. Conclusions Dot1L inhibits pancreatic cancer cell apoptosis by targeting NUPR1; thus, Dot1L is a promising target for pancreatic cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Shan
- Affiliated Hospital of Putian University
| | - Chen Hao
- Affiliated Hospital of Putian University
| | - Zheng Jun
- Affiliated Hospital of Putian University
| | - Cai Qinghe
- Affiliated Hospital of Putian University
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Urbanova M, Buocikova V, Trnkova L, Strapcova S, Kajabova VH, Melian EB, Novisedlakova M, Tomas M, Dubovan P, Earl J, Bizik J, Svastova E, Ciernikova S, Smolkova B. DNA Methylation Mediates EMT Gene Expression in Human Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:2117. [PMID: 35216235 PMCID: PMC8879087 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to abundant stroma and extracellular matrix, accompanied by lack of vascularization, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by severe hypoxia. Epigenetic regulation is likely one of the mechanisms driving hypoxia-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), responsible for PDAC aggressiveness and dismal prognosis. To verify the role of DNA methylation in this process, we assessed gene expression and DNA methylation changes in four PDAC cell lines. BxPC-3, MIA PaCa-2, PANC-1, and SU.86.86 cells were exposed to conditioned media containing cytokines and inflammatory molecules in normoxic and hypoxic (1% O2) conditions for 2 and 6 days. Cancer Inflammation and Immunity Crosstalk and Human Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition RT² Profiler PCR Arrays were used to identify top deregulated inflammatory and EMT-related genes. Their mRNA expression and DNA methylation were quantified by qRT-PCR and pyrosequencing. BxPC-3 and SU.86.86 cell lines were the most sensitive to hypoxia and inflammation. Although the methylation of gene promoters correlated with gene expression negatively, it was not significantly influenced by experimental conditions. However, DNA methyltransferase inhibitor decitabine efficiently decreased DNA methylation up to 53% and reactivated all silenced genes. These results confirm the role of DNA methylation in EMT-related gene regulation and uncover possible new targets involved in PDAC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Urbanova
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (M.U.); (V.B.); (L.T.); (V.H.K.); (M.T.); (P.D.); (J.B.); (S.C.)
| | - Verona Buocikova
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (M.U.); (V.B.); (L.T.); (V.H.K.); (M.T.); (P.D.); (J.B.); (S.C.)
| | - Lenka Trnkova
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (M.U.); (V.B.); (L.T.); (V.H.K.); (M.T.); (P.D.); (J.B.); (S.C.)
| | - Sabina Strapcova
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (S.S.); (E.S.)
| | - Viera Horvathova Kajabova
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (M.U.); (V.B.); (L.T.); (V.H.K.); (M.T.); (P.D.); (J.B.); (S.C.)
| | - Emma Barreto Melian
- Molecular Epidemiology and Predictive Tumor Markers Group, Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Biomedical Research Network in Cancer (CIBERONC), Carretera Colmenar Km 9,100, 28034 Madrid, Spain; (E.B.M.); (J.E.)
| | - Maria Novisedlakova
- Oncology Outpatient Clinic, Hospital of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, 814 65 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Miroslav Tomas
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (M.U.); (V.B.); (L.T.); (V.H.K.); (M.T.); (P.D.); (J.B.); (S.C.)
- Department of Surgical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Slovak Medical University, Klenova 1, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Dubovan
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (M.U.); (V.B.); (L.T.); (V.H.K.); (M.T.); (P.D.); (J.B.); (S.C.)
- Department of Surgical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Slovak Medical University, Klenova 1, 833 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Julie Earl
- Molecular Epidemiology and Predictive Tumor Markers Group, Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Biomedical Research Network in Cancer (CIBERONC), Carretera Colmenar Km 9,100, 28034 Madrid, Spain; (E.B.M.); (J.E.)
| | - Jozef Bizik
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (M.U.); (V.B.); (L.T.); (V.H.K.); (M.T.); (P.D.); (J.B.); (S.C.)
| | - Eliska Svastova
- Department of Tumor Biology, Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (S.S.); (E.S.)
| | - Sona Ciernikova
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (M.U.); (V.B.); (L.T.); (V.H.K.); (M.T.); (P.D.); (J.B.); (S.C.)
| | - Bozena Smolkova
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; (M.U.); (V.B.); (L.T.); (V.H.K.); (M.T.); (P.D.); (J.B.); (S.C.)
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Versemann L, Hessmann E, Ulisse M. Epigenetic Therapeutic Strategies to Target Molecular and Cellular Heterogeneity in Pancreatic Cancer. Visc Med 2022; 38:11-19. [PMID: 35291698 PMCID: PMC8874235 DOI: 10.1159/000519859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a major challenge in cancer medicine and is characterized by a 5-year survival rate of <10%. Compelling evidence suggests that the devastating disease outcome of PDAC patients is linked to a high degree of intra- and interindividual tumor heterogeneity, which is predominantly installed at the level of gene transcription. The cellular and molecular complexities of the disease explain the poor efficacy of "one-size-fits-all" therapeutic approaches in PDAC treatment and strongly argue for pursuing tailored therapeutic strategies to tackle PDAC. In a highly dynamic manner, a network of transcription factors and epigenetic regulatory proteins temporally and spatially control the diverse transcriptomic states determining PDAC heterogeneity. Given the reversibility of epigenetic processes, pharmacological intervention with key epigenetic drivers of PDAC heterogeneity appeals as a promising concept to shift the transcriptomic phenotype of PDAC toward a less aggressive and more chemosensible state. SUMMARY In this review, we discuss the chances and pitfalls of epigenetic treatment strategies in overcoming and shifting molecular and cellular PDAC heterogeneities in order to combat PDAC. To this end, we utilized the keywords "pancreatic cancer," "heterogeneity," and "epigenetics" to search for relevant articles on the database PubMed and selected interventional studies enrolling PDAC patients as displayed in clinicaltrails.gov to generate a synopsis of clinical trials involving epigenetic targeting. KEY MESSAGES Targeting epigenetic regulators in PDAC represents a promising concept to reprogram molecular and cellular tumor heterogeneities in the pancreas and hence to modulate the PDAC phenotype in favor of a less aggressive and more therapy susceptible disease course. However, we just start to understand the complex interactions of epigenetic regulators in controlling PDAC plasticity, and a clinical breakthrough utilizing epigenetic targeting in PDAC patients has not been achieved yet. Nevertheless, increasing translational efforts which consider the pleiotropic effects of targeting epigenetic regulation in different cellular compartments of the tumor and that focus on the utility and sequence of combinatory treatment approaches might pave the way toward novel epigenetic treatment strategies in PDAC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Versemann
- Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Hessmann
- Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Clinical Research Unit KFO5002, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Maria Ulisse
- Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Clinical Research Unit KFO5002, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
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29
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Osei-Bordom DC, Sachdeva G, Christou N. Liquid Biopsy as a Prognostic and Theranostic Tool for the Management of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 8:788869. [PMID: 35096878 PMCID: PMC8795626 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.788869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) represent one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. Survival is still low due to diagnosis at an advanced stage and resistance to treatment. Herein, we review the main types of liquid biopsy able to help in both prognosis and adaptation of treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Osei-Bordom
- Department of General Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, Centre for Liver and Gastroenterology Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Gagandeep Sachdeva
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Niki Christou
- Department of General Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Department of General Surgery, University Hospital of Limoges, Limoges, France
- EA3842 CAPTuR Laboratory "Cell Activation Control, Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Resistance", Faculty of Medicine, Limoges, France
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30
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Schreyer D, Neoptolemos JP, Barry ST, Bailey P. Deconstructing Pancreatic Cancer Using Next Generation-Omic Technologies-From Discovery to Knowledge-Guided Platforms for Better Patient Management. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:795735. [PMID: 35096825 PMCID: PMC8793685 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.795735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Comprehensive molecular landscaping studies reveal a potentially brighter future for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients. Blood-borne biomarkers obtained from minimally invasive "liquid biopsies" are now being trialled for early disease detection and to track responses to therapy. Integrated genomic and transcriptomic studies using resectable tumour material have defined intrinsic patient subtypes and actionable genomic segments that promise a shift towards genome-guided patient management. Multimodal mapping of PDAC using spatially resolved single cell transcriptomics and imaging techniques has identified new potentially therapeutically actionable cellular targets and is providing new insights into PDAC tumour heterogeneity. Despite these rapid advances, defining biomarkers for patient selection remain limited. This review examines the current PDAC cancer biomarker ecosystem (identified in tumour and blood) and explores how advances in single cell sequencing and spatially resolved imaging modalities are being used to uncover new targets for therapeutic intervention and are transforming our understanding of this difficult to treat disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schreyer
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - John P. Neoptolemos
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simon T. Barry
- Bioscience, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Bailey
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Section Surgical Research, University Clinic Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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31
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Wang HC, Shih HY, Wu CC, Chen LT, Luo CW, Liu YC, Du JS, Huang MC, Su YY, Chen HD, Hsiao HH, Moi SH, Pan MR. Clustering of Chromatin Remodeling Enzymes Predicts Prognosis and Clinical Benefit of Therapeutic Strategy in Pancreatic Cancer. Int J Med Sci 2022; 19:1615-1627. [PMID: 36185333 PMCID: PMC9515693 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.73800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, translational research and pharmacological targeting of epigenetic modifications have become the focus of personalized therapy for patients with pancreatic cancer. Preclinical and clinical trials targeting post-translational modifications have been evaluated as monotherapy or in combination with standard chemotherapy. In this study, we selected 43 genes from seven families of chromatin-modifying enzymes and investigated the influences of epigenetic modifications and their interactions on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) using hierarchical clustering analysis. Our analysis also evaluated their effects on treatment modalities and regimens of chemotherapy for PDAC. RNA-seq data for a total of 177 patients with pancreatic cancer, obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, were analyzed. Our results suggested that high-risk patients of survival significant chromatin remodeling-associated gene cluster (gene cluster 2), composed of histone methyltransferases, histone acetyltransferases, histone deacetylases, histone demethylases, and 10-11 translocation family, demonstrated inferior progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with PDAC, especially in men. Our novel biomarker, survival significant chromatin remodeling-associated gene cluster, showed superior prediction performance compared with the conventional TNM system. Overall, these findings suggest that epigenetic modifications and interactions play an important role in the prognosis and therapeutic response of patients with PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Ching Wang
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.,Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.,Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Hsiang-Yao Shih
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Chieh Wu
- Department of Pathology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Li-Tzong Chen
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Wen Luo
- Division of Breast Oncology and Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chang Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Jeng-Shiun Du
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Min-Chin Huang
- Specialist Nurse and Surgical Nurse Practitioner Office, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital
| | - Yung-Yeh Su
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Huan-Da Chen
- Translational Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Hua Hsiao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Sin-Hua Moi
- Center of Cancer Program Development, E-Da Cancer Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Ren Pan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.,Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital
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32
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Wang M, Li S, Guo W, Wang L, Huang J, Zhuo J, Lai B, Liao C, Ge T, Nie Y, Jin S, Wang M, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Li X, Zhang H. CHRAC1 promotes human lung cancer growth through regulating YAP transcriptional activity. Carcinogenesis 2021; 43:264-276. [PMID: 34718437 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgab103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes regulate chromatin structure and play important roles in gene expression, differentiation, development and cancer progression. Dysregulation in the subunits of the complexes often has been found in different cancers, but how they influence cancer initiation and progression is not fully understood. Here we show that Chromatin Accessibility Complex Subunit 1 (CHRAC1), the accessory subunit of chromatin remodeling complex, is highly expressed in lung cancer tissues, which correlates with poor prognosis in lung cancer patients. CHRAC1 overexpression promotes lung cancer cell proliferation and migration in vitro and tumor growth in genetically engineered Kras G12D.LSL lung adenocarcinoma mouse model. Consistent with this, CHRAC1 silencing inhibits cell proliferation and migration in lung cancer cells and suppresses tumor growth in xenograft mouse model. Further, CHRAC1 binds to the transcription co-activator Yes-associated protein (YAP), enhances the transcription of downstream target oncogenes in Hippo pathway and thus promotes the tumor growth. Together, our study defines a critical role of CHRAC1 in promoting YAP transcriptional activity and lung cancer tumorigenesis, which makes it a potential target for lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingwei Wang
- Department of Pathology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Shasha Li
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Wencong Guo
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Lulu Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430040, China
| | - Jiaxin Huang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Junzhe Zhuo
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Botao Lai
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Chenqi Liao
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Tianlan Ge
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yuxuan Nie
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Su Jin
- Department of Pathology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Manxiang Wang
- Department of Pathology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yanggeling Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yimeng Liu
- Department of Pathology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xiaowen Li
- Department of Pathology, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Huixia Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
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33
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Zhang Z, Zhu R, Sun W, Wang J, Liu J. Analysis of Methylation-driven Genes in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma for Predicting Prognosis. J Cancer 2021; 12:6507-6518. [PMID: 34659542 PMCID: PMC8489123 DOI: 10.7150/jca.53208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Considerable variations in methylation profile have been found in various cancers to modulate tumorigenesis and affect prognosis. To provide a theoretical basis for early detection, prognosis evaluation and targeted treatment for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: PDAC, this study identified methylation-driven genes in PDAC and explored their prognostic performance. Methods: The methylation, expression and clinical data of PDAC patients were extracted from TCGA database. Based on the β-mixture model of the MethylMix R package, the differential methylation status and connection between methylation and expression degree were examined to screen out methylation-driven genes in PDAC. COX analyses and lasso regressions were applied to construct a linear risk model based on methylation-driven genes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to ensure the risk model was an independent prognostic factor. Joint survival analyses of methylation and gene expression were conducted to explore the prognostic value of component genes. The methylation sites in the key genes were also investigated. Results: A total of 118 methylation-driven genes in PDAC were identified, and two genes (FOXI2, MYEOV) constituted the risk model whose AUC was 0.722 at one year of overall survival rate, displaying a better performance on survival prediction than other clinical features. Further survival analyses demonstrated that the expression of MYEOV and combined methylation and expression levels of the genes MYEOV and FOXI2 can be potential biomarkers for survival prediction and targets of drug manipulation of PDAC patients. Close relationships were discovered between two sites in MYEOV and one site in FOXI2 and the prognosis of PDAC patients. Conclusion: Concentrating on DNA methylation, our study identified potential biomarkers and developed a reliable short-term predictive model for prognosis of PDAC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihan Zhang
- Lab for Aging Research, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Orthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Rui Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Prosthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wentian Sun
- Lab for Aging Research, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Orthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Orthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jin Liu
- Lab for Aging Research, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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34
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Mathison AJ, Kerketta R, de Assuncao TM, Leverence E, Zeighami A, Urrutia G, Stodola TJ, di Magliano MP, Iovanna JL, Zimmermann MT, Lomberk G, Urrutia R. Kras G12D induces changes in chromatin territories that differentially impact early nuclear reprogramming in pancreatic cells. Genome Biol 2021; 22:289. [PMID: 34649604 PMCID: PMC8518179 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02498-6] [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: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma initiation is most frequently caused by Kras mutations. RESULTS Here, we apply biological, biochemical, and network biology methods to validate GEMM-derived cell models using inducible KrasG12D expression. We describe the time-dependent, chromatin remodeling program that impacts function during early oncogenic signaling. We find that the KrasG12D-induced transcriptional response is dominated by downregulated expression concordant with layers of epigenetic events. More open chromatin characterizes the ATAC-seq profile associated with a smaller group of upregulated genes and epigenetic marks. RRBS demonstrates that promoter hypermethylation does not account for the silencing of the extensive gene promoter network. Moreover, ChIP-Seq reveals that heterochromatin reorganization plays little role in this early transcriptional program. Notably, both gene activation and silencing primarily depend on the marking of genes with a combination of H3K27ac, H3K4me3, and H3K36me3. Indeed, integrated modeling of all these datasets shows that KrasG12D regulates its transcriptional program primarily through unique super-enhancers and enhancers, and marking specific gene promoters and bodies. We also report chromatin remodeling across genomic areas that, although not contributing directly to cis-gene transcription, are likely important for KrasG12D functions. CONCLUSIONS In summary, we report a comprehensive, time-dependent, and coordinated early epigenomic program for KrasG12D in pancreatic cells, which is mechanistically relevant to understanding chromatin remodeling events underlying transcriptional outcomes needed for the function of this oncogene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela J Mathison
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Romica Kerketta
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | - Elise Leverence
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Atefeh Zeighami
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Guillermo Urrutia
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Timothy J Stodola
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | - Juan L Iovanna
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Michael T Zimmermann
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Gwen Lomberk
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
| | - Raul Urrutia
- Genomic Science and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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35
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Wu Y, Kröller L, Miao B, Boekhoff H, Bauer AS, Büchler MW, Hackert T, Giese NA, Taipale J, Hoheisel JD. Promoter Hypermethylation Promotes the Binding of Transcription Factor NFATc1, Triggering Oncogenic Gene Activation in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4569. [PMID: 34572796 PMCID: PMC8471171 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13184569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies have indicated that some genes involved in carcinogenesis are highly methylated in their promoter regions but nevertheless strongly transcribed. It has been proposed that transcription factors could bind specifically to methylated promoters and trigger transcription. We looked at this rather comprehensively for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and studied some cases in more detail. Some 2% of regulated genes in PDAC exhibited higher transcription coupled to promoter hypermethylation in comparison to healthy tissue. Screening 661 transcription factors, several were found to bind specifically to methylated promoters, in particular molecules of the NFAT family. One of them-NFATc1-was substantially more strongly expressed in PDAC than control tissue and exhibited a strong oncogenic role. Functional studies combined with computational analyses allowed determining affected genes. A prominent one was gene ALDH1A3, which accelerates PDAC metastasis and correlates with a bad prognosis. Further studies confirmed the direct up-regulation of ALDH1A3 transcription by NFATc1 promoter binding in a methylation-dependent process, providing insights into the oncogenic role of transcription activation in PDAC that is promoted by DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yenan Wu
- Division of Functional Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (Y.W.); (L.K.); (B.M.); (H.B.); (A.S.B.)
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lea Kröller
- Division of Functional Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (Y.W.); (L.K.); (B.M.); (H.B.); (A.S.B.)
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Beiping Miao
- Division of Functional Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (Y.W.); (L.K.); (B.M.); (H.B.); (A.S.B.)
- Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Henning Boekhoff
- Division of Functional Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (Y.W.); (L.K.); (B.M.); (H.B.); (A.S.B.)
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andrea S. Bauer
- Division of Functional Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (Y.W.); (L.K.); (B.M.); (H.B.); (A.S.B.)
| | - Markus W. Büchler
- Department of General Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 420, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.W.B.); (T.H.); (N.A.G.)
| | - Thilo Hackert
- Department of General Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 420, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.W.B.); (T.H.); (N.A.G.)
| | - Nathalia A. Giese
- Department of General Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 420, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.W.B.); (T.H.); (N.A.G.)
| | - Jussi Taipale
- Division of Functional Genomics, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, 171 65 Solna, Sweden;
| | - Jörg D. Hoheisel
- Division of Functional Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 580, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (Y.W.); (L.K.); (B.M.); (H.B.); (A.S.B.)
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36
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Drenner K, Basu GD, Goodman LJ, Ozols AA, LoBello JR, Royce T, Gordon MS, Borazanci EH, Steinbach MA, Trent J, Sharma S. The value of comprehensive genomic sequencing to maximize the identification of clinically actionable alterations in advanced cancer patients: a case series. Oncotarget 2021; 12:1836-1847. [PMID: 34504655 PMCID: PMC8416559 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose: We present seven cases of advanced cancer patients who initially underwent tumor testing utilizing smaller, panel-based tests, followed by a variety of therapeutic treatments which ultimately resulted in progression of their disease. These cases demonstrate the value of utilizing WES/RNA seq and characterization following disease progression in these patients and the determination of clinically targetable alterations as well as acquired resistance mutations. Materials and Methods: All patients are part of an IRB approved observational study. WES and RNA sequencing were performed, using GEM ExTra® on tumor and blood samples obtained during routine clinical care. To accurately determine somatic versus germline alterations the test was performed with paired normal testing from peripheral blood. Results: The presented cases demonstrate the clinical impact of actionable findings uncovered using GEM ExTra® in patients with advanced disease who failed many rounds of treatment. Unique alterations were identified resulting in newly identified potential targeted therapies, mechanisms of resistance, and variation in the genomic characterization of the primary versus the metastatic tumor. Conclusions: Taken together our results demonstrate that GEM ExTra® maximizes detection of actionable mutations, thus allowing for appropriate treatment selection for patients harboring both common and rare genomic alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Drenner
- Translational Genomic Research Institute (Tgen), Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA.,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Gargi D Basu
- Ashion Analytics, LLC, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA.,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jeffrey Trent
- Translational Genomic Research Institute (Tgen), Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Sunil Sharma
- Translational Genomic Research Institute (Tgen), Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
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37
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Hasan NM, Sharma A, Ruzgar NM, Deshpande H, Olino K, Khan S, Ahuja N. Epigenetic signatures differentiate uterine and soft tissue leiomyosarcoma. Oncotarget 2021; 12:1566-1579. [PMID: 34381562 PMCID: PMC8351604 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Leiomyosarcomas (LMS) are diverse, rare, and aggressive mesenchymal soft tissue sarcomas. Epigenetic alterations influence multiple aspects of cancer, however epigenetic profiling of LMS has been limited. The goal of this study was to delineate the molecular landscape of LMS for subtype-specific differences (uterine LMS (ULMS) vs soft tissue LMS (STLMS)) based on integrated analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression to identify potential targets for therapeutic intervention and diagnosis. We identified differentially methylated and differentially expressed genes associated with ULMS and STLMS using DNA methylation and RNA-seq data from primary tumors. Two main clusters were identified through unsupervised hierarchical clustering: ULMS-enriched cluster and STLMS-enriched cluster. The integrated analysis demonstrated 34 genes associated with hypermethylation of the promoter CpG islands and downregulation of gene expression in ULMS or STLMS. In summary, these results indicate that differential DNA methylation and gene expression patterns are associated with ULMS and STLMS. Further studies are needed to delineate the contribution of epigenetic regulation to LMS subtype-specific gene expression and determine the roles of the differentially methylated and differentially expressed genes as potential therapeutic targets or biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nesrin M. Hasan
- Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Anup Sharma
- Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Hari Deshpande
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Medical Oncology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kelly Olino
- Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sajid Khan
- Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Surgery, Section of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Mixed Tumors, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nita Ahuja
- Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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38
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Ye B, Fan D, Xiong W, Li M, Yuan J, Jiang Q, Zhao Y, Lin J, Liu J, Lv Y, Wang X, Li Z, Su J, Qiao Y. Oncogenic enhancers drive esophageal squamous cell carcinogenesis and metastasis. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4457. [PMID: 34294701 PMCID: PMC8298514 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24813-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of cis-elements and their aberrations remains unclear in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC, further abbreviated EC). Here we survey 28 H3K27ac-marked active enhancer profiles and 50 transcriptomes in primary EC, metastatic lymph node cancer (LNC), and adjacent normal (Nor) esophageal tissues. Thousands of gained or lost enhancers and hundreds of altered putative super-enhancers are identified in EC and LNC samples respectively relative to Nor, with a large number of common gained or lost enhancers. Moreover, these differential enhancers contribute to the transcriptomic aberrations in ECs and LNCs. We also reveal putative driver onco-transcription factors, depletion of which diminishes cell proliferation and migration. The administration of chemical inhibitors to suppress the predicted targets of gained super-enhances reveals HSP90AA1 and PDE4B as potential therapeutic targets for ESCC. Thus, our epigenomic profiling reveals a compendium of reprogrammed cis-regulatory elements during ESCC carcinogenesis and metastasis for uncovering promising targets for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Ye
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dandan Fan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Weiwei Xiong
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Min Li
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Yuan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Qi Jiang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yuting Zhao
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangzhou University & Zhongshan People's Hospital Joint Biomedical Institute, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianxiang Lin
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yilv Lv
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiongjun Wang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhigang Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jianzhong Su
- School of Biomedical Engineering, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, China.
| | - Yunbo Qiao
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China.
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Lu C, Liu Z, Klement JD, Yang D, Merting AD, Poschel D, Albers T, Waller JL, Shi H, Liu K. WDR5-H3K4me3 epigenetic axis regulates OPN expression to compensate PD-L1 function to promote pancreatic cancer immune escape. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:e002624. [PMID: 34326167 PMCID: PMC8323468 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-002624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite PD-L1 (Programmed death receptor ligand-1) expression on tumor cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes tumor infiltration in the tumor microenvironment, human pancreatic cancer stands out as one of the human cancers that does not respond to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) immunotherapy. Epigenome dysregulation has emerged as a major mechanism in T cell exhaustion and non-response to ICI immunotherapy, we, therefore, aimed at testing the hypothesis that an epigenetic mechanism compensates PD-L1 function to render pancreatic cancer non-response to ICI immunotherapy. METHODS Two orthotopic pancreatic tumor mouse models were used for chromatin immunoprecipitation-Seq and RNA-Seq to identify genome-wide dysregulation of H3K4me3 and gene expression. Human pancreatic tumor and serum were analyzed for osteopontin (OPN) protein level and for correlation with patient prognosis. OPN and PD-L1 cellular location were determined in the tumors using flow cytometry. The function of WDR5-H3K4me3 axis in OPN expression were determined by Western blotting. The function of H3K4me3-OPN axis in pancreatic cancer immune escape and response to ICI immunotherapy was determined in an orthotopic pancreatic tumor mouse model. RESULTS Mouse pancreatic tumors have a genome-wide increase in H3K4me3 deposition as compared with normal pancreas. OPN and its receptor CD44 were identified being upregulated in pancreatic tumors by their promoter H3K4me3 deposition. OPN protein is increased in both tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating immune cells in human pancreatic carcinoma and is inversely correlated with pancreatic cancer patient survival. OPN is primarily expressed in tumor cells and monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (M-MDSCs), whereas PD-L1 is expressed in tumor cells, M-MDSCs, polymorphonuclear MDSCs and tumor-associated macrophages. WDR5 is essential for H3K4me3-specific histone methyltransferase activity that regulates OPN expression in tumor cells and MDSCs. Inhibition of WDR5 significantly decreased OPN protein level. Inhibition of WDR5 or knocking out of OPN suppressed orthotopic mouse pancreatic tumor growth. Inhibition of WDR5 also significantly increased efficacy of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in suppression of mouse pancreatic tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSIONS OPN compensates PD-L1 function to promote pancreatic cancer immune escape. Pharmacological inhibition of the WDR5-H3K4me3 epigenetic axis is effective in suppressing pancreatic tumor immune escape and in improving efficacy of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunwan Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhuoqi Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - John D Klement
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
- Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
- Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Dafeng Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
- Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
- Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Alyssa D Merting
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
- Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
- Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Dakota Poschel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
- Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
- Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Thomas Albers
- Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jennifer L Waller
- Department of Population Health Science, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Huidong Shi
- Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kebin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
- Georgia Cancer Center, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA
- Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia, USA
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40
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Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a genetic disease, and the recurrent genetic alterations characteristic of pancreatic cancer indicate the cellular processes that are targeted for malignant transformation. In addition to somatic alterations in the most common driver genes (KRAS, CDKN2A, TP53 and SMAD4), large-scale studies have revealed major roles for genetic alterations of the SWI/SNF and COMPASS complexes, copy number alterations in GATA6 and MYC that partially define phenotypes of pancreatic cancer, and the role(s) of polyploidy and chromothripsis as factors contributing to pancreatic cancer biology and progression. Germline variants that increase the risk of pancreatic cancer continue to be discovered along with a greater appreciation of the features of pancreatic cancers with mismatch repair deficiencies and homologous recombination deficiencies that confer sensitivity to therapeutic targeting. Wild-type KRAS pancreatic cancers, some of which are driven by alternative oncogenic events affecting NRG1 or NTRK1 - for which targeted therapies exist - further underscore that pancreatic cancer is formally entering the era of precision medicine. Given the vast developments within this field, here we review the wide-ranging and most current information related to pancreatic cancer genomics with the goal of integrating this information into a unifying description of the life history of pancreatic cancer.
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41
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Venkat S, Alahmari AA, Feigin ME. Drivers of Gene Expression Dysregulation in Pancreatic Cancer. Trends Cancer 2021; 7:594-605. [PMID: 33618999 PMCID: PMC8217125 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2021.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a devastating disease with a poor prognosis. The functional consequences of common genetic aberrations and their roles in treatment strategies have been extensively reviewed. In addition to these genomic aberrations, consideration of non-genetic drivers of altered oncogene expression is essential to account for the diversity in PDAC phenotypes. In this review we seek to assess our current understanding of mechanisms of gene expression dysregulation. We focus on four drivers of gene expression dysregulation, including mutations, transcription factors, epigenetic regulators, and RNA stability/isoform regulation, in the context of PDAC pathogenesis. Recent studies provide much-needed insight into the role of gene expression dysregulation in dissecting tumor heterogeneity and stratifying patients for the development of personalized treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Venkat
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Abdulrahman A Alahmari
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA; Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Michael E Feigin
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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Urrutia G, de Assuncao TM, Mathison AJ, Salmonson A, Kerketta R, Zeighami A, Stodola TJ, Adsay V, Pehlivanoglu B, Dwinell MB, Zimmermann MT, Iovanna JL, Urrutia R, Lomberk G. Inactivation of the Euchromatic Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase 2 Pathway in Pancreatic Epithelial Cells Antagonizes Cancer Initiation and Pancreatitis-Associated Promotion by Altering Growth and Immune Gene Expression Networks. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:681153. [PMID: 34249932 PMCID: PMC8261250 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.681153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive, painful disease with a 5-year survival rate of only 9%. Recent evidence indicates that distinct epigenomic landscapes underlie PDAC progression, identifying the H3K9me pathway as important to its pathobiology. Here, we delineate the role of Euchromatic Histone-lysine N-Methyltransferase 2 (EHMT2), the enzyme that generates H3K9me, as a downstream effector of oncogenic KRAS during PDAC initiation and pancreatitis-associated promotion. EHMT2 inactivation in pancreatic cells reduces H3K9me2 and antagonizes Kras G12D -mediated acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM) and Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PanIN) formation in both the Pdx1-Cre and P48 Cre/+ Kras G12D mouse models. Ex vivo acinar explants also show impaired EGFR-KRAS-MAPK pathway-mediated ADM upon EHMT2 deletion. Notably, Kras G12D increases EHMT2 protein levels and EHMT2-EHMT1-WIZ complex formation. Transcriptome analysis reveals that EHMT2 inactivation upregulates a cell cycle inhibitory gene expression network that converges on the Cdkn1a/p21-Chek2 pathway. Congruently, pancreas tissue from Kras G12D animals with EHMT2 inactivation have increased P21 protein levels and enhanced senescence. Furthermore, loss of EHMT2 reduces inflammatory cell infiltration typically induced during Kras G12D -mediated initiation. The inhibitory effect on Kras G12D -induced growth is maintained in the pancreatitis-accelerated model, while simultaneously modifying immunoregulatory gene networks that also contribute to carcinogenesis. This study outlines the existence of a novel KRAS-EHMT2 pathway that is critical for mediating the growth-promoting and immunoregulatory effects of this oncogene in vivo, extending human observations to support a pathophysiological role for the H3K9me pathway in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Urrutia
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Thiago Milech de Assuncao
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Angela J. Mathison
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Ann Salmonson
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Romica Kerketta
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Atefeh Zeighami
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Timothy J. Stodola
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Volkan Adsay
- Department of Pathology, Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Burcin Pehlivanoglu
- Department of Pathology, Adiyaman University Training and Research Hospital, Adiyaman, Turkey
| | - Michael B. Dwinell
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Center for Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- LaBahn Pancreatic Cancer Program, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Michael T. Zimmermann
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Juan L. Iovanna
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Raul Urrutia
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- LaBahn Pancreatic Cancer Program, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Gwen Lomberk
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- LaBahn Pancreatic Cancer Program, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
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43
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Kato H, Tateishi K, Fujiwara H, Ijichi H, Yamamoto K, Nakatsuka T, Kakiuchi M, Sano M, Kudo Y, Hayakawa Y, Nakagawa H, Tanaka Y, Otsuka M, Hirata Y, Tachibana M, Shinkai Y, Koike K. Deletion of Histone Methyltransferase G9a Suppresses Mutant Kras-driven Pancreatic Carcinogenesis. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2021; 17:695-705. [PMID: 33099471 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM The entire mechanisms by which epigenetic modifiers contribute to the development of pancreatic cancer remain unknown. Although the histone methyltransferase G9a is a promising target in human cancers, its role in pancreatic carcinogenesis has been under-studied. The aim of the study was to examine the role of G9a in pancreatic carcinogenesis by a gene-targeting mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS We established pancreas-specific G9aflox/flox mice and crossed them with Ptf1aCre/; KrasG12D/+ (KC) mice, which spontaneously develop pancreatic cancer. The phenotypes of the resulting KC mice with G9a deletion were examined. We analyzed transcriptomic data by microarray and genome-wide chromatin accessibility by transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing. We established pancreatic organoids from KC mice. RESULTS G9a deficiency impaired the progression of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and prolonged the survival of KC mice. The number of phosphorylated Erk-positive cells and Dclk1-positive cells, which are reported to be essential for the progression of PanIN, were decreased by G9a deletion. UNC0638, an inhibitor of G9a, suppressed the growth of organoids and increased global chromatin accessibility, especially around the regions including the protein phosphatase 2A genes. CONCLUSION Thus, our study suggested the functional interaction of G9a, Dclk1 and Mapk pathway in the Kras-driven pancreatic carcinogenesis. The inhibition of G9a may suppress the initiation of oncogenic Kras-driven pancreatic carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Kato
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tateishi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Fujiwara
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Gastroenterology, The Institute for Adult Diseases, Asahi Life Foundation, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideaki Ijichi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keisuke Yamamoto
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuma Nakatsuka
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Miwako Kakiuchi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Sano
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Medical Research Planning and Development, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yotaro Kudo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoku Hayakawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hayato Nakagawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuo Tanaka
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Motoyuki Otsuka
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Hirata
- Division of Clinical Genome Research, Advanced Clinical Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Tachibana
- Laboratory of Epigenome Dynamics, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoichi Shinkai
- Cellular Memory Laboratory, RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Saitama, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Koike
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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44
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Missing links - epigenetic regulators of the pancreatic cancer-associated inflammation. Clin Sci (Lond) 2021; 135:1289-1293. [PMID: 34047338 DOI: 10.1042/cs20210181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) features a hostile tumor microenvironment (TME) that renders it remarkably resistant to most therapeutic interventions. Consequently, survival remains among the poorest compared with other gastrointestinal cancers. Concerted efforts are underway to decipher the complex PDAC TME, break down barriers to efficacious therapies and identify novel treatment strategies. In the recent Clinical Science, Li and colleagues identify the long noncoding RNA KLHDC7B-DT as a crucial epigenetic regulator of IL-6 transcription in PDAC and illustrate its potent influences on the pancreatic TME. In this commentary, we introduce epigenetics in pancreatic cancer and put the findings by Li et al. in context with current knowledge.
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45
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Huo J, Wu L, Zang Y. Development and Validation of a Novel Metabolic-Related Signature Predicting Overall Survival for Pancreatic Cancer. Front Genet 2021; 12:561254. [PMID: 34122496 PMCID: PMC8194314 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.561254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, growing evidence has revealed the significant effect of reprogrammed metabolism on pancreatic cancer in relation to carcinogenesis, progression, and treatment. However, the prognostic value of metabolism-related genes in pancreatic cancer has not been fully revealed. We identified 379 differentially expressed metabolic-related genes (DEMRGs) by comparing 178 pancreatic cancer tissues with 171 normal pancreatic tissues in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype-Tissue Expression project (GTEx) databases. Then, we used univariate Cox regression analysis together with Lasso regression for constructing a prognostic model consisting of 15 metabolic genes. The unified risk score formula and cutoff value were taken into account to divide patients into two groups: high risk and low risk, with the former exhibiting a worse prognosis compared with the latter. The external validation results of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (IGCC) cohort and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohort further confirm the effectiveness of this prognostic model. As shown in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the area under curve (AUC) values of the risk score for overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were 0.871, 0.885, and 0.886, respectively. Based on the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), the 15-gene signature can affect some important biological processes and pathways of pancreatic cancer. In addition, the prognostic model was significantly correlated with the tumor immune microenvironment (immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoint expression, etc.) and clinicopathological features (pathological stage, lymph node, and metastasis, etc.). We also built a nomogram based on three independent prognostic predictors (including individual neoplasm status, lymph node metastasis, and risk score) for the prediction of 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS of pancreatic cancer, which may help to further improve the treatment strategy of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Liqun Wu
- Liver Disease Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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46
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Henriksen SD, Thorlacius-Ussing O. Cell-Free DNA Methylation as Blood-Based Biomarkers for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma—A Literature Update. EPIGENOMES 2021; 5:epigenomes5020008. [PMID: 34968295 PMCID: PMC8594668 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes5020008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma has a horrible prognosis, which is partly due to difficulties in diagnosing the disease in an early stage. Additional blood-born biomarkers for pancreatic adenocarcinoma are needed. Epigenetic modifications, as changes in DNA methylation, is a fundamental part of carcinogenesis. The aim of this paper is to do an update on cell-free DNA methylation as blood-based biomarkers for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The current literature including our studies clearly indicates that cell-free DNA methylation has the potential as blood-based diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. However, still no clinical applicable biomarker for pancreatic adenocarcinoma based on DNA methylation do exist. Further well-designed validation studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stine Dam Henriksen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Aalborg University Hospital, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark;
- Clinical Cancer Research Center, Aalborg University Hospital, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
- Correspondence:
| | - Ole Thorlacius-Ussing
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Aalborg University Hospital, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark;
- Clinical Cancer Research Center, Aalborg University Hospital, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
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47
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Turanli B, Yildirim E, Gulfidan G, Arga KY, Sinha R. Current State of "Omics" Biomarkers in Pancreatic Cancer. J Pers Med 2021; 11:127. [PMID: 33672926 PMCID: PMC7918884 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11020127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most fatal malignancies and the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths related to late diagnosis, poor survival rates, and high incidence of metastasis. Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer is predicted to become the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the future. Therefore, diagnosis at the early stages of pancreatic cancer for initial diagnosis or postoperative recurrence is a great challenge, as well as predicting prognosis precisely in the context of biomarker discovery. From the personalized medicine perspective, the lack of molecular biomarkers for patient selection confines tailored therapy options, including selecting drugs and their doses or even diet. Currently, there is no standardized pancreatic cancer screening strategy using molecular biomarkers, but CA19-9 is the most well known marker for the detection of pancreatic cancer. In contrast, recent innovations in high-throughput techniques have enabled the discovery of specific biomarkers of cancers using genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, glycomics, and metagenomics. Panels combining CA19-9 with other novel biomarkers from different "omics" levels might represent an ideal strategy for the early detection of pancreatic cancer. The systems biology approach may shed a light on biomarker identification of pancreatic cancer by integrating multi-omics approaches. In this review, we provide background information on the current state of pancreatic cancer biomarkers from multi-omics stages. Furthermore, we conclude this review on how multi-omics data may reveal new biomarkers to be used for personalized medicine in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beste Turanli
- Department of Bioengineering, Marmara University, 34722 Istanbul, Turkey; (B.T.); (E.Y.); (G.G.)
| | - Esra Yildirim
- Department of Bioengineering, Marmara University, 34722 Istanbul, Turkey; (B.T.); (E.Y.); (G.G.)
| | - Gizem Gulfidan
- Department of Bioengineering, Marmara University, 34722 Istanbul, Turkey; (B.T.); (E.Y.); (G.G.)
| | - Kazim Yalcin Arga
- Department of Bioengineering, Marmara University, 34722 Istanbul, Turkey; (B.T.); (E.Y.); (G.G.)
- Turkish Institute of Public Health and Chronic Diseases, 34718 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Raghu Sinha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
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48
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Principe DR, Korc M, Kamath SD, Munshi HG, Rana A. Trials and tribulations of pancreatic cancer immunotherapy. Cancer Lett 2021; 504:1-14. [PMID: 33549709 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment in the last decade, and strategies to re-activate cytotoxic immunity are now standard of care in several malignancies. Despite rapid advances in immunotherapy for most solid cancers, progress in immunotherapy against pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has been exceptionally difficult. This is true for several approaches, most notably immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and GM-CSF cell-based vaccines (GVAX). Though many immunotherapies have been explored in clinical trials, few have shown significant therapeutic efficacy. Further, many have shown high rates of serious adverse effects and dose-limiting toxicities, and to date, immunotherapy regimens have not been successfully implemented in PDAC. Here, we provide a comprehensive summary of the key clinical trials exploring immunotherapy in PDAC, followed by a brief discussion of emerging molecular mechanisms that may explain the relative failure of immunotherapy in pancreas cancer thus far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Principe
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Murray Korc
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Suneel D Kamath
- Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Hidayatullah G Munshi
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ajay Rana
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
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49
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Froeling FEM, Casolino R, Pea A, Biankin AV, Chang DK. Molecular Subtyping and Precision Medicine for Pancreatic Cancer. J Clin Med 2021; 10:E149. [PMID: 33406790 PMCID: PMC7794969 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10010149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Substantial progress in recent years has dramatically increased our knowledge of the molecular basis of cancer, revealing new potential therapeutic targets and paving the way for effective personalised medicine for the treatment of many tumour types. However, pancreatic cancer has been lagging behind in this success and continues to be one of the most lethal solid malignancies. Its molecular heterogeneity and the unselected design of the majority of clinical trials to date can in part explain the reason for our failure to make a significant change in the survival outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer. A changing paradigm in drug development is required to validate the new molecular taxonomy and to rapidly translate preclinical discovery into clinical trials. Here, we review the molecular subtyping of pancreatic cancer, the challenges in identifying effective treatment regimens according to defined low-prevalence molecular subgroups and we illustrate a new model of translational therapeutic development that was established in the U.K. (Precision-Panc) as a potentially effective solution to improve outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fieke E. M. Froeling
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK; (F.E.M.F.); (R.C.); (A.P.); (A.V.B.)
- Edinburgh Cancer Centre, Western General Hospital, NHS Lothian, Crewe Road South, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Raffaella Casolino
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK; (F.E.M.F.); (R.C.); (A.P.); (A.V.B.)
- Department of Medicine, University and Hospital Trust of Verona of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Antonio Pea
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK; (F.E.M.F.); (R.C.); (A.P.); (A.V.B.)
- Department of Surgery, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Andrew V. Biankin
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK; (F.E.M.F.); (R.C.); (A.P.); (A.V.B.)
| | - David K. Chang
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK; (F.E.M.F.); (R.C.); (A.P.); (A.V.B.)
- West of Scotland Pancreatic Unit, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow G31 2ER, UK
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50
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Leal AS, Liu P, Krieger-Burke T, Ruggeri B, Liby KT. The Bromodomain Inhibitor, INCB057643, Targets Both Cancer Cells and the Tumor Microenvironment in Two Preclinical Models of Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 13:cancers13010096. [PMID: 33396954 PMCID: PMC7794921 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13010096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Pancreatic cancer remains a highly lethal disease, with only ~10% of patients still alive five years after diagnosis, as most patients already have advanced, metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. Therefore, new treatments are needed for these patients. We tested INCB057643, a novel bromodomain inhibitor, in a relevant mouse model of pancreatic cancer, and this compound improves survival and reduces metastasis. Pancreatic cancers are very dense, as the stroma within the tumor can account for up to 90% of the tumor mass and is responsible for the failure of many drugs. INCB057643 modulates the immune cells within the tumor so they can attack and kill tumor cells. INCB057643 also alters immune cells within the pancreas in a mouse model of pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas that can promote the development of pancreatic cancer. Abstract In pancreatic cancer the tumor microenvironment (TME) can account for up to 90% of the tumor mass. The TME drives essential functions in disease progression, invasion and metastasis. Tumor cells can use epigenetic modulation to evade immune recognition and shape the TME toward an immunosuppressive phenotype. Bromodomain inhibitors are a class of drugs that target BET (bromodomain and extra-terminal) proteins, impairing their ability to bind to acetylated lysines and therefore interfering with transcriptional initiation and elongation. INCB057643 is a new generation, orally bioavailable BET inhibitor that was developed for treating patients with advanced malignancies. KrasG12D/+; Trp53R172H/+; Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) mice mimic human disease, with similar progression and incidence of metastasis. Treatment of established tumors in KPC mice with INCB057643 increased survival by an average of 55 days, compared to the control group. Moreover, INCB057643 reduced metastatic burden in these mice. KPC mice treated with INCB057643, starting at 4 weeks of age, showed beneficial changes in immune cell populations in the pancreas and liver. Similarly, INCB057643 modified immune cell populations in the pancreas of KrasG12D/+; Pdx-1-Cre (KC) mice with pancreatitis, an inflammatory process known to promote pancreatic cancer progression. The data presented here suggest that the bromodomain inhibitor INCB057643 modulates the TME, reducing disease burden in two mouse models of pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, this work suggests that BRD4 may play a role in establishing the TME in the liver, a primary metastatic site for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana S. Leal
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, B430 Life Science Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (A.S.L.); (T.K.-B.)
| | - Phillip Liu
- Incyte Corporation, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA; (P.L.); (B.R.)
| | - Teresa Krieger-Burke
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, B430 Life Science Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (A.S.L.); (T.K.-B.)
| | - Bruce Ruggeri
- Incyte Corporation, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA; (P.L.); (B.R.)
| | - Karen T. Liby
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, B430 Life Science Building, 1355 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; (A.S.L.); (T.K.-B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-517-884-8955; Fax: +1-517-353-8915
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