1
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Abed H, Radha R, Anjum S, Paul V, AlSawaftah N, Pitt WG, Ashammakhi N, Husseini GA. Targeted Cancer Therapy-on-A-Chip. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2400833. [PMID: 39101627 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202400833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Targeted cancer therapy (TCT) is gaining increased interest because it reduces the risks of adverse side effects by specifically treating tumor cells. TCT testing has traditionally been performed using two-dimensional (2D) cell culture and animal studies. Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) platforms have been developed to recapitulate cancer in vitro, as cancer-on-a-chip (CoC), and used for chemotherapeutics development and testing. This review explores the use of CoCs to both develop and test TCTs, with a focus on three main aspects, the use of CoCs to identify target biomarkers for TCT development, the use of CoCs to test free, un-encapsulated TCTs, and the use of CoCs to test encapsulated TCTs. Despite current challenges such as system scaling, and testing externally triggered TCTs, TCToC shows a promising future to serve as a supportive, pre-clinical platform to expedite TCT development and bench-to-bedside translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heba Abed
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Remya Radha
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Shabana Anjum
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Vinod Paul
- Materials Science and Engineering PhD program, College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - Nour AlSawaftah
- Materials Science and Engineering PhD program, College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
| | - William G Pitt
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Nureddin Ashammakhi
- Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering (IQ) and Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1600, USA
| | - Ghaleb A Husseini
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
- Materials Science and Engineering PhD program, College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
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2
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Coan M, Haefliger S, Ounzain S, Johnson R. Targeting and engineering long non-coding RNAs for cancer therapy. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:578-595. [PMID: 38424237 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-024-00693-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
RNA therapeutics (RNATx) aim to treat diseases, including cancer, by targeting or employing RNA molecules for therapeutic purposes. Amongst the most promising targets are long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which regulate oncogenic molecular networks in a cell type-restricted manner. lncRNAs are distinct from protein-coding genes in important ways that increase their therapeutic potential yet also present hurdles to conventional clinical development. Advances in genome editing, oligonucleotide chemistry, multi-omics and RNA engineering are paving the way for efficient and cost-effective lncRNA-focused drug discovery pipelines. In this Review, we present the emerging field of lncRNA therapeutics for oncology, with emphasis on the unique strengths and challenges of lncRNAs within the broader RNATx framework. We outline the necessary steps for lncRNA therapeutics to deliver effective, durable, tolerable and personalized treatments for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Coan
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Conway Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Simon Haefliger
- Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Rory Johnson
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- Conway Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- FutureNeuro, SFI Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases, Dublin, Ireland.
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3
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Polak R, Zhang ET, Kuo CJ. Cancer organoids 2.0: modelling the complexity of the tumour immune microenvironment. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:523-539. [PMID: 38977835 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-024-00706-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
The development of neoplasia involves a complex and continuous interplay between malignantly transformed cells and the tumour microenvironment (TME). Cancer immunotherapies targeting the immune TME have been increasingly validated in clinical trials but response rates vary substantially between tumour histologies and are often transient, idiosyncratic and confounded by resistance. Faithful experimental models of the patient-specific tumour immune microenvironment, capable of recapitulating tumour biology and immunotherapy effects, would greatly improve patient selection, target identification and definition of resistance mechanisms for immuno-oncology therapeutics. In this Review, we discuss currently available and rapidly evolving 3D tumour organoid models that capture important immune features of the TME. We highlight diverse opportunities for organoid-based investigations of tumour immunity, drug development and precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel Polak
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Elisa T Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Calvin J Kuo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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4
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Using machine learning to translate tumor dependencies. NATURE CANCER 2024:10.1038/s43018-024-00790-5. [PMID: 39043937 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-024-00790-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
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5
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Shi X, Gekas C, Verduzco D, Petiwala S, Jeffries C, Lu C, Murphy E, Anton T, Vo AH, Xiao Z, Narayanan P, Sun BC, D'Souza AL, Barnes JM, Roy S, Ramathal C, Flister MJ, Dezso Z. Building a translational cancer dependency map for The Cancer Genome Atlas. NATURE CANCER 2024:10.1038/s43018-024-00789-y. [PMID: 39009815 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-024-00789-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Cancer dependency maps have accelerated the discovery of tumor vulnerabilities that can be exploited as drug targets when translatable to patients. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) is a compendium of 'maps' detailing the genetic, epigenetic and molecular changes that occur during the pathogenesis of cancer, yet it lacks a dependency map to translate gene essentiality in patient tumors. Here, we used machine learning to build translational dependency maps for patient tumors, which identified tumor vulnerabilities that predict drug responses and disease outcomes. A similar approach was used to map gene tolerability in healthy tissues to prioritize tumor vulnerabilities with the best therapeutic windows. A subset of patient-translatable synthetic lethalities were experimentally tested, including PAPSS1/PAPSS12 and CNOT7/CNOT78, which were validated in vitro and in vivo. Notably, PAPSS1 synthetic lethality was driven by collateral deletion of PAPSS2 with PTEN and was correlated with patient survival. Finally, the translational dependency map is provided as a web-based application for exploring tumor vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Shi
- AbbVie Bay Area, South San Francisco, CA, USA
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6
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Stiff T, Bayraktar S, Dama P, Stebbing J, Castellano L. CRISPR screens in 3D tumourspheres identified miR-4787-3p as a transcriptional start site miRNA essential for breast tumour-initiating cell growth. Commun Biol 2024; 7:859. [PMID: 39003349 PMCID: PMC11246431 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06555-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Our study employs pooled CRISPR screens, integrating 2D and 3D culture models, to identify miRNAs critical in Breast Cancer (BC) tumoursphere formation. These screens combine with RNA-seq experiments allowing identification of miRNA signatures and targets essential for tumoursphere growth. miR-4787-3p exhibits significant up-regulation in BC, particularly in basal-like BCs, suggesting its association with aggressive disease. Surprisingly, despite its location within the 5'UTR of a protein coding gene, which defines DROSHA-independent transcription start site (TSS)-miRNAs, we find it dependant on both DROSHA and DICER1 for maturation. Inhibition of miR-4787-3p hinders tumoursphere formation, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target in BC. Our study proposes elevated miR-4787-3p expression as a potential prognostic biomarker for adverse outcomes in BC. We find that protein-coding genes positively selected in the CRISPR screens are enriched of miR-4787-3p targets. Of these targets, we select ARHGAP17, FOXO3A, and PDCD4 as known tumour suppressors in cancer and experimentally validate the interaction of miR-4787-3p with their 3'UTRs. Our work illuminates the molecular mechanisms underpinning miR-4787-3p's oncogenic role in BC. These findings advocate for clinical investigations targeting miR-4787-3p and underscore its prognostic significance, offering promising avenues for tailored therapeutic interventions and prognostic assessments in BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Stiff
- University of Sussex, School of life Sciences, John Maynard Smith Building, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Salih Bayraktar
- University of Sussex, School of life Sciences, John Maynard Smith Building, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Paola Dama
- University of Sussex, School of life Sciences, John Maynard Smith Building, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK
| | | | - Leandro Castellano
- University of Sussex, School of life Sciences, John Maynard Smith Building, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK.
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Division of Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine (ICTEM), London, W12 0NN, UK.
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7
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Joseph S, Zhang X, Droby G, Wu D, Bae-Jump V, Lyons S, Mordant A, Mills A, Herring L, Rushing B, Bowser J, Vaziri C. MAPK14 /p38α Shapes the Molecular Landscape of Endometrial Cancer and promotes Tumorigenic Characteristics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.25.600674. [PMID: 38979238 PMCID: PMC11230443 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.25.600674] [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
The molecular underpinnings of H igh G rade E ndometrial C arcinoma (HGEC) metastatic growth and survival are poorly understood. Here we show that ascites-derived and primary tumor HGEC cell lines in 3D spheroid culture faithfully recapitulate key features of malignant peritoneal effusion and exhibit fundamentally distinct transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic landscapes when compared with conventional 2D monolayers. Using genetic screening platform we identify MAPK14 (which encodes the protein kinase p38α) as a specific requirement for HGEC in spheroid culture. MAPK14 /p38α has broad roles in programing the phosphoproteome, transcriptome and metabolome of HGEC spheroids, yet has negligible impact on monolayer cultures. MAPK14 promotes tumorigenicity in vivo and is specifically required to sustain a sub-population of spheroid cells that is enriched in cancer stemness markers. Therefore, spheroid growth of HGEC activates unique biological programs, including p38α signaling, that cannot be captured using 2D culture models and are highly relevant to malignant disease pathology.
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8
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Zhu T, Hu Y, Cui H, Cui H. 3D Multispheroid Assembly Strategies towards Tissue Engineering and Disease Modeling. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2400957. [PMID: 38924326 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202400957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Cell spheroids (esp. organoids) as 3D culture platforms are popular models for representing cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, bridging the gap between 2D cell cultures and natural tissues. 3D cell models with spatially organized multiple cell types are preferred for gaining comprehensive insights into tissue pathophysiology and constructing in vitro tissues and disease models because of the complexities of natural tissues. In recent years, an assembly strategy using cell spheroids (or organoids) as living building blocks has been developed to construct complex 3D tissue models with spatial organization. Here, a comprehensive overview of recent advances in multispheroid assembly studies is provided. The different mechanisms of the multispheroid assembly techniques, i.e., automated directed assembly, noncontact remote assembly, and programmed self-assembly, are introduced. The processing steps, advantages, and technical limitations of the existing methodologies are summarized. Applications of the multispheroid assembly strategies in disease modeling, drug screening, tissue engineering, and organogenesis are reviewed. Finally, this review concludes by emphasizing persistent issues and future perspectives, encouraging researchers to adopt multispheroid assembly techniques for generating advanced 3D cell models that better resemble real tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Yan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Haitao Cui
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Haijun Cui
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
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9
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Qin X, Gan Z, Liu H, Tao T, He J, Li X, Shang D, Li X, Xie F, Qin J. A Pump-Free Strategy for the Controllable Generation of Alginate Microgels as Cellular Microcarriers. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2024; 10:3958-3967. [PMID: 38711418 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.4c00375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Microgels are advanced scaffolds for tissue engineering due to their proper biodegradability, good biocompatibility, and high specific surface area for effective oxygen and nutrient transfer. However, most of the current monodispersed microgel fabrication systems rely heavily on various precision pumps, which highly increase the cost and complexity of their downstream application. In this work, we developed a simple and facile system for the controllable generation of uniform alginate microgels by integrating a gas-shearing strategy into a glass microfluidic device. Importantly, the cell-laden microgels can be rapidly prepared in a pump-free manner under an all-aqueous environment. The three-dimensional cultured green fluorescent protein-human A549 cells in alginate microgels exhibited enhanced stemness and drug resistance compared to those under two-dimensional conditions. The pancreatic cancer organoids in alginate microgels exhibited some of the key features of pancreatic cancer. The proposed microgels showed decent monodispersity, biocompatibility, and versatility, providing great opportunities in various biomedical applications such as microcarrier fabricating, organoid engineering, and high-throughput drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Qin
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhongqiao Gan
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Haitao Liu
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Tingting Tao
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Jia He
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Xianliang Li
- Department of HBP Surgery, Beijing Chao Yang Hospital, the Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Dong Shang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No.222 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116011, China
- Clinical Laboratory of Integrative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No.222 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116011, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Tobacco Chemistry, Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC, No. 2 Fengyang Street, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Fuwei Xie
- Key Laboratory of Tobacco Chemistry, Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC, No. 2 Fengyang Street, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Jianhua Qin
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research, University of Science and Technology of China, Suzhou 215123, China
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10
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Fang J, Singh S, Wells B, Wu Q, Jin H, Janke LJ, Wan S, Steele JA, Connelly JP, Murphy AJ, Wang R, Davidoff AM, Ashcroft M, Pruett-Miller SM, Yang J. The context-dependent epigenetic and organogenesis programs determine 3D vs. 2D cellular fitness of MYC-driven cancer. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4390765. [PMID: 38853928 PMCID: PMC11160912 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4390765/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
3D cellular-specific epigenetic and transcriptomic reprogramming is critical to organogenesis and tumorigenesis. Here we dissect the distinct cell fitness in 2D (normoxia vs. chronic hypoxia) vs 3D (normoxia) culture conditions. We identify over 600 shared essential genes and additional context-specific fitness genes and pathways. Knockout of the VHL-HIF1 pathway results in incompatible fitness defects under normoxia vs. 1% oxygen or 3D culture conditions. Moreover, deletion of each of the mitochondrial respiratory electron transport chain complex has distinct fitness outcomes. Notably, multicellular organogenesis signaling pathways including TGFβ-SMAD specifically constrict the uncontrolled cell proliferation in 3D while inactivation of epigenetic modifiers (Bcor, Kmt2d, Mettl3 and Mettl14) has opposite outcomes in 2D vs. 3D. We further identify a 3D-dependent synthetic lethality with partial loss of Prmt5 due to a reduction of Mtap expression resulting from 3D-specific epigenetic reprogramming. Our study highlights unique epigenetic, metabolic and organogenesis signaling dependencies under different cellular settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Fang
- Department of Surgery, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Shivendra Singh
- Department of Surgery, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Brennan Wells
- Department of Surgery, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of Surgery, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Hongjian Jin
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Laura J. Janke
- Department of Pathology and Division of Comparative Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, TN 38105, USA
| | - Shibiao Wan
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Core and Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5805, USA
| | - Jacob A. Steele
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jon P. Connelly
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Andrew J. Murphy
- Department of Surgery, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ruoning Wang
- Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Hematology/Oncology & BMT, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43025, USA
| | - Andrew M. Davidoff
- Department of Surgery, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- St Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, TN 38105
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 930 Madison Ave, Suite 500, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Margaret Ashcroft
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Shondra M. Pruett-Miller
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Surgery, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- St Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, TN 38105
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 930 Madison Ave, Suite 500, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
- College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
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11
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Walsh ZH, Shah P, Kothapalli N, Shah SB, Nikolenyi G, Brodtman DZ, Leuzzi G, Rogava M, Mu M, Ho P, Abuzaid S, Vasan N, AlQuraishi M, Milner JD, Ciccia A, Melms JC, Izar B. Mapping variant effects on anti-tumor hallmarks of primary human T cells with base-editing screens. Nat Biotechnol 2024:10.1038/s41587-024-02235-x. [PMID: 38783148 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-024-02235-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in key T cell genes can drive clinical pathologies and could be repurposed to improve cellular cancer immunotherapies. Here, we perform massively parallel base-editing screens to generate thousands of variants at gene loci annotated with known or potential clinical relevance. We discover a broad landscape of putative gain-of-function (GOF) and loss-of-function (LOF) mutations, including in PIK3CD and the gene encoding its regulatory subunit, PIK3R1, LCK, SOS1, AKT1 and RHOA. Base editing of PIK3CD and PIK3R1 variants in T cells with an engineered T cell receptor specific to a melanoma epitope or in different generations of CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells demonstrates that discovered GOF variants, but not LOF or silent mutation controls, enhanced signaling, cytokine production and lysis of cognate melanoma and leukemia cell models, respectively. Additionally, we show that generations of CD19 CAR T cells engineered with PIK3CD GOF mutations demonstrate enhanced antigen-specific signaling, cytokine production and leukemia cell killing, including when benchmarked against other recent strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary H Walsh
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Parin Shah
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Neeharika Kothapalli
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shivem B Shah
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gergo Nikolenyi
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - D Zack Brodtman
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Giuseppe Leuzzi
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Meri Rogava
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael Mu
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Patricia Ho
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sinan Abuzaid
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Neil Vasan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mohammed AlQuraishi
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joshua D Milner
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alberto Ciccia
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Johannes C Melms
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin Izar
- Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Columbia Center for Translational Immunology, New York, NY, USA.
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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12
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Ferrarone JR, Thomas J, Unni AM, Zheng Y, Nagiec MJ, Gardner EE, Mashadova O, Li K, Koundouros N, Montalbano A, Mustafa M, Cantley LC, Blenis J, Sanjana NE, Varmus H. Genome-wide CRISPR screens in spheroid culture reveal that the tumor suppressor LKB1 inhibits growth via the PIKFYVE lipid kinase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2403685121. [PMID: 38743625 PMCID: PMC11127050 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2403685121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The tumor suppressor LKB1 is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is frequently mutated in human lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). LKB1 regulates a complex signaling network that is known to control cell polarity and metabolism; however, the pathways that mediate the tumor-suppressive activity of LKB1 are incompletely defined. To identify mechanisms of LKB1-mediated growth suppression, we developed a spheroid-based cell culture assay to study LKB1-dependent growth. We then performed genome-wide CRISPR screens in spheroidal culture and found that LKB1 suppresses growth, in part, by activating the PIKFYVE lipid kinase. Finally, we used chemical inhibitors and a pH-sensitive reporter to determine that LKB1 impairs growth by promoting the internalization of wild-type EGFR in a PIKFYVE-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R. Ferrarone
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
| | - Jerin Thomas
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
| | - Arun M. Unni
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
| | - Yuxiang Zheng
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
| | - Michal J. Nagiec
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
| | - Eric E. Gardner
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
| | | | - Kate Li
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
| | - Nikos Koundouros
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
| | - Antonino Montalbano
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY10013
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY10003
| | - Meer Mustafa
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY10013
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY10003
| | - Lewis C. Cantley
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
| | - John Blenis
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
| | - Neville E. Sanjana
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY10013
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY10003
| | - Harold Varmus
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10021
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13
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Zhang H, Read A, Cataisson C, Yang HH, Lee WC, Turk BE, Yuspa SH, Luo J. Protein phosphatase 6 activates NF-κB to confer sensitivity to MAPK pathway inhibitors in KRAS- and BRAF-mutant cancer cells. Sci Signal 2024; 17:eadd5073. [PMID: 38743809 PMCID: PMC11238902 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.add5073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is a major target for cancer treatment. To better understand the genetic pathways that modulate cancer cell sensitivity to MAPK pathway inhibitors, we performed a CRISPR knockout screen with MAPK pathway inhibitors on a colorectal cancer (CRC) cell line carrying mutant KRAS. Genetic deletion of the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 6 (PP6), encoded by PPP6C, rendered KRAS- and BRAF-mutant CRC and BRAF-mutant melanoma cells more resistant to these inhibitors. In the absence of MAPK pathway inhibition, PPP6C deletion in CRC cells decreased cell proliferation in two-dimensional (2D) adherent cultures but accelerated the growth of tumor spheroids in 3D culture and tumor xenografts in vivo. PPP6C deletion enhanced the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling in CRC and melanoma cells and circumvented the cell cycle arrest and decreased cyclin D1 abundance induced by MAPK pathway blockade in CRC cells. Inhibiting NF-κB activity by genetic and pharmacological means restored the sensitivity of PPP6C-deficient cells to MAPK pathway inhibition in CRC and melanoma cells in vitro and in CRC cells in vivo. Furthermore, a R264 point mutation in PPP6C conferred loss of function in CRC cells, phenocopying the enhanced NF-κB activation and resistance to MAPK pathway inhibition observed for PPP6C deletion. These findings demonstrate that PP6 constrains the growth of KRAS- and BRAF-mutant cancer cells, implicates the PP6-NF-κB axis as a modulator of MAPK pathway output, and presents a rationale for cotargeting the NF-κB pathway in PPP6C-mutant cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Zhang
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Abigail Read
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Current affiliation: Division of Molecular Pathology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Christophe Cataisson
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Howard H. Yang
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Wei-Chun Lee
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Benjamin E. Turk
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Stuart H. Yuspa
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ji Luo
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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14
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Chen J, Chen K, Xue S, Cheng X, Qi Y, Wang H, Li W, Cheng G, Xiong Y, Mu C, Gu M. Integration of caveolin-mediated cytosolic delivery and enzyme-responsive releasing of squalenoyl nanoparticles enhance the anti-cancer efficacy of chidamide in pancreatic cancer. Int J Pharm 2024; 655:124072. [PMID: 38561133 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
We explored the potential of overcoming the dense interstitial barrier in pancreatic cancer treatment by enhancing the uptake of hydrophilic chemotherapeutic drugs. In this study, we synthesized the squalenoyl-chidamide prodrug (SQ-CHI), linking lipophilic squalene (SQ) with the hydrophilic antitumor drug chidamide (CHI) through a trypsin-responsive bond. Self-assembled nanoparticles with sigma receptor-bound aminoethyl anisamide (AEAA) modification, forming AEAA-PEG-SQ-CHI NPs (A-C NPs, size 116.6 ± 0.4 nm), and reference nanoparticles without AEAA modification, forming mPEG-SQ-CHI NPs (M-C NPs, size 88.3 ± 0.3 nm), were prepared. A-C NPs exhibited significantly higher in vitro CHI release (74.7 %) in 0.5 % trypsin medium compared to release (20.2 %) in medium without trypsin. In vitro cell uptake assays revealed 3.6 and 2.3times higher permeation of A-C NPs into tumorspheres of PSN-1/HPSC or CFPAC-1/HPSC, respectively, compared to M-C NPs. Following intraperitoneal administration to subcutaneous tumor-bearing nude mice, the A-C NPs group demonstrated significant anti-pancreatic cancer efficacy, inducing cancer cell apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation in vivo. Mechanistic studies revealed that AEAA surface modification on nanoparticles promoted intracellular uptake through caveolin-mediated endocytosis. This nanoparticle system presents a novel therapeutic approach for pancreatic cancer treatment, offering a delivery strategy to enhance efficacy through improved tumor permeation, trypsin-responsive drug release, and specific cell surface receptor-mediated intracellular uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyan Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Kaidi Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shuai Xue
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiao Cheng
- Huzhou Institute for Food and Drug Control, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Yuwei Qi
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hangjie Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei Li
- Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guilin Cheng
- Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yang Xiong
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China; Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chaofeng Mu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mancang Gu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China; Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China.
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15
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Kalli M, Stylianopoulos T. Toward innovative approaches for exploring the mechanically regulated tumor-immune microenvironment. APL Bioeng 2024; 8:011501. [PMID: 38390314 PMCID: PMC10883717 DOI: 10.1063/5.0183302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Within the complex tumor microenvironment, cells experience mechanical cues-such as extracellular matrix stiffening and elevation of solid stress, interstitial fluid pressure, and fluid shear stress-that significantly impact cancer cell behavior and immune responses. Recognizing the significance of these mechanical cues not only sheds light on cancer progression but also holds promise for identifying potential biomarkers that would predict therapeutic outcomes. However, standardizing methods for studying how mechanical cues affect tumor progression is challenging. This challenge stems from the limitations of traditional in vitro cell culture systems, which fail to encompass the critical contextual cues present in vivo. To address this, 3D tumor spheroids have been established as a preferred model, more closely mimicking cancer progression, but they usually lack reproduction of the mechanical microenvironment encountered in actual solid tumors. Here, we review the role of mechanical forces in modulating tumor- and immune-cell responses and discuss how grasping the importance of these mechanical cues could revolutionize in vitro tumor tissue engineering. The creation of more physiologically relevant environments that better replicate in vivo conditions will eventually increase the efficacy of currently available treatments, including immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kalli
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
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16
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Ravi K, Manoharan TJM, Wang KC, Pockaj B, Nikkhah M. Engineered 3D ex vivo models to recapitulate the complex stromal and immune interactions within the tumor microenvironment. Biomaterials 2024; 305:122428. [PMID: 38147743 PMCID: PMC11098715 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Cancer thrives in a complex environment where interactions between cellular and acellular components, surrounding the tumor, play a crucial role in disease development and progression. Despite significant progress in cancer research, the mechanism driving tumor growth and therapeutic outcomes remains elusive. Two-dimensional (2D) cell culture assays and in vivo animal models are commonly used in cancer research and therapeutic testing. However, these models suffer from numerous shortcomings including lack of key features of the tumor microenvironment (TME) & cellular composition, cost, and ethical clearance. To that end, there is an increased interest in incorporating and elucidating the influence of TME on cancer progression. Advancements in 3D-engineered ex vivo models, leveraging biomaterials and microengineering technologies, have provided an unprecedented ability to reconstruct native-like bioengineered cancer models to study the heterotypic interactions of TME with a spatiotemporal organization. These bioengineered cancer models have shown excellent capabilities to bridge the gap between oversimplified 2D systems and animal models. In this review article, we primarily provide an overview of the immune and stromal cellular components of the TME and then discuss the latest state-of-the-art 3D-engineered ex vivo platforms aiming to recapitulate the complex TME features. The engineered TME model, discussed herein, are categorized into three main sections according to the cellular interactions within TME: (i) Tumor-Stromal interactions, (ii) Tumor-Immune interactions, and (iii) Complex TME interactions. Finally, we will conclude the article with a perspective on how these models can be instrumental for cancer translational studies and therapeutic testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalpana Ravi
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering (SBHSE), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | | | - Kuei-Chun Wang
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering (SBHSE), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA
| | | | - Mehdi Nikkhah
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering (SBHSE), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA; Biodesign Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
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17
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Gong X, Du J, Peng RW, Chen C, Yang Z. CRISPRing KRAS: A Winding Road with a Bright Future in Basic and Translational Cancer Research. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:460. [PMID: 38275900 PMCID: PMC10814442 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16020460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Once considered "undruggable" due to the strong affinity of RAS proteins for GTP and the structural lack of a hydrophobic "pocket" for drug binding, the development of proprietary therapies for KRAS-mutant tumors has long been a challenging area of research. CRISPR technology, the most successful gene-editing tool to date, is increasingly being utilized in cancer research. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the application of the CRISPR system in basic and translational research in KRAS-mutant cancer, summarizing recent advances in the mechanistic understanding of KRAS biology and the underlying principles of drug resistance, anti-tumor immunity, epigenetic regulatory networks, and synthetic lethality co-opted by mutant KRAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Gong
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou 350001, China; (X.G.); (J.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Jianting Du
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou 350001, China; (X.G.); (J.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Ren-Wang Peng
- Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Department of BioMedical Research (DBMR), Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 28, 3008 Bern, Switzerland;
| | - Chun Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou 350001, China; (X.G.); (J.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, China
| | - Zhang Yang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou 350001, China; (X.G.); (J.D.)
- Key Laboratory of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, China
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18
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Cosgrove BD, Bounds LR, Taylor CK, Su AL, Rizzo AJ, Barrera A, Crawford GE, Hoffman BD, Gersbach CA. Mechanosensitive genomic enhancers potentiate the cellular response to matrix stiffness. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.10.574997. [PMID: 38260455 PMCID: PMC10802421 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.10.574997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Epigenetic control of cellular transcription and phenotype is influenced by changes in the cellular microenvironment, yet how mechanical cues from these microenvironments precisely influence epigenetic state to regulate transcription remains largely unmapped. Here, we combine genome-wide epigenome profiling, epigenome editing, and phenotypic and single-cell RNA-seq CRISPR screening to identify a new class of genomic enhancers that responds to the mechanical microenvironment. These 'mechanoenhancers' could be active on either soft or stiff extracellular matrix contexts, and regulated transcription to influence critical cell functions including apoptosis, mechanotransduction, proliferation, and migration. Epigenetic editing of mechanoenhancers on rigid materials tuned gene expression to levels observed on softer materials, thereby reprogramming the cellular response to the mechanical microenvironment. These editing approaches may enable the precise alteration of mechanically-driven disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D. Cosgrove
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Lexi R. Bounds
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Carson Key Taylor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Alan L. Su
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Anthony J. Rizzo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Alejandro Barrera
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Gregory E. Crawford
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center; Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Brenton D. Hoffman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Charles A. Gersbach
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University; Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center; Durham, NC 27708, USA
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19
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Kolanu ND. CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing: Curing Genetic Diseases by Inherited Epigenetic Modifications. Glob Med Genet 2024; 11:113-122. [PMID: 38560484 PMCID: PMC10980556 DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1785234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, leveraging bacterial defense mechanisms, offers precise DNA modifications, holding promise in curing genetic diseases. This review critically assesses its potential, analyzing evidence on therapeutic applications, challenges, and future prospects. Examining diverse genetic disorders, it evaluates efficacy, safety, and limitations, emphasizing the need for a thorough understanding among medical professionals and researchers. Acknowledging its transformative impact, a systematic review is crucial for informed decision-making, responsible utilization, and guiding future research to unlock CRISPR-Cas9's full potential in realizing the cure for genetic diseases. Methods A comprehensive literature search across PubMed, Scopus, and the Web of Science identified studies applying CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing for genetic diseases, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Inclusion criteria covered in vitro and in vivo models targeting various genetic diseases with reported outcomes on disease modification or potential cure. Quality assessment revealed a generally moderate to high risk of bias. Heterogeneity prevented quantitative meta-analysis, prompting a narrative synthesis of findings. Discussion CRISPR-Cas9 enables precise gene editing, correcting disease-causing mutations and offering hope for previously incurable genetic conditions. Leveraging inherited epigenetic modifications, it not only fixes mutations but also restores normal gene function and controls gene expression. The transformative potential of CRISPR-Cas9 holds promise for personalized treatments, improving therapeutic outcomes, but ethical considerations and safety concerns must be rigorously addressed to ensure responsible and safe application, especially in germline editing with potential long-term implications.
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Mukhopadhyay S, Huang HY, Lin Z, Ranieri M, Li S, Sahu S, Liu Y, Ban Y, Guidry K, Hu H, Lopez A, Sherman F, Tan YJ, Lee YT, Armstrong AP, Dolgalev I, Sahu P, Zhang T, Lu W, Gray NS, Christensen JG, Tang TT, Velcheti V, Khodadadi-Jamayran A, Wong KK, Neel BG. Genome-Wide CRISPR Screens Identify Multiple Synthetic Lethal Targets That Enhance KRASG12C Inhibitor Efficacy. Cancer Res 2023; 83:4095-4111. [PMID: 37729426 PMCID: PMC10841254 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-2729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Non-small lung cancers (NSCLC) frequently (∼30%) harbor KRAS driver mutations, half of which are KRASG12C. KRAS-mutant NSCLC with comutated STK11 and/or KEAP1 is particularly refractory to conventional, targeted, and immune therapy. Development of KRASG12C inhibitors (G12Ci) provided a major therapeutic advance, but resistance still limits their efficacy. To identify genes whose deletion augments efficacy of the G12Cis adagrasib (MRTX-849) or adagrasib plus TNO155 (SHP2i), we performed genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screens on KRAS/STK11-mutant NSCLC lines. Recurrent, potentially targetable, synthetic lethal (SL) genes were identified, including serine-threonine kinases, tRNA-modifying and proteoglycan synthesis enzymes, and YAP/TAZ/TEAD pathway components. Several SL genes were confirmed by siRNA/shRNA experiments, and the YAP/TAZ/TEAD pathway was extensively validated in vitro and in mice. Mechanistic studies showed that G12Ci treatment induced gene expression of RHO paralogs and activators, increased RHOA activation, and evoked ROCK-dependent nuclear translocation of YAP. Mice and patients with acquired G12Ci- or G12Ci/SHP2i-resistant tumors showed strong overlap with SL pathways, arguing for the relevance of the screen results. These findings provide a landscape of potential targets for future combination strategies, some of which can be tested rapidly in the clinic. SIGNIFICANCE Identification of synthetic lethal genes with KRASG12C using genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screening and credentialing of the ability of TEAD inhibition to enhance KRASG12C efficacy provides a roadmap for combination strategies. See related commentary by Johnson and Haigis, p. 4005.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman Mukhopadhyay
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Hsin-Yi Huang
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Ziyan Lin
- Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, Office of Science and Research, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Michela Ranieri
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Shuai Li
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Soumyadip Sahu
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Yingzhuo Liu
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Yi Ban
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Kayla Guidry
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Hai Hu
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Alfonso Lopez
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Fiona Sherman
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Yi Jer Tan
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Yeuan Ting Lee
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Amanda P. Armstrong
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Igor Dolgalev
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Priyanka Sahu
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Tinghu Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, Stanford Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, California, United States
| | - Wenchao Lu
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, Stanford Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, California, United States
| | - Nathanael S. Gray
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, Stanford Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, California, United States
| | | | - Tracy T. Tang
- Vivace Therapeutics, Inc., San Mateo, California, United States
| | - Vamsidhar Velcheti
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Alireza Khodadadi-Jamayran
- Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, Office of Science and Research, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Kwok-Kin Wong
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
| | - Benjamin G. Neel
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, United States
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21
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Edwards AC, Stalnecker CA, Morales AJ, Taylor KE, Klomp JE, Klomp JA, Waters AM, Sudhakar N, Hallin J, Tang TT, Olson P, Post L, Christensen JG, Cox AD, Der CJ. TEAD Inhibition Overcomes YAP1/TAZ-Driven Primary and Acquired Resistance to KRASG12C Inhibitors. Cancer Res 2023; 83:4112-4129. [PMID: 37934103 PMCID: PMC10821578 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-2994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Primary/intrinsic and treatment-induced acquired resistance limit the initial response rate to and long-term efficacy of direct inhibitors of the KRASG12C mutant in cancer. To identify potential mechanisms of resistance, we applied a CRISPR/Cas9 loss-of-function screen and observed loss of multiple components of the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway, which acts to suppress YAP1/TAZ-regulated gene transcription. YAP1/TAZ activation impaired the antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of KRASG12C inhibitor (G12Ci) treatment in KRASG12C-mutant cancer cell lines. Conversely, genetic suppression of YAP1/WWTR1 (TAZ) enhanced G12Ci sensitivity. YAP1/TAZ activity overcame KRAS dependency through two distinct TEAD transcription factor-dependent mechanisms, which phenocopy KRAS effector signaling. First, TEAD stimulated ERK-independent transcription of genes normally regulated by ERK (BIRC5, CDC20, ECT2, FOSL1, and MYC) to promote progression through the cell cycle. Second, TEAD caused activation of PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling to overcome apoptosis. G12Ci treatment-induced acquired resistance was also caused by YAP1/TAZ-TEAD activation. Accordingly, concurrent treatment with pharmacologic inhibitors of TEAD synergistically enhanced KRASG12C inhibitor antitumor activity in vitro and prolonged tumor suppression in vivo. In summary, these observations reveal YAP1/TAZ-TEAD signaling as a crucial driver of primary and acquired resistance to KRAS inhibition and support the use of TEAD inhibitors to enhance the antitumor efficacy of KRAS-targeted therapies. SIGNIFICANCE YAP1/TAZ-TEAD activation compensates for loss of KRAS effector signaling, establishing a mechanistic basis for concurrent inhibition of TEAD to enhance the efficacy of KRASG12C-selective inhibitor treatment of KRASG12C-mutant cancers. See related commentary by Johnson and Haigis, p. 4005.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Cole Edwards
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Clint A. Stalnecker
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Alexis Jean Morales
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Khalilah E. Taylor
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jennifer E. Klomp
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jeffrey A. Klomp
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Andrew M. Waters
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | | | - Jill Hallin
- Mirati Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, California
| | | | - Peter Olson
- Mirati Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, California
| | - Leonard Post
- Vivace Therapeutics, Inc., San Mateo, California
| | | | - Adrienne D. Cox
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Channing J. Der
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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22
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De Kegel B, Ryan CJ. Paralog dispensability shapes homozygous deletion patterns in tumor genomes. Mol Syst Biol 2023; 19:e11987. [PMID: 37963083 DOI: 10.15252/msb.202311987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic instability is a hallmark of cancer, resulting in tumor genomes having large numbers of genetic aberrations, including homozygous deletions of protein coding genes. That tumor cells remain viable in the presence of such gene loss suggests high robustness to genetic perturbation. In model organisms and cancer cell lines, paralogs have been shown to contribute substantially to genetic robustness-they are generally more dispensable for growth than singletons. Here, by analyzing copy number profiles of > 10,000 tumors, we test the hypothesis that the increased dispensability of paralogs shapes tumor genome evolution. We find that genes with paralogs are more likely to be homozygously deleted and that this cannot be explained by other factors known to influence copy number variation. Furthermore, features that influence paralog dispensability in cancer cell lines correlate with paralog deletion frequency in tumors. Finally, paralogs that are broadly essential in cancer cell lines are less frequently deleted in tumors than non-essential paralogs. Overall, our results suggest that homozygous deletions of paralogs are more frequently observed in tumor genomes because paralogs are more dispensable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara De Kegel
- School of Computer Science and Systems Biology Ireland, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Colm J Ryan
- School of Computer Science and Systems Biology Ireland, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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23
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Ryan CJ, Devakumar LPS, Pettitt SJ, Lord CJ. Complex synthetic lethality in cancer. Nat Genet 2023; 55:2039-2048. [PMID: 38036785 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01557-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
The concept of synthetic lethality has been widely applied to identify therapeutic targets in cancer, with varying degrees of success. The standard approach normally involves identifying genetic interactions between two genes, a driver and a target. In reality, however, most cancer synthetic lethal effects are likely complex and also polygenic, being influenced by the environment in addition to involving contributions from multiple genes. By acknowledging and delineating this complexity, we describe in this article how the success rate in cancer drug discovery and development could be improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colm J Ryan
- Conway Institute and School of Computer Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Lovely Paul Solomon Devakumar
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
| | - Stephen J Pettitt
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
| | - Christopher J Lord
- The CRUK Gene Function Laboratory and Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
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24
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Xu H, Jia Z, Liu F, Li J, Huang Y, Jiang Y, Pu P, Shang T, Tang P, Zhou Y, Yang Y, Su J, Liu J. Biomarkers and experimental models for cancer immunology investigation. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e437. [PMID: 38045830 PMCID: PMC10693314 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid advancement of tumor immunotherapies poses challenges for the tools used in cancer immunology research, highlighting the need for highly effective biomarkers and reproducible experimental models. Current immunotherapy biomarkers encompass surface protein markers such as PD-L1, genetic features such as microsatellite instability, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and biomarkers in liquid biopsy such as circulating tumor DNAs. Experimental models, ranging from 3D in vitro cultures (spheroids, submerged models, air-liquid interface models, organ-on-a-chips) to advanced 3D bioprinting techniques, have emerged as valuable platforms for cancer immunology investigations and immunotherapy biomarker research. By preserving native immune components or coculturing with exogenous immune cells, these models replicate the tumor microenvironment in vitro. Animal models like syngeneic models, genetically engineered models, and patient-derived xenografts provide opportunities to study in vivo tumor-immune interactions. Humanized animal models further enable the simulation of the human-specific tumor microenvironment. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the advantages, limitations, and prospects of different biomarkers and experimental models, specifically focusing on the role of biomarkers in predicting immunotherapy outcomes and the ability of experimental models to replicate the tumor microenvironment. By integrating cutting-edge biomarkers and experimental models, this review serves as a valuable resource for accessing the forefront of cancer immunology investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengyi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular OncologyNational Cancer Center /National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Ziqi Jia
- Department of Breast Surgical OncologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Fengshuo Liu
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Jiayi Li
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Department of Breast Surgical OncologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yansong Huang
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Department of Breast Surgical OncologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yiwen Jiang
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Pengming Pu
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Tongxuan Shang
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Pengrui Tang
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yongxin Zhou
- Eight‐year MD ProgramSchool of Clinical Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yufan Yang
- School of MedicineTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Jianzhong Su
- Oujiang LaboratoryZhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain HealthWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Jiaqi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular OncologyNational Cancer Center /National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Department of Breast Surgical OncologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
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25
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Lee TW, Hunter FW, Tsai P, Print CG, Wilson WR, Jamieson SMF. Clonal dynamics limits detection of selection in tumour xenograft CRISPR/Cas9 screens. Cancer Gene Ther 2023; 30:1610-1623. [PMID: 37684549 PMCID: PMC10721547 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-023-00664-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Transplantable in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screens, in which cells are edited in vitro and inoculated into mice to form tumours, allow evaluation of gene function in a cancer model that incorporates the multicellular interactions of the tumour microenvironment. To improve our understanding of the key parameters for success with this method, we investigated the choice of cell line, mouse host, tumour harvesting timepoint and guide RNA (gRNA) library size. We found that high gRNA (80-95%) representation was maintained in a HCT116 subline transduced with the GeCKOv2 whole-genome gRNA library and transplanted into NSG mice when tumours were harvested at early (14 d) but not late time points (38-43 d). The decreased representation in older tumours was accompanied by large increases in variance in gRNA read counts, with notable expansion of a small number of random clones in each sample. The variable clonal dynamics resulted in a high level of 'noise' that limited the detection of gRNA-based selection. Using simulated datasets derived from our experimental data, we show that considerable reductions in count variance would be achieved with smaller library sizes. Based on our findings, we suggest a pathway to rationally design adequately powered in vivo CRISPR screens for successful evaluation of gene function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tet Woo Lee
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Francis W Hunter
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Oncology Therapeutic Area, Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Peter Tsai
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Cristin G Print
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - William R Wilson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Stephen M F Jamieson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
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26
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Chen Q, Chuai G, Zhang H, Tang J, Duan L, Guan H, Li W, Li W, Wen J, Zuo E, Zhang Q, Liu Q. Genome-wide CRISPR off-target prediction and optimization using RNA-DNA interaction fingerprints. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7521. [PMID: 37980345 PMCID: PMC10657421 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42695-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The powerful CRISPR genome editing system is hindered by its off-target effects, and existing computational tools achieved limited performance in genome-wide off-target prediction due to the lack of deep understanding of the CRISPR molecular mechanism. In this study, we propose to incorporate molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in the computational analysis of CRISPR system, and present CRISOT, an integrated tool suite containing four related modules, i.e., CRISOT-FP, CRISOT-Score, CRISOT-Spec, CRISORT-Opti for RNA-DNA molecular interaction fingerprint generation, genome-wide CRISPR off-target prediction, sgRNA specificity evaluation and sgRNA optimization of Cas9 system respectively. Our comprehensive computational and experimental tests reveal that CRISOT outperforms existing tools with extensive in silico validations and proof-of-concept experimental validations. In addition, CRISOT shows potential in accurately predicting off-target effects of the base editors and prime editors, indicating that the derived RNA-DNA molecular interaction fingerprint captures the underlying mechanisms of RNA-DNA interaction among distinct CRISPR systems. Collectively, CRISOT provides an efficient and generalizable framework for genome-wide CRISPR off-target prediction, evaluation and sgRNA optimization for improved targeting specificity in CRISPR genome editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinchang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration (Tongji University), Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Research Institute of Intelligent Computing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Guohui Chuai
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Shanghai Research Institute for Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Haihang Zhang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jin Tang
- Research Institute of Intelligent Computing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Liwen Duan
- Research Institute of Intelligent Computing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Huan Guan
- Research Institute of Intelligent Computing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Wenhui Li
- Research Institute of Intelligent Computing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Wannian Li
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration (Tongji University), Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Jiaying Wen
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration (Tongji University), Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Erwei Zuo
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Gene Editing Technologies (Hainan), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Qing Zhang
- Roche R&D Center (China) Ltd., China Innovation Center of Roche, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- Ailomics Therapeutics, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Qi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration (Tongji University), Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Bioinformatics Department, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Research Institute of Intelligent Computing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
- Shanghai Research Institute for Intelligent Autonomous Systems, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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27
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Kim Y, Lee HM. CRISPR-Cas System Is an Effective Tool for Identifying Drug Combinations That Provide Synergistic Therapeutic Potential in Cancers. Cells 2023; 12:2593. [PMID: 37998328 PMCID: PMC10670858 DOI: 10.3390/cells12222593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite numerous efforts, the therapeutic advancement for neuroblastoma and other cancer treatments is still ongoing due to multiple challenges, such as the increasing prevalence of cancers and therapy resistance development in tumors. To overcome such obstacles, drug combinations are one of the promising applications. However, identifying and implementing effective drug combinations are critical for achieving favorable treatment outcomes. Given the enormous possibilities of combinations, a rational approach is required to predict the impact of drug combinations. Thus, CRISPR-Cas-based and other approaches, such as high-throughput pharmacological and genetic screening approaches, have been used to identify possible drug combinations. In particular, the CRISPR-Cas system (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a powerful tool that enables us to efficiently identify possible drug combinations that can improve treatment outcomes by reducing the total search space. In this review, we discuss the rational approaches to identifying, examining, and predicting drug combinations and their impact.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hyeong-Min Lee
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA;
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28
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Liu Y, Zhou Y, Chen P. Lung cancer organoids: models for preclinical research and precision medicine. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1293441. [PMID: 37941550 PMCID: PMC10628480 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1293441] [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: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is a malignancy with high incidence and mortality rates globally, and it has a 5-year survival rate of only 10%-20%. The significant heterogeneity in clinical presentation, histological features, multi-omics findings, and drug sensitivity among different lung cancer patients necessitate the development of personalized treatment strategies. The current precision medicine for lung cancer, primarily based on pathological and genomic multi-omics testing, fails to meet the needs of patients with clinically refractory lung cancer. Lung cancer organoids (LCOs) are derived from tumor cells within tumor tissues and are generated through three-dimensional tissue culture, enabling them to faithfully recapitulate in vivo tumor characteristics and heterogeneity. The establishment of a series of LCOs biobanks offers promising platforms for efficient screening and identification of novel targets for anti-tumor drug discovery. Moreover, LCOs provide supplementary decision-making factors to enhance the current precision medicine for lung cancer, thereby addressing the limitations associated with pathology-guided approaches in managing refractory lung cancer. This article presents a comprehensive review on the construction methods and potential applications of LCOs in both preclinical and clinical research. It highlights the significance of LCOs in biomarker exploration, drug resistance investigation, target identification, clinical precision drug screening, as well as microfluidic technology-based high-throughput drug screening strategies. Additionally, it discusses the current limitations and future prospects of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajing Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- Research and Development Department, NanoPeptide (Qingdao) Biotechnology Ltd., Qingdao, China
| | - Yanbing Zhou
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Pu Chen
- Research and Development Department, NanoPeptide (Qingdao) Biotechnology Ltd., Qingdao, China
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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29
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Ravichandran M, Maddalo D. Applications of CRISPR-Cas9 for advancing precision medicine in oncology: from target discovery to disease modeling. Front Genet 2023; 14:1273994. [PMID: 37908590 PMCID: PMC10613999 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1273994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) (CRISPR/Cas9) system is a powerful tool that enables precise and efficient gene manipulation. In a relatively short time, CRISPR has risen to become the preferred gene-editing system due to its high efficiency, simplicity, and programmability at low costs. Furthermore, in the recent years, the CRISPR toolkit has been rapidly expanding, and the emerging advancements have shown tremendous potential in uncovering molecular mechanisms and new therapeutic strategies for human diseases. In this review, we provide our perspectives on the recent advancements in CRISPR technology and its impact on precision medicine, ranging from target identification, disease modeling, and diagnostics. We also discuss the impact of novel approaches such as epigenome, base, and prime editing on preclinical cancer drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirunalini Ravichandran
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Danilo Maddalo
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
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30
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Colville A, Liu JY, Rodriguez-Mateo C, Thomas S, Ishak HD, Zhou R, Klein JDD, Morgens DW, Goshayeshi A, Salvi JS, Yao D, Spees K, Dixon SJ, Liu C, Rhee JW, Lai C, Wu JC, Bassik MC, Rando TA. Death-seq identifies regulators of cell death and senolytic therapies. Cell Metab 2023; 35:1814-1829.e6. [PMID: 37699398 PMCID: PMC10597643 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.08.008] [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: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Selectively ablating damaged cells is an evolving therapeutic approach for age-related disease. Current methods for genome-wide screens to identify genes whose deletion might promote the death of damaged or senescent cells are generally underpowered because of the short timescales of cell death as well as the difficulty of scaling non-dividing cells. Here, we establish "Death-seq," a positive-selection CRISPR screen optimized to identify enhancers and mechanisms of cell death. Our screens identified synergistic enhancers of cell death induced by the known senolytic ABT-263. The screen also identified inducers of cell death and senescent cell clearance in models of age-related diseases by a related compound, ABT-199, which alone is not senolytic but exhibits less toxicity than ABT-263. Death-seq enables the systematic screening of cell death pathways to uncover molecular mechanisms of regulated cell death subroutines and identifies drug targets for the treatment of diverse pathological states such as senescence, cancer, and fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Colville
- Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jie-Yu Liu
- Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Cristina Rodriguez-Mateo
- Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Samantha Thomas
- Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Heather D Ishak
- Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ronghao Zhou
- Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Julian D D Klein
- Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - David W Morgens
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Armon Goshayeshi
- Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jayesh S Salvi
- Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - David Yao
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Spees
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Scott J Dixon
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chun Liu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - June-Wha Rhee
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Celine Lai
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Joseph C Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael C Bassik
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Chemistry, Engineering, and Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas A Rando
- Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging and Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Center for Tissue Regeneration, Repair, and Restoration, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
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31
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Madsen RR, Toker A. PI3K signaling through a biochemical systems lens. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105224. [PMID: 37673340 PMCID: PMC10570132 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Following 3 decades of extensive research into PI3K signaling, it is now evidently clear that the underlying network does not equate to a simple ON/OFF switch. This is best illustrated by the multifaceted nature of the many diseases associated with aberrant PI3K signaling, including common cancers, metabolic disease, and rare developmental disorders. However, we are still far from a complete understanding of the fundamental control principles that govern the numerous phenotypic outputs that are elicited by activation of this well-characterized biochemical signaling network, downstream of an equally diverse set of extrinsic inputs. At its core, this is a question on the role of PI3K signaling in cellular information processing and decision making. Here, we review the determinants of accurate encoding and decoding of growth factor signals and discuss outstanding questions in the PI3K signal relay network. We emphasize the importance of quantitative biochemistry, in close integration with advances in single-cell time-resolved signaling measurements and mathematical modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralitsa R Madsen
- MRC-Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom.
| | - Alex Toker
- Department of Pathology and Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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32
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Sockell A, Wong W, Longwell S, Vu T, Karlsson K, Mokhtari D, Schaepe J, Lo YH, Cornelius V, Kuo C, Van Valen D, Curtis C, Fordyce PM. A microwell platform for high-throughput longitudinal phenotyping and selective retrieval of organoids. Cell Syst 2023; 14:764-776.e6. [PMID: 37734323 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.08.002] [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: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Organoids are powerful experimental models for studying the ontogeny and progression of various diseases including cancer. Organoids are conventionally cultured in bulk using an extracellular matrix mimic. However, bulk-cultured organoids physically overlap, making it impossible to track the growth of individual organoids over time in high throughput. Moreover, local spatial variations in bulk matrix properties make it difficult to assess whether observed phenotypic heterogeneity between organoids results from intrinsic cell differences or differences in the microenvironment. Here, we developed a microwell-based method that enables high-throughput quantification of image-based parameters for organoids grown from single cells, which can further be retrieved from their microwells for molecular profiling. Coupled with a deep learning image-processing pipeline, we characterized phenotypic traits including growth rates, cellular movement, and apical-basal polarity in two CRISPR-engineered human gastric organoid models, identifying genomic changes associated with increased growth rate and changes in accessibility and expression correlated with apical-basal polarity. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the supplemental information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Sockell
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Wing Wong
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Scott Longwell
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thy Vu
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kasper Karlsson
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Daniel Mokhtari
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Julia Schaepe
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yuan-Hung Lo
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Vincent Cornelius
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Calvin Kuo
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - David Van Valen
- Division of Biology and Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Christina Curtis
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.
| | - Polly M Fordyce
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA; ChEM-H Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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33
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Palmiero M, Cantarosso I, di Blasio L, Monica V, Peracino B, Primo L, Puliafito A. Collective directional migration drives the formation of heteroclonal cancer cell clusters. Mol Oncol 2023; 17:1699-1725. [PMID: 36587372 PMCID: PMC10483614 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasisation occurs through the acquisition of invasive and survival capabilities that allow tumour cells to colonise distant sites. While the role of multicellular aggregates in cancer dissemination is acknowledged, the mechanisms that drive the formation of multiclonal cell aggregates are not fully elucidated. Here, we show that cancer cells of different tissue of origins can perform collective directional migration and can actively form heteroclonal aggregates in 3D, through a proliferation-independent mechanism. Coalescence of distant cell clusters is mediated by subcellular actin-rich protrusions and multicellular outgrowths that extend towards neighbouring aggregates. Coherently, perturbation of cytoskeletal dynamics impairs collective migration while myosin II activation is necessary for multicellular movements. We put forward the hypothesis that cluster attraction is mediated by secreted soluble factors. Such a hypothesis is consistent with the abrogation of aggregation by inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MEK/ERK, the chemoattracting activity of conditioned culture media and with a wide screening of secreted proteins. Our results present a novel collective migration model and shed light on the mechanisms of formation of heteroclonal aggregates in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Palmiero
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO – IRCCSCandioloItaly
- Department of OncologyUniversity of TurinCandioloItaly
| | - Isabel Cantarosso
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO – IRCCSCandioloItaly
- Department of OncologyUniversity of TurinCandioloItaly
| | - Laura di Blasio
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO – IRCCSCandioloItaly
- Department of OncologyUniversity of TurinCandioloItaly
| | - Valentina Monica
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO – IRCCSCandioloItaly
- Department of OncologyUniversity of TurinCandioloItaly
| | - Barbara Peracino
- Department of Clinical and Biological SciencesSan Luigi Hospital, University of TurinOrbassanoItaly
| | - Luca Primo
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO – IRCCSCandioloItaly
- Department of OncologyUniversity of TurinCandioloItaly
| | - Alberto Puliafito
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO – IRCCSCandioloItaly
- Department of OncologyUniversity of TurinCandioloItaly
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34
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Croft D, Lodhia P, Lourenco S, MacKay C. Effectively utilizing publicly available databases for cancer target evaluation. NAR Cancer 2023; 5:zcad035. [PMID: 37457379 PMCID: PMC10346432 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcad035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The majority of compounds designed against cancer drug targets do not progress to become approved drugs, mainly due to lack of efficacy and/or unmanageable toxicity. Robust target evaluation is therefore required before progressing through the drug discovery process to reduce the high attrition rate. There are a wealth of publicly available databases that can be mined to generate data as part of a target evaluation. It can, however, be challenging to learn what databases are available, how and when they should be used, and to understand the associated limitations. Here, we have compiled and present key, freely accessible and easy-to-use databases that house informative datasets from in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies. We also highlight comprehensive target review databases that aim to bring together information from multiple sources into one-stop portals. In the post-genomics era, a key objective is to exploit the extensive cell, animal and patient characterization datasets in order to deliver precision medicine on a patient-specific basis. Effective utilization of the highlighted databases will go some way towards supporting the cancer research community achieve these aims.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Croft
- Cancer Research Horizons, The Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Puja Lodhia
- Cancer Research Horizons, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Sofia Lourenco
- Cancer Research Horizons, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Craig MacKay
- Cancer Research Horizons, The Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
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35
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Lei J, Pan Y, Gao R, He B, Wang Z, Lei X, Zhang Z, Yang N, Yan M. Rutaecarpine induces the differentiation of triple-negative breast cancer cells through inhibiting fumarate hydratase. J Transl Med 2023; 21:553. [PMID: 37592347 PMCID: PMC10436383 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04396-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive human cancers and has poor prognosis. Approximately 80% of TNBC cases belong to the molecular basal-like subtype, which can be exploited therapeutically by inducing differentiation. However, the strategies for inducing the differentiation of TNBC remain underexplored. METHODS A three-dimensional (3D) morphological screening model based on a natural compound library was used to identify possible candidate compounds that can induce TNBC cell differentiation. The efficacy of rutaecarpine was verified using assays: RT-qPCR, RNA-seq, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, SCENITH and label-free LC-MS/MS. The direct targets of rutaecarpine were identified through drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) assay. A xenograft mice model was also constructed to confirm the effect of rutaecarpine in vivo. RESULTS We identified that rutaecarpine, an indolopyridoquinazolinone, induces luminal differentiation of basal TNBC cells in both 3D spheroids and in vivo mice models. Mechanistically, rutaecarpine treatment leads to global metabolic stress and elevated ROS in 3D cultured TNBC cells. Moreover, NAC, a scavenger of ROS, impedes rutaecarpine-induced differentiation of TNBC cells in 3D culture. Finally, we identified fumarate hydratase (FH) as the direct interacting target of rutaecarpine. The inhibition of FH and the knockdown of FH consistently induced the differentiation of TNBC cells in 3D culture. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide a platform for differentiation therapy drug discovery using 3D culture models and identify rutaecarpine as a potential compound for TNBC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Yujia Pan
- Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Cancer Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Rui Gao
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 510275, China
| | - Bin He
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Zifeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Xinxing Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Zijian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Na Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510180, China.
| | - Min Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
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Kitamura K, Yamamoto T, Ochi H, Suzuki M, Suzuki N, Igawa T, Yoshida T, Futakuchi M, Ogino H, Michiue T. Identification of tumor-related genes via RNA sequencing of tumor tissues in Xenopus tropicalis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13214. [PMID: 37580380 PMCID: PMC10425369 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40193-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer treatment is still challenging because the disease is often caused by multiple mutations. Although genomic studies have identified many oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, gene sets involved in tumorigenesis remain poorly understood. Xenopus, a genus of aquatic frogs, is a useful model to identify gene sets because it can be genetically and experimentally analyzed. Here, we analyzed gene expression in tumor tissues of three individuals in Xenopus tropicalis and identified 55 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that the upregulated genes in the tumor tissues were enriched in GO terms related to the extracellular matrix and collagen fibril organization. Hierarchical clustering showed that the gene expression patterns of tumor tissues in X. tropicalis were comparable to those of human connective, soft, and subcutaneous tissue-derived cancers. Additionally, pathway analysis revealed that these DEGs were associated with multiple pathways, including the extracellular matrix, collagen fibril organization, MET signaling, and keratan sulfate. We also found that the expression tendency of some DEGs that have not been well analyzed in the cancer field clearly determines the prognosis of human cancer patients. This study provides a remarkable reference for future experimental work on X. tropicalis to identify gene sets involved in human cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Kitamura
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Yamamoto
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan
| | - Haruki Ochi
- Institute for Promotion of Medical Science Research, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, 2-2-2 Iida-Nishi, Yamagata City, Yamagata, 990-9585, Japan
| | - Makoto Suzuki
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-2 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, 739-8511, Japan
| | - Nanoka Suzuki
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-2 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, 739-8511, Japan
| | - Takeshi Igawa
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-2 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, 739-8511, Japan
| | - Tadashi Yoshida
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Futakuchi
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, 2-2-2 Iida-Nishi, Yamagata City, Yamagata, 990-9585, Japan
| | - Hajime Ogino
- Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima University, 1-3-2 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, 739-8511, Japan
| | - Tatsuo Michiue
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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Zhou B, Feng Z, Xu J, Xie J. Organoids: approaches and utility in cancer research. Chin Med J (Engl) 2023; 136:1783-1793. [PMID: 37365679 PMCID: PMC10406116 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000002477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Organoids are three-dimensional cellular structures with self-organizing and self-differentiation capacities. They faithfully recapitulate structures and functions of in vivo organs as represented by functionality and microstructural definitions. Heterogeneity in in vitro disease modeling is one of the main reasons for anti-cancer therapy failures. Establishing a powerful model to represent tumor heterogeneity is crucial for elucidating tumor biology and developing effective therapeutic strategies. Tumor organoids can retain the original tumor heterogeneity and are commonly used to mimic the cancer microenvironment when co-cultured with fibroblasts and immune cells; therefore, considerable effort has been made recently to promote the use of this new technology from basic research to clinical studies in tumors. In combination with gene editing technology and microfluidic chip systems, engineered tumor organoids show promising abilities to recapitulate tumorigenesis and metastasis. In many studies, the responses of tumor organoids to various drugs have shown a positive correlation with patient responses. Owing to these consistent responses and personalized characteristics with patient data, tumor organoids show excellent potential for preclinical research. Here, we summarize the properties of different tumor models and review their current state and progress in tumor organoids. We further discuss the substantial challenges and prospects in the rapidly developing tumor organoid field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingrui Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Zhiwei Feng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Liver Transplant Center, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Jun Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Birth Defect and Cell Regeneration, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
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Tardito S, MacKay C. Rethinking our approach to cancer metabolism to deliver patient benefit. Br J Cancer 2023; 129:406-415. [PMID: 37340094 PMCID: PMC10403540 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02324-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered cellular metabolism is a major mechanism by which tumours support nutrient consumption associated with increased cellular proliferation. Selective dependency on specific metabolic pathways provides a therapeutic vulnerability that can be targeted in cancer therapy. Anti-metabolites have been used clinically since the 1940s and several agents targeting nucleotide metabolism are now well established as standard of care treatment in a range of indications. However, despite great progress in our understanding of the metabolic requirements of cancer and non-cancer cells within the tumour microenvironment, there has been limited clinical success for novel agents targeting pathways outside of nucleotide metabolism. We believe that there is significant therapeutic potential in targeting metabolic processes within cancer that is yet to be fully realised. However, current approaches to identify novel targets, test novel therapies and select patient populations most likely to benefit are sub-optimal. We highlight recent advances in technologies and understanding that will support the identification and validation of novel targets, re-evaluation of existing targets and design of optimal clinical positioning strategies to deliver patient benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saverio Tardito
- The Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Craig MacKay
- Cancer Research Horizons, The Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK.
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Urzì O, Gasparro R, Costanzo E, De Luca A, Giavaresi G, Fontana S, Alessandro R. Three-Dimensional Cell Cultures: The Bridge between In Vitro and In Vivo Models. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12046. [PMID: 37569426 PMCID: PMC10419178 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Although historically, the traditional bidimensional in vitro cell system has been widely used in research, providing much fundamental information regarding cellular functions and signaling pathways as well as nuclear activities, the simplicity of this system does not fully reflect the heterogeneity and complexity of the in vivo systems. From this arises the need to use animals for experimental research and in vivo testing. Nevertheless, animal use in experimentation presents various aspects of complexity, such as ethical issues, which led Russell and Burch in 1959 to formulate the 3R (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) principle, underlying the urgent need to introduce non-animal-based methods in research. Considering this, three-dimensional (3D) models emerged in the scientific community as a bridge between in vitro and in vivo models, allowing for the achievement of cell differentiation and complexity while avoiding the use of animals in experimental research. The purpose of this review is to provide a general overview of the most common methods to establish 3D cell culture and to discuss their promising applications. Three-dimensional cell cultures have been employed as models to study both organ physiology and diseases; moreover, they represent a valuable tool for studying many aspects of cancer. Finally, the possibility of using 3D models for drug screening and regenerative medicine paves the way for the development of new therapeutic opportunities for many diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ornella Urzì
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D), Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (O.U.); (R.G.); (E.C.); (R.A.)
| | - Roberta Gasparro
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D), Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (O.U.); (R.G.); (E.C.); (R.A.)
| | - Elisa Costanzo
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D), Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (O.U.); (R.G.); (E.C.); (R.A.)
| | - Angela De Luca
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, SC Scienze e Tecnologie Chirurgiche, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (A.D.L.); (G.G.)
| | - Gianluca Giavaresi
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, SC Scienze e Tecnologie Chirurgiche, 40136 Bologna, Italy; (A.D.L.); (G.G.)
| | - Simona Fontana
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D), Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (O.U.); (R.G.); (E.C.); (R.A.)
| | - Riccardo Alessandro
- Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (Bi.N.D), Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (O.U.); (R.G.); (E.C.); (R.A.)
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40
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Bahrami E, Schmid JP, Jurinovic V, Becker M, Wirth AK, Ludwig R, Kreissig S, Duque Angel TV, Amend D, Hunt K, Öllinger R, Rad R, Frenz JM, Solovey M, Ziemann F, Mann M, Vick B, Wichmann C, Herold T, Jayavelu AK, Jeremias I. Combined proteomics and CRISPR‒Cas9 screens in PDX identify ADAM10 as essential for leukemia in vivo. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:107. [PMID: 37422628 PMCID: PMC10329331 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01803-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute leukemias represent deadly malignancies that require better treatment. As a challenge, treatment is counteracted by a microenvironment protecting dormant leukemia stem cells. METHODS To identify responsible surface proteins, we performed deep proteome profiling on minute numbers of dormant patient-derived xenograft (PDX) leukemia stem cells isolated from mice. Candidates were functionally screened by establishing a comprehensive CRISPR‒Cas9 pipeline in PDX models in vivo. RESULTS A disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10 (ADAM10) was identified as an essential vulnerability required for the survival and growth of different types of acute leukemias in vivo, and reconstitution assays in PDX models confirmed the relevance of its sheddase activity. Of translational importance, molecular or pharmacological targeting of ADAM10 reduced PDX leukemia burden, cell homing to the murine bone marrow and stem cell frequency, and increased leukemia response to conventional chemotherapy in vivo. CONCLUSIONS These findings identify ADAM10 as an attractive therapeutic target for the future treatment of acute leukemias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Bahrami
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 21, Munich, 81377 Germany
| | - Jan Philipp Schmid
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 21, Munich, 81377 Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Vindi Jurinovic
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 21, Munich, 81377 Germany
- Laboratory for Experimental Leukemia and Lymphoma Research (ELLF), Department of Medicine III, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Becker
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 21, Munich, 81377 Germany
| | - Anna-Katharina Wirth
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 21, Munich, 81377 Germany
| | - Romina Ludwig
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 21, Munich, 81377 Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sophie Kreissig
- Division of Transfusion Medicine, Cell Therapeutics and Haemostaseology, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tania Vanessa Duque Angel
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 21, Munich, 81377 Germany
| | - Diana Amend
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 21, Munich, 81377 Germany
| | - Katharina Hunt
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 21, Munich, 81377 Germany
| | - Rupert Öllinger
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), TUM School of Medicine, and Department of Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Roland Rad
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), TUM School of Medicine, and Department of Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Joris Maximilian Frenz
- Proteomics and Cancer Cell Signaling Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology, and Immunology, University of Heidelberg and Hopp Children’s Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Solovey
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany
- Chair of Physiological Chemistry, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Frank Ziemann
- Laboratory for Experimental Leukemia and Lymphoma Research (ELLF), Department of Medicine III, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Mann
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Munich, Germany
| | - Binje Vick
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 21, Munich, 81377 Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Wichmann
- Division of Transfusion Medicine, Cell Therapeutics and Haemostaseology, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Herold
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 21, Munich, 81377 Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
- Laboratory for Experimental Leukemia and Lymphoma Research (ELLF), Department of Medicine III, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ashok Kumar Jayavelu
- Proteomics and Cancer Cell Signaling Group, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology, and Immunology, University of Heidelberg and Hopp Children’s Cancer Center (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Munich, Germany
| | - Irmela Jeremias
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 21, Munich, 81377 Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Von Hauner Children’s Hospital, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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41
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Kostyrko K, Román M, Lee AG, Simpson DR, Dinh PT, Leung SG, Marini KD, Kelly MR, Broyde J, Califano A, Jackson PK, Sweet-Cordero EA. UHRF1 is a mediator of KRAS driven oncogenesis in lung adenocarcinoma. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3966. [PMID: 37407562 PMCID: PMC10322837 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39591-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
KRAS is a frequent driver in lung cancer. To identify KRAS-specific vulnerabilities in lung cancer, we performed RNAi screens in primary spheroids derived from a Kras mutant mouse lung cancer model and discovered an epigenetic regulator Ubiquitin-like containing PHD and RING finger domains 1 (UHRF1). In human lung cancer models UHRF1 knock-out selectively impaired growth and induced apoptosis only in KRAS mutant cells. Genome-wide methylation and gene expression analysis of UHRF1-depleted KRAS mutant cells revealed global DNA hypomethylation leading to upregulation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). A focused CRISPR/Cas9 screen validated several of these TSGs as mediators of UHRF1-driven tumorigenesis. In vivo, UHRF1 knock-out inhibited tumor growth of KRAS-driven mouse lung cancer models. Finally, in lung cancer patients high UHRF1 expression is anti-correlated with TSG expression and predicts worse outcomes for patients with KRAS mutant tumors. These results nominate UHRF1 as a KRAS-specific vulnerability and potential target for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Kostyrko
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Marta Román
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alex G Lee
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - David R Simpson
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Phuong T Dinh
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stanley G Leung
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kieren D Marini
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Marcus R Kelly
- Baxter Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Joshua Broyde
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrea Califano
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter K Jackson
- Baxter Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - E Alejandro Sweet-Cordero
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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42
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Saraswathibhatla A, Indana D, Chaudhuri O. Cell-extracellular matrix mechanotransduction in 3D. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:495-516. [PMID: 36849594 PMCID: PMC10656994 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00583-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 86.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical properties of extracellular matrices (ECMs) regulate essential cell behaviours, including differentiation, migration and proliferation, through mechanotransduction. Studies of cell-ECM mechanotransduction have largely focused on cells cultured in 2D, on top of elastic substrates with a range of stiffnesses. However, cells often interact with ECMs in vivo in a 3D context, and cell-ECM interactions and mechanisms of mechanotransduction in 3D can differ from those in 2D. The ECM exhibits various structural features as well as complex mechanical properties. In 3D, mechanical confinement by the surrounding ECM restricts changes in cell volume and cell shape but allows cells to generate force on the matrix by extending protrusions and regulating cell volume as well as through actomyosin-based contractility. Furthermore, cell-matrix interactions are dynamic owing to matrix remodelling. Accordingly, ECM stiffness, viscoelasticity and degradability often play a critical role in regulating cell behaviours in 3D. Mechanisms of 3D mechanotransduction include traditional integrin-mediated pathways that sense mechanical properties and more recently described mechanosensitive ion channel-mediated pathways that sense 3D confinement, with both converging on the nucleus for downstream control of transcription and phenotype. Mechanotransduction is involved in tissues from development to cancer and is being increasingly harnessed towards mechanotherapy. Here we discuss recent progress in our understanding of cell-ECM mechanotransduction in 3D.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dhiraj Indana
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ovijit Chaudhuri
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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43
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Li M, Sun J, Shi G. Application of CRISPR screen in mechanistic studies of tumor development, tumor drug resistance, and tumor immunotherapy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1220376. [PMID: 37427373 PMCID: PMC10326906 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1220376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor is one of the biggest threats to human health. Though tumor therapy has been dramatically advanced by the progress of technology and research in recent decades, it is still far from expectations. Thus, it is of great significance to explore the mechanisms of tumor growth, metastasis, and resistance. Screen based on Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) 9 gene editing technology are powerful tools for exploring the abovementioned facets. This review summarizes the recent screen performed in cancer cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. The screens in cancer cells mainly focus on exploring the mechanisms underlying cancer cells' growth, metastasis, and how cancer cells escape from the FDA approved drugs or immunotherapy. And the studies in tumor-associated immune cells are primarily aimed at identifying signaling pathways that can enhance the anti-tumor function of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), CAR-T cells, and macrophages. Moreover, we discuss the limitations, merits of the CRISPR screen, and further its future application in tumor studies. Importantly, recent advances in high throughput tumor related CRISPR screen have deeply contributed to new concepts and mechanisms underlying tumor development, tumor drug resistance, and tumor immune therapy, all of which will eventually potentiate the clinical therapy for tumor patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Guohai Shi
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
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44
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Abid T, Goodale AB, Kalani Z, Wyatt M, Gonzalez EM, Zhou KN, Qian K, Novikov D, Condurat AL, Bandopadhayay P, Piccioni F, Persky NS, Root DE. Genome-wide pooled CRISPR screening in neurospheres. Nat Protoc 2023:10.1038/s41596-023-00835-6. [PMID: 37286821 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00835-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Spheroid culture systems have allowed in vitro propagation of cells unable to grow in canonical cell culturing conditions, and may capture cellular contexts that model tumor growth better than current model systems. The insights gleaned from genome-wide clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) screening of thousands of cancer cell lines grown in conventional culture conditions illustrate the value of such CRISPR pooled screens. It is clear that similar genome-wide CRISPR screens of three-dimensional spheroid cultures will be important for future biological discovery. Here, we present a protocol for genome-wide CRISPR screening of three-dimensional neurospheres. While many in-depth protocols and discussions have been published for more typical cell lines, few detailed protocols are currently available in the literature for genome-wide screening in spheroidal cell lines. For those who want to screen such cell lines, and particularly neurospheres, we provide a step-by-step description of assay development tests to be performed before screening, as well as for the screen itself. We highlight considerations of variables that make these screens distinct from, or similar to, typical nonspheroid cell lines throughout. Finally, we illustrate typical outcomes of neurosphere genome-wide screens, and how neurosphere screens typically produce slightly more heterogeneous signal distributions than more canonical cancer cell lines. Completion of this entire protocol will take 8-12 weeks from the initial assay development tests to deconvolution of the sequencing data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanaz Abid
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amy B Goodale
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zohra Kalani
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Meghan Wyatt
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Gonzalez
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kevin Ning Zhou
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kenin Qian
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dana Novikov
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra-Larisa Condurat
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pratiti Bandopadhayay
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Federica Piccioni
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Merck Research Laboratories, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Nicole S Persky
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Aera Therapeutics, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - David E Root
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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45
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Hayes BH, Zhu PK, Wang M, Pfeifer CR, Xia Y, Phan S, Andrechak JC, Du J, Tobin MP, Anlas A, Dooling LJ, Vashisth M, Irianto J, Lampson MA, Discher DE. Confinement plus myosin-II suppression maximizes heritable loss of chromosomes, as revealed by live-cell ChReporters. J Cell Sci 2023; 136:jcs260753. [PMID: 37288769 PMCID: PMC10309578 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260753] [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: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanical environment of a cell can have many effects, but whether it impacts the DNA sequence of a cell has remained unexamined. To investigate this, we developed a live-cell method to measure changes in chromosome numbers. We edited constitutive genes with GFP or RFP tags on single alleles and discovered that cells that lose Chromosome reporters (ChReporters) become non-fluorescent. We applied our new tools to confined mitosis and to inhibition of the putative tumor suppressor myosin-II. We quantified compression of mitotic chromatin in vivo and demonstrated that similar compression in vitro resulted in cell death, but also rare and heritable ChReptorter loss. Myosin-II suppression rescued lethal multipolar divisions and maximized ChReporter loss during three-dimensional (3D) compression and two-dimensional (2D) lateral confinement, but not in standard 2D culture. ChReporter loss was associated with chromosome mis-segregation, rather than just the number of divisions, and loss in vitro and in mice was selected against in subsequent 2D cultures. Inhibition of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) caused ChReporter loss in 2D culture, as expected, but not during 3D compression, suggesting a SAC perturbation. Thus, ChReporters enable diverse studies of viable genetic changes, and show that confinement and myosin-II affect DNA sequence and mechano-evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon H. Hayes
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Peter Kuangzheng Zhu
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Mai Wang
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Charlotte R. Pfeifer
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yuntao Xia
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Steven Phan
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jason C. Andrechak
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Junhong Du
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael P. Tobin
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alisya Anlas
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Lawrence J. Dooling
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Manasvita Vashisth
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jerome Irianto
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael A. Lampson
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Dennis E. Discher
- Mol. Cell Biophysics Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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46
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Dervovic D, Malik AA, Chen ELY, Narimatsu M, Adler N, Afiuni-Zadeh S, Krenbek D, Martinez S, Tsai R, Boucher J, Berman JM, Teng K, Ayyaz A, Lü Y, Mbamalu G, Loganathan SK, Lee J, Zhang L, Guidos C, Wrana J, Valipour A, Roux PP, Reimand J, Jackson HW, Schramek D. In vivo CRISPR screens reveal Serpinb9 and Adam2 as regulators of immune therapy response in lung cancer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3150. [PMID: 37258521 PMCID: PMC10232477 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38841-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
How the genetic landscape governs a tumor's response to immunotherapy remains poorly understood. To assess the immune-modulatory capabilities of 573 genes associated with altered cytotoxicity in human cancers, here we perform CRISPR/Cas9 screens directly in mouse lung cancer models. We recover the known immune evasion factors Stat1 and Serpinb9 and identify the cancer testis antigen Adam2 as an immune modulator, whose expression is induced by KrasG12D and further elevated by immunotherapy. Using loss- and gain-of-function experiments, we show that ADAM2 functions as an oncogene by restraining interferon and TNF cytokine signaling causing reduced presentation of tumor-associated antigens. ADAM2 also restricts expression of the immune checkpoint inhibitors PDL1, LAG3, TIGIT and TIM3 in the tumor microenvironment, which might explain why ex vivo expanded and adoptively transferred cytotoxic T-cells show enhanced cytotoxic efficacy in ADAM2 overexpressing tumors. Together, direct in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 screens can uncover genetic alterations that control responses to immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dzana Dervovic
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ahmad A Malik
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Edward L Y Chen
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Masahiro Narimatsu
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nina Adler
- Computational Biology Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Somaieh Afiuni-Zadeh
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dagmar Krenbek
- Department of Pathology and Bacteriology, Klinik Floridsdorf, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastien Martinez
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ricky Tsai
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan Boucher
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jacob M Berman
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Katie Teng
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Arshad Ayyaz
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - YiQing Lü
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Geraldine Mbamalu
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sampath K Loganathan
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jongbok Lee
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Li Zhang
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Cynthia Guidos
- SickKids Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jeffrey Wrana
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Arschang Valipour
- Karl-Landsteiner-Institute for Lung Research and Pulmonary Oncology, Klinik Floridsdorf, Vienna, Austria
| | - Philippe P Roux
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jüri Reimand
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Computational Biology Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hartland W Jackson
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel Schramek
- Centre for Molecular and Systems Biology, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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47
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Yin G, Huang J, Petela J, Jiang H, Zhang Y, Gong S, Wu J, Liu B, Shi J, Gao Y. Targeting small GTPases: emerging grasps on previously untamable targets, pioneered by KRAS. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:212. [PMID: 37221195 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01441-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Small GTPases including Ras, Rho, Rab, Arf, and Ran are omnipresent molecular switches in regulating key cellular functions. Their dysregulation is a therapeutic target for tumors, neurodegeneration, cardiomyopathies, and infection. However, small GTPases have been historically recognized as "undruggable". Targeting KRAS, one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes, has only come into reality in the last decade due to the development of breakthrough strategies such as fragment-based screening, covalent ligands, macromolecule inhibitors, and PROTACs. Two KRASG12C covalent inhibitors have obtained accelerated approval for treating KRASG12C mutant lung cancer, and allele-specific hotspot mutations on G12D/S/R have been demonstrated as viable targets. New methods of targeting KRAS are quickly evolving, including transcription, immunogenic neoepitopes, and combinatory targeting with immunotherapy. Nevertheless, the vast majority of small GTPases and hotspot mutations remain elusive, and clinical resistance to G12C inhibitors poses new challenges. In this article, we summarize diversified biological functions, shared structural properties, and complex regulatory mechanisms of small GTPases and their relationships with human diseases. Furthermore, we review the status of drug discovery for targeting small GTPases and the most recent strategic progress focused on targeting KRAS. The discovery of new regulatory mechanisms and development of targeting approaches will together promote drug discovery for small GTPases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guowei Yin
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
| | - Jing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Johnny Petela
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, USA
| | - Hongmei Jiang
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Yuetong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Siqi Gong
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
- School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Jiaxin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Bei Liu
- National Biomedical Imaging Center, School of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jianyou Shi
- Department of Pharmacy, Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, 610072, China.
| | - Yijun Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
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48
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Levin-Konigsberg R, Mitra K, Nigam A, Spees K, Hivare P, Liu K, Kundaje A, Krishnan Y, Bassik MC. SLC12A9 is a lysosome-detoxifying ammonium - chloride co-transporter. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.22.541801. [PMID: 37292735 PMCID: PMC10245881 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.22.541801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia is a ubiquitous, toxic by-product of cell metabolism. Its high membrane permeability and proton affinity causes ammonia to accumulate inside acidic lysosomes in its poorly membrane-permeant form: ammonium (NH 4 + ). Ammonium buildup compromises lysosomal function, suggesting the existence of mechanisms that protect cells from ammonium toxicity. Here, we identified SLC12A9 as a lysosomal ammonium exporter that preserves lysosomal homeostasis. SLC12A9 knockout cells showed grossly enlarged lysosomes and elevated ammonium content. These phenotypes were reversed upon removal of the metabolic source of ammonium or dissipation of the lysosomal pH gradient. Lysosomal chloride increased in SLC12A9 knockout cells and chloride binding by SLC12A9 was required for ammonium transport. Our data indicate that SLC12A9 is a chloride-driven ammonium co-transporter that is central in an unappreciated, fundamental mechanism of lysosomal physiology that may have special relevance in tissues with elevated ammonia, such as tumors.
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49
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Duman C, Di Marco B, Nevedomskaya E, Ulug B, Lesche R, Christian S, Alfonso J. Targeting fatty acid oxidation via Acyl-CoA binding protein hinders glioblastoma invasion. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:296. [PMID: 37120445 PMCID: PMC10148872 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05813-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
The diffuse nature of Glioblastoma (GBM) tumors poses a challenge to current therapeutic options. We have previously shown that Acyl-CoA Binding Protein (ACBP, also known as DBI) regulates lipid metabolism in GBM cells, favoring fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Here we show that ACBP downregulation results in wide transcriptional changes affecting invasion-related genes. In vivo experiments using patient-derived xenografts combined with in vitro models demonstrated that ACBP sustains GBM invasion via binding to fatty acyl-CoAs. Blocking FAO mimics ACBPKD-induced immobility, a cellular phenotype that can be rescued by increasing FAO rates. Further investigation into ACBP-downstream pathways served to identify Integrin beta-1, a gene downregulated upon inhibition of either ACBP expression or FAO rates, as a mediator for ACBP's role in GBM invasion. Altogether, our findings highlight a role for FAO in GBM invasion and reveal ACBP as a therapeutic vulnerability to stall FAO and subsequent cell invasion in GBM tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceren Duman
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Barbara Di Marco
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Berk Ulug
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ralf Lesche
- Bayer Research & Innovation Center, Cambridge, MA, USA
- NUVISAN ICB GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Julieta Alfonso
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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Li M, Wang D, Li Q, Luo F, Zhong T, Wu H, Xiong L, Yuan M, Su M, Fan Y. Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 6-(Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-6-yl)quinazoline Derivatives as Anticancer Agents via PI3Kα Inhibition. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076851. [PMID: 37047827 PMCID: PMC10095550 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant expression of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signalling pathway is often associated with tumourigenesis, progression and poor prognosis. Hence, PI3K inhibitors have attracted significant interest for the treatment of cancer. In this study, a series of new 6-(imidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-6-yl)quinazoline derivatives were designed, synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS spectra analyses. In the in vitro anticancer assay, most of the synthetic compounds showed submicromolar inhibitory activity against various tumour cell lines, among which 13k is the most potent compound with IC50 values ranging from 0.09 μΜ to 0.43 μΜ against all the tested cell lines. Moreover, 13k induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and cell apoptosis of HCC827 cells by inhibition of PI3Kα with an IC50 value of 1.94 nM. These results suggested that compound 13k might serve as a lead compound for the development of PI3Kα inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Li
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China
- The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Daoping Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China
- The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China
- The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Fang Luo
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China
- The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Ting Zhong
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China
- The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Hongshan Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China
- The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Liang Xiong
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China
- The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Meitao Yuan
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China
- The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Mingzhi Su
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China
- The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
| | - Yanhua Fan
- State Key Laboratory for Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550014, China
- The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550014, China
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