1
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Baldan J, Camacho-Roda J, Ballester M, Høj K, Kurilla A, Maurer HC, Arcila-Barrera S, Lin X, Pan Z, Castro JL, Mayorca-Guiliani AE, Rift CV, Hasselby J, Bouwens L, Lefebvre V, David CJ, Parnas O, DelGiorno KE, Erler JT, Rooman I, Arnes L. Resolution of Acinar Dedifferentiation Regulates Tissue Remodeling in Pancreatic Injury and Cancer Initiation. Gastroenterology 2024; 167:718-732.e18. [PMID: 38729450 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2024.04.031] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM) is crucial in the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. However, our understanding of the induction and resolution of ADM remains limited. We conducted comparative transcriptome analyses to identify conserved mechanisms of ADM in mouse and human. METHODS We identified Sox4 among the top up-regulated genes. We validated the analysis by RNA in situ hybridization. We performed experiments in mice with acinar-specific deletion of Sox4 (Ptf1a: CreER; Rosa26-LSL-YFPLSL-YFP; Sox4fl/fl) with and without an activating mutation in Kras (KrasLSL-G12D/+). Mice were given caerulein to induce pancreatitis. We performed phenotypic analysis by immunohistochemistry, tissue decellularization, and single-cell RNA sequencing. RESULTS We demonstrated that Sox4 is reactivated in ADM and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias. Contrary to findings in other tissues, Sox4 actually counteracts cellular dedifferentiation and helps maintain tissue homeostasis. Moreover, our investigations unveiled the indispensable role of Sox4 in the specification of mucin-producing cells and tuft-like cells from acinar cells. We identified Sox4-dependent non-cell-autonomous mechanisms regulating the stromal reaction during disease progression. Notably, Sox4-inferred targets are activated upon KRAS inactivation and tumor regression. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that our transcriptome analysis can be used to investigate conserved mechanisms of tissue injury. We demonstrate that Sox4 restrains acinar dedifferentiation and is necessary for the specification of acinar-derived metaplastic cells in pancreatic injury and cancer initiation and is activated upon Kras ablation and tumor regression in mice. By uncovering novel potential strategies to promote tissue homeostasis, our findings offer new avenues for preventing the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Baldan
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Translational Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Juan Camacho-Roda
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marta Ballester
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristina Høj
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anita Kurilla
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - H Carlo Maurer
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Arcila-Barrera
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Xinyi Lin
- Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China; Peking University-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaolong Pan
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Joana Leitão Castro
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Charlotte Vestrup Rift
- Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jane Hasselby
- Department of Pathology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Luc Bouwens
- Cell Differentiation Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Véronique Lefebvre
- Department of Surgery/Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Charles J David
- Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Beijing, China; Peking University-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Oren Parnas
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Janine Terra Erler
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ilse Rooman
- Translational Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luis Arnes
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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2
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Zook HN, Quijano JC, Ortiz JA, Donohue C, Lopez K, Li W, Erdem N, Jou K, Crook CJ, Garcia I, Kandeel F, Montero E, Ku HT. Activation of ductal progenitor-like cells from adult human pancreas requires extracellular matrix protein signaling. iScience 2024; 27:109237. [PMID: 38433896 PMCID: PMC10904999 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Ductal progenitor-like cells are a sub-population of ductal cells in the adult human pancreas that have the potential to contribute to regenerative medicine. However, the microenvironmental cues that regulate their activation are poorly understood. Here, we establish a 3-dimensional suspension culture system containing six defined soluble factors in which primary human ductal progenitor-like and ductal non-progenitor cells survive but do not proliferate. Expansion and polarization occur when suspension cells are provided with a low concentration (5% v/v) of Matrigel, a sarcoma cell product enriched in many extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Screening of ECM proteins identified that collagen IV can partially recapitulate the effects of Matrigel. Inhibition of integrin α1β1, a major collagen IV receptor, negates collagen IV- and Matrigel-stimulated effects. These results demonstrate that collagen IV is a key ECM protein that stimulates the expansion and polarization of human ductal progenitor-like and ductal non-progenitor cells via integrin α1β1 receptor signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather N. Zook
- Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Janine C. Quijano
- Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Jose A. Ortiz
- Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Cecile Donohue
- Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Kassandra Lopez
- Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Wendong Li
- Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Neslihan Erdem
- Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Department of Diabetes Immunology, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Kevin Jou
- Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Christiana J. Crook
- Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Isaac Garcia
- Department of Diabetes Immunology, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Fouad Kandeel
- Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Enrique Montero
- Department of Diabetes Immunology, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Hsun Teresa Ku
- Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Department of Translational Research and Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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3
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Zheng C, Wang J, Wang J, Zhang Q, Liang T. Cell of Origin of Pancreatic cancer: Novel Findings and Current Understanding. Pancreas 2024; 53:e288-e297. [PMID: 38277420 DOI: 10.1097/mpa.0000000000002301] [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] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) stands as one of the most lethal diseases globally, boasting a grim 5-year survival prognosis. The origin cell and the molecular signaling pathways that drive PDAC progression are not entirely understood. This review comprehensively outlines the categorization of PDAC and its precursor lesions, expounds on the creation and utility of genetically engineered mouse models used in PDAC research, compiles a roster of commonly used markers for pancreatic progenitors, duct cells, and acinar cells, and briefly addresses the mechanisms involved in the progression of PDAC. We acknowledge the value of precise markers and suitable tracing tools to discern the cell of origin, as it can facilitate the creation of more effective models for PDAC exploration. These conclusions shed light on our existing understanding of foundational genetically engineered mouse models and focus on the origin and development of PDAC.
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Nipper M, Xu Y, Liu J, Yin X, Liu Z, Ye Z, Zhang J, Chen Y, Wang P. TGFβ and Hippo Signaling Pathways Coordinate to Promote Acinar to Ductal Metaplasia in Human Pancreas. Cells 2024; 13:186. [PMID: 38247878 PMCID: PMC10813953 DOI: 10.3390/cells13020186] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM) serves as a precursor event in the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) upon constitutive environmental and genetical stress. While the role of ADM in PDAC progression has been established, the molecular mechanisms underlying human ADM remain elusive. We previously demonstrated the induction of ADM in human acinar cells through the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling pathway. We aim to investigate the interaction between TGFβ and Hippo pathways in mediating ADM. METHODS RNA-sequencing was conducted on sorted normal primary human acinar, ductal, and AD (acinar cells that have undergone ADM) cells. ATAC-seq analysis was utilized to reveal the chromatin accessibility in these three cell types. ChIP-Seq of YAP1, SMAD4, and H3K27ac was performed to identify the gene targets of YAP1 and SMAD4. The role of YAP1/TAZ in ADM-driven cell proliferation, as well as in oncogenic KRAS driven proliferation, was assessed using sphere formation assay. RESULTS AD cells have a unique transcription profile, with upregulated genes in open chromatin states in acinar cells. YAP1 and SMAD4 co-occupy the loci of ADM-related genes, including PROM1, HES1, and MMP7, co-regulating biological functions such as cell adhesion, cell migration, and inflammation. Overexpression of YAP1/TAZ promoted acinar cell proliferation but still required the TGFβ pathway. YAP1/TAZ were also crucial for TGFβ-induced sphere formation and were necessary for KRAS-induced proliferation. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals the intricate transition between acinar and AD states in human pancreatic tissues. It unveils the complex interaction between the Hippo and TGF-β pathways during ADM, highlighting the pivotal role of YAP1/TAZ and SMAD4 in PDAC initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Nipper
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (M.N.); (Y.X.); (J.L.); (X.Y.)
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (M.N.); (Y.X.); (J.L.); (X.Y.)
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (M.N.); (Y.X.); (J.L.); (X.Y.)
| | - Xue Yin
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (M.N.); (Y.X.); (J.L.); (X.Y.)
| | - Zhijie Liu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA;
| | - Zhengqing Ye
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (Z.Y.); (Y.C.)
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Jianmin Zhang
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA;
| | - Yidong Chen
- Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (Z.Y.); (Y.C.)
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Pei Wang
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (M.N.); (Y.X.); (J.L.); (X.Y.)
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5
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Alavi M, Mejia-Bautista A, Tang M, Bandovic J, Rosenberg AZ, Bialkowska AB. Krüppel-like Factor 5 Plays an Important Role in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Pancreatitis. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5427. [PMID: 38001687 PMCID: PMC10670257 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15225427] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pancreatitis results in the formation of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and poses a risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Our previous study demonstrated that Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) is necessary for forming acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM) in acute pancreatitis. Here, we investigated the role of KLF5 in response to chronic injury in the pancreas. Human tissues originating from chronic pancreatitis patients showed increased levels of epithelial KLF5. An inducible genetic model combining the deletion of Klf5 and the activation of KrasG12D mutant expression in pancreatic acinar cells together with chemically induced chronic pancreatitis was used. The chronic injury resulted in increased levels of KLF5 in both control and KrasG12D mutant mice. Furthermore, it led to numerous ADM and PanIN lesions and extensive fibrosis in the KRAS mutant mice. In contrast, pancreata with Klf5 loss (with or without KrasG12D) failed to develop ADM, PanIN, or significant fibrosis. Furthermore, the deletion of Klf5 reduced the expression level of cytokines and fibrotic components such as Il1b, Il6, Tnf, Tgfb1, Timp1, and Mmp9. Notably, using ChIP-PCR, we showed that KLF5 binds directly to the promoters of Il1b, Il6, and Tgfb1 genes. In summary, the inactivation of Klf5 inhibits ADM and PanIN formation and the development of pancreatic fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Alavi
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA (M.T.)
| | - Ana Mejia-Bautista
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA (M.T.)
| | - Meiyi Tang
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA (M.T.)
| | - Jela Bandovic
- Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Avi Z. Rosenberg
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21217, USA;
| | - Agnieszka B. Bialkowska
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA (M.T.)
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6
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Doke M, Álvarez-Cubela S, Klein D, Altilio I, Schulz J, Mateus Gonçalves L, Almaça J, Fraker CA, Pugliese A, Ricordi C, Qadir MMF, Pastori RL, Domínguez-Bendala J. Dynamic scRNA-seq of live human pancreatic slices reveals functional endocrine cell neogenesis through an intermediate ducto-acinar stage. Cell Metab 2023; 35:1944-1960.e7. [PMID: 37898119 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Human pancreatic plasticity is implied from multiple single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) studies. However, these have been invariably based on static datasets from which fate trajectories can only be inferred using pseudotemporal estimations. Furthermore, the analysis of isolated islets has resulted in a drastic underrepresentation of other cell types, hindering our ability to interrogate exocrine-endocrine interactions. The long-term culture of human pancreatic slices (HPSs) has presented the field with an opportunity to dynamically track tissue plasticity at the single-cell level. Combining datasets from same-donor HPSs at different time points, with or without a known regenerative stimulus (BMP signaling), led to integrated single-cell datasets storing true temporal or treatment-dependent information. This integration revealed population shifts consistent with ductal progenitor activation, blurring of ductal/acinar boundaries, formation of ducto-acinar-endocrine differentiation axes, and detection of transitional insulin-producing cells. This study provides the first longitudinal scRNA-seq analysis of whole human pancreatic tissue, confirming its plasticity in a dynamic fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayur Doke
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Silvia Álvarez-Cubela
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Dagmar Klein
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Isabella Altilio
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Joseph Schulz
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Luciana Mateus Gonçalves
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Joana Almaça
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Christopher A Fraker
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Alberto Pugliese
- Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Camillo Ricordi
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Mirza M F Qadir
- Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Ricardo L Pastori
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
| | - Juan Domínguez-Bendala
- Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
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7
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Pan Z, Van den Bossche JL, Rodriguez-Aznar E, Janssen P, Lara O, Ates G, Massie A, De Paep DL, Houbracken I, Mambretti M, Rooman I. Pancreatic acinar cell fate relies on system x C- to prevent ferroptosis during stress. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:536. [PMID: 37604805 PMCID: PMC10442358 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06063-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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Acinar cell dedifferentiation is one of the most notable features of acute and chronic pancreatitis. It can also be the initial step that facilitates pancreatic cancer development. In the present study, we further decipher the precise mechanisms and regulation using primary human cells and murine experimental models. Our RNAseq analysis indicates that, in both species, early acinar cell dedifferentiation is accompanied by multiple pathways related to cell survival that are highly enriched, and where SLC7A11 (xCT) is transiently upregulated. xCT is the specific subunit of the cystine/glutamate antiporter system xC-. To decipher its role, gene silencing, pharmacological inhibition and a knock-out mouse model were used. Acinar cells with depleted or reduced xCT function show an increase in ferroptosis relating to lipid peroxidation. Lower glutathione levels and more lipid ROS accumulation could be rescued by the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine or the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1. In caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in mice, xCT also prevents lipid peroxidation in acinar cells. In conclusion, during stress, acinar cell fate seems to be poised for avoiding several forms of cell death. xCT specifically prevents acinar cell ferroptosis by fueling the glutathione pool and maintaining ROS balance. The data suggest that xCT offers a druggable tipping point to steer the acinar cell fate in stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaolong Pan
- Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology, Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jan-Lars Van den Bossche
- Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology, Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Eva Rodriguez-Aznar
- Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology, Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pauline Janssen
- Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology, Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Neuro-Aging & Viro-Immunotherapy Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olaya Lara
- Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology, Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Neuro-Aging & Viro-Immunotherapy Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gamze Ates
- Neuro-Aging & Viro-Immunotherapy Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ann Massie
- Neuro-Aging & Viro-Immunotherapy Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Diedert Luc De Paep
- Beta Cell Bank, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel and Diabetes Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Isabelle Houbracken
- Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology, Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marco Mambretti
- Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology, Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ilse Rooman
- Laboratory for Medical and Molecular Oncology, Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
- Visual and Spatial Tissue Analysis (VSTA) Core Facility, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
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8
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Resovi A, Persichitti P, Brunelli L, Minoli L, Borsotti P, Garattini G, Tironi M, Dugnani E, Redegalli M, De Simone G, Pastorelli R, Bani MR, Piemonti L, Mosher DF, Giavazzi R, Taraboletti G, Belotti D. Fibronectin fragments generated by pancreatic trypsin act as endogenous inhibitors of pancreatic tumor growth. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:201. [PMID: 37559126 PMCID: PMC10411016 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02778-y] [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: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pancreatic microenvironment has a defensive role against cancer but it can acquire tumor-promoting properties triggered by multiple mechanisms including alterations in the equilibrium between proteases and their inhibitors. The identification of proteolytic events, targets and pathways would set the basis for the design of new therapeutic approaches. METHODS AND RESULTS Here we demonstrate that spheroids isolated from human and murine healthy pancreas and co-transplanted orthotopically with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in mouse pancreas inhibited tumor growth. The effect was mediated by trypsin-generated fibronectin (FN) fragments released by pancreatic spheroids. Tumor inhibition was observed also in a model of acute pancreatitis associated with trypsin activation. Mass spectrometry proteomic analysis of fragments and mAb against different FN epitopes identified the FN type III domain as responsible for the activity. By inhibiting integrin α5β1, FAK and FGFR1 signaling, the fragments induced tumor cell detachment and reduced cell proliferation. Consistent with the mutual relationship between the two pathways, FGF2 restored both FGFR1 and FAK signaling and promoted PDAC cell adhesion and proliferation. FAK and FGFR inhibitors additively inhibited PDAC growth in vitro and in orthotopic in vivo models. CONCLUSIONS This study identifies a novel role for pancreatic trypsin and fibronectin cleavage as a mechanism of protection against cancer by the pancreatic microenvironment. The finding of a FAK-FGFR cross-talk in PDAC support the combination of FAK and FGFR inhibitors for PDAC treatment to emulate the protective effect of the normal pancreas against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Resovi
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo and Milan, Italy
| | - Perla Persichitti
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo and Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Brunelli
- Department of Environmental Science, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucia Minoli
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo and Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizia Borsotti
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo and Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Garattini
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo and Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Tironi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Erica Dugnani
- Diabetes Research Institute, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Miriam Redegalli
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo and Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia De Simone
- Department of Environmental Science, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Pastorelli
- Department of Environmental Science, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Rosa Bani
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo and Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Piemonti
- Diabetes Research Institute, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Deane F Mosher
- Departments of Biomolecular Chemistry and Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Raffaella Giavazzi
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo and Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Taraboletti
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo and Milan, Italy
| | - Dorina Belotti
- Department of Oncology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Bergamo and Milan, Italy.
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9
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Marstrand-Daucé L, Lorenzo D, Chassac A, Nicole P, Couvelard A, Haumaitre C. Acinar-to-Ductal Metaplasia (ADM): On the Road to Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PanIN) and Pancreatic Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:9946. [PMID: 37373094 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24129946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Adult pancreatic acinar cells show high plasticity allowing them to change in their differentiation commitment. Pancreatic acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM) is a cellular process in which the differentiated pancreatic acinar cells transform into duct-like cells. This process can occur as a result of cellular injury or inflammation in the pancreas. While ADM is a reversible process allowing pancreatic acinar regeneration, persistent inflammation or injury can lead to the development of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), which is a common precancerous lesion that precedes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Several factors can contribute to the development of ADM and PanIN, including environmental factors such as obesity, chronic inflammation and genetic mutations. ADM is driven by extrinsic and intrinsic signaling. Here, we review the current knowledge on the cellular and molecular biology of ADM. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying ADM is critical for the development of new therapeutic strategies for pancreatitis and PDAC. Identifying the intermediate states and key molecules that regulate ADM initiation, maintenance and progression may help the development of novel preventive strategies for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Marstrand-Daucé
- INSERM UMR1149, Inflammation Research Center (CRI), Université Paris Cité, 75018 Paris, France
| | - Diane Lorenzo
- INSERM UMR1149, Inflammation Research Center (CRI), Université Paris Cité, 75018 Paris, France
| | - Anaïs Chassac
- INSERM UMR1149, Inflammation Research Center (CRI), Université Paris Cité, 75018 Paris, France
- Department of Pathology, Bichat Hospital, Université Paris Cité, 75018 Paris, France
| | - Pascal Nicole
- INSERM UMR1149, Inflammation Research Center (CRI), Université Paris Cité, 75018 Paris, France
| | - Anne Couvelard
- INSERM UMR1149, Inflammation Research Center (CRI), Université Paris Cité, 75018 Paris, France
- Department of Pathology, Bichat Hospital, Université Paris Cité, 75018 Paris, France
| | - Cécile Haumaitre
- INSERM UMR1149, Inflammation Research Center (CRI), Université Paris Cité, 75018 Paris, France
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10
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An J, Jiang T, Qi L, Xie K. Acinar cells and the development of pancreatic fibrosis. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2023; 71-72:40-53. [PMID: 37291030 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2023.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic fibrosis is caused by excessive deposition of extracellular matrixes of collagen and fibronectin in the pancreatic tissue as a result of repeated injury often seen in patients with chronic pancreatic diseases. The most common causative conditions include inborn errors of metabolism, chemical toxicity and autoimmune disorders. Its pathophysiology is highly complex, including acinar cell injury, acinar stress response, duct dysfunction, pancreatic stellate cell activation, and persistent inflammatory response. However, the specific mechanism remains to be fully clarified. Although the current therapeutic strategies targeting pancreatic stellate cells show good efficacy in cell culture and animal models, they are not satisfactory in the clinic. Without effective intervention, pancreatic fibrosis can promote the transformation from pancreatitis to pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal malignancies. In the normal pancreas, the acinar component accounts for 82% of the exocrine tissue. Abnormal acinar cells may activate pancreatic stellate cells directly as cellular source of fibrosis or indirectly via releasing various substances and initiate pancreatic fibrosis. A comprehensive understanding of the role of acinar cells in pancreatic fibrosis is critical for designing effective intervention strategies. In this review, we focus on the role of and mechanisms underlying pancreatic acinar injury in pancreatic fibrosis and their potential clinical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhong An
- SCUT-QMPH Joint Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, Guangdong 511518, China; Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Tingting Jiang
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Ling Qi
- SCUT-QMPH Joint Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, Guangdong 511518, China.
| | - Keping Xie
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China.
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11
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Huo C, Zhang X, Gu Y, Wang D, Zhang S, Liu T, Li Y, He W. Organoids: Construction and Application in Gastric Cancer. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050875. [PMID: 37238742 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastric organoids are biological models constructed in vitro using stem cell culture and 3D cell culture techniques, which are the latest research hotspots. The proliferation of stem cells in vitro is the key to gastric organoid models, making the cell subsets within the models more similar to in vivo tissues. Meanwhile, the 3D culture technology also provides a more suitable microenvironment for the cells. Therefore, the gastric organoid models can largely restore the growth condition of cells in terms of morphology and function in vivo. As the most classic organoid models, patient-derived organoids use the patient's own tissues for in vitro culture. This kind of model is responsive to the 'disease information' of a specific patient and has great effect on evaluating the strategies of individualized treatment. Herein, we review the current literature on the establishment of organoid cultures, and also explore organoid translational applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengdong Huo
- Department of the Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730030, China
- Department of Ophthalmology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Xiaoxia Zhang
- Department of the Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730030, China
- Department of Ophthalmology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Yanmei Gu
- Department of the Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Daijun Wang
- Department of the Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Shining Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Department of the Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Yumin Li
- Department of the Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Wenting He
- Department of the Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730030, China
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12
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Jiang J, Hakimjavadi H, Bray JK, Perkins C, Gosling A, daSilva L, Bulut G, Ali J, Setiawan VW, Campbell-Thompson M, Chamala S, Schmittgen TD. Transcriptional Profile of Human Pancreatic Acinar Ductal Metaplasia. GASTRO HEP ADVANCES 2023; 2:532-543. [PMID: 37425649 PMCID: PMC10328139 DOI: 10.1016/j.gastha.2023.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Aberrant acinar to ductal metaplasia (ADM), one of the earliest events involved in exocrine pancreatic cancer development, is typically studied using pancreata from genetically engineered mouse models. METHODS We used primary, human pancreatic acinar cells from organ donors to evaluate the transcriptional and pathway profiles during the course of ADM. RESULTS Following 6 days of three-dimensional culture on Matrigel, acinar cells underwent morphological and molecular changes indicative of ADM. mRNA from 14 donors' paired cells (day 0, acinar phenotype and day 6, ductal phenotype) was subjected to whole transcriptome sequencing. Acinar cell specific genes were significantly downregulated in the samples from the day 6 cultures while ductal cell-specific genes were upregulated. Several regulons of ADM were identified including transcription factors with reduced activity (PTF1A, RBPJL, and BHLHA15) and those ductal and progenitor transcription factors with increased activity (HNF1B, SOX11, and SOX4). Cells with the ductal phenotype contained higher expression of genes increased in pancreatic cancer while cells with an acinar phenotype had lower expression of cancer-associated genes. CONCLUSION Our findings support the relevancy of human in vitro models to study pancreas cancer pathogenesis and exocrine cell plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinmai Jiang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Hesamedin Hakimjavadi
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE), Health Equity Center, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Julie K. Bray
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Corey Perkins
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE), Health Equity Center, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Alyssa Gosling
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Lais daSilva
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Gamze Bulut
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Jamel Ali
- Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE), Health Equity Center, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - V. Wendy Setiawan
- Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE), Health Equity Center, Gainesville, Florida
- Department of Epidemiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Martha Campbell-Thompson
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE), Health Equity Center, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Srikar Chamala
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE), Health Equity Center, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Thomas D. Schmittgen
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE), Health Equity Center, Gainesville, Florida
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13
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Otto R, Detjen KM, Riemer P, Fattohi M, Grötzinger C, Rindi G, Wiedenmann B, Sers C, Leser U. Transcriptomic Deconvolution of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms Predicts Clinically Relevant Characteristics. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15030936. [PMID: 36765893 PMCID: PMC9913692 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030936] [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: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (panNENs) are a rare yet diverse type of neoplasia whose precise clinical-pathological classification is frequently challenging. Since incorrect classifications can affect treatment decisions, additional tools which support the diagnosis, such as machine learning (ML) techniques, are critically needed but generally unavailable due to the scarcity of suitable ML training data for rare panNENs. Here, we demonstrate that a multi-step ML framework predicts clinically relevant panNEN characteristics while being exclusively trained on widely available data of a healthy origin. The approach classifies panNENs by deconvolving their transcriptomes into cell type proportions based on shared gene expression profiles with healthy pancreatic cell types. The deconvolution results were found to provide a prognostic value with respect to the prediction of the overall patient survival time, neoplastic grading, and carcinoma versus tumor subclassification. The performance with which a proliferation rate agnostic deconvolution ML model could predict the clinical characteristics was found to be comparable to that of a comparative baseline model trained on the proliferation rate-informed MKI67 levels. The approach is novel in that it complements established proliferation rate-oriented classification schemes whose results can be reproduced and further refined by differentiating between identically graded subgroups. By including non-endocrine cell types, the deconvolution approach furthermore provides an in silico quantification of panNEN dedifferentiation, optimizing it for challenging clinical classification tasks in more aggressive panNEN subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raik Otto
- Knowledge Management in Bioinformatics, Institute for Computer Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-030-2093-3086
| | - Katharina M. Detjen
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum and Campus Charité Mitte, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Pamela Riemer
- Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology and Systems Biology, Institute of Pathology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Melanie Fattohi
- Knowledge Management in Bioinformatics, Institute for Computer Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - Carsten Grötzinger
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum and Campus Charité Mitte, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Guido Rindi
- Section of Anatomic Pathology, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy
- Anatomic Pathology Unit, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Roma, Italy
| | - Bertram Wiedenmann
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum and Campus Charité Mitte, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christine Sers
- Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology and Systems Biology, Institute of Pathology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ulf Leser
- Knowledge Management in Bioinformatics, Institute for Computer Science, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
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14
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da Silva L, Jiang J, Perkins C, Atanasova KR, Bray JK, Bulut G, Azevedo-Pouly A, Campbell-Thompson M, Yang X, Hakimjavadi H, Chamala S, Ratnayake R, Gharaibeh RZ, Li C, Luesch H, Schmittgen TD. Pharmacological inhibition and reversal of pancreatic acinar ductal metaplasia. Cell Death Discov 2022; 8:378. [PMID: 36055991 PMCID: PMC9440259 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-022-01165-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic acinar cells display a remarkable degree of plasticity and can dedifferentiate into ductal-like progenitor cells by a process known as acinar ductal metaplasia (ADM). ADM is believed to be one of the earliest precursor lesions toward the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and maintaining the pancreatic acinar cell phenotype suppresses tumor formation. The effects of a novel pStat3 inhibitor (LLL12B) and the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) were investigated using 3-D cultures from p48Cre/+ and p48Cre/+LSL-KrasG12D/+ (KC) mice. LLL12B and TSA inhibited ADM in both KC and p48Cre/+ mouse pancreatic organoids. Furthermore, treatment with LLL12B or TSA on dedifferentiated acini from p48Cre/+ and KC mice that had undergone ADM produced morphologic and gene expression changes that suggest a reversal of ADM. Validation experiments using qRT-PCR (p48Cre/+ and KC) and RNA sequencing (KC) of the LLL12B and TSA treated cultures showed that the ADM reversal was more robust for the TSA treatments. Pathway analysis showed that TSA inhibited Spink1 and PI3K/AKT signaling during ADM reversal. The ability of TSA to reverse ADM was also observed in primary human acinar cultures. We report that pStat3 and HDAC inhibition can attenuate ADM in vitro and reverse ADM in the context of wild-type Kras. Our findings suggest that pharmacological inhibition or reversal of pancreatic ADM represents a potential therapeutic strategy for blocking aberrant ductal reprogramming of acinar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lais da Silva
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jinmai Jiang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Corey Perkins
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kalina Rosenova Atanasova
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Julie K Bray
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Gamze Bulut
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ana Azevedo-Pouly
- Department of Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Martha Campbell-Thompson
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Xiaozhi Yang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hesamedin Hakimjavadi
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Srikar Chamala
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ranjala Ratnayake
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Raad Z Gharaibeh
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Chenglong Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hendrik Luesch
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Thomas D Schmittgen
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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15
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Abstract
The pancreatic β-cells are essential for regulating glucose homeostasis through the coordinated release of the insulin hormone. Dysfunction of the highly specialized β-cells results in diabetes mellitus, a growing global health epidemic. In this review, we describe the development and function of β-cells the emerging concept of heterogeneity within insulin-producing cells, and the potential of other cell types to assume β-cell functionality via transdifferentiation. We also discuss emerging routes to design cells with minimal β-cell properties and human stem cell differentiation efforts that carry the promise to restore normoglycemia in patients suffering from diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natanya Kerper
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Sudipta Ashe
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Matthias Hebrok
- Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
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16
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Goyal M, Serrano G, Argemi J, Shomorony I, Hernaez M, Ochoa I. JIND: Joint Integration and Discrimination for Automated Single-Cell Annotation. Bioinformatics 2022; 38:2488-2495. [PMID: 35253844 PMCID: PMC9278043 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btac140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION An important step in the transcriptomic analysis of individual cells involves manually determining the cellular identities. To ease this labor-intensive annotation of cell-types, there has been a growing interest in automated cell annotation, which can be achieved by training classification algorithms on previously annotated datasets. Existing pipelines employ dataset integration methods in order to remove potential batch effects between source (annotated) and target (unannotated) datasets. However, the integration and classification steps are usually independent of each other and performed by different tools. We propose JIND, a neural-network-based framework for automated cell-type identification that performs integration in a space suitably chosen to facilitate cell classification. To account for batch effects, JIND performs a novel asymmetric alignment in which unseen cells are mapped onto the previously learned latent space, avoiding the need of retraining the classification model for new datasets. JIND also learns cell-type-specific confidence thresholds to identify cells that cannot be reliably classified. RESULTS We show on several batched datasets that the joint approach to integration and classification of JIND outperforms in accuracy existing pipelines, and a smaller fraction of cells is rejected as unlabeled as a result of the cell-specific confidence thresholds. Moreover, we investigate cells misclassified by JIND and provide evidence suggesting that they could be due to outliers in the annotated datasets or errors in the original approach used for annotation of the target batch. AVAILABILITY Implementation for JIND is available at https://github.com/mohit1997/JIND and at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6246322. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Goyal
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Guillermo Serrano
- Computational Biology Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Josepmaria Argemi
- Center for Liver Diseases, Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Madrid, Spain.,Liver Unit, Clinica Universitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Hepatology Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ilan Shomorony
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Mikel Hernaez
- Computational Biology Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.,Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Institute (DATAI), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Idoia Ochoa
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.,Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Institute (DATAI), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Department of Electrical Engineering, Tecnun, University of Navarra, Donostia, Spain
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17
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Parte S, Nimmakayala RK, Batra SK, Ponnusamy MP. Acinar to ductal cell trans-differentiation: A prelude to dysplasia and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188669. [PMID: 34915061 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2021.188669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the deadliest neoplastic epithelial malignancies and is projected to be the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality by 2024. Five years overall survival being ~10%, mortality and incidence rates are disturbing. Acinar to ductal cell metaplasia (ADM) encompasses cellular reprogramming and phenotypic switch-over, making it a cardinal event in tumor initiation. Differential cues and varied regulatory factors drive synchronous functions of metaplastic cell populations leading to multiple cell fates and physiological outcomes. ADM is a precursor for developing early pre-neoplastic lesions further progressing into PC due to oncogenic signaling. Hence delineating molecular events guiding tumor initiation may provide cues for regenerative medicine and precision onco-medicine. Therefore, understanding PC pathogenesis and early diagnosis are crucial. We hereby provide a timely overview of the current progress in this direction and future perspectives we foresee unfolding in the best interest of patient well-being and better clinical management of PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seema Parte
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA
| | - Rama Krishna Nimmakayala
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA
| | - Surinder K Batra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA; Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
| | - Moorthy P Ponnusamy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5870, USA; Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
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18
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Backx E, Coolens K, Van den Bossche JL, Houbracken I, Espinet E, Rooman I. On the Origin of Pancreatic Cancer: Molecular Tumor Subtypes in Perspective of Exocrine Cell Plasticity. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 13:1243-1253. [PMID: 34875393 PMCID: PMC8881661 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2021.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating type of cancer. While many studies have shed light into the pathobiology of PDAC, the nature of PDAC's cell of origin remains under debate. Studies in adult pancreatic tissue have unveiled a remarkable exocrine cell plasticity including transitional states, mostly exemplified by acinar to ductal cell metaplasia, but also with recent evidence hinting at duct to basal cell transitions. Single-cell RNA sequencing has further revealed intrapopulation heterogeneity among acinar and duct cells. Transcriptomic and epigenomic relationships between these exocrine cell differentiation states and PDAC molecular subtypes have started to emerge, suggesting different ontogenies for different tumor subtypes. This review sheds light on these diverse aspects with particular focus on studies with human cells. Understanding the "masked ball" of exocrine cells at origin of PDAC and leaving behind the binary acinar vs duct cell classification may significantly advance our insights in PDAC biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyne Backx
- Laboratory of Medical and Molecular Oncology, Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Katarina Coolens
- Laboratory of Medical and Molecular Oncology, Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jan-Lars Van den Bossche
- Laboratory of Medical and Molecular Oncology, Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Isabelle Houbracken
- Laboratory of Medical and Molecular Oncology, Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elisa Espinet
- Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine, Heidelberg, Germany; Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ilse Rooman
- Laboratory of Medical and Molecular Oncology, Oncology Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
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19
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MECOM permits pancreatic acinar cell dedifferentiation avoiding cell death under stress conditions. Cell Death Differ 2021; 28:2601-2615. [PMID: 33762742 PMCID: PMC8408219 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-021-00771-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Maintenance of the pancreatic acinar cell phenotype suppresses tumor formation. Hence, repetitive acute or chronic pancreatitis, stress conditions in which the acinar cells dedifferentiate, predispose for cancer formation in the pancreas. Dedifferentiated acinar cells acquire a large panel of duct cell-specific markers. However, it remains unclear to what extent dedifferentiated acini differ from native duct cells and which genes are uniquely regulating acinar cell dedifferentiation. Moreover, most studies have been performed on mice since the availability of human cells is scarce. Here, we applied a non-genetic lineage tracing method of human pancreatic exocrine acinar and duct cells that allowed cell-type-specific gene expression profiling by RNA sequencing. Subsequent to this discovery analysis, one transcription factor that was unique for dedifferentiated acinar cells was functionally characterized. RNA sequencing analysis showed that human dedifferentiated acinar cells expressed genes in "Pathways of cancer" with a prominence of MECOM (EVI-1), a transcription factor that was not expressed by duct cells. During mouse embryonic development, pre-acinar cells also transiently expressed MECOM and in the adult mouse pancreas, MECOM was re-expressed when mice were subjected to acute and chronic pancreatitis, conditions in which acinar cells dedifferentiate. In human cells and in mice, MECOM expression correlated with and was directly regulated by SOX9. Mouse acinar cells that, by genetic manipulation, lose the ability to upregulate MECOM showed impaired cell adhesion, more prominent acinar cell death, and suppressed acinar cell dedifferentiation by limited ERK signaling. In conclusion, we transcriptionally profiled the two major human pancreatic exocrine cell types, acinar and duct cells, during experimental stress conditions. We provide insights that in dedifferentiated acinar cells, cancer pathways are upregulated in which MECOM is a critical regulator that suppresses acinar cell death by permitting cellular dedifferentiation.
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20
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He J, Zhang X, Xia X, Han M, Li F, Li C, Li Y, Gao D. Organoid technology for tissue engineering. J Mol Cell Biol 2021; 12:569-579. [PMID: 32249317 PMCID: PMC7683016 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjaa012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2019] [Revised: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
For centuries, attempts have been continuously made to artificially reconstitute counterparts of in vivo organs from their tissues or cells. Only in the recent decade has organoid technology as a whole technological field systematically emerged and been shown to play important roles in tissue engineering. Based on their self-organizing capacities, stem cells of versatile organs, both harvested and induced, can form 3D structures that are structurally and functionally similar to their in vivo counterparts. These organoid models provide a powerful platform for elucidating the development mechanisms, modeling diseases, and screening drug candidates. In this review, we will summarize the advances of this technology for generating various organoids of tissues from the three germ layers and discuss their drawbacks and prospects for tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan He
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xinyi Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Ming Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Fei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Chunfeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yunguang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Dong Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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21
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Gopalan V, Singh A, Rashidi Mehrabadi F, Wang L, Ruppin E, Arda HE, Hannenhalli S. A Transcriptionally Distinct Subpopulation of Healthy Acinar Cells Exhibit Features of Pancreatic Progenitors and PDAC. Cancer Res 2021; 81:3958-3970. [PMID: 34049974 PMCID: PMC8338776 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-0427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumors can originate either from acinar or ductal cells in the adult pancreas. We re-analyze multiple pancreas and PDAC single-cell RNA-seq datasets and find a subset of nonmalignant acinar cells, which we refer to as acinar edge (AE) cells, whose transcriptomes highly diverge from a typical acinar cell in each dataset. Genes upregulated among AE cells are enriched for transcriptomic signatures of pancreatic progenitors, acinar dedifferentiation, and several oncogenic programs. AE-upregulated genes are upregulated in human PDAC tumors, and consistently, their promoters are hypomethylated. High expression of these genes is associated with poor patient survival. The fraction of AE-like cells increases with age in healthy pancreatic tissue, which is not explained by clonal mutations, thus pointing to a nongenetic source of variation. The fraction of AE-like cells is also significantly higher in human pancreatitis samples. Finally, we find edge-like states in lung, liver, prostate, and colon tissues, suggesting that subpopulations of healthy cells across tissues can exist in pre-neoplastic states. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings show "edge" epithelial cell states with oncogenic transcriptional activity in human organs without oncogenic mutations. In the pancreas, the fraction of acinar cells increases with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishaka Gopalan
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
| | - Arashdeep Singh
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Farid Rashidi Mehrabadi
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
- Department of Computer Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - Li Wang
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Eytan Ruppin
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - H Efsun Arda
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Sridhar Hannenhalli
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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22
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Novak I, Yu H, Magni L, Deshar G. Purinergic Signaling in Pancreas-From Physiology to Therapeutic Strategies in Pancreatic Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E8781. [PMID: 33233631 PMCID: PMC7699721 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The purinergic signaling has an important role in regulating pancreatic exocrine secretion. The exocrine pancreas is also a site of one of the most serious cancer forms, the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we explore how the network of purinergic and adenosine receptors, as well as ecto-nucleotidases regulate normal pancreatic cells and various cells within the pancreatic tumor microenvironment. In particular, we focus on the P2X7 receptor, P2Y2 and P2Y12 receptors, as well as A2 receptors and ecto-nucleotidases CD39 and CD73. Recent studies indicate that targeting one or more of these candidates could present new therapeutic approaches to treat pancreatic cancer. In pancreatic cancer, as much as possible of normal pancreatic function should be preserved, and therefore physiology of purinergic signaling in pancreas needs to be considered.
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MESH Headings
- 5'-Nucleotidase/genetics
- 5'-Nucleotidase/immunology
- Animals
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/therapeutic use
- Apyrase/genetics
- Apyrase/immunology
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/drug therapy
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/genetics
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/immunology
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/pathology
- Clinical Trials as Topic
- GPI-Linked Proteins/genetics
- GPI-Linked Proteins/immunology
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/immunology
- Humans
- Immunotherapy/methods
- Pancreas/drug effects
- Pancreas/immunology
- Pancreas/pathology
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/genetics
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/immunology
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology
- Pancreatic Stellate Cells/drug effects
- Pancreatic Stellate Cells/immunology
- Pancreatic Stellate Cells/pathology
- Receptors, Adenosine A2/genetics
- Receptors, Adenosine A2/immunology
- Receptors, Purinergic P2X7/genetics
- Receptors, Purinergic P2X7/immunology
- Receptors, Purinergic P2Y12/genetics
- Receptors, Purinergic P2Y12/immunology
- Receptors, Purinergic P2Y2/genetics
- Receptors, Purinergic P2Y2/immunology
- Signal Transduction/genetics
- Signal Transduction/immunology
- Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects
- Tumor Microenvironment/genetics
- Tumor Microenvironment/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Novak
- Section for Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark; (H.Y.); (L.M.); (G.D.)
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23
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Espinet E, Gu Z, Imbusch CD, Giese NA, Büscher M, Safavi M, Weisenburger S, Klein C, Vogel V, Falcone M, Insua-Rodríguez J, Reitberger M, Thiel V, Kossi SO, Muckenhuber A, Sarai K, Lee AYL, Backx E, Zarei S, Gaida MM, Rodríguez-Paredes M, Donato E, Yen HY, Eils R, Schlesner M, Pfarr N, Hackert T, Plass C, Brors B, Steiger K, Weichenhan D, Arda HE, Rooman I, Kopp JL, Strobel O, Weichert W, Sprick MR, Trumpp A. Aggressive PDACs Show Hypomethylation of Repetitive Elements and the Execution of an Intrinsic IFN Program Linked to a Ductal Cell of Origin. Cancer Discov 2020; 11:638-659. [PMID: 33060108 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-20-1202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by extensive desmoplasia, which challenges the molecular analyses of bulk tumor samples. Here we FACS-purified epithelial cells from human PDAC and normal pancreas and derived their genome-wide transcriptome and DNA methylome landscapes. Clustering based on DNA methylation revealed two distinct PDAC groups displaying different methylation patterns at regions encoding repeat elements. Methylationlow tumors are characterized by higher expression of endogenous retroviral transcripts and double-stranded RNA sensors, which lead to a cell-intrinsic activation of an interferon signature (IFNsign). This results in a protumorigenic microenvironment and poor patient outcome. Methylationlow/IFNsignhigh and Methylationhigh/IFNsignlow PDAC cells preserve lineage traits, respective of normal ductal or acinar pancreatic cells. Moreover, ductal-derived Kras G12D/Trp53 -/- mouse PDACs show higher expression of IFNsign compared with acinar-derived counterparts. Collectively, our data point to two different origins and etiologies of human PDACs, with the aggressive Methylationlow/IFNsignhigh subtype potentially targetable by agents blocking intrinsic IFN signaling. SIGNIFICANCE: The mutational landscapes of PDAC alone cannot explain the observed interpatient heterogeneity. We identified two PDAC subtypes characterized by differential DNA methylation, preserving traits from normal ductal/acinar cells associated with IFN signaling. Our work suggests that epigenetic traits and the cell of origin contribute to PDAC heterogeneity.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 521.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Espinet
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Zuguang Gu
- Bioinformatics and Omics Data Analytics, DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg Center for Personalized Oncology (DKFZ-HIPO), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Charles D Imbusch
- Division of Applied Bioinformatics, DKFZ and NCT, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nathalia A Giese
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Magdalena Büscher
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mariam Safavi
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Silke Weisenburger
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Corinna Klein
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vanessa Vogel
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mattia Falcone
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jacob Insua-Rodríguez
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Manuel Reitberger
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vera Thiel
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Steffi O Kossi
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Karnjit Sarai
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alex Y L Lee
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Elyne Backx
- Laboratory of Molecular and Medical Oncology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Soheila Zarei
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Matthias M Gaida
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center JGU Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Elisa Donato
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hsi-Yu Yen
- Institute of Pathology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Roland Eils
- Heidelberg Center for Personalized Oncology (DKFZ-HIPO), Heidelberg, Germany.,Digital Health Centre, Berlin Institute of Health and Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Health Data Science Unit, University Hospital and University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Nicole Pfarr
- Institute of Pathology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Thilo Hackert
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Benedikt Brors
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Applied Bioinformatics, DKFZ and NCT, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Steiger
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute of Pathology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Dieter Weichenhan
- Heidelberg Center for Personalized Oncology (DKFZ-HIPO), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - H Efsun Arda
- Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression, Center of Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Ilse Rooman
- Laboratory of Molecular and Medical Oncology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Janel L Kopp
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Science Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Oliver Strobel
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,National Center of Tumor Diseases, NCT, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wilko Weichert
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute of Pathology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin R Sprick
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreas Trumpp
- HI-STEM-Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
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24
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Sawangmake C, Rodprasert W, Osathanon T, Pavasant P. Integrative protocols for an in vitro generation of pancreatic progenitors from human dental pulp stem cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 530:222-229. [PMID: 32828290 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.06.145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Efficiency of the induction protocol is crucial for the generation of insulin-producing cells (IPCs) from human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). Here, we established the integrative induction protocol by merging genetic manipulation technique with our previous published 3-step induction protocol aiming to enhance the pancreatic progenitor commitment and production yield. We found that the overexpression of PDX1 following with 3-step induction protocol were able to generate the 3-dimensional (3D) colony structure of pancreatic progenitors (PPs) with the beneficial trends of pancreatic endoderm commitment and production yield, while other protocols using the prolong maintenance of PDX1-overexpressed hDPSCs and the PDX1 overexpression after definitive endoderm induction were unable to generate and sustain the 3D structure of the colonies. Further Notch signaling manipulation by DAPT treatment showed lesser degree of positive effects on progenitor commitment and production yield. Although the generated PPs from the integrative protocol expressed pancreatic mRNA markers along with pro-insulin and insulin proteins, they still contained the defective glucose-responsive C-peptide secretion. Only basal secreted C-peptide level was observed. In summary, the integrative induction protocol potentially enhanced the PP generation with high colony production yield and could serve as an efficient platform for further hDPSC-derived IPC production and maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenphop Sawangmake
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Veterinary Clinical Stem Cell and Bioengineering Research Unit, Veterinary Stem Cell and Bioengineering Innovation Center (VSCBIC), Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Watchareewan Rodprasert
- Veterinary Clinical Stem Cell and Bioengineering Research Unit, Veterinary Stem Cell and Bioengineering Innovation Center (VSCBIC), Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Thanaphum Osathanon
- Department of Anatomy, Center of Excellence for Regenerative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Prasit Pavasant
- Department of Anatomy, Center of Excellence for Regenerative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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25
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Adult Pancreatic Acinar Progenitor-like Populations in Regeneration and Cancer. Trends Mol Med 2020; 26:758-767. [PMID: 32362534 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The bulk of the pancreas primarily comprises long-lived acinar cells that are not considered a bona fide source for stem cells. However, certain acinar subpopulations have a repopulating capacity during regeneration, raising the hypothesis as to the presence of regenerative progenitor-like populations in the adult pancreas. Here, we describe recent discoveries based on fate-mapping techniques that support the existence of progenitor-like acinar subpopulations, including active progenitor-like cells that maintain tissue homeostasis and facultative progenitor-like cells that drive tissue regeneration. A possible link between progenitor-like acinar cells and cancer initiators is proposed. Further analysis of these cellular components is needed, because it would help uncover possible cellular sources for regeneration and cancer, as well as potential targets for therapy.
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26
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Single-cell resolution analysis of the human pancreatic ductal progenitor cell niche. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:10876-10887. [PMID: 32354994 PMCID: PMC7245071 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1918314117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The existence of progenitors within pancreatic ducts has been studied for decades, but the hypothesis that they may help regenerate the adult endocrine compartment (chiefly insulin-producing β-cells) remains contentious. Here, we examine the single-cell transcriptome of the human ductal tree. Our data confirm the paradigm-shifting notion that specific lineages, long thought to be cast in stone, are in fact in a state of flux between differentiation stages. In addition to pro-ductal and pro-acinar transcriptomic gradients, our analysis suggests the existence of a third (ducto-endocrine) differentiation axis. Such prediction was experimentally validated by transplanting sorted progenitor-like cells, which revealed their tri-lineage differentiation potential. Our findings further indicate that progenitors might be activated in situ for therapeutic purposes. We have described multipotent progenitor-like cells within the major pancreatic ducts (MPDs) of the human pancreas. They express PDX1, its surrogate surface marker P2RY1, and the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor 1A (BMPR1A)/activin-like kinase 3 (ALK3), but not carbonic anhydrase II (CAII). Here we report the single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of ALK3bright+-sorted ductal cells, a fraction that harbors BMP-responsive progenitor-like cells. Our analysis unveiled the existence of multiple subpopulations along two major axes, one that encompasses a gradient of ductal cell differentiation stages, and another featuring cells with transitional phenotypes toward acinar tissue. A third potential ducto-endocrine axis is revealed upon integration of the ALK3bright+ dataset with a single-cell whole-pancreas transcriptome. When transplanted into immunodeficient mice, P2RY1+/ALK3bright+ populations (enriched in PDX1+/ALK3+/CAII− cells) differentiate into all pancreatic lineages, including functional β-cells. This process is accelerated when hosts are treated systemically with an ALK3 agonist. We found PDX1+/ALK3+/CAII− progenitor-like cells in the MPDs of types 1 and 2 diabetes donors, regardless of the duration of the disease. Our findings open the door to the pharmacological activation of progenitor cells in situ.
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27
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Hakobyan D, Médina C, Dusserre N, Stachowicz ML, Handschin C, Fricain JC, Guillermet-Guibert J, Oliveira H. Laser-assisted 3D bioprinting of exocrine pancreas spheroid models for cancer initiation study. Biofabrication 2020; 12:035001. [PMID: 32131058 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ab7cb8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common malignancy of the pancreas. It has shown a poor prognosis and a rising incidence in the developed world. Other pathologies associated with this tissue include pancreatitis, a risk condition for pancreatic cancer. The onset of both pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer follows a common pattern: exocrine pancreatic acinar cells undergo a transdifferentiation to duct cells that triggers a 3D restructuration of the pancreatic tissue. However, the exact mechanism underlying this process remains partially undefined. Further understanding the cellular events leading to PDAC could open new avenues in the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Since current 2D cell culture models fail to mimic the tridimensional complexity of the pancreatic tissue, new in vitro models are urgently needed. Here, we generated 3D pancreatic cell spheroid arrays using laser-assisted bioprinting and characterized their phenotypic evolution over time through image analysis and phenotypic characterization. We show that these bioprinted spheroids, composed of both acinar and ductal cells, can replicate the initial stages of PDAC development. This bioprinted miniaturized spheroid-based array model should prove useful for the study of the internal and external factors that contribute to the formation of precursor PDAC lesions and to cancer progression, and may therefore shed light on future PDAC therapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davit Hakobyan
- Bioingénierie tissulaire, Université de Bordeaux, 146, rue Léo Saignat 33076, Bordeaux, France. Bioingénierie tissulaire, Inserm U1026, 146, rue Léo Saignat 33076, Bordeaux, France. Both authors have contributed equally to this work
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