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Fioretzaki R, Sarantis P, Charalampakis N, Christofidis K, Mylonakis A, Koustas E, Karamouzis MV, Sakellariou S, Schizas D. Progastrin: An Overview of Its Crucial Role in the Tumorigenesis of Gastrointestinal Cancers. Biomedicines 2024; 12:885. [PMID: 38672239 PMCID: PMC11047876 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12040885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Defining predictive biomarkers for targeted therapies and optimizing anti-tumor immune response is a main challenge in ongoing investigations. Progastrin has been studied as a potential biomarker for detecting and diagnosing various malignancies, and its secretion has been associated with cell proliferation in the gastrointestinal tract that may promote tumorigenesis. Progastrin is a precursor molecule of gastrin, synthesized as pre-progastrin, converted to progastrin after cleavage, and transformed into amidated gastrin via biosynthetic intermediates. In cancer, progastrin does not maturate in gastrin and becomes a circulating and detectable protein (hPG80). The development of cancer is thought to be dependent on the progressive dysregulation of normal signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, thus conferring a growth advantage to the cells. Understanding the interaction between progastrin and the immune system is essential for developing future cancer strategies. To that end, the present review will approach the interlink between gastrointestinal cancers and progastrin by exploring the underlying molecular steps involved in the initiation, evolution, and progression of gastrointestinal cancers. Finally, this review will focus on the clinical applications of progastrin and investigate its possible use as a diagnostic and prognostic tumor circulating biomarker for disease progression and treatment effectiveness, as well as its potential role as an innovative cancer target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodanthi Fioretzaki
- First Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laikon General Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; (R.F.); (A.M.); (D.S.)
| | - Panagiotis Sarantis
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (P.S.); (M.V.K.)
| | - Nikolaos Charalampakis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Metaxa Cancer Hospital of Piraeus, 18537 Piraeus, Greece;
| | - Konstantinos Christofidis
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (K.C.); (S.S.)
| | - Adam Mylonakis
- First Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laikon General Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; (R.F.); (A.M.); (D.S.)
| | - Evangelos Koustas
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (P.S.); (M.V.K.)
| | - Michalis V. Karamouzis
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (P.S.); (M.V.K.)
| | - Stratigoula Sakellariou
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (K.C.); (S.S.)
| | - Dimitrios Schizas
- First Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laikon General Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; (R.F.); (A.M.); (D.S.)
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Sharma S, Ehrlich M, Zhang M, Blobe GC, Henis YI. NRP1 interacts with endoglin and VEGFR2 to modulate VEGF signaling and endothelial cell sprouting. Commun Biol 2024; 7:112. [PMID: 38242992 PMCID: PMC10799020 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05798-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Endothelial cells express neuropilin 1 (NRP1), endoglin (ENG) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), which regulate VEGF-A-mediated vascular development and angiogenesis. However, the link between complex formation among these receptors with VEGF-A-induced signaling and biology is yet unclear. Here, we quantify surface receptor interactions by IgG-mediated immobilization of one receptor, and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) measurements of the mobility of another coexpressed receptor. We observe stable ENG/NRP1, ENG/VEGFR2, and NRP1/VEGFR2 complexes, which are enhanced by VEGF-A. ENG augments NRP1/VEGFR2 interactions, suggesting formation of tripartite complexes bridged by ENG. Effects on signaling are measured in murine embryonic endothelial cells expressing (MEEC+/+) or lacking (MEEC-/-) ENG, along with NRP1 and/or ENG overexpression or knockdown. We find that optimal VEGF-A-mediated phosphorylation of VEGFR2 and Erk1/2 requires ENG and NRP1. ENG or NRP1 increase VEGF-A-induced sprouting, becoming optimal in cells expressing all three receptors, and both processes are inhibited by a MEK1/2 inhibitor. We propose a model where the maximal potency of VEGF-A involves a tripartite complex where ENG bridges VEGFR2 and NRP1, providing an attractive therapeutic target for modulation of VEGF-A signaling and biological responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Sharma
- Department of Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Marcelo Ehrlich
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Manqi Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Gerard C Blobe
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Yoav I Henis
- Department of Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
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Cerdà P, Castillo SD, Aguilera C, Iriarte A, Rocamora JL, Larrinaga AM, Viñals F, Graupera M, Riera-Mestre A. New genetic drivers in hemorrhagic hereditary telangiectasia. Eur J Intern Med 2024; 119:99-108. [PMID: 37689549 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejim.2023.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare vascular disease inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Disease-causing variants in endoglin (ENG) and activin A receptor type II-like 1 (ACVRL1) genes are detected in around 90% of the patients; also 2% of patients harbor pathogenic variants at SMAD4 and GDF2. Importantly, the genetic cause of 8% of patients with clinical HHT remains unknown. Here, we present new putative genetic drivers of HHT. METHODS To identify new HHT genetic drivers, we performed exome sequencing of 19 HHT patients and relatives with unknown HHT genetic etiology. We applied a multistep filtration strategy to catalog deleterious variants and prioritize gene candidates based on their known relevance in endothelial cell biology. Additionally, we performed in vitro validation of one of the identified variants. RESULTS We identified variants in the INHA, HIF1A, JAK2, DNM2, POSTN, ANGPTL4, FOXO1 and SMAD6 genes as putative drivers in HHT. We have identified the SMAD6 p.(Glu407Lys) variant in one of the families; this is a loss-of-function variant leading to the activation of the BMP/TGFβ signaling in endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS Variants in these genes should be considered for genetic testing in patients with HHT phenotype and negative for ACVRL1/ENG mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pau Cerdà
- HHT Unit, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sandra D Castillo
- Endothelial Pathobiology and Microenvironment Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
| | - Cinthia Aguilera
- HHT Unit, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Genetics Laboratory, Laboratori Clínic Territorial Metropolitana Sud, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Adriana Iriarte
- HHT Unit, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Luis Rocamora
- HHT Unit, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Molecular Signaling Group, Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapy in Oncology Program (Oncobell), Institut d'Investigacio Biomedica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ane M Larrinaga
- Endothelial Pathobiology and Microenvironment Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
| | - Francesc Viñals
- Molecular Signaling Group, Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapy in Oncology Program (Oncobell), Institut d'Investigacio Biomedica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Institut Catala d'Oncologia (ICO), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Mariona Graupera
- Endothelial Pathobiology and Microenvironment Group, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Badalona, Spain; CIBERONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; ICREA, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antoni Riera-Mestre
- HHT Unit, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain; Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
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Evans ET, Horst B, Arend RC, Mythreye K. Evolving roles of activins and inhibins in ovarian cancer pathophysiology. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2023; 324:C428-C437. [PMID: 36622068 PMCID: PMC9902228 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00178.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Activins and inhibins are unique members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) family of growth factors, with the ability to exert autocrine, endocrine, and paracrine effects in a wide range of complex physiologic and pathologic processes. Although first isolated within the pituitary, emerging evidence suggests broader influence beyond reproductive development and function. Known roles of activin and inhibin in angiogenesis and immunity along with correlations between gene expression and cancer prognosis suggest potential roles in tumorigenesis. Here, we present a review of the current understanding of the biological role of activins and inhibins as it relates to ovarian cancers, summarizing the underlying signaling mechanisms and physiologic influence, followed by detailing their roles in cancer progression, diagnosis, and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T Evans
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Ben Horst
- Department of Pathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Rebecca C Arend
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Karthikeyan Mythreye
- Department of Pathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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Chavez T, Gerecht S. Engineering of the microenvironment to accelerate vascular regeneration. Trends Mol Med 2023; 29:35-47. [PMID: 36371337 PMCID: PMC9742290 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Blood vessels are crucial for tissue development, functionality, and homeostasis and are typically a determinant in the progression of healing and regeneration. The tissue microenvironment provides physicochemical cues that affect cellular function, and the study of the microenvironment can be accelerated by the engineering of approaches capable of mimicking various aspects of the microenvironment. In this review, we introduce the major components of the vascular niche and focus on the roles of oxygen and the extracellular matrix (ECM). We demonstrate how vascular engineering approaches enhance our understanding of the microenvironment's impact on the vasculature towards vascular regeneration and describe the current limitations and future directions towards clinical utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Chavez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sharon Gerecht
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Cantu A, Gutierrez MC, Dong X, Leek C, Sajti E, Lingappan K. Remarkable sex-specific differences at single-cell resolution in neonatal hyperoxic lung injury. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2023; 324:L5-L31. [PMID: 36283964 PMCID: PMC9799156 DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00269.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to supraphysiological concentrations of oxygen (hyperoxia) predisposes to bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), which is characterized by abnormal alveolarization and pulmonary vascular development, in preterm neonates. Neonatal hyperoxia exposure is used to recapitulate the phenotype of human BPD in murine models. Male sex is considered an independent predictor for the development of BPD, but the main mechanisms underlying sexually dimorphic outcomes are unknown. Our objective was to investigate sex-specific and cell-type specific transcriptional changes that drive injury in the neonatal lung exposed to hyperoxia at single-cell resolution and delineate the changes in cell-cell communication networks in the developing lung. We used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) to generate transcriptional profiles of >35,000 cells isolated from the lungs of neonatal male and female C57BL/6 mice exposed to 95% [Formula: see text] between PND1-5 (saccular stage of lung development) or normoxia and euthanized at PND7 (alveolar stage of lung development). ScRNAseq identified 22 cell clusters with distinct populations of endothelial, epithelial, mesenchymal, and immune cells. Our data identified that the distal lung vascular endothelium (composed of aerocytes and general capillary endothelial cells) is exquisitely sensitive to hyperoxia exposure with the emergence of an intermediate capillary endothelial population with both general capillaries (gCap) and aerocytes or alveolar capillaries (aCap) markers. We also identified a myeloid-derived suppressor cell population from the lung neutrophils. Sex-specific differences were evident in all lung cell subpopulations but were striking among the lung immune cells. Finally, we identified that the specific intercellular communication networks and the ligand-receptor pairs that are impacted by neonatal hyperoxia exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abiud Cantu
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Manuel C Gutierrez
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Xiaoyu Dong
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Connor Leek
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Eniko Sajti
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, La Jolla, California
| | - Krithika Lingappan
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Newfeld SJ, O’Connor MB. New aspects of TGF-β superfamily signaling in development and disease (2022 FASEB meeting review). Fac Rev 2022; 11:36. [PMID: 36644295 PMCID: PMC9816873 DOI: 10.12703/r/11-36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The 13th Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Summer Research Conference, "TGF-β superfamily signaling in development and disease" was convened at the Grand Hotel in Malahide, Ireland in July 2022. The Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) family of secreted proteins consists of agents of intercellular communication found in all multicellular animals. Attending the meeting was a diverse group of scholars with shared interests in understanding TGF-β signaling mechanisms, normal functions, and the diseases associated with misregulation and mutation. Despite intense study over the previous 35 years, new features of TGF-β activity continue to be discovered. This meeting report offers 21 investigator-provided summaries that illustrate the breadth of the thought-provoking presentations. An emerging theme of the meeting was the power of cross-disciplinary studies, such as one combining immunology, biochemistry, and structural biology, to unravel the secrets of parasitic TGF-β mimics. Please join us at the next meeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart J Newfeld
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA
| | - Michael B O’Connor
- Department of Genetics Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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