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Bortoletto S, Nunes-Souza E, Marchi R, Ruthes MO, Okano LM, Tofolo MV, Centa A, Fonseca AS, Rosolen D, Cavalli LR. MicroRNAs role in telomere length maintenance and telomerase activity in tumor cells. J Mol Med (Berl) 2024; 102:1089-1100. [PMID: 39042290 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-024-02467-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
MiRNAs, a class of non-coding RNA molecules, have emerged as critical modulators of telomere length and telomerase activity by finely tuning the expression of target genes (and not gene targets) within signaling pathways involved in telomere homeostasis. The primary objective of this systematic review was to compile and synthesize the existing body of knowledge on the role, association, and involvement of miRNAs in telomere length. Additionally, the review explored the regulation, function, and activation mechanism of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene and telomerase activity in tumor cells. A comprehensive analysis of 47 selected articles revealed 40 distinct miRNAs involved in these processes. These miRNAs were shown to exert their function, in both clinical cases and cell line models, either directly or indirectly, regulating hTERT and telomerase activity through distinct molecular mechanisms. The regulatory roles of these miRNAs significantly affected major cancer phenotypes, with outcomes largely dependent on the tissue type and the cellular actions within the tumor cells, whereby they functioned as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. These findings strongly support the pivotal role of miRNAs in modulating telomere length and telomerase activity, thereby contributing to the intricate and complex regulation of telomere homeostasis in tumor cells. Moreover, they emphasize the potential of targeting miRNAs and key regulatory genes as therapeutic strategies to disrupt cancer cell growth and promote senescence, offering promising avenues for novel cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéfanne Bortoletto
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Emanuelle Nunes-Souza
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Rafael Marchi
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Mayara Oliveira Ruthes
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Larissa M Okano
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Maria Vitoria Tofolo
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Ariana Centa
- Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe (UNIARP), Caçador, SC, Brazil
| | - Aline S Fonseca
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Daiane Rosolen
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Luciane R Cavalli
- Faculdades Pequeno Príncipe, Research Institute Pelé Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
- Oncology Department, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
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Jiang T, Huang J, Xu B, Ge Z, Li Y, Wei L, Yu L, Li J. Human amniotic epithelial stem cell-derived dopaminergic neuron-like cells ameliorate motor dysfunction in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Life Sci 2024; 351:122816. [PMID: 38862064 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Parkinson's disease (PD) remains a substantial clinical challenge due to the progressive loss of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons in nigrostriatal pathway. In this study, human amniotic epithelial stem cells (hAESCs)-derived dopaminergic neuron-like cells (hAESCs-DNLCs) were generated, with the aim of providing new therapeutic approach to PD. MATERIALS AND METHODS hAESCs, which were isolated from discarded placentas, were induced to differentiate into hAESCs-DNLCs by following a "two stages" induction protocol. The differentiation efficiency was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), immunocytochemistry (ICC), and ELISA. Immunogenicity, cell viability and tumorigenicity of hAESCs-DNLC were analyzed before in vivo experiments. Subsequently, hAESCs-DNLCs were transplanted into PD rats, behavioral tests were monitored after graft, and the regeneration of DA neurons was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Furthermore, to trace hAESCs-DNLCs in vivo, cells were pre-labeled with PKH67 green fluorescence. KEY FINDINGS hAESCs were positive for pluripotent markers and highly expressed neural stem cells (NSCs) markers. Based on this, we established an induction method reliably generates hAESCs-DNLCs, which was evidenced by epithelium-to-neuron morphological changes, elevated expressions of neuronal and DA neuronal markers, and increased secretion of dopamine. Moreover, hAESCs-DNLCs maintained high cell viability, no tumorigenicity and low immunogenicity, suggesting hAESCs-DNLCs an attractive implant for PD therapy. Transplantation of hAESCs-DNLCs into PD rats significantly ameliorated motor disorders, as well as enhanced the reinnervation of TH+ DA neurons in nigrostriatal pathway. SIGNIFICANCE Our study has demonstrated evident therapeutic effects of hAESCs-DNLCs, and provides a safe and promising solution for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuoying Jiang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection & College of Life Sciences-iCell Biotechnology Regenerative Biomedicine Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Jianan Huang
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection & College of Life Sciences-iCell Biotechnology Regenerative Biomedicine Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, PR China; Eye Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Institute on Eye Diseases, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Bo Xu
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection & College of Life Sciences-iCell Biotechnology Regenerative Biomedicine Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Zhen Ge
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Yi Li
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection & College of Life Sciences-iCell Biotechnology Regenerative Biomedicine Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Leiting Wei
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection & College of Life Sciences-iCell Biotechnology Regenerative Biomedicine Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Luyang Yu
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection & College of Life Sciences-iCell Biotechnology Regenerative Biomedicine Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, PR China.
| | - Jinying Li
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection & College of Life Sciences-iCell Biotechnology Regenerative Biomedicine Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang Province, PR China; College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Health Industry, Lishui University, Lishui 323000, Zhejiang Province, PR China.
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Haake SM, Rios BL, Pozzi A, Zent R. Integrating integrins with the hallmarks of cancer. Matrix Biol 2024; 130:20-35. [PMID: 38677444 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2024.04.003] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Epithelial cells adhere to a specialized extracellular matrix called the basement membrane which allows them to polarize and form epithelial tissues. The extracellular matrix provides essential physical scaffolding and biochemical and biophysical cues required for tissue morphogenesis, differentiation, function, and homeostasis. Epithelial cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix (i.e., basement membrane) plays a critical role in organizing epithelial tissues, separating the epithelial cells from the stroma. Epithelial cell detachment from the basement membrane classically results in death, though detachment or invasion through the basement membrane represents a critical step in carcinogenesis. Epithelial cells bind to the extracellular matrix via specialized matrix receptors, including integrins. Integrins are transmembrane receptors that form a mechanical linkage between the extracellular matrix and the intracellular cytoskeleton and are required for anchorage-dependent cellular functions such as proliferation, migration, and invasion. The role of integrins in the development, growth, and dissemination of multiple types of carcinomas has been investigated by numerous methodologies, which has led to great complexity. To organize this vast array of information, we have utilized the "Hallmarks of Cancer" from Hanahan and Weinberg as a convenient framework to discuss the role of integrins in the pathogenesis of cancers. This review explores this biology and how its complexity has impacted the development of integrin-targeted anti-cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott M Haake
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Cancer Biology Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Brenda L Rios
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Cancer Biology Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ambra Pozzi
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Roy Zent
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Cancer Biology Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Walker CG, Thayer ZM, Marks EJ, Ly KN, Pillai A, Waldie K, Underwood L, Snell RG, Knowles SD, Cha JE, Morton SMB. Association between maternal depression symptoms and child telomere length. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 174:319-325. [PMID: 38685189 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.04.037] [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: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The biological mechanisms that explain how adverse early life events influence adult disease risk are poorly understood. One proposed mechanism is via the induction of accelerated biological aging, for which telomere length is considered a biomarker. We aimed to determine if maternal depression pre- and post-partum was associated with telomere length in children at 4 years of age (n = 4299). Mothers completed structured questionnaires assessing depression during pregnancy (Edinburgh Depression Scale), at 9 months (Edinburgh Depression Scale), and at 54 months postpartum (Patient Health Questionnaire 9). Regression methods were used to investigate the relationship between telomere length (DNA from saliva) and maternal depression score recorded at each stage. Significant covariates included in the final model were: maternal age at pregnancy; child sex; child ethnicity; gestational age group, and rurality group. Child telomere length was found to be longer if their mother had a higher depression score at both postpartum time points tested (9 months of age; coefficient 0.003, SE = 0.001, P = 0.01, 54 months of age; coefficient 0.003, SE = 0.002, P = 0.02). Although these findings seem paradoxical, increased telomere length may be an adaptive response to early life stressors. We propose several testable hypotheses for these results and to determine if the positive association between depression and telomere length is a developmental adaptation or an indirect consequence of environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline G Walker
- Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua and Growing Up in New Zealand, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Zaneta M Thayer
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Emma J Marks
- Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua and Growing Up in New Zealand, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kien N Ly
- Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua and Growing Up in New Zealand, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Avinesh Pillai
- Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua and Growing Up in New Zealand, University of Auckland, New Zealand; Department of Statistics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Karen Waldie
- Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua and Growing Up in New Zealand, University of Auckland, New Zealand; School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Lisa Underwood
- Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua and Growing Up in New Zealand, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Russell G Snell
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sarah D Knowles
- Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua and Growing Up in New Zealand, University of Auckland, New Zealand; Auckland Museum, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jane E Cha
- Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua and Growing Up in New Zealand, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Susan M B Morton
- Centre for Longitudinal Research - He Ara ki Mua and Growing Up in New Zealand, University of Auckland, New Zealand
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Miliotou E, de Lázaro I. A Youthful Touch: Reversal of Aging Hallmarks by Cell Reprogramming. Cells Tissues Organs 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38768583 DOI: 10.1159/000539415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the elderly population projected to double by 2050, there is an urgent need to address the increasing prevalence of age-related debilitating diseases and ultimately minimize discrepancies between the rising lifespan and stagnant health span. Cellular reprogramming by overexpression of Oct3/4, Klf4, Sox2, and cMyc (OKSM) transcription factors is gaining attention in this context thanks to demonstrated rejuvenating effects in human cell cultures and live mice, many of which can be uncoupled from dedifferentiation and loss of cell identity. SUMMARY Here, we review current evidence of the impact of cell reprogramming on established aging hallmarks and the underlying mechanisms that mediate these effects. We also provide a critical assessment of the challenges in translating these findings and, overall, cell reprogramming technologies into clinically translatable antiaging interventions. KEY MESSAGES Cellular reprogramming has the potential to reverse at least partially some key hallmarks of aging. However, further research is necessary to determine the biological significance and duration of such changes and to ensure the safety of cell reprogramming as a rejuvenation approach. With this review, we hope to stimulate new research directions in the quest to extend health span effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Miliotou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Irene de Lázaro
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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Barade A, Lakshmi KM, Korula A, Abubacker FN, Kulkarni UP, Abraham A, Mathews V, George B, Edison ES. Comparison of telomere length in patients with bone marrow failure syndromes and healthy controls. Eur J Haematol 2024; 112:810-818. [PMID: 38213291 DOI: 10.1111/ejh.14173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION During normal aging, telomeric DNA is gradually lost in dividing somatic cells, and critically short telomeres lead to replicative senescence, apoptosis, or chromosomal instability. We studied telomere length in bone marrow failure syndromes (BMFS) compared to normal healthy population. METHODS Peripheral blood was collected from the participants, and genomic DNA was extracted. Relative telomere length was measured using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS and GraphPad Prism 8.2 software. RESULTS The median age of normal Indian population was 31 (0-60) years. As expected, telomere length (TL) showed a decline with age and no difference in TL between males and females. The median age of 650 patients with aplastic anemia (AA) was 30 (1-60) years. TL was significantly shorter in patients with AA compared to healthy controls (p < .001). In FA and MDS patients, TL was significantly shorter than age-matched healthy controls (p = .028; p < .001), respectively. There was no difference between the median TL in age-matched AA and FA patients (p = .727). However, patients with MDS had shorter TL than age-matched AA (p = .031). CONCLUSION TL in BMF syndrome patients was significantly shorter than age-matched healthy controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aruna Barade
- Department of Haematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
- Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - Kavitha M Lakshmi
- Department of Haematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Anu Korula
- Department of Haematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | | | - Uday P Kulkarni
- Department of Haematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Aby Abraham
- Department of Haematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Vikram Mathews
- Department of Haematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Biju George
- Department of Haematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Eunice S Edison
- Department of Haematology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
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Paul S, McCourt PM, Le LTM, Ryu J, Czaja W, Bode AM, Contreras-Galindo R, Dong Z. Fyn-mediated phosphorylation of Menin disrupts telomere maintenance in stem cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.04.560876. [PMID: 37873235 PMCID: PMC10592958 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.04.560876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Telomeres protect chromosome ends and determine the replication potential of dividing cells. The canonical telomere sequence TTAGGG is synthesized by telomerase holoenzyme, which maintains telomere length in proliferative stem cells. Although the core components of telomerase are well-defined, mechanisms of telomerase regulation are still under investigation. We report a novel role for the Src family kinase Fyn, which disrupts telomere maintenance in stem cells by phosphorylating the scaffold protein Menin. We found that Fyn knockdown prevented telomere erosion in human and mouse stem cells, validating the results with four telomere measurement techniques. We show that Fyn phosphorylates Menin at tyrosine 603 (Y603), which increases Menin's SUMO1 modification, C-terminal stability, and importantly, its association with the telomerase RNA component (TR). Using mass spectrometry, immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence experiments we found that SUMO1-Menin decreases TR's association with telomerase subunit Dyskerin, suggesting that Fyn's phosphorylation of Menin induces telomerase subunit mislocalization and may compromise telomerase function at telomeres. Importantly, we find that Fyn inhibition reduces accelerated telomere shortening in human iPSCs harboring mutations for dyskeratosis congenita.
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Affiliation(s)
- Souren Paul
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN 55912, USA
| | - Preston M. McCourt
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN 55912, USA
| | - Le Thi My Le
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN 55912, USA
| | - Joohyun Ryu
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN 55912, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Wioletta Czaja
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN 55912, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Ann M. Bode
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN 55912, USA
| | - Rafael Contreras-Galindo
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN 55912, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Zigang Dong
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Zhengzhou University, Henan, China 450001
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Sireesha K, Samundeshwari EL, Surekha K, Chandrasekhar C, Sarma PVGK. In vitro generation of epidermal keratinocytes from human CD34-positive hematopoietic stem cells. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2024; 60:236-248. [PMID: 38502372 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-024-00862-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The epidermis is largely composed of keratinocytes (KCs), and the proliferation and differentiation of KCs from the stratum basale to the stratum corneum is the cellular hierarchy present in the epidermis. In this study, we explore the differentiation abilities of human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) into KCs. Cultured HSCs positive for CD34, CD45, and CD133 with prominent telomerase activity were induced with keratinocyte differentiation medium (KDM), which is composed of bovine pituitary extract (BPE), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin, hydrocortisone, epinephrine, transferrin, calcium chloride (CaCl2), bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), and retinoic acid (RA). Differentiation was monitored through the expression of cytokeratin markers K5 (keratin 5), K14 (keratin 14), K10 (keratin 10), K1 (keratin 1), transglutaminase 1 (TGM1), involucrin (IVL), and filaggrin (FLG) on day 0 (D0), day 6 (D6), day 11 (D11), day 18 (D18), day 24 (D24), and day 30 (D30) using immunocytochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, qPCR, and Western blotting. The results revealed the expression of K5 and K14 genes in D6 cells (early keratinocytes), K10 and K1 genes in D11-D18 cells (mature keratinocytes) with active telomerase enzyme, and FLG, IVL, and TGM1 in D18-D24 cells (terminal keratinocytes), and by D30, the KCs were completely enucleated similar to cornified matrix. This method of differentiation of HSCs to KCs explains the cellular order exists in the normal epidermis and opens the possibility of exploring the use of human HSCs in the epidermal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kodavala Sireesha
- Department of Biotechnology, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences and University, Tirupati, 517507, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | | | - Kattaru Surekha
- Department of Biotechnology, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences and University, Tirupati, 517507, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Chodimella Chandrasekhar
- Department of Hematology, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati, 517507, Andhra Pradesh, India
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Shorokhova M, Pugovkina N, Zemelko V, Lyublinskaya O, Grinchuk T. Long-Term Cryopreservation May Cause Genomic Instability and the Premature Senescence of Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1467. [PMID: 38338745 PMCID: PMC10855830 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryopreservation is an essential step for utilizing various cell types for biological research and medical purposes. At the same time, there is a lack of data on the effect of cryopreservation, especially when prolonged, on the karyotype of cells. In the present work, we analyzed the genetic stability of cells subjected to a cryopreservation procedure. The objects were immortalized Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (CHL V-79 RJK line) and human endometrial mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (eMSCs). We showed that short-term cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen for up to 6 months did not affect the karyotype stability of CHL V-79 RJK and eMSCs. On the contrary, karyotyping of G-banded metaphase chromosomes in cells underwent 10-year cryopreservation, which revealed genomic instability in both cell lines associated with the variability of chromosome number in cells, random chromosomal rearrangements, and condensation disorder in homologs. In addition, we found out that long-term cryopreservation of eMSCs does not affect the expression of their typical surface markers and morphology, but results in a significant reduction in proliferative potential and early manifestation of cellular senescence features upon eMSCs culturing. Thus, we concluded that the long-term cryopreservation of cells of different types and biological origin can lead to irreversible changes of their karyotype and acceleration of cellular senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia Shorokhova
- Department of Intracellular Signaling and Transport, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretskii pr. 4, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia; (N.P.); (V.Z.); (O.L.); (T.G.)
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Platzbecker U, Santini V, Fenaux P, Sekeres MA, Savona MR, Madanat YF, Díez-Campelo M, Valcárcel D, Illmer T, Jonášová A, Bělohlávková P, Sherman LJ, Berry T, Dougherty S, Shah S, Xia Q, Sun L, Wan Y, Huang F, Ikin A, Navada S, Feller F, Komrokji RS, Zeidan AM. Imetelstat in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes who have relapsed or are refractory to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (IMerge): a multinational, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet 2024; 403:249-260. [PMID: 38048786 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01724-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unmet medical needs remain in patients with red blood cell transfusion-dependent (RBC-TD) lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS) who are not responding to or are ineligible for erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). Imetelstat, a competitive telomerase inhibitor, showed promising results in a phase 2 trial. We aimed to compare the RBC transfusion independence (RBC-TI) rate with imetelstat versus placebo in patients with RBC-TD LR-MDS. METHODS In phase 3 of IMerge, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted in 118 sites including university hospitals, cancer centres, and outpatient clinics in 17 countries, patients (aged ≥18 years) with ESA-relapsed, ESA-refractory, or ESA-ineligible LR-MDS (low or intermediate-1 risk disease as per International Prognostic Scoring System [IPSS] criteria) were randomly assigned via a computer-generated schedule (2:1) to receive imetelstat 7·5 mg/kg or placebo, administered as a 2-h intravenous infusion, every 4 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxic effects, or withdrawal of consent. Randomisation was stratified by previous RBC transfusion burden and IPSS risk group. Patients, investigators, and those analysing the data were masked to group assignment. The primary endpoint was 8-week RBC-TI, defined as the proportion of patients without RBC transfusions for at least 8 consecutive weeks starting on the day of randomisation until subsequent anti-cancer therapy, if any. Primary efficacy analyses were performed in the intention-to-treat population, and safety analyses were conducted in patients who received at least one dose of trial medication or placebo. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02598661; substudy active and recruiting). FINDINGS Between Sept 11, 2019, and Oct 13, 2021, 178 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned (118 to imetelstat and 60 to placebo). 111 (62%) were male and 67 (38%) were female. 91 (77%) of 118 patients had discontinued treatment by data cutoff in the imetelstat group versus 45 (75%) in the placebo group; a further one patient in the placebo group did not receive treatment. Median follow-up was 19·5 months (IQR 12·0-23·4) in the imetelstat group and 17·5 months (12·1-22·7) in the placebo group. In the imetelstat group, 47 (40% [95% CI 30·9-49·3]) patients had an RBC-TI of at least 8 weeks versus nine (15% [7·1-26·6]) in the placebo group (rate difference 25% [9·9 to 36·9]; p=0·0008). Overall, 107 (91%) of 118 patients receiving imetelstat and 28 (47%) of 59 patients receiving placebo had grade 3-4 treatment-emergent adverse events. The most common treatment-emergent grade 3-4 adverse events in patients taking imetelstat were neutropenia (80 [68%] patients who received imetelstat vs two [3%] who received placebo) and thrombocytopenia (73 [62%] vs five [8%]). No treatment-related deaths were reported. INTERPRETATION Imetelstat offers a novel mechanism of action with durable transfusion independence (approximately 1 year) and disease-modifying activity for heavily transfused patients with LR-MDS who are not responding to or are ineligible for ESAs. FUNDING Janssen Research & Development before April 18, 2019, and Geron Corporation thereafter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Platzbecker
- Department of Hematology, Cellular Therapy, Infectious Diseases, and Hemostaseology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Valeria Santini
- MDS Unit, AOU Careggi, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Pierre Fenaux
- Hôpital Saint-Louis, Université de Paris 7, Paris, France
| | - Mikkael A Sekeres
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Michael R Savona
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yazan F Madanat
- Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Maria Díez-Campelo
- Hematology Department, University Hospital of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain
| | - David Valcárcel
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Anna Jonášová
- 1st Medical Department-Hematology, Charles University General Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Bělohlávková
- 4th Department of Internal Medicine-Haematology, Charles University Hospital, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | | | | | | | | | - Qi Xia
- Geron Corporation, Parsippany, NJ, USA
| | - Libo Sun
- Geron Corporation, Parsippany, NJ, USA
| | - Ying Wan
- Geron Corporation, Parsippany, NJ, USA
| | - Fei Huang
- Geron Corporation, Parsippany, NJ, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Amer M Zeidan
- Section of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine and Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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Minoretti P, Emanuele E. Clinically Actionable Topical Strategies for Addressing the Hallmarks of Skin Aging: A Primer for Aesthetic Medicine Practitioners. Cureus 2024; 16:e52548. [PMID: 38371024 PMCID: PMC10874500 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
In this narrative review, we sought to provide a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms underlying cutaneous senescence, framed by the twelve traditional hallmarks of aging. These include genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, impaired macroautophagy, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, altered intercellular communication, chronic inflammation, and dysbiosis. We also examined how topical interventions targeting these hallmarks can be integrated with conventional aesthetic medicine techniques to enhance skin rejuvenation. The potential of combining targeted topical therapies against the aging hallmarks with minimally invasive procedures represents a significant advancement in aesthetic medicine, offering personalized and effective strategies to combat skin aging. The reviewed evidence paves the way for future advancements and underscores the transformative potential of integrating scientifically validated interventions targeted against aging hallmarks into traditional aesthetic practices.
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12
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Ma C, Li X, Ding W, Zhang X, Chen H, Feng Y. Effects of hTERT transfection on the telomere and telomerase of Periplaneta americana cells in vitro. AMB Express 2023; 13:118. [PMID: 37864620 PMCID: PMC10590340 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-023-01624-w] [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: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere and telomerase are crucial factors in cell division and chromosome stability. Telomerase activity in most cells depends on the transcription control by the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). The introduction of an exogenous human TERT (hTERT) in cultured cells could enhance telomerase activity and elongate the lifespan of various cells. Telomere elongation mechanisms vary between insects and are complex and unusual. Whether the use of exogenous hTERT can immortalize primary insect cells remains to be investigated. In this study, we used a recombinant virus expressing hTERT to infect primary cultured cells of Periplaneta americana and evaluated its effects on insect cell immortalization. We found that hTERT was successfully expressed and promoted the growth of P. americana cells, shortening their doubling time. This was due to the ability of hTERT to increase the activity of telomerase in P. americana cells, thus prolonging the telomeres. Our study lays the foundation for understanding the mechanisms of telomere elongation in P. americana, and suggests that the introduction of hTERT into insect cells could be an efficient way to establish certain insect cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenjing Ma
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650224, China
- Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210037, China
| | - Xian Li
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650224, China
| | - Weifeng Ding
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650224, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650224, China.
| | - Hang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650224, China
| | - Ying Feng
- Key Laboratory of Breeding and Utilization of Resource Insects of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 650224, China
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13
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Scieszka D, Bolt AM, McCormick MA, Brigman JL, Campen MJ. Aging, longevity, and the role of environmental stressors: a focus on wildfire smoke and air quality. FRONTIERS IN TOXICOLOGY 2023; 5:1267667. [PMID: 37900096 PMCID: PMC10600394 DOI: 10.3389/ftox.2023.1267667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging is a complex biological process involving multiple interacting mechanisms and is being increasingly linked to environmental exposures such as wildfire smoke. In this review, we detail the hallmarks of aging, emphasizing the role of telomere attrition, cellular senescence, epigenetic alterations, proteostasis, genomic instability, and mitochondrial dysfunction, while also exploring integrative hallmarks - altered intercellular communication and stem cell exhaustion. Within each hallmark of aging, our review explores how environmental disasters like wildfires, and their resultant inhaled toxicants, interact with these aging mechanisms. The intersection between aging and environmental exposures, especially high-concentration insults from wildfires, remains under-studied. Preliminary evidence, from our group and others, suggests that inhaled wildfire smoke can accelerate markers of neurological aging and reduce learning capabilities. This is likely mediated by the augmentation of circulatory factors that compromise vascular and blood-brain barrier integrity, induce chronic neuroinflammation, and promote age-associated proteinopathy-related outcomes. Moreover, wildfire smoke may induce a reduced metabolic, senescent cellular phenotype. Future interventions could potentially leverage combined anti-inflammatory and NAD + boosting compounds to counter these effects. This review underscores the critical need to study the intricate interplay between environmental factors and the biological mechanisms of aging to pave the way for effective interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Scieszka
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Alicia M. Bolt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Mark A. McCormick
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Jonathan L. Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Matthew J. Campen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
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Long X, Chen W, Liu G, Hu W, Tan Q. Establishment and characterization of a skeletal myoblast cell line of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2023; 49:1043-1061. [PMID: 37782384 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-023-01246-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle myoblastic cell lines can provide a valuable new in vitro model for the exploration of the mechanisms that control skeletal muscle development and its associated molecular regulation. In this study, the skeletal muscle tissues of grass carp were digested with trypsin and collagenase I to obtain the primary myoblast cell culture. Myoblast cells were obtained by differential adherence purification and further analyzed by cryopreservation and resuscitation, chromosome analysis, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence. A continuous grass carp myoblast cell line (named CIM) was established from grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) muscle and has been subcultured > 100 passages in a year and more. The CIM cells revived at 79.78-95.06% viability after 1-6 months of cryopreservation, and shared a population doubling time of 27.24 h. The number of modal chromosomes of CIM cells was 48, and the mitochondrial 12S rRNA sequence of the CIM cell line shared 99% identity with those of grass carp registered in GenBank. No microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, or mycoplasma) were detected during the whole study. The cell type of CIM cells was proven to be myoblast by immunohistochemistry of specific myogenic protein markers, including CD34, desmin, MyoD, and MyHC, as well as relative expression of key genes. And the myogenic rate and fusion index of this cell line after 10 days of induced differentiation were 8.96 ~ 9.42% and 3-24%, respectively. The telomerase activity and transfection efficiency of CIM cell line were 0.027 IU/mgprot and 23 ~ 24%, respectively. These results suggest that a myoblast cell line named CIM with normal biological function has been successfully established, which may provide a valuable tool for related in vitro studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianmei Long
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Engineering Research Center of Green Development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Wangwang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Engineering Research Center of Green Development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Guoqing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Engineering Research Center of Green Development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Wenguang Hu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- Engineering Research Center of Green Development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Qingsong Tan
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
- Engineering Research Center of Green Development for Conventional Aquatic Biological Industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Ministry of Education, Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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15
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Kumar S, Chaaudhary S, Paul P, Verma YK. Exploring STAT3 stimulatory potential of novel wound healing molecules by virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:8292-8306. [PMID: 36264095 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2132295] [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: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
STAT3 signaling is a major intrinsic pathway for cell proliferation owing to its frequent activation in injured tissues. Various STAT3-regulated genes encode cytokines and growth factors, the receptors of which in turn activate the same STAT3 pathways, thereby regulating cell proliferation. In present study, we aimed to analyze several compounds for their wound healing and tissue repair potential by computer-aided virtual screening and Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Based on literature studies, a total of 36 drug molecules were selected having critical functions in wound healing and tissue repair. The pharmacological features (ADME and toxicity) of these molecules were predicted to find lead molecules among them. Further, a comparative study was performed to screen binding efficiency of STAT3 with many conventional wound healers by molecular docking. Among all, W6S, Strychnin, Prednisone and N-(6-(4-(3-(4-((4-Methylpiperazin-1-yl) methyl)-3- (trifluoromethyl)phenyl)ureido)phenoxy)pyrimidin-4-yl)cyclopropanecarboxamide showed best docking with STAT3 protein. The calculated binding energy of these molecules with STAT3 was found to be -8.9 Kca/mol for N-(6-(4-(3-(4-((4-Methylpiperazin-1-yl) methyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl)ureido)phenoxy)pyrimidin-4-yl)cyclopropanecarboxamide, -8.7 Kcal/mol for W6S, -8.5 Kcal/mol for Strychnine and -8.4 Kcal/mol for Prednisone . The result was reconsidered for MD simulation. The simulation result showed stable binding of the ligand with STAT3 protein for 100 ns. These compounds showed better interaction potential with STAT3 was compared to known tissue repair molecules. Our data paves way for further exploration of these molecules as novel cell proliferators to be tested in various types of wound and tissue injuries.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subodh Kumar
- Stem Cell & Tissue Engineering Research Group, Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Delhi, India
| | - Somya Chaaudhary
- Stem Cell & Tissue Engineering Research Group, Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Delhi, India
| | - Prateek Paul
- Stem Cell & Tissue Engineering Research Group, Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Delhi, India
| | - Yogesh Kumar Verma
- Stem Cell & Tissue Engineering Research Group, Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Delhi, India
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16
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Sharaf R, Jin DX, Grady J, Napier C, Ebot E, Frampton GM, Albacker LA, Thomas DM, Montesion M. A pan-sarcoma landscape of telomeric content shows that alterations in RAD51B and GID4 are associated with higher telomeric content. NPJ Genom Med 2023; 8:26. [PMID: 37709802 PMCID: PMC10502097 DOI: 10.1038/s41525-023-00369-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells need to activate a telomere maintenance mechanism, enabling limitless replication. The bulk of evidence supports that sarcomas predominantly use alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism, commonly associated with alterations in ATRX and DAXX. In our dataset, only 12.3% of sarcomas harbored alterations in these genes. Thus, we checked for the presence of other genomic determinants of high telomeric content in sarcomas. Our dataset consisted of 13555 sarcoma samples, sequenced as a part of routine clinical care on the FoundationOne®Heme platform. We observed a median telomeric content of 622.3 telomeric reads per GC-matched million reads (TRPM) across all samples. In agreement with previous studies, telomeric content was significantly higher in ATRX altered and POT1 altered sarcomas. We further observed that sarcomas with alterations in RAD51B or GID4 were enriched in samples with high telomeric content, specifically within uterus leiomyosarcoma for RAD51B and soft tissue sarcoma (not otherwise specified, nos) for GID4, Furthermore, RAD51B and POT1 alterations were mutually exclusive with ATRX and DAXX alterations, suggestive of functional redundancy. Our results propose a role played by RAD51B and GID4 in telomere elongation in sarcomas and open research opportunities for agents aimed at targeting this critical pathway in tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John Grady
- Omico Australian Genomic Cancer Medicine, Sydney, Australia
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Christine Napier
- Omico Australian Genomic Cancer Medicine, Sydney, Australia
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ericka Ebot
- Foundation Medicine Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - David M Thomas
- Omico Australian Genomic Cancer Medicine, Sydney, Australia
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Li XH, Sun MH, Jiang WJ, Zhou D, Lee SH, Heo G, Chen Z, Cui XS. ZSCAN4 Regulates Zygotic Genome Activation and Telomere Elongation in Porcine Parthenogenetic Embryos. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12121. [PMID: 37569497 PMCID: PMC10418334 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512121] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Zinc finger and SCAN domain-containing 4 (ZSCAN4), a DNA-binding protein, maintains telomere length and plays a key role in critical aspects of mouse embryonic stem cells, including maintaining genomic stability and defying cellular senescence. However, the effect of ZSCAN4 in porcine parthenogenetic embryos remains unclear. To investigate the function of ZSCAN4 and the underlying mechanism in porcine embryo development, ZSCAN4 was knocked down via dsRNA injection in the one-cell stage. ZSCAN4 was highly expressed in the four- and five- to eight-cell stages in porcine embryos. The percentage of four-cell stage embryos, five- to eight-cell stage embryos, and blastocysts was lower in the ZSCAN4 knockdown group than in the control group. Notably, depletion of ZSCAN4 induced the protein expression of DNMT1 and 5-Methylcytosine (5mC, a methylated form of the DNA base cytosine) in the four-cell stage. The H3K27ac level and ZGA genes expression decreased following ZSCAN4 knockdown. Furthermore, ZSCAN4 knockdown led to DNA damage and shortened telomere compared with the control. Additionally, DNMT1-dsRNA was injected to reduce DNA hypermethylation in ZSCAN4 knockdown embryos. DNMT1 knockdown rescued telomere shortening and developmental defects caused by ZSCAN4 knockdown. In conclusion, ZSCAN4 is involved in the regulation of transcriptional activity and is essential for maintaining telomere length by regulating DNMT1 expression in porcine ZGA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Han Li
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Ming-Hong Sun
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Wen-Jie Jiang
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongjie Zhou
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Song-Hee Lee
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Geun Heo
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - Zhi Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Xiang-Shun Cui
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
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Lin F, Huang J, Zhu W, Jiang T, Guo J, Xia W, Chen M, Guo L, Deng W, Lin H. Prognostic value and immune landscapes of TERT promoter methylation in triple negative breast cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1218987. [PMID: 37575241 PMCID: PMC10416624 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1218987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Treatment options for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remain limited to mainstay therapies owing to a lack of efficacious therapeutic targets. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to discover and identify novel molecular targets for the treatment and diagnosis of this disease. In this study, we analyzed the correlation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) methylation status with TERT expression, prognosis, and immune infiltration in TNBC and identified the role of TERT methylation in the regulation TNBC prognosis and immunotherapy. Methods Data relating to the transcriptome, clinicopathological characteristics and methylation of TNBC patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. TERT expression levels and differential methylation sites (DMSs) were detected. The correlations between TERT expression and DMSs were calculated. Kaplan-Meier curves was plotted to analyze the relationship between the survival of TNBC patients and the DMSs. The correlations of DMSs and TERT expression with several immunological characteristics of immune microenvironment (immune cell infiltration, immunomodulators, immune-related biological pathways, and immune checkpoints) were assessed. The results were validated using 40 TNBC patients from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC). Results Six DMSs were identified. Among them, four sites (cg11625005, cg07380026, cg17166338, and cg26006951) were within the TERT promoter, in which two sites (cg07380026 and cg26006951) were significantly related to the prognosis of patients with TNBC. Further validation using 40 TNBC samples from SYSUCC showed that the high methylation of the cg26006951 CpG site was associated with poor survival prognosis (P=0.0022). TERT expression was significantly correlated with pathological N stage and clinical stage, and cg07380026 were significantly associated with pathological T and N stages in the TCGA cohort. Moreover, the methylation site cg26006951, cg07380026 and TERT expression were significantly correlated with immune cell infiltration, common immunomodulators, and the level of the immune checkpoint receptor lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3) in TNBC patients. Conclusion TERT promotertypermethylation plays an important role in TERT expression regulation and tumor microenvironment in TNBC. It is associated with overall survival and LAG-3 expression. TERT promoter hypermethylation may be a potential molecular biomarker for predicting response to the TERT inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ling Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wuguo Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huanxin Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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Jeannerat A, Meuli J, Peneveyre C, Jaccoud S, Chemali M, Thomas A, Liao Z, Abdel-Sayed P, Scaletta C, Hirt-Burri N, Applegate LA, Raffoul W, Laurent A. Bio-Enhanced Neoligaments Graft Bearing FE002 Primary Progenitor Tenocytes: Allogeneic Tissue Engineering & Surgical Proofs-of-Concept for Hand Ligament Regenerative Medicine. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:1873. [PMID: 37514060 PMCID: PMC10385025 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15071873] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Hand tendon/ligament structural ruptures (tears, lacerations) often require surgical reconstruction and grafting, for the restauration of finger mechanical functions. Clinical-grade human primary progenitor tenocytes (FE002 cryopreserved progenitor cell source) have been previously proposed for diversified therapeutic uses within allogeneic tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. The aim of this study was to establish bioengineering and surgical proofs-of-concept for an artificial graft (Neoligaments Infinity-Lock 3 device) bearing cultured and viable FE002 primary progenitor tenocytes. Technical optimization and in vitro validation work showed that the combined preparations could be rapidly obtained (dynamic cell seeding of 105 cells/cm of scaffold, 7 days of co-culture). The studied standardized transplants presented homogeneous cellular colonization in vitro (cellular alignment/coating along the scaffold fibers) and other critical functional attributes (tendon extracellular matrix component such as collagen I and aggrecan synthesis/deposition along the scaffold fibers). Notably, major safety- and functionality-related parameters/attributes of the FE002 cells/finished combination products were compiled and set forth (telomerase activity, adhesion and biological coating potentials). A two-part human cadaveric study enabled to establish clinical protocols for hand ligament cell-assisted surgery (ligamento-suspension plasty after trapeziectomy, thumb metacarpo-phalangeal ulnar collateral ligamentoplasty). Importantly, the aggregated experimental results clearly confirmed that functional and clinically usable allogeneic cell-scaffold combination products could be rapidly and robustly prepared for bio-enhanced hand ligament reconstruction. Major advantages of the considered bioengineered graft were discussed in light of existing clinical protocols based on autologous tenocyte transplantation. Overall, this study established proofs-of-concept for the translational development of a functional tissue engineering protocol in allogeneic musculoskeletal regenerative medicine, in view of a pilot clinical trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annick Jeannerat
- Preclinical Research Department, LAM Biotechnologies SA, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Joachim Meuli
- Plastic and Hand Surgery Service, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cédric Peneveyre
- Preclinical Research Department, LAM Biotechnologies SA, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Jaccoud
- Plastic and Hand Surgery Service, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Biomechanical Orthopedics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michèle Chemali
- Plastic and Hand Surgery Service, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Axelle Thomas
- Plastic and Hand Surgery Service, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Zhifeng Liao
- Plastic and Hand Surgery Service, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Abdel-Sayed
- Plastic and Hand Surgery Service, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- DLL Bioengineering, STI School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Corinne Scaletta
- Plastic and Hand Surgery Service, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Hirt-Burri
- Plastic and Hand Surgery Service, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lee Ann Applegate
- Plastic and Hand Surgery Service, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Applied Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Oxford OSCAR Suzhou Center, Oxford University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Wassim Raffoul
- Plastic and Hand Surgery Service, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexis Laurent
- Preclinical Research Department, LAM Biotechnologies SA, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland
- Plastic and Hand Surgery Service, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
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20
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Moshirfar M, Masud M, Harvey DH, Payne C, Bruce E, Ronquillo YC, Hoopes PC. The Multifold Etiologies of Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency: A Comprehensive Review on the Etiologies and Additional Treatment Options for Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency. J Clin Med 2023; 12:4418. [PMID: 37445454 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12134418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Given the various ocular manifestations of limbal stem cell insufficiency, an awareness of the genetic, acquired, and immunological causes and associated additional treatments of limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) is essential for providers. We performed a comprehensive review of the literature on the various etiologies and specific therapies for LSCD. The resources utilized in this review included Medline (PubMed), Embase, and Google Scholar. All English-language articles and case reports published from November 1986 through to October 2022 were reviewed in this study. There were collectively 99 articles on these topics. No other exclusion criteria were applied. Depending on the etiology, ocular manifestations of limbal stem cell deficiency range from dry eye syndrome and redness to more severe outcomes, including corneal ulceration, ocular surface failure, and vision loss. Identifying the source of damage for LSCD is critical in the treatment process, given that therapy may extend beyond the scope of the standard protocol, including artificial tears, refractive surgery, and allogeneic stem cell transplants. This comprehensive review of the literature demonstrates the various genetic, acquired, and immunological causes of LSCD and the spectrum of supplemental therapies available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Moshirfar
- Hoopes Vision Research Center, Hoopes Vision, Draper, UT 84020, USA
- John A. Moran Eye Center, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
- Utah Lions Eye Bank, Murray, UT 84107, USA
| | - Maliha Masud
- School of Medicine, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Devon Hori Harvey
- College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Carter Payne
- Hoopes Vision Research Center, Hoopes Vision, Draper, UT 84020, USA
| | - Elayna Bruce
- McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Philip C Hoopes
- Hoopes Vision Research Center, Hoopes Vision, Draper, UT 84020, USA
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21
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Saretzki G. Measuring telomerase activity using TRAP assays. Methods Cell Biol 2023; 181:127-149. [PMID: 38302235 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2022.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Telomerase is a reverse transcriptase that consists of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) protein and the telomerase RNA component TERC which also harbors the template region for telomere synthesis. In its canonical function the enzyme adds single-stranded telomeric hexanucleotides de novo to the ends of linear chromosomes, telomeres, in telomerase-positive cells such as germline, stem- and cancer cells. This potential biochemical activity of telomerase can be measured with the help of a telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) which often includes a PCR amplification due to the low abundance of telomerase in most cells and tissues. The current chapter describes various TRAP methods to detect telomerase activity (TA) using gel-based methods, its advantages and deficits, how to perform an ELISA-based TRAP assay and how best to interpret its results. Since development of the TRAP assay in 1994, there have been numerous modifications and adaptations of the method from real-time PCR analysis, isothermal amplification and nanotechnology to CRISPR/Cas-based methods which will be briefly mentioned. However, it is not possible to cover all different TRAP methods and thus there is no comprehensiveness claimed by this chapter. Instead, the author describes various aspects of using TRAP assays including required controls, sample preparation, etc. in order to avoid pitfalls and set-backs in applying this rather complex and demanding technique. The TRAP assay is particularly important to support clinical diagnosis of cancer, analyze tumor therapy as well as to evaluate various approaches to inhibit TA as a form of anti-cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Saretzki
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
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22
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Wang P, Liu X, Chen Y, Jun-Hao ET, Yao Z, Min-Wen JC, Yan-Jiang BC, Ma S, Ma W, Luo L, Guo L, Song D, Shyh-Chang N. Adult progenitor rejuvenation with embryonic factors. Cell Prolif 2023; 56:e13459. [PMID: 37177849 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
During ageing, adult stem cells' regenerative properties decline, as they undergo replicative senescence and lose both their proliferative and differentiation capacities. In contrast, embryonic and foetal progenitors typically possess heightened proliferative capacities and manifest a more robust regenerative response upon injury and transplantation, despite undergoing many rounds of mitosis. How embryonic and foetal progenitors delay senescence and maintain their proliferative and differentiation capacities after numerous rounds of mitosis, remains unknown. It is also unclear if defined embryonic factors can rejuvenate adult progenitors to confer extended proliferative and differentiation capacities, without reprogramming their lineage-specific fates or inducing oncogenic transformation. Here, we report that a minimal combination of LIN28A, TERT, and sh-p53 (LTS), all of which are tightly regulated and play important roles during embryonic development, can delay senescence in adult muscle progenitors. LTS muscle progenitors showed an extended proliferative capacity, maintained a normal karyotype, underwent myogenesis normally, and did not manifest tumorigenesis nor aberrations in lineage differentiation, even in late passages. LTS treatment promoted self-renewal and rescued the pro-senescence phenotype of aged cachexia patients' muscle progenitors, and promoted their engraftment for skeletal muscle regeneration in vivo. When we examined the mechanistic basis for LIN28A's role in the LTS minimum combo, let-7 microRNA suppression could not fully explain how LIN28A promoted muscle progenitor self-renewal. Instead, LIN28A was promoting the translation of oxidative phosphorylation mRNAs in adult muscle progenitors to optimize mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) and mitohormetic signalling. Optimized mtROS induced a variety of mitohormetic stress responses, including the hypoxic response for metabolic damage, the unfolded protein response for protein damage, and the p53 response for DNA damage. Perturbation of mtROS levels specifically abrogated the LIN28A-driven hypoxic response in Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1α (HIF1α) and glycolysis, and thus LTS progenitor self-renewal, without affecting normal or TS progenitors. Our findings connect embryonically regulated factors to mitohormesis and progenitor rejuvenation, with implications for ageing-related muscle degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xupeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Elwin Tan Jun-Hao
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Laboratory of Cancer Therapeutics, Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenome, Division of Medical Science, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ziyue Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jason Chua Min-Wen
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Laboratory of Cancer Therapeutics, Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenome, Division of Medical Science, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Benjamin Chua Yan-Jiang
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Laboratory of Cancer Therapeutics, Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Laboratory of Cancer Epigenome, Division of Medical Science, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shilin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenwu Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lanfang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Luyao Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ng Shyh-Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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23
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Parekh N, Garg A, Choudhary R, Gupta M, Kaur G, Ramniwas S, Shahwan M, Tuli HS, Sethi G. The Role of Natural Flavonoids as Telomerase Inhibitors in Suppressing Cancer Growth. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16040605. [PMID: 37111362 PMCID: PMC10143453 DOI: 10.3390/ph16040605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a complex and multifaceted group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. While cancer can be challenging and life-altering, advances in research and development have led to the identification of new promising anti-cancer targets. Telomerase is one such target that is overexpressed in almost all cancer cells and plays a critical role in maintaining telomere length, which is essential for cell proliferation and survival. Inhibiting telomerase activity can lead to telomere shortening and eventual cell death, thus presenting itself as a potential target for cancer therapy. Naturally occurring flavonoids are a class of compounds that have already been shown to possess different biological properties, including the anti-cancer property. They are present in various everyday food sources and richly present in fruits, nuts, soybeans, vegetables, tea, wine, and berries, to name a few. Thus, these flavonoids could inhibit or deactivate telomerase expression in cancer cells by different mechanisms, which include inhibiting the expression of hTERT, mRNA, protein, and nuclear translocation, inhibiting the binding of transcription factors to hTERT promoters, and even telomere shortening. Numerous cell line studies and in vivo experiments have supported this hypothesis, and this development could serve as a vital and innovative therapeutic option for cancer. In this light, we aim to elucidate the role of telomerase as a potential anti-cancer target. Subsequently, we have illustrated that how commonly found natural flavonoids demonstrate their anti-cancer activity via telomerase inactivation in different cancer types, thus proving the potential of these naturally occurring flavonoids as useful therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neel Parekh
- Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM'S NMIMS, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai 400056, India
| | - Ashish Garg
- Department of P.G. Studies and Research in Chemistry and Pharmacy, Rani Durgavati University Jabalpur, Jabalpur 482001, India
| | - Renuka Choudhary
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar, Deemed to be University, Ambala 133207, India
| | - Madhu Gupta
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Ginpreet Kaur
- Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM'S NMIMS, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai 400056, India
| | - Seema Ramniwas
- University Centre for Research and Development, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali 140413, India
| | - Moyad Shahwan
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hardeep Singh Tuli
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar, Deemed to be University, Ambala 133207, India
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore
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24
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Liu S, Nong W, Ji L, Zhuge X, Wei H, Luo M, Zhou L, Chen S, Zhang S, Lei X, Huang H. The regulatory feedback of inflammatory signaling and telomere/telomerase complex dysfunction in chronic inflammatory diseases. Exp Gerontol 2023; 174:112132. [PMID: 36849001 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2023.112132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Inflammation is believed to play a role in the progression of numerous human diseases. Research has shown that inflammation and telomeres are involved in a feedback regulatory loop: inflammation increases the rate of telomere attrition, leading to telomere dysfunction, while telomere components also participate in regulating the inflammatory response. However, the specific mechanism behind this feedback loop between inflammatory signaling and telomere/telomerase complex dysfunction has yet to be fully understood. This review presents the latest findings on this topic, with a particular focus on the detailed regulation and molecular mechanisms involved in the progression of aging, various chronic inflammatory diseases, cancers, and different stressors. Several feedback loops between inflammatory signaling and telomere/telomerase complex dysfunction, including NF-κB-TERT feedback, NF-κB-RAP1 feedback, NF-κB-TERC feedback, STAT3-TERT feedback, and p38 MAPK-shelterin complex-related gene feedback, are summarized. Understanding the latest discoveries of this feedback regulatory loop can help identify novel potential drug targets for the suppression of various inflammation-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Liu
- Clinical Anatomy & Reproductive Medicine Application Institute, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Weihua Nong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi 533300, China
| | - Lin Ji
- Reproductive Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 530021 Nanning, China
| | - Xiuhong Zhuge
- Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi 541001, China
| | - Huimei Wei
- Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi 541001, China
| | - Min Luo
- Clinical Anatomy & Reproductive Medicine Application Institute, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Leguang Zhou
- Clinical Anatomy & Reproductive Medicine Application Institute, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Shenghua Chen
- Clinical Anatomy & Reproductive Medicine Application Institute, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China.
| | - Shun Zhang
- Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi 541001, China.
| | - Xiaocan Lei
- Clinical Anatomy & Reproductive Medicine Application Institute, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China.
| | - Hua Huang
- Reproductive Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 530021 Nanning, China.
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25
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Telomere Length Changes in Cancer: Insights on Carcinogenesis and Potential for Non-Invasive Diagnostic Strategies. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030715. [PMID: 36980987 PMCID: PMC10047978 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere dynamics play a crucial role in the maintenance of chromosome integrity; changes in telomere length may thus contribute to the development of various diseases including cancer. Understanding the role of telomeric DNA in carcinogenesis and detecting the presence of cell-free telomeric DNA (cf-telDNA) in body fluids offer a potential biomarker for novel cancer screening and diagnostic strategies. Liquid biopsy is becoming increasingly popular due to its undeniable benefits over conventional invasive methods. However, the organization and function of cf-telDNA in the extracellular milieu are understudied. This paper provides a review based on 3,398,017 cancer patients, patients with other conditions, and control individuals with the aim to shed more light on the inconsistent nature of telomere lengthening/shortening in oncological contexts. To gain a better understanding of biological factors (e.g., telomerase activation, alternative lengthening of telomeres) affecting telomere homeostasis across different types of cancer, we summarize mechanisms responsible for telomere length maintenance. In conclusion, we compare tissue- and liquid biopsy-based approaches in cancer assessment and provide a brief outlook on the methodology used for telomere length evaluation, highlighting the advances of state-of-the-art approaches in the field.
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26
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Burraco P, Hernandez-Gonzalez M, Metcalfe NB, Monaghan P. Ageing across the great divide: tissue transformation, organismal growth and temperature shape telomere dynamics through the metamorphic transition. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222448. [PMID: 36750187 PMCID: PMC9904946 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomere attrition is considered a useful indicator of cellular and whole-organism ageing rate. While approximately 80% of animal species undergo metamorphosis that includes extensive tissue transformations (involving cell division, apoptosis, de-differentiation and de novo formation of stem cells), the effect on telomere dynamics is unknown. We measured telomeres in Xenopus laevis developing from larvae to adults under contrasting environmental temperatures. Telomere dynamics were linked to the degree of tissue transformation during development. Average telomere length in gut tissue increased dramatically during metamorphosis, when the gut shortens by 75% and epithelial cells de-differentiate into stem cells. In the liver (retained from larva) and hindlimb muscle (newly formed before metamorphosis), telomeres gradually shortened until adulthood, likely due to extensive cell division. Tail muscle telomere lengths were constant until tail resorption, and those in heart (retained from larva) showed no change over time. Telomere lengths negatively correlated with larval growth, but for a given growth rate, telomeres were shorter in cooler conditions, suggesting that growing in the cold is more costly. Telomere lengths were not related to post-metamorphic growth rate. Further research is now needed to understand whether telomere dynamics are a good indicator of ageing rate in species undergoing metamorphosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Burraco
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
- Ecology, Evolution and Development Group, Doñana Biological Station (CSIC), 41092, Seville, Spain
| | - Miguel Hernandez-Gonzalez
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Neil B. Metcalfe
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pat Monaghan
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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27
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Inandiklioglu N, Tas A, Agbektas T, Tuncbilek Z, Raheem KY, Cinar G, Silig Y. Anticancer activity, hTERT expression and telomere length analysis in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell lines applied to docetaxel. J Mol Struct 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.134346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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28
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Chang MR, Rusanov DA, Arakelyan J, Alshehri M, Asaturova AV, Kireeva GS, Babak MV, Ang WH. Targeting emerging cancer hallmarks by transition metal complexes: Cancer stem cells and tumor microbiome. Part I. Coord Chem Rev 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2022.214923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
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29
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Mavinga M, Palmier M, Rémy M, Jeannière C, Lenoir S, Rey S, Saint-Marc M, Alonso F, Génot E, Thébaud N, Chevret E, Mournetas V, Rousseau B, Boiziau C, Boeuf H. The Journey of SCAPs (Stem Cells from Apical Papilla), from Their Native Tissue to Grafting: Impact of Oxygen Concentration. Cells 2022; 11:cells11244098. [PMID: 36552862 PMCID: PMC9776846 DOI: 10.3390/cells11244098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissue engineering strategies aim at characterizing and at optimizing the cellular component that is combined with biomaterials, for improved tissue regeneration. Here, we present the immunoMap of apical papilla, the native tissue from which SCAPs are derived. We characterized stem cell niches that correspond to a minority population of cells expressing Mesenchymal stromal/Stem Cell (CD90, CD105, CD146) and stemness (SSEA4 and CD49f) markers as well as endothelial cell markers (VWF, CD31). Based on the colocalization of TKS5 and cortactin markers, we detected migration-associated organelles, podosomes-like structures, in specific regions and, for the first time, in association with stem cell niches in normal tissue. From six healthy teenager volunteers, each with two teeth, we derived twelve cell banks, isolated and amplified under 21 or 3% O2. We confirmed a proliferative advantage of all banks when cultured under 3% versus 21% O2. Interestingly, telomerase activity was similar to that of the highly proliferative hiPSC cell line, but unrelated to O2 concentration. Finally, SCAPs embedded in a thixotropic hydrogel and implanted subcutaneously in immunodeficient mice were protected from cell death with a slightly greater advantage for cells preconditioned at 3% O2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Mavinga
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, BIOTIS, U1026, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Murielle Rémy
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, BIOTIS, U1026, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Solène Lenoir
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, BIOTIS, U1026, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Sylvie Rey
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, BIOTIS, U1026, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Florian Alonso
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, BIOTIS, U1026, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Elisabeth Génot
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, BIOTIS, U1026, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Noélie Thébaud
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, BIOTIS, U1026, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Edith Chevret
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, BRIC, U1312, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Benoit Rousseau
- Univ. Bordeaux, Animal Facility A2, Service Commun des Animaleries, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Helene Boeuf
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, BIOTIS, U1026, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
- Correspondence:
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Oldershaw RA, Richardson G, Carling P, Owens WA, Lundy DJ, Meeson A. Cardiac Mesenchymal Stem Cell-like Cells Derived from a Young Patient with Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease Have a Prematurely Aged Phenotype. Biomedicines 2022; 10:3143. [PMID: 36551899 PMCID: PMC9775343 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10123143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is significant interest in the role of stem cells in cardiac regeneration, and yet little is known about how cardiac disease progression affects native cardiac stem cells in the human heart. In this brief report, cardiac mesenchymal stem cell-like cells (CMSCLC) from the right atria of a 21-year-old female patient with a bicuspid aortic valve and aortic stenosis (referred to as biscuspid aortic valve disease BAVD-CMSCLC), were compared with those of a 78-year-old female patient undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery (referred to as coronary artery disease CAD-CMSCLC). Cells were analyzed for expression of MSC markers, ability to form CFU-Fs, metabolic activity, cell cycle kinetics, expression of NANOG and p16, and telomere length. The cardiac-derived cells expressed MSC markers and were able to form CFU-Fs, with higher rate of formation in CAD-CMSCLCs. BAVD-CMSCLCs did not display normal MSC morphology, had a much lower cell doubling rate, and were less metabolically active than CAD-CMSCLCs. Cell cycle analysis revealed a population of BAVD-CMSCLC in G2/M phase, whereas the bulk of CAD-CMSCLC were in the G0/G1 phase. BAVD-CMSCLC had lower expression of NANOG and shorter telomere lengths, but higher expression of p16 compared with the CAD-CMSCLC. In conclusion, BAVD-CMSCLC have a prematurely aged phenotype compared with CAD-CMSCLC, despite originating from a younger patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A. Oldershaw
- Department of Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
| | - Gavin Richardson
- Newcastle University Bioscience Institute, Newcastle University, International Centre for Life, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Phillippa Carling
- Newcastle University Bioscience Institute, Newcastle University, International Centre for Life, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - W. Andrew Owens
- Newcastle University Bioscience Institute, Newcastle University, International Centre for Life, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BZ, UK
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Middlesbrough TS4 3BW, UK
| | - David J. Lundy
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Annette Meeson
- Newcastle University Bioscience Institute, Newcastle University, International Centre for Life, Central Parkway, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BZ, UK
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Tornesello ML, Tornesello AL, Starita N, Cerasuolo A, Izzo F, Buonaguro L, Buonaguro FM. Telomerase: a good target in hepatocellular carcinoma? An overview of relevant preclinical data. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2022; 26:767-780. [PMID: 36369706 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2022.2147062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Lina Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Anna Lucia Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Noemy Starita
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea Cerasuolo
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Francesco Izzo
- Hepatobiliary Surgical Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale-IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Buonaguro
- Laboratory of Cancer Immunoregulation, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Franco Maria Buonaguro
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy
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Maggadóttir SM, Kvalheim G, Wernhoff P, Sæbøe-Larssen S, Revheim ME, Josefsen D, Wälchli S, Helland Å, Inderberg EM. A phase I/II escalation trial design T-RAD: Treatment of metastatic lung cancer with mRNA-engineered T cells expressing a T cell receptor targeting human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). Front Oncol 2022; 12:1031232. [PMID: 36439452 PMCID: PMC9685610 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1031232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) with genetically modified T cells aims to redirect T cells against resistant cancers through introduction of a T cell receptor (TCR). The Radium-4 TCR was isolated from a responding patient in a cancer vaccination study and recognizes the enzymatic component of human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) presented on MHC class II (HLA-DP04). hTERT is a constitutively overexpressed tumor-associated antigen present in most human cancers, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is the second most common type of cancer worldwide. Treatment alternatives for relapsing NSCLC are limited and survival is poor. To improve patient outcome we designed a TCR-based ACT study targeting hTERT. Methods T-RAD is a phase I/II study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Radium-4 mRNA electroporated autologous T cells in the treatment of metastatic NSCLC with no other treatment option. Transient TCR expression is applied for safety considerations. Participants receive two intravenous injections with escalating doses of redirected T cells weekly for 6 consecutive weeks. Primary objectives are safety and tolerability. Secondary objectives include progression-free survival, time to progression, overall survival, patient reported outcomes and overall radiological response. Discussion Treatment for metastatic NSCLC is scarce and new personalized treatment options are in high demand. hTERT is a tumor target applicable to numerous cancer types. This proof-of-concept study will explore for the first time the safety and efficacy of TCR mRNA electroporated autologous T cells targeting hTERT. The T-RAD study will thus evaluate an attractive candidate for future immunotherapy of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sólrún Melkorka Maggadóttir
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Section for Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunnar Kvalheim
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Section for Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Patrik Wernhoff
- Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Stein Sæbøe-Larssen
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Section for Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Dag Josefsen
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Section for Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sébastien Wälchli
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Section for Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Åslaug Helland
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Else Marit Inderberg
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Section for Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- *Correspondence: Else Marit Inderberg,
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Nakazawa T, Maeoka R, Morimoto T, Matsuda R, Nakamura M, Nishimura F, Yamada S, Nakagawa I, Park YS, Nakase H, Tsujimura T. Capability of Human Dendritic Cells Pulsed with Autologous Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Lysate to Induce Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes against HLA-A33-Matched Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:12992. [PMID: 36361783 PMCID: PMC9654950 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Irradiated murine induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) elicit the antitumor response in vivo. However, it is unclear whether human iPSCs would elicit antitumor effects. In the present study, we investigated the capability of human iPSC lysate (iPSL)-pulsed dendritic cells (DCs) (iPSL/DCs) to induce cancer-responsive cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in vitro. iPSCs and DCs were induced from peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A33 homozygous donor. The iPSL was pulsed with immature DCs, which were then stimulated to allow full maturation. The activated DCs were co-cultured with autologous CTLs and their responses to SW48 colorectal carcinoma cells (HLA-A32/A33), T47D breast cancer cells (HLA-A33/A33), and T98G glioblastoma cells (HLA-A02/A02) were tested with enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays. Comprehensive gene expression analysis revealed that the established iPSCs shared numerous tumor-associated antigens with the SW48 and T47D cells. Immunofluorescent analysis demonstrated that the fluorescent-labeled iPSL was captured by the immature DCs within 2 h. iPSL/DCs induced sufficient CTL numbers in 3 weeks for ELISPOT assays, which revealed that the induced CTLs responded to SW48 and T47D cells. Human iPSL/DCs induced cancer-responsive CTLs on HLA-A33-matched cancer cells in vitro and could be a promising universal cancer vaccine for treating and preventing cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsutomu Nakazawa
- Department of Research and Development, Grandsoul Research Institute for Immunology, Matsui 8-1, Utano, Uda 633-2221, Nara, Japan
- Clinic Grandsoul Nara, Matsui 8-1, Utano, Uda 633-2221, Nara, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Nara, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Maeoka
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Nara, Japan
| | - Takayuki Morimoto
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Nara, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Matsuda
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Nara, Japan
| | - Mitsutoshi Nakamura
- Clinic Grandsoul Nara, Matsui 8-1, Utano, Uda 633-2221, Nara, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Nara, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Nishimura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Nara, Japan
| | - Shuichi Yamada
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Nara, Japan
| | - Ichiro Nakagawa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Nara, Japan
| | - Young-Soo Park
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Nara, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Nakase
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nara Medical University, Kashihara 634-8522, Nara, Japan
| | - Takahiro Tsujimura
- Department of Research and Development, Grandsoul Research Institute for Immunology, Matsui 8-1, Utano, Uda 633-2221, Nara, Japan
- Clinic Grandsoul Nara, Matsui 8-1, Utano, Uda 633-2221, Nara, Japan
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He JL, Tang L, Liao SQ, Guo MT, Wu L, Song Y, Liu S, Cao Z. Label-free palindromic DNA nanospheres as naked-eye colorimetric assay platform for detection of telomerase activity. Talanta 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Lupatov AY, Yarygin KN. Telomeres and Telomerase in the Control of Stem Cells. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10102335. [PMID: 36289597 PMCID: PMC9598777 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10102335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cells serve as a source of cellular material in embryogenesis and postnatal growth and regeneration. This requires significant proliferative potential ensured by sufficient telomere length. Telomere attrition in the stem cells and their niche cells can result in the exhaustion of the regenerative potential of high-turnover organs, causing or contributing to the onset of age-related diseases. In this review, stem cells are examined in the context of the current telomere-centric theory of cell aging, which assumes that telomere shortening depends not just on the number of cell doublings (mitotic clock) but also on the influence of various internal and external factors. The influence of the telomerase and telomere length on the functional activity of different stem cell types, as well as on their aging and prospects of use in cell therapy applications, is discussed.
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Ogłuszka M, Lipiński P, Starzyński RR. Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Telomeres-Are They the Elixir of Youth? Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14183723. [PMID: 36145097 PMCID: PMC9504755 DOI: 10.3390/nu14183723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are complexes consisting of tandem repeat DNA combined with associated proteins that play a key role in protecting the ends of chromosomes and maintaining genome stability. They are considered a biological clock, as they shorten in parallel with aging. Furthermore, short telomeres are associated with several age-related diseases. However, the variability in telomere shortening independent of chronological age suggests that it is a modifiable factor. In fact, it is regulated inter alia by genetic damage, cell division, aging, oxidative stress, and inflammation. A key question remains: how can we prevent accelerated telomere attrition and subsequent premature replicative senescence? A number of studies have explored the possible impact of omega-3 fatty acids on telomere shortening. This review summarizes published cross-sectional studies, randomized controlled trials, and rodent studies investigating the role of omega-3 fatty acids in telomere biology. It also covers a broad overview of the mechanism, currently favored in the field, that explains the impact of omega-3 fatty acids on telomeres—the food compound’s ability to modulate oxidative stress and inflammation. Although the results of the studies performed to date are not consistent, the vast majority indicate a beneficial effect of omega-3 fatty acids on telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Ogłuszka
- Department of Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 05-552 Jastrzębiec, Poland
| | - Paweł Lipiński
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 05-552 Jastrzębiec, Poland
| | - Rafał R. Starzyński
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 05-552 Jastrzębiec, Poland
- Correspondence:
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Gao J, Pickett HA. Targeting telomeres: advances in telomere maintenance mechanism-specific cancer therapies. Nat Rev Cancer 2022; 22:515-532. [PMID: 35790854 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-022-00490-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cells establish replicative immortality by activating a telomere-maintenance mechanism (TMM), be it telomerase or the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway. Targeting telomere maintenance represents an intriguing opportunity to treat the vast majority of all cancer types. Whilst telomerase inhibitors have historically been heralded as promising anticancer agents, the reality has been more challenging, and there are currently no therapeutic options for cancer types that use ALT despite their aggressive nature and poor prognosis. In this Review, we discuss the mechanistic differences between telomere maintenance by telomerase and ALT, the current methods used to detect each mechanism, the utility of these tests for clinical diagnosis, and recent developments in the therapeutic strategies being employed to target both telomerase and ALT. We present notable developments in repurposing established therapeutic agents and new avenues that are emerging to target cancer types according to which TMM they employ. These opportunities extend beyond inhibition of telomere maintenance, by finding and exploiting inherent weaknesses in the telomeres themselves to trigger rapid cellular effects that lead to cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixuan Gao
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Hilda A Pickett
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
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Krishna M, Shetty A, Manjappa AB, Shetty V, Hegde MN, Kumar BM. Comparative characterization and analysis of telomere length in stem cells derived from deciduous and permanent teeth. Dent Res J (Isfahan) 2022; 19:64. [PMID: 36159052 PMCID: PMC9490240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding the influence of age on growth kinetics and telomere length in dental stem cells is essential for the successful development of cell therapies. Hence, the present study compared the basic cellular and phenotypical characteristics of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) of permanent teeth and their telomere lengths using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Materials and Methods The study is an in vitro original research article. Primary cultures of SHED and DPSCs (n = 6 each) were successfully established in vitro, and the parameters analyzed were the morphology, viability, proliferation rate, population doubling time (PDT), phenotypic markers expression, and the relative telomere lengths. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results SHED and DPSCs exhibited a small spindle-shaped fibroblast-like morphology with >90% viability. The proliferation assay showed that the cells had a typical growth pattern. The PDT values of SHED and DPSCs were 29.03 ± 9.71 h and 32.05 ± 9.76 h, respectively. Both cells were positive for surface markers CD29, CD44, and CD90. However, they were negative for CD45 and human leukocyte antigen DR. Although the differences in relative telomere lengths between the individual cell lines of SHED and DPSCs were observed, no significant (P > 0.05) variations were found for the mean T/S ratios of both the cells. Conclusion SHED and DPSCs displayed similar morphology, proliferation rates, and phenotypic features. The relative telomere lengths were slightly shorter in DPSCs than SHED, but the values were not significantly different. Thus, SHED and DPSCs can be considered as recognized sources for regenerative applications in dentistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murali Krishna
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Aditya Shetty
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, Karnataka, India,Address for correspondence: Dr. Aditya Shetty, Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, Karnataka, India. E-mail:
| | - Akshay Bairapura Manjappa
- Nitte University Centre for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, KS Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Veena Shetty
- Nitte University Centre for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, KS Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Mithra Nidarsh Hegde
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Basavarajappa Mohana Kumar
- Nitte University Centre for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine, KS Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
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Taheri M, Ghafouri-Fard S, Najafi S, Kallenbach J, Keramatfar E, Atri Roozbahani G, Heidari Horestani M, Hussen BM, Baniahmad A. Hormonal regulation of telomerase activity and hTERT expression in steroid-regulated tissues and cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:258. [PMID: 35974340 PMCID: PMC9380309 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02678-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Naturally, in somatic cells chromosome ends (telomeres) shorten during each cell division. This process ensures to limit proliferation of somatic cells to avoid malignant proliferation; however, it leads to proliferative senescence. Telomerase contains the reverse transcriptase TERT, which together with the TERC component, is responsible for protection of genome integrity by preventing shortening of telomeres through adding repetitive sequences. In addition, telomerase has non-telomeric function and supports growth factor independent growth. Unlike somatic cells, telomerase is detectable in stem cells, germ line cells, and cancer cells to support self-renewal and expansion. Elevated telomerase activity is reported in almost all of human cancers. Increased expression of hTERT gene or its reactivation is required for limitless cellular proliferation in immortal malignant cells. In hormonally regulated tissues as well as in prostate, breast and endometrial cancers, telomerase activity and hTERT expression are under control of steroid sex hormones and growth factors. Also, a number of hormones and growth factors are known to play a role in the carcinogenesis via regulation of hTERT levels or telomerase activity. Understanding the role of hormones in interaction with telomerase may help finding therapeutical targets for anticancer strategies. In this review, we outline the roles and functions of several steroid hormones and growth factors in telomerase regulation, particularly in hormone regulated cancers such as prostate, breast and endometrial cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Taheri
- Urology and Nephrology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, 07740, Jena, Germany
| | - Soudeh Ghafouri-Fard
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sajad Najafi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Julia Kallenbach
- Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, 07740, Jena, Germany
| | - Elmira Keramatfar
- Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, 07740, Jena, Germany
| | | | | | - Bashdar Mahmud Hussen
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Kurdistan Region, Erbil, Iraq.,Center of Research and Strategic Studies, Lebanese French University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
| | - Aria Baniahmad
- Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, 07740, Jena, Germany.
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G-Quadruplex Formed by the Promoter Region of the hTERT Gene: Structure-Driven Effects on DNA Mismatch Repair Functions. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081871. [PMID: 36009419 PMCID: PMC9405553 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are a unique class of noncanonical DNAs that play a key role in cellular processes and neoplastic transformation. Herein, we focused on the promoter region of human TERT oncogene, whose product is responsible for the immortality of cancer cells. It has been shown by chemical probing and spectroscopic methods that synthetic 96-nt DNAs modeling the wild-type G-rich strand of the hTERT promoter and its variants with G>A point substitutions corresponding to somatic driver mutations fold into three stacked parallel G4s with sites of local G4 destabilization caused by G>A substitutions in the G4 motif. These models were used to elucidate how the hTERT multiG4 affects the binding affinity and functional responses of two key proteins, MutS and MutL, involved in the initial stage of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) in Escherichiacoli and Neisseriagonorrhoeae with different MMR mechanisms. We have shown for the first time that (i) point substitutions do not affect the effective binding of these proteins to the hTERT G4 structure, and (ii) the endonuclease activity of MutL from N. gonorrhoeae is significantly suppressed by the stable G4 scaffold. It is likely that some of the genomic instability associated with G4 may be related to the blockage of human intrinsic methyl-independent MMR attempting to operate near G4 structures.
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Revisiting Epithelial Carcinogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137437. [PMID: 35806442 PMCID: PMC9267463 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of cancer remains one of the most important enigmas in modern biology. This paper presents a hypothesis for the origin of carcinomas in which cellular aging and inflammation enable the recovery of cellular plasticity, which may ultimately result in cancer. The hypothesis describes carcinogenesis as the result of the dedifferentiation undergone by epithelial cells in hyperplasia due to replicative senescence towards a mesenchymal cell state with potentially cancerous behavior. In support of this hypothesis, the molecular, cellular, and histopathological evidence was critically reviewed and reinterpreted when necessary to postulate a plausible generic series of mechanisms for the origin and progression of carcinomas. In addition, the implications of this theoretical framework for the current strategies of cancer treatment are discussed considering recent evidence of the molecular events underlying the epigenetic switches involved in the resistance of breast carcinomas. The hypothesis also proposes an epigenetic landscape for their progression and a potential mechanism for restraining the degree of dedifferentiation and malignant behavior. In addition, the manuscript revisits the gradual degeneration of the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease to propose an integrative generalized mechanistic explanation for the involution and carcinogenesis of tissues associated with aging. The presented hypothesis might serve to understand and structure new findings into a more encompassing view of the genesis of degenerative diseases and may inspire novel approaches for their study and therapy.
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Thool M, Sundaravadivelu PK, Sudhagar S, Thummer RP. A Comprehensive Review on the Role of ZSCAN4 in Embryonic Development, Stem Cells, and Cancer. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2022; 18:2740-2756. [PMID: 35739386 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-022-10412-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
ZSCAN4 is a transcription factor that plays a pivotal role during early embryonic development. It is a unique gene expressed specifically during the first tide of de novo transcription during the zygotic genome activation. Moreover, it is reported to regulate telomere length in embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Interestingly, ZSCAN4 is expressed in approximately 5% of the embryonic stem cells in culture at any given time, which points to the fact that it has a tight regulatory system. Furthermore, ZSCAN4, if included in the reprogramming cocktail along with core reprogramming factors, increases the reprogramming efficiency and results in better quality, genetically stable induced pluripotent stem cells. Also, it is reported to have a role in promoting cancer stem cell phenotype and can prospectively be used as a marker for the same. In this review, the multifaceted role of ZSCAN4 in embryonic development, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, cancer, and germ cells are discussed comprehensively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhuri Thool
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, 781039, Guwahati, Assam, India.,Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Guwahati, Changsari, 781101, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Pradeep Kumar Sundaravadivelu
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, 781039, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - S Sudhagar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Guwahati, Changsari, 781101, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Rajkumar P Thummer
- Laboratory for Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, 781039, Guwahati, Assam, India.
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Akıncılar S, Chua J, Ng Q, Chan C, Eslami-S Z, Chen K, Low JL, Arumugam S, Aswad L, Chua C, Tan I, DasGupta R, Fullwood M, Tergaonkar V. Identification of mechanism of cancer-cell-specific reactivation of hTERT offers therapeutic opportunities for blocking telomerase specifically in human colorectal cancer. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 51:1-16. [PMID: 35697349 PMCID: PMC9841410 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional reactivation of hTERT is the limiting step in tumorigenesis. While mutations in hTERT promoter present in 19% of cancers are recognized as key drivers of hTERT reactivation, mechanisms by which wildtype hTERT (WT-hTERT) promoter is reactivated, in majority of human cancers, remain unknown. Using primary colorectal cancers (CRC) we identified Tert INTeracting region 2 (T-INT2), the critical chromatin region essential for reactivating WT-hTERT promoter in CRCs. Elevated β-catenin and JunD level in CRC facilitates chromatin interaction between hTERT promoter and T-INT2 that is necessary to turn on hTERTexpression. Pharmacological screens uncovered salinomycin, which inhibits JunD mediated hTERT-T-INT2 interaction that is required for the formation of a stable transcription complex on the hTERT promoter. Our results showed for the first time how known CRC alterations, such as APC, lead to WT-hTERT promoter reactivation during stepwise-tumorigenesis and provide a new perspective for developing cancer-specific drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Semih Can Akıncılar
- Division of Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Laboratory of NFκB Signaling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 138673, Singapore
| | - Joelle Yi Heng Chua
- Division of Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Laboratory of NFκB Signaling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 138673, Singapore
| | - Qin Feng Ng
- Division of Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Laboratory of NFκB Signaling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 138673, Singapore
| | - Claire Hian Tzer Chan
- Division of Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Laboratory of NFκB Signaling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 138673, Singapore
| | - Zahra Eslami-S
- Division of Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Laboratory of NFκB Signaling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 138673, Singapore
| | - Kaijing Chen
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Joo-Leng Low
- Laboratory of Precision Oncology and Cancer Evolution, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, 138672, Singapore
| | - Surendar Arumugam
- Division of Cancer Genetics and Therapeutics, Laboratory of NFκB Signaling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 138673, Singapore
| | - Luay Aswad
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Clarinda Chua
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 138672, Singapore,Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 169610, Singapore
| | - Iain Beehuat Tan
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 138672, Singapore,Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 169610, Singapore
| | - Ramanuj DasGupta
- Laboratory of Precision Oncology and Cancer Evolution, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*STAR, 138672, Singapore
| | - Melissa Jane Fullwood
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore,School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
| | - Vinay Tergaonkar
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +65 65869836; Fax: +65 67791117;
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44
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Lezmi E, Benvenisty N. The Tumorigenic Potential of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stem Cells Transl Med 2022; 11:791-796. [PMID: 35679163 PMCID: PMC9397652 DOI: 10.1093/stcltm/szac039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are currently evaluated for clinical applications due to their proliferation and differentiation capacities, raising the need to both assess and enhance, the safety of hPSC-based treatments. Distinct molecular features contribute to the tumorigenicity of hPSCs, manifested in the formation of teratoma tumors upon transplantation in vivo. Prolonged in vitro culturing of hPSCs can enhance selection for specific genetic aberrations, either at the chromosome or gene level. Some of these aberrations are tightly linked to human tumor pathology and increase the tumorigenic aggressiveness of the abnormal cells. In this perspective, we describe major tumor-associated risk factors entailed in hPSC-based therapy, and present precautionary and safety measures relevant for the development and application of such therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyad Lezmi
- The Azrieli Center for Stem Cells and Genetic Research, Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nissim Benvenisty
- The Azrieli Center for Stem Cells and Genetic Research, Department of Genetics, Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
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45
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Shi Y, Liu G, Wu R, Mack DL, Sun XS, Maxwell J, Guan X, Atala A, Zhang Y. Differentiation Capacity of Human Urine-Derived Stem Cells to Retain Telomerase Activity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:890574. [PMID: 35693947 PMCID: PMC9186504 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.890574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomerase activity is essential for the self-renewal and potential of embryonic, induced pluripotent, and cancer stem cells, as well as a few somatic stem cells, such as human urine-derived stem cells (USCs). However, it remains unclear how telomerase activity affects the regeneration potential of somatic stem cells. The objective of this study was to determine the regenerative significance of telomerase activity, particularly to retain cell surface marker expression, multipotent differentiation capability, chromosomal stability, and in vivo tumorigenic transformation, in each clonal population of human primary USCs. In total, 117 USC specimens from 10 healthy male adults (25–57 years of age) were obtained. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of a telomeric repeat was used to detect USCs with positive telomerase activity (USCsTA+). A total of 80 USCsTA+ (70.2%) were identified from 117 USC clones, but they were not detected in the paired normal bladder smooth muscle cell and bone marrow stromal cell specimens. In the 20–40 years age group, approximately 75% of USC clones displayed positive telomerase activity, whereas in the 50 years age group, 59.2% of the USC clones expressed positive telomerase activity. USCsTA+ extended to passage 16, underwent 62.0 ± 4.8 population doublings, produced more cells, and were superior for osteogenic, myogenic, and uroepithelial differentiation compared to USCsTA−. Importantly, USCs displayed normal chromosome and no oncological transformation after being implanted in vivo. Overall, as a safe cell source, telomerase-positive USCs have a robust regenerative potential in cell proliferation and multipotent differentiation capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingai Shi
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Jilin, China
| | - Guihua Liu
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Reproductive Medical Center, Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rongpei Wu
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - David L. Mack
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Xiuzhi Susan Sun
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Bio-Materials and Technology Lab, Grain Science and Industry, Bio and Agricultural Engineering, Kansas State University, Kansas, KS, United States
| | - Joshua Maxwell
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Xuan Guan
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- Cardiovascular Disease AdvenHealth Orland, Orland, FL, United States
| | - Anthony Atala
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
- *Correspondence: Yuanyuan Zhang,
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Functional interaction between compound heterozygous TERT mutations causes severe telomere biology disorder. Blood Adv 2022; 6:3779-3791. [PMID: 35477117 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2022007029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomere biology disorders (TBDs) are a spectrum of multisystem inherited disorders characterized by bone marrow failure, resulting from mutations in genes encoding telomerase or other proteins involved in maintaining telomere length and integrity. Pathogenicity of variants in these genes can be hard to evaluate, since TBD mutations show highly variable penetrance and genetic anticipation due to inheritance of shorter telomeres with each generation. Thus, detailed functional analysis of newly identified variants is often essential. Here we describe a patient with compound heterozygous variants in the TERT gene, which encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase, hTERT; this patient has the extremely severe Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson form of TBD, although his heterozygous parents are clinically unaffected. Molecular dynamic modeling and detailed biochemical analyses demonstrate that 1 allele (L557P) affects association of hTERT with its cognate RNA component hTR, while the other (K1050E) affects the binding of telomerase to its DNA substrate and enzyme processivity. Unexpectedly, the data demonstrate a functional interaction between the proteins encoded by the 2 alleles, with WT hTERT able to rescue the effect of K1050E on processivity, whereas L557P hTERT cannot. These data contribute to the mechanistic understanding of telomerase, indicating that RNA binding in 1 hTERT molecule affects the processivity of telomere addition by the other molecule. This work emphasizes the importance of functional characterization of TERT variants to reach a definitive molecular diagnosis for TBD patients, and in particular it illustrates the importance of analyzing the effects of compound heterozygous variants in combination to reveal interallelic effects.
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Marasco V, Smith S, Angelier F. How does early-life adversity shape telomere dynamics during adulthood? Problems and paradigms. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2100184. [PMID: 35122449 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Although early-life adversity has been associated with negative consequences during adulthood, growing evidence shows that such adversity can also lead to subsequent stress resilience and positive fitness outcomes. Telomere dynamics are relevant in this context because of the link with developmental conditions and longevity. However, few studies have assessed whether the effects of early-life adversity on developmental telomere dynamics may relate to adult telomere dynamics. We propose that the potential links between early-life adversity and adult telomere dynamics could be driven by developmental constraints (the Constraint hypothesis), by the nature/severity of developmental adversity (the Resilience hypothesis), or by developmental-mediated changes in individual life-history strategies (the Pace of Life hypothesis). We discuss these non-mutually exclusive hypotheses, explore future research directions, and propose specific studies to test these hypotheses. Our article aims to expand our understanding of the evolutionary role of developmental conditions on adult telomere dynamics, stress resilience and ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Marasco
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV), University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Steve Smith
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology (KLIVV), University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-La Rochelle Université (LRU), UMR 7372, Villiers en Bois, France
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48
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Lister-Shimauchi EH, McCarthy B, Lippincott M, Ahmed S. Genetic and Epigenetic Inheritance at Telomeres. EPIGENOMES 2022; 6:9. [PMID: 35323213 PMCID: PMC8947350 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes6010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transgenerational inheritance can occur at telomeres in distinct contexts. Deficiency for telomerase or telomere-binding proteins in germ cells can result in shortened or lengthened chromosome termini that are transmitted to progeny. In human families, altered telomere lengths can result in stem cell dysfunction or tumor development. Genetic inheritance of altered telomeres as well as mutations that alter telomeres can result in progressive telomere length changes over multiple generations. Telomeres of yeast can modulate the epigenetic state of subtelomeric genes in a manner that is mitotically heritable, and the effects of telomeres on subtelomeric gene expression may be relevant to senescence or other human adult-onset disorders. Recently, two novel epigenetic states were shown to occur at C. elegans telomeres, where very low or high levels of telomeric protein foci can be inherited for multiple generations through a process that is regulated by histone methylation.Together, these observations illustrate that information relevant to telomere biology can be inherited via genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, although the broad impact of epigenetic inheritance to human biology remains unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan H. Lister-Shimauchi
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA; (E.H.L.-S.); (B.M.); (M.L.)
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Benjamin McCarthy
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA; (E.H.L.-S.); (B.M.); (M.L.)
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Michael Lippincott
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA; (E.H.L.-S.); (B.M.); (M.L.)
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Shawn Ahmed
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA; (E.H.L.-S.); (B.M.); (M.L.)
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
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49
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Raftopoulou C, Paltoglou G, Charmandari E. Association between Telomere Length and Pediatric Obesity: A Systematic Review. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14061244. [PMID: 35334902 PMCID: PMC8949519 DOI: 10.3390/nu14061244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Telomere length (TL) is a robust marker of biological aging, and increased telomere attrition is noted in adults with obesity. The primary objective of this systematic review was to summarize current knowledge on the effects of childhood obesity in TL. The secondary objective was to assess the effect of weight management interventions in TL. Methods: The following databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Heal-link.gr from inception to September 2021. The search was performed using the following combinations of terms: “telomer*” [All Fields] AND (“length” [All Fields] OR “lengths” [All Fields]) AND “obes*” [All Fields] AND (“child*” [All Fields] OR “adolescen*” [All Fields]). Results: A total of 16 original articles were included in this systematic review. Eleven of them were cross-sectional and five were lifestyle interventions. Conclusions: There was a tendency towards a negative association between childhood obesity and TL. Life-style interventions in children have been associated with increased TL peripherally, indicating a possible association of the redistribution of younger cells in the periphery with the favorable effect of these interventions. Further prospective studies with larger sample sizes that employ other markers of cell aging would potentially elucidate this important mechanistic relation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Raftopoulou
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - George Paltoglou
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Evangelia Charmandari
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece;
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +30-213-2013-384
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Lu R, Pickett HA. Telomeric replication stress: the beginning and the end for alternative lengthening of telomeres cancers. Open Biol 2022; 12:220011. [PMID: 35259951 PMCID: PMC8905155 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures that cap the ends of linear chromosomes. Telomeric DNA comprises terminal tracts of G-rich tandem repeats, which are inherently difficult for the replication machinery to navigate. Structural aberrations that promote activation of the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway of telomere maintenance exacerbate replication stress at ALT telomeres, driving fork stalling and fork collapse. This form of telomeric DNA damage perpetuates recombination-mediated repair pathways and break-induced telomere synthesis. The relationship between replication stress and DNA repair is tightly coordinated for the purpose of regulating telomere length in ALT cells, but has been shown to be experimentally manipulatable. This raises the intriguing possibility that induction of replication stress can be used as a means to cause toxic levels of DNA damage at ALT telomeres, thereby selectively disrupting the viability of ALT cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Lu
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Hilda A. Pickett
- Telomere Length Regulation Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
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