1
|
Abal-Sanisidro M, De Luca M, Roma S, Ceraolo MG, de la Fuente M, De Monte L, Protti MP. Anakinra-Loaded Sphingomyelin Nanosystems Modulate In Vitro IL-1-Dependent Pro-Tumor Inflammation in Pancreatic Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8085. [PMID: 39125655 PMCID: PMC11312284 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25158085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive disease with a dismal prognosis. The tumor microenvironment exerts immunosuppressive activities through the secretion of several cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1. The IL-1/IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) axis is a key regulator in tumor-promoting T helper (Th)2- and Th17-type inflammation. Th2 cells are differentiated by dendritic cells endowed with Th2-polarizing capability by the thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) that is secreted by IL-1-activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Th17 cells are differentiated in the presence of IL-1 and other IL-1-regulated cytokines. In pancreatic cancer, the use of a recombinant IL-1R antagonist (IL1RA, anakinra, ANK) in in vitro and in vivo models has shown efficacy in targeting the IL-1/IL-1R pathway. In this study, we have developed sphingomyelin nanosystems (SNs) loaded with ANK (ANK-SNs) to compare their ability to inhibit Th2- and Th17-type inflammation with that of the free drug in vitro. We found that ANK-SNs inhibited TSLP and other pro-tumor cytokines released by CAFs at levels similar to ANK. Importantly, inhibition of IL-17 secretion by Th17 cells, but not of interferon-γ, was significantly higher, and at lower concentrations, with ANK-SNs compared to ANK. Collectively, the use of ANK-SNs might be beneficial in reducing the effective dose of the drug and its toxic effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcelina Abal-Sanisidro
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Group, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
- University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Oncology (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Michele De Luca
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; (M.D.L.); (S.R.); (M.G.C.); (L.D.M.)
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Roma
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; (M.D.L.); (S.R.); (M.G.C.); (L.D.M.)
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Ceraolo
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; (M.D.L.); (S.R.); (M.G.C.); (L.D.M.)
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria de la Fuente
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Group, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
- University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Oncology (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- DIVERSA Technologies S.L., Edificio Emprendia, Campus Sur, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Lucia De Monte
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; (M.D.L.); (S.R.); (M.G.C.); (L.D.M.)
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Pia Protti
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; (M.D.L.); (S.R.); (M.G.C.); (L.D.M.)
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ibello E, Saracino F, Delle Cave D, Buonaiuto S, Amoroso F, Andolfi G, Corona M, Guardiola O, Colonna V, Sainz B, Altucci L, De Cesare D, Cobellis G, Lonardo E, Patriarca EJ, D'Aniello C, Minchiotti G. Three-dimensional environment sensitizes pancreatic cancer cells to the anti-proliferative effect of budesonide by reprogramming energy metabolism. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:165. [PMID: 38877560 PMCID: PMC11177459 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-03072-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most lethal cancer with an aggressive metastatic phenotype and very poor clinical prognosis. Interestingly, a lower occurrence of PDAC has been described in individuals with severe and long-standing asthma. Here we explored the potential link between PDAC and the glucocorticoid (GC) budesonide, a first-line therapy to treat asthma. METHODS We tested the effect of budesonide and the classical GCs on the morphology, proliferation, migration and invasiveness of patient-derived PDAC cells and pancreatic cancer cell lines, using 2D and 3D cultures in vitro. Furthermore, a xenograft model was used to investigate the effect of budesonide on PDAC tumor growth in vivo. Finally, we combined genome-wide transcriptome analysis with genetic and pharmacological approaches to explore the mechanisms underlying budesonide activities in the different environmental conditions. RESULTS We found that in 2D culture settings, high micromolar concentrations of budesonide reduced the mesenchymal invasive/migrating features of PDAC cells, without affecting proliferation or survival. This activity was specific and independent of the Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR). Conversely, in a more physiological 3D environment, low nanomolar concentrations of budesonide strongly reduced PDAC cell proliferation in a GR-dependent manner. Accordingly, we found that budesonide reduced PDAC tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that the 3D environment drives the cells towards a general metabolic reprogramming involving protein, lipid, and energy metabolism (e.g., increased glycolysis dependency). This metabolic change sensitizes PDAC cells to the anti-proliferative effect of budesonide, which instead induces opposite changes (e.g., increased mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation). Finally, we provide evidence that budesonide inhibits PDAC growth, at least in part, through the tumor suppressor CDKN1C/p57Kip2. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our study reveals that the microenvironment influences the susceptibility of PDAC cells to GCs and provides unprecedented evidence for the anti-proliferative activity of budesonide on PDAC cells in 3D conditions, in vitro and in vivo. Our findings may explain, at least in part, the reason for the lower occurrence of pancreatic cancer in asthmatic patients and suggest a potential suitability of budesonide for clinical trials as a therapeutic approach to fight pancreatic cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Ibello
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, 'A. Buzzati-Traverso', CNR, Naples, Italy
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Federica Saracino
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, 'A. Buzzati-Traverso', CNR, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Buonaiuto
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Filomena Amoroso
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, 'A. Buzzati-Traverso', CNR, Naples, Italy
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Gennaro Andolfi
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, 'A. Buzzati-Traverso', CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Corona
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, 'A. Buzzati-Traverso', CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Ombretta Guardiola
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, 'A. Buzzati-Traverso', CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Vincenza Colonna
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, 'A. Buzzati-Traverso', CNR, Naples, Italy
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Bruno Sainz
- Department of Cancer, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas Sols-Morreale (IIBM), CSIC- UAM, Madrid, 28029, Spain
- Cancer, Area 3-Instituto Ramon Y Cajal de Investigacion Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, 28034, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Área Cáncer, CIBERONC, ISCIII, Madrid, 28029, Spain
| | - Lucia Altucci
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
- BIOGEM, Ariano Irpino, Ariano Irpino, AV, 83031, Italy
- IEOS-CNR, Naples, 80100, Italy
- Medical Epigenetics Program, AOU Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Dario De Cesare
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, 'A. Buzzati-Traverso', CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Gilda Cobellis
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Enza Lonardo
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, 'A. Buzzati-Traverso', CNR, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Cristina D'Aniello
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, 'A. Buzzati-Traverso', CNR, Naples, Italy.
| | - Gabriella Minchiotti
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, 'A. Buzzati-Traverso', CNR, Naples, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sakano Y, Matoba D, Noda T, Kobayashi S, Yamada D, Tomimaru Y, Takahashi H, Uemura M, Doki Y, Eguchi H. Clinical significance of ribosomal protein S15 expression in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases. JOURNAL OF HEPATO-BILIARY-PANCREATIC SCIENCES 2024. [PMID: 38838053 DOI: 10.1002/jhbp.12012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver metastasis is the most frequently observed distant metastasis of colorectal cancer, and the residual liver recurrence rate after hepatic resection is still high. To explore the mechanism of liver metastasis to discover potential new treatments, we assessed the relationship between the expression of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM). METHODS The gene expression dataset was extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Gene Expression Omnibus. Significance analysis of DEGs between tumor and normal samples of colorectum, liver, and lung was conducted. A total of 80 CRLM patients were studied to assess the expression of RPS15, characteristics, and outcomes. We examined the relationships of RPS15 expression to cell viability and apoptosis in vitro and vivo. RESULTS Significance analysis identified 33 DEGs. In our cohorts, the overall survival rates were significantly lower in the high-RPS15-expression group, and high expression of RPS15 was an independent and unfavorable prognostic factor in recurrence-free survival and overall survival. Knockdown of RPS15 expression reduced the proliferative capacity of colorectal cancer cells and increased BAX-induced apoptotic cell death. CONCLUSIONS RPS15 expression is an independent prognostic factor for CRLM patients and might be a novel therapeutic target for CRLM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Sakano
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Daijiro Matoba
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takehiro Noda
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shogo Kobayashi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Daisaku Yamada
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshito Tomimaru
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hidenori Takahashi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mamoru Uemura
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Doki
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Eguchi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wang D, Zhang Y, Liao Z, Ge H, Güngör C, Li Y. KDM5 family of demethylases promotes CD44-mediated chemoresistance in pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18250. [PMID: 37880235 PMCID: PMC10600175 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44536-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that the histone demethylase-lysine demethylase 5 (KDM5) family is associated with drug resistance in cancer cells. However, it is still not clear whether KDM5 family members promote chemotherapy resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC). Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was performed to investigate the prognostic value, and functional mechanisms of KDM5 family members in PDAC. The effects of KDM5 family members on drug resistance in PDAC cells and the relationship with CD44, as a stem cell marker, were explored by gene knockout and overexpression strategies. Finally, our findings were validated by functional experiments such as cell viability, colony formation and invasion assays. We found that the expression of KDM5A/C was significantly higher in gemcitabine-resistant cells than in sensitive cells, consistent with the analysis of the GSCALite database. The knockdown of KDM5A/C in PDAC cells resulted in diminished drug resistance, less cell colonies and reduced invasiveness, while KDM5A/C overexpression showed the opposite effect. Of note, the expression of KDM5A/C changed accordingly with the knockdown of CD44. In addition, members of the KDM5 family function in a variety of oncogenic pathways, including PI3K/AKT and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. In conclusion, KDM5 family members play an important role in drug resistance and may serve as new biomarkers or potential therapeutic targets in PDAC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yingjun Zhang
- Hunan Engineering and Technology Research Center for Agricultural Big Data Analysis and Decision-Making, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhouning Liao
- Department of Nephrology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Division of Translational Immunology, III, Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Heming Ge
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Cenap Güngör
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yuqiang Li
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics and Laboratory of Structural Biology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mouti MA, Deng S, Pook M, Malzahn J, Rendek A, Militi S, Nibhani R, Soonawalla Z, Oppermann U, Hwang CI, Pauklin S. KMT2A associates with PHF5A-PHF14-HMG20A-RAI1 subcomplex in pancreatic cancer stem cells and epigenetically regulates their characteristics. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5685. [PMID: 37709746 PMCID: PMC10502114 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41297-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC), one of the most aggressive and life-threatening human malignancies, is known for its resistance to cytotoxic therapies. This is increasingly ascribed to the subpopulation of undifferentiated cells, known as pancreatic cancer stem cells (PCSCs), which display greater evolutionary fitness than other tumor cells to evade the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy. PCSCs are crucial for tumor relapse as they possess 'stem cell-like' features that are characterized by self-renewal and differentiation. However, the molecular mechanisms that maintain the unique characteristics of PCSCs are poorly understood. Here, we identify the histone methyltransferase KMT2A as a physical binding partner of an RNA polymerase-associated PHF5A-PHF14-HMG20A-RAI1 protein subcomplex and an epigenetic regulator of PCSC properties and functions. Targeting the protein subcomplex in PCSCs with a KMT2A-WDR5 inhibitor attenuates their self-renewal capacity, cell viability, and in vivo tumorigenicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mai Abdel Mouti
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Siwei Deng
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Martin Pook
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Jessica Malzahn
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Aniko Rendek
- Department of Histopathology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Stefania Militi
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Reshma Nibhani
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Zahir Soonawalla
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Oxford University Hospitals NHS, Oxford, UK
| | - Udo Oppermann
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chang-Il Hwang
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, USA
| | - Siim Pauklin
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wang X, Kutschat AP, Aggrey-Fynn J, Hamdan FH, Graham RP, Wixom AQ, Souto Y, Ladigan-Badura S, Yonkus JA, Abdelrahman AM, Alva-Ruiz R, Gaedcke J, Ströbel P, Kosinsky RL, Wegwitz F, Hermann P, Truty MJ, Siveke JT, Hahn SA, Hessmann E, Johnsen SA, Najafova Z. Identification of a ΔNp63-Dependent Basal-Like A Subtype-Specific Transcribed Enhancer Program (B-STEP) in Aggressive Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:881-891. [PMID: 37279184 PMCID: PMC10542885 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-22-0916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A major hurdle to the application of precision oncology in pancreatic cancer is the lack of molecular stratification approaches and targeted therapy for defined molecular subtypes. In this work, we sought to gain further insight and identify molecular and epigenetic signatures of the Basal-like A pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) subgroup that can be applied to clinical samples for patient stratification and/or therapy monitoring. We generated and integrated global gene expression and epigenome mapping data from patient-derived xenograft models to identify subtype-specific enhancer regions that were validated in patient-derived samples. In addition, complementary nascent transcription and chromatin topology (HiChIP) analyses revealed a Basal-like A subtype-specific transcribed enhancer program in PDAC characterized by enhancer RNA (eRNA) production that is associated with more frequent chromatin interactions and subtype-specific gene activation. Importantly, we successfully confirmed the validity of eRNA detection as a possible histologic approach for PDAC patient stratification by performing RNA-ISH analyses for subtype-specific eRNAs on pathologic tissue samples. Thus, this study provides proof-of-concept that subtype-specific epigenetic changes relevant for PDAC progression can be detected at a single-cell level in complex, heterogeneous, primary tumor material. IMPLICATIONS Subtype-specific enhancer activity analysis via detection of eRNAs on a single-cell level in patient material can be used as a potential tool for treatment stratification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ana P. Kutschat
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Joana Aggrey-Fynn
- Robert Bosch Center for Tumor Diseases, Stuttgart, Germany
- Gene Regulatory Mechanisms and Molecular Epigenetics Lab, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Feda H. Hamdan
- Gene Regulatory Mechanisms and Molecular Epigenetics Lab, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Alexander Q. Wixom
- Gene Regulatory Mechanisms and Molecular Epigenetics Lab, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Yara Souto
- Robert Bosch Center for Tumor Diseases, Stuttgart, Germany
| | | | - Jennifer A. Yonkus
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Amro M. Abdelrahman
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Roberto Alva-Ruiz
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jochen Gaedcke
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Clinical Research Unit 5002, KFO5002, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Ströbel
- Clinical Research Unit 5002, KFO5002, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Robyn Laura Kosinsky
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Robert Bosch Center for Tumor Diseases, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Florian Wegwitz
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Mark J. Truty
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jens T. Siveke
- Bridge Institute of Experimental Tumor Therapy, West German Cancer Center, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- Division of Solid Tumor Translational Oncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner site University Hospital Essen, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephan A. Hahn
- Department of Molecular Gastrointestinal Oncology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Hessmann
- Clinical Research Unit 5002, KFO5002, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Zeynab Najafova
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Robert Bosch Center for Tumor Diseases, Stuttgart, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lee LD, Hering NA, Zibell M, Lobbes LA, Kamphues C, Lauscher JC, Margonis GA, Seeliger H, Beyer K, Weixler B, Pozios I. Near-infrared Fluorescence Imaging for Detecting Pancreatic Liver Metastasis in an Orthotopic Athymic Mouse Model. In Vivo 2023; 37:519-523. [PMID: 36881105 PMCID: PMC10026647 DOI: 10.21873/invivo.13109] [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: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Evidence of metastatic disease precludes oncological resection of pancreatic cancer. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent labels, such as indocyanine green (ICG), assist in the intraoperative detection of occult and micrometastatic liver disease. The present study aimed to analyse the role of NIR fluorescence imaging using ICG for pancreatic liver disease as proof of concept in an orthotopic athymic mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma was induced by injecting L3.6pl human pancreatic tumour cells into the pancreatic tail of seven athymic mice. After four weeks of tumour growth, ICG was injected into the tail vein and NIR fluorescence imaging was performed at harvest to determine tumour-to-liver ratios (TLR) using Quest Spectrum® Fluorescence Imaging Platform. RESULTS Pancreatic tumour growth and liver metastasis could be visually confirmed for all seven animals. None of the hepatic metastases showed any detectable ICG-uptake. ICG-staining failed to visualize the liver metastases or to increase fluorescence intensity of the rim around the hepatic lesions. CONCLUSION ICG-staining fails to visualize liver metastases induced by L3.6pl pancreatic tumour cells in athymic nude mice by NIR fluorescence imaging. Further studies are necessary to delineate the underlying mechanism for insufficient ICG uptake in these pancreatic liver metastases and for the lack of a fluorescent rim around the liver lesions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas D Lee
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Park Klinik Weissensee, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina A Hering
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Miriam Zibell
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Leonard A Lobbes
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carsten Kamphues
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Park Klinik Weissensee, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes C Lauscher
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Georgios A Margonis
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, NY, U.S.A
| | | | - Katharina Beyer
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin Weixler
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ioannis Pozios
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany;
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
MAPK4 silencing in gastric cancer drives liver metastasis by positive feedback between cancer cells and macrophages. Exp Mol Med 2023; 55:457-469. [PMID: 36797541 PMCID: PMC9981715 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-00946-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver metastasis is a major cause of death in gastric cancer patients, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Through a combination of in vivo screening and transcriptome profiling followed by quantitative RT-PCR and tissue array analyses, we found that mitogen-activated protein kinase 4 (MAPK4) downregulation in gastric cancer tissues from patients is significantly associated with liver metastasis and poor prognosis. The knockdown of MAPK4 in gastric cancer cells promotes liver metastasis in orthotopic mouse models. MAPK4 depletion in gastric cancer cells induces the secretion of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) to polarize tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in orthotopic xenograft tumors. Moreover, TAMs activate epithelial-mesenchymal transition of gastric cancer cells to suppress MAPK4 expression, which further increases MIF secretion to polarize TAMs. Taken together, our results suggest a previously undescribed positive feedback loop between cancer cells and macrophages mediated by MAPK4 silencing that facilitates gastric cancer liver metastasis.
Collapse
|
9
|
Targeting Interleukin-6/Glycoprotein-130 Signaling by Raloxifene or SC144 Enhances Paclitaxel Efficacy in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15020456. [PMID: 36672405 PMCID: PMC9856922 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Interleukine-6 plays a key role in the progression and poor survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The present study aimed to clarify if targeting the interleukin-6/glycoprotein-130 signaling cascade using the small-molecule gp130 inhibitor SC144 or raloxifene, a non-steroidal selective estrogen receptor modulator, enhances paclitaxel efficacy. MTT/BrdU assays or TUNEL staining were performed to investigate cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis induction in L3.6pl and AsPC-1 human pancreatic cell lines. In vivo, effects were studied in an orthotopic PDAC mouse model. Tumor specimens were analyzed by qPCR, immunohistochemistry and ELISA. Combination of paclitaxel/raloxifene, but not paclitaxel/SC144, enhanced proliferation and viability inhibition and increased apoptosis compared to single treatment in vitro. Synergy score calculations confirmed an additive influence of raloxifene on paclitaxel. In the PDAC mouse model, both combinations of raloxifene/paclitaxel and SC144/paclitaxel reduced tumor weight and volume compared to single-agent therapy or control. Raloxifene/paclitaxel treatment decreased survivin mRNA expression and showed tendencies of increased caspase-3 staining in primary tumors. SC144/paclitaxel reduced interleukin-6 levels in mice's tumors and plasma. In conclusion, raloxifene or SC144 can enhance the anti-tumorigenic effects of paclitaxel, suggesting that paclitaxel doses might also be reduced in combined chemotherapy to lessen paclitaxel side effects.
Collapse
|
10
|
Pozios I, Hering NA, Guenzler E, Arndt M, Elezkurtaj S, Knösel T, Bruns CJ, Margonis GA, Beyer K, Seeliger H. Gp130 is expressed in pancreatic cancer and can be targeted by the small inhibitor molecule SC144. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:271-280. [PMID: 36495330 PMCID: PMC9889481 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-022-04518-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Oncostatin M (OSM), and downstream effector STAT3 are pro-tumorigenic agents in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Glycoprotein 130 (gp130) is a compound of the IL-6 and OSM receptor complex that triggers STAT3 signaling. SC144 is a small molecule gp130 inhibitor with anticancer activity. This study examines the gp130 expression in human PDAC specimens and the in vitro effects of SC144 in PDAC cell lines. METHODS Tissue micro-arrays were constructed from 175 resected human PDAC. The gp130 expression in tumor epithelium and stroma was determined by immunohistochemistry, and survival analysis was performed. Growth inhibition by SC144 was assessed in vitro using BrdU and MTT assays. Western blotting was performed to evaluate the SC144 effect on IL-6 and OSM signaling. RESULTS Gp130 was expressed in the epithelium of 78.8% and the stroma of 9.4% of the tumor samples. The median overall survival for patients with or without epithelial gp130 expression was 16.7 months and 15.9 months, respectively (p = 0.830). Patients with no stromal gp130 expression showed poorer survival than patients with stromal gp130 expression (median 16.2 and 22.9 months, respectively), but this difference did not reach significance (p = 0.144). SC144 inhibited cell proliferation and viability and suppressed IL-6- and OSM-stimulated STAT3Y705 phosphorylation in PDAC cells. CONCLUSION Gp130 is expressed in the epithelium of most human PDAC, but stromal expression is rare. The small molecule gp130 inhibitor SC144 potently inhibits PDAC progression in vitro and may abrogate IL-6 or OSM/gp130/STAT3 signaling. These results suggest gp130 as a novel drug target for pancreatic cancer therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Pozios
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina A. Hering
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Emily Guenzler
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marco Arndt
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sefer Elezkurtaj
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Institute of Pathology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Knösel
- grid.411095.80000 0004 0477 2585Institute of Pathology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Christiane J. Bruns
- grid.6190.e0000 0000 8580 3777Department of General, Visceral, Tumor and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Georgios A. Margonis
- grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Katharina Beyer
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hendrik Seeliger
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany ,IU Health University, 55116 Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Dobrovolskaite A, Moots H, Tantak MP, Shah K, Thomas J, Dinara S, Massaro C, Hershberger PM, Maloney PR, Peddibhotla S, Sugarman E, Litherland S, Arnoletti JP, Jha RK, Levens D, Phanstiel O. Discovery of Anthranilic Acid Derivatives as Difluoromethylornithine Adjunct Agents That Inhibit Far Upstream Element Binding Protein 1 (FUBP1) Function. J Med Chem 2022; 65:15391-15415. [PMID: 36382923 PMCID: PMC10512781 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Polyamine biosynthesis is regulated by ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), which is transcriptionally activated by c-Myc. A large library was screened to find molecules that potentiate the ODC inhibitor, difluoromethylornithine (DFMO). Anthranilic acid derivatives were identified as DFMO adjunct agents. Further studies identified the far upstream binding protein 1 (FUBP1) as the target of lead compound 9. FUBP1 is a single-stranded DNA/RNA binding protein and a master controller of specific genes including c-Myc and p21. We showed that 9 does not inhibit 3H-spermidine uptake yet works synergistically with DFMO to limit cell growth in the presence of exogenous spermidine. Compound 9 was also shown to inhibit the KH4 FUBP1-FUSE interaction in a gel shift assay, bind to FUBP1 in a ChIP assay, reduce both c-Myc mRNA and protein expression, increase p21 mRNA and protein expression, and deplete intracellular polyamines. This promising hit opens the door to new FUBP1 inhibitors with increased potency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aiste Dobrovolskaite
- University of Central Florida, Biomolecular Research Annex, 12722 Research Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Holly Moots
- University of Central Florida, Biomolecular Research Annex, 12722 Research Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Mukund P Tantak
- University of Central Florida, Biomolecular Research Annex, 12722 Research Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Kunal Shah
- University of Central Florida, Biomolecular Research Annex, 12722 Research Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Jenna Thomas
- University of Central Florida, Biomolecular Research Annex, 12722 Research Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Sharifa Dinara
- University of Central Florida, Biomolecular Research Annex, 12722 Research Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Chelsea Massaro
- University of Central Florida, Biomolecular Research Annex, 12722 Research Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Paul M Hershberger
- Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute, 6400 Sanger Road, Orlando, Florida 32827, United States
| | - Patrick R Maloney
- Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute, 6400 Sanger Road, Orlando, Florida 32827, United States
| | | | - Eliot Sugarman
- Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute, 6400 Sanger Road, Orlando, Florida 32827, United States
| | - Sally Litherland
- Advent Health Cancer Institute, 2520 North Orange Ave, Suite 104, Orlando, Florida 32804, United States
| | - Juan Pablo Arnoletti
- Advent Health Cancer Institute, 2520 North Orange Ave, Suite 104, Orlando, Florida 32804, United States
| | - Rajiv Kumar Jha
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, 10 Center Drive, Building 10, Room 2N106, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1500, United States
| | - David Levens
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, 10 Center Drive, Building 10, Room 2N106, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1500, United States
| | - Otto Phanstiel
- University of Central Florida, Biomolecular Research Annex, 12722 Research Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Choi JH, Nam GH, Hong JM, Cho IR, Paik WH, Ryu JK, Kim YT, Lee SH. Cytokine-Induced Killer Cell Immunotherapy Combined With Gemcitabine Reduces Systemic Metastasis in Pancreatic Cancer: An Analysis Using Preclinical Adjuvant Therapy-Mimicking Pancreatic Cancer Xenograft Model. Pancreas 2022; 51:1251-1257. [PMID: 37078953 DOI: 10.1097/mpa.0000000000002176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and safety of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell therapy in pancreatic cancer. METHODS An orthotopic murine model of pancreatic cancer and adjuvant therapy-mimicking xenograft murine model that underwent splenectomy was created. Eighty mice were randomized into four groups: the control, gemcitabine alone, CIK alone, and CIK with gemcitabine groups. The tumor growth was monitored using bioluminescence imaging once weekly. RESULTS In the orthotopic murine model, the treatment groups showed a significantly longer survival than the control group (median: not reached vs 125.0 days; 95% confidence interval, 119.87-130.13; P = 0.04); however, the overall survival did not differ significantly among the treatment groups (P = 0.779). The metastatic recurrence rate and overall survival were also not significantly different among the groups in the adjuvant therapy-mimicking xenograft murine model (P = 0.497). However, the CIK and gemcitabine combination suppressed the metastatic recurrence effectively, with recurrence-free survival being significantly longer in the CIK with gemcitabine group than in the control group (median, 54 days; 95% confidence interval, 25.00-102.00; P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS The combination of CIK and gemcitabine suppressed systemic metastatic recurrence, with promising efficacy and good tolerability in an adjuvant setting of pancreatic cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ho Choi
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gun He Nam
- GC CELL Corp., Yongin-si, Republic of Korea
| | | | - In Rae Cho
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo Hyun Paik
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Kon Ryu
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Tae Kim
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Hyub Lee
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Ye Z, Yang Y, Wei Y, Li L, Wang X, Zhang J. PCDH1 promotes progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma via activation of NF-κB signalling by interacting with KPNB1. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:633. [PMID: 35864095 PMCID: PMC9304345 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05087-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Uncontrolled growth, distant metastasis and chemoresistance are critical characteristics of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and they result in high mortality; however, the mechanisms triggering these effects have not been fully investigated. In this study, we analysed a dataset in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and identified PCDH1, a rarely studied transmembrane protein, as a novel prognostic marker in PDAC patients. We demonstrated that PCDH1 expression was upregulated in PDAC tissues, and its expression levels were associated with the depth of tumour invasion and lymph node metastasis. Patients with high PCDH1 levels showed poor overall survival (OS). We also investigated the biological significance of PCDH1 in PDAC cell growth, metastasis, and side population (SP) phenotype acquisition and explored the internal molecular mechanisms of PCDH1 action. Our results demonstrated that PCDH1 enhanced p65 nuclear localization by interacting with KPNB1, a well-characterized nuclear transporter, thereby activating the NF-κB signalling pathway and increasing its functional effects during PDAC progression. Hence, our results indicate that PCDH1 can be used as a negative prognostic marker and may be a potential therapeutic target for PDAC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhihua Ye
- Department of Medical Oncology Center, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, 528403, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Yingyu Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology Center, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, 528403, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Ying Wei
- Department of Medical Oncology Center, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, 528403, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Lamei Li
- Department of Medical Oncology Center, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, 528403, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Xinyi Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology Center, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, 528403, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, P. R. China
| | - Junkai Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology Center, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, 528403, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, P. R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Varillas JI, Chen K, Dopico P, Zhang J, George TJ, Fan ZH. Comparison of sample preparation methods for rare cell isolation in microfluidic devices. CAN J CHEM 2022; 100:512-519. [PMID: 36338875 PMCID: PMC9635407 DOI: 10.1139/cjc-2021-0229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
The analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is important for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Microfluidics has been employed for CTC analysis due to its scaling advantages and high performance. However, pre-analytical methods for CTC sample preparation are often combined with microfluidic platforms because a large sample volume is required to detect extremely rare CTCs. Among pre-analytical methods, Ficoll-Paque™, OncoQuick™, and RosetteSep™ are commonly used to separate cells of interest. To compare their performance, we spiked L3.6pl pancreatic cancer cells into healthy blood samples and then employed each technique to prepare blood samples, followed by using a microfluidic platform to capture and detect L3.6pl cells. We found these three methods have similar performance, though the slight edge of RosetteSep™ over Ficoll-Paque™ is statistically significant. We also studied the effects of the tumor cell concentrations on the performance of the frequently used Ficoll-Paque™ method. Furthermore, we examined the repeatability and variability of each pre-analytical technique and the microfluidics-enabled detection. This study will provide researchers and clinicians with comparative data that can influence the choice of sample preparation method, help estimate CTC loss in each pre-analytical method, and correlate the results of clinical studies that employ different techniques.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jose I Varillas
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116131, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kangfu Chen
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116250, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Pablo Dopico
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116250, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jinling Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116250, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Thomas J George
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100278, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Z Hugh Fan
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116250, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116131, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Distinct Response of Circulating microRNAs to the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer Xenografts with FGFR and ALK Kinase Inhibitors. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14061517. [PMID: 35326668 PMCID: PMC8945909 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061517] [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: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is typically detected at a late stage and thus shows only limited sensitivity to treatment, making it one of the deadliest malignancies. In this study, we evaluate changes in microRNA (miR) patterns in peripheral blood as a potential readout of treatment responses of pancreatic cancer to inhibitors that target tumor-stroma interactions. Mice with pancreatic cancer cell (COLO357PL) xenografts were treated with inhibitors of either fibroblast growth factor receptor kinase (FGFR; PD173074) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase receptor (ALK; TAE684). While both treatments inhibited tumor angiogenesis, signal transduction, and mitogenesis to a similar extent, they resulted in distinct changes in circulating miR signatures. Comparison of the miR pattern in the tumor versus that in circulation showed that the inhibitors can be distinguished by their differential impact on tumor-derived miRs as well as host-derived circulating miRs. Distinct signatures that include circulating miR-1 and miR-22 are associated with the efficacy of ALK and FGFR inhibition, respectively. We propose that monitoring changes in circulating miR profiles can provide an early signature of treatment response or resistance to pathway-targeted drugs, and thus provide a non-invasive measurement to rapidly assess the efficacy of candidate therapies.
Collapse
|
16
|
Saxena S, Molczyk C, Purohit A, Ehrhorn E, Goel P, Prajapati DR, Atri P, Kaur S, Grandgenett PM, Hollingsworth MA, Batra SK, Singh RK. Differential expression profile of CXC-receptor-2 ligands as potential biomarkers in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Am J Cancer Res 2022; 12:68-90. [PMID: 35141005 PMCID: PMC8822283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery of early detection markers of pancreatic cancer (PC) disease is highly warranted. We analyzed the expression profile of different CXC-receptor-2 (CXCR2) ligands in PC cases for the potential of biomarker candidates. Analysis of different PDAC microarray datasets with matched normal and pancreatic tumor samples and next-generation sequenced transcriptomics data using an online portal showed significantly high expression of CXCL-1, 3, 5, 6, 8 in the tumors of PC patients. High CXCL5 expression was correlated to poor PC patient survival. Interestingly, mRNA and protein expression analysis of human PC cell lines showed higher CXCL2, 3, and 5 expressions in cell lines derived from metastatic sites than primary tumors. Furthermore, we utilized immunohistochemistry (IHC) to evaluate the expression of CXCR2 ligands in the human PC tumors and observed positive staining for CXCL1, 3, and 8 with a higher average IHC composite score of CXCL3 in the PC tissue specimens than the normal pancreas. We also observed an increase in the expression of mouse CXCL1, 3, and 5 in the pre-cancerous lesions of tumors and metastasis tissues derived from the PDX-cre-LSL-KrasG12D mouse model. Together, our data suggest that different CXCR2 ligands show the potential of being utilized as a diagnostic biomarker in PC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sugandha Saxena
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, 985950 Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 68198-5900, USA
| | - Caitlin Molczyk
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, 985950 Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 68198-5900, USA
| | - Abhilasha Purohit
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, 985950 Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 68198-5900, USA
| | - Evie Ehrhorn
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, 985950 Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 68198-5900, USA
| | - Paran Goel
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, 985950 Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 68198-5900, USA
| | - Dipakkumar R Prajapati
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, 985950 Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 68198-5900, USA
| | - Pranita Atri
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 68198-5845, USA
| | - Sukhwinder Kaur
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 68198-5845, USA
| | - Paul M Grandgenett
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Michael A Hollingsworth
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Surinder K Batra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 68198-5845, USA
| | - Rakesh K Singh
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, 985950 Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 68198-5900, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Polyphosphate expression by cancer cell extracellular vesicles mediates binding of factor XII and contact activation. Blood Adv 2021; 5:4741-4751. [PMID: 34597365 PMCID: PMC8759128 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2021005116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cleaved HK is observed in many patients with cancer, suggesting activation of the contact system. EVs from cancer cell lines or patients with cancer express polyphosphate, bind and activate FXII, and are prothrombotic.
Extracellular vesicles (EV) have been implicated in diverse biological processes, including intracellular communication, transport of nucleic acids, and regulation of vascular function. Levels of EVs are elevated in cancer, and studies suggest that EV may stimulate thrombosis in patients with cancer through expression of tissue factor. However, limited data also implicate EV in the activation of the contact pathway of coagulation through activation of factor XII (FXII) to FXIIa. To better define the ability of EV to initiate contact activation, we compared the ability of EV derived from different cancer cell lines to activate FXII. EV from all cell lines activated FXII, with those derived from pancreatic and lung cancer cell lines demonstrating the most potent activity. Concordant with the activation of FXII, EV induced the cleavage of high molecular weight kininogen (HK) to cleaved kininogen. We also observed that EVs from patients with cancer stimulated FXII activation and HK cleavage. To define the mechanisms of FXII activation by EV, EV were treated with calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase or Escherichia coli exopolyphosphatase to degrade polyphosphate; this treatment blocked binding of FXII to EVs and the ability of EV to mediate FXII activation. In vivo, EV induced pulmonary thrombosis in wild-type mice, with protection conferred by a deficiency in FXII, HK, or prekallikrein. Moreover, pretreatment of EVs with calf intestinal alkaline phosphatase inhibited their prothrombotic effect. These results indicate that polyphosphate mediates the binding of contact factors to EV and that EV-associated polyphosphate may contribute to the prothrombotic effects of EV in cancer.
Collapse
|
18
|
IL-17B/RB Activation in Pancreatic Stellate Cells Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Metabolism and Growth. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215338. [PMID: 34771503 PMCID: PMC8611647 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of all malignancies. Understanding the interplay between tumor and stroma could lead to the development of new therapies. The metabolic role of interleukin 17B/interleukin 17B receptor (IL-17B/RB) has not been adequately studied in pancreatic cancer and is poorly understood. Here, we investigate the IL-17B/RB-mediated interactions between the tumor and the stroma. We analyze murine as well as human stromal and tumor cells, animal experiments with immunocompromised mice, and human cell lines with overexpression and knockdown of IL-17RB. We report that aberrant expression of IL-17B/RB in stromal pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) accelerates tumor cell growth. IL-17B/RB-signaling supplies energy by increased oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Blocking IL-17B/RB to inhibit the tumor to stroma crosstalk could be a potential targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer. Abstract In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the tumor stroma constitutes most of the cell mass and contributes to therapy resistance and progression. Here we show a hitherto unknown metabolic cooperation between pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and tumor cells through Interleukin 17B/Interleukin 17B receptor (IL-17B/IL-17RB) signaling. Tumor-derived IL-17B carrying extracellular vesicles (EVs) activated stromal PSCs and induced the expression of IL-17RB. PSCs increased oxidative phosphorylation while reducing mitochondrial turnover. PSCs activated tumor cells in a feedback loop. Tumor cells subsequently increased oxidative phosphorylation and decreased glycolysis partially via IL-6. In vivo, IL-17RB overexpression in PSCs accelerated tumor growth in a co-injection xenograft mouse model. Our results demonstrate a tumor-to-stroma feedback loop increasing tumor metabolism to accelerate tumor growth under optimal nutritional conditions.
Collapse
|
19
|
A Comparative Endocrine Trans-Differentiation Approach to Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells with Different EMT Phenotypes Identifies Quasi-Mesenchymal Tumor Cells as Those with Highest Plasticity. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13184663. [PMID: 34572891 PMCID: PMC8466512 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13184663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest cancer types with the quasi-mesenchymal (QM) subtype of PDAC having the worst prognosis. De-differentiation of the ductal tumor cells to a mesenchymal phenotype occurs as a result of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process associated with the acquisition of stem cell traits. While QM tumor cells are highly metastatic and drug-resistant, their increased plasticity opens a window of opportunity for trans-differentiation into non-malignant pancreatic cells. In this study we compared established PDAC-derived cell lines of either epithelial (E) or QM phenotype for their potential to be differentiated to pancreatic endocrine cells. We found that QM cells responded more strongly than E cells with transcriptional activation of a pancreatic progenitor or pancreatic β cell-specific program. Our results bear strong implications for a novel type of targeted therapy, namely EMT-based trans-differentiation of highly metastatic PDAC cells in vivo to non-malignant endocrine cells. Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive and therapy-resistant cancer types which is largely due to tumor heterogeneity, cancer cell de-differentiation, and early metastatic spread. The major molecular subtypes of PDAC are designated classical/epithelial (E) and quasi-mesenchymal (QM) subtypes, with the latter having the worst prognosis. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the reverse process, mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), are involved in regulating invasion/metastasis and stem cell generation in cancer cells but also early pancreatic endocrine differentiation or de-differentiation of adult pancreatic islet cells in vitro, suggesting that pancreatic ductal exocrine and endocrine cells share common EMT programs. Using a panel of PDAC-derived cell lines classified by epithelial/mesenchymal expression as either E or QM, we compared their trans-differentiation (TD) potential to endocrine progenitor or β cell-like cells since studies with human pancreatic cancer cells for possible future TD therapy in PDAC patients are not available so far. We observed that QM cell lines responded strongly to TD culture using as inducers 5′-aza-2′-deoxycytidine or growth factors/cytokines, while their E counterparts were refractory or showed only a weak response. Moreover, the gain of plasticity was associated with a decrease in proliferative and migratory activities and was directly related to epigenetic changes acquired during selection of a metastatic phenotype as revealed by TD experiments using the paired isogenic COLO 357-L3.6pl model. Our data indicate that a QM phenotype in PDAC coincides with increased plasticity and heightened trans-differentiation potential to activate a pancreatic β cell-specific transcriptional program. We strongly assume that this specific biological feature has potential to be exploited clinically in TD-based therapy to convert metastatic PDAC cells into less malignant or even benign cells.
Collapse
|
20
|
Dobrovolskaite A, Madan M, Pandey V, Altomare DA, Phanstiel O. The discovery of indolone GW5074 during a comprehensive search for non-polyamine-based polyamine transport inhibitors. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2021; 138:106038. [PMID: 34252566 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2021.106038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The native polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are essential for cell development and proliferation. Polyamine levels are often increased in cancer tissues and polyamine depletion is a validated anticancer strategy. Cancer cell growth can be inhibited by the polyamine biosynthesis inhibitor difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), which inhibits ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), the rate-limiting enzyme in the polyamine biosynthesis pathway. Unfortunately, cells treated with DFMO often replenish their polyamine pools by importing polyamines from their environment. Several polyamine-based molecules have been developed to work as polyamine transport inhibitors (PTIs) and have been successfully used in combination with DFMO in several cancer models. Here, we present the first comprehensive search for potential non-polyamine based PTIs that work in human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. After identifying and testing five different categories of compounds, we have identified the c-RAF inhibitor, GW5074, as a novel non-polyamine based PTI. GW5074 inhibited the uptake of all three native polyamines and a fluorescent-polyamine probe into human pancreatic cancer cells. GW5074 significantly reduced pancreatic cancer cell growth in vitro when treated in combination with DFMO and a rescuing dose of spermidine. Moreover, GW5074 alone reduced tumor growth when tested in a murine pancreatic cancer mouse model in vivo. In summary, GW5074 is a novel non-polyamine-based PTI that potentiates the anticancer activity of DFMO in pancreatic cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aiste Dobrovolskaite
- Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, 32827, United States
| | - Meenu Madan
- Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, 32827, United States
| | - Veethika Pandey
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, 32827, United States
| | - Deborah A Altomare
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, 32827, United States
| | - Otto Phanstiel
- Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, 32827, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Klemke L, Fehlau CF, Winkler N, Toboll F, Singh SK, Moll UM, Schulz-Heddergott R. The Gain-of-Function p53 R248W Mutant Promotes Migration by STAT3 Deregulation in Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells. Front Oncol 2021; 11:642603. [PMID: 34178628 PMCID: PMC8226097 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.642603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Missense p53 mutations (mutp53) occur in approx. 70% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC). Typically, mutp53 proteins are aberrantly stabilized by Hsp90/Hsp70/Hsp40 chaperone complexes. Notably, stabilization is a precondition for specific mutp53 alleles to acquire powerful neomorphic oncogenic gain-of-functions (GOFs) that promote tumor progression in solid cancers mainly by increasing invasion and metastasis. In colorectal cancer (CRC), we recently established that the common hotspot mutants mutp53R248Q and mutp53R248W exert GOF activities by constitutively binding to and hyperactivating STAT3. This results in increased proliferation and invasion in an autochthonous CRC mouse model and correlates with poor survival in patients. Comparing a panel of p53 missense mutations in a series of homozygous human PDAC cell lines, we show here that, similar to CRC, the mutp53R248W protein again undergoes a strong Hsp90-mediated stabilization and selectively promotes migration. Highly stabilized mutp53 is degradable by the Hsp90 inhibitors Onalespib and Ganetespib, and correlates with growth suppression, possibly suggesting therapeutic vulnerabilities to target GOF mutp53 proteins in PDAC. In response to mutp53 depletion, only mutp53R248W harboring PDAC cells show STAT3 de-phosphorylation and reduced migration, again suggesting an allele-specific GOF in this cancer entity, similar to CRC. Moreover, mutp53R248W also exhibits the strongest constitutive complex formation with phosphorylated STAT3. The selective mutp53R248W GOF signals through enhancing the STAT3 axis, which was confirmed since targeting STAT3 by knockdown or pharmacological inhibition phenocopied mutp53 depletion and reduced cell viability and migration preferentially in mutp53R248W-containing PDAC cells. Our results confirm that mutp53 GOF activities are allele specific and can span across tumor entities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Klemke
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Clara F Fehlau
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nadine Winkler
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Felicia Toboll
- Institute of Molecular Oncology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Shiv K Singh
- Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ute M Moll
- Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Chung I, Zhou K, Barrows C, Banyard J, Wilson A, Rummel N, Mizokami A, Basu S, Sengupta P, Shaikh B, Sengupta S, Bielenberg DR, Zetter BR. Unbiased Phenotype-Based Screen Identifies Therapeutic Agents Selective for Metastatic Prostate Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 10:594141. [PMID: 33738243 PMCID: PMC7962607 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.594141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In American men, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Dissemination of prostate cancer cells to distant organs significantly worsens patients' prognosis, and currently there are no effective treatment options that can cure advanced-stage prostate cancer. In an effort to identify compounds selective for metastatic prostate cancer cells over benign prostate cancer cells or normal prostate epithelial cells, we applied a phenotype-based in vitro drug screening method utilizing multiple prostate cancer cell lines to test 1,120 different compounds from a commercial drug library. Top drug candidates were then examined in multiple mouse xenograft models including subcutaneous tumor growth, experimental lung metastasis, and experimental bone metastasis assays. A subset of compounds including fenbendazole, fluspirilene, clofazimine, niclosamide, and suloctidil showed preferential cytotoxicity and apoptosis towards metastatic prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. The bioavailability of the most discerning agents, especially fenbendazole and albendazole, was improved by formulating as micelles or nanoparticles. The enhanced forms of fenbendazole and albendazole significantly prolonged survival in mice bearing metastases, and albendazole-treated mice displayed significantly longer median survival times than paclitaxel-treated mice. Importantly, these drugs effectively targeted taxane-resistant tumors and bone metastases - two common clinical conditions in patients with aggressive prostate cancer. In summary, we find that metastatic prostate tumor cells differ from benign prostate tumor cells in their sensitivity to certain drug classes. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that albendazole, an anthelmintic medication, may represent a potential adjuvant or neoadjuvant to standard therapy in the treatment of disseminated prostate cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivy Chung
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kun Zhou
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Courtney Barrows
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jacqueline Banyard
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Arianne Wilson
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nathan Rummel
- Center for Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Atsushi Mizokami
- Department of Integrative Cancer Therapy and Urology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Sudipta Basu
- Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Poulomi Sengupta
- Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Badaruddin Shaikh
- Center for Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Shiladitya Sengupta
- Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Diane R. Bielenberg
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Bruce R. Zetter
- Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Liu M, Wang D, Luo Y, Hu L, Bi Y, Ji J, Huang H, Wang G, Zhu L, Ma J, Kim E, Luo CK, Abbruzzese JL, Li X, Yang VW, Li Z, Lu W. Selective killing of cancer cells harboring mutant RAS by concomitant inhibition of NADPH oxidase and glutathione biosynthesis. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:189. [PMID: 33594044 PMCID: PMC7887267 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-03473-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Oncogenic RAS is a critical driver for the initiation and progression of several types of cancers. However, effective therapeutic strategies by targeting RAS, in particular RASG12D and RASG12V, and associated downstream pathways have been so far unsuccessful. Treatment of oncogenic RAS-ravaged cancer patients remains a currently unmet clinical need. Consistent with a major role in cancer metabolism, oncogenic RAS activation elevates both reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating NADPH oxidase (NOX) activity and ROS-scavenging glutathione biosynthesis. At a certain threshold, the heightened oxidative stress and antioxidant capability achieve a higher level of redox balance, on which cancer cells depend to gain a selective advantage on survival and proliferation. However, this prominent metabolic feature may irrevocably render cancer cells vulnerable to concurrent inhibition of both NOX activity and glutathione biosynthesis, which may be exploited as a novel therapeutic strategy. In this report, we test this hypothesis by treating the HRASG12V-transformed ovarian epithelial cells, mutant KRAS-harboring pancreatic and colon cancer cells of mouse and human origins, as well as cancer xenografts, with diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) and buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) combination, which inhibit NOX activity and glutathione biosynthesis, respectively. Our results demonstrate that concomitant targeting of NOX and glutathione biosynthesis induces a highly potent lethality to cancer cells harboring oncogenic RAS. Therefore, our studies provide a novel strategy against RAS-bearing cancers that warrants further mechanistic and translational investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muyun Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, No. 905 Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Dan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Yongde Luo
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lianghao Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Yawei Bi
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Juntao Ji
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Haojie Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Guoqiang Wang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Liang Zhu
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Jianjia Ma
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Eunice Kim
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Catherine K Luo
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - James L Abbruzzese
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Xiaokun Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Vincent W Yang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Zhaoshen Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, China.
| | - Weiqin Lu
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Pozios I, Seel NN, Hering NA, Hartmann L, Liu V, Camaj P, Müller MH, Lee LD, Bruns CJ, Kreis ME, Seeliger H. Raloxifene inhibits pancreatic adenocarcinoma growth by interfering with ERβ and IL-6/gp130/STAT3 signaling. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2021; 44:167-177. [PMID: 32940862 PMCID: PMC7906944 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-020-00559-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Currently, the exact role of estrogen receptor (ER) signaling in pancreatic cancer is unknown. Recently, we showed that expression of phosphorylated ERβ correlates with a poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we hypothesized that raloxifene, a FDA-approved selective ER modulator (SERM), may suppress PDAC tumor growth by interfering with ERβ signaling. To test this hypothesis, we studied the impact of raloxifene on interleukin-6/glycoprotein-130/signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (IL-6/gp130/STAT3) signaling. METHODS Human PDAC cell lines were exposed to raloxifene after which growth inhibition was assessed using a BrdU assay. ER knockdown was performed using siRNAs specific for ERα and ERβ. The effects of raloxifene on IL-6 expression and STAT3 phosphorylation in PDAC cells were assessed by ELISA and Western blotting, respectively. In addition, raloxifene was administered to an orthotopic PDAC tumor xenograft mouse model, after which tumor growth was monitored and immunohistochemistry was performed. RESULTS Raloxifene inhibited the in vitro growth of PDAC cells, and this effect was reversed by siRNA-mediated knockdown of ERβ, but not of ERα, indicating ER isotype-specific signaling. We also found that treatment with raloxifene inhibited the release of IL-6 and suppressed the phosphorylation of STAT3Y705 in PDAC cells. In vivo, we found that orthotopic PDAC tumor growth, lymph node and liver metastases as well as Ki-67 expression were reduced in mice treated with raloxifene. CONCLUSIONS Inhibition of ERβ and the IL-6/gp130/STAT3 signaling pathway by raloxifene leads to potent reduction of PDAC growth in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggest that ERβ signaling and IL-6/gp130 interaction may serve as promising drug targets for pancreatic cancer and that raloxifene may serve as an attractive therapeutic option for PDAC patients expressing the ERβ isotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Pozios
- Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina N Seel
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Hospital of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Nina A Hering
- Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisa Hartmann
- Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Verena Liu
- Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Minimal Invasive and Visceral Surgery, Vivantes Klinikum Neukölln, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Camaj
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Hospital of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Mario H Müller
- Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Minimal Invasive and Visceral Surgery, Vivantes Klinikum Neukölln, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lucas D Lee
- Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christiane J Bruns
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin E Kreis
- Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hendrik Seeliger
- Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Pan C, Otsuka Y, Sridharan B, Woo M, Leiton CV, Babu S, Torrente Gonçalves M, Kawalerski RR, K. Bai JD, Chang DK, Biankin AV, Scampavia L, Spicer T, Escobar‐Hoyos LF, Shroyer KR. An unbiased high-throughput drug screen reveals a potential therapeutic vulnerability in the most lethal molecular subtype of pancreatic cancer. Mol Oncol 2020; 14:1800-1816. [PMID: 32533886 PMCID: PMC7400780 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States by 2020, due in part to innate resistance to widely used chemotherapeutic agents and limited knowledge about key molecular factors that drive tumor aggression. We previously reported a novel negative prognostic biomarker, keratin 17 (K17), whose overexpression in cancer results in shortened patient survival. In this study, we aimed to determine the predictive value of K17 and explore the therapeutic vulnerability in K17-expressing PDAC, using an unbiased high-throughput drug screen. Patient-derived data analysis showed that K17 expression correlates with resistance to gemcitabine (Gem). In multiple in vitro and in vivo models of PDAC, spanning human and murine PDAC cells, and orthotopic xenografts, we determined that the expression of K17 results in a more than twofold increase in resistance to Gem and 5-fluorouracil, key components of current standard-of-care chemotherapeutic regimens. Furthermore, through an unbiased drug screen, we discovered that podophyllotoxin (PPT), a microtubule inhibitor, showed significantly higher sensitivity in K17-positive compared to K17-negative PDAC cell lines and animal models. In the clinic, another microtubule inhibitor, paclitaxel (PTX), is used in combination with Gem as a first-line chemotherapeutic regimen for PDAC. Surprisingly, we found that when combined with Gem, PPT, but not PTX, was synergistic in inhibiting the viability of K17-expressing PDAC cells. Importantly, in preclinical models, PPT in combination with Gem effectively decreased tumor growth and enhanced the survival of mice bearing K17-expressing tumors. This provides evidence that PPT and its derivatives could potentially be combined with Gem to enhance treatment efficacy for the ~ 50% of PDACs that express high levels of K17. In summary, we reported that K17 is a novel target for developing a biomarker-based personalized treatment for PDAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chun‐Hao Pan
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate ProgramStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
| | | | | | - Melissa Woo
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
- Simons Summer Research ProgramStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
| | - Cindy V. Leiton
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
| | - Sruthi Babu
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
- Department of Family, Population & Preventive MedicineRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
| | | | - Ryan R. Kawalerski
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
| | - Ji Dong K. Bai
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
| | - David K. Chang
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research CentreInstitute of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
- West of Scotland Pancreatic UnitGlasgow Royal InfirmaryUK
| | - Andrew V. Biankin
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research CentreInstitute of Cancer SciencesUniversity of GlasgowUK
- West of Scotland Pancreatic UnitGlasgow Royal InfirmaryUK
| | | | | | - Luisa F. Escobar‐Hoyos
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
- Department of Therapeutic RadiologySchool of MedicineYale UniversityNew HavenCTUSA
- David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer ResearchMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNYUSA
- Genetic Toxicology and Cytogenetics Research GroupDepartment of BiologySchool of Natural Sciences and EducationUniversidad del CaucaPopayánColombia
| | - Kenneth R. Shroyer
- Department of PathologyRenaissance School of MedicineStony Brook UniversityNYUSA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Samonig L, Loipetzberger A, Blöchl C, Rurik M, Kohlbacher O, Aberger F, Huber CG. Proteins and Molecular Pathways Relevant for the Malignant Properties of Tumor-Initiating Pancreatic Cancer Cells. Cells 2020; 9:E1397. [PMID: 32503348 PMCID: PMC7349116 DOI: 10.3390/cells9061397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a small subset of the tumor bulk with highly malignant properties, are deemed responsible for tumor initiation, growth, metastasis, and relapse. In order to reveal molecular markers and determinants of their tumor-initiating properties, we enriched rare stem-like pancreatic tumor-initiating cells (TICs) by harnessing their clonogenic growth capacity in three-dimensional multicellular spheroid cultures. We compared pancreatic TICs isolated from three-dimensional tumor spheroid cultures with nontumor-initiating cells (non-TICs) enriched in planar cultures. Employing differential proteomics (PTX), we identified more than 400 proteins with significantly different expression in pancreatic TICs and the non-TIC population. By combining the unbiased PTX with mRNA expression analysis and literature-based predictions of pro-malignant functions, we nominated the two calcium-binding proteins S100A8 (MRP8) and S100A9 (MRP14) as well as galactin-3-binding protein LGALS3BP (MAC-2-BP) as putative determinants of pancreatic TICs. In silico pathway analysis followed by candidate-based RNA interference mediated loss-of-function analysis revealed a critical role of S100A8, S100A9, and LGALS3BP as molecular determinants of TIC proliferation, migration, and in vivo tumor growth. Our study highlights the power of combining unbiased proteomics with focused gene expression and functional analyses for the identification of novel key regulators of TICs, an approach that warrants further application to identify proteins and pathways amenable to drug targeting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Samonig
- Department of Biosciences, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria; (L.S.); (C.B.)
| | - Andrea Loipetzberger
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Molecular Cancer and Stem Cell Research, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria;
| | - Constantin Blöchl
- Department of Biosciences, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria; (L.S.); (C.B.)
| | - Marc Rurik
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of Tübingen, Sand 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (M.R.); (O.K.)
| | - Oliver Kohlbacher
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, University of Tübingen, Sand 14, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (M.R.); (O.K.)
- Biomolecular Interactions, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Translational Bioinformatics, University Hospital Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 9, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Quantitative Biology Center, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Fritz Aberger
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, Molecular Cancer and Stem Cell Research, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria;
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Christian G. Huber
- Department of Biosciences, Bioanalytical Research Labs, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria; (L.S.); (C.B.)
- Department of Biosciences, Cancer Cluster Salzburg, University of Salzburg, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Wang Z, Qin J, Zhao J, Li J, Li D, Popp M, Popp F, Alakus H, Kong B, Dong Q, Nelson PJ, Zhao Y, Bruns CJ. Inflammatory IFIT3 renders chemotherapy resistance by regulating post-translational modification of VDAC2 in pancreatic cancer. Theranostics 2020; 10:7178-7192. [PMID: 32641986 PMCID: PMC7330856 DOI: 10.7150/thno.43093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers worldwide and effective therapy remains a challenge. IFIT3 is an interferon-stimulated gene with antiviral and pro-inflammatory functions. Our previous work has shown that high expression of IFIT3 is correlated with poor survival in PDAC patients who receive chemotherapy suggesting a link between IFIT3 and chemotherapy resistance in PDAC. However, the exact role and molecular mechanism of IFIT3 in chemotherapy resistance in PDAC has been unclear. Methods: A group of transcriptome datasets were downloaded and analyzed for the characterization of IFIT3 in PDAC. Highly metastatic PDAC cell line L3.6pl and patient-derived primary cell TBO368 were used and IFIT3 knockdown and the corresponding knockin cells were established for in vitro studies. Chemotherapy-induced apoptosis, ROS production, confocal immunofluorescence, subcellular fractionation, chromatin-immunoprecipitation, co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analysis were determined to further explore the biological role of IFIT3 in chemotherapy resistance of PDAC. Results: Based on PDAC transcriptome data, we show that IFIT3 expression is associated with the squamous molecular subtype of PDAC and an increase in inflammatory response and apoptosis pathways. We further identify a crucial role for IFIT3 in the regulation of mitochondria-associated apoptosis during chemotherapy. Knockdown of IFIT3 attenuates the chemotherapy resistance of PDAC cells to gemcitabine, paclitaxel, and FOLFIRINOX regimen treatments, independent of individual chemotherapy regimens. While IFIT3 overexpression was found to promote drug resistance. Co-immunoprecipitation identified a direct interaction between IFIT3 and the mitochondrial channel protein VDAC2, an important regulator of mitochondria-associated apoptosis. It was subsequently found that IFIT3 regulates the post-translational modification-O-GlcNAcylation of VDAC2 by stabilizing the interaction of VDAC2 with O-GlcNAc transferase. Increased O-GlcNAcylation of VDAC2 protected PDAC cells from chemotherapy induced apoptosis. Conclusions: These results effectively demonstrate a central mechanism by which IFIT3 expression can affect chemotherapy resistance in PDAC. Targeting IFIT3/VDAC2 may represent a novel strategy to sensitize aggressive forms of pancreatic cancer to conventional chemotherapy regimens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhefang Wang
- Department of General, Visceral, Tumor and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Jie Qin
- Department of General, Visceral, Tumor and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Jiangang Zhao
- Department of General, Visceral, Tumor and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral und Vascular Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jiahui Li
- Department of General, Visceral, Tumor and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Dai Li
- Department of General, Visceral, Tumor and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
- Department of Anesthesiology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Marie Popp
- Department of General, Visceral, Tumor and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Felix Popp
- Department of General, Visceral, Tumor and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Hakan Alakus
- Department of General, Visceral, Tumor and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Bo Kong
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Qiongzhu Dong
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peter J. Nelson
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of General, Visceral, Tumor and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Christiane J. Bruns
- Department of General, Visceral, Tumor and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
The IL-17A/IL-17RA Axis Is Not Related to Overall Survival and Cancer Stem Cell Modulation in Pancreatic Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21062215. [PMID: 32210079 PMCID: PMC7139783 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21062215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: IL-17A accelerates pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) progression. In this study, we examined whether IL-17A/IL-17RA promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) aggressiveness in terms of survival and cancer stem cell modulation. (2) Methods: In vitro, the wound-healing assay, the sphere formation assay, and flow cytometry were applied to assess cancer stem cell features. In vivo, pancreatic tumors were induced in C57BL/6 mice using electroporation with oncogenic plasmids (P53-/- R172H; KrasG12V). Anti-IL-17 antibodies were administered as immunotherapy. We analyzed IL-17A/IL-17RA related survival using publicly available transcriptomic data (n = 903). (3) Results: IL-17A/IL-17RA expression was not related to survival in PDAC patients. IL-17A neither induces stem cell markers nor increases sphere formation and cell motility in vitro. Blocking the IL-17A/IL-17RA axis in a murine pancreatic cancer model did not improve the survival of mice, but reduced the tumor burden slightly. (4) Conclusions: IL-17A does not promote stem cell expansion in PDAC cell lines. Blocking IL-17A/IL-17RA signaling does not interfere with pancreatic cancer development and progression and may not be considered as a promising monotherapy for PDAC.
Collapse
|
29
|
Suzuki T, Von Haehling S, Springer J. Promising models for cancer-induced cachexia drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 15:627-637. [PMID: 32050816 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1724954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Cachexia is a frequent, multifactorial syndrome associated with cancer afflicting patients' quality of life, their ability to tolerate anti-neoplastic therapies and the therapies efficacy, as well as survival. Currently, there are no approved cancer cachexia treatments other than those for the treatment of the underlying cancer. Cancer cachexia (CC) is poorly understood and hence makes clinical trial design difficult at best. This underlines the importance of well-characterized animal models to further elucidate the pathophysiology of CC and drug discovery/development.Areas covered: This review gives an overview of the available animal models and their value and limitations in translational studies.Expert opinion: Using more than one CC model to test research questions or novel compounds/treatment strategies is strongly advisable. The main reason is that models have unique signaling modalities driving cachexia that may only relate to subgroups of cancer patients. Human xenograph CC models require the use of mice with a compromised immune system, limiting their value for translational experiments. It may prove beneficial to include standard care chemotherapy in the experimental design, as many chemotherapeutic agents can induce cachexia themselves and alter the metabolic and signaling derangements of CC and thus the response to new therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tsuyoshi Suzuki
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), Germany and German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stephan Von Haehling
- Department of Cardiology and Pneumology, University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), Germany and German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jochen Springer
- Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Mathison A, Milech De Assuncao T, Dsouza NR, Williams M, Zimmermann MT, Urrutia R, Lomberk G. Discovery, expression, cellular localization, and molecular properties of a novel, alternative spliced HP1γ isoform, lacking the chromoshadow domain. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0217452. [PMID: 32027651 PMCID: PMC7004349 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
By reading the H3K9Me3 mark through their N-terminal chromodomain (CD), HP1 proteins play a significant role in cancer-associated processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, chromosomal stability, and DNA repair. Here, we used a combination of bioinformatics-based methodologies, as well as experimentally-derived datasets, that reveal the existence of a novel short HP1γ (CBX3) isoform, named here sHP1γ, generated by alternative splicing of the CBX3 locus. The sHP1γ mRNA encodes a protein composed of 101 residues and lacks the C-terminal chromoshadow domain (CSD) that is required for dimerization and heterodimerization in the previously described 183 a. a HP1γ protein. Fold recognition, order-to-disorder calculations, threading, homology-based molecular modeling, docking, and molecular dynamic simulations show that the sHP1γ is comprised of a CD flanked by intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) with an IDR-CD-IDR domain organization and likely retains the ability to bind to the H3K9Me3. Both qPCR analyses and mRNA-seq data derived from large-scale studies confirmed that sHP1γ mRNA is expressed in the majority of human tissues at approximately constant ratios with the chromoshadow domain containing isoform. However, sHP1γ mRNA levels appear to be dysregulated in different cancer types. Thus, our data supports the notion that, due to the existence of functionally different isoforms, the regulation of HP1γ-mediated functions is more complex than previously anticipated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angela Mathison
- Genomics and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, WI Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Thiago Milech De Assuncao
- Genomics and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, WI Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Nikita R. Dsouza
- Bioinformatics Research and Development Laboratory, and Precision Medicine Simulation Unit, Genomics and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Monique Williams
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Michael T. Zimmermann
- Bioinformatics Research and Development Laboratory, and Precision Medicine Simulation Unit, Genomics and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Raul Urrutia
- Genomics and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, WI Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Gwen Lomberk
- Genomics and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, WI Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Mahajan UM, Goni E, Langhoff E, Li Q, Costello E, Greenhalf W, Kruger S, Ormanns S, Halloran C, Ganeh P, Marron M, Lämmerhirt F, Zhao Y, Beyer G, Weiss FU, Sendler M, Bruns CJ, Kohlmann T, Kirchner T, Werner J, D’Haese JG, von Bergwelt-Baildon M, Heinemann V, Neoptolemos JP, Büchler MW, Belka C, Boeck S, Lerch MM, Mayerle J. Cathepsin D Expression and Gemcitabine Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer. JNCI Cancer Spectr 2020; 4:pkz060. [PMID: 32296755 PMCID: PMC7050148 DOI: 10.1093/jncics/pkz060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cathepsin-D (CatD), owing to its dual role as a proteolytic enzyme and as a ligand, has been implicated in cancer progression. The role of CatD in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is unknown. METHODS CatD expression quantified by immunohistochemistry of tumor-tissue microarrays of 403 resected pancreatic cancer patients from the ESPAC-Tplus trial, a translational study within the ESPAC (European Study Group for Pancreatic Cancer) trials, was dichotomously distributed to low and high H scores (cut off 22.35) for survival and multivariable analysis. The validation cohort (n = 69) was recruited based on the hazard ratio of CatD from ESPAC-Tplus. 5-fluorouracil-, and gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cell lines were employed for mechanistic experiments. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS Median overall survival was 23.75 months and median overall survival for patients with high CatD expression was 21.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 17.31 to 24.80) months vs 27.20 (95% CI = 23.75 to 31.90) months for low CatD expression (χ2 LR, 1DF = 4.00; P = .04). Multivariable analysis revealed CatD expression as a predictive marker in gemcitabine-treated (z stat = 2.33; P = .02) but not in 5-fluorouracil-treated (z stat = 0.21; P = .82) patients. An independent validation cohort confirmed CatD as a negative predictive marker for survival (χ2 LR, 1DF = 6.80; P = .009) and as an independent predictive marker in gemcitabine-treated patients with a hazard ratio of 3.38 (95% CI = 1.36 to 8.38, P = .008). Overexpression of CatD was associated with a concomitant suppression of the acid sphingomyelinase, and silencing of CatD resulted in upregulation of acid sphingomyelinase with rescue of gemcitabine resistance. CONCLUSIONS Adjuvant gemcitabine is less effective in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with high CatD expression, and thus CatD could serve as a marker for biomarker-driven therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ujjwal M Mahajan
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU-Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Medicine A, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Elisabetta Goni
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU-Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Enno Langhoff
- Department of Medicine A, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU-Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Eithne Costello
- National Institute for Health Research Liverpool Pancreas Biomedical Research Centre, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - William Greenhalf
- National Institute for Health Research Liverpool Pancreas Biomedical Research Centre, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Stephan Kruger
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU-Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Steffen Ormanns
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christopher Halloran
- National Institute for Health Research Liverpool Pancreas Biomedical Research Centre, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Paula Ganeh
- National Institute for Health Research Liverpool Pancreas Biomedical Research Centre, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Manuela Marron
- Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS, Bremen, Germany
| | - Felix Lämmerhirt
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU-Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of General, Visceral, and Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Georg Beyer
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU-Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Medicine A, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Frank-Ulrich Weiss
- Department of Medicine A, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Matthias Sendler
- Department of Medicine A, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Christiane J Bruns
- Department of General, Visceral, and Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Kohlmann
- Department of Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Thomas Kirchner
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jens Werner
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan G D’Haese
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Volker Heinemann
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU-Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - John P Neoptolemos
- National Institute for Health Research Liverpool Pancreas Biomedical Research Centre, University of Liverpool, UK
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus W Büchler
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claus Belka
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU-Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Boeck
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU-Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus M Lerch
- Department of Medicine A, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Julia Mayerle
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU-Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Medicine A, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Urrutia G, Salmonson A, Toro-Zapata J, de Assuncao TM, Mathison A, Dusetti N, Iovanna J, Urrutia R, Lomberk G. Combined Targeting of G9a and Checkpoint Kinase 1 Synergistically Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth by Replication Fork Collapse. Mol Cancer Res 2019; 18:448-462. [PMID: 31822519 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-19-0490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Because of its dismal outcome, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a therapeutic challenge making the testing of new pharmacologic tools a goal of paramount importance. Here, we developed a rational approach for inhibiting PDAC growth based on leveraging cell-cycle arrest of malignant cells at a phase that shows increased sensitivity to distinct epigenomic inhibitors. Specifically, we simultaneously inhibited checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) by prexasertib and the G9a histone methyltransferase with BRD4770, thereby targeting two key pathways for replication fork stability. Methodologically, the antitumor effects and molecular mechanisms of the combination were assessed by an extensive battery of assays, utilizing cell lines and patient-derived cells as well as 3D spheroids and xenografts. We find that the prexasertib-BRD4770 combination displays a synergistic effect on replication-associated phenomena, including cell growth, DNA synthesis, cell-cycle progression at S phase, and DNA damage signaling, ultimately leading to a highly efficient induction of cell death. Moreover, cellular and molecular data reveal that the synergistic effect of these pathways can be explained, at least in large part, by the convergence of both Chk1 and G9a functions at the level of the ATR-RPA-checkpoint pathway, which is operational during replication stress. Thus, targeting the epigenetic regulator G9a, which is necessary for replication fork stability, combined with inhibition of the DNA damage checkpoint, offers a novel approach for controlling PDAC growth through replication catastrophe. IMPLICATIONS: This study offers an improved, context-dependent, paradigm for the use of epigenomic inhibitors and provides mechanistic insight into their potential therapeutic use against PDAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Urrutia
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery; Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Ann Salmonson
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery; Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Jorge Toro-Zapata
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery; Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Thiago M de Assuncao
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery; Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.,Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Angela Mathison
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery; Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.,Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Nelson Dusetti
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Juan Iovanna
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Raul Urrutia
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery; Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.,Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.,Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Gwen Lomberk
- Division of Research, Department of Surgery; Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. .,Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center (GSPMC), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Negative Control of Cell Migration by Rac1b in Highly Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Cells Is Mediated by Sequential Induction of Nonactivated Smad3 and Biglycan. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11121959. [PMID: 31817656 PMCID: PMC6966648 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11121959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Expression of the small GTPase, Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1B (RAC1B), a RAC1-related member of the Rho GTPase family, in tumor tissues of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has been shown previously to correlate positively with patient survival, but the underlying mechanism(s) and the target genes involved have remained elusive. Screening of a panel of established PDAC-derived cell lines by immunoblotting indicated that both RAC1B and Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 (SMAD3) were more abundantly expressed in poorly metastatic and well-differentiated lines as opposed to highly metastatic, poorly differentiated ones. Both siRNA-mediated RAC1B knockdown in the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-sensitive PDAC-derived cell lines, Panc1 and PaCa3, or CRISPR/Cas-mediated knockout of exon 3b of RAC1 in Panc1 cells resulted in a dramatic decrease in the expression of SMAD3. Unexpectedly, the knockdown of SMAD3 reproduced the promigratory activity of a RAC1B knockdown in Panc1 and PaCa3, but not in TGF-β-resistant BxPC3 and Capan1 cells, while forced expression of SMAD3 alone was able to mimic the antimigratory effect of ectopic RAC1B overexpression in Panc1 cells. Moreover, overexpression of SMAD3 was able to rescue Panc1 cells from the RAC1B knockdown-induced increase in cell migration, while knockdown of SMAD3 prevented the RAC1B overexpression-induced decrease in cell migration. Using pharmacological and dominant-negative inhibition of SMAD3 C-terminal phosphorylation, we further show that the migration-inhibiting effect of SMAD3 is independent of its activation by TGF-β. Finally, we provide evidence that the antimigratory program of RAC1B-SMAD3 in Panc1 cells is executed through upregulation of the migration and TGF-β inhibitor, biglycan (BGN). Together, our data suggest that a RAC1B-SMAD3-BGN axis negatively controls cell migration and that SMAD3 can induce antimigratory genes, i.e., BGN independent of its role as a signal transducer for TGF-β. Therefore, targeting this novel pathway for activation is a potential therapeutic strategy in highly metastatic PDAC to interfere with invasion and metastasis.
Collapse
|
34
|
IL-8 Released from Human Pancreatic Cancer and Tumor-Associated Stromal Cells Signals through a CXCR2-ERK1/2 Axis to Induce Muscle Atrophy. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11121863. [PMID: 31769424 PMCID: PMC6966692 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11121863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor-derived cytokines are known to drive the catabolism of host tissues, including skeletal muscle. However, our understanding of the specific cytokines that initiate this process remains incomplete. In the current study, we conducted multiplex analyte profiling of cytokines in conditioned medium (CM) collected from human pancreatic cancer (PC) cells, human tumor-associated stromal (TAS) cells, and their co-culture. Of the factors identified, interleukin-8 (IL-8) is released at high levels from PC cells and PC/TAS co-culture and has previously been associated with low muscle mass in cancer patients. We, therefore, treated C2C12 myotubes with IL-8 which led to the activation of ERK1/2, STAT, and Smad signaling, and induced myotube atrophy. Moreover, the treatment of mice with IL-8 also induced significant muscle wasting, confirming the in vivo relevance of IL-8 on muscle. Mechanistically, IL-8-induced myotube atrophy is inhibited by treatment with the CXCR2 antagonist, SB225002, or by treatment with the ERK1/2 inhibitor, U0126. We further demonstrate that this axis mediates muscle atrophy induced by pancreatic cancer cell CM, as neutralization of IL-8 or treatment with SB225002 or U0126 significantly inhibit CM-induced myotube atrophy. Thus, these data support a key role of IL-8 released from human PC cells in initiating atrophy of muscle cells via CXCR2-ERK1/2.
Collapse
|
35
|
Bott AJ, Shen J, Tonelli C, Zhan L, Sivaram N, Jiang YP, Yu X, Bhatt V, Chiles E, Zhong H, Maimouni S, Dai W, Velasquez S, Pan JA, Muthalagu N, Morton J, Anthony TG, Feng H, Lamers WH, Murphy DJ, Guo JY, Jin J, Crawford HC, Zhang L, White E, Lin RZ, Su X, Tuveson DA, Zong WX. Glutamine Anabolism Plays a Critical Role in Pancreatic Cancer by Coupling Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism. Cell Rep 2019; 29:1287-1298.e6. [PMID: 31665640 PMCID: PMC6886125 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.09.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamine is thought to play an important role in cancer cells by being deaminated via glutaminolysis to α-ketoglutarate (aKG) to fuel the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Supporting this notion, aKG supplementation can restore growth/survival of glutamine-deprived cells. However, pancreatic cancers are often poorly vascularized and limited in glutamine supply, in alignment with recent concerns on the significance of glutaminolysis in pancreatic cancer. Here, we show that aKG-mediated rescue of glutamine-deprived pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) cells requires glutamate ammonia ligase (GLUL), the enzyme responsible for de novo glutamine synthesis. GLUL-deficient PDAC cells are capable of the TCA cycle but defective in aKG-coupled glutamine biosynthesis and subsequent nitrogen anabolic processes. Importantly, GLUL expression is elevated in pancreatic cancer patient samples and in mouse PDAC models. GLUL ablation suppresses the development of KrasG12D-driven murine PDAC. Therefore, GLUL-mediated glutamine biosynthesis couples the TCA cycle with nitrogen anabolism and plays a critical role in PDAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex J Bott
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Genetics Graduate Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 07794, USA
| | - Jianliang Shen
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Claudia Tonelli
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Le Zhan
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Nithya Sivaram
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Northport VA Medical Center, Northport, NY 11768, USA
| | - Ya-Ping Jiang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Northport VA Medical Center, Northport, NY 11768, USA
| | - Xufen Yu
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Vrushank Bhatt
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Eric Chiles
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Hua Zhong
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Sara Maimouni
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Weiwei Dai
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Stephani Velasquez
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Ji-An Pan
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | | | | | - Tracy G Anthony
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Hui Feng
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Wouter H Lamers
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Daniel J Murphy
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK; Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Jessie Yanxiang Guo
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Jian Jin
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Departments of Pharmacological Sciences and Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Howard C Crawford
- Departments of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Lanjing Zhang
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Eileen White
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Richard Z Lin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Northport VA Medical Center, Northport, NY 11768, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Su
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA; Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - David A Tuveson
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Wei-Xing Zong
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Krzykawski MP, Krzykawska R, Paw M, Czyz J, Marcinkiewicz J. A novel in vitro model of metastasis supporting passive shedding hypothesis from murine pancreatic cancer Panc-02. Cytotechnology 2019; 71:989-1002. [PMID: 31502069 PMCID: PMC6787126 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-019-00341-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer metastasis is believed to happen through active intravasation but there might be also another way to metastasize. According to passive shedding hypothesis, proposed by Munn et al., tumor cells detach from the tumor mass and passively shed to blood stream through leaky blood vessels. We propose a novel In Vitro Migrational Selection (IVMS) assay that enables the pre-selection of invasive pancreatic cancer Panc-02 cells and create a model of passive shedding. We established invasive sub-cell line of murine pancreatic cancer Panc-02 cells (refered to as Panc02-RS), which exhibited higher metastatic potential in vivo and at the same time decrease in vitro migratory skills, comparing to the initial Panc-02 cell line. In in vitro cell cultures Panc-02 spontaneously detached from the cell culture surface and later reattached and colonized new areas. We believe it can mimic the new way of metastasis, namely passive shedding. We concentrated on Panc-02 model but believe that IVMS might be used to create sub cell lines of many solid tumors to model passive shedding. Our results support the passive shedding hypothesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M P Krzykawski
- Department of Immunology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland.
| | - R Krzykawska
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - M Paw
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - J Czyz
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - J Marcinkiewicz
- Department of Immunology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Zhao Y, Li J, Li D, Wang Z, Zhao J, Wu X, Sun Q, Lin PP, Plum P, Damanakis A, Gebauer F, Zhou M, Zhang Z, Schlösser H, Jauch KW, Nelson PJ, Bruns CJ. Tumor biology and multidisciplinary strategies of oligometastasis in gastrointestinal cancers. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 60:334-343. [PMID: 31445220 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
More than 70% of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are diagnosed with metastases, leading to poor prognosis. For some cancer patients with limited sites of metastatic tumors, the term oligometastatic disease (OMD) has been coined as opposed to systemic polymetastasis (PMD) disease. Stephan Paget first described an organ-specific pattern of metastasis in 1889, now known as the "seed and soil" theory where distinct cancer types are found to metastasize to different tumor-specific sites. Our understanding of the biology of tumor metastasis and specifically the molecular mechanisms driving their formation are still limited, in particular, as it relates to the genesis of oligometastasis. In the following review, we discuss recent advances in general understanding of this metastatic behavior including the role of specific signaling pathways, various molecular features and biomarkers, as well as the interaction of carcinoma cells with their tissue microenvironments (both primary and metastatic niches). The unique features that underlie OMD provide potential targets for localized therapy. As it relates to clinical practice, OMD is emerging as treatable with surgical resection and/or other local therapy options. Strategies currently being applied in the clinical management of OMD will be discussed including surgical, radiation-based therapy, ablation procedures, and the results of emerging clinical trials involving immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhao
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany; Department of General, Visceral und Vascular Surgery, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Jiahui Li
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Dai Li
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany; Department of Anethesiology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Zhefang Wang
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jiangang Zhao
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany; Department of General, Visceral und Vascular Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Xiaolin Wu
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Qiye Sun
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Patrick Plum
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany; Institute for Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander Damanakis
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Florian Gebauer
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Menglong Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Hans Schlösser
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO) Achen, Bonn, Cologne and Düsseldorf, Cologne, Germany
| | - Karl-Walter Jauch
- Department of General, Visceral und Vascular Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Peter J Nelson
- Department of Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany
| | - Christiane J Bruns
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany; Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO) Achen, Bonn, Cologne and Düsseldorf, Cologne, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Nagdas S, Kashatus JA, Nascimento A, Hussain SS, Trainor RE, Pollock SR, Adair SJ, Michaels AD, Sesaki H, Stelow EB, Bauer TW, Kashatus DF. Drp1 Promotes KRas-Driven Metabolic Changes to Drive Pancreatic Tumor Growth. Cell Rep 2019; 28:1845-1859.e5. [PMID: 31412251 PMCID: PMC6711191 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria undergo fission and fusion to maintain homeostasis, and tumors exhibit the dysregulation of mitochondrial dynamics. We recently demonstrated that ectopic HRasG12V promotes mitochondrial fragmentation and tumor growth through Erk phosphorylation of the mitochondrial fission GTPase Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1). However, the role of Drp1 in the setting of endogenous oncogenic KRas remains unknown. Here, we show that Drp1 is required for KRas-driven anchorage-independent growth in fibroblasts and patient-derived pancreatic cancer cell lines, and it promotes glycolytic flux, in part through the regulation of hexokinase 2 (HK2). Furthermore, Drp1 deletion imparts a significant survival advantage in a model of KRas-driven pancreatic cancer, and tumors exhibit a strong selective pressure against complete Drp1 deletion. Rare tumors that arise in the absence of Drp1 have restored glycolysis but exhibit defective mitochondrial metabolism. This work demonstrates that Drp1 plays dual roles in KRas-driven tumor growth: supporting both glycolysis and mitochondrial function through independent mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarbajeet Nagdas
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Jennifer A Kashatus
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Aldo Nascimento
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Syed S Hussain
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Riley E Trainor
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Sarah R Pollock
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Sara J Adair
- Department of Surgery, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Alex D Michaels
- Department of Surgery, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Hiromi Sesaki
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Edward B Stelow
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Todd W Bauer
- Department of Surgery, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - David F Kashatus
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Zhao J, Schlößer HA, Wang Z, Qin J, Li J, Popp F, Popp MC, Alakus H, Chon SH, Hansen HP, Neiss WF, Jauch KW, Bruns CJ, Zhao Y. Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Inhibit Natural Killer Cell Function in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11060874. [PMID: 31234517 PMCID: PMC6628179 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11060874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies. Tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) induce pre-metastatic niche formation to promote metastasis. We isolated EVs from a highly-metastatic pancreatic cancer cell line and patient-derived primary cancer cells by ultracentrifugation. The protein content of EVs was analyzed by mass spectrometry. The effects of PDAC-derived EVs on natural kill (NK) cells were investigated by flow cytometry. The serum EVs' TGF-β1 levels were quantified by ELISA. We found that integrins were enriched in PDAC-derived EVs. The expression of NKG2D, CD107a, TNF-α, and INF-γ in NK cells was significantly downregulated after co-culture with EVs. NK cells also exhibited decreased levels of CD71 and CD98, as well as impaired glucose uptake ability. In addition, NK cell cytotoxicity against pancreatic cancer stem cells was attenuated. Moreover, PDAC-derived EVs induced the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 in NK cells. Serum EVs' TGF-β1 was significantly increased in PDAC patients. Our findings emphasize the immunosuppressive role of PDAC-derived EVs and provide new insights into our understanding of NK cell dysfunction regarding pre-metastatic niche formation in PDAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiangang Zhao
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
- Department of General, Visceral und Vascular Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany.
| | - Hans A Schlößer
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Zhefang Wang
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Jie Qin
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Jiahui Li
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Felix Popp
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Marie Christine Popp
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Hakan Alakus
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Seung-Hun Chon
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Hinrich P Hansen
- Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Center for Integrated Oncology Cologne-Bonn, CECAD Center of Excellence on "Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases", Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Wolfram F Neiss
- Department of Anatomy I, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Karl-Walter Jauch
- Department of General, Visceral und Vascular Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilian-University (LMU), 81377 Munich, Germany.
| | - Christiane J Bruns
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of General, Visceral und Tumor Surgery, University Hospital Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany.
- Department of General, Visceral und Vascular Surgery, Otto von Guericke University, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Huang C, Zhang X, Jiang L, Zhang L, Xiang M, Ren H. FoxM1 Induced Paclitaxel Resistance via Activation of the FoxM1/PHB1/RAF-MEK-ERK Pathway and Enhancement of the ABCA2 Transporter. MOLECULAR THERAPY-ONCOLYTICS 2019; 14:196-212. [PMID: 31334335 PMCID: PMC6616481 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
FoxM1 amplification in human pancreatic cancer predicts poor prognosis and resistance to paclitaxel. Here, a novel role between FoxM1 (FoxM1b and FoxM1c) and Prohibitin1 (PHB1) in paclitaxel resistance has been identified. We adopted a bioinformatics approach to predict the potential effector of FoxM1. It specifically bound to the promoter of PHB1, and it enhanced PHB1 expression at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. FoxM1 contributed to the PHB1/C-RAF interaction and phosphorylation of ERK1/2 kinases, thus promoting paclitaxel resistance. Notably, FoxM1 conferred tumor cell resistance to paclitaxel, but knocking down PHB1 could sensitize pancreatic cancer cells to it. Besides, we identified that ABCA2 promoted paclitaxel resistance under the regulation of FoxM1/PHB1/RAF-MEK-ERK. Thiostrepton, an inhibitor of FoxM1, significantly decreased the expression of PHB1, p-ERK1/2, and ABCA2. It increased the influx of paclitaxel into the cell, and it attenuated FoxM1-mediated paclitaxel resistance in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our findings defined PHB1 as an important downstream effector of FoxM1. It was regulated by FoxM1 to maintain phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in drug-resistant cells, and FoxM1 simultaneously enhanced the function of ABCA2, which collectively contributed to paclitaxel resistance. Targeting FoxM1 and its downstream effector PHB1 increased the sensitivity of pancreatic cells to paclitaxel treatment, providing potential therapeutic strategies for patients with paclitaxel resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Li Jiang
- Department of Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Limin Zhang
- Institute of Organ Transplantation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Ming Xiang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Hongyu Ren
- Division of Gastroenterology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
The Anthrax Toxin Receptor 1 (ANTXR1) Is Enriched in Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells Derived from Primary Tumor Cultures. Stem Cells Int 2019; 2019:1378639. [PMID: 31191663 PMCID: PMC6525821 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1378639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is currently the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been shown to be the drivers of pancreatic tumor growth, metastasis, and chemoresistance, but our understanding of these cells is still limited by our inability to efficiently identify and isolate them. While a number of markers capable of identifying pancreatic CSCs (PaCSCs) have been discovered since 2007, there is no doubt that more markers are still needed. The anthrax toxin receptor 1 (ANTXR1) was identified as a functional biomarker of triple-negative breast CSCs, and PDAC patients stratified based on ANTXR1 expression levels showed increased mortality and enrichment of pathways known to be necessary for CSC biology, including TGF-β, NOTCH, Wnt/β-catenin, and IL-6/JAK/STAT3 signaling and epithelial to mesenchymal transition, suggesting that ANTXR1 may represent a putative PaCSC marker. In this study, we show that ANTXR1+ cells are not only detectable across a panel of 7 PDAC patient-derived xenograft primary cultures but ANTXR1 expression significantly increased in CSC-enriched 3D sphere cultures. Importantly, ANTXR1+ cells also coexpressed other known PaCSC markers such as CD44, CD133, and autofluorescence, and ANTXR1+ cells displayed enhanced CSC functional and molecular properties, including increased self-renewal and expression of pluripotency-associated genes, compared to ANTXR1− cells. Thus, this study validates ANTXR1 as a new PaCSC marker and we propose its use in identifying CSCs in this tumor type and its exploitation in the development of CSC-targeted therapies for PDAC.
Collapse
|
42
|
Lee NK, Su Y, Bidlingmaier S, Liu B. Manipulation of Cell-Type Selective Antibody Internalization by a Guide-Effector Bispecific Design. Mol Cancer Ther 2019; 18:1092-1103. [PMID: 30962321 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-18-1313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cell-type-specific intracellular payload delivery is desired for antibody-based-targeted therapy development. However, tumor-specific internalizing antigens are rare to find, and even rarer for those that are expressed at uniformly high levels. We constructed a bispecific antibody that is composed of a rapidly internalizing antibody binding to a tumor-associated antigen, ephrin receptor A2 (EphA2), and a noninternalizing antibody binding to a highly expressed tumor-associated antigen, activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM). We found that the overall internalization property of the bispecific is profoundly impacted by the relative surface expression level (antigen density ratio) of EphA2 versus ALCAM. When the EphA2-to-ALCAM ratio is greater than a threshold level (1:5), the amount of the bispecific taken into the tumor cell exceeds what is achieved by either the monoclonal internalizing antibody or a mixture of the two antibodies, showing a bispecific-dependent amplification effect where a small amount of the internalizing antigen EphA2 induces internalization of a larger amount of the noninternalizing antigen ALCAM. When the ratio is below the threshold, EphA2 can be rendered noninternalizing by the presence of excess ALCAM on the same cell surface. We constructed a bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) based on the above bispecific design and found that the bispecific ADC is more potent than monospecific ADCs in tumor cell killing both in vitro and in vivo Thus, the internalizing property of a cell surface antigen can be manipulated in either direction by a neighboring antigen, and this phenomenon can be exploited for therapeutic targeting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nam-Kyung Lee
- Department of Anesthesia, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Yang Su
- Department of Anesthesia, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Scott Bidlingmaier
- Department of Anesthesia, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, California
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Anesthesia, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, California.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Basnet H, Tian L, Ganesh K, Huang YH, Macalinao DG, Brogi E, Finley LWS, Massagué J. Flura-seq identifies organ-specific metabolic adaptations during early metastatic colonization. eLife 2019; 8:e43627. [PMID: 30912515 PMCID: PMC6440742 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis-initiating cells dynamically adapt to the distinct microenvironments of different organs, but these early adaptations are poorly understood due to the limited sensitivity of in situ transcriptomics. We developed fluorouracil-labeled RNA sequencing (Flura-seq) for in situ analysis with high sensitivity. Flura-seq utilizes cytosine deaminase (CD) to convert fluorocytosine to fluorouracil, metabolically labeling nascent RNA in rare cell populations in situ for purification and sequencing. Flura-seq revealed hundreds of unique, dynamic organ-specific gene signatures depending on the microenvironment in mouse xenograft breast cancer micrometastases. Specifically, the mitochondrial electron transport Complex I, oxidative stress and counteracting antioxidant programs were induced in pulmonary micrometastases, compared to mammary tumors or brain micrometastases. We confirmed lung metastasis-specific increase in oxidative stress and upregulation of antioxidants in clinical samples, thus validating Flura-seq's utility in identifying clinically actionable microenvironmental adaptations in early metastasis. The sensitivity, robustness and economy of Flura-seq are broadly applicable beyond cancer research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harihar Basnet
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Lin Tian
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Karuna Ganesh
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
- Department of MedicineSloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Yun-Han Huang
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
- Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD ProgramNew YorkUnited States
- Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Danilo G Macalinao
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
- Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Edi Brogi
- Department of PathologyMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Lydia WS Finley
- Cell Biology ProgramSloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Joan Massagué
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Neurotrophins and their involvement in digestive cancers. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:123. [PMID: 30741921 PMCID: PMC6370832 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1385-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cancers of the digestive system, including esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, hepatic, and colorectal cancers, have a high incidence and mortality worldwide. Efficient therapies have improved patient care; however, many challenges remain including late diagnosis, disease recurrence, and resistance to therapies. Mechanisms responsible for these aforementioned challenges are numerous. This review focuses on neurotrophins, including NGF, BDNF, and NT3, and their specific tyrosine kinase receptors called tropomyosin receptor kinase (Trk A, B, C, respectively), associated with sortilin and the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR), and their implication in digestive cancers. Globally, p75NTR is a frequently downregulated tumor suppressor. On the contrary, Trk and their ligands are considered oncogenic factors. New therapies which target NT and/or their receptors, or use them as diagnosis biomarkers could help us to combat digestive cancers.
Collapse
|
45
|
Penchev VR, Chang YT, Begum A, Ewachiw T, Gocke C, Li J, McMillan RH, Wang Q, Anders R, Marchionni L, Maitra A, Uren A, Rasheed Z, Matsui W. Ezrin Promotes Stem Cell Properties in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Mol Cancer Res 2019; 17:929-936. [PMID: 30655325 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-18-0367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Self-renewal maintains the long-term clonogenic growth that is required for cancer relapse and progression, but the cellular processes regulating this property are not fully understood. In many diseases, self-renewal is enhanced in cancer stem cells (CSC), and in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), CSCs are characterized by the surface expression of CD44. In addition to cell adhesion, CD44 impacts cell shape and morphology by modulating the actin cytoskeleton via Ezrin, a member of the Ezrin/Radixin/Moesin (ERM) family of linker proteins. We examined the expression of Ezrin in PDAC cells and found higher levels of both total and activated Ezrin in CSCs compared with bulk tumor cells. We also found that the knockdown of Ezrin in PDAC cells decreased clonogenic growth, self-renewal, cell migration, and CSC frequency in vitro as well as tumor initiation in vivo. These effects were associated with cytoskeletal changes that are similar to those occurring during the differentiation of normal stem cells, and the inhibition of actin remodeling reversed the impact of Ezrin loss. Finally, targeting Ezrin using a small-molecule inhibitor limited the self-renewal of clinically derived low-passage PDAC xenografts. Our findings demonstrate that Ezrin modulates CSCs properties and may represent a novel target for the treatment of PDAC. IMPLICATIONS: Our findings demonstrate that Ezrin modulates CSCs' properties and may represent a novel target for the treatment of PDAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vesselin R Penchev
- Department of Oncology, Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yu-Tai Chang
- Department of Oncology, Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Asma Begum
- Department of Oncology, Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Theodore Ewachiw
- Department of Oncology, Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Christian Gocke
- Department of Oncology, Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Joey Li
- Department of Oncology, Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ross H McMillan
- Department of Oncology, Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Qiuju Wang
- Department of Oncology, Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Robert Anders
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Luigi Marchionni
- Department of Oncology, Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Anirban Maitra
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Aykut Uren
- Department of Oncology, Lombardy Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C
| | - Zeshaan Rasheed
- Department of Oncology, Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - William Matsui
- Department of Oncology, Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
DeltaNp63-dependent super enhancers define molecular identity in pancreatic cancer by an interconnected transcription factor network. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E12343-E12352. [PMID: 30541891 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1812915116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular subtyping of cancer offers tremendous promise for the optimization of a precision oncology approach to anticancer therapy. Recent advances in pancreatic cancer research uncovered various molecular subtypes with tumors expressing a squamous/basal-like gene expression signature displaying a worse prognosis. Through unbiased epigenome mapping, we identified deltaNp63 as a major driver of a gene signature in pancreatic cancer cell lines, which we report to faithfully represent the highly aggressive pancreatic squamous subtype observed in vivo, and display the specific epigenetic marking of genes associated with decreased survival. Importantly, depletion of deltaNp63 in these systems significantly decreased cell proliferation and gene expression patterns associated with a squamous subtype and transcriptionally mimicked a subtype switch. Using genomic localization data of deltaNp63 in pancreatic cancer cell lines coupled with epigenome mapping data from patient-derived xenografts, we uncovered that deltaNp63 mainly exerts its effects by activating subtype-specific super enhancers. Furthermore, we identified a group of 45 subtype-specific super enhancers that are associated with poorer prognosis and are highly dependent on deltaNp63. Genes associated with these enhancers included a network of transcription factors, including HIF1A, BHLHE40, and RXRA, which form a highly intertwined transcriptional regulatory network with deltaNp63 to further activate downstream genes associated with poor survival.
Collapse
|
47
|
Chen YC, Baik M, Byers JT, Chen KT, French SW, Díaz B. TKS5-positive invadopodia-like structures in human tumor surgical specimens. Exp Mol Pathol 2018; 106:17-26. [PMID: 30439350 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2018.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Invadopodia, cancer cell protrusions with proteolytic activity, are functionally associated with active remodeling of the extracellular matrix. Here, we show that the invadopodia-related protein TKS5 is expressed in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma lines, and demonstrate that pancreatic cancer cells depend on TKS5 for invadopodia formation and function. Immunofluorescence staining of human pancreatic cancer cells reveals that TKS5 is a marker of mature and immature invadopodia. We also analyze the co-staining patterns of TKS5 and the commonly used invadopodia marker Cortactin, and find only partial co-localization of these two proteins at invadopodia, with a large fraction of TKS5-positive invadopodia lacking detectable levels of Cortactin. Whereas compelling evidence exist on the role of invadopodia as mediators of invasive migration in cultured cells and in animal models of cancer, these structures have never been detected inside human tumors. Here, using antibodies against TKS5 and Cortactin, we describe for the first time structures strongly resembling invadopodia in various paraffin-embedded human tumor surgical specimens from pancreas and other organs. Our results strongly suggest that invadopodia are present inside human tumors, and warrants further investigation on their regulation and occurrence in surgical specimens, and on the value of TKS5 antibodies as pathological research and diagnostic tools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chuan Chen
- Division on Medical Oncology Hematology, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Baik
- Division on Medical Oncology Hematology, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Joshua T Byers
- Department of Pathology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Kathryn T Chen
- Department of Surgery, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA; David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Samuel W French
- Department of Pathology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA; David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Begoña Díaz
- Division on Medical Oncology Hematology, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA; David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
The role of GLI-SOX2 signaling axis for gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer. Oncogene 2018; 38:1764-1777. [PMID: 30382189 PMCID: PMC6408295 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0553-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer, mostly pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC), is one of the most lethal cancers, with a dismal median survival around 8 months. PDAC is notoriously resistant to chemotherapy. Thus far, numerous attempts using novel targeted therapies and immunotherapies yielded limited clinical benefits for pancreatic cancer patients. It is hoped that delineating the molecular mechanisms underlying drug resistance in pancreatic cancer may provide novel therapeutic options. Using acquired gemcitabine resistant pancreatic cell lines, we revealed an important role of the GLI-SOX2 signaling axis for regulation of gemcitabine sensitivity in vitro and in animal models. Down-regulation of GLI transcriptional factors (GLI1 or GLI2), but not SMO signaling inhibition, reduces tumor sphere formation, a characteristics of tumor initiating cell (TIC). Down-regulation of GLI transcription factors also decreased expression of TIC marker CD24. Similarly, high SOX2 expression is associated with gemcitabine resistance whereas down-regulation of SOX2 sensitizes pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine treatment. We further revealed that elevated SOX2 expression is associated with an increase in GLI1 or GLI2 expression. Our ChIP assay revealed that GLI proteins are associated with a putative Gli binding site within the SOX2 promoter, suggesting a more direct regulation of SOX2 by GLI transcription factors. The relevance of our findings to human disease was revealed in human cancer specimens. We found that high SOX2 protein expression is associated with frequent tumor relapse and poor survival in stage II PDAC patients (all of them underwent gemcitabine treatment), indicating that reduced SOX2 expression or down-regulation of GLI transcription factors may be effective in sensitizing pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine treatment.
Collapse
|
49
|
Pfeiler S, Thakur M, Grünauer P, Megens RTA, Joshi U, Coletti R, Samara V, Müller-Stoy G, Ishikawa-Ankerhold H, Stark K, Klingl A, Fröhlich T, Arnold GJ, Wörmann S, Bruns CJ, Algül H, Weber C, Massberg S, Engelmann B. CD36‐triggered cell invasion and persistent tissue colonization by tumor microvesicles during metastasis. FASEB J 2018; 33:1860-1872. [DOI: 10.1096/fj.201800985r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Pfeiler
- Institut für LaboratoriumsmedizinKlinikum der Universität MünchenLudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
| | - Manovriti Thakur
- Institut für LaboratoriumsmedizinKlinikum der Universität MünchenLudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
| | - Petra Grünauer
- Institut für LaboratoriumsmedizinKlinikum der Universität MünchenLudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
| | - Remco T. A. Megens
- Prophylaxe der KreislaufkrankheitenLudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
- Cardiovascular Research Institute MaastrichtMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Urjita Joshi
- Institut für LaboratoriumsmedizinKlinikum der Universität MünchenLudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
| | - Raffaele Coletti
- Medizinische Klinik ILudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
| | - Verena Samara
- Institut für LaboratoriumsmedizinKlinikum der Universität MünchenLudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
| | - Geraldine Müller-Stoy
- Institut für LaboratoriumsmedizinKlinikum der Universität MünchenLudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
| | | | - Konstantin Stark
- Medizinische Klinik ILudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
| | - Andreas Klingl
- Biologie I–BotanikLudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
| | | | | | - Sonja Wörmann
- Institut für LaboratoriumsmedizinKlinikum der Universität MünchenLudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
| | | | - Hana Algül
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin IITechnische Universität MünchenMunichGermany
| | - Christian Weber
- Prophylaxe der KreislaufkrankheitenLudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
- Cardiovascular Research Institute MaastrichtMaastricht UniversityMaastrichtThe Netherlands
| | - Steffen Massberg
- Medizinische Klinik ILudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
| | - Bernd Engelmann
- Institut für LaboratoriumsmedizinKlinikum der Universität MünchenLudwig Maximilians UniversitätMunichGermany
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States, with projections that it will become the second leading cause by the year 2030. It carries a dismal prognosis with a 5-year overall survival rate of less than 9% and is associated with numerous comorbidities, the most notable being cachexia. Defined as the loss of muscle mass not reversible by conventional nutritional support, cachexia is seen in over 85% of pancreatic cancer patients and contributes significantly to mortality, where nearly 30% of pancreatic cancer deaths are due to cachexia rather than tumor burden. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify the mechanisms behind the development of muscle wasting in pancreatic cancer patients and design novel therapeutics targeting cachexia. This review highlights the current understanding surrounding the mechanisms underpinning the development of cachexia in pancreatic cancer, as well as the current mouse models of pancreatic cancer-induced muscle wasting described in the literature.
Collapse
|