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Abstract
Few metabolites can claim a more central and versatile role in cell metabolism than acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA). Acetyl-CoA is produced during nutrient catabolism to fuel the tricarboxylic acid cycle and is the essential building block for fatty acid and isoprenoid biosynthesis. It also functions as a signalling metabolite as the substrate for lysine acetylation reactions, enabling the modulation of protein functions in response to acetyl-CoA availability. Recent years have seen exciting advances in our understanding of acetyl-CoA metabolism in normal physiology and in cancer, buoyed by new mouse models, in vivo stable-isotope tracing approaches and improved methods for measuring acetyl-CoA, including in specific subcellular compartments. Efforts to target acetyl-CoA metabolic enzymes are also advancing, with one therapeutic agent targeting acetyl-CoA synthesis receiving approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. In this Review, we give an overview of the regulation and cancer relevance of major metabolic pathways in which acetyl-CoA participates. We further discuss recent advances in understanding acetyl-CoA metabolism in normal tissues and tumours and the potential for targeting these pathways therapeutically. We conclude with a commentary on emerging nodes of acetyl-CoA metabolism that may impact cancer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Guertin
- Program in Molecular Medicine, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
| | - Kathryn E Wellen
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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2
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The KEAP1-NRF2 System and Esophageal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14194702. [PMID: 36230622 PMCID: PMC9564177 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
NRF2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of many cytoprotective genes. NRF2 activation is mainly regulated by KEAP1 (kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1) through ubiquitination and proteasome degradation. Esophageal cancer is classified histologically into two major types: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). ESCC harbors more genetic alterations in the KEAP-NRF2 system than EAC does, which results in NRF2 activation in these cancers. NRF2-addicted ESCC exhibits increased malignancy and acquisition of resistance to chemoradiotherapy. Therefore, it has been recognized that the development of drugs targeting the KEAP1-NRF2 system based on the molecular dissection of NRF2 function is important and urgent for the treatment of ESCC, along with efficient clinical screening for NRF2-addicted ESCC patients. Recently, the fate of NRF2-activated cells in esophageal tissues, which was under the influence of strong cell competition, and its relationship to the pathogenesis of ESCC, was clarified. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge of the KEAP1-NRF2 system and the treatment of ESCC. We propose three main strategies for the treatment of NRF2-addicted cancer: (1) NRF2 inhibitors, (2) synthetic lethal drugs for NRF2-addicted cancers, and (3) NRF2 inducers of the host defense system.
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Cui MY, Yi X, Cao ZZ, Zhu DX, Wu J. Targeting Strategies for Aberrant Lipid Metabolism Reprogramming and the Immune Microenvironment in Esophageal Cancer: A Review. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:4257359. [PMID: 36106333 PMCID: PMC9467784 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4257359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Esophageal cancer is of high importance to occurrence, development, and treatment resistance. As evidenced by recent studies, pathways (e.g., Wnt/β-catenin, AMPK, and Hippo) are critical to the proliferation, differentiation, and self-renewal of esophageal cancer. In addition, the above pathways play a certain role in regulating esophageal cancer and act as potential therapeutic targets. Over the past few years, the function of lipid metabolism in controlling tumor cells and immune cells has aroused extensive attention. It has been reported that there are intricate interactions between lipid metabolism reprogramming between immune and esophageal cancer cells, whereas molecular mechanisms should be studied in depth. Immune cells have been commonly recognized as a vital player in the esophageal cancer microenvironment, having complex crosstalk with cancer cells. It is increasingly evidenced that the function of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is significantly correlated with abnormal lipid metabolism. In this review, the latest findings in lipid metabolism reprogramming in TME are summarized, and the above findings are linked to esophageal cancer progression. Aberrant lipid metabolism and associated signaling pathways are likely to serve as a novel strategy to treat esophageal cancer through lipid metabolism reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Ying Cui
- Department of Oncology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xing Yi
- Department of Oncology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhen-Zhen Cao
- Department of Oncology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dan-Xia Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jun Wu
- Department of Oncology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
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Ling R, Chen G, Tang X, Liu N, Zhou Y, Chen D. Acetyl-CoA synthetase 2(ACSS2): a review with a focus on metabolism and tumor development. Discov Oncol 2022; 13:58. [PMID: 35798917 PMCID: PMC9263018 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-022-00521-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2), an important member of the acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACSS) family, can catalyze the conversion of acetate to acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA). Currently, acetyl-CoA is considered an important intermediate metabolite in the metabolism of energy substrates. In addition, nutrients converge through acetyl-CoA into a common metabolic pathway, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. Not only does ACSS2 play a crucial role in material energy metabolism, it is also involved in the regulation of various acetylation processes, such as regulation of histone and transcription factor acetylation. ACSS2-mediated regulation of acetylation is related to substance metabolism and tumorigenesis. In mammalian cells, ACSS2 utilizes intracellular acetate to synthesize acetyl-CoA, a step in the process of DNA and histone acetylation. In addition, studies in tumors have shown that cancer cells adapt to the growth conditions in the tumor microenvironment (TME) by activating or increasing the expression level of ACSS2 under metabolic stress. Therefore, this review mainly outlines the role of ACSS2 in substance metabolism and tumors and provides insights useful for investigating ACSS2 as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Ling
- Institute of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
| | - Gong Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Xiang Tang
- Institute of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Na Liu
- Institute of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Yuepeng Zhou
- Institute of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Deyu Chen
- Institute of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
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Sun R, Lei C, Chen L, He L, Guo H, Zhang X, Feng W, Yan J, McClain CJ, Deng Z. Alcohol-driven metabolic reprogramming promotes development of RORγt-deficient thymic lymphoma. Oncogene 2022; 41:2287-2302. [PMID: 35246617 PMCID: PMC9018612 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02257-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
RORγt is a master regulator of Th17 cells. Despite evidence linking RORγt deficiency/inhibition with metastatic thymic T cell lymphomas, the role of RORγt in lymphoma metabolism is unknown. Chronic alcohol consumption plays a causal role in many human cancers. The risk of T cell lymphoma remains unclear in humans with alcohol use disorders (AUD) after chronic RORγt inhibition. Here we demonstrated that alcohol consumption accelerates RORγt deficiency-induced lymphomagenesis. Loss of RORγt signaling in the thymus promotes aerobic glycolysis and glutaminolysis and increases allocation of glutamine carbon into lipids. Importantly, alcohol consumption results in a shift from aerobic glycolysis to glutaminolysis. Both RORγt deficiency- and alcohol-induced metabolic alterations are mediated by c-Myc, as silencing of c-Myc decreases the effects of alcohol consumption and RORγt deficiency on glutaminolysis, biosynthesis, and tumor growth in vivo. The ethanol-mediated c-Myc activation coupled with increased glutaminolysis underscore the critical role of RORγt-Myc signaling and translation in lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Sun
- Department of Surgery, Division of Immunotherapy, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Oncology, Wuhan Fourth Hospital, Puai Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430033, China
- Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Chao Lei
- Department of Surgery, Division of Immunotherapy, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Surgery, Division of Immunotherapy, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Liqing He
- Department of Chemistry, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Haixun Guo
- Department of Radiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Xiang Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Hepatobiology & Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Wenke Feng
- Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Hepatobiology & Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Jun Yan
- Department of Surgery, Division of Immunotherapy, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Craig J McClain
- Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Hepatobiology & Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Robley Rex VA Medical Center, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Zhongbin Deng
- Department of Surgery, Division of Immunotherapy, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
- Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
- Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
- Hepatobiology & Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
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Paiboonrungruang C, Simpson E, Xiong Z, Huang C, Li J, Li Y, Chen X. Development of targeted therapy of NRF2 high esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Cell Signal 2021; 86:110105. [PMID: 34358647 PMCID: PMC8403639 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2021.110105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a deadly disease and one of the most aggressive cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. As a master transcription factor regulating the stress response, NRF2 is often mutated and becomes hyperactive, and thus causes chemo-radioresistance and poor survival in human ESCC. There is a great need to develop NRF2 inhibitors for targeted therapy of NRF2high ESCC. In this review, we mainly focus on three aspects, NRF2 inhibitors and their mechanisms of action, screening novel drug targets, and evaluation of NRF2 activity in the esophagus. A research strategy has been proposed to develop NRF2 inhibitors using human ESCC cells and mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chorlada Paiboonrungruang
- Cancer Research Program, Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, 700 George Street, Durham, NC 27707, USA
| | - Emily Simpson
- Cancer Research Program, Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, 700 George Street, Durham, NC 27707, USA
| | - Zhaohui Xiong
- Cancer Research Program, Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, 700 George Street, Durham, NC 27707, USA
| | - Caizhi Huang
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Jianying Li
- Euclados Bioinformatics Solutions, Cary, NC 27519, USA
| | - Yahui Li
- Cancer Research Program, Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, 700 George Street, Durham, NC 27707, USA
| | - Xiaoxin Chen
- Cancer Research Program, Julius L. Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, 700 George Street, Durham, NC 27707, USA; Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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7
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Comment on article by Christina Puhr Hannah et al.: Clinical characteristics and comparison of the outcome in young versus older patients with upper gastrointestinal carcinoma. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2021; 147:1565. [PMID: 33638705 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-021-03539-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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8
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Shi M, Ren S, Chen H, Li J, Huang C, Li Y, Han Y, Li Y, Sun Z, Chen X, Xiong Z. Alcohol drinking inhibits NOTCH-PAX9 signaling in esophageal squamous epithelial cells. J Pathol 2021; 253:384-395. [PMID: 33314197 DOI: 10.1002/path.5602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol drinking has been established as a major risk factor for esophageal diseases. Our previous study showed that ethanol exposure inhibited PAX9 expression in human esophageal squamous epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we aimed to investigate the molecular pathways through which alcohol drinking suppresses PAX9 in esophageal squamous epithelial cells. We first demonstrated the inhibition of NOTCH by ethanol exposure in vitro. NOTCH regulated PAX9 expression in KYSE510 and KYSE410 cells in vitro and in vivo. RBPJ and NOTCH intracellular domain (NIC) D1 ChIP-PCR confirmed Pax9 as a direct downstream target of NOTCH signaling in mouse esophagus. NOTCH inhibition by alcohol drinking was further validated in mouse esophagus and human tissue samples. In conclusion, ethanol exposure inhibited NOTCH signaling and thus suppressed PAX9 expression in esophageal squamous epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo. Our data support a novel mechanism of alcohol-induced esophageal injury through the inhibition of NOTCH-PAX9 signaling. © 2020 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menghan Shi
- Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China.,Cancer Research Program, Julius L Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Shuang Ren
- Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China.,Cancer Research Program, Julius L Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hao Chen
- Cancer Research Program, Julius L Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jing Li
- Cancer Research Program, Julius L Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ningxia Medical University General Hospital, Yinchuan, PR China
| | - Caizhi Huang
- Cancer Research Program, Julius L Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Yahui Li
- Cancer Research Program, Julius L Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Yuning Han
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ningxia Medical University General Hospital, Yinchuan, PR China
| | - Yong Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center, Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Zheng Sun
- Beijing Stomatological Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xiaoxin Chen
- Cancer Research Program, Julius L Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA.,Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Zhaohui Xiong
- Cancer Research Program, Julius L Chambers Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
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