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Xin Y, Hu B, Li K, Hu G, Zhang C, Chen X, Tang K, Du P, Tan Y. Circulating tumor cells with metastasis-initiating competence survive fluid shear stress during hematogenous dissemination through CXCR4-PI3K/AKT signaling. Cancer Lett 2024; 590:216870. [PMID: 38614386 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216870] [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: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
To seed lethal secondary lesions, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) must survive all rate-limiting factors during hematogenous dissemination, including fluid shear stress (FSS) that poses a grand challenge to their survival. We thus hypothesized that CTCs with the ability to survive FSS in vasculature might hold metastasis-initiating competence. This study reported that FSS of physiologic magnitude selected a small subpopulation of suspended tumor cells in vitro with the traits of metastasis-initiating cells, including stemness, migration/invasion potential, cellular plasticity, and biophysical properties. These shear-selected cells generated local and metastatic tumors at the primary and distal sites efficiently, implicating their metastasis competence. Mechanistically, FSS activated the mechanosensitive protein CXCR4 and the downstream PI3K/AKT signaling, which were essential in shear-mediated selection of metastasis-competent CTCs. In summary, these findings conclude that CTCs with metastasis-initiating competence survive FSS during hematogenous dissemination through CXCR4-PI3K/AKT signaling, which may provide new therapeutic targets for the early prevention of tumor metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xin
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China; Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Bing Hu
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China; Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Keming Li
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China; Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Guanshuo Hu
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China; Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Cunyu Zhang
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China; Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Xi Chen
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China; Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Kai Tang
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China; Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Pengyu Du
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China; Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Youhua Tan
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518000, China; Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China.
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Luu N, Zhang S, Lam RHW, Chen W. Mechanical Constraints in Tumor Guide Emergent Spatial Patterns of Glioblastoma Cancer Stem Cells. MECHANOBIOLOGY IN MEDICINE 2024; 2:100027. [PMID: 38770108 PMCID: PMC11105673 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbm.2023.100027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The mechanical constraints in the overcrowding glioblastoma (GBM) microenvironment have been implicated in the regulation of tumor heterogeneity and disease progression. Especially, such mechanical cues can alter cellular DNA transcription and give rise to a subpopulation of tumor cells called cancer stem cells (CSCs). These CSCs with stem-like properties are critical drivers of tumorigenesis, metastasis, and treatment resistance. Yet, the biophysical and molecular machinery underlying the emergence of CSCs in tumor remained unexplored. This work employed a two-dimensional micropatterned multicellular model to examine the impact of mechanical constraints arisen from geometric confinement on the emergence and spatial patterning of CSCs in GBM tumor. Our study identified distinct spatial distributions of GBM CSCs in different geometric patterns, where CSCs mostly emerged in the peripheral regions. The spatial pattern of CSCs was found to correspond to the gradients of mechanical stresses resulted from the interplay between the cell-ECM and cell-cell interactions within the confined environment. Further mechanistic study highlighted a Piezo1-RhoA-focal adhesion signaling axis in regulating GBM cell mechanosensing and the subsequent CSC phenotypic transformation. These findings provide new insights into the biophysical origin of the unique spatial pattern of CSCs in GBM tumor and offer potential avenues for targeted therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngoc Luu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Shuhao Zhang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Raymond H. W. Lam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weiqiang Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, USA
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Duan J, Wang Y, Chen Y, Wang Y, Li Q, Liu J, Fu C, Cao C, Cong Z, Su M. Silencing LY6D Expression Inhibits Colon Cancer in Xenograft Mice and Regulates Colon Cancer Stem Cells' Proliferation, Stemness, Invasion, and Apoptosis via the MAPK Pathway. Molecules 2023; 28:7776. [PMID: 38067506 PMCID: PMC10708431 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28237776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
This study explored the role of lymphocyte antigen 6 family member D (LY6D) in colon cancer stem cells' (CCSCs) proliferation and invasion. LY6D was knocked down using siRNA, and the down-regulation of LY6D was verified using Western blotting. After LY6D knockdown, CCSCs' proliferation, stemness, and invasion were suppressed, whereas apoptosis was increased. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between siLY6D and the negative control groups were significantly enriched in the cell-substrate adherens junction, focal adhesion, and cell-substrate junction terms. Meanwhile, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were significantly enriched in the MAPK pathway. In addition, Western blotting results showed that pBRAF and pERK1/2, cascade kinases of the MAPK pathway, were significantly down-regulated after LY6D knockdown. In addition, nude mice xenograft experiments showed that the siLY6D treatment decreased tumor sizes and weights and improved tumor-bearing mice survival rates compared with the control group. In conclusion, these findings indicate that LY6D, which is highly expressed in CCSCs, is a key factor involved in tumor growth and development and might be a potential cancer marker and therapeutic target for colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyue Duan
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Yujue Wang
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Qisen Li
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Jinrui Liu
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Changhao Fu
- VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Medical School, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA;
| | - Chenyu Cao
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Zhongyi Cong
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Manman Su
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
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Xin Y, Li K, Huang M, Liang C, Siemann D, Wu L, Tan Y, Tang X. Biophysics in tumor growth and progression: from single mechano-sensitive molecules to mechanomedicine. Oncogene 2023; 42:3457-3490. [PMID: 37864030 PMCID: PMC10656290 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02844-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Evidence from physical sciences in oncology increasingly suggests that the interplay between the biophysical tumor microenvironment and genetic regulation has significant impact on tumor progression. Especially, tumor cells and the associated stromal cells not only alter their own cytoskeleton and physical properties but also remodel the microenvironment with anomalous physical properties. Together, these altered mechano-omics of tumor tissues and their constituents fundamentally shift the mechanotransduction paradigms in tumorous and stromal cells and activate oncogenic signaling within the neoplastic niche to facilitate tumor progression. However, current findings on tumor biophysics are limited, scattered, and often contradictory in multiple contexts. Systematic understanding of how biophysical cues influence tumor pathophysiology is still lacking. This review discusses recent different schools of findings in tumor biophysics that have arisen from multi-scale mechanobiology and the cutting-edge technologies. These findings range from the molecular and cellular to the whole tissue level and feature functional crosstalk between mechanotransduction and oncogenic signaling. We highlight the potential of these anomalous physical alterations as new therapeutic targets for cancer mechanomedicine. This framework reconciles opposing opinions in the field, proposes new directions for future cancer research, and conceptualizes novel mechanomedicine landscape to overcome the inherent shortcomings of conventional cancer diagnosis and therapies.
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Grants
- R35 GM150812 NIGMS NIH HHS
- This work was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project no. 11972316, Y.T.), Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (Project no. JCYJ20200109142001798, SGDX2020110309520303, and JCYJ20220531091002006, Y.T.), General Research Fund of Hong Kong Research Grant Council (PolyU 15214320, Y. T.), Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF18191421, Y.T.), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (1-CD75, 1-ZE2M, and 1-ZVY1, Y.T.), the Cancer Pilot Research Award from UF Health Cancer Center (X. T.), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number R35GM150812 (X. T.), the National Science Foundation under grant number 2308574 (X. T.), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under award number FA9550-23-1-0393 (X. T.), the University Scholar Program (X. T.), UF Research Opportunity Seed Fund (X. T.), the Gatorade Award (X. T.), and the National Science Foundation REU Site at UF: Engineering for Healthcare (Douglas Spearot and Malisa Sarntinoranont). We are deeply grateful for the insightful discussions with and generous support from all members of Tang (UF)’s and Tan (PolyU)’s laboratories and all staff members of the MAE/BME/ECE/Health Cancer Center at UF and BME at PolyU.
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xin
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Keming Li
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Miao Huang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Chenyu Liang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Dietmar Siemann
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lizi Wu
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Youhua Tan
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
- Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Xin Tang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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Bao L, Kong H, Ja Y, Wang C, Qin L, Sun H, Dai S. The relationship between cancer and biomechanics. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1273154. [PMID: 37901315 PMCID: PMC10602664 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1273154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The onset, development, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer involve intricate interactions among various factors, spanning the realms of mechanics, physics, chemistry, and biology. Within our bodies, cells are subject to a variety of forces such as gravity, magnetism, tension, compression, shear stress, and biological static force/hydrostatic pressure. These forces are perceived by mechanoreceptors as mechanical signals, which are then transmitted to cells through a process known as mechanical transduction. During tumor development, invasion and metastasis, there are significant biomechanical influences on various aspects such as tumor angiogenesis, interactions between tumor cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM), interactions between tumor cells and other cells, and interactions between tumor cells and the circulatory system and vasculature. The tumor microenvironment comprises a complex interplay of cells, ECM and vasculature, with the ECM, comprising collagen, fibronectins, integrins, laminins and matrix metalloproteinases, acting as a critical mediator of mechanical properties and a key component within the mechanical signaling pathway. The vasculature exerts appropriate shear forces on tumor cells, enabling their escape from immune surveillance, facilitating their dissemination in the bloodstream, dictating the trajectory of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and playing a pivotal role in regulating adhesion to the vessel wall. Tumor biomechanics plays a critical role in tumor progression and metastasis, as alterations in biomechanical properties throughout the malignant transformation process trigger a cascade of changes in cellular behavior and the tumor microenvironment, ultimately culminating in the malignant biological behavior of the tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqi Bao
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Renji College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hongru Kong
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yang Ja
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chengchao Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lei Qin
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongwei Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shengjie Dai
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
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A special issue of Essays in Biochemistry on cancer stem cells. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:287-289. [PMID: 36073728 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are subpopulation of cells within the tumor bulk, which leads to tumor recurrence and therapeutic resistance. Identification of specific CSC targets for detection and efficient cancer therapy are the major hurdles in this research field. In this decade, basic researchers and clinicians made every effort to overcome these challenges to target CSCs using different approaches. This special issue includes a varied collection of review articles with comprehensive discussion on the complexity of CSC heterogeneity, signaling pathways regulating the behaviors of CSCs, the therapeutic resistance mechanism of CSCs, and therapeutic targets against CSCs. These review articles shed light on current advances in understanding of CSC biology.
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