1
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Adzavon YM, Culig Z, Sun Z. Interactions between androgen and IGF1 axes in prostate tumorigenesis. Nat Rev Urol 2024:10.1038/s41585-024-00942-3. [PMID: 39375467 DOI: 10.1038/s41585-024-00942-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 10/09/2024]
Abstract
Androgen signalling through the androgen receptor (AR) is essential for prostate tumorigenesis. However, androgen signalling pathways also interact with other growth factor-mediated signalling pathways to regulate the prostatic cell cycle, differentiation, apoptosis and proliferation in the initiation and progression of prostate cancer. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) is one of the most prominent growth factors in prostate tumorigenesis. Clinical and experimental evidence has demonstrated that IGF1 signalling supports both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate tumorigenesis, suggesting that improved understanding of the interactions between the IGF1 and androgen axes might aid the development of new therapeutic strategies. Available data have shown a dynamic role of androgen-AR signalling in the activation of IGF1-signalling pathways by augmenting transcription of the IGF1 receptor in prostatic basal epithelial cells and by increasing IGF1 secretion through the suppression of IGF-binding protein 3 expression in prostatic stromal cells. In turn, IGF1 stimulates Wnt-β-catenin signalling in prostatic basal progenitors to promote prostatic oncogenic transformation and prostate cancer development. These findings highlight the cooperative, autocrine and paracrine interactions that underlie the oncogenic effects of androgens and IGF1 and open up new opportunities for therapeutic targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Mawulikplimi Adzavon
- Department of Cell Biology, Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Oncology, Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Zoran Culig
- Department of Urology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Zijie Sun
- Department of Cell Biology, Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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2
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Kaushal JB, Takkar S, Batra SK, Siddiqui JA. Diverse landscape of genetically engineered mouse models: Genomic and molecular insights into prostate cancer. Cancer Lett 2024; 593:216954. [PMID: 38735382 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216954] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is a significant health concern for men worldwide and is particularly prevalent in the United States. It is a complex disease presenting different molecular subtypes and varying degrees of aggressiveness. Transgenic/genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) greatly enhanced our understanding of the intricate molecular processes that underlie PCa progression and have offered valuable insights into potential therapeutic targets for this disease. The integration of whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing, along with expression profiling, has played a pivotal role in advancing GEMMs by facilitating the identification of genetic alterations driving PCa development. This review focuses on genetically modified mice classified into the first and second generations of PCa models. We summarize whether models created by manipulating the function of specific genes replicate the consequences of genomic alterations observed in human PCa, including early and later disease stages. We discuss cases where GEMMs did not fully exhibit the expected human PCa phenotypes and possible causes of the failure. Here, we summarize the comprehensive understanding, recent advances, strengths and limitations of the GEMMs in advancing our insights into PCa, offering genetic and molecular perspectives for developing novel GEMM models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti B Kaushal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE-68198, USA
| | - Simran Takkar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE-68198, USA
| | - Surinder K Batra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE-68198, USA; Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE-68198, USA; Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE-68198, USA.
| | - Jawed A Siddiqui
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE-68198, USA; Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE-68198, USA.
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3
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Adinew GM, Messeha S, Taka E, Ahmed SA, Soliman KFA. The Role of Apoptotic Genes and Protein-Protein Interactions in Triple-negative Breast Cancer. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2023; 20:247-272. [PMID: 37093683 PMCID: PMC10148064 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Compared to other breast cancer types, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has historically had few treatment alternatives. Therefore, exploring and pinpointing potentially implicated genes could be used for treating and managing TNBC. By doing this, we will provide essential data to comprehend how the genes are involved in the apoptotic pathways of the cancer cells to identify potential therapeutic targets. Analysis of a single genetic alteration may not reveal the pathogenicity driving TNBC due to the high genomic complexity and heterogeneity of TNBC. Therefore, searching through a large variety of gene interactions enabled the identification of molecular therapeutic genes. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study used integrated bioinformatics methods such as UALCAN, TNM plotter, PANTHER, GO-KEEG and PPIs to assess the gene expression, protein-protein interaction (PPI), and transcription factor interaction of apoptosis-regulated genes. RESULTS Compared to normal breast tissue, gene expressions of BNIP3, TNFRSF10B, MCL1, and CASP4 were downregulated in UALCAN. At the same time, BIK, AKT1, BAD, FADD, DIABLO, and CASP9 was down-regulated in bc-GeneExMiner v4.5 mRNA expression (BCGM) databases. Based on GO term enrichment analysis, the cellular process (GO:0009987), which has about 21 apoptosis-regulated genes, is the top category in the biological processes (BP), followed by biological regulation (GO:0065007). We identified 29 differentially regulated pathways, including the p53 pathway, angiogenesis, apoptosis signaling pathway, and the Alzheimer's disease presenilin pathway. We examined the PPIs between the genes that regulate apoptosis; CASP3 and CASP9 interact with FADD, MCL1, TNF, TNFRSRF10A, and TNFRSF10; additionally, CASP3 significantly forms PPIs with CASP9, DFFA, and TP53, and CASP9 with DIABLO. In the top 10 transcription factors, the androgen receptor (AR) interacts with five apoptosis-regulated genes (p<0.0001; q<0.01), followed by retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA) (p<0.0001; q<0.01) and ring finger protein (RNF2) (p<0.0001; q<0.01). Overall, the gene expression profile, PPIs, and the apoptosis-TF interaction findings suggest that the 27 apoptosis-regulated genes might be used as promising targets in treating and managing TNBC. Furthermore, from a total of 27 key genes, CASP2, CASP3, DAPK1, TNF, TRAF2, and TRAF3 were significantly correlated with poor overall survival in TNBC (p-value <0.05); they could play important roles in the progression of TNBC and provide attractive therapeutic targets that may offer new candidate molecules for targeted therapy. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate that CASP2, CASP3, DAPK1, TNF, TRAF2, and TRAF3 were substantially associated with the overall survival rate (OS) difference of TNBC patients out of a total of 27 specific genes used in this study, which may play crucial roles in the development of TNBC and offer promising therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Getinet M Adinew
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, U.S.A
| | - Samia Messeha
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, U.S.A
| | - Equar Taka
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, U.S.A
| | - Shade A Ahmed
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, U.S.A
| | - Karam F A Soliman
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, U.S.A.
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4
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Liu J, Zhang J, Fu X, Yang S, Li Y, Liu J, DiSanto ME, Chen P, Zhang X. The Emerging Role of Cell Adhesion Molecules on Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:2870. [PMID: 36769190 PMCID: PMC9917596 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032870] [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: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease in elderly men. It is characterized by prostatic enlargement and urethral compression and often causes lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTs) such as urinary frequency, urgency, and nocturia. Existing studies have shown that the pathological process of prostate hyperplasia is mainly related to the imbalance of cell proliferation and apoptosis, inflammation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and growth factors. However, the exact molecular mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are a group of cell surface proteins that mediate cell-cell adhesion and cell migration. Modulating adhesion molecule expression can regulate cell proliferation, apoptosis, EMT, and fibrotic processes, engaged in the development of prostatic hyperplasia. In this review, we went over the important roles and molecular mechanisms of cell adhesion molecules (mainly integrins and cadherins) in both physiological and pathological processes. We also analyzed the mechanisms of CAMs in prostate hyperplasia and explored the potential value of targeting CAMs as a therapeutic strategy for BPH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Liu
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Junchao Zhang
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xun Fu
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Shu Yang
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Jianmin Liu
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Michael E. DiSanto
- Department of Surgery and Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ 08103, USA
| | - Ping Chen
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xinhua Zhang
- Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
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5
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Kim WK, Olson AW, Mi J, Wang J, Lee DH, Le V, Hiroto A, Aldahl J, Nenninger CH, Buckley AJ, Cardiff R, You S, Sun Z. Aberrant androgen action in prostatic progenitor cells induces oncogenesis and tumor development through IGF1 and Wnt axes. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4364. [PMID: 35902588 PMCID: PMC9334353 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32119-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgen/androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathways are essential for prostate tumorigenesis. However, the fundamental mechanisms underlying the AR functioning as a tumor promoter in inducing prostatic oncogenesis still remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that a subpopulation of prostatic Osr1 (odd skipped-related 1)-lineage cells functions as tumor progenitors in prostate tumorigenesis. Single cell transcriptomic analyses reveal that aberrant AR activation in these cells elevates insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) signaling pathways and initiates oncogenic transformation. Elevating IGF1 signaling further cumulates Wnt/β-catenin pathways in transformed cells to promote prostate tumor development. Correlations between altered androgen, IGF1, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling are also identified in human prostate cancer samples, uncovering a dynamic regulatory loop initiated by the AR through prostate cancer development. Co-inhibition of androgen and Wnt-signaling pathways significantly represses the growth of AR-positive tumor cells in both ex-vivo and in-vivo, implicating co-targeting therapeutic strategies for these pathways to treat advanced prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won Kyung Kim
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Center and Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Adam W Olson
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Center and Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Jiaqi Mi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Center and Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Jinhui Wang
- Integrative Genomics Core, Cancer Center and Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Dong-Hoon Lee
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Center and Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Vien Le
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Center and Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Alex Hiroto
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Center and Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Aldahl
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Center and Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Christian H Nenninger
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Center and Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Alyssa J Buckley
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Center and Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Robert Cardiff
- Center for Comparative Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sungyong You
- Division of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics, Departments of Surgery, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zijie Sun
- Department of Cancer Biology, Cancer Center and Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA.
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Mai CW, Chin KY, Foong LC, Pang KL, Yu B, Shu Y, Chen S, Cheong SK, Chua CW. Modeling prostate cancer: What does it take to build an ideal tumor model? Cancer Lett 2022; 543:215794. [PMID: 35718268 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is frequently characterized as a multifocal disease with great intratumoral heterogeneity as well as a high propensity to metastasize to bone. Consequently, modeling prostate tumor has remained a challenging task for researchers in this field. In the past decades, genomic advances have led to the identification of key molecular alterations in prostate cancer. Moreover, resistance towards second-generation androgen-deprivation therapy, namely abiraterone and enzalutamide has unveiled androgen receptor-independent diseases with distinctive histopathological and clinical features. In this review, we have critically evaluated the commonly used preclinical models of prostate cancer with respect to their capability of recapitulating the key genomic alterations, histopathological features and bone metastatic potential of human prostate tumors. In addition, we have also discussed the potential use of the emerging organoid models in prostate cancer research, which possess clear advantages over the commonly used preclinical tumor models. We anticipate that no single model can faithfully recapitulate the complexity of prostate cancer, and thus, propose the use of a cost- and time-efficient integrated tumor modeling approach for future prostate cancer investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Wai Mai
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Urology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China; Centre for Stem Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Selangor, 43000, Malaysia
| | - Kok-Yong Chin
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Urology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 56000, Malaysia
| | - Lian-Chee Foong
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Urology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China; Centre for Stem Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Selangor, 43000, Malaysia
| | - Kok-Lun Pang
- Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia, Iskandar Puteri, 79200, Malaysia
| | - Bin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Urology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Yu Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Urology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Sisi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Urology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Soon-Keng Cheong
- Centre for Stem Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Selangor, 43000, Malaysia
| | - Chee Wai Chua
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Urology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China.
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7
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Limberger T, Schlederer M, Trachtová K, Garces de Los Fayos Alonso I, Yang J, Högler S, Sternberg C, Bystry V, Oppelt J, Tichý B, Schmeidl M, Kodajova P, Jäger A, Neubauer HA, Oberhuber M, Schmalzbauer BS, Pospisilova S, Dolznig H, Wadsak W, Culig Z, Turner SD, Egger G, Lagger S, Kenner L. KMT2C methyltransferase domain regulated INK4A expression suppresses prostate cancer metastasis. Mol Cancer 2022; 21:89. [PMID: 35354467 PMCID: PMC8966196 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01542-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Frequent truncation mutations of the histone lysine N-methyltransferase KMT2C have been detected by whole exome sequencing studies in various cancers, including malignancies of the prostate. However, the biological consequences of these alterations in prostate cancer have not yet been elucidated. METHODS To investigate the functional effects of these mutations, we deleted the C-terminal catalytic core motif of Kmt2c specifically in mouse prostate epithelium. We analysed the effect of Kmt2c SET domain deletion in a Pten-deficient PCa mouse model in vivo and of truncation mutations of KMT2C in a large number of prostate cancer patients. RESULTS We show here for the first time that impaired KMT2C methyltransferase activity drives proliferation and PIN formation and, when combined with loss of the tumour suppressor PTEN, triggers loss of senescence, metastatic dissemination and dramatically reduces life expectancy. In Kmt2c-mutated tumours we show enrichment of proliferative MYC gene signatures and loss of expression of the cell cycle repressor p16INK4A. In addition, we observe a striking reduction in disease-free survival of patients with KMT2C-mutated prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS We identified truncating events of KMT2C as drivers of proliferation and PIN formation. Loss of PTEN and KMT2C in prostate cancer results in loss of senescence, metastatic dissemination and reduced life expectancy. Our data demonstrate the prognostic significance of KMT2C mutation status in prostate cancer patients. Inhibition of the MYC signalling axis may be a viable treatment option for patients with KMT2C truncations and therefore poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Limberger
- Division of Experimental and Translational Pathology, Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria.,CBmed-Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine GmbH, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Michaela Schlederer
- Division of Experimental and Translational Pathology, Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karolina Trachtová
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic.,Christian Doppler Laboratory for Applied Metabolomics, 1090, Vienna, Austria.,Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ines Garces de Los Fayos Alonso
- Division of Experimental and Translational Pathology, Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria.,Unit of Laboratory Animal Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jiaye Yang
- Division of Experimental and Translational Pathology, Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sandra Högler
- Unit of Laboratory Animal Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christina Sternberg
- Division of Experimental and Translational Pathology, Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria.,Unit of Laboratory Animal Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Biochemistry, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Vojtech Bystry
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Oppelt
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic
| | - Boris Tichý
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic
| | - Margit Schmeidl
- Division of Experimental and Translational Pathology, Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Petra Kodajova
- Unit of Laboratory Animal Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anton Jäger
- Division of Experimental and Translational Pathology, Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Heidi A Neubauer
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Monika Oberhuber
- CBmed-Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine GmbH, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Belinda S Schmalzbauer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarka Pospisilova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, 62500, Czech Republic
| | - Helmut Dolznig
- Institute of Medical Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Wadsak
- CBmed-Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine GmbH, 8010, Graz, Austria.,Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zoran Culig
- Department of Urology, Innsbruck Medical University, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Suzanne D Turner
- Department of Pathology, University Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,CEITEC, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Gerda Egger
- Division of Experimental and Translational Pathology, Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria.,Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Applied Diagnostics, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Lagger
- Unit of Laboratory Animal Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Kenner
- Division of Experimental and Translational Pathology, Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria. .,CBmed-Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine GmbH, 8010, Graz, Austria. .,Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria. .,Unit of Laboratory Animal Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
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8
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Leach DA, Fernandes RC, Bevan CL. Cellular specificity of androgen receptor, coregulators, and pioneer factors in prostate cancer. ENDOCRINE ONCOLOGY (BRISTOL, ENGLAND) 2022; 2:R112-R131. [PMID: 37435460 PMCID: PMC10259329 DOI: 10.1530/eo-22-0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Androgen signalling, through the transcription factor androgen receptor (AR), is vital to all stages of prostate development and most prostate cancer progression. AR signalling controls differentiation, morphogenesis, and function of the prostate. It also drives proliferation and survival in prostate cancer cells as the tumour progresses; given this importance, it is the main therapeutic target for disseminated disease. AR is also essential in the surrounding stroma, for the embryonic development of the prostate and controlling epithelial glandular development. Stromal AR is also important in cancer initiation, regulating paracrine factors that excite cancer cell proliferation, but lower stromal AR expression correlates with shorter time to progression/worse outcomes. The profile of AR target genes is different between benign and cancerous epithelial cells, between castrate-resistant prostate cancer cells and treatment-naïve cancer cells, between metastatic and primary cancer cells, and between epithelial cells and fibroblasts. This is also true of AR DNA-binding profiles. Potentially regulating the cellular specificity of AR binding and action are pioneer factors and coregulators, which control and influence the ability of AR to bind to chromatin and regulate gene expression. The expression of these factors differs between benign and cancerous cells, as well as throughout disease progression. The expression profile is also different between fibroblast and mesenchymal cell types. The functional importance of coregulators and pioneer factors in androgen signalling makes them attractive therapeutic targets, but given the contextual expression of these factors, it is essential to understand their roles in different cancerous and cell-lineage states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien A Leach
- Division of Cancer, Imperial Centre for Translational & Experimental Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Rayzel C Fernandes
- Division of Cancer, Imperial Centre for Translational & Experimental Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Charlotte L Bevan
- Division of Cancer, Imperial Centre for Translational & Experimental Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
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9
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Nascimento-Gonçalves E, Seixas F, Ferreira R, Colaço B, Parada B, Oliveira PA. An overview of the latest in state-of-the-art murine models for prostate cancer. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2021; 16:1349-1364. [PMID: 34224283 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2021.1943354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prostate cancer (PCa) is a complex, heterogenous and multifocal disease, which is debilitating for patients and often fatal - due to bone metastasis and castration-resistant cancer. The use of murine models that mimic human disease has been crucial in the development of innovative therapies and for better understanding the mechanisms associated with initiation and progression of PCa. AREAS COVERED This review presents a critical analysis of murine models for the study of PCa, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses and applications. EXPERT OPINION In animal models, disease may not occur exactly as it does in humans, and sometimes the levels of efficacy that certain treatments obtain in animal models cannot be translated into clinical practice. To choose the most appropriate animal model for each research work, it is crucial to understand the anatomical and physiological differences between the mouse and the human prostate, while it is also important to identify biological similarities and differences between murine and human prostate tumors. Although significant progress has already been made, thanks to many years of research and study, the number of new challenges and obstacles to overcome mean there is a long and difficult road still to travel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabete Nascimento-Gonçalves
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.,Center for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Inov4Agro, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.,Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry of the Network of Chemistry and Technology (Laqv-requimte),department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro (UA), Portugal
| | - Fernanda Seixas
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.,Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Rita Ferreira
- Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry of the Network of Chemistry and Technology (Laqv-requimte),department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro (UA), Portugal
| | - Bruno Colaço
- Center for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Inov4Agro, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.,Department of Zootechnics, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Belmiro Parada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (Icbr), Coimbra, Portugal.,University of Coimbra, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Coimbra, Portugal.,Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal.,Urology and Renal Transplantation Department, Coimbra University Hospital Centre (CHUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Paula A Oliveira
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.,Center for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Inov4Agro, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal
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10
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Jamroze A, Chatta G, Tang DG. Androgen receptor (AR) heterogeneity in prostate cancer and therapy resistance. Cancer Lett 2021; 518:1-9. [PMID: 34118355 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Androgen receptor (AR), a ligand-dependent nuclear transcription factor and a member of steroid hormone receptor family, plays an important role in prostate organogenesis by regulating epithelial differentiation and restricting cell proliferation. Although rarely mutated or amplified in treatment-naïve prostate cancer (PCa), AR signaling drives tumor growth and as a result, therapies that aim to inhibit AR signaling, called ARSIs (AR signaling inhibitors), have been in clinical use for >70 years. Unfortunately, the clinical efficacy of ARSIs is short-lived and the majority of treated patients develop castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). Numerous molecular mechanisms have been proposed for castration resistance; however, the cellular basis for CRPC emergence has remained obscure. One under-appreciated cellular mechanism for CRPC development is the AR heterogeneity that pre-exists in treatment-naive primary tumors, i.e., although most PCa cells express AR (i.e., AR+), there is always a population of PCa cells that express no/low AR (i.e., AR-/lo). Importantly, this AR heterogeneity becomes accentuated during ARSI treatment and highly prominent in established CRPC. Here, we provide a succinct summary of AR heterogeneity across the PCa continuum and discuss its impact on PCa response to treatments. While AR+ PCa cells/clones exhibit exquisite sensitivities to ARSIs, AR-/lo PCa cells/clones, which are greatly enriched in stem cell signaling pathways, display de novo resistance to ARSIs. Finally, we offer several potential combinatorial strategies, e.g., ARSIs with stem cell targeting therapeutics, to co-target both AR+ and AR-/lo PCa cells and metastatic clones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anmbreen Jamroze
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA.
| | - Gurkamal Chatta
- Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Dean G Tang
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA; Experimental Therapeutics (ET) Graduate Program, University at Buffalo & Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, NY, 14263, USA.
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11
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Signaling Pathways That Control Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13050937. [PMID: 33668112 PMCID: PMC7956765 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13050937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy and the fifth leading cancer-caused death in men worldwide. Therapies that target the androgen receptor axis induce apoptosis in normal prostates and provide temporary relief for advanced disease, yet prostate cancer that acquired androgen independence (so called castration-resistant prostate cancer, CRPC) invariably progresses to lethal disease. There is accumulating evidence that androgen receptor signaling do not regulate apoptosis and proliferation in prostate epithelial cells in a cell-autonomous fashion. Instead, androgen receptor activation in stroma compartments induces expression of unknown paracrine factors that maintain homeostasis of the prostate epithelium. This paradigm calls for new studies to identify paracrine factors and signaling pathways that control the survival of normal epithelial cells and to determine which apoptosis regulatory molecules are targeted by these pathways. This review summarizes the recent progress in understanding the mechanism of apoptosis induced by androgen ablation in prostate epithelial cells with emphasis on the roles of BCL-2 family proteins and "druggable" signaling pathways that control these proteins. A summary of the clinical trials of inhibitors of anti-apoptotic signaling pathways is also provided. Evidently, better knowledge of the apoptosis regulation in prostate epithelial cells is needed to understand mechanisms of androgen-independence and implement life-extending therapies for CRPC.
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12
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Vellky JE, Ricke WA. Development and prevalence of castration-resistant prostate cancer subtypes. Neoplasia 2020; 22:566-575. [PMID: 32980775 PMCID: PMC7522286 DOI: 10.1016/j.neo.2020.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) occurs when prostate cancer (CaP) progresses under therapy-induced castrate conditions. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this acquired resistance, many of which are driven by androgen receptor (AR). Recent findings, however, sub-classified CRPC by downregulation/absence of AR in certain subtypes that consequently do not respond to anti-androgen therapies. To highlight the significance of CRPC sub-classification, we reviewed the development and treatment of CRPC, AR downregulation in CRPC, and summarized recent reports on the prevalence of CRPC subtypes. METHODS Using a medline-based literature search, we reviewed mechanisms of CRPC development, current treatment schemes, and assessed the prevalence of AR low/negative subtypes of CRPC. Additionally, we performed immunohistochemical staining on human CRPC specimens to quantify AR expression across CRPC subtypes. RESULTS In the majority of cases, CRPC continues to rely on AR signaling, which can be augmented in castrate-conditions through a variety of mechanisms. However, recently low/negative AR expression patterns were identified in a significant proportion of patient samples from a multitude of independent studies. In these AR low/negative cases, we postulated that AR protein may be downregulated by (1) promoter methylation, (2) transcriptional regulation, (3) post-transcriptional regulation by microRNA or RNA-binding-proteins, or (4) post-translational ubiquitination-mediated degradation. CONCLUSIONS Here, we discussed mechanisms of CRPC development and summarized the overall prevalence of CRPC subtypes; interestingly, AR low/negative CRPC represented a considerable proportion of diagnoses. Because these subtypes cannot be effectively treated with AR-targeted therapeutics, a better understanding of AR low/negative subtypes could lead to better treatment strategies and increased survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan E Vellky
- Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 1685 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53705, USA; Cancer Biology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research, 1111 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53705, USA; Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - William A Ricke
- Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 1685 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53705, USA; Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53705, USA; George M. O'Brien Research Center of Excellence, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 1685 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53705, USA.
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13
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Fan X, Bjerke GA, Riemondy K, Wang L, Yi R. A basal-enriched microRNA is required for prostate tumorigenesis in a Pten knockout mouse model. Mol Carcinog 2019; 58:2241-2253. [PMID: 31512783 PMCID: PMC7791532 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in prostate cancer development. However, it remains unclear how individual miRNAs contribute to the initiation and progression of prostate cancer. Here we show that a basal layer-enriched miRNA is required for prostate tumorigenesis. We identify miR-205 as the most highly expressed miRNA and enriched in the basal cells of the prostate. Although miR-205 is not required for normal prostate development and homeostasis, genetic deletion of miR-205 in a Pten null tumor model significantly compromises tumor progression and does not promote metastasis. In Pten null basal cells, loss of miR-205 attenuates pAkt levels and promotes cellular senescence. Furthermore, although overexpression of miR-205 in prostate cancer cells with luminal phenotypes inhibits cell growth in both human and mouse, miR-205 has a minimal effect on the growth of a normal human prostate cell line. Taken together, we have provided genetic evidence for a requirement of miR-205 in the progression of Pten null-induced prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiying Fan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Glen A Bjerke
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Kent Riemondy
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Rui Yi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
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14
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Yu C, Hu K, Nguyen D, Wang ZA. From genomics to functions: preclinical mouse models for understanding oncogenic pathways in prostate cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2019; 9:2079-2102. [PMID: 31720076 PMCID: PMC6834478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing has revealed numerous genomic alterations that induce aberrant signaling activities in prostate cancer (PCa). Among them are pathways affecting multiple cancer types, including the PI3K/AKT/mTOR, p53, Rb, Ras/Raf/MAPK, Myc, FGF, and Wnt signaling pathways, as well as ones that are prominent in PCa, including alterations in genes of AR signaling, the ETS family, NKX3.1, and SPOP. Cross talk among the oncogenic pathways can confer PCa resistance to therapy, particularly in advanced tumors, which are castration-resistant or show neuroendocrine features. Various experimental models, such as cancer cell lines, animal models, and patient-derived xenografts and organoids have been utilized to dissect PCa progression mechanisms. Here, we review the current preclinical mouse models for studying the most commonly altered pathways in PCa, with an emphasis on their interplays. We highlight the power of genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) in translating genomic discoveries into understanding of the functions of these oncogenic events in vivo. Developing and analyzing PCa mouse models will undoubtedly continue to offer new insights into tumor biology and guide novel rationalized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Yu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Kevin Hu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Daniel Nguyen
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Zhu A Wang
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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15
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Bai Y, Yang Y, Yan Y, Zhong J, Blee AM, Pan Y, Ma T, Karnes RJ, Jimenez R, Xu W, Huang H. RUNX2 overexpression and PTEN haploinsufficiency cooperate to promote CXCR7 expression and cellular trafficking, AKT hyperactivation and prostate tumorigenesis. Theranostics 2019; 9:3459-3475. [PMID: 31281490 PMCID: PMC6587168 DOI: 10.7150/thno.33292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: The overall success rate of prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and therapy has been improved over the years. However, genomic and phenotypic heterogeneity remains a major challenge for effective detection and treatment of PCa. Efforts to better classify PCa into functional subtypes and elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying prostate tumorigenesis and therapy resistance are warranted for further improvement of PCa outcomes. Methods: We generated Cre+;Runx2-cTg;Ptenp/+ (Runx2-Pten double mutant) mice by crossbreeding Cre+;Runx2-cTg males with Pten conditional (Ptenp/p) females. By using Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining, SMA and Masson's Trichrome staining, we investigated the effect of PTEN haploinsufficiency in combination with Runx2 overexpression on prostate tumorigenesis. Moreover, we employed immunohistochemistry (IHC) to stain Ki67 for cell proliferation, cleaved caspase 3 for apoptosis and AKT phosphorylation for signaling pathway in prostate tissues. Chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled quantitative PCR (ChIP-qPCR), reverse transcription coupled quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), western blot (WB) analyses and immunofluorescence (IF) were conducted to determine the underlying mechanism by which RUNX2 regulates CXCR7 and AKT phosphorylation in PCa cells. Results: We demonstrated that mice with prostate-specific Pten heterozygous deletion and Runx2 overexpression developed high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) and cancerous lesions at age younger than one year, with concomitant high level expression of Akt phosphorylation and the chemokine receptor Cxcr7 in malignant glands. RUNX2 overexpression induced CXCR7 transcription and membrane location and AKT phosphorylation in PTEN-deficient human PCa cell lines. Increased expression of RUNX2 also promoted growth of PCa cells and this effect was largely mediated by CXCR7. CXCR7 expression also positively correlated with AKT phosphorylation in PCa patient specimens. Conclusions: Our results reveal a previously unidentified cooperative role of RUNX2 overexpression and PTEN haploinsufficiency in prostate tumorigenesis, suggesting that the defined RUNX2-CXCR7-AKT axis can be a viable target for effective treatment of PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Bai
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Scientific Research in Urology and Department of Urology, the Fourth Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150081, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Yinhui Yang
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Scientific Research in Urology and Department of Urology, the Fourth Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150081, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Yuqian Yan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Jian Zhong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Alexandra M. Blee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Yunqian Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Tao Ma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - R. Jeffrey Karnes
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Rafael Jimenez
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Wanhai Xu
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory of Scientific Research in Urology and Department of Urology, the Fourth Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150081, China
| | - Haojie Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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16
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van der Toom EE, Axelrod HD, de la Rosette JJ, de Reijke TM, Pienta KJ, Valkenburg KC. Prostate-specific markers to identify rare prostate cancer cells in liquid biopsies. Nat Rev Urol 2019; 16:7-22. [PMID: 30479377 DOI: 10.1038/s41585-018-0119-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite improvements in early detection and advances in treatment, patients with prostate cancer continue to die from their disease. Minimal residual disease after primary definitive treatment can lead to relapse and distant metastases, and increasing evidence suggests that circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and bone marrow-derived disseminated tumour cells (BM-DTCs) can offer clinically relevant biological insights into prostate cancer dissemination and metastasis. Using epithelial markers to accurately detect CTCs and BM-DTCs is associated with difficulties, and prostate-specific markers are needed for the detection of these cells using rare cell assays. Putative prostate-specific markers have been identified, and an optimized strategy for staining rare cancer cells from liquid biopsies using these markers is required. The ideal prostate-specific marker will be expressed on every CTC or BM-DTC throughout disease progression (giving high sensitivity) and will not be expressed on non-prostate-cancer cells in the sample (giving high specificity). Some markers might not be specific enough to the prostate to be used as individual markers of prostate cancer cells, whereas others could be truly prostate-specific and would make ideal markers for use in rare cell assays. The goal of future studies is to use sensitive and specific prostate markers to consistently and reliably identify rare cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Haley D Axelrod
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Kenneth J Pienta
- The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
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17
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Arriaga JM, Abate-Shen C. Genetically Engineered Mouse Models of Prostate Cancer in the Postgenomic Era. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2019; 9:cshperspect.a030528. [PMID: 29661807 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a030528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Recent genomic sequencing analyses have unveiled the spectrum of genomic alterations that occur in primary and advanced prostate cancer, raising the question of whether the corresponding genes are functionally relevant for prostate tumorigenesis, and whether such functions are associated with particular disease stages. In this review, we describe genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) of prostate cancer, focusing on those that model genomic alterations known to occur in human prostate cancer. We consider whether the phenotypes of GEMMs based on gain or loss of function of the relevant genes provide reliable counterparts to study the predicted consequences of the corresponding genomic alterations as occur in human prostate cancer, and we discuss exceptions in which the GEMMs do not fully emulate the expected phenotypes. Last, we highlight future directions for the generation of new GEMMs of prostate cancer and consider how we can use GEMMs most effectively to decipher the biological and molecular mechanisms of disease progression, as well as to tackle clinically relevant questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Arriaga
- Departments of Urology, Medicine, Systems Biology, and Pathology and Cell Biology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York 10032
| | - Cory Abate-Shen
- Departments of Urology, Medicine, Systems Biology, and Pathology and Cell Biology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York 10032
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18
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Lee DH, Yu EJ, Aldahl J, Yang J, He Y, Hooker E, Le V, Mi J, Olson A, Wu H, Geradts J, Xiao GQ, Gonzalgo ML, Cardiff RD, Sun Z. Deletion of the p16INK4a tumor suppressor and expression of the androgen receptor induce sarcomatoid carcinomas with signet ring cells in the mouse prostate. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211153. [PMID: 30677079 PMCID: PMC6345450 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor suppressor p16Ink4a, encoded by the INK4a gene, is an inhibitor of cyclin D-dependent kinases 4 and 6, CDK4 and CDK6. This inhibition prevents the phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (pRb), resulting in cellular senescence through inhibition of E2F-mediated transcription of S phase genes required for cell proliferation. The p16Ink4a plays an important role in tumor suppression, whereby its deletion, mutation, or epigenetic silencing is a frequently observed genetic alteration in prostate cancer. To assess its roles and related molecular mechanisms in prostate cancer initiation and progression, we generated a mouse model with conditional deletion of p16Ink4a in prostatic luminal epithelium. The mice underwent oncogenic transformation and developed prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) from eight months of age, but failed to develop prostatic tumors. Given the prevalence of aberrant androgen signaling pathways in prostate cancer initiation and progression, we then generated R26hARL/wt:p16L/L: PB-Cre4 compound mice, in which conditional expression of the human AR transgene and deletion of p16Ink4a co-occur in prostatic luminal epithelial cells. While R26hARL/wt:PB-Cre4 mice showed no visible pathological changes, R26hARL/wt:p16L/L: PB-Cre4 compound mice displayed an early onset of high-grade PIN (HGPIN), prostatic carcinoma, and metastatic lesions. Strikingly, we observed tumors resembling human sarcomatoid carcinoma with intermixed focal regions of signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) in the prostates of the compound mice. Further characterization of these tumors showed they were of luminal epithelial cell origin, and featured characteristics of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) with enhanced proliferative and invasive capabilities. Our results not only implicate a biological role for AR expression and p16Ink4a deletion in the pathogenesis of prostatic SRCC, but also provide a new and unique genetically engineered mouse (GEM) model for investigating the molecular mechanisms for SRCC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Hong Lee
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Eun-Jeong Yu
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Joseph Aldahl
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Julie Yang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Yongfeng He
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Erika Hooker
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Vien Le
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Jiaqi Mi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Adam Olson
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Huiqing Wu
- Department of Pathology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Joseph Geradts
- Department of Population Sciences, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
| | - Guang Q. Xiao
- Department of Pathology, Keck Medical School, University of South California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Mark L. Gonzalgo
- Department of Urology, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Robert D. Cardiff
- Comparative Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Zijie Sun
- Department of Cancer Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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19
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Da Silva MHA, De Souza DB. Current evidence for the involvement of sex steroid receptors and sex hormones in benign prostatic hyperplasia. Res Rep Urol 2019; 11:1-8. [PMID: 30662879 PMCID: PMC6327899 DOI: 10.2147/rru.s155609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a pathology that affects 50% of men over 50 years of age and 90% of men develop BPH in their eighth decade of life. In 2018, more than 1 billion men will be affected by this disease worldwide. However, the progression of BPH is highly complex and has been debated and studied for approximately four decades. Recent studies indicate that BPH can originate from the alteration of different hormone synthesis pathways, and that it is also linked to the function of hormone receptors. There is a close relationship between the progression of BPH and sexual hormones, such as progesterone, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and estrogen. The focus of this study was to characterize the interactions of these hormones and investigate the direct or indirect role of each sex hormone receptor in the progression of BPH. Although several studies have described the effects of these hormones on BPH, no conclusions have been drawn regarding their role in disease progression. Here, we present a literature review on the sexual receptors possibly involved in the progression of BPH.
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20
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Maly IV, Hofmann WA. Fatty Acids and Calcium Regulation in Prostate Cancer. Nutrients 2018; 10:nu10060788. [PMID: 29921791 PMCID: PMC6024573 DOI: 10.3390/nu10060788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is a widespread malignancy characterized by a comparative ease of primary diagnosis and difficulty in choosing the individualized course of treatment. Management of prostate cancer would benefit from a clearer understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind the transition to the lethal, late-stage forms of the disease, which could potentially yield new biomarkers for differential prognosis and treatment prioritization in addition to possible new therapeutic targets. Epidemiological research has uncovered a significant correlation of prostate cancer incidence and progression with the intake (and often co-intake) of fatty acids and calcium. Additionally, there is evidence of the impact of these nutrients on intracellular signaling, including the mechanisms mediated by the calcium ion as a second messenger. The present review surveys the recent literature on the molecular mechanisms associated with the critical steps in the prostate cancer progression, with special attention paid to the regulation of these processes by fatty acids and calcium homeostasis. Testable hypotheses are put forward that integrate some of the recent results in a more unified picture of these phenomena at the interface of cell signaling and metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan V Maly
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
| | - Wilma A Hofmann
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, 955 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
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21
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Opoku-Acheampong AB, Henningson JN, Lindshield BL. The impact of finasteride and dutasteride treatments on proliferation, apoptosis, androgen receptor, 5α-reductase 1 and 5α-reductase 2 in TRAMP mouse prostates. Heliyon 2017; 3:e00360. [PMID: 28765837 PMCID: PMC5526468 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previously, we studied the effect of finasteride- or dutasteride-containing diets in male C57BL/6 TRAMP x FVB mice. Pre (6 weeks of age) and post (12 weeks of age) groups received finasteride or dutasteride to determine the efficacy of these pharmaceuticals on prostate cancer (PCa) development in male C57BL/6 TRAMP x FVB mice. Post-Dutasteride treatment was more effective than Pre-Dutasteride treatment, and dutasteride treatments were more effective than finasteride treatments in decreasing prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) progression and PCa development. Finasteride and Pre-Dutasteride treatments significantly decreased high-grade PIN incidence, but increased poorly differentiated PCa incidence. In this study, molecular changes in prostates of these mice were characterized in an effort to elucidate the discordant response in Pre-Dutasteride and finasteride groups, and determine why Post-Dutasteride treatment was more effective. METHOD/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Ki-67 (proliferation marker) and androgen receptor (AR) protein, apoptotic DNA fragmentation (TUNEL assay), 5α-reductase 1 (5αR1) and 5α-reductase 2 (5αR2) mRNA were quantified in male TRAMP mice prostate tissues with genitourinary weight < 1 and > 1 gram. Overall, proliferation and AR were decreased and apoptosis was increased in most tumors versus prostate epithelium and hyperplasia. Proliferation and AR were increased notably in hyperplasia versus prostate epithelium and tumor. There were no clear trends or differences in 5α-reductase 1 and 5α-reductase 2 levels between large and small tumors. The discordant response in Pre-Finasteride and Pre-Dutasteride groups may be due to upregulated 5αR1 levels in large versus small tumors. It is not clear what the mechanism is for the different response in the Post-Finasteride group. Post-Dutasteride treatment was more effective than Pre-Dutasteride treatment in decreasing 5αR1 in large tumors. Therefore, this may be why this treatment was more effective in decreasing PIN progression and PCa development. CONCLUSION The effect of finasteride and dutasteride on these biomarkers did not clearly elucidate their mechanism of action, but tumor 5αR1 levels were significantly positively correlated with adjusted prostate severe lesion score.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jamie N Henningson
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Brian L Lindshield
- Department of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and Health, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
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Compounds from Cynomorium songaricum with Estrogenic and Androgenic Activities Suppress the Oestrogen/Androgen-Induced BPH Process. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2017; 2017:6438013. [PMID: 28588640 PMCID: PMC5447316 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6438013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Objective To investigate the phytoestrogenic and phytoandrogenic activities of compounds isolated from CS and uncover the role of CS in prevention of oestrogen/androgen-induced BPH. Methods Cells were treated with CS compounds, and immunofluorescence assay was performed to detect the nuclear translocation of ERα or AR in MCF-7 or LNCaP cells; luciferase reporter assay was performed to detect ERs or AR transcriptional activity in HeLa or AD293 cells; MTT assay was performed to detect the cell proliferation of MCF-7 or LNCaP cells. Oestrogen/androgen-induced BPH model was established in rat and the anti-BPH, anti-estrogenic, and anti-androgenic activities of CS in vivo were further investigated. Results The nuclear translocation of ERα was stimulated by nine CS compounds, three of which also stimulated AR translocation. The transcriptional activities of ERα and ERβ were induced by five compounds, within which only ECG induced AR transcriptional activity as well. Besides, ECG stimulated the proliferation of both MCF-7 cells and LNCaP cells. CS extract suppressed oestrogen/androgen-induced BPH progress in vivo by downregulation of E2 and T level in serum and alteration of the expressions of ERα, ERβ, and AR in the prostate. Conclusion Our data demonstrates that compounds from CS exhibit phytoestrogenic and phytoandrogenic activities, which may contribute to inhibiting the oestrogen/androgen-induced BPH development.
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Xue M, Liu H, Zhang L, Chang H, Liu Y, Du S, Yang Y, Wang P. Computational identification of mutually exclusive transcriptional drivers dysregulating metastatic microRNAs in prostate cancer. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14917. [PMID: 28397780 PMCID: PMC5394245 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgen-ablation therapies, which are the standard treatment for metastatic prostate cancer, invariably lead to acquired resistance. Hence, a systematic identification of additional drivers may provide useful insights into the development of effective therapies. Numerous microRNAs that are critical for metastasis are dysregulated in metastatic prostate cancer, but the underlying molecular mechanism is poorly understood. We perform an integrative analysis of transcription factor (TF) and microRNA expression profiles and computationally identify three master TFs, AR, HOXC6 and NKX2-2, which induce the aberrant metastatic microRNA expression in a mutually exclusive fashion. Experimental validations confirm that the three TFs co-dysregulate a large number of metastasis-associated microRNAs. Moreover, their overexpression substantially enhances cell motility and is consistently associated with a poor clinical outcome. Finally, the mutually exclusive overexpression between AR, HOXC6 and NKX2-2 is preserved across various tissues and cancers, suggesting that mutual exclusivity may represent an intrinsic characteristic of driver TFs during tumorigenesis. Dysregulation of microRNAs is thought to be important for metastasis in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), but its drivers are unknown. Here, the authors use computational analysis to identify HOXC6 and NKX2-2 in addition to AR as alternative drivers of dysregulated miRNA expression in CRPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhu Xue
- Laboratory of Systems Biology, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Haike Road, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Haiyue Liu
- Laboratory of Systems Biology, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Haike Road, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Liwen Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Zhang Jiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hongyuan Chang
- Laboratory of Systems Biology, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Haike Road, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuwei Liu
- Laboratory of Systems Biology, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Haike Road, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Shaowei Du
- Laboratory of Systems Biology, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Haike Road, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China.,School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, BaoShan District, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yingqun Yang
- Laboratory of Systems Biology, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Haike Road, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Laboratory of Systems Biology, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 100 Haike Road, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China.,Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Zhang Jiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China.,College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Pudong, Shanghai 201210, China
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Leach DA, Powell SM, Bevan CL. WOMEN IN CANCER THEMATIC REVIEW: New roles for nuclear receptors in prostate cancer. Endocr Relat Cancer 2016; 23:T85-T108. [PMID: 27645052 DOI: 10.1530/erc-16-0319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer has, for decades, been treated by inhibiting androgen signalling. This is effective in the majority of patients, but inevitably resistance develops and patients progress to life-threatening metastatic disease - hence the quest for new effective therapies for 'castrate-resistant' prostate cancer (CRPC). Studies into what pathways can drive tumour recurrence under these conditions has identified several other nuclear receptor signalling pathways as potential drivers or modulators of CRPC.The nuclear receptors constitute a large (48 members) superfamily of transcription factors sharing a common modular functional structure. Many of them are activated by the binding of small lipophilic molecules, making them potentially druggable. Even those for which no ligand exists or has yet been identified may be tractable to activity modulation by small molecules. Moreover, genomic studies have shown that in models of CRPC, other nuclear receptors can potentially drive similar transcriptional responses to the androgen receptor, while analysis of expression and sequencing databases shows disproportionately high mutation and copy number variation rates among the superfamily. Hence, the nuclear receptor superfamily is of intense interest in the drive to understand how prostate cancer recurs and how we may best treat such recurrent disease. This review aims to provide a snapshot of the current knowledge of the roles of different nuclear receptors in prostate cancer - a rapidly evolving field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien A Leach
- Division of CancerImperial Centre for Translational & Experimental Medicine, Imperial, College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Sue M Powell
- Division of CancerImperial Centre for Translational & Experimental Medicine, Imperial, College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
| | - Charlotte L Bevan
- Division of CancerImperial Centre for Translational & Experimental Medicine, Imperial, College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London, UK
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Hazra R, Upton D, Desai R, Noori O, Jimenez M, Handelsman DJ, Allan CM. Elevated expression of the Sertoli cell androgen receptor disrupts male fertility. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2016; 311:E396-404. [PMID: 27354237 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00159.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Recently, we created a unique gain-of-function mouse model with Sertoli cell-specific transgenic androgen receptor expression (TgSCAR) showing that SCAR activity controls the synchronized postnatal development of somatic Sertoli and Leydig cells and meiotic-postmeiotic germ cells. Moderate TgSCAR (TgSCAR(m)) expression reduced testis size but had no effect on male fertility. Here, we reveal that higher TgSCAR expression (TgSCAR(H)) causes male infertility. Higher SCAR activity, shown by upregulated AR-dependent transcripts (Rhox5, Spinw1), resulted in smaller adult TgSCAR(H) testes (50% of normal) despite normal or elevated circulating and intratesticular testosterone levels. Unlike fertile TgSCAR(m) males, testes of adult TgSCAR(H) males exhibited focal regions of interstitial hypertrophy featuring immature adult Leydig cells and higher intratesticular dihydrotestosterone and 5α-androstane 3α,17β-diol levels that are normally associated with pubertal development. Mature TgSCAR(H) testes also exhibited markedly reduced Sertoli cell numbers (70%), although meiotic and postmeiotic germ cell/Sertoli cell ratios were twofold higher than normal, suggesting that elevated TgSCAR activity supports excessive spermatogenic development. Concurrent with the higher germ cell load of TgSCAR(H) Sertoli cells were increased levels of apoptotic germ cells in TgSCAR(H) relative to TgSCAR(m) testes. In addition, TgSCAR(H) testes displayed unique morphological degeneration that featured accumulated cellular and spermatozoa clusters in dilated channels of rete testes, consistent with reduced epididymal sperm numbers. Our findings reveal for the first time that excessive Sertoli cell AR activity in mature testes can reach a level that disturbs Sertoli/germ cell homeostasis, impacts focal Leydig cell function, reduces sperm output, and disrupts male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasmani Hazra
- ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Concord Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Dannielle Upton
- ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Concord Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Reena Desai
- ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Concord Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Omar Noori
- ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Concord Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mark Jimenez
- ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Concord Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David J Handelsman
- ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Concord Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Charles M Allan
- ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Concord Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Mouse Models in Prostate Cancer Translational Research: From Xenograft to PDX. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 2016:9750795. [PMID: 27294148 PMCID: PMC4887629 DOI: 10.1155/2016/9750795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite the advancement of clinical and preclinical research on PCa, which resulted in the last five years in a decrement of disease incidence by 3-4%, it remains the most frequent cancer in men and the second for mortality rate. Based on this evidence we present a brief dissertation on numerous preclinical models, comparing their advantages and disadvantages; among this we report the PDX mouse models that show greater fidelity to the disease, in terms of histopathologic features of implanted tumor, gene and miRNA expression, and metastatic pattern, well describing all tumor progression stages; this characteristic encourages the translation of preclinical results. These models become particularly useful in meeting the need of new treatments identification that eradicate PCa bone metastases growing, clarifying pathway of angiogenesis, identifying castration-resistant stem-like cells, and studying the antiandrogen therapies. Also of considerable interest are the studies of 3D cell cultures derived from PDX, which have the ability to maintain PDX cell viability with continued native androgen receptor expression, also showing a differential sensitivity to drugs. 3D PDX PCa may represent a diagnostic platform for the rapid assessment of drugs and push personalized medicine. Today the development of preclinical models in vitro and in vivo is necessary in order to obtain increasingly reliable answers before reaching phase III of the drug discovery.
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27
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Zingiryan A, Farina NH, Finstad KH, Stein JL, Lian JB, Stein GS. Dissection of Individual Prostate Lobes in Mouse Models of Prostate Cancer to Obtain High Quality RNA. J Cell Physiol 2016; 232:14-8. [PMID: 26992144 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Genetically engineered mouse models of prostate cancer allow for study of disease progression from localized tumor formation through distal metastasis. The anatomy of the mouse prostate differs dramatically from the human prostate, being composed of four lobe pairs (anterior, dorsal, lateral, and ventral), making the identification and dissection technically challenging. Although the entire murine prostate and surrounding tissue, including urethra, bladder, seminal vesicles, and associated adipose tissue, can be quickly dissected for en bloc analysis, it is necessary to isolate individual prostate lobes for gene expression studies elucidating the molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer. The procedure as described here includes full color images, allowing the researcher to appreciate the unique prostate morphology and tissue manipulation required to harvest individual prostate lobes. Along with removing all extraneous tissue, the procedure allows for direct comparison of the different prostate lobes by established downstream techniques. Importantly, high quality RNA required for next-generation gene expression analysis can only consistently be obtained from ventral and lateral lobes. Finally, preclinical studies using prostate targeted therapies can be monitored specifically in individual prostate lobes for histological and gene expression studies. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 14-18, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areg Zingiryan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont Cancer Center, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Nicholas H Farina
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont Cancer Center, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont.
| | - Kristiaan H Finstad
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont Cancer Center, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Janet L Stein
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont Cancer Center, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Jane B Lian
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont Cancer Center, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Gary S Stein
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Vermont Cancer Center, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION The mouse is an important, though imperfect, organism with which to model human disease and to discover and test novel drugs in a preclinical setting. Many experimental strategies have been used to discover new biological and molecular targets in the mouse, with the hopes of translating these discoveries into novel drugs to treat prostate cancer in humans. Modeling prostate cancer in the mouse, however, has been challenging, and often drugs that work in mice have failed in human trials. AREAS COVERED The authors discuss the similarities and differences between mice and men; the types of mouse models that exist to model prostate cancer; practical questions one must ask when using a mouse as a model; and potential reasons that drugs do not often translate to humans. They also discuss the current value in using mouse models for drug discovery to treat prostate cancer and what needs are still unmet in field. EXPERT OPINION With proper planning and following practical guidelines by the researcher, the mouse is a powerful experimental tool. The field lacks genetically engineered metastatic models, and xenograft models do not allow for the study of the immune system during the metastatic process. There remain several important limitations to discovering and testing novel drugs in mice for eventual human use, but these can often be overcome. Overall, mouse modeling is an essential part of prostate cancer research and drug discovery. Emerging technologies and better and ever-increasing forms of communication are moving the field in a hopeful direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth C Valkenburg
- The Johns Hopkins University, The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Department of Urology , 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287 , USA
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Lee SH, Luong R, Johnson DT, Cunha GR, Rivina L, Gonzalgo ML, Sun Z. Androgen signaling is a confounding factor for β-catenin-mediated prostate tumorigenesis. Oncogene 2015; 35:702-14. [PMID: 25893287 PMCID: PMC4615253 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2015.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Revised: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Emerging evidence has demonstrated the critical roles for both androgen and Wnt pathways in prostate tumorigenesis. A recent integrative genomic analysis of human prostate cancers has revealed a unique enrichment of androgen and Wnt signaling in early onset prostate cancers, implying their clinical significance in the disease. Additionally, interaction between the androgen receptor (AR) and β-catenin has long been detected in prostate cancer cells. However, the consequence of this interaction in prostate tumorigenesis is still unknown. Because mutations in adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), β-catenin, and other components of the destruction-complex are generally rare in prostate cancers, other mechanisms of aberrant Wnt signaling activation have been speculated. To address these critical questions, we developed Ctnnb1L(ex3)/+/R26hARL/+:PB-Cre4 mice, in which transgenic AR and stabilized β-catenin are co-expressed in prostatic epithelial cells. We observed accelerated tumor development, aggressive tumor invasion, and a decreased survival rate in Ctnnb1L(ex3)/+/R26hARL/+:PB-Cre4 compound mice compared to age-matched Ctnnb1L(ex3)/+:PB-Cre4 littermate controls, which only have stabilized β-catenin expression in the prostate. Castration of the above transgenic mice resulted in significant tumor regression, implying an essential role of androgen signaling in tumor growth and maintenance. Implantation of the prostatic epithelial cells isolated from the transgenic mice regenerated PIN and prostatic adenocarcinoma lesions. Microarray analyses of transcriptional profiles showed more robust enrichment of known tumor and metastasis promoting genes: Spp1, Egr1, c-Myc, Sp5, and Sp6 genes in samples isolated from Ctnnb1L(ex3)/+/R26hARL/+:PB-Cre4 compound mice than those from Ctnnb1L(ex3)/+:PB-Cre4 and R26hARL/+:PB-Cre4 littermate controls. Together, these data demonstrate a confounding role of androgen signaling in β-catenin initiated oncogenic transformation in prostate tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- S H Lee
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - R Luong
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - D T Johnson
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - G R Cunha
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - L Rivina
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - M L Gonzalgo
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Z Sun
- Department of Urology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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Abstract
When the National Institutes of Health Mouse Models of Human Cancer Consortium initiated the Prostate Steering Committee 15 years ago, there were no genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of prostate cancer (PCa). Today, a PubMed search for "prostate cancer mouse model" yields 3,200 publications and this list continues to grow. The first generation of GEM utilized the newly discovered and characterized probasin promoter driving viral oncogenes such as Simian virus 40 large T antigen to yield the LADY and TRAMP models. As the PCa research field has matured, the second generation of models has incorporated the single and multiple molecular changes observed in human disease, such as loss of PTEN and overexpression of Myc. Application of these models has revealed that mice are particularly resistant to developing invasive PCa, and once they achieve invasive disease, the PCa rarely resembles human disease. Nevertheless, these models and their application have provided vital information on human PCa progression. The aim of this review is to provide a brief primer on mouse and human prostate histology and pathology, provide descriptions of mouse models, as well as attempt to answer the age old question: Which GEM model of PCa is the best for my research question?
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Abstract
Androgens and androgen receptor (AR) signaling are necessary for prostate development and homeostasis. AR signaling also drives the growth of nearly all prostate cancer cells. The role of androgens and AR signaling has been well characterized in metastatic prostate cancer, where it has been shown that prostate cancer cells are exquisitely adept at maintaining functional AR signaling to drive cancer growth. As androgens and AR signaling are so intimately involved in prostate development and the proliferation of advanced prostate cancer, it stands to reason that androgens and AR are also involved in prostate cancer initiation and the early stages of cancer growth, yet little is known of this process. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge concerning the role of androgens and AR signaling in prostate tissue, from development to metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer, and use that information to suggest potential roles for androgens and AR in prostate cancer initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Zhou
- Department of Molecular PharmacologyBeckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Beckman 2310, Duarte, California 91010, USADepartment of Molecular and Integrative PhysiologyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Eric C Bolton
- Department of Molecular PharmacologyBeckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Beckman 2310, Duarte, California 91010, USADepartment of Molecular and Integrative PhysiologyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Jeremy O Jones
- Department of Molecular PharmacologyBeckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Road, Beckman 2310, Duarte, California 91010, USADepartment of Molecular and Integrative PhysiologyUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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Bauman TM, Sehgal PD, Johnson KA, Pier T, Bruskewitz RC, Ricke WA, Huang W. Finasteride treatment alters tissue specific androgen receptor expression in prostate tissues. Prostate 2014; 74:923-32. [PMID: 24789081 PMCID: PMC4137476 DOI: 10.1002/pros.22810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Normal and pathologic growth of the prostate is dependent on the synthesis of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) from testosterone by 5α-reductase. Finasteride is a selective inhibitor of 5α-reductase 2, one isozyme of 5α-reductase found in abundance in the human prostate. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of finasteride on androgen receptor expression and tissue morphology in human benign prostatic hyperplasia specimens. METHODS Patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate and either treated or not treated with finasteride between 2004 and 2010 at the University of Wisconsin-Hospital were retrospectively identified using an institutional database. Prostate specimens from each patient were triple-stained for androgen receptor, prostate-specific antigen, and basal marker cytokeratin 5. Morphometric analysis was performed using the multispectral imaging, and results were compared between groups of finasteride treated and non-treated patients. RESULTS Epithelial androgen receptor but not stromal androgen receptor expression was significantly lower in patients treated with finasteride than in non-treated patients. Androgen receptor-regulated prostate-specific antigen was not significantly decreased in finasteride-treated patients. Significant luminal epithelial atrophy and basal cell hyperplasia were prevalent in finasteride treated patients. Epithelial androgen receptor expression was highly correlated to the level of luminal epithelial atrophy. CONCLUSIONS In this study, finasteride decreased the expression of epithelial androgen receptor in a tissue specific manner. The correlation between epithelial androgen receptor and the extent of luminal epithelial atrophy suggests that epithelial androgen receptor may be directly regulating the atrophic effects observed with finasteride treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler M. Bauman
- Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | | | - Karen A. Johnson
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Thomas Pier
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | | | - William A. Ricke
- Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
- Correspondence to: William A. Ricke, PhD, Department of Urology and Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, 7107 Wisconsin Institutes of Medical Research (WIMR), 1111 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53705.
| | - Wei Huang
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
- Correspondence to: Wei Huang, MD, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, 1685 Highland Ave., Madison, WI 53705.
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Androgens and the androgen receptor (AR). Mol Oncol 2013. [DOI: 10.1017/cbo9781139046947.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Sun F, Chen HG, Li W, Yang X, Wang X, Jiang R, Guo Z, Chen H, Huang J, Borowsky AD, Qiu Y. Androgen receptor splice variant AR3 promotes prostate cancer via modulating expression of autocrine/paracrine factors. J Biol Chem 2013; 289:1529-39. [PMID: 24297183 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.492140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Deregulation of androgen receptor (AR) splice variants has been implicated to play a role in prostate cancer development and progression. To understand their functions in prostate, we established a transgenic mouse model (AR3Tg) with targeted expression of the constitutively active and androgen-independent AR splice variant AR3 (a.k.a. AR-V7) in prostate epithelium. We found that overexpression of AR3 modulates expression of a number of tumor-promoting autocrine/paracrine growth factors (including Tgfβ2 and Igf1) and expands prostatic progenitor cell population, leading to development of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. In addition, we showed that some epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated genes are up-regulated in AR3Tg prostates, suggesting that AR3 may antagonize AR activity and halt the differentiation process driven by AR and androgen. This notion is supported by our observations that the number of Ck5(+)/Ck8(+) intermediate cells is increased in AR3Tg prostates after castration, and expression of AR3 transgene in these intermediate cells compromises prostate epithelium regeneration upon androgen replacement. Our results demonstrate that AR3 is a driver of prostate cancer, at least in part, through modulating multiple tumor-promoting autocrine/paracrine factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Sun
- From the Departments of Pharmacology and The Greenebaum Cancer Center, and
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35
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Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed noncutaneous malignancy and second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in US males. Clinically, locally confined disease is treated surgically and/or with radiation therapy. Invasive disease, however, must be treated with pharmacological inhibitors of androgen receptor (AR) activity, since disease progression is fundamentally reliant on AR activation. However, despite initially effective treatment options, recurrent castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) often occurs due to aberrant reactivation of AR. Additionally, it is appreciated that many other signaling molecules, such as transcription factors, oncogenes, and tumor suppressors, are often perturbed and significantly contribute to PCa initiation and progression to incurable disease. Understanding the interplay between AR signaling and other signaling networks altered in PCa will advance therapeutic approaches. Overall, comprehension of the molecular composition promoting neoplastic growth and formation of CRPC is paramount for developing durable treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randy Schrecengost
- Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
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Abstract
Mouse models of prostate cancer (PCa) are critical for understanding the biology of PCa initiation, progression, and treatment modalities. Here, we summarize recent advances in PCa mouse models that led to new insights into specific gene functions in PCa. For example, the study of transgenic mice with TMPRSS2/ERG, an androgen-regulated fusion protein, revealed its role in developing PCa precursor lesions, prostate intraepithelial neoplasia; however, it is not sufficient for PCa development. Double deficiency of Pten and Smad4 leads to a high incidence of metastatic PCa. Targeted deletion of Pten in castration-resistant Nkx3-1-expressing cells results in rapid carcinoma formation after androgen-mediated regeneration, indicating that progenitor cells with luminal characteristics can play a role in initiation of PCa. Transgenic mice with activated oncogenes, growth factors, and steroid hormone receptors or inactivated tumor suppressors continue to provide insights into disease progression from initiation to metastasis. Further development of new PCa models with spatial and temporal regulation of candidate gene expression will probably enhance our understanding of the complex events that lead to PCa initiation and progression, thereby invoking novel strategies to combat this common disease in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Wu
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | | | - Pradip Roy-Burman
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Peng Lee
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY
- Department of Urology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY
- NYU Cancer Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY
- New York Harbor Healthcare System, New York, NY
| | - Zoran Culig
- Department of Urology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
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Altintas DM, Allioli N, Decaussin M, de Bernard S, Ruffion A, Samarut J, Vlaeminck-Guillem V. Differentially expressed androgen-regulated genes in androgen-sensitive tissues reveal potential biomarkers of early prostate cancer. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66278. [PMID: 23840433 PMCID: PMC3696068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 05/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Several data favor androgen receptor implication in prostate cancer initiation through the induction of several gene activation programs. The aim of the study is to identify potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) among androgen-regulated genes (ARG) and to evaluate comparative expression of these genes in normal prostate and normal prostate-related androgen-sensitive tissues that do not (or rarely) give rise to cancer. Methods ARG were selected in non-neoplastic adult human prostatic epithelial RWPE-1 cells stably expressing an exogenous human androgen receptor, using RNA-microarrays and validation by qRT-PCR. Expression of 48 preselected genes was quantified in tissue samples (seminal vesicles, prostate transitional zones and prostate cancers, benign prostatic hypertrophy obtained from surgical specimens) using TaqMan® low-density arrays. The diagnostic performances of these potential biomarkers were compared to that of genes known to be associated with PCa (i.e. PCA3 and DLX1). Results and Discussion By crossing expression studies in 26 matched PCa and normal prostate transitional zone samples, and 35 matched seminal vesicle and PCa samples, 14 genes were identified. Similarly, 9 genes were overexpressed in 15 benign prostatic hypertrophy samples, as compared to PCa samples. Overall, we selected 8 genes of interest to evaluate their diagnostic performances in comparison with that of PCA3 and DLX1. Among them, 3 genes: CRYAB, KCNMA1 and SDPR, were overexpressed in all 3 reference non-cancerous tissues. The areas under ROC curves of these genes reached those of PCA3 (0.91) and DLX1 (0.94). Conclusions We identified ARG with reduced expression in PCa and with significant diagnostic values for discriminating between cancerous and non-cancerous prostatic tissues, similar that of PCA3. Given their expression pattern, they could be considered as potentially protective against prostate cancer. Moreover, they could be complementary to known genes overexpressed in PCa and included along with them in multiplex diagnostic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dogus Murat Altintas
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon (IGFL), Université de Lyon, CNRS UMR5242, INRA1288, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
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Irshad S, Abate-Shen C. Modeling prostate cancer in mice: something old, something new, something premalignant, something metastatic. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2013; 32:109-22. [PMID: 23114843 PMCID: PMC3584242 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-012-9409-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
More than 15 years ago, the first generation of genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of prostate cancer was introduced. These transgenic models utilized prostate-specific promoters to express SV40 oncogenes specifically in prostate epithelium. Since the description of these initial models, there have been a plethora of GEM models of prostate cancer representing various perturbations of oncogenes or tumor suppressors, either alone or in combination. This review describes these GEM models, focusing on their relevance for human prostate cancer and highlighting their strengths and limitations, as well as opportunities for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shazia Irshad
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Departments of Urology and Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
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Atawia RT, Tadros MG, Khalifa AE, Mosli HA, Abdel-Naim AB. Role of the phytoestrogenic, pro-apoptotic and anti-oxidative properties of silymarin in inhibiting experimental benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats. Toxicol Lett 2013; 219:160-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2013.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2013] [Revised: 02/27/2013] [Accepted: 03/04/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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40
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Genetically engineered mouse models of prostate cancer. Mol Oncol 2013; 7:190-205. [PMID: 23481269 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2013.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite major improvement in treatment of early stage localised prostate cancer, the distinction between indolent tumors and those that will become aggressive, as well as the lack of efficient therapies of advanced prostate cancer, remain major health problems. Genetically engineered mice (GEM) have been extensively used to investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying prostate tumor initiation and progression, and to evaluate new therapies. Moreover, the recent development of conditional somatic mutagenesis in the mouse prostate offers the possibility to generate new models that more faithfully reproduce the human disease, and thus should contribute to improve diagnosis and treatments. The strengths and weaknesses of various models will be discussed, as well as future opportunities.
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Matsumoto T, Sakari M, Okada M, Yokoyama A, Takahashi S, Kouzmenko A, Kato S. The androgen receptor in health and disease. Annu Rev Physiol 2012; 75:201-24. [PMID: 23157556 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-030212-183656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Androgens play pivotal roles in the regulation of male development and physiological processes, particularly in the male reproductive system. Most biological effects of androgens are mediated by the action of nuclear androgen receptor (AR). AR acts as a master regulator of downstream androgen-dependent signaling pathway networks. This ligand-dependent transcriptional factor modulates gene expression through the recruitment of various coregulator complexes, the induction of chromatin reorganization, and epigenetic histone modifications at target genomic loci. Dysregulation of androgen/AR signaling perturbs normal reproductive development and accounts for a wide range of pathological conditions such as androgen-insensitive syndrome, prostate cancer, and spinal bulbar muscular atrophy. In this review we summarize recent advances in understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms of AR action as well as newly recognized aspects of AR-mediated androgen signaling in both men and women. In addition, we offer a perspective on the use of animal genetic model systems aimed at eventually developing novel therapeutic AR ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Matsumoto
- Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
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42
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Tewari AK, Yardimci GG, Shibata Y, Sheffield NC, Song L, Taylor BS, Georgiev SG, Coetzee GA, Ohler U, Furey TS, Crawford GE, Febbo PG. Chromatin accessibility reveals insights into androgen receptor activation and transcriptional specificity. Genome Biol 2012; 13:R88. [PMID: 23034120 PMCID: PMC3491416 DOI: 10.1186/gb-2012-13-10-r88] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2012] [Revised: 08/14/2012] [Accepted: 10/03/2012] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic mechanisms such as chromatin accessibility impact transcription factor binding to DNA and transcriptional specificity. The androgen receptor (AR), a master regulator of the male phenotype and prostate cancer pathogenesis, acts primarily through ligand-activated transcription of target genes. Although several determinants of AR transcriptional specificity have been elucidated, our understanding of the interplay between chromatin accessibility and AR function remains incomplete. RESULTS We used deep sequencing to assess chromatin structure via DNase I hypersensitivity and mRNA abundance, and paired these datasets with three independent AR ChIP-seq datasets. Our analysis revealed qualitative and quantitative differences in chromatin accessibility that corresponded to both AR binding and an enrichment of motifs for potential collaborating factors, one of which was identified as SP1. These quantitative differences were significantly associated with AR-regulated mRNA transcription across the genome. Base-pair resolution of the DNase I cleavage profile revealed three distinct footprinting patterns associated with the AR-DNA interaction, suggesting multiple modes of AR interaction with the genome. CONCLUSIONS In contrast with other DNA-binding factors, AR binding to the genome does not only target regions that are accessible to DNase I cleavage prior to hormone induction. AR binding is invariably associated with an increase in chromatin accessibility and, consequently, changes in gene expression. Furthermore, we present the first in vivo evidence that a significant fraction of AR binds only to half of the full AR DNA motif. These findings indicate a dynamic quantitative relationship between chromatin structure and AR-DNA binding that impacts AR transcriptional specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alok K Tewari
- Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | | - Yoichiro Shibata
- Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Nathan C Sheffield
- Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Lingyun Song
- Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Barry S Taylor
- Computational Biology Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Stoyan G Georgiev
- Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Gerhard A Coetzee
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Norris Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Department of Urology, Norris Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Uwe Ohler
- Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Terrence S Furey
- Departments of Biology and Genetics, Carolina Center for Genome Sciences and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Gregory E Crawford
- Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Phillip G Febbo
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
- Department of Urology, University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
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Green SM, Mostaghel EA, Nelson PS. Androgen action and metabolism in prostate cancer. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2012; 360:3-13. [PMID: 22453214 PMCID: PMC4124858 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2011.09.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2011] [Revised: 09/26/2011] [Accepted: 09/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The transcriptional programs regulated through the activity of the androgen receptor (AR) modulate normal prostate development and the maintenance of prostatic functions at maturity. AR signaling also controls key survival and growth functions operative in prostate cancer. Inhibiting the AR program remains the key target in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer, and suppressing AR also holds great potential for preventing the development or progression of early stage prostate cancer. In this review, we detail molecular mechanisms of AR activity, cellular components contributing to the maintenance of AR signaling despite AR-ligand suppression, and discuss treatment strategies designed to target components of resistance to AR-directed therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. Green
- Divisions of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA
| | - Elahe A Mostaghel
- Clinical Research, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA
| | - Peter S. Nelson
- Divisions of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle WA
- Corresponding Author Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center 1100 Fairview Ave NE, MS D4-100 Seattle, WA 98109 phone 206-667-3377 fax 206-667-2917
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McNamara KM, Handelsman DJ, Simanainen U. The mouse as a model to investigate sex steroid metabolism in the normal and pathological prostate. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2012; 131:107-21. [PMID: 22146616 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2011.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2011] [Revised: 10/21/2011] [Accepted: 10/23/2011] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Metabolism of sex steroids within the prostate is an important factor affecting its growth and pathology. Mouse models with genetic gain- and especially loss-of-function have characterised different steroid metabolic pathways and their contribution to prostate pathology. With reference to the human prostate, this review aims to summarize the steroidogenic pathways in the mouse prostate as the basis for using the mouse as a model for intraprostatic steroid signalling. In this review we summarize the current information for three main components of the steroid signalling pathway in the mouse prostate: circulating steroids, steroid receptors and steroidogenic enzymes with regard to signalling via androgen, estrogen, progesterone and glucocorticoid pathways. This review reveals many opportunities for characterisation steroid metabolism in various mouse models. The knowledge of steroid metabolism within prostate tissue and in a lobe (rodent)/region (human) specific manner, will give valuable information for future, novel hypotheses of intraprostatic control of steroid actions. This review summarizes knowledge of steroid metabolism in the mouse prostate and its relevance to the human.
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45
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Shidaifat F, Lin YC. Testosterone effect on the expression of genes that mediate testosterone metabolism and genes that mediate the effect of those metabolites on the prostate. Life Sci 2012; 91:194-8. [PMID: 22820544 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2012.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2012] [Revised: 06/22/2012] [Accepted: 07/06/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of testosterone treatment on the proliferation index and the mRNA expression levels of 5α-reductase, CYP7B1, androgen receptor (AR), and estrogen receptor β (ΕRβ) in the canine prostate. MAIN METHODS Immature dogs were treated with testosterone for one month, after which prostate gland growth was assessed by comparing the proliferation index in prostates from testosterone-treated dogs with that of untreated control dogs. The relative mRNA expression levels of the aforementioned genes in the prostate glands of testosterone-treated and untreated dogs were determined by real time PCR. KEY FINDINGS Testosterone treatment induced a highly significant reduction in proliferation index in prostate gland. This inhibition of prostate gland growth was associated with differential mRNA expression of 5α-reductase, CYP7B1, AR, and ΕRβ by the prostate gland of testosterone-treated dogs, as compared to that of untreated dogs. While the expression levels of 5α-reductase and CYP7B1 mRNA were significantly down-regulated by testosterone treatment, the expression level of ER-β mRNA was highly up-regulated. In contrast, AR mRNA expression was not significantly altered. SIGNIFICANCE Prostate gland proliferation appeared to be associated with the expression levels of genes that encode proteins that control intra-prostatic levels of testosterone metabolites and their respective receptors. Testosterone treatment may regulate gene expression in the prostate to generate a phenotype that suppresses growth-promoting signaling through AR and enhances anti-proliferative signaling through ERβ. Therefore, targeting disturbances of this genetic machinery in benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer is of a therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Falah Shidaifat
- Laboratory of Reproductive and Molecular Endocrinology, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, 1900 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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46
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The stress response mediator ATF3 represses androgen signaling by binding the androgen receptor. Mol Cell Biol 2012; 32:3190-202. [PMID: 22665497 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00159-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is a common mediator of cellular stress response signaling and is often aberrantly expressed in prostate cancer. We report here that ATF3 can directly bind the androgen receptor (AR) and consequently repress AR-mediated gene expression. The ATF3-AR interaction requires the leucine zipper domain of ATF3 that independently binds the DNA-binding and ligand-binding domains of AR, and the interaction prevents AR from binding to cis-acting elements required for expression of androgen-dependent genes while inhibiting the AR N- and C-terminal interaction. The functional consequences of the loss of ATF3 expression include increased transcription of androgen-dependent genes in prostate cancer cells that correlates with increased ability to grow in low-androgen-containing medium and increased proliferative activity of the prostate epithelium in ATF3 knockout mice that is associated with prostatic hyperplasia. Our results thus demonstrate that ATF3 is a novel repressor of androgen signaling that can inhibit AR functions, allowing prostate cells to restore homeostasis and maintain integrity in the face of a broad spectrum of intrinsic and environmental insults.
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Yang J, Xie SX, Huang Y, Ling M, Liu J, Ran Y, Wang Y, Thrasher JB, Berkland C, Li B. Prostate-targeted biodegradable nanoparticles loaded with androgen receptor silencing constructs eradicate xenograft tumors in mice. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2012; 7:1297-309. [PMID: 22583574 DOI: 10.2217/nnm.12.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prostate cancer is the major cause of cancer death in men and the androgen receptor (AR) has been shown to play a critical role in the progression of the disease. Our previous reports showed that knocking down the expression of the AR gene using a siRNA-based approach in prostate cancer cells led to apoptotic cell death and xenograft tumor eradication. In this study, we utilized a biodegradable nanoparticle to deliver the therapeutic AR shRNA construct specifically to prostate cancer cells. MATERIALS & METHODS The biodegradable nanoparticles were fabricated using a poly(dl-lactic-co-glycolic acid) polymer and the AR shRNA constructs were loaded inside the particles. The surface of the nanoparticles were then conjugated with prostate-specific membrane antigen aptamer A10 for prostate cancer cell-specific targeting. RESULTS A10-conjugation largely enhanced cellular uptake of nanoparticles in both cell culture- and xenograft-based models. The efficacy of AR shRNA encapsulated in nanoparticles on AR gene silencing was confirmed in PC-3/AR-derived xenografts in nude mice. The therapeutic property of A10-conjugated AR shRNA-loaded nanoparticles was evaluated in xenograft models with different prostate cancer cell lines: 22RV1, LAPC-4 and LNCaP. Upon two injections of the AR shRNA-loaded nanoparticles, rapid tumor regression was observed over 2 weeks. Consistent with previous reports, A10 aptamer conjugation significantly enhanced xenograft tumor regression compared with nonconjugated nanoparticles. DISCUSSION These data demonstrated that tissue-specific delivery of AR shRNA using a biodegradable nanoparticle approach represents a novel therapy for life-threatening prostate cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yang
- Department of Urology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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Ricke EA, Williams K, Lee YF, Couto S, Wang Y, Hayward SW, Cunha GR, Ricke WA. Androgen hormone action in prostatic carcinogenesis: stromal androgen receptors mediate prostate cancer progression, malignant transformation and metastasis. Carcinogenesis 2012; 33:1391-8. [PMID: 22535887 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgs153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been postulated that prostatic carcinogenesis is androgen dependent and that androgens mediate their effects primarily through epithelial cells; however, definitive proof of androgen hormone action in prostate cancer (PRCA) progression is lacking. Here we demonstrate through genetic loss of function experiments that PRCA progression is androgen dependent and that androgen dependency occurs via prostatic stromal androgen receptors (AR) but not epithelial AR. Utilizing tissue recombination models of prostatic carcinogenesis, loss of AR function was evaluated by surgical castration or genetic deletion. Loss of AR function prevented prostatic carcinogenesis, malignant transformation and metastasis. Tissue-specific evaluation of androgen hormone action demonstrated that epithelial AR was not necessary for PRCA progression, whereas stromal AR was essential for PRCA progression, malignant transformation and metastasis. Stromal AR was not necessary for prostatic maintenance, suggesting that the lack of cancer progression due to stromal AR deletion was not related to altered prostatic homeostasis. Gene expression analysis identified numerous androgen-regulated stromal factors. Four candidate stromal AR-regulated genes were secreted growth factors: fibroblast growth factors-2, -7, -10 and hepatocyte growth factor which were significantly affected by androgens and anti-androgens in stromal cells grown in vitro. These data support the concept that androgens are necessary for PRCA progression and that the androgen-regulated stromal microenvironment is essential to carcinogenesis, malignant transformation and metastasis and may serve as a potential target in the prevention of PRCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Ricke
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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49
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Bosland MC, Mahmoud AM. Hormones and prostate carcinogenesis: Androgens and estrogens. J Carcinog 2011; 10:33. [PMID: 22279418 PMCID: PMC3263527 DOI: 10.4103/1477-3163.90678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2011] [Accepted: 10/20/2011] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the leading non-skin malignancy detected in US males and the second cause of death due to male cancer in the US. Androgenic hormones are generally believed to be causatively associated with prostate carcinogenesis, but human evidence, mostly epidemiological, for this is minimal. Circulating hormone levels are not associated with the risk of prostate cancer and neither are polymorphisms in various genes encoding the androgen metabolizing enzymes or androgen receptors. Evidence in support of the involvement of androgens in prostate cancer development is derived from clinical trials with 5α-reductase inhibitors, which reduced the risk by approximately 25%. Animal studies using rat models, however, provide clear evidence that testosterone can induce prostate cancer and can act as a strong tumor promoter in concert with genotoxic carcinogens. One such genotoxic factor may be 17β-estradiol, which is generated from testosterone by the aromatase enzyme. Estradiol can be converted to catecholestrogens, which through redox cycling, generate reactive metabolites that can adduct the DNA and potentially lead to mutations. Animal studies and limited human evidence suggest that estrogens can be involved in prostate carcinogenesis by such a genotoxic mechanism. However, how androgens exert their tumor-promoting effect is not clear. It is likely that hormonal and non-hormonal factors as well as genetic and non-genetic (environmental) factors interact in a highly complex and poorly understood manner to determine the risk of prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten C Bosland
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago 840 South Wood Street Room 130 CSN, MC 847 Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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50
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Simanainen U, McNamara K, Gao YR, McPherson S, Desai R, Jimenez M, Handelsman DJ. Anterior prostate epithelial AR inactivation modifies estrogen receptor expression and increases estrogen sensitivity. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2011; 301:E727-35. [PMID: 21750267 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00580.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Androgens influence prostate growth and development, so androgen withdrawal can control progression of prostate diseases. Although estrogen treatment was originally used to induce androgen withdrawal, more recently direct estrogen effects on the prostate have been recognized, but the nature of androgen-estrogen interactions within the prostate remain poorly understood. To characterize androgen effects on estrogen sensitivity in the mouse prostate, we contrasted models of castration-induced androgen withdrawal in the prostate stromal and epithelial compartments with a prostate epithelial androgen receptor (AR) knockout (PEARKO) mouse model of selective epithelial AR inactivation. Castration markedly increased prostate epithelial estrogen receptor (ER)α immunoreactivity compared with very low ERα expression in intact males. Similarly, strong basal and luminal ERα expression was detected in PEARKO prostate of intact males, suggesting that epithelial AR activity regulated epithelial ERα expression. ERβ was strongly expressed in intact, castrated, and PEARKO prostate. However, strong clusters of epithelial ERβ positivity coincided with epithelial stratification in PEARKO prostate. In vivo estrogen sensitivity was increased in PEARKO males, with greater estradiol-induced prostate growth and epithelial proliferation leading to squamous metaplasia, featuring markedly increased epithelial proliferation, thickening, and keratinization compared with littermate controls. Our results suggest that ERα expression in the prostate epithelial cells is regulated by local, epithelia-specific, androgen-dependent mechanisms, and this imbalance in the AR- and ER-mediated signaling sensitizes the mature prostate to exogenous estrogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulla Simanainen
- ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
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