1
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Xu J, Zong S, Sheng T, Zheng J, Wu Q, Wang Q, Tang A, Song Y, Fei Y, Li Z. Rapamycin increases leukemia cell sensitivity to chemotherapy by regulating mTORC1 pathway-mediated apoptosis and autophagy. Int J Hematol 2024; 119:541-551. [PMID: 38530586 DOI: 10.1007/s12185-024-03732-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of rapamycin alone and in combination with chemotherapy (doxorubicin and cytarabine) on AML. Human acute monocytic leukemia cell line SHI-1 and NPG AML model mice created by intravenous injection of SHI-1 cell were treated with rapamycin, chemotherapy, or rapamycin plus chemotherapy. Analysis by cell counting kit-8, western blot, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry was performed, and results suggested that both rapamycin and chemotherapy inhibited proliferation of SHI-1 cells both in vitro and in vivo, suppressed neoplasm growth in vivo, and promoted survival of NPG AML mice. The antitumor effect of rapamycin plus chemotherapy was better than that of rapamycin alone and chemotherapy alone. In addition, western blot results demonstrated that rapamycin inhibited the phosphorylation of mTOR downstream targets 4EBP1 and S6K1 in SHI-1 cells, and increased the pro-apoptosis-related protein Bax and autophagy-associated proteins Beclin-1, LC3B-II, and ATG5 while reducing the anti-apoptosis-related protein Bcl-2. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that rapamycin acts synergistically with doxorubicin and cytarabine in AML treatment, and its underlying mechanism might be associated with mTORC1 pathway-mediated apoptosis and autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xu
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 1 Minde Road, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Siwen Zong
- Second Clinical Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Tianle Sheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Jifu Zheng
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 1 Minde Road, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Qingming Wang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 1 Minde Road, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Aiping Tang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 1 Minde Road, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Yuan Song
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 1 Minde Road, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Yan Fei
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 1 Minde Road, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Zhenjiang Li
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 1 Minde Road, Nanchang, 330006, China.
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2
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Fan C, Wunderlich M, Cai X, Yan Z, Zhang F, Davis AK, Xu L, Guo F, Lu QR, Azam M, Tian W, Zheng Y. Kinase-independent role of mTOR and on-/off-target effects of an mTOR kinase inhibitor. Leukemia 2023; 37:2073-2081. [PMID: 37532788 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-023-01987-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
mTOR, as a serine/threonine kinase, is a widely pursued anticancer target. Multiple clinical trials of mTOR kinase inhibitors are ongoing, but their specificity and safety features remain lacking. Here, we have employed an inducible kinase-inactive D2338A mTOR knock-in mouse model (mTOR-/KI) together with a mTOR conditional knockout model (mTOR-/-) to assess the kinase-dependent/-independent function of mTOR in hematopoiesis and the on-/off-target effects of mTOR kinase inhibitor AZD2014. Despite exhibiting many similar phenotypes to mTOR-/- mice in hematopoiesis, the mTOR-/KI mice survived longer and showed differences in hematopoietic progenitor cells compared to mTOR-/- mice, suggesting a kinase-independent function of mTOR in hematopoiesis. Gene expression signatures in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) further revealed both kinase-dependent and independent effects of mTOR. AZD2014, a lead mTOR kinase inhibitor, appeared to work mostly on-target in suppressing mTOR kinase activity, mimicking that of mTOR-/KI HSCs in transcriptome analysis, but it also induced a small set of off-target responses in mTOR-/KI HSCs. In murine and human myeloid leukemia, besides kinase-inhibitory on-target effects, AZD2014 displayed similar off-target and growth-inhibitory cytostatic effects. These studies provide new insights into kinase-dependent/-independent effects of mTOR in hematopoiesis and present a genetic means for precisely assessing the specificity of mTOR kinase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiqing Fan
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Mark Wunderlich
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Xiongwei Cai
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Zijun Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Ashley Kuenzi Davis
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Lingli Xu
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Fukun Guo
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Q Richard Lu
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Mohammad Azam
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Weidong Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yi Zheng
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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3
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Takahashi S. Combination Therapies with Kinase Inhibitors for Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment. Hematol Rep 2023; 15:331-346. [PMID: 37367084 DOI: 10.3390/hematolrep15020035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting kinase activity is considered to be an attractive therapeutic strategy to overcome acute myeloid leukemia (AML) since aberrant activation of the kinase pathway plays a pivotal role in leukemogenesis through abnormal cell proliferation and differentiation block. Although clinical trials for kinase modulators as single agents remain scarce, combination therapies are an area of therapeutic interest. In this review, the author summarizes attractive kinase pathways for therapeutic targets and the combination strategies for these pathways. Specifically, the review focuses on combination therapies targeting the FLT3 pathways, as well as PI3K/AKT/mTOR, CDK and CHK1 pathways. From a literature review, combination therapies with the kinase inhibitors appear more promising than monotherapies with individual agents. Therefore, the development of efficient combination therapies with kinase inhibitors may result in effective therapeutic strategies for AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinichiro Takahashi
- Division of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai 983-8536, Japan
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4
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Liu G, Yang S, Liu Y, Xu Y, Qiu H, Sun J, Song J, Shi L. The adenosine-A2a receptor regulates the radioresistance of gastric cancer via PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway. Int J Clin Oncol 2022; 27:911-920. [PMID: 35122587 DOI: 10.1007/s10147-022-02123-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Radiotherapy is a key strategy in gastric cancer (GC) treatment. However, radioresistance remains a serious concern. It is unclear whether the accumulation of adenosine A2a receptor (ADO-A2aR) is related to radioresistance in GC. In this study, the molecular role of ADO-A2aR in GC radioresistance was investigated. METHODS Colony formation assays were used to assess the role of ADO-A2aR on radioresistance. GC stem cell surface marker expression (including Nanog, OCT-4, SOX-2 and CD44) and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway associated protein levels (including phosphorylated PI3K, phosphorylated AKT and phosphorylated mTOR) were determined via western blotting, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. In addition, the role of ADO-A2aR on radioresistance was explored in vivo using murine xenograft models. RESULTS ADO-A2aR regulated GC cell stemness both in vitro and in vivo. This was shown to induce radioresistance in GC. ADO-A2aR was revealed to significantly induce cell cycle arrest and promote GC cell apoptosis. These activities were closely linked to activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. CONCLUSION This study identified that ADO enhances GC cell stemness via interaction with A2aR and subsequent activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Ultimately, this resulted in radioresistance. A2aR is a potential target to improve GC radiosensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guihong Liu
- Center of Clinical Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, China.,Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Song Yang
- Center of Clinical Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, China.,Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yumei Xu
- Center of Clinical Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hui Qiu
- Center of Clinical Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jian Sun
- Center of Clinical Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, China.,Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jun Song
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, China. .,Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, China.
| | - Linsen Shi
- Departments of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, Jiangsu Province, China.
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5
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Huang R, Liao X, Li Q. Integrative genomic analysis of a novel small nucleolar RNAs prognostic signature in patients with acute myelocytic leukemia. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2022; 19:2424-2452. [PMID: 35240791 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2022112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study mainly used The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) RNA sequencing dataset to screen prognostic snoRNAs of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and used for the construction of prognostic snoRNAs signature for AML. A total of 130 AML patients with RNA sequencing dataset were used for prognostic snoRNAs screenning. SnoRNAs co-expressed genes and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were used for functional annotation, as well as gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Connectivity Map (CMap) also used for potential targeted drugs screening. Through genome-wide screening, we identified 30 snoRNAs that were significantly associated with the prognosis of AML. Then we used the step function to screen a prognostic signature composed of 14 snoRNAs (SNORD72, SNORD38, U3, SNORA73B, SNORD79, SNORA73, SNORD12B, SNORA74, SNORD116-12, SNORA65, SNORA14, snoU13, SNORA75, SNORA31), which can significantly divide AML patients into high- and low-risk groups. Through GSEA, snoRNAs co-expressed genes and DEGs functional enrichment analysis, we screened a large number of potential functional mechanisms of this prognostic signature in AML, such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt, Wnt, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, T cell receptors, NF-kappa B, mTOR and other classic cancer-related signaling pathways. In the subsequent targeted drug screening using CMap, we also identified six drugs that can be used for AML targeted therapy, they were alimemazine, MG-262, fluoxetine, quipazine, naltrexone and oxybenzone. In conclusion, our current study was constructed an AML prognostic signature based on the 14 prognostic snoRNAs, which may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker for AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Huang
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Xiwen Liao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Qiaochuan Li
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
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6
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Emerging Role of miR-345 and Its Effective Delivery as a Potential Therapeutic Candidate in Pancreatic Cancer and Other Cancers. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13121987. [PMID: 34959269 PMCID: PMC8707074 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13121987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive malignancy with high mortality, poor prognosis, and palliative treatments, due to the rapid upregulation of alternative compensatory pathways and desmoplastic reaction. miRNAs, small non-coding RNAs, have been recently identified as key players regulating cancer pathogenesis. Dysregulated miRNAs are associated with molecular pathways involved in tumor development, metastasis, and chemoresistance in PDAC, as well as other cancers. Targeted treatment strategies that alter miRNA levels in cancers have promising potential as therapeutic interventions. miRNA-345 (miR-345) plays a critical role in tumor suppression and is differentially expressed in various cancers, including pancreatic cancer (PC). The underlying mechanism(s) and delivery strategies of miR-345 have been investigated by us previously. Here, we summarize the potential therapeutic roles of miR-345 in different cancers, with emphasis on PDAC, for miRNA drug discovery, development, status, and implications. Further, we focus on miRNA nanodelivery system(s), based on different materials and nanoformulations, specifically for the delivery of miR-345.
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7
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Reducing FASN expression sensitizes acute myeloid leukemia cells to differentiation therapy. Cell Death Differ 2021; 28:2465-2481. [PMID: 33742137 PMCID: PMC8329134 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-021-00768-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is the only human lipogenic enzyme available for de novo fatty acid synthesis and is often highly expressed in cancer cells. We found that FASN mRNA levels were significantly higher in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients than in healthy granulocytes or CD34+ hematopoietic progenitors. Accordingly, FASN levels decreased during all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)-mediated granulocytic differentiation of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells, partially via autophagic degradation. Furthermore, our data suggest that inhibition of FASN expression levels using RNAi or (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) accelerated the differentiation of APL cell lines and significantly re-sensitized ATRA refractory non-APL AML cells. FASN reduction promoted translocation of transcription factor EB (TFEB) to the nucleus, paralleled by activation of CLEAR network genes and lysosomal biogenesis. Together, our data demonstrate that inhibition of FASN expression in combination with ATRA treatment facilitates granulocytic differentiation of APL cells and may extend differentiation therapy to non-APL AML cells.
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8
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Tu JJ, Ou-Yang L, Zhu Y, Yan H, Qin H, Zhang XF. Differential network analysis by simultaneously considering changes in gene interactions and gene expression. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:4414-4423. [PMID: 34245246 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Differential network analysis is an important tool to investigate the rewiring of gene interactions under different conditions. Several computational methods have been developed to estimate differential networks from gene expression data, but most of them do not consider that gene network rewiring may be driven by the differential expression of individual genes. New differential network analysis methods that simultaneously take account of the changes in gene interactions and changes in expression levels are needed. RESULTS In this paper, we propose a differential network analysis method that considers the differential expression of individual genes when identifying differential edges. First, two hypothesis test statistics are used to quantify changes in partial correlations between gene pairs and changes in expression levels for individual genes. Then, an optimization framework is proposed to combine the two test statistics so that the resulting differential network has a hierarchical property, where a differential edge can be considered only if at least one of the two involved genes is differentially expressed. Simulation results indicate that our method outperforms current state-of-the-art methods. We apply our method to identify the differential networks between the luminal A and basal-like subtypes of breast cancer and those between acute myeloid leukemia and normal samples. Hub nodes in the differential networks estimated by our method, including both differentially and non-differentially expressed genes, have important biological functions. AVAILABILITY The source code is available at https://github.com/Zhangxf-ccnu/chNet. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Juan Tu
- School of Mathematics and Statistics & Hubei Key Laboratory of Mathematical Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Le Ou-Yang
- College of Electronics and Information Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Yuan Zhu
- School of Automation, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Control and Intelligent Automation for Complex Systems, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Hong Yan
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hong Qin
- Department of Statistics, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, 430073, China
| | - Xiao-Fei Zhang
- School of Mathematics and Statistics & Hubei Key Laboratory of Mathematical Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
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9
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Lipreri da Silva JC, Coelho-Silva JL, Lima K, Vicari HP, Lazarini M, Costa-Lotufo LV, Traina F, Machado-Neto JA. Comprehensive analysis of cytoskeleton regulatory genes identifies ezrin as a prognostic marker and molecular target in acute myeloid leukemia. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2021; 44:1105-1117. [PMID: 34196912 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-021-00621-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Despite great advances that have been made in the understanding of the molecular complexity of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), very little has been translated into new therapies. Here, we set out to investigate the impact of cytoskeleton regulatory genes on clinical outcomes and their potential as therapeutic targets in AML. METHODS Gene expression and clinical data were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) AML study and used for survival and functional genomics analyses. For pharmacological tests, AML cells were exposed to ezrin (EZR) inhibitors and submitted to several cellular and molecular assays. RESULTS High EZR expression was identified as an independent marker of worse outcomes in AML patients from the TCGA cohort (p < 0.05). Functional genomics analyses suggested that EZR contributes to responses to stimuli and signal transduction pathways in leukemia cells. EZR pharmacological inhibition with NSC305787 and NSC668394 reduced viability, proliferation, autonomous clonal growth, and cell cycle progression in AML cells (p < 0.05). NSC305787 had a greater potency and efficiency than NSC668394 in leukemia models. At the molecular level, EZR inhibitors reduced EZR, S6 ribosomal protein and 4EBP1 phosphorylation, and induced PARP1 cleavage in AML cells. NSC305787, but not NSC668394, favored a gene network involving cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in Kasumi 1 AML cells. CONCLUSIONS From our data we conclude that EZR expression may serve as a prognostic factor in AML. Our preclinical findings indicate that ezrin inhibitors may be employed as a putative novel class of AML targeting drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Carlos Lipreri da Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Juan Luiz Coelho-Silva
- Department of Medical Imaging, Hematology, and Oncology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Keli Lima
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Hugo Passos Vicari
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mariana Lazarini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema, Brazil
| | - Leticia Veras Costa-Lotufo
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Fabiola Traina
- Department of Medical Imaging, Hematology, and Oncology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - João Agostinho Machado-Neto
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1524, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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10
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Fu D, Zhang B, Wu S, Zhang Y, Xie J, Ning W, Jiang H. Prognosis and Characterization of Immune Microenvironment in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Through Identification of an Autophagy-Related Signature. Front Immunol 2021; 12:695865. [PMID: 34135913 PMCID: PMC8200670 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.695865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most common hematopoietic malignancies that has an unfavorable outcome and a high rate of relapse. Autophagy plays a vital role in the development of and therapeutic responses to leukemia. This study identifies a potential autophagy-related signature to monitor the prognoses of patients of AML. Transcriptomic profiles of AML patients (GSE37642) with the relevant clinical information were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) as the training set while TCGA-AML and GSE12417 were used as validation cohorts. Univariate regression analyses and multivariate stepwise Cox regression analysis were respectively applied to identify the autophagy-related signature. The univariate Cox regression analysis identified 32 autophagy-related genes (ARGs) that were significantly associated with the overall survival (OS) of the patients, and were mainly rich in signaling pathways for autophagy, p53, AMPK, and TNF. A prognostic signature that comprised eight ARGs (BAG3, CALCOCO2, CAMKK2, CANX, DAPK1, P4HB, TSC2, and ULK1) and had good predictive capacity was established by LASSO–Cox stepwise regression analysis. High-risk patients were found to have significantly shorter OS than patients in low-risk group. The signature can be used as an independent prognostic predictor after adjusting for clinicopathological parameters, and was validated on two external AML sets. Differentially expressed genes analyzed in two groups were involved in inflammatory and immune signaling pathways. An analysis of tumor-infiltrating immune cells confirmed that high-risk patients had a strong immunosuppressive microenvironment. Potential druggable OS-related ARGs were then investigated through protein–drug interactions. This study provides a systematic analysis of ARGs and develops an OS-related prognostic predictor for AML patients. Further work is needed to verify its clinical utility and identify the underlying molecular mechanisms in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denggang Fu
- Department of Pediatrics, The Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Biyu Zhang
- School of Pharmacy and Life Science, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, China
| | - Shiyong Wu
- Department of Pediatrics, The Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Yinghua Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, The Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Jingwu Xie
- Department of Pediatrics, The Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States.,The IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Wangbin Ning
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hua Jiang
- Department of Pediatrics, The Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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11
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Tlili H, Macovei A, Buonocore D, Lanzafame M, Najjaa H, Lombardi A, Pagano A, Dossena M, Verri M, Arfa AB, Neffati M, Doria E. The polyphenol/saponin-rich Rhus tripartita extract has an apoptotic effect on THP-1 cells through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. BMC Complement Med Ther 2021; 21:153. [PMID: 34044827 PMCID: PMC8161611 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-021-03328-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hyperactivation of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is involved in the regulation of cellular growth, proliferation, and more in general, is a common phenomenon in most types of cancers. Thus, natural substances targeting this pathway can be of great therapeutic potential in supporting the treatment of tumor patients. Rhus tripartita (Ucria) Grande is a plant growing in desertic areas which is traditionally used for the treatment of several diseases in Tunisia. In the present work, the biochemical profile of the main compounds present in the plant leaf extract was determined and the anti-leukemic potential of the plant extracts against acute monocytic leukaemia (AML) THP-1 cells was investigated. Methods After HPLC identification of some phenolic compounds present in the plant extract and the quantification of saponin content, the cytotoxic effect of Rhus tripartita extracts on THP-1 cell culture was evaluated using the colorimetric MTT assay for cell viability. THP-1 cells were incubated with medium containing the relative IC50 concentrations of total plant extract, saponin extract and some standard compounds (rutin (R); kaempferol (K); mixture of catechin, epicatechin, and epicatechin-gallate (CEEG); ellagic acid (EA). Finally, qRT-PCR and western blotting analysis were used to evaluate the effect of some flavonoids present in a crude extract of polyphenols and the total extract of saponins on cell survival and apoptosis. Results Analysis of expression level of some gene (PIK3CA, PTEN, AKT1, mTOR, EIF4E, RPS6KB1, and TSC1) involved in the mTOR pathway and the phosphorylation of S6 and AKT proteins allowed to observe that a total Rhus tripartita extract and some of the compounds found in the extract controls THP-1 cell proliferation and apoptosis via regulation of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway. Conclusion Rhus tripartita-induced inhibition of cell cycle and induction of apoptosis may involve the mTOR pathway. Therefore, Rhus tripartita extract may be a useful candidate as a natural anti-cancer drug to support the treatment of AML. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12906-021-03328-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajer Tlili
- Laboratory of Pastoral Ecosystems and Valorization of Spontaneous Plants and Microorganisms, Institute of Arid Regions (IRA), Tunis, Medenine, Tunisia
| | - Anca Macovei
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Daniela Buonocore
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Hanen Najjaa
- Laboratory of Pastoral Ecosystems and Valorization of Spontaneous Plants and Microorganisms, Institute of Arid Regions (IRA), Tunis, Medenine, Tunisia
| | | | - Andrea Pagano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maurizia Dossena
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Manuela Verri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Abdelkarim Ben Arfa
- Laboratory of Pastoral Ecosystems and Valorization of Spontaneous Plants and Microorganisms, Institute of Arid Regions (IRA), Tunis, Medenine, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Neffati
- Laboratory of Pastoral Ecosystems and Valorization of Spontaneous Plants and Microorganisms, Institute of Arid Regions (IRA), Tunis, Medenine, Tunisia
| | - Enrico Doria
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", University of Pavia, via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
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12
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Imaging dynamic mTORC1 pathway activity in vivo reveals marked shifts that support time-specific inhibitor therapy in AML. Nat Commun 2021; 12:245. [PMID: 33431855 PMCID: PMC7801403 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20491-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a high remission, high relapse fatal blood cancer. Although mTORC1 is a master regulator of cell proliferation and survival, its inhibitors have not performed well as AML treatments. To uncover the dynamics of mTORC1 activity in vivo, fluorescent probes are developed to track single cell proliferation, apoptosis and mTORC1 activity of AML cells in the bone marrow of live animals and to quantify these activities in the context of microanatomical localization and intra-tumoral heterogeneity. When chemotherapy drugs commonly used clinically are given to mice with AML, apoptosis is rapid, diffuse and not preferentially restricted to anatomic sites. Dynamic measurement of mTORC1 activity indicated a decline in mTORC1 activity with AML progression. However, at the time of maximal chemotherapy response, mTORC1 signaling is high and positively correlated with a leukemia stemness transcriptional profile. Cell barcoding reveals the induction of mTORC1 activity rather than selection of mTORC1 high cells and timed inhibition of mTORC1 improved the killing of AML cells. These data define the real-time dynamics of AML and the mTORC1 pathway in association with AML growth, response to and relapse after chemotherapy. They provide guidance for timed intervention with pathway-specific inhibitors. The role of mTORC1 in AML has not yet been proven due to the mixed results of its inhibitors in clinical trials. Here the authors show the real-time dynamics of the mTORC1 pathway in association with AML growth and response to chemotherapy with fluorescent markers, providing guidance for timed intervention with pathway-specific inhibitors.
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13
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Lopez-Reyes RG, Quinet G, Gonzalez-Santamarta M, Larrue C, Sarry JE, Rodriguez MS. Inhibition of the proteasome and proteaphagy enhances apoptosis in FLT3-ITD-driven acute myeloid leukemia. FEBS Open Bio 2020; 11:48-60. [PMID: 33410599 PMCID: PMC7780102 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.12950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a clonal disorder that affects hematopoietic stem cells or myeloid progenitors. One of the most common mutations that results in AML occurs in the gene encoding fms‐like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3). Previous studies have demonstrated that AML cells expressing FLT3‐internal tandem duplication (ITD) are more sensitive to the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (Bz) than FLT3 wild‐type cells, with this cytotoxicity being mediated by autophagy (Atg). Here, we show that proteasome inhibition with Bz results in modest but consistent proteaphagy in MOLM‐14 leukemic cells expressing the FLT3‐ITD mutation, but not in OCI‐AML3 leukemic cells with wild‐type FLT3. Chemical inhibition of Atg with bafilomycin A simultaneously blocked proteaphagy and resulted in the accumulation of the p62 Atg receptor in Bz‐treated MOLM‐14 cells. The use of ubiquitin traps revealed that ubiquitin plays an important role in proteasome‐Atg cross‐talk. The p62 inhibitor verteporfin blocked proteaphagy and, importantly, resulted in accumulation of high molecular weight forms of p62 and FLT3‐ITD in Bz‐treated MOLM‐14 cells. Both Atg inhibitors enhanced Bz‐induced apoptosis in FLT3‐ITD‐driven leukemic cells, highlighting the therapeutic potential of these treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa G Lopez-Reyes
- Institute of Advanced Technology and Life Sciences (ITAV), IPBS-Centre de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.,Cancer Research Center of Toulouse Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1037 INSERM, ERL 5294 Centre de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Toulouse, France
| | - Grégoire Quinet
- Institute of Advanced Technology and Life Sciences (ITAV), IPBS-Centre de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Maria Gonzalez-Santamarta
- Institute of Advanced Technology and Life Sciences (ITAV), IPBS-Centre de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Clément Larrue
- Cancer Research Center of Toulouse Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1037 INSERM, ERL 5294 Centre de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Emmanuel Sarry
- Cancer Research Center of Toulouse Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1037 INSERM, ERL 5294 Centre de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Toulouse, France
| | - Manuel S Rodriguez
- Institute of Advanced Technology and Life Sciences (ITAV), IPBS-Centre de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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14
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Teng Z, Xu S, Lei Q. Tanshinone IIA enhances the inhibitory effect of imatinib on proliferation and motility of acute leukemia cell line TIB‑152 in vivo and in vitro by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Oncol Rep 2020; 43:503-515. [PMID: 31894340 PMCID: PMC6967082 DOI: 10.3892/or.2019.7453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a malignant hematological disease. Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) has antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Tan IIA in combination with imatinib (IM) on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of acute T lymphocytic leukemia TIB‑152 cells in vivo and in vitro, and analyze the potential underlying mechanism. Tan IIA and IM, alone and in combination, significantly inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of TIB‑152 cells, and promoted apoptosis; the effect of co‑treatment with Tan IIA plus IM was enhanced. IGF‑1 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of TIB‑152 cells and inhibited apoptosis, while Tan IIA treatment significantly reversed these effects. In vivo experiments demonstrated that treatment with Tan IIA and IM, alone or in combination, significantly inhibited tumor growth in TIB‑152 xenograft mice; the growth inhibition of Tan IIA plus IM was the strongest observed. Western blot analysis revealed that the combination of Tan IIA and IM resulted in significantly lower levels of p‑PI3K, p‑AKT and p‑mTOR in cells and tissues compared with the IM and Tan alone treatment groups. In addition, the combination of Tan IIA and IM significantly decreased the levels of Ki67, cleaved caspase‑3, VEGF and MMP‑9 in cells and tissues, and the level of caspase‑3 was significantly increased. Taken together, the results revealed that Tan IIA enhanced the inhibitory effect of imatinib on TIB‑152 cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induced apoptosis, which may be associated with inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Teng
- Department of Hematology, 215 Hospital of Shanxi Nuclear Industry, Xianyang, Shanxi 712000, P.R. China
| | - Shijuan Xu
- Department of Hematology, 215 Hospital of Shanxi Nuclear Industry, Xianyang, Shanxi 712000, P.R. China
| | - Qin Lei
- Department of Hematology, 215 Hospital of Shanxi Nuclear Industry, Xianyang, Shanxi 712000, P.R. China
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15
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Tseng CH. Metformin Use and Leukemia Risk in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:541090. [PMID: 33193076 PMCID: PMC7642096 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.541090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effect of metformin on leukemia risk remains unknown. METHODS The Taiwan's National Health Insurance database was used to enroll 610,089 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients on at least 2 anti-diabetic prescriptions during 1999-2009. We followed-up these patients until 31 December 2011, in order to determine the incidence of leukemia. We used Cox regression model (incorporated with the inverse probability of treatment-weighting using propensity scores) to estimate hazard ratios in both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses. RESULTS We enrolled 414,783 metformin initiators and 195,306 non-metformin initiators. Among them, 598 and 372 patients developed new-onset leukemia after a median follow-up period of 5.08 years and 6.79 years, respectively. The respective incidence rates were 26.52 and 28.40 per 100,000 person-years. The hazard ratio for metformin initiators versus non-metformin initiators was 0.943 (95% confidence interval 0.828-1.074) in the intention-to-treat analysis and 0.852 (95% confidence interval 0.705-1.031) in the per-protocol analysis. Sensitivity analyses after excluding patients using the exclusion criteria (a follow-up duration < 24 and < 36 months, respectively, patients with incretin-based therapies during follow-up, and patients enrolled during 2 different periods of 1999-2003 and 2004-2009) consistently showed a neutral effect. However, metformin initiators had a significantly higher risk of leukemia in the per-protocol analyses when censoring patients at a time without regular follow-up. CONCLUSION Metformin use has an overall neutral effect on leukemia but we cannot exclude a significantly higher risk in patients who persistently use the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin-Hsiao Tseng
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine of the National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Chin-Hsiao Tseng,
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16
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Castro I, Sampaio-Marques B, Ludovico P. Targeting Metabolic Reprogramming in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Cells 2019; 8:cells8090967. [PMID: 31450562 PMCID: PMC6770240 DOI: 10.3390/cells8090967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The cancer metabolic reprogramming allows the maintenance of tumor proliferation, expansion and survival by altering key bioenergetics, biosynthetic and redox functions to meet the higher demands of tumor cells. In addition, several metabolites are also needed to perform signaling functions that further promote tumor growth and progression. These metabolic alterations have been exploited in different cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia, as novel therapeutic strategies both in preclinical models and clinical trials. Here, we review the complexity of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) metabolism and discuss how therapies targeting different aspects of cellular metabolism have demonstrated efficacy and how they provide a therapeutic window that should be explored to target the metabolic requirements of AML cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Castro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Belém Sampaio-Marques
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Paula Ludovico
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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17
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Visnjic D, Dembitz V, Lalic H. The Role of AMPK/mTOR Modulators in the Therapy of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Curr Med Chem 2019; 26:2208-2229. [PMID: 29345570 DOI: 10.2174/0929867325666180117105522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 01/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Differentiation therapy of acute promyelocytic leukemia with all-trans retinoic acid represents the most successful pharmacological therapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Numerous studies demonstrate that drugs that inhibit mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and activate AMP-kinase (AMPK) have beneficial effects in promoting differentiation and blocking proliferation of AML. Most of these drugs are already in use for other purposes; rapalogs as immunosuppressants, biguanides as oral antidiabetics, and 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAr, acadesine) as an exercise mimetic. Although most of these pharmacological modulators have been widely used for decades, their mechanism of action is only partially understood. In this review, we summarize the role of AMPK and mTOR in hematological malignancies and discuss the possible role of pharmacological modulators in proliferation and differentiation of leukemia cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora Visnjic
- Department of Physiology and Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Salata 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vilma Dembitz
- Department of Physiology and Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Salata 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Hrvoje Lalic
- Department of Physiology and Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Salata 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
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18
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Stuani L, Sabatier M, Sarry JE. Exploiting metabolic vulnerabilities for personalized therapy in acute myeloid leukemia. BMC Biol 2019; 17:57. [PMID: 31319822 PMCID: PMC6637566 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-019-0670-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in cell metabolism and metabolic adaptation are hallmark features of many cancers, including leukemia, that support biological processes involved into tumor initiation, growth, and response to therapeutics. The discovery of mutations in key metabolic enzymes has highlighted the importance of metabolism in cancer biology and how these changes might constitute an Achilles heel for cancer treatment. In this Review, we discuss the role of metabolic and mitochondrial pathways dysregulated in acute myeloid leukemia, and the potential of therapeutic intervention targeting these metabolic dependencies on the proliferation, differentiation, stem cell function and cell survival to improve patient stratification and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucille Stuani
- Centre de Recherches en Cancérologie de Toulouse, UMR1037, Inserm, Université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Equipe Labellisée LIGUE 2018, F-31037, Toulouse, France.
| | - Marie Sabatier
- Centre de Recherches en Cancérologie de Toulouse, UMR1037, Inserm, Université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Equipe Labellisée LIGUE 2018, F-31037, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Emmanuel Sarry
- Centre de Recherches en Cancérologie de Toulouse, UMR1037, Inserm, Université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Equipe Labellisée LIGUE 2018, F-31037, Toulouse, France.
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19
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Ibrahim SM, Bakhashab S, Ilyas AM, Pushparaj PN, Karim S, Khan JA, Abuzenadah AM, Chaudhary AG, Al-Qahtani MH, Ahmed F. WYE-354 restores Adriamycin sensitivity in multidrug-resistant acute myeloid leukemia cell lines. Oncol Rep 2019; 41:3179-3188. [PMID: 30942458 PMCID: PMC6489006 DOI: 10.3892/or.2019.7093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major reason for the failure of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) therapy. Agents that reverse MDR and sensitize AML cells to chemotherapy are of great clinical significance. The present study developed Adriamycin (Adr)-resistant cell lines, namely K562/Adr200 and K562/Adr500, which exhibited MDR. The upregulation of ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1) was confirmed as the mechanism of resistance by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses. Subsequently, the role of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase inhibitor, WYE-354, in sensitizing the K562/Adr200 and K562/Adr500 cell lines to Adr was evaluated. At sub-cytotoxic concentrations, WYE-354 increased Adr cytotoxicity in the K562/Adr200 and K562/Adr500 cells. WYE-354 restored Adr sensitivity in the resistant cells by inhibiting ABCB1-mediated substrate efflux, thereby leading to an accumulation of Adr, an increase in Adr-mediated G2/M cell cycle arrest and the induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, WYE-354 stimulated the ATPase activity of ABCB1, which was consistent with in silico predictions using a human ABCB1 mouse homology model, indicating that WYE-354 is a potent substrate of ABCB1. WYE-354 did not regulate the expression of ABCB1 at the concentrations used in the present study. These findings indicate that WYE-354 may be a competitive inhibitor of ABCB1-mediated efflux and a potential candidate in combination with standard chemotherapy for overcoming MDR. Further clinical investigations are warranted to validate this combination in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Ibrahim
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sherin Bakhashab
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Asad M Ilyas
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Peter N Pushparaj
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sajjad Karim
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jalaluddin A Khan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adel M Abuzenadah
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adeel G Chaudhary
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammed H Al-Qahtani
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Farid Ahmed
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
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20
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Ying X, Zhang W, Fang M, Zhang W, Wang C, Han L. miR-345-5p regulates proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia cells by targeting AKT2. J Cell Biochem 2019; 120:1620-1629. [PMID: 30278103 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.27461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant clonal hematopoietic disease, which is caused by hematopoietic stem cell abnormalities. Epigenetic regulation, especially of microRNAs (miRNAs), mostly results from external or environmental effects and is critical to AML. In this study, for the first time, we report that decreased expression of miR-345-5p facilitates the proliferation of leukemia cells in AML. Further study demonstrated that AKT1/2 was the target of miR-345-5p and was responsible for the dysregulation of leukemia cell proliferation and apoptosis. Inhibition of AKT1/2 ameliorated this malignant effect, which provides new insight into AML diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and next-step translational investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Ying
- Department of Clinical Hematology, Affiliated No. 2 Hospital School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, China.,Department of Hematology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, China
| | - Wanggang Zhang
- Department of Clinical Hematology, Affiliated No. 2 Hospital School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, China
| | - Meiyun Fang
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, China
| | - Weijun Zhang
- Department of Laboratory, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, China
| | - Chenchen Wang
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, China
| | - Li Han
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, China
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21
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Zhang S, Xiong Y, Zhang Y, Zhao H. Targeting of mTORC1/2 by dihydroevocarpine induces cytotoxicity in acute myeloid leukemia. J Cell Physiol 2018; 234:13032-13041. [PMID: 30548613 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.27974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Interactions between the tumor cells and bone marrow (BM) microenvironment promote survival, growth, and chemoresistance of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The mTOR pathway plays a key role in mediating the AML-BM microenvironment interactions. Here, we report the anti-AML activity of a natural monomer extracted from the Chinese medicinal herb Evodia rutaecarpa, dihydroevocarpine. Our results showed that dihydroevocarpine-induced cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and G0/G1 arrest in AML cells, and inhibited the tumor growth in an AML xenograft model. Importantly, our study revealed that the dihydroevocarpine treatment inhibited the mTOR pathway via suppressing the mTORC1/2 activity, and thus overcame the protective effect of the BM microenvironment on AML cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that dihydroevocarpine could be used as a potential anti-AML agent alone or a therapeutic adjunct in AML therapy, particularly in the presence of the BM microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silin Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunhe Xiong
- Urology Department, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yixian Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Huai'an Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, The Second People's Hospital of Huai'an, Huai'an, China
| | - Hongmei Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Huaiyin Hospital of Huai'an city, Huai'an, China
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22
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Clonal Heterogeneity Reflected by PI3K-AKT-mTOR Signaling in Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells and Its Association with Adverse Prognosis. Cancers (Basel) 2018; 10:cancers10090332. [PMID: 30223538 PMCID: PMC6162751 DOI: 10.3390/cancers10090332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Clonal heterogeneity detected by karyotyping is a biomarker associated with adverse prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Constitutive activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-Akt-mechanistic target of rapamycin (PI3K-Akt-mTOR) pathway is present in AML cells, and this pathway integrates signaling from several upstream receptors/mediators. We suggest that this pathway reflects biologically important clonal heterogeneity. We investigated constitutive PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway activation in primary human AML cells derived from 114 patients, together with 18 pathway mediators. The cohort included patients with normal karyotype or single karyotype abnormalities and with an expected heterogeneity of molecular genetic abnormalities. Clonal heterogeneity reflected as pathway mediator heterogeneity was detected for 49 patients. Global gene expression profiles of AML cell populations with and without clonal heterogeneity differed with regard to expression of ectopic olfactory receptors (a subset of G-protein coupled receptors) and proteins involved in G-protein coupled receptor signaling. Finally, the presence of clonal heterogeneity was associated with adverse prognosis for patients receiving intensive antileukemic treatment. The clonal heterogeneity as reflected in the activation status of selected mediators in the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway was associated with a different gene expression profile and had an independent prognostic impact. Biological heterogeneity reflected in the intracellular signaling status should be further investigated as a prognostic biomarker in human AML.
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23
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Pereira O, Teixeira A, Sampaio-Marques B, Castro I, Girão H, Ludovico P. Signalling mechanisms that regulate metabolic profile and autophagy of acute myeloid leukaemia cells. J Cell Mol Med 2018; 22:4807-4817. [PMID: 30117681 PMCID: PMC6156238 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.13737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) comprises a heterogeneous group of hematologic neoplasms characterized by diverse combinations of genetic, phenotypic and clinical features representing a major challenge for the development of targeted therapies. Metabolic reprogramming, mainly driven by deregulation of the nutrient‐sensing pathways as AMPK, mTOR and PI3K/AKT, has been associated with cancer cells, including AML cells, survival and proliferation. Nevertheless, the role of these metabolic adaptations on the AML pathogenesis is still controversial. In this work, the metabolic status and the respective metabolic networks operating in different AML cells (NB‐4, HL‐60 and KG‐1) and their impact on autophagy and survival was characterized. Data show that whereas KG‐1 cells exhibited preferential mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation metabolism with constitutive co‐activation of AMPK and mTORC1 associated with increased autophagy, NB‐4 and HL‐60 cells displayed a dependent glycolytic profile mainly associated with AKT/mTORC1 activation and low autophagy flux. Inhibition of AKT is disclosed as a promising therapeutical target in some scenarios while inhibition of AMPK and mTORC1 has no major impact on KG‐1 cells’ survival. The results highlight an exclusive metabolic profile for each tested AML cells and its impact on determination of the anti‐leukaemia efficacy and on personalized combinatory therapy with conventional and targeted agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Pereira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Alexandra Teixeira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Belém Sampaio-Marques
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Isabel Castro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Henrique Girão
- Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Paula Ludovico
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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Low-dose ionizing radiation exposure represses the cell cycle and protein synthesis pathways in in vitro human primary keratinocytes and U937 cell lines. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199117. [PMID: 29912936 PMCID: PMC6005503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of the high-dose ionizing radiation used in radiotherapy have been thoroughly demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. However, the effects of low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) such as computed tomography-guided biopsies and X-ray fluoroscopy on skin cells remain controversial. This study investigated the molecular effects of LDIR on the human primary keratinocytes (HPKs) and U937 cells, monocytes-like cell lines. These cells were exposed to 0.1 Gray (Gy) X-ray as LDIR. The modulation of transcription was assessed using a cDNA array, and the protein expression after LDIR exposure was investigated using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) proteomic analysis at 24 hours. These effects were confirmed by immunoblotting analysis. The direct effects of LDIR on the U937 cells and HPKs and the bystander effects of irradiated HPKs on U937 cells were also investigated. LDIR downregulated c-Myc in both U937 cells and HPKs, and upregulated the p21WAF1/CIP1 protein expression in U937 cells along with the activation of TGFβ and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). In HPKs, LDIR downregulated the mTOR signaling with repression of S6 and 4EBP1 activation. Similar changes were observed as bystander effects of LDIR. Our findings suggest that LDIR inhibits protein synthesis and induces the cytokines activation associated with inflammation via direct and bystander effects, which might recapitulate the effects of LDIR in inflammated skin structures.
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Orsini M, Morceau F, Dicato M, Diederich M. Autophagy as a pharmacological target in hematopoiesis and hematological disorders. Biochem Pharmacol 2018; 152:347-361. [PMID: 29656115 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Autophagy is involved in many cellular processes, including cell homeostasis, cell death/survival balance and differentiation. Autophagy is essential for hematopoietic stem cell survival, quiescence, activation and differentiation. The deregulation of this process is associated with numerous hematological disorders and pathologies, including cancers. Thus, the use of autophagy modulators to induce or inhibit autophagy emerges as a potential therapeutic approach for treating these diseases and could be particularly interesting for differentiation therapy of leukemia cells. This review presents therapeutic strategies and pharmacological agents in the context of hematological disorders. The pros and cons of autophagy modulators in therapy will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Orsini
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du Cancer, Hôpital Kirchberg, 9, rue Edward Steichen, L-2540 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Franck Morceau
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du Cancer, Hôpital Kirchberg, 9, rue Edward Steichen, L-2540 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Mario Dicato
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du Cancer, Hôpital Kirchberg, 9, rue Edward Steichen, L-2540 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Marc Diederich
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
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