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Hossain MA. Targeting the RAS upstream and downstream signaling pathway for Cancer treatment. Eur J Pharmacol 2024:176727. [PMID: 38866361 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176727] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Cancer often involves the overactivation of RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK (MAPK) and PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathways due to mutations in genes like RAS, RAF, PTEN, and PIK3CA. Various strategies are employed to address the overactivation of these pathways, among which targeted therapy emerges as a promising approach. Directly targeting specific proteins, leads to encouraging results in cancer treatment. For instance, RTK inhibitors such as imatinib and afatinib selectively target these receptors, hindering ligand binding and reducing signaling initiation. These inhibitors have shown potent efficacy against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Other inhibitors, like lonafarnib targeting Farnesyltransferase and GGTI 2418 targeting geranylgeranyl Transferase, disrupt post-translational modifications of proteins. Additionally, inhibition of proteins like SOS, SH2 domain, and Ras demonstrate promising anti-tumor activity both in vivo and in vitro. Targeting downstream components with RAF inhibitors such as vemurafenib, dabrafenib, and sorafenib, along with MEK inhibitors like trametinib and binimetinib, has shown promising outcomes in treating cancers with BRAF-V600E mutations, including myeloma, colorectal, and thyroid cancers. Furthermore, inhibitors of PI3K (e.g., apitolisib, copanlisib), AKT (e.g., ipatasertib, perifosine), and mTOR (e.g., sirolimus, temsirolimus) exhibit promising efficacy against various cancers such as Invasive Breast Cancer, Lymphoma, Neoplasms, and hematological malignancies. This review offers an overview of small molecule inhibitors targeting specific proteins within the RAS upstream and downstream signaling pathways in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Arafat Hossain
- Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj 8100, Bangladesh;.
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2
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Aquino AF, Runa F, Shoma JF, Todd A, Wallace M, de Barros NR, Kelber JA. Multidimensional screening of pancreatic cancer spheroids reveals vulnerabilities in mitotic and cell-matrix adhesion signaling that associate with metastatic progression and decreased patient survival. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 703:149575. [PMID: 38382357 PMCID: PMC10983059 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149575] [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: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy, with a median survival of less than 12 months and a 5-year survival of less than 10 %. Here, we have established an image-based screening pipeline for quantifying single PDAC spheroid dynamics in genetically and phenotypically diverse PDAC cell models. Wild-type KRas PDAC cells formed tight/compact spheroids - compaction of these structures was completely blocked by cytoplasmic dynein and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitors. In contrast, PDAC cells containing mutant KRas formed loosely aggregated spheroids that grew significantly slower following inhibition of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) or focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Independent of genetic background, multicellular PDAC-mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) spheroids self-organized into structures with an MSC-dominant core. The inclusion of MSCs into wild-type KRas PDAC spheroids modestly affected their compaction; however, MSCs significantly increased the compaction and growth of mutant KRas PDAC spheroids. Notably, exogenous collagen 1 potentiated PANC1 spheroid compaction while ITGA1 knockdown in PANC1 cells blocked MSC-induced PANC1 spheroid compaction. In agreement with a role for collagen-based integrin adhesion complexes in stromal cell-induced PDAC phenotypes, we also discovered that MSC-induced PANC1 spheroid growth was completely blocked by the ITGB1 immunoneutralizing antibody mAb13. Finally, multiplexed single-cell immunohistochemical analysis of a 25 patient PDAC tissue microarray revealed a relationship between decreased variance in Spearman r correlation for ITGA1 and PLK1 expression within the tumor cell compartment of PDAC in patients with advanced disease stage, and elevated expression of both ITGA1 and PLK1 in PDAC was found to be associated with decreased patient survival. Taken together, this work uncovers new therapeutic vulnerabilities in PDAC that are relevant to the progression of this stromal cell-rich malignancy and which may reveal strategies for improving patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert-Fred Aquino
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA
| | - Farhana Runa
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA
| | | | - Audrey Todd
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Wallace
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA
| | | | - Jonathan A Kelber
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA; Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.
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3
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Solomatina ES, Kovaleva AV, Tvorogova AV, Vorobjev IA, Saidova AA. Effect of Focal Adhesion Kinase and Vinculin Expression on Migration Parameters of Normal and Tumor Epitheliocytes. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:474-486. [PMID: 38648767 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924030088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Focal adhesions (FAs) are mechanosensory structures that transform physical stimuli into chemical signals guiding cell migration. Comprehensive studies postulate correlation between the FA parameters and cell motility metrics for individual migrating cells. However, which properties of the FAs are critical for epithelial cell motility in a monolayer remains poorly elucidated. We used high-throughput microscopy to describe relationship between the FA parameters and cell migration in immortalized epithelial keratinocytes (HaCaT) and lung carcinoma cells (A549) with depleted or inhibited vinculin and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) FA proteins. To evaluate relationship between the FA morphology and cell migration, we used substrates with varying stiffness in the model of wound healing. Cells cultivated on fibronectin had the highest FA area values, migration rate, and upregulated expression of FAK and vinculin mRNAs, while the smallest FA area and slower migration rate to the wound were specific to cells cultivated on glass. Suppression of vinculin expression in both normal and tumor cells caused decrease of the FA size and fluorescence intensity but did not affect cell migration into the wound. In contrast, downregulation or inactivation of FAK did not affect the FA size but significantly slowed down the wound closure rate by both HaCaT and A549 cell lines. We also showed that the FAK knockdown results in the FA lifetime decrease for the cells cultivated both on glass and fibronectin. Our data indicate that the FA lifetime is the most important parameter defining migration of epithelial cells in a monolayer. The observed change in the cell migration rate in a monolayer caused by changes in expression/activation of FAK kinase makes FAK a promising target for anticancer therapy of lung carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenia S Solomatina
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Biology, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Anastasia V Kovaleva
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Biology, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Anna V Tvorogova
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Biology, Moscow, 119991, Russia
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Ivan A Vorobjev
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Biology, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Aleena A Saidova
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Biology, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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Hu HH, Wang SQ, Shang HL, Lv HF, Chen BB, Gao SG, Chen XB. Roles and inhibitors of FAK in cancer: current advances and future directions. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1274209. [PMID: 38410129 PMCID: PMC10895298 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1274209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that exhibits high expression in various tumors and is associated with a poor prognosis. FAK activation promotes tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis via both kinase-dependent and kinase-independent pathways. Moreover, FAK is crucial for sustaining the tumor microenvironment. The inhibition of FAK impedes tumorigenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance in cancer. Therefore, developing targeted inhibitors against FAK presents a promising therapeutic strategy. To date, numerous FAK inhibitors, including IN10018, defactinib, GSK2256098, conteltinib, and APG-2449, have been developed, which have demonstrated positive anti-tumor effects in preclinical studies and are undergoing clinical trials for several types of tumors. Moreover, many novel FAK inhibitors are currently in preclinical studies to advance targeted therapy for tumors with aberrantly activated FAK. The benefits of FAK degraders, especially in terms of their scaffold function, are increasingly evident, holding promising potential for future clinical exploration and breakthroughs. This review aims to clarify FAK's role in cancer, offering a comprehensive overview of the current status and future prospects of FAK-targeted therapy and combination approaches. The goal is to provide valuable insights for advancing anti-cancer treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Hui Hu
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Sai-Qi Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hai-Li Shang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hui-Fang Lv
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Bei-Bei Chen
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - She-Gan Gao
- Henan Key Laboratory of Microbiome and Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xiao-Bing Chen
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center of Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Precision Therapy of Gastrointestinal Cancer, Zhengzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Chakkera M, Foote JB, Farran B, Nagaraju GP. Breaking the stromal barrier in pancreatic cancer: Advances and challenges. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189065. [PMID: 38160899 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.189065] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide due to the absence of early detection methods and the low success rates of traditional therapeutic strategies. Drug resistance in PC is driven by its desmoplastic stroma, which creates a barrier that shields cancer niches and prevents the penetration of drugs. The PC stroma comprises heterogeneous cellular populations and non-cellular components involved in aberrant ECM deposition, immunosuppression, and drug resistance. These components can influence PC development through intricate and complex crosstalk with the PC cells. Understanding how stromal components and cells interact with and influence the invasiveness and refractoriness of PC cells is thus a prerequisite for developing successful stroma-modulating strategies capable of remodeling the PC stroma to alleviate drug resistance and enhance therapeutic outcomes. In this review, we explore how non-cellular and cellular stromal components, including cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor-associated macrophages, contribute to the immunosuppressive and tumor-promoting effects of the stroma. We also examine the signaling pathways underlying their activation, tumorigenic effects, and interactions with PC cells. Finally, we discuss recent pre-clinical and clinical work aimed at developing and testing novel stroma-modulating agents to alleviate drug resistance and improve therapeutic outcomes in PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohana Chakkera
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Jeremy B Foote
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Batoul Farran
- Department of Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ganji Purnachandra Nagaraju
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.
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Cerbone L, Orecchia S, Bertino P, Delfanti S, de Angelis AM, Grosso F. Clinical Next Generation Sequencing Application in Mesothelioma: Finding a Golden Needle in the Haystack. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5716. [PMID: 38136262 PMCID: PMC10741845 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15245716] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesothelioma comprises a group of rare cancers arising from the mesothelium of the pleura, peritoneum, tunica vaginalis testis and pericardium. Mesothelioma is generally associated with asbestos exposure and has a dismal prognosis, with few therapeutic options. Several next generation sequencing (NGS) experiments have been performed on mesothelioma arising at different sites. These studies highlight a genomic landscape mainly characterized by a high prevalence (>20%) of genomic aberrations leading to functional losses in oncosuppressor genes such as BAP1, CDKN2A, NF2, SETD2 and TP53. Nevertheless, to date, evidence of the effect of targeting these alterations with specific drugs is lacking. Conversely, 1-2% of mesothelioma might harbor activating mutations in oncogenes with specifically approved drugs. The goal of this review is to summarize NGS applications in mesothelioma and to provide insights into target therapy of mesothelioma guided by NGS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Cerbone
- Mesothelioma Unit, SS Antonio e and Biagio Hospital, 15121 Alessandria, Italy; (L.C.); (P.B.); (S.D.); (A.M.d.A.)
| | - Sara Orecchia
- Molecular Pathology Unit, SS Antonio e and Biagio Hospital, 15121 Alessandria, Italy;
| | - Pietro Bertino
- Mesothelioma Unit, SS Antonio e and Biagio Hospital, 15121 Alessandria, Italy; (L.C.); (P.B.); (S.D.); (A.M.d.A.)
| | - Sara Delfanti
- Mesothelioma Unit, SS Antonio e and Biagio Hospital, 15121 Alessandria, Italy; (L.C.); (P.B.); (S.D.); (A.M.d.A.)
| | - Antonina Maria de Angelis
- Mesothelioma Unit, SS Antonio e and Biagio Hospital, 15121 Alessandria, Italy; (L.C.); (P.B.); (S.D.); (A.M.d.A.)
| | - Federica Grosso
- Mesothelioma Unit, SS Antonio e and Biagio Hospital, 15121 Alessandria, Italy; (L.C.); (P.B.); (S.D.); (A.M.d.A.)
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Qiao H, Li H. PLP2 Could Be a Prognostic Biomarker and Potential Treatment Target in Glioblastoma Multiforme. Pharmgenomics Pers Med 2023; 16:991-1009. [PMID: 37964785 PMCID: PMC10642424 DOI: 10.2147/pgpm.s425251] [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: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to discern the association between PLP2 expression, its biological significance, and the extent of immune infiltration in human GBM. Methods Utilizing the GEPIA2 and TCGA databases, we contrasted the expression levels of PLP2 in GBM against normal tissue. We utilized GEPIA2 and LinkedOmics for survival analysis, recognized genes co-expressed with PLP2 via cBioPortal and GEPIA2, and implemented GO and KEGG analyses. The STRING database facilitated the construction of protein-protein interaction networks. We evaluated the relationship of PLP2 with tumor immune infiltrates using ssGSEA and the TIMER 2.0 database. An IHC assay assessed PLP2 and PDL-1 expression in GBM tissue, and the Drugbank database aided in identifying potential PLP2-targeting compounds. Molecular docking was accomplished using Autodock Vina 1.2.2. Results PLP2 expression was markedly higher in GBM tissues in comparison to normal tissues. High PLP2 expression correlated with a decrease in overall survival across two databases. Functional analyses highlighted a focus of PLP2 functions within leukocyte. Discrepancies in PLP2 expression were evident in immune infiltration, impacting CD4+ T cells, neutrophils, myeloid dendritic cells, and macrophages. There was a concomitant increase in PLP2 and PD-L1 expression in GBM tissues, revealing a link between the two. Molecular docking with ethosuximide and praziquantel yielded scores of -7.441 and -4.295 kcal/mol, correspondingly. Conclusion PLP2's upregulation in GBM may adversely influence the lifespan of GBM patients. The involvement of PLP2 in pathways linked to leukocyte function is suggested. The positive correlation between PLP2 and PD-L1 could provide insights into PLP2's role in glioma modulation. Our research hints at PLP2's potential as a therapeutic target for GBM, with ethosuximide and praziquantel emerging as potential treatment candidates, especially emphasizing the potential of these compounds in GBM treatment targeting PLP2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Qiao
- The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huanting Li
- The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
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Tan X, Yan Y, Song B, Zhu S, Mei Q, Wu K. Focal adhesion kinase: from biological functions to therapeutic strategies. Exp Hematol Oncol 2023; 12:83. [PMID: 37749625 PMCID: PMC10519103 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-023-00446-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a nonreceptor cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase, is a vital participant in primary cellular functions, such as proliferation, survival, migration, and invasion. In addition, FAK regulates cancer stem cell activities and contributes to the formation of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Importantly, increased FAK expression and activity are strongly associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes and metastatic characteristics in numerous tumors. In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that modulating FAK activity by application of FAK inhibitors alone or in combination treatment regimens could be effective for cancer therapy. Based on these findings, several agents targeting FAK have been exploited in diverse preclinical tumor models. This article briefly describes the structure and function of FAK, as well as research progress on FAK inhibitors in combination therapies. We also discuss the challenges and future directions regarding anti-FAK combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximin Tan
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yuheng Yan
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Bin Song
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China
| | - Shuangli Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Qi Mei
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China.
| | - Kongming Wu
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China.
- Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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Borea F, Franczak MA, Garcia M, Perrino M, Cordua N, Smolenski RT, Peters GJ, Dziadziuszko R, Santoro A, Zucali PA, Giovannetti E. Target Therapy in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Hope or Mirage? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119165. [PMID: 37298116 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare neoplasm that is typically diagnosed in a locally advanced stage, making it not eligible for radical surgery and requiring systemic treatment. Chemotherapy with platinum compounds and pemetrexed has been the only approved standard of care for approximately 20 years, without any relevant therapeutic advance until the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Nevertheless, the prognosis remains poor, with an average survival of only 18 months. Thanks to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor biology, targeted therapy has become an essential therapeutic option in several solid malignancies. Unfortunately, most of the clinical trials evaluating potentially targeted drugs for MPM have failed. This review aims to present the main findings of the most promising targeted therapies in MPM, and to explore possible reasons leading to treatments failures. The ultimate goal is to determine whether there is still a place for continued preclinical/clinical research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Borea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20090 Milan, Italy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marika A Franczak
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Maria Garcia
- Faculty of Experimental Science, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, 28223 Madrid, Spain
| | - Matteo Perrino
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Humanitas Cancer Center, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Nadia Cordua
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Humanitas Cancer Center, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Ryszard T Smolenski
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Godefridus J Peters
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Rafal Dziadziuszko
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy and Early Phase Clinical Trials Centre, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Armando Santoro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20090 Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Humanitas Cancer Center, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo A Zucali
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20090 Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Humanitas Cancer Center, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Giovannetti
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, Cancer Center Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza, 56017 Pisa, Italy
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Estep JA, Sun LO, Riccomagno MM. A luciferase fragment complementation assay to detect focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling events. Heliyon 2023; 9:e15282. [PMID: 37089315 PMCID: PMC10119766 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Integrin Adhesion Complexes (IACs) serve as links between the cytoskeleton and extracellular environment, acting as mechanosensing and signaling hubs. As such, IACs participate in many aspects of cellular motility, tissue morphogenesis, anchorage-dependent growth and cell survival. Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) has emerged as a critical organizer of IAC signaling events due to its early recruitment and diverse substrates, and thus has become a genetic and therapeutic target. Here we present the design and characterization of simple, reversible, and scalable Bimolecular Complementation sensors to monitor FAK phosphorylation in living cells. These probes provide novel means to quantify IAC signaling, expanding on the currently available toolkit for interrogating FAK phosphorylation during diverse cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A. Estep
- Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology Program, Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Lu O. Sun
- Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Martin M. Riccomagno
- Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology Program, Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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Sun J, Fang ZY, Tao YN, Zhang YH, Zhang Y, Sun HY, Zhou Y, Wu YF. Design, Synthesis and Antitumor Activity of FAK/PLK1 Dual Inhibitors with Quinazolinone as the Skeleton. Chem Biodivers 2023; 20:e202300146. [PMID: 36919922 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202300146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Febrifugine is a kind of quinazolinone compound with high biological activity from a Chinese herb called Chang Shan (Dichroa febrifuga). Febrifugine and its derivatives possess extensive biological activities, some of which exhibited anti-tumor activities as FAK inhibitors. However, they are not very effective at inhibiting tumor metastasis, perhaps because tumors gain energy through compensatory activation of other signaling pathways that promote cell migration and invasion. Therefore, seventeen novel febrifugine derivatives with quinazolinone skeleton were designed, synthesized and acted as potential FAK/PLK1 dual inhibitors. These compounds were determined by 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR and MS. Most of the compounds exhibited good inhibitory activity against cancer cell lines by computer-assisted screening, antitumor activity test and FAK/PLK1 inhibitory activity test, wherein compound 3b was screened as a high-efficiency lead compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Sun
- School of Biological & Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science & Technology, Hangzhou, 310023, P. R. China
| | - Ze-Yu Fang
- School of Biological & Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science & Technology, Hangzhou, 310023, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Nuo Tao
- School of Biological & Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science & Technology, Hangzhou, 310023, P. R. China
| | - Yi-Heng Zhang
- School of Biological & Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science & Technology, Hangzhou, 310023, P. R. China
| | - Yao Zhang
- School of Biological & Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science & Technology, Hangzhou, 310023, P. R. China
| | - Hai-Ya Sun
- School of Biological & Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science & Technology, Hangzhou, 310023, P. R. China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials, Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315300, P. R. China
| | - Yuan-Feng Wu
- School of Biological & Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science & Technology, Hangzhou, 310023, P. R. China
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12
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Hossen MB, Islam MA, Reza MS, Kibria MK, Horaira MA, Tuly KF, Faruqe MO, Kabir F, Mollah MNH. Robust identification of common genomic biomarkers from multiple gene expression profiles for the prognosis, diagnosis, and therapies of pancreatic cancer. Comput Biol Med 2023; 152:106411. [PMID: 36502691 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.106411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death globally. So, identification of potential molecular signatures is required for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapies of PC. In this study, we detected 71 common differentially expressed genes (cDEGs) between PC and control samples from four microarray gene-expression datasets (GSE15471, GSE16515, GSE71989, and GSE22780) by using robust statistical and machine learning approaches, since microarray gene-expression datasets are often contaminated by outliers due to several steps involved in the data generating processes. Then we detected 8 cDEGs (ADAM10, COL1A2, FN1, P4HB, ITGB1, ITGB5, ANXA2, and MYOF) as the PC-causing key genes (KGs) by the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. We validated the expression patterns of KGs between case and control samples by box plot analysis with the TCGA and GTEx databases. The proposed KGs showed high prognostic power with the random forest (RF) based prediction model and Kaplan-Meier-based survival probability curve. The KGs regulatory network analysis detected few transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators for KGs. The cDEGs-set enrichment analysis revealed some crucial PC-causing molecular functions, biological processes, cellular components, and pathways that are associated with KGs. Finally, we suggested KGs-guided five repurposable drug molecules (Linsitinib, CX5461, Irinotecan, Timosaponin AIII, and Olaparib) and a new molecule (NVP-BHG712) against PC by molecular docking. The stability of the top three protein-ligand complexes was confirmed by molecular dynamic (MD) simulation studies. The cross-validation and some literature reviews also supported our findings. Therefore, the finding of this study might be useful resources to the researchers and medical doctors for diagnosis, prognosis and therapies of PC by the wet-lab validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Bayazid Hossen
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Statistics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Ariful Islam
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Statistics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Selim Reza
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Statistics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Kaderi Kibria
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Statistics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Abu Horaira
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Statistics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Khanis Farhana Tuly
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Statistics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Md Omar Faruqe
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Firoz Kabir
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Md Nurul Haque Mollah
- Bioinformatics Lab, Department of Statistics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh.
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13
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Bioinformatics approach to identify the core ontologies, pathways, signature genes and drug molecules of prostate cancer. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2023.101179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
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14
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Aung KL, McWhirter E, Welch S, Wang L, Lovell S, Stayner LA, Ali S, Malpage A, Makepeace B, Ramachandran M, Jang GH, Gallinger S, Zhang T, Stockley TL, Fischer SE, Dhani N, Hedley D, Knox JJ, Siu LL, Goodwin R, Bedard PL. A phase II trial of GSK2256098 and trametinib in patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. J Gastrointest Oncol 2022; 13:3216-3226. [PMID: 36636049 PMCID: PMC9830369 DOI: 10.21037/jgo-22-86] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) is activated by mutated KRAS in >90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). MEK and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) are frequently co-activated in PDAC providing a rationale for combining trametinib, an oral allosteric MEK1/2 inhibitor, with GSK2256098, an oral FAK inhibitor. Methods Advanced PDAC patients whose disease progressed after first line palliative chemotherapy were treated with GSK2256098 250 mg twice daily and trametinib 0.5 mg once daily orally. The primary endpoint was clinical benefit (CB; complete response, partial response, or stable disease ≥24 weeks). Twenty-four patients were planned to enroll using a 2-stage minimax design (P0=0.15, P1=0.40; alpha =0.05, power 0.86). The combination would be considered inactive if 2/12 or fewer patients achieved CB at the end of stage 1, and would be considered active if >7/24 response-evaluable patients achieved CB by the end of stage 2. Serial blood samples were collected for circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) mutation profiling. Results Sixteen patients were enrolled and 11 were response evaluable. Of those 11, 10 had progressive disease as best tumor response and one had stable disease for 4 months. No treatment related grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) were observed. The median progression free survival (PFS) was 1.6 (95% CI: 1.5-1.8) months and the median overall survival (OS) was 3.6 (95% CI: 2.7-not reached) months. One response-inevaluable patient achieved clinical stability for 5 months with reduction in CA19-9 and ctDNA levels with a MAP2K1 treatment resistance mutation detected in ctDNA at clinical progression. Conclusions The combination of GSK2256098 and trametinib was well tolerated but was not active in unselected advanced PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyaw L. Aung
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada;,Division of Medical Oncology & Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Lisa Wang
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sophia Lovell
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lee-Anne Stayner
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Saara Ali
- Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Anne Malpage
- London Health Science Centre, London, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Gun Ho Jang
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Tong Zhang
- Advanced Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tracy L. Stockley
- Advanced Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada;,Divison of Laboratory Genetics, Laboratory Medicine Program, Department of Pathology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada;,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sandra E. Fischer
- Department of Pathology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Neesha Dhani
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada;,Division of Medical Oncology & Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - David Hedley
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada;,Division of Medical Oncology & Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jennifer J. Knox
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada;,Division of Medical Oncology & Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lillian L. Siu
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada;,Division of Medical Oncology & Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Philippe L. Bedard
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada;,Division of Medical Oncology & Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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15
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ALCAM: A Novel Surface Marker on EpCAMlow Circulating Tumor Cells. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081983. [PMID: 36009530 PMCID: PMC9405826 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Current strategies in circulating tumor cell (CTC) isolation in pancreatic cancer heavily rely on the EpCAM and cytokeratin cell status. EpCAM is generally not considered a good marker given its transitory change during Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) or reverse EMT. There is a need to identify other surface markers to capture the complete repertoire of PDAC CTCs. The primary objective of the study is to characterize alternate surface biomarkers to EpCAM on CTCs that express low or negligible levels of surface EpCAM in pancreatic cancer patients. Methods: Flow cytometry and surface mass spectrometry were used to identify proteins expressed on the surface of PDAC CTCs in culture. CTCs were grown under conditions of attachment and in co-culture with naïve neutrophils. Putative biomarkers were then validated in GEMMs and patient samples. Results: Surface proteomic profiling of CTCs identified several novel protein biomarkers. ALCAM was identified as a novel robust marker in GEMM models and in patient samples. Conclusions: We identified several novel surface biomarkers on CTCs expressed under differing conditions of culture. ALCAM was validated and identified as a novel alternate surface marker on EpCAMlow CTCs.
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Wu X, Wang J, Liang Q, Tong R, Huang J, Yang X, Xu Y, Wang W, Sun M, Shi J. Recent progress on FAK inhibitors with dual targeting capabilities for cancer treatment. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 151:113116. [PMID: 35598365 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK, also known as PTK2) is a tyrosine kinase that regulates integrin and growth factor signaling pathways and is involved in the migration, proliferation and survival of cancer cells. FAK is a promising target for cancer treatment. Many small molecule FAK inhibitors have been identified and proven in both preclinical and clinical studies to be effective inhibitors of tumor growth and metastasis. There are many signaling pathways, such as those involving FAK, Src, AKT, MAPK, PI3K, and EGFR/HER-2, that provide survival signals in cancer cells. Dual inhibitors that simultaneously block FAK and another factor can significantly improve efficacy and overcome some of the shortcomings of single-target inhibitors, including drug resistance. In this review, the antitumor mechanisms and research status of dual inhibitors of FAK and other targets, such as Pyk2, IGF-IR, ALK, VEGFR-3, JAK2, EGFR, S6K1, and HDAC2, are summarized, providing new ideas for the development of effective FAK dual-target preparations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianbo Wu
- School of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, Guizhou 550002, China
| | - Qi Liang
- College of Medicine, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610031, China
| | - Rongsheng Tong
- Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Jianli Huang
- Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, Guizhou 550002, China
| | - Xinwei Yang
- School of Sports Medicine and Health, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Yihua Xu
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 611137, China
| | - Wenjing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Minghan Sun
- Central of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
| | - Jianyou Shi
- Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China.
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17
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Spallarossa A, Tasso B, Russo E, Villa C, Brullo C. The Development of FAK Inhibitors: A Five-Year Update. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126381. [PMID: 35742823 PMCID: PMC9223874 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase over-expressed in different solid cancers. In recent years, FAK has been recognized as a new target for the development of antitumor agents, useful to contrast tumor development and metastasis formation. To date, studies on the role of FAK and FAK inhibitors are of great interest for both pharmaceutical companies and academia. This review is focused on compounds able to block FAK with different potencies and with different mechanisms of action, that have appeared in the literature since 2017. Furthermore, new emerging PROTAC molecules have appeared in the literature. This summary could improve knowledge of new FAK inhibitors and provide information for future investigations, in particular, from a medicinal chemistry point of view.
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18
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Fatherree JP, Guarin JR, McGinn RA, Naber SP, Oudin MJ. Chemotherapy-Induced Collagen IV Drives Cancer Cell Motility through Activation of Src and Focal Adhesion Kinase. Cancer Res 2022; 82:2031-2044. [PMID: 35260882 PMCID: PMC9381104 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-1823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive and deadly subtype of breast cancer, accounting for 30,000 cases annually in the United States. While there are several clinical trials ongoing to identify new agents to treat TNBC, the majority of patients with TNBC are treated with anthracycline- or taxane-based chemotherapies in the neoadjuvant setting, followed by surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy. While many patients respond well to this approach, as many as 25% will suffer local or metastatic recurrence within 5 years. Understanding the mechanisms that drive recurrence after chemotherapy treatment is critical to improving survival for patients with TNBC. It is well established that the extracellular matrix (ECM), which provides structure and support to tissues, is a major driver of tumor growth, local invasion, and dissemination of cancer cells to distant metastatic sites. In the present study, we show that decellularized ECM (dECM) obtained from chemotherapy-treated mice increases motility of treatment-naïve breast cancer cells compared with vehicle-treated dECM. Tandem-mass-tag proteomics revealed that anthracycline- and taxane-based chemotherapies induce drug-specific changes in tumor ECM composition. The basement membrane protein collagen IV was significantly upregulated in the ECM of chemotherapy-treated mice and patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Collagen IV drove invasion via activation of Src and focal adhesion kinase signaling downstream of integrin α1 and α2, and inhibition of collagen IV-driven signaling decreased motility in chemotherapy-treated dECM. These studies provide a novel mechanism by which chemotherapy may induce metastasis via its effects on ECM composition. SIGNIFICANCE Cytotoxic chemotherapy induces significant changes in the composition of tumor ECM, inducing a more invasive and aggressive phenotype in residual tumor cells following chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackson P. Fatherree
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts School of Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts
| | - Justinne R. Guarin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts School of Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts
| | - Rachel A. McGinn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts School of Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts
| | - Stephen P. Naber
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Madeleine J. Oudin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts School of Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts.,Corresponding Author: Madeleine J. Oudin, Science & Engineering Complex, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA 02155. Phone: 617-627-2580; E-mail:
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Rajesh C, Sagar S, Rathinavel AK, Chemparathy DT, Peng XL, Yeh JJ, Hollingsworth MA, Radhakrishnan P. Truncated O-Glycan-Bearing MUC16 Enhances Pancreatic Cancer Cells Aggressiveness via α4β1 Integrin Complexes and FAK Signaling. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105459. [PMID: 35628269 PMCID: PMC9141077 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Elevated levels of Mucin-16 (MUC16) in conjunction with a high expression of truncated O-glycans is implicated in playing crucial roles in the malignancy of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the mechanisms by which such aberrant glycoforms present on MUC16 itself promote an increased disease burden in PDAC are yet to be elucidated. This study demonstrates that the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genetic deletion of MUC16 in PDAC cells decreases tumor cell migration. We found that MUC16 enhances tumor malignancy by activating the integrin-linked kinase and focal adhesion kinase (ILK/FAK)-signaling axis. These findings are especially noteworthy in truncated O-glycan (Tn and STn antigen)-expressing PDAC cells. Activation of these oncogenic-signaling pathways resulted in part from interactions between MUC16 and integrin complexes (α4β1), which showed a stronger association with aberrant glycoforms of MUC16. Using a monoclonal antibody to functionally hinder MUC16 significantly reduced the migratory cascades in our model. Together, these findings suggest that truncated O-glycan containing MUC16 exacerbates malignancy in PDAC by activating FAK signaling through specific interactions with α4 and β1 integrin complexes on cancer cell membranes. Targeting these aberrant glycoforms of MUC16 can aid in the development of a novel platform to study and treat metastatic pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christabelle Rajesh
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6805, USA; (C.R.); (S.S.); (A.K.R.); (D.T.C.); (M.A.H.)
| | - Satish Sagar
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6805, USA; (C.R.); (S.S.); (A.K.R.); (D.T.C.); (M.A.H.)
| | - Ashok Kumar Rathinavel
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6805, USA; (C.R.); (S.S.); (A.K.R.); (D.T.C.); (M.A.H.)
| | - Divya Thomas Chemparathy
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6805, USA; (C.R.); (S.S.); (A.K.R.); (D.T.C.); (M.A.H.)
| | - Xianlu Laura Peng
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514-7295, USA; (X.L.P.); (J.J.Y.)
| | - Jen Jen Yeh
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514-7295, USA; (X.L.P.); (J.J.Y.)
| | - Michael A. Hollingsworth
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6805, USA; (C.R.); (S.S.); (A.K.R.); (D.T.C.); (M.A.H.)
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6805, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6805, USA
| | - Prakash Radhakrishnan
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6805, USA; (C.R.); (S.S.); (A.K.R.); (D.T.C.); (M.A.H.)
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6805, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6805, USA
- Correspondence:
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Zucali PA, De Vincenzo F, Perrino M, Digiacomo N, Cordua N, D'Antonio F, Borea F, Fazio R, Pirozzi A, Santoro A. Advances in Drug Treatments for Mesothelioma. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2022; 23:929-946. [PMID: 35508368 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2022.2072211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The paucity of the therapeutic armamentarium currently available for patients with malignant mesothelioma clearly represents a huge unmet need. Over the last years, based on new advances in understanding the biology of mesothelioma, new therapeutic approaches have been investigated. AREAS COVERED In this manuscript, the literature data regarding the advances in drug treatment for patients with mesothelioma are critically reviewed, focusing particularly on immunotherapy and targeted therapy. EXPERT OPINION The latest findings on immunotherapy and targeted therapy are changing the therapeutic armamentarium for mesothelioma. However, mesothelioma comprises of genomically different subtypes and the phenotypic diversity combined with the rarity of this disease represents a major criticality in developing new effective therapies. Although the first clinical data are encouraging, the treatment's stratification by molecular characteristics for mesothelioma is only at the beginning. Luckily, the rapid improvement of understanding the biology of mesothelioma is producing new opportunities in discovering new therapeutic targets to test in pre-clinical settings and to transfer in the clinical setting. In this evolving scenario, the future perspectives for mesothelioma patients seem really promising.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Andrea Zucali
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology, IRCCS, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio De Vincenzo
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Perrino
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Milan, Italy
| | - Nunzio Digiacomo
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Milan, Italy
| | - Nadia Cordua
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Federica Borea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Fazio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Angelo Pirozzi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Armando Santoro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology, IRCCS, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Milan, Italy
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Bao J, Xu C, Li B, Wu Z, Shen J, Song P, Peng Q, Hu G. Systematic Characterization of the Clinical Relevance of KPNA4 in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:834728. [PMID: 35425701 PMCID: PMC9002131 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.834728] [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: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies with poor prognosis. Karyopherin subunit alpha 4 (KPNA4) is a nuclear transport factor and plays tumor-promoting roles in multiple cancers. However, the roles of KPNA4 in PDAC still remain unknown. This study investigated the prognostic value of KPNA4 and its potential functions in PDAC and tumor microenvironment. Methods LinkedOmics was utilized to screen genes with survival significance in PDAC. KPNA4 expression was analyzed using multiple datasets and verified in PDAC cells and clinical samples by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Clinical correlation and survival analyses were conducted to identify the clinical significance and prognostic value of KPNA4 in PDAC patients. Subsequently, KPNA4 was knocked down in PDAC cell lines, and CCK-8, colony formation and wound healing assays were performed to test the functions of KPNA4 in vitro. Immune infiltration analysis was performed to explore the potential roles of KPNA4 in the tumor microenvironment of PDAC. Moreover, functional analyses were conducted to explore the underlying mechanism of KPNA4 in the progression of PDAC. Results We found KPNA4 was significantly upregulated in PDAC cells and tissues. KPNA4 expression was associated with tumor progression in PDAC patients. Survival analyses further revealed that KPNA4 could act as an independent predictor of unfavorable survival for PDAC patients. KPNA4 knockdown suppressed the viability, colony formation and migration of PDAC cells. Moreover, KPNA4 was correlated with immunosuppressive cells infiltration and T cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment of PDAC. Finally, functional analyses indicated the association of KPNA4 with focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling, and KPNA4 silencing significantly decreased the expression of FAK and PD-L1. Conclusions This study revealed that KPNA4 is an independent prognostic biomarker for PDAC and plays a tumor-promoting role by facilitating proliferation and migration of cancer cells and participating in immune infiltration, which may be mediated by FAK signaling and PD-L1 expression. These results provide a novel and potential therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingpiao Bao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Pancreatic Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chaoliang Xu
- Laboratory of Cancer Genomics and Biology, Department of Urology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Pancreatic Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zengkai Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Pancreatic Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Shen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Pancreatic Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Pengli Song
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Pancreatic Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Peng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Pancreatic Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guoyong Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, Institute of Pancreatic Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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FAK in Cancer: From Mechanisms to Therapeutic Strategies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031726. [PMID: 35163650 PMCID: PMC8836199 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, is overexpressed and activated in many cancer types. FAK regulates diverse cellular processes, including growth factor signaling, cell cycle progression, cell survival, cell motility, angiogenesis, and the establishment of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments through kinase-dependent and kinase-independent scaffolding functions in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Mounting evidence has indicated that targeting FAK, either alone or in combination with other agents, may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for various cancers. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms underlying FAK-mediated signaling networks during tumor development. We also summarize the recent progress of FAK-targeted small-molecule compounds for anticancer activity from preclinical and clinical evidence.
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23
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Diverse and precision therapies open new horizons for patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 2022; 21:10-24. [PMID: 34538570 DOI: 10.1016/j.hbpd.2021.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a common cause of cancer-related death, and most patients are with advanced disease when diagnosed. At present, despite a variety of treatments have been developed for PDAC, few effective treatment options are available; on the other hand, PDAC shows significant resistance to chemoradiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy due to its heterogeneous genetic profile, molecular signaling pathways, and complex tumor immune microenvironment. Nevertheless, over the past decades, there have been many new advances in the key theory and understanding of the intrinsic mechanisms and complexity of molecular biology and molecular immunology in pancreatic cancer, based on which more and more diverse new means and reasonable combination strategies for PDAC treatment have been developed and preliminary breakthroughs have been made. With the continuous exploration, from surgical local treatment to comprehensive medical management, the research-diagnosis-management system of pancreatic cancer is improving. This review focused on the variety of treatments for advanced PDAC, including traditional chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, microenvironment matrix regulation as well as the treatment targeting epigenetics, metabolism and cancer stem cells. We pointed out the current research bottlenecks and future exploration directions.
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24
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Ebola Virus GP Activates Endothelial Cells via Host Cytoskeletal Signaling Factors. Viruses 2022; 14:v14010142. [PMID: 35062347 PMCID: PMC8781776 DOI: 10.3390/v14010142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a lethal disease caused by the highly pathogenic Ebola virus (EBOV), and its major symptoms in severe cases include vascular leakage and hemorrhage. These symptoms are caused by abnormal activation and disruption of endothelial cells (ECs) whose mediators include EBOV glycoprotein (GP) without the need for viral replication. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying virus-host interactions remain largely unknown. Here, we show that EBOV-like particles (VLPs) formed by GP, VP40, and NP activate ECs in a GP-dependent manner, as demonstrated by the upregulation of intercellular adhesion molecules-1 (ICAM-1) expression. VLPs-mediated ECs activation showed a different kinetic pattern from that of TNF-α-mediated activation and was associated with apoptotic ECs disruption. In contrast to TNF-α, VLPs induced ICAM-1 overexpression at late time points. Furthermore, screening of host cytoskeletal signaling inhibitors revealed that focal adhesion kinase inhibitors were found to be potent inhibitors of ICAM-1 expression mediated by both TNF-α and VLPs. Our results suggest that EBOV GP stimulates ECs to induce endothelial activation and dysfunction with the involvement of host cytoskeletal signaling factors, which represent potential therapeutic targets for EVD.
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25
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Pezzicoli G, Rizzo M, Perrone M, Minei S, Mutti L, Porta C. A Glimpse in the Future of Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment. Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:809337. [PMID: 34975505 PMCID: PMC8714955 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.809337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant mesothelioma (MMe) is a rare neoplasm with few therapeutic options available. The landscape of effective therapy for this disease remained unchanged in the last two decades. Recently, however, the introduction of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) led to small, but nevertheless, promising improvements. However, many efforts are still needed to radically improve the prognosis of MMe. In this review, we analyze all those therapeutic strategies for MMe that are still in a preclinical or early clinical phase of development. In particular, we focus on novel antiangiogenic drugs and their possible combination with immunotherapy. Furthermore, we describe also more complex strategies such as microRNA-loaded vectors, oncolytic viruses, and engineered lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetano Pezzicoli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Mimma Rizzo
- A.O.U. Consorziale Policlinico di Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Martina Perrone
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Silvia Minei
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Luciano Mutti
- Italian Group for Research and Therapy for Mesothelioma (GIMe), Voghera, Italy
| | - Camillo Porta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.,A.O.U. Consorziale Policlinico di Bari, Bari, Italy
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26
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Olivera GC, Ross EC, Peuckert C, Barragan A. Blood-brain barrier-restricted translocation of Toxoplasma gondii from cortical capillaries. eLife 2021; 10:69182. [PMID: 34877929 PMCID: PMC8700292 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular barriers of the central nervous system proficiently protect the brain parenchyma from infectious insults. Yet, the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii commonly causes latent cerebral infection in humans and other vertebrates. Here, we addressed the role of the cerebral vasculature in the passage of T. gondii to the brain parenchyma. Shortly after inoculation in mice, parasites mainly localized to cortical capillaries, in preference over post-capillary venules, cortical arterioles or meningeal and choroidal vessels. Early invasion to the parenchyma (days 1-5) occurred in absence of a measurable increase in blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, perivascular leukocyte cuffs or hemorrhage. However, sparse focalized permeability elevations were detected adjacently to replicative parasite foci. Further, T. gondii triggered inflammatory responses in cortical microvessels and endothelium. Pro- and anti-inflammatory treatments of mice with LPS and hydrocortisone, respectively, impacted BBB permeability and parasite loads in the brain parenchyma. Finally, pharmacological inhibition or Cre/loxP conditional knockout of endothelial focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a BBB intercellular junction regulator, facilitated parasite translocation to the brain parenchyma. The data reveal that the initial passage of T. gondii to the central nervous system occurs principally across cortical capillaries. The integrity of the microvascular BBB restricts parasite transit, which conversely is exacerbated by the inflammatory response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela C Olivera
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emily C Ross
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christiane Peuckert
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Antonio Barragan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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27
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Kang BW, Chau I. Emerging agents for metastatic pancreatic cancer: spotlight on early phase clinical trials. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2021; 30:1089-1107. [PMID: 34727804 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2021.1995354] [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: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite the recent development of new chemotherapeutic regimens and combination strategies, metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC) still shows only a modest response to conventional cytotoxic agents. However, several novel therapeutic agents targeting the unique features of mPC are showing promise in clinical trials. AREA COVERED This article reviews the current state of development of new agents targeting various systems and molecular pathways. We searched PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov in September 2021 with a special focus on ongoing early phase clinical trials to identify the promising therapeutic strategies for mPC. EXPERT OPINION Extensive tumor heterogeneity, complex tumor microenvironment, genetic alterations of the oncogenic signaling pathways, metabolic dysregulation, and a low immunogenicity are hurdles for current treatment approaches. Ongoing research efforts strive to overcome these hurdles and are showing some promising early results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byung Woog Kang
- Department of Oncology/Hematology, Kyungpook National University Hospital, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Ian Chau
- Department of Medicine, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, Surrey, UK
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28
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Obacz J, Yung H, Shamseddin M, Linnane E, Liu X, Azad AA, Rassl DM, Fairen-Jimenez D, Rintoul RC, Nikolić MZ, Marciniak SJ. Biological basis for novel mesothelioma therapies. Br J Cancer 2021; 125:1039-1055. [PMID: 34226685 PMCID: PMC8505556 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01462-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that is associated with exposure to asbestos. Although asbestos is banned in several countries, including the UK, an epidemic of mesothelioma is predicted to affect middle-income countries during this century owing to their heavy consumption of asbestos. The prognosis for patients with mesothelioma is poor, reflecting a failure of conventional chemotherapy that has ultimately resulted from an inadequate understanding of its biology. However, recent work has revolutionised the study of mesothelioma, identifying genetic and pathophysiological vulnerabilities, including the loss of tumour suppressors, epigenetic dysregulation and susceptibility to nutrient stress. We discuss how this knowledge, combined with advances in immunotherapy, is enabling the development of novel targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Obacz
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Keith Peters Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Henry Yung
- UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine Rayne Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Marie Shamseddin
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Saffron Walden, UK
| | - Emily Linnane
- Adsorption & Advanced Materials Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Xiewen Liu
- Adsorption & Advanced Materials Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Arsalan A Azad
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Keith Peters Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Doris M Rassl
- Department of Histopathology, Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - David Fairen-Jimenez
- Adsorption & Advanced Materials Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Robert C Rintoul
- Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marko Z Nikolić
- UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine Rayne Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Stefan J Marciniak
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Keith Peters Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
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29
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The Role of E-Cadherin and microRNA on FAK Inhibitor Response in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM). Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910225. [PMID: 34638565 PMCID: PMC8508233 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910225] [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: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy with limited effective treatment options. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitors have been shown to efficiently suppress MPM cell growth initially, with limited utility in the current clinical setting. In this study, we utilised a large collection of MPM cell lines and MPM tissue samples to study the role of E-cadherin (CDH1) and microRNA on the efficacy of FAK inhibitors in MPM. The immunohistochemistry (IHC) results showed that the majority of MPM FFPE samples exhibited either the absence of, or very low, E-cadherin protein expression in MPM tissue. We showed that MPM cells with high CDH1 mRNA levels exhibited resistance to the FAK inhibitor PND-1186. In summary, MPM cells that did not express CDH1 mRNA were sensitive to PND-1186, and MPM cells that retained CDH1 mRNA were resistant. A cell cycle analysis showed that PND-1186 induced cell cycle disruption by inducing the G2/M arrest of MPM cells. A protein−protein interaction study showed that EGFR is linked to the FAK pathway, and a target scan of the microRNAs revealed that microRNAs (miR-17, miR221, miR-222, miR137, and miR148) interact with EGFR 3′UTR. Transfection of MPM cells with these microRNAs sensitised the CHD1-expressing FAK-inhibitor-resistant MPM cells to the FAK inhibitor.
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30
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Histone deacetylase-6 modulates amyloid beta-induced cognitive dysfunction rats by regulating PTK2B. Neuroreport 2021; 31:754-761. [PMID: 32453021 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of histone deacetylase-6 (HDAC6) on the functional and pathological changes of the amyloid beta (Aβ)-induced cognitive dysfunction rats by regulating protein tyrosine kinase 2 beta (PTK2B). Ninety Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into nine groups, consisting of five experimental groups and four control groups. In five experimental groups, Aβ1-42 was infused intracerebroventricularly and 3 days later, rats in each group were infused intracerebroventricularly with tubastatin A hydrochloride (TSA), the HDAC6-specific inhibitor (Aβ + TSA group), theophylline, the HDACs agonist (Aβ + Theo group), PF431396 (PF), the PTK2B inhibitor (Aβ + PF group), the combination of PF and theophylline (Aβ + PF + Theo group), and normal saline (Aβ + normal saline group), respectively. Rats in four control groups took normal saline that was equivalent to the volume of Aβ1-42, and 3 days later, TSA (TSA group), theophylline (Theo group), (PF group, or normal saline group) was given at a volume of 5 µL for rats in each group. Our results showed that HDAC6 may not only lead to the deterioration of learning and memory abilities but also elevate the levels of Aβo and Tau phosphorylation in Aβ-induced cognitive dysfunction rats via upregulating PTK2B.
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31
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Zhu T, Yang Q, Shao J, Chen Z, Cai B, Mao G. Pyk2 level is a novel prognostic marker for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after radical surgery. Virchows Arch 2021; 479:905-917. [PMID: 34313839 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-021-03153-y] [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: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in East Asia. Surgical resection is currently the typical treatment. However, due to the highly invasive and metastatic characteristic of the disease, the mortality rate is still high. A search for potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets is very necessary. Here, we studied the expression of proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2), a non-receptor tyrosine protein kinase, in ESCC and its influence on prognosis. A total of 112 cases of ESCC and paired adjacent normal tissues (NT) were organized in tissue microarray (TMA) from the Nantong First People's Hospital. Our analysis of TMA revealed that Pyk2 levels were higher in ESCC than in paired adjacent NT by immunohistochemistry (p<0.001). Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR analysis (p=0.0359) also reached similar conclusions. To further explore the significance of Pyk2 in ESCC, another set of tissue microarrays was collected from the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, which includes 241 consecutive patients undergoing radical surgery for ESCC, to perform IHC scores. We demonstrated that the expression level of Pyk2 was positively correlated with N stage (node negative versus node positive, p=0.02) and clinical stage (I + II versus III + IV, p=0.042). Univariate and multivariate analyses suggested that high Pyk2 expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival with ESCC. Cell function studies found that Pyk2 promoted tumor proliferation and migration and reduced apoptosis. Pyk2 knockdown enhanced the sensitivity to cisplatin in ESCC cells. Western blot analysis confirmed that Pyk2 may promote tumor progression by activating the Akt signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Oncology, The First People's Hospital of Yancheng, Yancheng, China
| | - Qiuxing Yang
- Cancer Research Center Nantong, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jingjing Shao
- Cancer Research Center Nantong, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Zhuolin Chen
- Department of Pathology, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Bo Cai
- Nantong Center for Disease Control and Prevention Institute of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention and Control, Nantong, China.
| | - Guoxin Mao
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
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32
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Geng X, Chen H, Zhao L, Hu J, Yang W, Li G, Cheng C, Zhao Z, Zhang T, Li L, Sun B. Cancer-Associated Fibroblast (CAF) Heterogeneity and Targeting Therapy of CAFs in Pancreatic Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:655152. [PMID: 34336821 PMCID: PMC8319605 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.655152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal disease that typically features a dramatic desmoplastic reaction, especially fibroblasts. The roles of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in PDAC have received more attention in recent years. As increasing evidence suggests the heterogeneity of CAFs in PDAC, different CAF subtypes have been shown to support tumor growth, while others suppress cancer proliferation. Myofibrotic CAFs (myCAFs) show alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)high interleukin-6 (IL-6)low myofibroblastic features, are activated by direct contact with tumor cells, and are located in the periglandular region. Inflammatory CAFs (iCAFs) show α-SMAlow IL-6high inflammatory features, are activated by paracrine factors secreted from tumor cells, and are located away from cancer cells. Antigen-presenting CAFs (apCAFs) show major histocompatibility complex II (MHC II) family genes that are highly expressed. CAFs have also been gradually explored as diagnostic and prognostic markers in pancreatic cancer. Targeted therapy of CAFs in PDAC has gradually attracted attention. With the deepening of related studies, some meaningful positive and negative results have surfaced, and CAFs may be the key to unlocking the door to pancreatic cancer treatment. Our review summarizes recent advances in the heterogeneity, function, and markers of CAFs in pancreatic cancer, as well as research and treatment targeting CAFs in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinglong Geng
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Department of Abdominal Endoscopic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Hongze Chen
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Liang Zhao
- Department of Gynecology, Qinghai University Affiliated Hospital, Xining, China
| | - Jisheng Hu
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Wenbo Yang
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Guanqun Li
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Chundong Cheng
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Zhongjie Zhao
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Le Li
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Bei Sun
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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Edwards P, Kang BW, Chau I. Targeting the Stroma in the Management of Pancreatic Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:691185. [PMID: 34336679 PMCID: PMC8316993 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.691185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) presents extremely aggressive tumours and is associated with poor survival. This is attributed to the unique features of the tumour microenvironment (TME), which is known to create a dense stromal formation and poorly immunogenic condition. In particular, the TME of PC, including the stromal cells and extracellular matrix, plays an essential role in the progression and chemoresistance of PC. Consequently, several promising agents that target key components of the stroma have already been developed and are currently in multiple stages of clinical trials. Therefore, the authors review the latest available evidence on novel stroma-targeting approaches, highlighting the potential impact of the stroma as a key component of the TME in PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penelope Edwards
- Department of Medicine, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Byung Woog Kang
- Department of Oncology/Hematology, Kyungpook National University Hospital, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Ian Chau
- Department of Medicine, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, United Kingdom
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34
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Belhabib I, Zaghdoudi S, Lac C, Bousquet C, Jean C. Extracellular Matrices and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Targets for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy? Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3466. [PMID: 34298680 PMCID: PMC8303391 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Solid cancer progression is dictated by neoplastic cell features and pro-tumoral crosstalks with their microenvironment. Stroma modifications, such as fibroblast activation into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, are now recognized as critical events for cancer progression and as potential therapeutic or diagnostic targets. The recent appreciation of the key, complex and multiple roles of the ECM in cancer and of the CAF diversity, has revolutionized the field and raised innovative but challenging questions. Here, we rapidly present CAF heterogeneity in link with their specific ECM remodeling features observed in cancer, before developing each of the impacts of such ECM modifications on tumor progression (survival, angiogenesis, pre-metastatic niche, chemoresistance, etc.), and on patient prognosis. Finally, based on preclinical studies and recent results obtained from clinical trials, we highlight key mechanisms or proteins that are, or may be, used as potential therapeutic or diagnostic targets, and we report and discuss benefits, disappointments, or even failures, of recently reported stroma-targeting strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Christine Jean
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Toulouse (CRCT), INSERM U1037, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, ERL5294 CNRS, 31037 Toulouse, France; (I.B.); (S.Z.); (C.L.); (C.B.)
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35
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Hossain SMM, Halsana AA, Khatun L, Ray S, Mukhopadhyay A. Discovering key transcriptomic regulators in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using Dirichlet process Gaussian mixture model. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7853. [PMID: 33846515 PMCID: PMC8041769 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87234-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most lethal type of pancreatic cancer, late detection leading to its therapeutic failure. This study aims to determine the key regulatory genes and their impacts on the disease’s progression, helping the disease’s etiology, which is still mostly unknown. We leverage the landmark advantages of time-series gene expression data of this disease and thereby identified the key regulators that capture the characteristics of gene activity patterns in the cancer progression. We have identified the key gene modules and predicted the functions of top genes from a reconstructed gene association network (GAN). A variation of the partial correlation method is utilized to analyze the GAN, followed by a gene function prediction task. Moreover, we have identified regulators for each target gene by gene regulatory network inference using the dynamical GENIE3 (dynGENIE3) algorithm. The Dirichlet process Gaussian process mixture model and cubic spline regression model (splineTimeR) are employed to identify the key gene modules and differentially expressed genes, respectively. Our analysis demonstrates a panel of key regulators and gene modules that are crucial for PDAC disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sk Md Mosaddek Hossain
- Computer Science and Engineering, Aliah University, Kolkata, 700160, India. .,Computer Science and Engineering, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, 741235, India.
| | | | - Lutfunnesa Khatun
- Computer Science and Engineering, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, 741235, India
| | - Sumanta Ray
- Computer Science and Engineering, Aliah University, Kolkata, 700160, India.
| | - Anirban Mukhopadhyay
- Computer Science and Engineering, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, 741235, India.
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Elsayed M, Abdelrahim M. The Latest Advancement in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Therapy: A Review Article for the Latest Guidelines and Novel Therapies. Biomedicines 2021; 9:389. [PMID: 33917380 PMCID: PMC8067364 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9040389] [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: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the US, and it is expected to be the second leading cause of cancer deaths by 2030. The lack of effective early screening tests and alarming symptoms with early undetectable micro-metastasis at the time of presentation play a vital role in the high death rate from pancreatic cancer. In addition to this, the low mutation burden in pancreatic cancer, low immunological profile, dense tumorigenesis stroma, and decreased tumor sensitivity to cytotoxic drugs contribute to the low survival rates in PDAC patients. Despite breakthroughs in chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic drugs, pancreatic cancer remains one of the solid tumors that exhibit meager curative rates. Therefore, researchers must dedicate more effort to understanding the pathology and immunological behavior of PDAC, in addition to properly utilizing more advanced screening modalities and new therapeutic agents. In our review, we focus mainly on the latest updates from clinical guidelines and novel therapies that have been recently investigated or are under investigation for PDAC. We used PubMed as a search tool for finding original research articles addressing the latest developments in diagnosing and treating PDAC. Additionally, we also used the clinical trials published on clinicaltrialsgov as sources for our data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Elsayed
- School of Medicine, University of Missouri Kansas City, 2301 Holmes, St. Kansas City, MO 64018, USA;
| | - Maen Abdelrahim
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, 6445 Main Street, Outpatient Center, 24th Floor, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Cockrell Center of Advanced Therapeutics Phase I Program, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Institute of Academic Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Le Large TYS, Bijlsma MF, El Hassouni B, Mantini G, Lagerweij T, Henneman AA, Funel N, Kok B, Pham TV, de Haas R, Morelli L, Knol JC, Piersma SR, Kazemier G, van Laarhoven HWM, Giovannetti E, Jimenez CR. Focal adhesion kinase inhibition synergizes with nab-paclitaxel to target pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2021; 40:91. [PMID: 33750427 PMCID: PMC7941981 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-01892-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a very lethal disease, with minimal therapeutic options. Aberrant tyrosine kinase activity influences tumor growth and is regulated by phosphorylation. We investigated phosphorylated kinases as target in PDAC. Methods Mass spectrometry-based phosphotyrosine proteomic analysis on PDAC cell lines was used to evaluate active kinases. Pathway analysis and inferred kinase activity analysis was performed to identify novel targets. Subsequently, we investigated targeting of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in vitro with drug perturbations in combination with chemotherapeutics used against PDAC. Tyrosine phosphoproteomics upon treatment was performed to evaluate signaling. An orthotopic model of PDAC was used to evaluate the combination of defactinib with nab-paclitaxel. Results PDAC cell lines portrayed high activity of multiple receptor tyrosine kinases to various degree. The non-receptor kinase, FAK, was identified in all cell lines by our phosphotyrosine proteomic screen and pathway analysis. Targeting of this kinase with defactinib validated reduced phosphorylation profiles. Additionally, FAK inhibition had anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effects. Combination with (nab-)paclitaxel had a synergistic effect on cell proliferation in vitro and reduced tumor growth in vivo. Conclusions Our study shows high phosphorylation of several oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinases in PDAC cells and validated FAK inhibition as potential synergistic target with Nab-paclitaxel against this devastating disease. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-021-01892-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Y S Le Large
- Department of Surgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Laboratory for Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,OncoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M F Bijlsma
- Laboratory for Experimental Oncology and Radiobiology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - B El Hassouni
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - G Mantini
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,OncoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Cancer Pharmacology Lab, AIRC-Start-Up, Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza, Pisa, Italy
| | - T Lagerweij
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Neurosurgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A A Henneman
- OncoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - N Funel
- Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy
| | - B Kok
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - T V Pham
- OncoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - R de Haas
- OncoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - L Morelli
- Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy
| | - J C Knol
- OncoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S R Piersma
- OncoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - G Kazemier
- Department of Surgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H W M van Laarhoven
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - E Giovannetti
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Cancer Pharmacology Lab, AIRC-Start-Up, Fondazione Pisana per la Scienza, Pisa, Italy.
| | - C R Jimenez
- OncoProteomics Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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38
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Targeted Therapies for Pancreatic Cancer: Overview of Current Treatments and New Opportunities for Personalized Oncology. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040799. [PMID: 33672917 PMCID: PMC7918504 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the only treatment option for most pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients. Currently, the median overall survival of patients with advanced disease rarely exceeds 1 year. The complex network of pancreatic cancer composed of immune cells, endothelial cells, and cancer-associated fibroblasts confers intratumoral and intertumoral heterogeneity with distinct proliferative and metastatic propensity. This heterogeneity can explain why tumors do not behave uniformly and are able to escape therapy. The advance in technology of whole-genome sequencing has now provided the possibility of identifying every somatic mutation, copy-number change, and structural variant in a given cancer, giving rise to personalized targeted therapies. In this review, we provide an overview of the current and emerging treatment strategies in pancreatic cancer. By highlighting new paradigms in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma treatment, we hope to stimulate new thoughts for clinical trials aimed at improving patient outcomes.
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Rigiracciolo DC, Cirillo F, Talia M, Muglia L, Gutkind JS, Maggiolini M, Lappano R. Focal Adhesion Kinase Fine Tunes Multifaced Signals toward Breast Cancer Progression. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040645. [PMID: 33562737 PMCID: PMC7915897 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer represents the most common diagnosed malignancy and the main leading cause of tumor-related death among women worldwide. Therefore, several efforts have been made in order to identify valuable molecular biomarkers for the prognosis and prediction of therapeutic responses in breast tumor patients. In this context, emerging discoveries have indicated that focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, might represent a promising target involved in breast tumorigenesis. Of note, high FAK expression and activity have been tightly correlated with a poor clinical outcome and metastatic features in several tumors, including breast cancer. Recently, a role for the integrin-FAK signaling in mechanotransduction has been suggested and the function of FAK within the breast tumor microenvironment has been ascertained toward tumor angiogenesis and vascular permeability. FAK has been also involved in cancer stem cells (CSCs)-mediated initiation, maintenance and therapeutic responses of breast tumors. In addition, the potential of FAK to elicit breast tumor-promoting effects has been even associated with the capability to modulate immune responses. On the basis of these findings, several agents targeting FAK have been exploited in diverse preclinical tumor models. Here, we recapitulate the multifaceted action exerted by FAK and its prognostic significance in breast cancer. Moreover, we highlight the recent clinical evidence regarding the usefulness of FAK inhibitors in the treatment of breast tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Cosimo Rigiracciolo
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy; (F.C.); (M.T.); (L.M.); (R.L.)
- Correspondence: (D.C.R.); (M.M.)
| | - Francesca Cirillo
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy; (F.C.); (M.T.); (L.M.); (R.L.)
| | - Marianna Talia
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy; (F.C.); (M.T.); (L.M.); (R.L.)
| | - Lucia Muglia
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy; (F.C.); (M.T.); (L.M.); (R.L.)
| | - Jorge Silvio Gutkind
- Department of Pharmacology, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA;
| | - Marcello Maggiolini
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy; (F.C.); (M.T.); (L.M.); (R.L.)
- Correspondence: (D.C.R.); (M.M.)
| | - Rosamaria Lappano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy; (F.C.); (M.T.); (L.M.); (R.L.)
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40
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Borrelli EP, McGladrigan CG. A Review of Pharmacologic Management in the Treatment of Mesothelioma. Curr Treat Options Oncol 2021; 22:14. [PMID: 33438079 DOI: 10.1007/s11864-020-00807-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OPINION STATEMENT Mesothelioma is a rare and severe form of cancer that is associated with asbestos exposure. Approximately 2500 Americans die annually from this condition with a median survival of 1 year. The latency period of this disease ranges anywhere from 20 to 70 years, with shorter latency periods associated with a higher exposure intensity to asbestos. Therefore, cases of mesothelioma are expected in the coming decades. This highlights the need for clinicians to understand the pharmacologic regimens available for treating this rare, yet serious malignancy. With multiple treatment regimens available in the treatment of this condition, clinicians should take an evidence-based approach and consider the totality of evidence and safety information while considering the best patient-centered approach for treatment. This article provides a review of current pharmacologic treatment options available for mesothelioma and goes into detail about the recommended medication regimens and dosages and the available evidence of efficacy, effectiveness, and/or safety and estimates the annual cost of treatment for these medications on the U.S. healthcare system per patient. A brief introduction is provided for several promising agents currently under investigation for mesothelioma as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric P Borrelli
- University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, 7 Greenhouse Rd, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA.
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Addressing the tumour microenvironment in early drug discovery: a strategy to overcome drug resistance and identify novel targets for cancer therapy. Drug Discov Today 2020; 26:663-676. [PMID: 33278601 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The tumour microenvironment (TME) comprises not only malignant and non-malignant cells, but also the extracellular matrix (ECM), secreted factors, and regulators of cellular functions. In addition to genetic alterations, changes of the biochemical/biophysical properties or cellular composition of the TME have been implicated in drug resistance. Here, we review the composition of the ECM and different elements of the TME contributing to drug resistance, including soluble factors, hypoxia, extracellular acidity, and cell adhesion properties. We discuss selected approaches for modelling the TME, current progress, and their use in low-and high-throughput assays for preclinical studies. Lastly, we summarise the status quo of advanced 3D cancer models compatible with high-throughput screening (HTS), the technical practicalities and challenges.
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42
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Liang Y, Nandakumar KS, Cheng K. Design and pharmaceutical applications of proteolysis-targeting chimeric molecules. Biochem Pharmacol 2020; 182:114211. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2020.114211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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43
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Chauhan A, Khan T. Focal adhesion kinase—An emerging viable target in cancer and development of focal adhesion kinase inhibitors. Chem Biol Drug Des 2020; 97:774-794. [DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akshita Chauhan
- Department of Quality Assurance Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy Mumbai India
| | - Tabassum Khan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Quality Assurance Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy Mumbai India
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44
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Qiao W, Wang W, Liu H, Guo W, Li P, Deng M. Prognostic and clinical significance of focal adhesion kinase expression in breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Transl Oncol 2020; 13:100835. [PMID: 32702646 PMCID: PMC7378698 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2020.100835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The prognostic significance of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in breast cancer remains controversial. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to explore the prognostic value of FAK expression in breast cancer. Materials and methods Possible prognostic significance of protein or mRNA expression of FAK in breast cancer was investigated with searches of electronic databases for relevant publications. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted from eligible studies. Results A total of eight eligible studies which included 2604 participants were analyzed in this meta-analysis. Increased expression of FAK protein was found to significantly correlate with shorter overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.12–1.83; P = 0.004), and not with disease-free survival (HR = 1.31, 95% CI: 0.92–1.85; P = 0.14). Elevated FAK protein expression was also associated with negative estrogen receptor (ER) expression (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06–1.68; P = 0.01), negative progesterone receptor (PR) expression (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.22–1.93; P < 0.001), positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.28–2.09; P < 0.001), triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.14–2.17; P = 0.006), high nuclear grade (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.05–2.78; P = 0.03), high Ki-67 expression level (OR, 2.87; 95% CI, 1.94–4.24; P < 0.001), and positive p53 status (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.58–3.29; P < 0.001). Conclusion Our meta-analysis identifies an association between increased FAK protein expression and worse OS among breast cancer patients. Moreover, enhanced FAK expression is associated with negative ER expression, negative PR expression, positive HER2 expression, TNBC, high nuclear grade, high Ki-67 expression level, and positive p53 status in breast carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiqiang Qiao
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471003, China
| | - Wenhui Wang
- Department of Oncology, Zhengzhou People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Heyang Liu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471003, China
| | - Wanying Guo
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471003, China
| | - Peng Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471003, China
| | - Miao Deng
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471003, China.
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Xie H, Lin X, Zhang Y, Tan F, Chi B, Peng Z, Dong W, An D. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of ring-fused pyrazoloamino pyridine/pyrimidine derivatives as potential FAK inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:127459. [PMID: 32784087 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We report herein the synthesis of novel ring-fused pyrazoloamino pyridine/pyrimidine derivatives as potential FAK inhibitors and the evaluation of pharmaceutical activity against five cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, BXPC-3, NCI-H1975, DU145 and 786O). Generally, the majority of compounds displayed strong anti-FAK enzymatic potencies (IC50 < 1 nM) and could effectively inhibit several class of cancer cell lines within the concentration of 3 μM in comparison with GSK2256098 as a reference. Among them, compound 4o is considered to be the most effective due to high sensitivity in antiproliferation. In culture, 4o could not only inhibit FAK Y397 phosphorylation in MDA-MB-231 cell line, but also trigger apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, computational docking analysis also suggested that 4o and TAE-226 displayed the similar interaction with FAK kinase domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongming Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Xinglong Lin
- The State Key Laboratory of Anti-Infective Drug Development (NO. 2015DQ780357), Sunshine Lake Pharma Co. Ltd, Dongguan 523871, PR China
| | - Yingjun Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Anti-Infective Drug Development (NO. 2015DQ780357), Sunshine Lake Pharma Co. Ltd, Dongguan 523871, PR China.
| | - Fuxing Tan
- The State Key Laboratory of Anti-Infective Drug Development (NO. 2015DQ780357), Sunshine Lake Pharma Co. Ltd, Dongguan 523871, PR China
| | - Bo Chi
- The State Key Laboratory of Anti-Infective Drug Development (NO. 2015DQ780357), Sunshine Lake Pharma Co. Ltd, Dongguan 523871, PR China
| | - Zhihong Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China.
| | - Wanrong Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Delie An
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China.
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Lu Y, Sun H. Progress in the Development of Small Molecular Inhibitors of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK). J Med Chem 2020; 63:14382-14403. [PMID: 33058670 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a nonreceptor intracellular tyrosine kinase that plays an essential role in cancer cell adhesion, survival, proliferation, and migration through both its enzymatic activities and scaffolding functions. Overexpression of FAK has been found in many human cancer cells from different origins, which promotes tumor progression and influences clinical outcomes in different classes of human tumors. Therefore, FAK has been considered as a promising target for small molecule anticancer drug development. Many FAK inhibitors targeting different domains of FAK with various mechanisms of functions have been reported, including kinase domain inhibitors, FERM domain inhibitors, and FAT domain inhibitors. In addition, FAK-targeting PROTACs, which can induce the degradation of FAK, have also been developed. In this Perspective, we summarized the progress in the development of small molecular FAK inhibitors and proposed the perspectives for the future development of agents targeting FAK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Haiying Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing 211198, China
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Abstract
RNA editing is a post-transcriptional process increasing transcript diversity, thereby regulating different biological processes. We recently observed that mutations resulting from RNA editing due to hydrolytic deamination of adenosine increase during the development of mesothelioma, a rare cancer linked to chronic exposure to asbestos. This review gathers information from the published literature and public data mining to explore several aspects of RNA editing and their possible implications for cancer growth and therapy. We address possible links between RNA editing and particular types of mesothelioma genetic and epigenetic alterations and discuss the relevance of an edited substrate in the context of current chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananya Hariharan
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Lungen- und Thoraxonkologie Zentrum, University Hospital Zurich, Sternwartstrasse 14, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Suna Sun
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Lungen- und Thoraxonkologie Zentrum, University Hospital Zurich, Sternwartstrasse 14, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Wipplinger
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Lungen- und Thoraxonkologie Zentrum, University Hospital Zurich, Sternwartstrasse 14, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Emanuela Felley-Bosco
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Lungen- und Thoraxonkologie Zentrum, University Hospital Zurich, Sternwartstrasse 14, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
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Ho WJ, Jaffee EM, Zheng L. The tumour microenvironment in pancreatic cancer - clinical challenges and opportunities. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2020; 17:527-540. [PMID: 32398706 PMCID: PMC7442729 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-020-0363-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 561] [Impact Index Per Article: 140.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal solid tumours despite the use of multi-agent conventional chemotherapy regimens. Such poor outcomes have fuelled ongoing efforts to exploit the tumour microenvironment (TME) for therapy, but strategies aimed at deconstructing the surrounding desmoplastic stroma and targeting the immunosuppressive pathways have largely failed. In fact, evidence has now shown that the stroma is multi-faceted, which illustrates the complexity of exploring features of the TME as isolated targets. In this Review, we describe ways in which the PDAC microenvironment has been targeted and note the current understanding of the clinical outcomes that have unexpectedly contradicted preclinical observations. We also consider the more sophisticated therapeutic strategies under active investigation - multi-modal treatment approaches and exploitation of biologically integrated targets - which aim to remodel the TME against PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won Jin Ho
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Skip Viragh Pancreatic Cancer Center for Clinical Research and Care, and The Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Jaffee
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Skip Viragh Pancreatic Cancer Center for Clinical Research and Care, and The Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lei Zheng
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Skip Viragh Pancreatic Cancer Center for Clinical Research and Care, and The Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Immunotherapy at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Zeng F, Zhang Y, Han X, Weng J, Gao Y. Liver Buds and Liver Organoids: New Tools for Liver Development, Disease and Medical Application. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2020; 15:774-784. [PMID: 31863336 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-019-09909-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The current understanding and effective treatment of liver disease is far from satisfactory. Liver organoids and liver buds (LBs) transforming cell culture from two dimensions(2D) to three dimensions(3D) has provided infinite possibilities for stem cells to use in clinic. Recent technological advances in the 3D culture have shown the potentiality of liver organoids and LBs as the promising tool to model in vitro liver diseases. The induced LBs and liver organoids provide a platform for cell-based therapy, liver disease models, liver organogenesis and drugs screening. And its genetic heterogeneity supplies a way for the realization of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanhong Zeng
- Second Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Co-Innovation Center for Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, 253 Gongye Street, Haizhu, Guangzhou, 510280, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Second Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Co-Innovation Center for Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, 253 Gongye Street, Haizhu, Guangzhou, 510280, China
| | - Xu Han
- Second Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Co-Innovation Center for Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, 253 Gongye Street, Haizhu, Guangzhou, 510280, China
| | - Jun Weng
- Second Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Co-Innovation Center for Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, 253 Gongye Street, Haizhu, Guangzhou, 510280, China.
| | - Yi Gao
- Second Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Co-Innovation Center for Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, 253 Gongye Street, Haizhu, Guangzhou, 510280, China.
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Kandil SB, Jones SR, Smith S, Hiscox SE, Westwell AD. Structure-Based Virtual Screening, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Potential FAK-FAT Domain Inhibitors for Treatment of Metastatic Cancer. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25153488. [PMID: 32751931 PMCID: PMC7435868 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25153488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a tyrosine kinase that is overexpressed and activated in several advanced-stage solid cancers. In cancer cells, FAK promotes the progression and metastasis of tumours. In this study, we used structure-based virtual screening to filter a library of more than 210K compounds against the focal adhesion targeting FAK-focal adhesion targeting (FAT) domain to identify 25 virtual hit compounds which were screened in the invasive breast cancer line (MDA-MB-231). Most notably, compound I showed low micromolar antiproliferative activity, as well as antimigratory activity. Moreover, examination in a model of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), revealed that, despite not effecting FAK phosphorylation, compound I significantly impairs proliferation whilst impairing focal adhesion growth and turnover leading to reduced migration. Further optimisation and synthesis of analogues of the lead compound I using a four-step synthetic procedure was performed, and analogues were assessed for their antiproliferative activity against three breast cancer (MDA-MB-231, T47D, BT474) cell lines and one pancreatic cancer (MIAPaCa2) cell line. Compound 5f was identified as a promising lead compound with IC50 values in the range of 4.59–5.28 μM in MDA-MB-231, T47D, BT474, and MIAPaCa2. Molecular modelling and pharmacokinetic studies provided more insight into the therapeutic features of this new series.
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