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Kehrberg RJ, Bhyravbhatla N, Batra SK, Kumar S. Epigenetic regulation of cancer-associated fibroblast heterogeneity. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188901. [PMID: 37120098 PMCID: PMC10375465 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a significant component of the tumor microenvironment (TME), contribute to cancer progression through the secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM), growth factors, and metabolites. It is now well recognized that CAFs are a heterogenous population with ablation experiments leading to reduced tumor growth and single-cell RNA sequencing demonstrating CAF subgroups. CAFs lack genetic mutations yet substantially differ from their normal stromal precursors. Here, we review epigenetic changes in CAF maturation, focusing on DNA methylation and histone modifications. DNA methylation changes in CAFs have been demonstrated globally, while roles of methylation at specific genes affect tumor growth. Further, loss of CAF histone methylation and gain of histone acetylation has been shown to promote CAF activation and tumor promotion. Many CAF activating factors, such as transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), lead to these epigenetic changes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) serve as targets and orchestrators of epigenetic modifications that influence gene expression. Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET), an epigenetic reader, recognizes histone acetylation and activates the transcription of genes leading to the pro-tumor phenotype of CAFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel J Kehrberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Namita Bhyravbhatla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Surinder K Batra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
| | - Sushil Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
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2
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Galetzka D, Böck J, Wagner L, Dittrich M, Sinizyn O, Ludwig M, Rossmann H, Spix C, Radsak M, Scholz-Kreisel P, Mirsch J, Linke M, Brenner W, Marron M, Poplawski A, Haaf T, Schmidberger H, Prawitt D. Hypermethylation of RAD9A intron 2 in childhood cancer patients, leukemia and tumor cell lines suggest a role for oncogenic transformation. EXCLI JOURNAL 2022; 21:117-143. [PMID: 35221838 PMCID: PMC8859646 DOI: 10.17179/excli2021-4482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Most childhood cancers occur sporadically and cannot be explained by an inherited mutation or an unhealthy lifestyle. However, risk factors might trigger the oncogenic transformation of cells. Among other regulatory signals, hypermethylation of RAD9A intron 2 is responsible for the increased expression of RAD9A protein, which may play a role in oncogenic transformation. Here, we analyzed the RAD9A intron 2 methylation in primary fibroblasts of 20 patients with primary cancer in childhood and second primary cancer (2N) later in life, 20 matched patients with only one primary cancer in childhood (1N) and 20 matched cancer-free controls (0N), using bisulfite pyrosequencing and deep bisulfite sequencing (DBS). Four 1N patients and one 2N patient displayed elevated mean methylation levels (≥ 10 %) of RAD9A. DBS revealed ≥ 2 % hypermethylated alleles of RAD9A, indicative for constitutive mosaic epimutations. Bone marrow samples of NHL and AML tumor patients (n=74), EBV (Epstein Barr Virus) lymphoblasts (n=6), tumor cell lines (n=5) and FaDu subclones (n=13) were analyzed to substantiate our findings. We find a broad spectrum of tumor entities with an aberrant methylation of RAD9A. We detected a significant difference in mean methylation of RAD9A for NHL versus AML patients (p ≤0.025). Molecular karyotyping of AML samples during therapy with hypermethylated RAD9A showed an evolving duplication of 1.8 kb on Chr16p13.3 including the PKD1 gene. Radiation, colony formation assays, cell proliferation, PCR and molecular karyotyping SNP-array experiments using generated FaDu subclones suggest that hypermethylation of RAD9A intron 2 is associated with genomic imbalances in regions with tumor-relevant genes and survival of the cells. In conclusion, this is the very first study of RAD9A intron 2 methylation in childhood cancer and Leukemia. RAD9A epimutations may have an impact on leukemia and tumorigenesis and can potentially serve as a biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danuta Galetzka
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiation Therapy, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Julia Böck
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany.,Institute of Pathology, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lukas Wagner
- Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marcus Dittrich
- Bioinformatics Department, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Olesja Sinizyn
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiation Therapy, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Heidi Rossmann
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Claudia Spix
- Division of Childhood Cancer Epidemiology, Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Markus Radsak
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Johanna Mirsch
- Radiation Biology and DNA Repair, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Matthias Linke
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Walburgis Brenner
- Department of Obstetrics and Women's Health, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Manuela Marron
- Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS, Bremen, Germany
| | - Alicia Poplawski
- Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Thomas Haaf
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Heinz Schmidberger
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiation Therapy, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dirk Prawitt
- Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany
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3
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Gerovska D, Larrinaga G, Solano-Iturri JD, Márquez J, García Gallastegi P, Khatib AM, Poschmann G, Stühler K, Armesto M, Lawrie CH, Badiola I, Araúzo-Bravo MJ. An Integrative Omics Approach Reveals Involvement of BRCA1 in Hepatic Metastatic Progression of Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2380. [PMID: 32842712 PMCID: PMC7565528 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background & Aims: The roles of different cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are critical to the metastatic process. The phenotypic transformation of the liver cells is one of the most important stages of the hepatic metastasis progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Our aim was to identify the major molecules (i.e., genes, miRNAs and proteins) involved in this process. (2) Methods: We isolated and performed whole-genome analysis of gene, miRNA, and protein expression in three types of liver cells (Ito cells, Kupffer cells, and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells) from the TME of a murine model of CRC liver metastasis. We selected the statistically significant differentially expressed molecules using the Student's t-test with Benjamini-Hochberg correction and performed functional statistically-significant enrichment analysis of differentially expressed molecules with hypergeometric distribution using the curated collection of molecular signatures, MSigDB. To build a gene-miRNA-protein network centered in Brca1, we developed a software package (miRDiana) that collects miRNA targets from the union of the TargetScan, MicroCosm, mirTarBase, and miRWalk databases. This was used to search for miRNAs targeting Brca1. We validated the most relevant miRNAs with real-time quantitative PCR. To investigate BRCA1 protein expression, we built tissue microarrays (TMAs) from hepatic metastases of 34 CRC patients. (3) Results: Using integrated omics analyses, we observed that the Brca1 gene is among the twenty transcripts simultaneously up-regulated in all three types of TME liver cells during metastasis. Further analysis revealed that Brca1 is the last BRCA1-associated genome surveillance complex (BASC) gene activated in the TME. We confirmed this finding in human reanalyzing transcriptomics datasets from 184 patients from non-tumor colorectal tissue, primary colorectal tumor and colorectal liver metastasis of the GEO database. We found that the most probable sequence of cell activation during metastasis is Endothelial→Ito→Kupffer. Immunohistochemical analysis of human liver metastases showed the BRCA1 protein was co-localized in Ito, Kupffer, and endothelial cells in 81.8% of early or synchronous metastases. However, in the greater part of the metachronous liver metastases, this protein was not expressed in any of these TME cells. (4) Conclusions: These results suggest a possible role of the co-expression of BRCA1 in Ito, Kupffer, and sinusoidal endothelial cells in the early occurrence of CRC liver metastases, and point to BRCA1 as a potential TME biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Gerovska
- Computational Biology and Systems Biomedicine Group, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Calle Doctor Beguiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain;
- Computational Biomedicine Data Analysis Platform, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Calle Doctor Beguiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Gorka Larrinaga
- Department of Nursing I, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain;
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
- BioCruces Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain;
| | - Jon Danel Solano-Iturri
- BioCruces Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain;
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Cruces University Hospital, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48903 Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Joana Márquez
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain; (J.M.); (P.G.G.)
| | - Patricia García Gallastegi
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain; (J.M.); (P.G.G.)
| | - Abdel-Majid Khatib
- University of Bordeaux, Allée Geoffroy St Hilaire, 33615 Pessac, France; INSERM, LAMC, UMR 1029, Allée Geoffroy St Hilaire, 33615 Pessac, France;
| | - Gereon Poschmann
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Proteome Research, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (G.P.); (K.S.)
| | - Kai Stühler
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Proteome Research, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (G.P.); (K.S.)
- Molecular Proteomics Laboratory, Biologisch-Medizinisches Forschungszentrum, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - María Armesto
- Molecular Oncology Group, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (M.A.); (C.H.L.)
| | - Charles H. Lawrie
- Molecular Oncology Group, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (M.A.); (C.H.L.)
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Calle María Díaz Harokoa 3, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Iker Badiola
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain; (J.M.); (P.G.G.)
| | - Marcos J. Araúzo-Bravo
- Computational Biology and Systems Biomedicine Group, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Calle Doctor Beguiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain;
- Computational Biomedicine Data Analysis Platform, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Calle Doctor Beguiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Calle María Díaz Harokoa 3, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
- CIBER of Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERfes), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstr. 20, 48149 Münster, Germany
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Molecular karyotyping and gene expression analysis in childhood cancer patients. J Mol Med (Berl) 2020; 98:1107-1123. [PMID: 32577795 PMCID: PMC7769790 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-020-01937-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract The genetic etiology of sporadic childhood cancer cases remains unclear. We recruited a cohort of 20 patients who survived a childhood malignancy and then developed a second primary cancer (2N), and 20 carefully matched patients who survived a childhood cancer without developing a second malignancy (1N). Twenty matched cancer-free (0N) and additional 1000 (0N) GHS participants served as controls. Aiming to identify new candidate loci for cancer predisposition, we compared the genome-wide DNA copy number variations (CNV) with the RNA-expression data obtained after in vitro irradiation of primary fibroblasts. In 2N patients, we detected a total of 142 genes affected by CNV. A total of 53 genes of these were not altered in controls. Six genes (POLR3F, SEC23B, ZNF133, C16orf45, RRN3, and NTAN1) that we found to be overexpressed after irradiation were also duplicated in the genome of the 2N patients. For the 1N collective, 185 genes were affected by CNV and 38 of these genes were not altered in controls. Five genes (ZCWPW2, SYNCRIP, DHX30, DHRS4L2, and THSD1) were located in duplicated genomic regions and exhibited altered RNA expression after irradiation. One gene (ABCC6) was partially duplicated in one 1N and one 2N patient. Analysis of methylation levels of THSD1 and GSTT2 genes which were detected in duplicated regions and are frequently aberrantly methylated in cancer showed no changes in patient’s fibroblasts. In summary, we describe rare and radiation-sensitive genes affected by CNV in childhood sporadic cancer cases, which may have an impact on cancer development. Key messages • Rare CNV’s may have an impact on cancer development in sporadic, non-familial, non-syndromic childhood cancer cases. • In our cohort, each patient displayed a unique pattern of cancer-related gene CNVs, and only few cases shared similar CNV. • Genes that are transcriptionally regulated after radiation can be located in CNVs in cancer patients and controls. • THSD1 and GSTT2 methylation is not altered by CNV. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00109-020-01937-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Krzysiek-Maczka G, Wrobel T, Targosz A, Szczyrk U, Strzalka M, Ptak-Belowska A, Czyz J, Brzozowski T. Helicobacter pylori-activated gastric fibroblasts induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition of gastric epithelial cells in vitro in a TGF-β-dependent manner. Helicobacter 2019; 24:e12653. [PMID: 31411795 DOI: 10.1111/hel.12653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colonization of the gastric mucosa with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) leads to the cascade of pathologic events including local inflammation, gastric ulceration, and adenocarcinoma formation. Paracrine loops between tissue cells and Hp contribute to the formation of gastric cancerous loci; however, the specific mechanisms underlying existence of these loops remain unknown. We determined the phenotypic properties of gastric fibroblasts exposed to Hp (cagA+vacA+) infection and their influence on normal epithelial RGM-1 cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS RGM-1 cells were cultured in the media conditioned with Hp-activated gastric fibroblasts. Their morphology and phenotypical changes associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were assessed by Nomarski and fluorescence microscopy and Western blot analysis. Motility pattern of RGM-1 cells was examined by time-lapse video microscopy and transwell migration assay. The content of TGF-β in Hp-activated fibroblast-conditioned media was determined by ELISA. RESULTS The supernatant from Hp-activated gastric fibroblasts caused the EMT-like phenotypic diversification of RGM-1 cells. The formation of fibroblastoid cell sub-populations, the disappearance of their collective migration, an increase in transmigration potential with downregulation of E-cadherin and upregulation of N-cadherin proteins, prominent stress fibers, and decreased proliferation were observed. The fibroblast (CAF)-like transition was manifested by increased secretome TGF-β level, α-SMA protein expression, and its incorporation into stress fibers, and the TGF-βR1 kinase inhibitor reduced the rise in Snail, Twist, and E-cadherin mRNA and increased E-cadherin expression induced by CAFs. CONCLUSION Gastric fibroblasts which are one of the main targets for Hp infection contribute to the paracrine interactions between Hp, gastric fibroblasts, and epithelial cells. TGF-β secreted by Hp-activated gastric fibroblasts prompting their differentiation toward CAF-like phenotype promotes the EMT-related phenotypic shifts in normal gastric epithelial cell populations. This mechanism may serve as the prerequisite for GC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gracjana Krzysiek-Maczka
- Department of Physiology, The Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
| | - Tomasz Wrobel
- Department of Cell Biology, The Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | - Aneta Targosz
- Department of Physiology, The Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
| | - Urszula Szczyrk
- Department of Physiology, The Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Strzalka
- Department of Physiology, The Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
| | - Agata Ptak-Belowska
- Department of Physiology, The Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
| | - Jaroslaw Czyz
- Department of Cell Biology, The Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | - Tomasz Brzozowski
- Department of Physiology, The Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
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Phenotypic Plasticity of Fibroblasts during Mammary Carcinoma Development. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20184438. [PMID: 31505876 PMCID: PMC6769951 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment contribute to all stages of tumorigenesis and are usually considered to be tumor-promoting cells. CAFs show a remarkable degree of heterogeneity, which is attributed to developmental origin or to local environmental niches, resulting in distinct CAF subsets within individual tumors. While CAF heterogeneity is frequently investigated in late-stage tumors, data on longitudinal CAF development in tumors are lacking. To this end, we used the transgenic polyoma middle T oncogene-induced mouse mammary carcinoma model and performed whole transcriptome analysis in FACS-sorted fibroblasts from early- and late-stage tumors. We observed a shift in fibroblast populations over time towards a subset previously shown to negatively correlate with patient survival, which was confirmed by multispectral immunofluorescence analysis. Moreover, we identified a transcriptomic signature distinguishing CAFs from early- and late-stage tumors. Importantly, the signature of early-stage CAFs correlated well with tumor stage and survival in human mammary carcinoma patients. A random forest analysis suggested predictive value of the complete set of differentially expressed genes between early- and late-stage CAFs on bulk tumor patient samples, supporting the clinical relevance of our findings. In conclusion, our data show transcriptome alterations in CAFs during tumorigenesis in the mammary gland, which suggest that CAFs are educated by the tumor over time to promote tumor development. Moreover, we show that murine CAF gene signatures can harbor predictive value for human cancer.
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Guo Q, Huang F, Goncalves C, Del Rincón SV, Miller WH. Translation of cancer immunotherapy from the bench to the bedside. Adv Cancer Res 2019; 143:1-62. [PMID: 31202357 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2019.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The tremendous success of immune checkpoint blockades has revolutionized cancer management. Our increased understanding of the cell types that compose the tumor microenvironment (TME), including those of the innate and adaptive immune system, has helped to shape additional immune modulatory strategies in cancer care. Pre-clinical and clinical investigations targeting novel checkpoint interactions and key pathways that regulate cancer immunity continue to increase rapidly. Various combinatorial drug regimens are being tested in attempt to achieve durable response and survival rates of patients with cancer. This review provides an overview of specific components of the TME, an introduction to novel immune checkpoints, followed by a survey of present day and future combination immune modulatory therapies. The idea that the immune system can recognize and destroy tumor cells was first described in the cancer immunosurveillance hypothesis of Burnet and Thomas. However, early experimental evidence failed to support the concept. It was not until the late 1990s when seminal papers clearly showed the existence of cancer immunosurveillance, leading to the cancer immunoediting hypothesis. In this century, progress in the understanding of negative regulators of the immune response led to the discovery that inhibition of these regulators in patients with cancer could lead to dramatic and durable remissions. Drs. Tasuku Honjo and James P. Allison were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2018 for their pioneering work in this field. We now see rapid advances in cancer immunology and emerging effective therapies revolutionizing cancer care across tumor types in the clinic, while pre-clinical research is moving from a focus on the malignant cells themselves to dissect the highly heterogenic and complex multi-cellular tumor microenvironment (TME).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyu Guo
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Jewish General Hospital, Segal Cancer Centre, Department of Oncology, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Fan Huang
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Jewish General Hospital, Segal Cancer Centre, Department of Oncology, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Christophe Goncalves
- Jewish General Hospital, Segal Cancer Centre, Department of Oncology, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sonia V Del Rincón
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Jewish General Hospital, Segal Cancer Centre, Department of Oncology, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Wilson H Miller
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Jewish General Hospital, Segal Cancer Centre, Department of Oncology, Montreal, QC, Canada; Rossy Cancer Network, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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8
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McCarthy JB, El-Ashry D, Turley EA. Hyaluronan, Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and the Tumor Microenvironment in Malignant Progression. Front Cell Dev Biol 2018; 6:48. [PMID: 29868579 PMCID: PMC5951929 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2018.00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This review summarizes the roles of CAFs in forming a “cancerized” fibrotic stroma favorable to tumor initiation and dissemination, in particular highlighting the functions of the extracellular matrix component hyaluronan (HA) in these processes. The structural complexity of the tumor and its host microenvironment is now well appreciated to be an important contributing factor to malignant progression and resistance-to-therapy. There are multiple components of this complexity, which include an extensive remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and associated biomechanical changes in tumor stroma. Tumor stroma is often fibrotic and rich in fibrillar type I collagen and hyaluronan (HA). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major source of this fibrotic ECM. CAFs organize collagen fibrils and these biomechanical alterations provide highways for invading carcinoma cells either under the guidance of CAFs or following their epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). The increased HA metabolism of a tumor microenvironment instructs carcinoma initiation and dissemination by performing multiple functions. The key effects of HA reviewed here are its role in activating CAFs in pre-malignant and malignant stroma, and facilitating invasion by promoting motility of both CAFs and tumor cells, thus facilitating their invasion. Circulating CAFs (cCAFs) also form heterotypic clusters with circulating tumor cells (CTC), which are considered to be pre-cursors of metastatic colonies. cCAFs are likely required for extravasation of tumors cells and to form a metastatic niche suitable for new tumor colony growth. Therapeutic interventions designed to target both HA and CAFs in order to limit tumor spread and increase response to current therapies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B McCarthy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Masonic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Dorraya El-Ashry
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Masonic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Eva A Turley
- London Regional Cancer Program, Department of Oncology, Biochemistry and Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Lawson Health Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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Lamprecht S, Sigal-Batikoff I, Shany S, Abu-Freha N, Ling E, Delinasios GJ, Moyal-Atias K, Delinasios JG, Fich A. Teaming Up for Trouble: Cancer Cells, Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Signaling and the Epigenetic Corruption of Stromal Naïve Fibroblasts. Cancers (Basel) 2018; 10:cancers10030061. [PMID: 29495500 PMCID: PMC5876636 DOI: 10.3390/cancers10030061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Revised: 01/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well recognized that cancer cells subvert the phenotype of stromal naïve fibroblasts and instruct the neighboring cells to sustain their growth agenda. The mechanisms underpinning the switch of fibroblasts to cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the focus of intense investigation. One of the most significant hallmarks of the biological identity of CAFs is that their tumor-promoting phenotype is stably maintained during in vitro and ex vivo propagation without the continual interaction with the adjacent cancer cells. In this review, we discuss robust evidence showing that the master cytokine Transforming Growth Factor-β1 (TGFβ-1) is a prime mover in reshaping, via epigenetic switches, the phenotype of stromal fibroblasts to a durable state. We also examine, in detail, the pervasive involvement of TGFβ-1 signaling from both cancer cells and CAFs in fostering cancer development, taking colorectal cancer (CRC) as a paradigm of human neoplasia. Finally, we review the stroma-centric anticancer therapeutic approach focused on CAFs—the most abundant cell population of the tumor microenvironment (TME)—as target cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Lamprecht
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 8410500, Israel.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 8410500, Israel.
- Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beersheva 8410100, Israel.
| | - Ina Sigal-Batikoff
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 8410500, Israel.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 8410500, Israel.
- Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beersheva 8410100, Israel.
| | - Shraga Shany
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 8410500, Israel.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 8410500, Israel.
| | - Naim Abu-Freha
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 8410500, Israel.
- Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beersheva 8410100, Israel.
| | - Eduard Ling
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 8410500, Israel.
- Pediatrics Department B, Soroka University Medical Center, Beersheva 8410100, Israel.
| | - George J Delinasios
- International Institute of Anticancer Research, Kapandriti, Athens 19014, Greece.
| | - Keren Moyal-Atias
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 8410500, Israel.
- Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beersheva 8410100, Israel.
| | - John G Delinasios
- International Institute of Anticancer Research, Kapandriti, Athens 19014, Greece.
| | - Alexander Fich
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 8410500, Israel.
- Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beersheva 8410100, Israel.
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Neil JC, Gilroy K, Borland G, Hay J, Terry A, Kilbey A. The RUNX Genes as Conditional Oncogenes: Insights from Retroviral Targeting and Mouse Models. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 962:247-264. [PMID: 28299662 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-3233-2_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The observation that the Runx genes act as targets for transcriptional activation by retroviral insertion identified a new family of dominant oncogenes. However, it is now clear that Runx genes are 'conditional' oncogenes whose over-expression is growth inhibitory unless accompanied by another event such as concomitant over-expression of MYC or loss of p53 function. Remarkably, while the oncogenic activities of either MYC or RUNX over-expression are suppressed while p53 is intact, the combination of both neutralises p53 tumour suppression in vivo by as yet unknown mechanisms. Moreover, there is emerging evidence that endogenous, basal RUNX activity is important to maintain the viability and proliferation of MYC-driven lymphoma cells. There is also growing evidence that the human RUNX genes play a similar conditional oncogenic role and are selected for over-expression in end-stage cancers of multiple types. Paradoxically, reduced RUNX activity can also predispose to cell immortalisation and transformation, particularly by mutant Ras. These apparently conflicting observations may be reconciled in a stage-specific model of RUNX involvement in cancer. A question that has yet to be fully addressed is the extent to which the three Runx genes are functionally redundant in cancer promotion and suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Neil
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
| | - Kathryn Gilroy
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Gillian Borland
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Jodie Hay
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Anne Terry
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Anna Kilbey
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
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