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Khorami-Sarvestani S, Vanaki N, Shojaeian S, Zarnani K, Stensballe A, Jeddi-Tehrani M, Zarnani AH. Placenta: an old organ with new functions. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1385762. [PMID: 38707901 PMCID: PMC11066266 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1385762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The transition from oviparity to viviparity and the establishment of feto-maternal communications introduced the placenta as the major anatomical site to provide nutrients, gases, and hormones to the developing fetus. The placenta has endocrine functions, orchestrates maternal adaptations to pregnancy at different periods of pregnancy, and acts as a selective barrier to minimize exposure of developing fetus to xenobiotics, pathogens, and parasites. Despite the fact that this ancient organ is central for establishment of a normal pregnancy in eutherians, the placenta remains one of the least studied organs. The first step of pregnancy, embryo implantation, is finely regulated by the trophoectoderm, the precursor of all trophoblast cells. There is a bidirectional communication between placenta and endometrium leading to decidualization, a critical step for maintenance of pregnancy. There are three-direction interactions between the placenta, maternal immune cells, and the endometrium for adaptation of endometrial immune system to the allogeneic fetus. While 65% of all systemically expressed human proteins have been found in the placenta tissues, it expresses numerous placenta-specific proteins, whose expression are dramatically changed in gestational diseases and could serve as biomarkers for early detection of gestational diseases. Surprisingly, placentation and carcinogenesis exhibit numerous shared features in metabolism and cell behavior, proteins and molecular signatures, signaling pathways, and tissue microenvironment, which proposes the concept of "cancer as ectopic trophoblastic cells". By extensive researches in this novel field, a handful of cancer biomarkers has been discovered. This review paper, which has been inspired in part by our extensive experiences during the past couple of years, highlights new aspects of placental functions with emphasis on its immunomodulatory role in establishment of a successful pregnancy and on a potential link between placentation and carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Khorami-Sarvestani
- Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negar Vanaki
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sorour Shojaeian
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medical Sciences, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Kayhan Zarnani
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Allan Stensballe
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Clinical Cancer Research Center, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Mahmood Jeddi-Tehrani
- Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir-Hassan Zarnani
- Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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2
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Pavličev M, McDonough-Goldstein CE, Zupan AM, Muglia L, Hu YC, Kong F, Monangi N, Dagdas G, Zupančič N, Maziarz J, Sinner D, Zhang G, Wagner G, Muglia L. A common allele increases endometrial Wnt4 expression, with antagonistic implications for pregnancy, reproductive cancers, and endometriosis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1152. [PMID: 38346980 PMCID: PMC10861470 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45338-4] [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: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The common human SNP rs3820282 is associated with multiple phenotypes including gestational length and likelihood of endometriosis and cancer, presenting a paradigmatic pleiotropic variant. Deleterious pleiotropic mutations cause the co-occurrence of disorders either within individuals, or across population. When adverse and advantageous effects are combined, pleiotropy can maintain high population frequencies of deleterious alleles. To reveal the causal molecular mechanisms of this pleiotropic SNP, we introduced this substitution into the mouse genome by CRISPR/Cas 9. Previous work showed that rs3820282 introduces a high-affinity estrogen receptor alpha-binding site at the Wnt4 locus. Here, we show that this mutation upregulates Wnt4 transcription in endometrial stroma, following the preovulatory estrogen peak. Effects on uterine transcription include downregulation of epithelial proliferation and induction of progesterone-regulated pro-implantation genes. We propose that these changes increase uterine permissiveness to embryo invasion, whereas they decrease resistance to invasion by cancer and endometriotic foci in other estrogen-responsive tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Pavličev
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Complexity Science Hub, Vienna, Austria.
| | | | | | - Lisa Muglia
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Yueh-Chiang Hu
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Fansheng Kong
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Nagendra Monangi
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Gülay Dagdas
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nina Zupančič
- University Medical Center Ljubljana, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jamie Maziarz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Debora Sinner
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Ge Zhang
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Günter Wagner
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA
| | - Louis Muglia
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Research Triangle Park, NC, Durham, USA
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3
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Dighe A, Maziarz J, Ibrahim-Hashim A, Gatenby RA, Kshitiz, Levchenko A, Wagner GP. Experimental and phylogenetic evidence for correlated gene expression evolution in endometrial and skin fibroblasts. iScience 2024; 27:108593. [PMID: 38174318 PMCID: PMC10762354 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene expression change is a dominant mode of evolution. Mutations, however, can affect gene expression in multiple cell types. Therefore, gene expression evolution in one cell type can lead to similar gene expression changes in another cell type. Here, we test this hypothesis by investigating dermal skin fibroblasts (SFs) and uterine endometrial stromal fibroblasts (ESFs). The comparative dataset consists of transcriptomes from cultured SF and ESF of nine mammalian species. We find that evolutionary changes in gene expression in SF and ESF are highly correlated. The experimental dataset derives from a SCID mouse strain selected for slow cancer growth leading to substantial gene expression changes in SFs. We compared the gene expression profiles of SF with that of ESF and found a significant correlation between them. We discuss the implications of these findings for the evolutionary correlation between placental invasiveness and vulnerability to metastatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anasuya Dighe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jamie Maziarz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | | | | | - Kshitiz
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Andre Levchenko
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Günter P. Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassi Platz 1, Vienna A-1030, Austria
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4
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Dujon AM, Vincze O, Lemaitre JF, Alix-Panabières C, Pujol P, Giraudeau M, Ujvari B, Thomas F. The effect of placentation type, litter size, lactation and gestation length on cancer risk in mammals. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230940. [PMID: 37357861 PMCID: PMC10291710 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproduction is a central activity for all living organisms but is also associated with a diversity of costs that are detrimental for survival. Until recently, the cost of cancer as a selective force has been poorly considered. Considering 191 mammal species, we found cancer mortality was more likely to be detected in species having large, rather than low, litter sizes and long lactation lengths regardless of the placentation types. However, increasing litter size and gestation length are not per se associated with an enhanced cancer mortality risk. Contrary to basic theoretical expectations, the species with the highest cancer mortality were not those with the most invasive (i.e. haemochorial) placentation, but those with a moderately invasive (i.e. endotheliochorial) one. Overall, these results suggest that (i) high reproductive efforts favour oncogenic processes' dynamics, presumably because of trade-offs between allocation in reproduction effort and anti-cancer defences, (ii) cancer defence mechanisms in animals are most often adjusted to align reproductive lifespan, and (iii) malignant cells co-opt existing molecular and physiological pathways for placentation, but species with the most invasive placentation have also selected for potent barriers against lethal cancers. This work suggests that the logic of Peto's paradox seems to be applicable to other traits that promote tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine M. Dujon
- Geelong, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216, Australia
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Debrecen, Hungary
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Jean-François Lemaitre
- CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Catherine Alix-Panabières
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Laboratory of Rare Human Circulating Cells (LCCRH), University Hospital of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Pascal Pujol
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Arnaud de Villeneuve, Montpellier, France
| | - Mathieu Giraudeau
- Littoral Environnement Et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266,CNRS- La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - Beata Ujvari
- Geelong, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216, Australia
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREEC/CANECEV (CREES), MIVEGEC, IRD 224–CNRS 5290–Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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5
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Faggioli F, Velarde MC, Wiley CD. Cellular Senescence, a Novel Area of Investigation for Metastatic Diseases. Cells 2023; 12:cells12060860. [PMID: 36980201 PMCID: PMC10047218 DOI: 10.3390/cells12060860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is a systemic condition and the major challenge among cancer types, as it can lead to multiorgan vulnerability. Recently, attention has been drawn to cellular senescence, a complex stress response condition, as a factor implicated in metastatic dissemination and outgrowth. Here, we examine the current knowledge of the features required for cells to invade and colonize secondary organs and how senescent cells can contribute to this process. First, we describe the role of senescence in placentation, itself an invasive process which has been linked to higher rates of invasive cancers. Second, we describe how senescent cells can contribute to metastatic dissemination and colonization. Third, we discuss several metabolic adaptations by which senescent cells could promote cancer survival along the metastatic journey. In conclusion, we posit that targeting cellular senescence may have a potential therapeutic efficacy to limit metastasis formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Faggioli
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Genetica e Biomedica (IRGB-CNR) uos Milan, Via Fantoli 15/16, 20090 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-02-82245211
| | - Michael C. Velarde
- Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City PH 1101, Philippines
| | - Christopher D. Wiley
- Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Boston, MA 02111, USA
- School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA
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6
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Trivedi DD, Dalai SK, Bakshi SR. The Mystery of Cancer Resistance: A Revelation Within Nature. J Mol Evol 2023; 91:133-155. [PMID: 36693985 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-023-10092-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Cancer, a disease due to uncontrolled cell proliferation is as ancient as multicellular organisms. A 255-million-years-old fossilized forerunner mammal gorgonopsian is probably the oldest evidence of cancer, to date. Cancer seems to have evolved by adapting to the microenvironment occupied by immune sentinel, modulating the cellular behavior from cytotoxic to regulatory, acquiring resistance to chemotherapy and surviving hypoxia. The interaction of genes with environmental carcinogens is central to cancer onset, seen as a spectrum of cancer susceptibility among human population. Cancer occurs in life forms other than human also, although their exposure to environmental carcinogens can be different. Role of genetic etiology in cancer in multiple species can be interesting with regard to not only cancer susceptibility, but also genetic conservation and adaptation in speciation. The widely used model organisms for cancer research are mouse and rat which are short-lived and reproduce rapidly. Research in these cancer prone animal models has been valuable as these have led to cancer therapy. However, another rewarding area of cancer research can be the cancer-resistant animal species. The Peto's paradox and G-value paradox are evident when natural cancer resistance is observed in large mammals, like elephant and whale, small rodents viz. Naked Mole Rat and Blind Mole Rat, and Bat. The cancer resistance remains to be explored in other small or large and long-living animals like giraffe, camel, rhinoceros, water buffalo, Indian bison, Shire horse, polar bear, manatee, elephant seal, walrus, hippopotamus, turtle and tortoise, sloth, and squirrel. Indeed, understanding the molecular mechanisms of avoiding neoplastic transformation across various life forms can be potentially having translational value for human cancer management. Adapted and Modified from (Hanahan and Weinberg 2011).
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Cancer Is Associated with the Emergence of Placenta-Reactive Autoantibodies. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020316. [PMID: 36830854 PMCID: PMC9953527 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020316] [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: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Placenta-specific antigens are minimally expressed or unexpressed in normal adult tissues, while they are widely expressed in cancer. In the course of carcinogenesis, a vast array of autoantibodies (AAbs) is produced. Here, we used a quantitative approach to determine the reactivity of AAbs in the sera of patients with breast (BrC: N = 100, 100% female, median age: 51 years), gastric (GC: N = 30, 46.6% female, median age: 57 years), bladder (BC: N = 29, 34.4% female, median age: 57 years), and colorectal (CRC: N = 34, 41.1% female, median age: 51 years) cancers against first-trimester (FTP) and full-term placental proteome (TP) in comparison with age- and sex-matched non-cancer individuals. Human-on-human immunohistochemistry was used to determine reactive target cells in FTP. The effect of pregnancy on the emergence of placenta-reactive autoantibodies was tested using sera from pregnant women at different trimesters of pregnancy. Except for BC, patients with BrC (p < 0.0284), GC (p < 0.0002), and CRC (p < 0.0007) had significantly higher levels of placenta-reactive AAbs. BrC (p < 0.0001) and BC (p < 0.0409) in the early stages triggered higher autoantibody reactivity against FTP. The reactivities of BrC sera with FTP did not show an association with ER, PR, or HER2 expression. Pregnancy in the third trimester was associated with the induction of TP- and not FTP-reactive autoantibodies (=0.018). The reactivity of BrC sera with placental proteins was found to be independent of gravidity or abortion. BrC sera showed a very strong and specific pattern of reactivity with scattered cells beneath the syncytiotrophoblast layer. Our results reinforce the concept of the coevolution of placentation and cancer and shed light on the future clinical application of the placental proteome for the non-invasive early detection and treatment of cancer.
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8
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Evo-devo perspectives on cancer. Essays Biochem 2022; 66:797-815. [PMID: 36250956 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The integration of evolutionary and developmental approaches into the field of evolutionary developmental biology has opened new areas of inquiry- from understanding the evolution of development and its underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms to addressing the role of development in evolution. For the last several decades, the terms 'evolution' and 'development' have been increasingly linked to cancer, in many different frameworks and contexts. This mini-review, as part of a special issue on Evolutionary Developmental Biology, discusses the main areas in cancer research that have been addressed through the lenses of both evolutionary and developmental biology, though not always fully or explicitly integrated in an evo-devo framework. First, it briefly introduces the current views on carcinogenesis that invoke evolutionary and/or developmental perspectives. Then, it discusses the main mechanisms proposed to have specifically evolved to suppress cancer during the evolution of multicellularity. Lastly, it considers whether the evolution of multicellularity and development was shaped by the threat of cancer (a cancer-evo-devo perspective), and/or whether the evolution of developmental programs and life history traits can shape cancer resistance/risk in various lineages (an evo-devo-cancer perspective). A proper evolutionary developmental framework for cancer, both as a disease and in terms of its natural history (in the context of the evolution of multicellularity and development as well as life history traits), could bridge the currently disparate evolutionary and developmental perspectives and uncover aspects that will provide new insights for cancer prevention and treatment.
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9
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Pavličev M, Wagner GP. The value of broad taxonomic comparisons in evolutionary medicine: Disease is not a trait but a
state of a trait
! MedComm (Beijing) 2022; 3:e174. [PMID: 36186235 PMCID: PMC9495303 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Pavličev
- Department of Evolutionary Biology University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Günter P. Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
- Yale Systems Biology Institute Yale University West Haven Connecticut USA
- Department of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences Yale School of Medicine New Haven Connecticut USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Wayne State University Detroit Michigan USA
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10
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Dujon AM, Boutry J, Tissot S, Lemaître JF, Boddy AM, Gérard AL, Alvergne A, Arnal A, Vincze O, Nicolas D, Giraudeau M, Telonis-Scott M, Schultz A, Pujol P, Biro PA, Beckmann C, Hamede R, Roche B, Ujvari B, Thomas F. Cancer Susceptibility as a Cost of Reproduction and Contributor to Life History Evolution. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.861103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproduction is one of the most energetically demanding life-history stages. As a result, breeding individuals often experience trade-offs, where energy is diverted away from maintenance (cell repair, immune function) toward reproduction. While it is increasingly acknowledged that oncogenic processes are omnipresent, evolving and opportunistic entities in the bodies of metazoans, the associations among reproductive activities, energy expenditure, and the dynamics of malignant cells have rarely been studied. Here, we review the diverse ways in which age-specific reproductive performance (e.g., reproductive aging patterns) and cancer risks throughout the life course may be linked via trade-offs or other mechanisms, as well as discuss situations where trade-offs may not exist. We argue that the interactions between host–oncogenic processes should play a significant role in life-history theory, and suggest some avenues for future research.
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11
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Tracing the cis-regulatory changes underlying the endometrial control of placental invasion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2111256119. [PMID: 35110402 PMCID: PMC8832988 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2111256119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Among eutherian (placental) mammals, placental embedding into the maternal endometrium exhibits great differences, from being deeply invasive (e.g., humans) to noninvasive (e.g., cattle). The degree of invasion of placental trophoblasts is positively correlated with the rate of cancer malignancy. Previously, we have shown that fibroblasts from different species offer different levels of resistance to the invading trophoblasts as well as to cancer cell invasion. Here we present a comparative genomic investigation revealing cis-regulatory elements underlying these interspecies differences in invasibility. We identify transcription factors that regulate proinvasibility and antiinvasibility genes in stromal cells. Using an in vitro invasibility assay combined with CRISPR-Cas9 gene knockout, we found that the transcription factors GATA2 and TFDP1 strongly influence the invasibility of endometrial and skin fibroblasts. This work identifies genomic mechanisms explaining species differences in stromal invasibility, paving the way to therapies targeting stromal characteristics to regulate placental invasion, wound healing, and cancer dissemination.
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12
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Ma X, Dighe A, Maziarz J, Neumann E, Erkenbrack E, Hei YY, Liu Y, Suhail Y, Pak I, Levchenko A, Wagner GP. Evolution of higher mesenchymal CD44 expression in the human lineage. Evol Med Public Health 2022; 10:447-462. [PMID: 36148042 PMCID: PMC9487634 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoac036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
CD44 is an extracellular matrix receptor implicated in cancer progression. CD44 increases the invasibility of skin (SF) and endometrial stromal fibroblasts (ESF) by cancer and trophoblast cells. We reasoned that the evolution of CD44 expression can affect both, the fetal–maternal interaction through CD44 in ESF as well as vulnerability to malignant cancer through expression in SF. We studied the evolution of CD44 expression in mammalian SF and ESF and demonstrate that in the human lineage evolved higher CD44 expression. Isoform expression in cattle and human is very similar suggesting that differences in invasibility are not due to the nature of expressed isoforms. We then asked whether the concerted gene expression increase in both cell types is due to shared regulatory mechanisms or due to cell type-specific factors. Reporter gene experiments with cells and cis-regulatory elements from human and cattle show that the difference of CD44 expression is due to cis effects as well as cell type-specific trans effects. These results suggest that the concerted expression increase is likely due to selection acting on both cell types because the evolutionary change in cell type-specific factors requires selection on cell type-specific functions. This scenario implies that the malignancy enhancing effects of elevated CD44 expression in humans likely evolved as a side-effect of positive selection on a yet unidentified other function of CD44. A possible candidate is the anti-fibrotic effect of CD44 but there are no reliable data showing that humans and primates are less fibrotic than other mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinghong Ma
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University , West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University , New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetics Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin, China
| | - Anasuya Dighe
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University , West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University , New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jamie Maziarz
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University , West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University , New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Edwin Neumann
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University , West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Eric Erkenbrack
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University , West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University , New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yuan-Yuan Hei
- Cancer Biology Institute, Yale University , West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale Medical School , New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yansheng Liu
- Cancer Biology Institute, Yale University , West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale Medical School , New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yasir Suhail
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut Health Center , Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Irene Pak
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University , West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University , New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Andre Levchenko
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University , West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University , New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Günter P Wagner
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University , West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University , New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale Medical School , New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University , Detroit, MI 48202, USA
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13
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Abstract
Analogies between placentation, in particular the behavior of trophoblast cells, and cancer have been noted since the beginning of the twentieth century. To what degree these can be explained as a consequence of the evolution of placentation has been unclear. In this review, we conclude that many similarities between trophoblast and cancer cells are shared with other, phylogenetically older processes than placentation. The best candidates for cancer hallmarks that can be explained by the evolution of eutherian placenta are mechanisms of immune evasion. Another dimension of the maternal accommodation of the placenta with an impact on cancer malignancy is the evolution of endometrial invasibility. Species with lower degrees of placental invasion tend to have lower vulnerability to cancer malignancy. We finally identify several areas in which one could expect to see coevolutionary changes in placental and cancer biology but that, to our knowledge, have not been explored. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, Volume 10 is February 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Günter P Wagner
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA; , , .,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Kshitiz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut Health, Storrs, Connecticut, USA;
| | - Anasuya Dighe
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA; , , .,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Andre Levchenko
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, USA; , , .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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14
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Senft AD, Macfarlan TS. Transposable elements shape the evolution of mammalian development. Nat Rev Genet 2021; 22:691-711. [PMID: 34354263 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-021-00385-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) promote genetic innovation but also threaten genome stability. Despite multiple layers of host defence, TEs actively shape mammalian-specific developmental processes, particularly during pre-implantation and extra-embryonic development and at the maternal-fetal interface. Here, we review how TEs influence mammalian genomes both directly by providing the raw material for genetic change and indirectly via co-evolving TE-binding Krüppel-associated box zinc finger proteins (KRAB-ZFPs). Throughout mammalian evolution, individual activities of ancient TEs were co-opted to enable invasive placentation that characterizes live-born mammals. By contrast, the widespread activity of evolutionarily young TEs may reflect an ongoing co-evolution that continues to impact mammalian development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna D Senft
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Todd S Macfarlan
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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15
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Mahmoudi AR, Ghods R, Madjd Z, Abolhasani M, Saeednejad Zanjani L, Safaei M, Balaei Goli L, Vafaei S, Katouzian L, Soltanghoraei H, Shekarabi M, Zarnani AH. Expression profiling of RTL1 in human breast cancer tissues and cell lines. Exp Mol Pathol 2021; 121:104654. [PMID: 34087231 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2021.104654] [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: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in females. In this regard, the identification of molecular alterations driving BC is an immediate need for developing effective immunotherapeutic tools. Here we investigated the expression of a placenta-specific protein, Retrotransposon-like 1 (RTL1) in a series of BC tissues and cell lines. RTL1-specific polyclonal antibody was generated and characterized. Using tissue microarray immunohistochemistry, expression of RTL1 in a total of 147 BC and 36 non-malignant breast tissues was investigated and the association of patient's clinicopathological parameters with RTL1 expression was then examined. Expression of RTL1 in four BC cells was assessed by flow cytometry, immunofluorescent staining and Western blotting. We observed a mixture pattern of nuclear and cytoplasmic RTL1 expression in most tissues examined, however nuclear expression was found to be dominant pattern of expression. The level of nuclear RTL1 expression was significantly higher in BC tissues (P < 0.001). A statistically significant association between nuclear RTL1 expression and histological grade and vascular invasion was found (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05). All cell lines expressed RTL1 with varying degrees at their surface. The most invasive BC cell line MDA-MB-231, compared to T-47D, SKBR3 and MCF7 expressed higher levels of RTL1 at their surface. Cells with a low level of surface expression, expressed high levels of intracellular RTL1 expression. Our antibody reacted with a specific band of about 125 KD in normal human placenta and all cell lines examined. In contrast to placenta, two additional bands were also observed in cancer cell lines. Our results showed for the first time that RTL1 is differentially expressed in BC compared to non-malignant breast tissues and is associated with a higher grade and vascular invasion. In BC cells with high metastatic and invasive potential, this antigen is mostly confined to cell surface compartment indicating the possibility of using antibody-based immunotherapy for advanced metastatic BC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad-Reza Mahmoudi
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roya Ghods
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Madjd
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Abolhasani
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Hasheminejad Kidney Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Masoomeh Safaei
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Balaei Goli
- Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sedigheh Vafaei
- Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Katouzian
- Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Haleh Soltanghoraei
- Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Shekarabi
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir-Hassan Zarnani
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran; Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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16
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Oliveira MDMS, Salgado CDM, Viana LR, Gomes-Marcondes MCC. Pregnancy and Cancer: Cellular Biology and Mechanisms Affecting the Placenta. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1667. [PMID: 33916290 PMCID: PMC8037654 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13071667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer during pregnancy is rarely studied due to its low incidence (1:1000). However, as a result of different sociocultural and economic changes, women are postponing pregnancy, so the number of pregnant women with cancer has been increasing in recent years. The importance of studying cancer during pregnancy is not only based on maternal and foetal prognosis, but also on the evolutionary mechanisms of the cell biology of trophoblasts and neoplastic cells, which point out similarities between and suggest new fields for the study of cancer. Moreover, the magnitude of how cancer factors can affect trophoblastic cells, and vice versa, in altering the foetus's nutrition and health is still a subject to be understood. In this context, the objective of this narrative review was to show that some researchers point out the importance of supplementing branched-chain amino acids, especially leucine, in experimental models of pregnancy associated with women with cancer. A leucine-rich diet may be an interesting strategy to preserve physiological placenta metabolism for protecting the mother and foetus from the harmful effects of cancer during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lais Rosa Viana
- Nutrition and Cancer Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (M.d.M.S.O.); (C.d.M.S.)
| | - Maria Cristina Cintra Gomes-Marcondes
- Nutrition and Cancer Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Sao Paulo 13083-862, Brazil; (M.d.M.S.O.); (C.d.M.S.)
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17
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Tutar R, Çelebi-Saltik B. Modeling of Artificial 3D Human Placenta. Cells Tissues Organs 2021; 211:527-536. [PMID: 33691312 DOI: 10.1159/000511571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The placenta is the main organ that allows the fertilized oocyte to develop and mature. It allows the fetus to grow in the prenatal period by transferring oxygen and nutrients between the mother and the fetus. It acts as a basic endocrine organ which creates the physiological changes related to pregnancy and birth in the mother. Removal of wastes and carbon dioxide from the fetus is also achieved by the placenta. It prevents the rejection of the fetus and protects the fetus from harmful effects. Research on the human placenta focuses on understanding the placental structure and function to illuminate the complex structure of this important organ with technological advances. The structure and function of the placental barrier have been investigated with in vitro studies in 2D/3D, and various results have been published comparatively. In this review, we introduce the nature of the placenta with its 3D composition which has been called niche. Different cell types and placental structures are presented. We describe the systems and approaches used in the creation of current 3D placenta, placental transfer models as 3D placental barriers, and micro-engineered 3D placenta on-a-chip to explore complicated placental responses to nanoparticle exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rumeysa Tutar
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Betül Çelebi-Saltik
- Department of Stem Cell Sciences, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey, .,Center for Stem Cell Research and Development, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey,
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18
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Hao Y, Lee HJ, Baraboo M, Burch K, Maurer T, Somarelli JA, Conant GC. Baby Genomics: Tracing the Evolutionary Changes That Gave Rise to Placentation. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 12:35-47. [PMID: 32053193 PMCID: PMC7144826 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa026] [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] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It has long been challenging to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind striking morphological innovations such as mammalian pregnancy. We studied the power of a robust comparative orthology pipeline based on gene synteny to address such problems. We inferred orthology relations between human genes and genes from each of 43 other vertebrate genomes, resulting in ∼18,000 orthologous pairs for each genome comparison. By identifying genes that first appear coincident with origin of the placental mammals, we hypothesized that we would define a subset of the genome enriched for genes that played a role in placental evolution. We thus pinpointed orthologs that appeared before and after the divergence of eutherian mammals from marsupials. Reinforcing previous work, we found instead that much of the genetic toolkit of mammalian pregnancy evolved through the repurposing of preexisting genes to new roles. These genes acquired regulatory controls for their novel roles from a group of regulatory genes, many of which did in fact originate at the appearance of the eutherians. Thus, orthologs appearing at the origin of the eutherians are enriched in functions such as transcriptional regulation by Krüppel-associated box-zinc-finger proteins, innate immune responses, keratinization, and the melanoma-associated antigen protein class. Because the cellular mechanisms of invasive placentae are similar to those of metastatic cancers, we then used our orthology inferences to explore the association between placenta invasion and cancer metastasis. Again echoing previous work, we find that genes that are phylogenetically older are more likely to be implicated in cancer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Hao
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University
| | - Hyuk Jin Lee
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia
| | | | | | | | - Jason A Somarelli
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center.,Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine
| | - Gavin C Conant
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University.,Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia.,Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University.,Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University
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19
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Suhail Y, Afzal J. Evolved Resistance to Placental Invasion Secondarily Confers Increased Survival in Melanoma Patients. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10040595. [PMID: 33562461 PMCID: PMC7915120 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10040595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammals exhibit large differences in rates of cancer malignancy, even though the tumor formation rates may be similar. In placental mammals, rates of malignancy correlate with the extent of placental invasion. Our Evolved Levels of Invasibility (ELI) framework links these two phenomena identifying genes that potentially confer resistance in stromal fibroblasts to limit invasion, from trophoblasts in the endometrium, and from disseminating melanoma in the skin. Herein, using patient data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we report that these anti-invasive genes may be crucial in melanoma progression in human patients, and that their loss is correlated with increased cancer spread and lowered survival. Our results suggest that, surprisingly, these anti-invasive genes, which have lower expression in humans compared to species with non-invasive placentation, may potentially prevent stromal invasion, while a further reduction in their levels increases the malignancy and lethality of melanoma. Our work links evolution, comparative biology, and cancer progression across tissues, indicating new avenues for using evolutionary medicine to prognosticate and treat human cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasir Suhail
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA;
- Cancer Systems Biology (CaSB@Yale), Yale West Campus, West Haven, CT 06477, USA
- Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT 06032, USA
| | - Junaid Afzal
- Department of Cardiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA;
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20
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Wilson RL, Jones HN. Targeting the Dysfunctional Placenta to Improve Pregnancy Outcomes Based on Lessons Learned in Cancer. Clin Ther 2021; 43:246-264. [PMID: 33446335 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2020.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, our understanding of the disrupted mechanisms that contribute to major obstetrical diseases, including preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, preterm birth, and gestational diabetes, has increased exponentially. Common to many of these obstetric diseases is placental maldevelopment and dysfunction; the placenta is a significant component of the maternal-fetal interface involved in coordinating, facilitating, and regulating maternal and fetal nutrient, oxygen and waste exchange, and hormone and cytokine production. Despite the advances in our understanding of placental development and function, there are currently no treatments for placental maldevelopment and dysfunction. However, given the transient nature and accessibility from the maternal circulation, the placenta offers a unique opportunity to develop targeted therapeutics for routine obstetric practices. Furthermore, given the similar developmental paradigms between the placenta and cancer, there is an opportunity to appropriate current knowledge from advances in targeted therapeutics in cancer treatments. In this review, we highlight the similarities between early placental development and cancer and introduce a number of targeted therapies currently being explored in cancer and pregnancy. We also propose a number of new effectors currently being targeted in cancer research that have the potential to be targeted in the development of treatments for pregnancy complications. Finally, we describe a method for targeting the placenta using nonviral polymers that are capable of delivering plasmids, small interfering RNA, and other effector nucleic acids, which could ultimately improve fetal and maternal outcomes from complicated pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Wilson
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Helen N Jones
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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21
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Male V. Medawar and the immunological paradox of pregnancy: in context. OXFORD OPEN IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 2:iqaa006. [PMID: 36845570 PMCID: PMC9914476 DOI: 10.1093/oxfimm/iqaa006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1953, Peter Medawar defined 'the immunological paradox of pregnancy', whereby the semi-allogeneic foetus can survive for 9 months in its mother, while a semi-allogeneic graft would be rejected. Here, I revisit the immunological paradox of pregnancy, setting it in the context of the time in which it was proposed. I go on to examine the extent to which Medawar's ideas on the subject have stood the test of time and how they have shaped reproductive immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Male
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London,Correspondence address. Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 3rd Floor, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Fulham Road, London SW10 9NH, UK. E-mail:
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22
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Mediratta K, El-Sahli S, D’Costa V, Wang L. Current Progresses and Challenges of Immunotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3529. [PMID: 33256070 PMCID: PMC7761500 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
With improved understanding of the immunogenicity of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), immunotherapy has emerged as a promising candidate to treat this lethal disease owing to the lack of specific targets and effective treatments. While immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has been effectively used in immunotherapy for several types of solid tumor, monotherapies targeting programmed death 1 (PD-1), its ligand PD-L1, or cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) have shown little efficacy for TNBC patients. Over the past few years, various therapeutic candidates have been reviewed, attempting to improve ICI efficacy on TNBC through combinatorial treatment. In this review, we describe the clinical limitations of ICI and illustrate candidates from an immunological, pharmacological, and metabolic perspective that may potentiate therapy to improve the outcomes of TNBC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karan Mediratta
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; (K.M.); (S.E.-S.)
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Sara El-Sahli
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; (K.M.); (S.E.-S.)
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Vanessa D’Costa
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; (K.M.); (S.E.-S.)
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Lisheng Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada; (K.M.); (S.E.-S.)
- Centre for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
- Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
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23
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Boddy AM, Harrison TM, Abegglen LM. Comparative Oncology: New Insights into an Ancient Disease. iScience 2020; 23:101373. [PMID: 32738614 PMCID: PMC7394918 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer has deep evolutionary roots and is an important source of selective pressure in organismal evolution. Yet, we find a great deal of variation in cancer vulnerabilities across the tree of life. Comparative oncology offers insights into why some species vary in their susceptibility to cancer and the mechanisms responsible for the diversity of cancer defenses. Here we provide an overview for why cancer persists across the tree of life. We then summarize current data on cancer in mammals, reptiles, and birds in comparison with commonly reported human cancers. We report on both novel and shared mechanisms of cancer protection in animals. Cross-discipline collaborations, including zoological and aquarium institutions, wildlife and evolutionary biologists, veterinarians, medical doctors, cancer biologists, and oncologists, will be essential for progress in the field of comparative oncology. Improving medical treatment of humans and animals with cancer is the ultimate promise of comparative oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Boddy
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Tara M Harrison
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Lisa M Abegglen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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24
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Pillay P, Moodley K, Vatish M, Moodley J. Exosomal MicroRNAs in Pregnancy Provides Insight into a Possible Cure for Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155384. [PMID: 32751127 PMCID: PMC7432616 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The biological links between cancer and pregnancy are of recent interest due to parallel proliferative, immunosuppressive and invasive mechanisms between tumour and trophoblast development. Therefore, understanding “cancer-like” mechanisms in pregnancy could lead to the development of novel cancer therapeutics, however, little is understood on how tumour and trophoblast cells recapitulate similar molecular mechanisms. Based on our observations from a previous study, it was not only evident that exosomal miRNAs are involved in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia but also contained cancer-specific miRNAs, which suggested that “pseudo-malignant-like” exosomal-mediated mechanisms exist in pregnancy. The presented study therefore aimed to identify exosomal miRNAs (exomiR) in pregnancy which can be repurposed towards preventing tumour metastasis and immunosuppression. It was identified that exomiR-302d-3p, exomiR-223-3p and exomiR-451a, commonly associated with cancer metastasis, were found to be highly expressed in pregnancy. Furthermore, computational merging and meta-analytical pathway analysis (DIANA miRPath) of significantly expressed exomiRs between 38 ± 1.9 vs. 30 ± 1.11 weeks of gestation indicated controlled regulation of biological pathways associated with cancer metastasis and immunosuppression. Therefore, the observations made in this study provide the experimental framework for the repurposing of exosomal miRNA molecular mechanisms in pregnancy towards treating and preventing cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preenan Pillay
- Pearson Institute of Higher Education, Faculty of Applied Science, Johannesburg 2153, South Africa
- Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health, Women’s Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford 38655, UK;
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +27-83-4402-486
| | - Kogi Moodley
- Discipline of Human Physiology, School of Laboratory Medicine & Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa;
| | - Manu Vatish
- Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health, Women’s Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford 38655, UK;
| | - Jagidesa Moodley
- Women’s Health and HIV Research Group, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa;
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25
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Wagner GP, Kshitiz, Levchenko A. Comments on Boddy et al. 2020: Available data suggest positive relationship between placental invasion and malignancy. Evol Med Public Health 2020; 2020:211-214. [PMID: 33214901 PMCID: PMC7658548 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoaa024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Günter P Wagner
- Yale Systems Biology Institute, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Kshitiz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Andre Levchenko
- Yale Systems Biology Institute, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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26
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Boddy AM, Abegglen LM, Aktipis A, Schiffman JD, Maley CC, Witte C. Does placental invasiveness lead to higher rates of malignant transformation in mammals?: Response to: 'Available data suggests positive relationship between placental invasion an malignancy'. Evol Med Public Health 2020; 2020:215-216. [PMID: 33214902 PMCID: PMC7658549 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoaa025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Boddy
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Lisa M Abegglen
- Department of Pediatrics and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Athena Aktipis
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Arizona Cancer and Evolution Center, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Joshua D Schiffman
- Department of Pediatrics and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Carlo C Maley
- Arizona Cancer and Evolution Center, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Carmel Witte
- Disease Investigations, San Diego Zoo Global, San Diego, CA, USA
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27
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Boddy AM, Abegglen LM, Pessier AP, Aktipis A, Schiffman JD, Maley CC, Witte C. Lifetime cancer prevalence and life history traits in mammals. EVOLUTION MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 2020:187-195. [PMID: 33209304 PMCID: PMC7652303 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoaa015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background Cancer is a common diagnosis in many mammalian species, yet they vary in their vulnerability to cancer. The factors driving this variation are unknown, but life history theory offers potential explanations to why cancer defense mechanisms are not equal across species. Methodology Here we report the prevalence of neoplasia and malignancy in 37 mammalian species, representing 11 mammalian orders, using 42 years of well curated necropsy data from the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park. We collected data on life history components of these species and tested for associations between life history traits and both neoplasia and malignancy, while controlling for phylogenetic history. Results These results support Peto's paradox, in that we find no association between lifespan and/or body mass and the prevalence of neoplasia or malignancy. However, a positive relationship exists between litter size and prevalence of malignancy (P = 0.005, Adj. R2 = 0.212), suggesting that a species' life history strategy may influence cancer vulnerabilities. Lastly, we tested for the relationship between placental invasiveness and malignancy. We find no evidence for an association between placental depth and malignancy prevalence (P = 0.618, Adj. R2 = 0.068). Conclusions Life history theory offers a powerful framework to understand variation in cancer defenses across the tree of life. These findings provide insight into the relationship between life history traits and cancer vulnerabilities, which suggest a trade-off between reproduction and cancer defenses. Lay summary Why are some mammals more vulnerable to cancer than others? We test whether life history trade-offs may explain this variation in cancer risk. Bigger, longer-lived animals do not develop more cancer compared to smaller, shorter-lived animals. However, we find a positive association between litter size and cancer prevalence in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Boddy
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Lisa M Abegglen
- Department of Pediatrics and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Allan P Pessier
- Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Athena Aktipis
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.,Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Joshua D Schiffman
- Department of Pediatrics and Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Carlo C Maley
- Arizona Cancer Evolution Center, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Carmel Witte
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, CA, USA
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28
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Uzoigwe CE. Heliovaccination: Solar mediated immunity against cancer. Exp Dermatol 2020; 29:477-480. [DOI: 10.1111/exd.14087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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29
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Somarelli JA, Boddy AM, Gardner HL, DeWitt SB, Tuohy J, Megquier K, Sheth MU, Hsu SD, Thorne JL, London CA, Eward WC. Improving Cancer Drug Discovery by Studying Cancer across the Tree of Life. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:11-17. [PMID: 31688937 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite a considerable expenditure of time and resources and significant advances in experimental models of disease, cancer research continues to suffer from extremely low success rates in translating preclinical discoveries into clinical practice. The continued failure of cancer drug development, particularly late in the course of human testing, not only impacts patient outcomes, but also drives up the cost for those therapies that do succeed. It is clear that a paradigm shift is necessary if improvements in this process are to occur. One promising direction for increasing translational success is comparative oncology-the study of cancer across species, often involving veterinary patients that develop naturally-occurring cancers. Comparative oncology leverages the power of cross-species analyses to understand the fundamental drivers of cancer protective mechanisms, as well as factors contributing to cancer initiation and progression. Clinical trials in veterinary patients with cancer provide an opportunity to evaluate novel therapeutics in a setting that recapitulates many of the key features of human cancers, including genomic aberrations that underly tumor development, response and resistance to treatment, and the presence of comorbidities that can affect outcomes. With a concerted effort from basic scientists, human physicians and veterinarians, comparative oncology has the potential to enhance the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of pipelines for cancer drug discovery and other cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A Somarelli
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.,Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC
| | - Amy M Boddy
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
| | - Heather L Gardner
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA
| | | | - Joanne Tuohy
- Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA
| | - Kate Megquier
- Broad Institute, Massachussettes Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Boston, MA
| | - Maya U Sheth
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.,Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC
| | - Shiaowen David Hsu
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.,Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC
| | - Jeffrey L Thorne
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.,Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
| | - Cheryl A London
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA
| | - William C Eward
- Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC.,Department of Orthopaedics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
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30
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Thomas F, Giraudeau M, Renaud F, Ujvari B, Roche B, Pujol P, Raymond M, Lemaitre JF, Alvergne A. Can postfertile life stages evolve as an anticancer mechanism? PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000565. [PMID: 31805037 PMCID: PMC6917346 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Why a postfertile stage has evolved in females of some species has puzzled evolutionary biologists for over 50 years. We propose that existing adaptive explanations have underestimated in their formulation an important parameter operating both at the specific and the individual levels: the balance between cancer risks and cancer defenses. During their life, most multicellular organisms naturally accumulate oncogenic processes in their body. In parallel, reproduction, notably the pregnancy process in mammals, exacerbates the progression of existing tumors in females. When, for various ecological or evolutionary reasons, anticancer defenses are too weak, given cancer risk, older females could not pursue their reproduction without triggering fatal metastatic cancers, nor even maintain a normal reproductive physiology if the latter also promotes the growth of existing oncogenic processes, e.g., hormone-dependent malignancies. At least until stronger anticancer defenses are selected for in these species, females could achieve higher inclusive fitness by ceasing their reproduction and/or going through menopause (assuming that these traits are easier to select than anticancer defenses), thereby limiting the risk of premature death due to metastatic cancers. Because relatively few species experience such an evolutionary mismatch between anticancer defenses and cancer risks, the evolution of prolonged life after reproduction could also be a rare, potentially transient, anticancer adaptation in the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Thomas
- Centre de Recherches Ecologiques et Evolutives sur le Cancer/Centre de Recherches en Ecologie et Evolution de la Santé, Unité Mixte de Recherches, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement 224-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Mathieu Giraudeau
- Centre de Recherches Ecologiques et Evolutives sur le Cancer/Centre de Recherches en Ecologie et Evolution de la Santé, Unité Mixte de Recherches, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement 224-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - François Renaud
- Centre de Recherches Ecologiques et Evolutives sur le Cancer/Centre de Recherches en Ecologie et Evolution de la Santé, Unité Mixte de Recherches, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement 224-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Beata Ujvari
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Benjamin Roche
- Centre de Recherches Ecologiques et Evolutives sur le Cancer/Centre de Recherches en Ecologie et Evolution de la Santé, Unité Mixte de Recherches, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement 224-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Unité mixte internationale de Modélisation Mathématique et Informatique des Systèmes Complexes, Unité Mixte de Recherches, Institut de Recherches pour le développement/Sorbonne Université, France
- Departamento de Etología, Fauna Silvestre y Animales de Laboratorio, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México, México
| | - Pascal Pujol
- Centre de Recherches Ecologiques et Evolutives sur le Cancer/Centre de Recherches en Ecologie et Evolution de la Santé, Unité Mixte de Recherches, Institut de Recherches pour le Développement 224-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- CHU Arnaud de Villeneuve, Montpellier, France
| | - Michel Raymond
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-François Lemaitre
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité mixte de recherche 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université Lyon 1 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Alexandra Alvergne
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
- Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
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Evolution of placental invasion and cancer metastasis are causally linked. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:1743-1753. [PMID: 31768023 PMCID: PMC7340496 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-1046-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Among mammals, placental invasion is correlated with vulnerability to malignancy. Animals with more invasive placentation (e.g. humans) are more vulnerable to malignancy. To explain this correlation, we propose the hypothesis of Evolved Levels of Invasibility: the evolution of invasibility of stromal tissue affects both, placental and cancer invasion. We provide evidence for this hypothesis using an in vitro model. We find that bovine endometrial and skin fibroblasts are more resistant to invasion than their human counterparts. Gene expression profiling identified genes with high expression in human but not in bovine fibroblasts. Knocking down a subset of them in human fibroblasts leads to stronger resistance to cancer cell invasion. Identifying the evolutionary determinants of stromal invasibility can provide significant insights to develop rational anti-metastatic therapeutics.
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Abstract
This paper surveys some of the important insights that molecular evolution has contributed to evolutionary medicine; they include phage therapy, cancer biology, helminth manipulation of the host immune system, quality control of gametes, and pathogen outbreaks. Molecular evolution has helped to revolutionize our understanding of cancer, of autoimmune disease, and of the origin, spread, and pathogenesis of emerging diseases, where it has suggested new therapies, illuminated mechanisms, and revealed historical processes: all have practical therapeutic implications. While much has been accomplished, much remains to be done.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen C Stearns
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, PO Box 208106, New Haven, CT, 06520-8106, USA.
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33
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Callier V. Core Concept: Solving Peto's Paradox to better understand cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:1825-1828. [PMID: 30723181 PMCID: PMC6369797 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1821517116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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34
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Bronchud MH. Are aggressive epithelial cancers 'a disease' of Eutherian mammals? Ecancermedicalscience 2018; 12:840. [PMID: 30034517 PMCID: PMC6027979 DOI: 10.3332/ecancer.2018.840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Placental immune editing switches (PIES) have not evolved to prevent or to cause cancer but to make feto-maternal immune tolerance possible, which is at the very core of our placental mammalian ('Eutherian') nature. Aggressive epithelial cancers might be an unfortunate 'side effect' of this highly sophisticated biological nature. Microenvironmental properties in the placenta and decidua are thought to be a key to feto-maternal immune tolerance. Recently, in 2016-2018, we published the first human genomic and epigenomic evidence of similar gene expression profiles in immune regulatory genes in cancer (primary lobular infiltrating breast cancer and ipsilateral axillary metastatic lymph nodes) and both placenta and decidua of the same young patient with breast carcinoma during pregnancy. These findings led us to speculate that ectopic expression, or repression, of 'PIES' might be used by cancer cells during carcinogenesis or cancer progression to elude immune vigilance in spite of tumour-associated antigens or evolving neo antigenic landscapes. Cancers are well known to frequently express embryonic antigens, such as carcinoembryonic antigen, used as cancer markers and detectable in the blood circulation, or to express ectopic hormones. Why should cancer cells invent de novo complex new immune suppression mechanisms, if they could simply use innate ones developed during the long-term evolution of placental mammals in order to hide fetal paternal antigens from the mother's own immune system? Monotremata (Prototheria-like Echidnas or Platypus Ornithoryncus) are nonplacental egg-laying mammals and, in spite of rudimentary breast epithelial ducts and lobules, they are seldom reported to suffer from aggressive breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel H Bronchud
- GenesisCare Corachan Clinic, Calle Buigas 19, 08017 Barcelona, Spain
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35
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Costanzo V, Bardelli A, Siena S, Abrignani S. Exploring the links between cancer and placenta development. Open Biol 2018; 8:180081. [PMID: 29950452 PMCID: PMC6030113 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.180081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of metastatic cancer is a multistage process, which often requires decades to complete. Impairments in DNA damage control and DNA repair in cancer cell precursors generate genetically heterogeneous cell populations. However, despite heterogeneity most solid cancers have stereotypical behaviours, including invasiveness and suppression of immune responses that can be unleashed with immunotherapy targeting lymphocyte checkpoints. The mechanisms leading to the acquisition of stereotypical properties remain poorly understood. Reactivation of embryonic development processes in cells with unstable genomes might contribute to tumour expansion and metastasis formation. However, it is unclear whether these events are linked to immune response modulation. Tumours and embryos have non-self-components and need to avoid immune responses in their microenvironment. In mammalian embryos, neo-antigens are of paternal origin, while in tumour cells DNA mismatch repair and replication defects generate them. Inactivation of the maternal immune response towards the embryo, which occurs at the placental-maternal interface, is key to ensuring embryonic development. This regulation is accomplished by the trophoblast, which mimics several malignant cell features, including the ability to invade normal tissues and to avoid host immune responses, often adopting the same cancer immunoediting strategies. A better understanding as to whether and how genotoxic stress promotes cancer development through reactivation of programmes occurring during early stages of mammalian placentation could help to clarify resistance to drugs targeting immune checkpoint and DNA damage responses and to develop new therapeutic strategies to eradicate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Costanzo
- IFOM, The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, University of Milan Medical School, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology, University of Milan Medical School, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Bardelli
- Candiolo Cancer Institute-FPO, IRCCS, University of Turin, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Candiolo, Turin, Italy
| | - Salvatore Siena
- Department of Oncology, University of Milan Medical School, Milan, Italy
- Niguarda Cancer Center, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Sergio Abrignani
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
- University of Milan Medical School, Milan, Italy
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36
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Altinoz MA, Ozpinar A, Elmaci I. Reproductive epidemiology of glial tumors may reveal novel treatments: high-dose progestins or progesterone antagonists as endocrino-immune modifiers against glioma. Neurosurg Rev 2018; 42:351-369. [DOI: 10.1007/s10143-018-0953-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Single-cell transcriptomics of the human placenta: inferring the cell communication network of the maternal-fetal interface. Genome Res 2017; 27:349-361. [PMID: 28174237 PMCID: PMC5340963 DOI: 10.1101/gr.207597.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Organismal function is, to a great extent, determined by interactions among their fundamental building blocks, the cells. In this work, we studied the cell-cell interactome of fetal placental trophoblast cells and maternal endometrial stromal cells, using single-cell transcriptomics. The placental interface mediates the interaction between two semiallogenic individuals, the mother and the fetus, and is thus the epitome of cell interactions. To study these, we inferred the cell-cell interactome by assessing the gene expression of receptor-ligand pairs across cell types. We find a highly cell-type-specific expression of G-protein-coupled receptors, implying that ligand-receptor profiles could be a reliable tool for cell type identification. Furthermore, we find that uterine decidual cells represent a cell-cell interaction hub with a large number of potential incoming and outgoing signals. Decidual cells differentiate from their precursors, the endometrial stromal fibroblasts, during uterine preparation for pregnancy. We show that decidualization (even in vitro) enhances the ability to communicate with the fetus, as most of the receptors and ligands up-regulated during decidualization have their counterpart expressed in trophoblast cells. Among the signals transmitted, growth factors and immune signals dominate, and suggest a delicate balance of enhancing and suppressive signals. Finally, this study provides a rich resource of gene expression profiles of term intravillous and extravillous trophoblasts, including the transcriptome of the multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast.
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38
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Epigenetic modifications at DMRs of placental genes are subjected to variations in normal gestation, pathological conditions and folate supplementation. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40774. [PMID: 28098215 PMCID: PMC5241688 DOI: 10.1038/srep40774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive placentation and cancer development shares many similar molecular and epigenetic pathways. Paternally expressed, growth promoting genes (SNRPN, PEG10 and MEST) which are known to play crucial role in tumorogenesis, are not well studied during placentation. This study reports for the first time of the impact of gestational-age, pathological conditions and folic acid supplementation on dynamic nature of DNA and histone methylation present at their differentially methylated regions (DMRs). Here, we reported the association between low DNA methylation/H3K27me3 and higher expression of SNRPN, PEG10 and MEST in highly proliferating normal early gestational placenta. Molar and preeclamptic placental villi, exhibited aberrant changes in methylation levels at DMRs of these genes, leading to higher and lower expression of these genes, respectively, in reference to their respective control groups. Moreover, folate supplementation could induce gene specific changes in mRNA expression in placental cell lines. Further, MEST and SNRPN DMRs were observed to show the potential to act as novel fetal DNA markers in maternal plasma. Thus, variation in methylation levels at these DMRs regulate normal placentation and placental disorders. Additionally, the methylation at these DMRs might also be susceptible to folic acid supplementation and has the potential to be utilized in clinical diagnosis.
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39
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Kin K, Maziarz J, Chavan AR, Kamat M, Vasudevan S, Birt A, Emera D, Lynch VJ, Ott TL, Pavlicev M, Wagner GP. The Transcriptomic Evolution of Mammalian Pregnancy: Gene Expression Innovations in Endometrial Stromal Fibroblasts. Genome Biol Evol 2016; 8:2459-73. [PMID: 27401177 PMCID: PMC5010902 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The endometrial stromal fibroblast (ESF) is a cell type present in the uterine lining of therian mammals. In the stem lineage of eutherian mammals, ESF acquired the ability to differentiate into decidual cells in order to allow embryo implantation. We call the latter cell type "neo-ESF" in contrast to "paleo-ESF" which is homologous to eutherian ESF but is not able to decidualize. In this study, we compare the transcriptomes of ESF from six therian species: Opossum (Monodelphis domestica; paleo-ESF), mink, rat, rabbit, human (all neo-ESF), and cow (secondarily nondecidualizing neo-ESF). We find evidence for strong stabilizing selection on transcriptome composition suggesting that the expression of approximately 5,600 genes is maintained by natural selection. The evolution of neo-ESF from paleo-ESF involved the following gene expression changes: Loss of expression of genes related to inflammation and immune response, lower expression of genes opposing tissue invasion, increased markers for proliferation as well as the recruitment of FOXM1, a key gene transiently expressed during decidualization. Signaling pathways also evolve rapidly and continue to evolve within eutherian lineages. In the bovine lineage, where invasiveness and decidualization were secondarily lost, we see a re-expression of genes found in opossum, most prominently WISP2, and a loss of gene expression related to angiogenesis. The data from this and previous studies support a scenario, where the proinflammatory paleo-ESF was reprogrammed to express anti-inflammatory genes in response to the inflammatory stimulus coming from the implanting conceptus and thus paving the way for extended, trans-cyclic gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koryu Kin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jamie Maziarz
- Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Arun R Chavan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Manasi Kamat
- Department of Animal Science, Center for Reproductive Biology and Health, Pennsylvania State University, Stage College, Pennsylvania
| | - Sreelakshmi Vasudevan
- Department of Animal Science, Center for Reproductive Biology and Health, Pennsylvania State University, Stage College, Pennsylvania
| | - Alyssa Birt
- Department of Animal Science, Center for Reproductive Biology and Health, Pennsylvania State University, Stage College, Pennsylvania
| | - Deena Emera
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Vincent J Lynch
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Troy L Ott
- Department of Animal Science, Center for Reproductive Biology and Health, Pennsylvania State University, Stage College, Pennsylvania
| | - Mihaela Pavlicev
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Günter P Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
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40
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Boddy AM, Kokko H, Breden F, Wilkinson GS, Aktipis CA. Cancer susceptibility and reproductive trade-offs: a model of the evolution of cancer defences. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 370:rstb.2014.0220. [PMID: 26056364 PMCID: PMC4581025 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The factors influencing cancer susceptibility and why it varies across species are major open questions in the field of cancer biology. One underexplored source of variation in cancer susceptibility may arise from trade-offs between reproductive competitiveness (e.g. sexually selected traits, earlier reproduction and higher fertility) and cancer defence. We build a model that contrasts the probabilistic onset of cancer with other, extrinsic causes of mortality and use it to predict that intense reproductive competition will lower cancer defences and increase cancer incidence. We explore the trade-off between cancer defences and intraspecific competition across different extrinsic mortality conditions and different levels of trade-off intensity, and find the largest effect of competition on cancer in species where low extrinsic mortality combines with strong trade-offs. In such species, selection to delay cancer and selection to outcompete conspecifics are both strong, and the latter conflicts with the former. We discuss evidence for the assumed trade-off between reproductive competitiveness and cancer susceptibility. Sexually selected traits such as ornaments or large body size require high levels of cell proliferation and appear to be associated with greater cancer susceptibility. Similar associations exist for female traits such as continuous egg-laying in domestic hens and earlier reproductive maturity. Trade-offs between reproduction and cancer defences may be instantiated by a variety of mechanisms, including higher levels of growth factors and hormones, less efficient cell-cycle control and less DNA repair, or simply a larger number of cell divisions (relevant when reproductive success requires large body size or rapid reproductive cycles). These mechanisms can affect intra- and interspecific variation in cancer susceptibility arising from rapid cell proliferation during reproductive maturation, intrasexual competition and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Boddy
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA Center for Evolution and Cancer, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hanna Kokko
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Felix Breden
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Gerald S Wilkinson
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - C Athena Aktipis
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA Center for Evolution and Cancer, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, 14193 Berlin, Germany
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41
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Haig D. Maternal-fetal conflict, genomic imprinting and mammalian vulnerabilities to cancer. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 370:rstb.2014.0178. [PMID: 26056362 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Antagonistic coevolution between maternal and fetal genes, and between maternally and paternally derived genes may have increased mammalian vulnerability to cancer. Placental trophoblast has evolved to invade maternal tissues and evade structural and immunological constraints on its invasion. These adaptations can be co-opted by cancer in intrasomatic selection. Imprinted genes of maternal and paternal origin favour different degrees of proliferation of particular cell types in which they reside. As a result, the set of genes favouring greater proliferation will be selected to evade controls on cell-cycle progression imposed by the set of genes favouring lesser proliferation. The dynamics of stem cell populations will be a particular focus of this intragenomic conflict. Gene networks that are battlegrounds of intragenomic conflict are expected to be less robust than networks that evolve in the absence of conflict. By these processes, maternal-fetal and intragenomic conflicts may undermine evolved defences against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Haig
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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Differential regulation of antagonistic pleiotropy in synthetic and natural populations suggests its role in adaptation. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2015; 5:699-709. [PMID: 25711830 PMCID: PMC4426359 DOI: 10.1534/g3.115.017020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Antagonistic pleiotropy (AP), the ability of a gene to show opposing effects in different phenotypes, has been identified in various life history traits and complex disorders, indicating its fundamental role in balancing fitness over the course of evolution. It is intuitive that natural selection might maintain AP to allow organisms phenotypic flexibility in different environments. However, despite several attempts, little evidence exists for its role in adaptation. We performed a meta-analysis in yeast to identify the genetic basis of AP in bi-parental segregants, natural isolates, and a laboratory strain genome-wide deletion collection, by comparing growth in favorable and stress conditions. We found that whereas AP was abundant in the synthetic populations, it was absent in the natural isolates. This finding indicated resolution of trade-offs, i.e., mitigation of trade-offs over evolutionary history, probably through accumulation of compensatory mutations. In the deletion collection, organizational genes showed AP, suggesting ancient resolutions of trade-offs in the basic cellular pathways. We find abundant AP in the segregants, greater than estimated in the deletion collection or observed in previous studies, with IRA2, a negative regulator of the Ras/PKA signaling pathway, showing trade-offs across diverse environments. Additionally, IRA2 and several other Ras/PKA pathway genes showed balancing selection in isolates of S. cerevisiae and S. paradoxus, indicating that multiple alleles maintain AP in this pathway in natural populations. We propose that during AP resolution, retaining the ability to vary signaling pathways such as Ras/PKA, may provide organisms with phenotypic flexibility. However, with increasing organismal complexity AP resolution may become difficult. A partial resolution of AP could manifest as complex human diseases, and the inability to resolve AP may play a role in speciation. Our findings suggest that testing a universal phenomenon like AP across multiple experimental systems may elucidate mechanisms underlying its regulation and evolution.
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Danastas K, Combes V, Lindsay LA, Grau GER, Thompson MB, Murphy CR. VEGF111: new insights in tissue invasion. Front Physiol 2015; 6:2. [PMID: 25657624 PMCID: PMC4302830 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2015.00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor is a secreted glycoprotein that acts on endothelial cells to induce developmental and physiological angiogenesis. It has also been implicated in angiogenesis occurring in several pathologies, most notably, cancer. Alternative splicing of VEGF mRNA transcripts results in several isoforms with distinct properties depending on their exon composition. Recently, a new isoform has been identified, VEGF111 with a unique exon composition responsible for its high angiogenic potential. In humans, the only known inducer of VEGF111 is DNA damage but its natural presence in the uterus of the viviparous lizard, Saiphos equalis, suggests other mechanisms of regulation. Most interestingly, the possible relationship between the evolution of viviparity and the associated increased risk in developing cancer may be important in understanding the mechanisms underlying tumor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Danastas
- Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medical Sciences, Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Valery Combes
- Discipline of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Laura A Lindsay
- Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medical Sciences, Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Georges E R Grau
- Discipline of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael B Thompson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christopher R Murphy
- Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medical Sciences, Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney Sydney, NSW, Australia
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