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Amero P, Khatua S, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Lopez-Berestein G. Aptamers: Novel Therapeutics and Potential Role in Neuro-Oncology. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12102889. [PMID: 33050158 PMCID: PMC7600320 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12102889] [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: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A relatively new paradigm in cancer therapeutics is the use of cancer cell-specific aptamers, both as therapeutic agents and for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs. After the first therapeutic aptamer was described nearly 25 years ago, and the subsequent first aptamer drug approved, many efforts have been made to translate preclinical research into clinical oncology settings. Studies of aptamer-based technology have unveiled the vast potential of aptamers in therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Among pediatric solid cancers, brain tumors are the leading cause of death. Although a few aptamer-related translational studies have been performed in adult glioblastoma, the use of aptamers in pediatric neuro-oncology remains unexplored. This review will discuss the biology of aptamers, including mechanisms of targeting cell surface proteins, various modifications of aptamer structure to enhance therapeutic efficacy, the current state and challenges of aptamer use in neuro-oncology, and the potential therapeutic role of aptamers in pediatric brain tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Amero
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA;
| | - Soumen Khatua
- Division of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Cristian Rodriguez-Aguayo
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA;
- Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
- Correspondence: (C.R.-A.); (G.L.-B.); Tel.: +1-713-563-6150 (C.R.-A.); +1-713-792-8140 (G.L.-B.)
| | - Gabriel Lopez-Berestein
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA;
- Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence: (C.R.-A.); (G.L.-B.); Tel.: +1-713-563-6150 (C.R.-A.); +1-713-792-8140 (G.L.-B.)
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Xiu MX, Liu YM. The role of oncogenic Notch2 signaling in cancer: a novel therapeutic target. Am J Cancer Res 2019; 9:837-854. [PMID: 31218097 PMCID: PMC6556604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Deregulated Notch signaling is a key factor thought to facilitate the stem-like proliferation of cancer cells, thereby facilitating disease progression. Four subtypes of Notch receptor have been described to date, with each playing a distinct role in cancer development and progression, therefore warranting a careful and comprehensive examination of the targeting of each receptor subtype in the context of oncogenesis. Clinical efforts to translate the DAPT, which blocks Notch signaling, have been unsuccessful due to a combination of serious gastrointestinal side effects and a lack of complete blocking efficacy. There is therefore a clear need to identify better therapeutic strategies for targeting and manipulating Notch signaling. Notch2 is a Notch receptor that is commonly overexpressed in a range of cancers, and which is linked to a unique oncogenic mechanism. Successful efforts to block Notch2 signaling will depend upon doing so both efficiently and specifically in patients. As such, in the present review we will explore the role of Notch2 signaling in the development and progression of cancer, and we will assess agents and strategies with the potential to effectively disrupt Notch2 signaling and thereby yield novel cancer treatment regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Xi Xiu
- Medical School of Nanchang University Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yuan-Meng Liu
- Medical School of Nanchang University Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
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Catanzaro G, Besharat ZM, Miele E, Chiacchiarini M, Po A, Carai A, Marras CE, Antonelli M, Badiali M, Raso A, Mascelli S, Schrimpf D, Stichel D, Tartaglia M, Capper D, von Deimling A, Giangaspero F, Mastronuzzi A, Locatelli F, Ferretti E. The miR-139-5p regulates proliferation of supratentorial paediatric low-grade gliomas by targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 signalling. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2018; 44:687-706. [PMID: 29478280 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Paediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs) are a heterogeneous group of brain tumours associated with a high overall survival: however, they are prone to recur and supratentorial lesions are difficult to resect, being associated with high percentage of disease recurrence. Our aim was to shed light on the biology of pLGGs. METHODS We performed microRNA profiling on 45 fresh-frozen grade I tumour samples of various histological classes, resected from patients aged ≤16 years. We identified 93 microRNAs specifically dysregulated in tumours as compared to non-neoplastic brain tissue. Pathway analysis of the microRNAs signature revealed PI3K/AKT signalling as one of the centrally enriched oncogenic signalling. To date, activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway in pLGGs has been reported, although activation mechanisms have not been fully investigated yet. RESULTS One of the most markedly down-regulated microRNAs in our supratentorial pLGGs cohort was miR-139-5p, whose targets include the gene encoding the PI3K's (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) catalytic unit, PIK3CA. We investigated the role of miR-139-5p in regulating PI3K/AKT signalling by the use of human cell cultures derived from supratentorial pLGGs. MiR-139-5p overexpression inhibited pLGG cell proliferation and decreased the phosphorylation of PI3K target AKT and phosphorylated-p70 S6 kinase (p-p70 S6K), a hallmark of PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 signalling activation. The effect of miR-139-5p was mediated by PI3K inhibition, as suggested by the decrease in proliferation and phosphorylation of AKT and p70 S6K after treatment with the direct PI3K inhibitor LY294002. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide the first evidence that down-regulation of miR-139-5p in supratentorial pLGG drives cell proliferation by derepressing PI3K/AKT signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Catanzaro
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Z M Besharat
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - E Miele
- Center for Life NanoScience@Sapienza, IIT, Rome, Italy
| | - M Chiacchiarini
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life NanoScience@Sapienza, IIT, Rome, Italy
| | - A Po
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - A Carai
- Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - C E Marras
- Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - M Antonelli
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Science, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - M Badiali
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Microcitemico Children's Hospital, Cagliari, Italy
| | - A Raso
- Giannina Gaslini Institute, Genoa, Italy
| | - S Mascelli
- Giannina Gaslini Institute, Genoa, Italy
| | - D Schrimpf
- Department of Neuropathology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Clinical Cooperation Unit (CCU) Neuropathology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - D Stichel
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Clinical Cooperation Unit (CCU) Neuropathology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - M Tartaglia
- Genetics and Rare Diseases Research Division, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - D Capper
- Department of Neuropathology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Clinical Cooperation Unit (CCU) Neuropathology, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Neuropathology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - A von Deimling
- Department of Neuropathology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Clinical Cooperation Unit (CCU) Neuropathology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - F Giangaspero
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Science, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - A Mastronuzzi
- Department of Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - F Locatelli
- Department of Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - E Ferretti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
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Abstract
Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is the most common pediatric brain tumor in children. PAs are a distinct histologic and biologic subset of glioma that have a slow growth rate and may even spontaneously regress. These tumors tend to arise in the cerebellum and chiasmatic/hypothalamic region, but can also occur in other regions of the central nervous system. Dissemination is uncommon, but may occur in newly diagnosed PAs. Alterations in the Ras/RAF/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway (Ras/ERK) have been discovered in a majority of PAs, with KIAA1549-BRAF fusions being the most commonly identified alteration. Children with neurofibromatosis 1 are predisposed to developing PAs, primarily within the optic pathway. When required, treatment consists of surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation, although new molecular agents targeting the Ras/ERK and related signaling pathways are promising new approaches. The 10-year survival rates are greater than 90% in pediatric patients; however, they are poorer in adults. Tumors that are amenable to complete resection (i.e., cerebellum and cortex) have the best overall survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Bornhorst
- Gilbert Family Neurofibromatosis Institute and Brain Tumor Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Didier Frappaz
- Department of Pediatric and Adult Neuro-oncology, Centre Léon Bérard and Institute of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Lyon, France
| | - Roger J Packer
- Gilbert Family Neurofibromatosis Institute and Brain Tumor Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, USA.
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Pharmacologic Wnt Inhibition Reduces Proliferation, Survival, and Clonogenicity of Glioblastoma Cells. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2015. [PMID: 26222502 DOI: 10.1097/nen.0000000000000227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Wingless (Wnt) signaling is an important pathway in gliomagenesis and in the growth of stem-like glioma cells. Using immunohistochemistry to assess the translocation of β-catenin protein, we identified intranuclear staining suggesting Wnt pathway activation in 8 of 43 surgical samples (19%) from adult patients with glioblastoma and in 9 of 30 surgical samples (30%) from pediatric patients with glioblastoma. Wnt activity, evidenced by nuclear β-catenin in our cohort and high expression of its target AXIN2 (axis inhibitor protein 2) in published glioma datasets, was associated with shorter patient survival, although this was not statistically significant. We determined the effects of the porcupine inhibitor LGK974 on 3 glioblastoma cell lines with elevated AXIN2 and found that it reduced Wnt pathway activity by 50% or more, as assessed by T-cell factor luciferase reporters. Wnt inhibition led to suppression of growth, proliferation in cultures, and modest induction of cell death. LGK974 reduced NANOG messenger RNA levels and the fraction of cells expressing the stem cell marker CD133 in neurosphere cultures, induced glial differentiation, and suppressed clonogenicity. These data indicate that LGK974 is a promising new agent that can inhibit the canonical Wnt pathway in vitro, slow tumor growth, and deplete stem-like clonogenic cells, thereby providing further support for targeting Wnt in patients with glioblastoma.
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