1
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Jeon CY, Arain MA, Korc M, Kozarek RA, Phillips AE. Bidirectional relationship between acute pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Curr Opin Gastroenterol 2024:00001574-990000000-00156. [PMID: 38935270 DOI: 10.1097/mog.0000000000001051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The burdens of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and acute pancreatitis are increasing globally. We reviewed current literature on whether acute pancreatitis is a causal factor for PDAC and examined clinical manifestations of PDAC-associated acute pancreatitis. RECENT FINDINGS Recent findings detail the timing of acute pancreatitis before and after PDAC occurrence, further solidifying the evidence for PDAC-associated acute pancreatitis and for acute pancreatitis as a causal risk factor for PDAC. The risk of PDAC remains elevated above the general population in patients with distant history of acute pancreatitis. PDAC risk also increases with recurrent acute pancreatitis episodes, independent of smoking and alcohol. Mechanisms linking acute pancreatitis to PDAC include inflammation and neutrophil infiltration, which can be attenuated by suppressing inflammation and/or epigenetic modulation, thus slowing the progression of acinar-to-ductal metaplasia. Clinical presentation and management of acute pancreatitis in the context of PDAC are discussed, including challenges acute pancreatitis poses in the diagnosis and treatment of PDAC, and novel interventions for PDAC-associated acute pancreatitis. SUMMARY PDAC risk may be reduced with improved acute pancreatitis prevention and treatment, such as antiinflammatories or epigenetic modulators. Increased acute pancreatitis and PDAC burden warrant more research on better diagnosis and management of PDAC-associated acute pancreatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christie Y Jeon
- Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Mustafa A Arain
- Center for Interventional Endoscopy, AdventHealth, Orlando, Florida
| | - Murray Korc
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | | | - Anna E Phillips
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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2
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Yuan S, Almagro J, Fuchs E. Beyond genetics: driving cancer with the tumour microenvironment behind the wheel. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:274-286. [PMID: 38347101 PMCID: PMC11077468 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00660-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Cancer has long been viewed as a genetic disease of cumulative mutations. This notion is fuelled by studies showing that ageing tissues are often riddled with clones of complex oncogenic backgrounds coexisting in seeming harmony with their normal tissue counterparts. Equally puzzling, however, is how cancer cells harbouring high mutational burden contribute to normal, tumour-free mice when allowed to develop within the confines of healthy embryos. Conversely, recent evidence suggests that adult tissue cells expressing only one or a few oncogenes can, in some contexts, generate tumours exhibiting many of the features of a malignant, invasive cancer. These disparate observations are difficult to reconcile without invoking environmental cues triggering epigenetic changes that can either dampen or drive malignant transformation. In this Review, we focus on how certain oncogenes can launch a two-way dialogue of miscommunication between a stem cell and its environment that can rewire downstream events non-genetically and skew the morphogenetic course of the tissue. We review the cells and molecules of and the physical forces acting in the resulting tumour microenvironments that can profoundly affect the behaviours of transformed cells. Finally, we discuss possible explanations for the remarkable diversity in the relative importance of mutational burden versus tumour microenvironment and its clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaopeng Yuan
- Robin Chemers Neustein Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jorge Almagro
- Robin Chemers Neustein Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elaine Fuchs
- Robin Chemers Neustein Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA.
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3
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Mitchell MI, Ben-Dov IZ, Liu C, Wang T, Hazan RB, Bauer TL, Zakrzewski J, Donnelly K, Chow K, Ma J, Loudig O. Non-invasive detection of orthotopic human lung tumors by microRNA expression profiling of mouse exhaled breath condensates and exhaled extracellular vesicles. EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES AND CIRCULATING NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 5:138-164. [PMID: 38863869 PMCID: PMC11165456 DOI: 10.20517/evcna.2023.77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Aim The lung is the second most frequent site of metastatic dissemination. Early detection is key to improving survival. Given that the lung interfaces with the external environment, the collection of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) provides the opportunity to obtain biological material including exhaled miRNAs that originate from the lung. Methods In this proof-of-principal study, we used the highly metastatic MDA-MB-231 subline 3475 breast cancer cell line (LM-3475) to establish an orthotopic lung tumor-bearing mouse model and investigate non-invasive detection of lung tumors by analysis of exhaled miRNAs. We initially conducted miRNA NGS and qPCR validation analyses on condensates collected from unrestrained animals and identified significant miRNA expression differences between the condensates of lung tumor-bearing and control mice. To focus our purification of EBC and evaluate the origin of these differentially expressed miRNAs, we developed a system to collect EBC directly from the nose and mouth of our mice. Results Using nanoparticle distribution analyses, TEM, and ONi super-resolution nanoimaging, we determined that human tumor EVs could be increasingly detected in mouse EBC during the progression of secondary lung tumors. Using our customizable EV-CATCHER assay, we purified human tumor EVs from mouse EBC and demonstrated that the bulk of differentially expressed exhaled miRNAs originate from lung tumors, which could be detected by qPCR within 1 to 2 weeks after tail vein injection of the metastatic cells. Conclusion This study is the first of its kind and demonstrates that lung tumor EVs are exhaled in mice and provide non-invasive biomarkers for detection of lung tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan I. Mitchell
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
- Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, Hackensack, NJ 07601, USA
| | - Iddo Z. Ben-Dov
- Laboratory of Medical Transcriptomics, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Christina Liu
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Rachel B. Hazan
- Department of Pathology, The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Thomas L. Bauer
- Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, Neptune City, NJ 07753, USA
| | - Johannes Zakrzewski
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
- Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, Hackensack, NJ 07601, USA
| | - Kathryn Donnelly
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
| | - Kar Chow
- Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, Hackensack, NJ 07601, USA
| | - Junfeng Ma
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Olivier Loudig
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
- Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, Hackensack, NJ 07601, USA
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4
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Geißert R, Lammert A, Wirth S, Hönig R, Lohfink D, Unger M, Pek D, Schlüter K, Scheftschik T, Smit DJ, Jücker M, Menke A, Giehl K. K-Ras(V12) differentially affects the three Akt isoforms in lung and pancreatic carcinoma cells and upregulates E-cadherin and NCAM via Akt3. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:85. [PMID: 38291468 PMCID: PMC10826106 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01484-2] [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: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
K-Ras is the most frequently mutated Ras variant in pancreatic, colon and non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma. Activating mutations in K-Ras result in increased amounts of active Ras-GTP and subsequently a hyperactivation of effector proteins and downstream signaling pathways. Here, we demonstrate that oncogenic K-Ras(V12) regulates tumor cell migration by activating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3-K)/Akt pathway and induces the expression of E-cadherin and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) by upregulation of Akt3. In vitro interaction and co-precipitation assays identified PI3-Kα as a bona fide effector of active K-Ras4B but not of H-Ras or N-Ras, resulting in enhanced Akt phosphorylation. Moreover, K-Ras(V12)-induced PI3-K/Akt activation enhanced migration in all analyzed cell lines. Interestingly, Western blot analyses with Akt isoform-specific antibodies as well as qPCR studies revealed, that the amount and the activity of Akt3 was markedly increased whereas the amount of Akt1 and Akt2 was downregulated in EGFP-K-Ras(V12)-expressing cell clones. To investigate the functional role of each Akt isoform and a possible crosstalk of the isoforms in more detail, each isoform was stably depleted in PANC-1 pancreatic and H23 lung carcinoma cells. Akt3, the least expressed Akt isoform in most cell lines, is especially upregulated and active in Akt2-depleted cells. Since expression of EGFP-K-Ras(V12) reduced E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion by induction of polysialylated NCAM, Akt3 was analyzed as regulator of E-cadherin and NCAM. Western blot analyses revealed pronounced reduction of E-cadherin and NCAM in the Akt3-kd cells, whereas Akt1 and Akt2 depletion upregulated E-cadherin, especially in H23 lung carcinoma cells. In summary, we identified oncogenic K-Ras4B as a key regulator of PI3-Kα-Akt signaling and Akt3 as a crucial regulator of K-Ras4B-induced modulation of E-cadherin and NCAM expression and localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekka Geißert
- Signal Transduction of Cellular Motility, Internal Medicine IV, Science Unit for Basic and Clinical Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Aulweg 128, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Angela Lammert
- Signal Transduction of Cellular Motility, Internal Medicine IV, Science Unit for Basic and Clinical Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Aulweg 128, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Stefanie Wirth
- Signal Transduction of Cellular Motility, Internal Medicine IV, Science Unit for Basic and Clinical Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Aulweg 128, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Rabea Hönig
- Signal Transduction of Cellular Motility, Internal Medicine IV, Science Unit for Basic and Clinical Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Aulweg 128, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Dirk Lohfink
- Molecular Oncology of Solid Tumors, Internal Medicine IV, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Aulweg 128, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Monika Unger
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ulm, D-89069, Ulm, Germany
| | - Denis Pek
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Ulm, D-89069, Ulm, Germany
| | - Konstantin Schlüter
- Signal Transduction of Cellular Motility, Internal Medicine IV, Science Unit for Basic and Clinical Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Aulweg 128, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Theresa Scheftschik
- Molecular Oncology of Solid Tumors, Internal Medicine IV, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Aulweg 128, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Daniel J Smit
- Institute of Biochemistry and Signal Transduction, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, D-20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Manfred Jücker
- Institute of Biochemistry and Signal Transduction, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, D-20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andre Menke
- Molecular Oncology of Solid Tumors, Internal Medicine IV, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Aulweg 128, D-35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Klaudia Giehl
- Signal Transduction of Cellular Motility, Internal Medicine IV, Science Unit for Basic and Clinical Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Aulweg 128, D-35392, Giessen, Germany.
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5
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Papaioannou VE, Behringer RR. The "No Phenotype" Challenge in Analyzing Mutant Mice. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2024; 2024:107977. [PMID: 37932097 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.over107977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
If homozygous mutant mice survive to adulthood, are fertile, and have no visible phenotypes attributable to mutation of the relevant gene, there are a number of possible reasons why an effect of the mutation is not evident. Technical errors that might have occurred during gene targeting or genotyping must first be eliminated. Variable penetrance of the mutation should be considered as well as the possibility of age-related or late-onset phenotypes, such as tumor formation or other pathologies. The gene expression pattern and nature of the protein product of the gene could provide clues. A number of simple tests can be applied to uncover cryptic phenotypes that are not easily seen on casual inspection (e.g., tests of the senses and of balance and coordination). Genetic and environmental challenges can be applied to overtly normal mutant mice to reveal deviations from normal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia E Papaioannou
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Richard R Behringer
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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6
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Tasoulas J, Srivastava S, Xu X, Tarasova V, Maniakas A, Karreth FA, Amelio AL. Genetically engineered mouse models of head and neck cancers. Oncogene 2023; 42:2593-2609. [PMID: 37474617 PMCID: PMC10457205 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02783-7] [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: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
The head and neck region is one of the anatomic sites commonly afflicted by cancer, with ~1.5 million new diagnoses reported worldwide in 2020 alone. Remarkable progress has been made in understanding the underlying disease mechanisms, personalizing care based on each tumor's individual molecular characteristics, and even therapeutically exploiting the inherent vulnerabilities of these neoplasms. In this regard, genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) have played an instrumental role. While progress in the development of GEMMs has been slower than in other major cancer types, several GEMMs are now available that recapitulate most of the heterogeneous characteristics of head and neck cancers such as the tumor microenvironment. Different approaches have been employed in GEMM development and implementation, though each can generally recapitulate only certain disease aspects. As a result, appropriate model selection is essential for addressing specific research questions. In this review, we present an overview of all currently available head and neck cancer GEMMs, encompassing models for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and salivary and thyroid gland carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Tasoulas
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sonal Srivastava
- Department of Tumor Biology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Xiaonan Xu
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Valentina Tarasova
- Department of Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Anastasios Maniakas
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Florian A Karreth
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Antonio L Amelio
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Tumor Biology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA.
- Department of Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA.
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7
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Spencer-Smith R, Terrell EM, Insinna C, Agamasu C, Wagner ME, Ritt DA, Stauffer J, Stephen AG, Morrison DK. RASopathy mutations provide functional insight into the BRAF cysteine-rich domain and reveal the importance of autoinhibition in BRAF regulation. Mol Cell 2022; 82:4262-4276.e5. [PMID: 36347258 PMCID: PMC9677513 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BRAF is frequently mutated in human cancer and the RASopathy syndromes, with RASopathy mutations often observed in the cysteine-rich domain (CRD). Although the CRD participates in phosphatidylserine (PS) binding, the RAS-RAF interaction, and RAF autoinhibition, the impact of these activities on RAF function in normal and disease states is not well characterized. Here, we analyze a panel of CRD mutations and show that they increase BRAF activity by relieving autoinhibition and/or enhancing PS binding, with relief of autoinhibition being the major factor determining mutation severity. Further, we show that CRD-mediated autoinhibition prevents the constitutive plasma membrane localization of BRAF that causes increased RAS-dependent and RAS-independent function. Comparison of the BRAF- and CRAF-CRDs also indicates that the BRAF-CRD is a stronger mediator of autoinhibition and PS binding, and given the increased catalytic activity of BRAF, our studies reveal a more critical role for CRD-mediated autoinhibition in BRAF regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Spencer-Smith
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Elizabeth M Terrell
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Christine Insinna
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Constance Agamasu
- National Cancer Institute RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Morgan E Wagner
- National Cancer Institute RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Daniel A Ritt
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Jim Stauffer
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Andrew G Stephen
- National Cancer Institute RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick, MD 21702 USA
| | - Deborah K Morrison
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702 USA.
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8
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Won Y, Choi E. Mouse models of Kras activation in gastric cancer. Exp Mol Med 2022; 54:1793-1798. [PMID: 36369466 PMCID: PMC9723172 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-022-00882-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer has one of the highest incidence rates and is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Sequential steps within the carcinogenic process are observed in gastric cancer as well as in pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer. Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) is the most well-known oncogene and can be constitutively activated by somatic mutations in the gene locus. For over 2 decades, the functions of Kras activation in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers have been studied to elucidate its oncogenic roles during the carcinogenic process. Different approaches have been utilized to generate distinct in vivo models of GI cancer, and a number of mouse models have been established using Kras-inducible systems. In this review, we summarize the genetically engineered mouse models in which Kras is activated with cell-type and/or tissue-type specificity that are utilized for studying carcinogenic processes in gastric cancer as well as pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer. We also provide a brief description of histological phenotypes and characteristics of those mouse models and the current limitations in the gastric cancer field to be investigated further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoonkyung Won
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Eunyoung Choi
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
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9
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Clowers MJ, Moghaddam SJ. Cell Type-Specific Roles of STAT3 Signaling in the Pathogenesis and Progression of K-ras Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14071785. [PMID: 35406557 PMCID: PMC8997152 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Lung adenocarcinomas with mutations in the K-ras gene are hard to target pharmacologically and highly lethal. As a result, there is a need to identify other therapeutic targets that influence K-ras oncogenesis. One contender is STAT3, a transcription factor that is associated with K-ras mutations and aids tumor development and progression through tumor cell intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the lung epithelial and infiltrating immune cells that express STAT3, the roles of STAT3 in K-ras mutant lung adenocarcinoma, and therapies that may be able to target STAT3. Abstract Worldwide, lung cancer, particularly K-ras mutant lung adenocarcinoma (KM-LUAD), is the leading cause of cancer mortality because of its high incidence and low cure rate. To treat and prevent KM-LUAD, there is an urgent unmet need for alternative strategies targeting downstream effectors of K-ras and/or its cooperating pathways. Tumor-promoting inflammation, an enabling hallmark of cancer, strongly participates in the development and progression of KM-LUAD. However, our knowledge of the dynamic inflammatory mechanisms, immunomodulatory pathways, and cell-specific molecular signals mediating K-ras-induced lung tumorigenesis is substantially deficient. Nevertheless, within this signaling complexity, an inflammatory pathway is emerging as a druggable target: signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Here, we review the cell type-specific functions of STAT3 in the pathogenesis and progression of KM-LUAD that could serve as a new target for personalized preventive and therapeutic intervention for this intractable form of lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Clowers
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Seyed Javad Moghaddam
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence:
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10
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Abstract
In this review, I provide a brief history of the discovery of RAS and the GAPs and GEFs that regulate its activity from a personal perspective. Much of this history has been driven by technological breakthroughs that occurred concurrently, such as molecular cloning, cDNA expression to analyze RAS proteins and their structures, and application of PCR to detect mutations. I discuss the RAS superfamily and RAS proteins as therapeutic targets, including recent advances in developing RAS inhibitors. I also describe the role of the RAS Initiative at Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in advancing development of RAS inhibitors and providing new insights into signaling complexes and interaction of RAS proteins with the plasma membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank McCormick
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States; Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, United States.
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11
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Drosten M, Barbacid M. Targeting KRAS mutant lung cancer: light at the end of the tunnel. Mol Oncol 2021; 16:1057-1071. [PMID: 34951114 PMCID: PMC8895444 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
For decades, KRAS mutant lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD) have been refractory to therapeutic strategies based on personalized medicine owing to the complexity of designing inhibitors to selectively target KRAS and downstream targets with acceptable toxicities. The recent development of selective KRASG12C inhibitors represents a landmark after 40 years of intense research efforts since the identification of KRAS as a human oncogene. Here, we discuss the mechanisms responsible for the rapid development of resistance to these inhibitors, as well as potential strategies to overcome this limitation. Other therapeutic strategies aimed at inhibiting KRAS oncogenic signaling by targeting either upstream activators or downstream effectors are also reviewed. Finally, we discuss the effect of targeting the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, both based on the failure of MEK and ERK inhibitors in clinical trials, as well as on the recent identification of RAF1 as a potential target due to its MAPK‐independent activity. These new developments, taken together, are likely to open new avenues to effectively treat KRAS mutant LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Drosten
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariano Barbacid
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
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12
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Maru Y, Tanaka N, Tatsumi Y, Nakamura Y, Itami M, Hippo Y. Kras activation in endometrial organoids drives cellular transformation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Oncogenesis 2021; 10:46. [PMID: 34172714 PMCID: PMC8233399 DOI: 10.1038/s41389-021-00337-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
KRAS, an oncogene, is frequently activated by mutations in many cancers. Kras-driven adenocarcinoma development in the lung, pancreas, and biliary tract has been extensively studied using gene targeting in mice. By taking the organoid- and allograft-based genetic approach to these organs, essentially the same results as in vivo models were obtained in terms of tumor development. To verify the applicability of this approach to other organs, we investigated whether the combination of Kras activation and Pten inactivation, which gives rise to endometrial tumors in mice, could transform murine endometrial organoids in the subcutis of immunodeficient mice. We found that in KrasG12D-expressing endometrial organoids, Pten knockdown did not confer tumorigenicity, but Cdkn2a knockdown or Trp53 deletion led to the development of carcinosarcoma (CS), a rare, aggressive tumor comprising both carcinoma and sarcoma. Although they originated from epithelial cells, some CS cells expressed both epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Upon inoculation in immunodeficient mice, tumor-derived round organoids developed carcinoma or CS, whereas spindle-shaped organoids formed monophasic sarcoma only, suggesting an irreversible epithelial-mesenchymal transition during the transformation of endometrial cells and progression. As commonly observed in mutant Kras-driven tumors, the deletion of the wild-type Kras allele was identified in most induced tumors, whereas some epithelial cells in CS-derived organoids were unexpectedly negative for KrasG12D. Collectively, we showed that the oncogenic potential of KrasG12D and the histological features of derived tumors are context-dependent and varies according to the organ type and experimental settings. Our findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying tissue-specific Kras-driven tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Maru
- Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Chiba Cancer Center Research Institute, Chiba, Japan
| | - Naotake Tanaka
- Department of Gynecology, Chiba Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yasutoshi Tatsumi
- Division of Oncogenomics, Chiba Cancer Center Research Institute, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yuki Nakamura
- Division of Oncogenomics, Chiba Cancer Center Research Institute, Chiba, Japan
| | - Makiko Itami
- Division of Surgical Pathology, Chiba Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Hippo
- Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Chiba Cancer Center Research Institute, Chiba, Japan.
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13
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40 Years of RAS-A Historic Overview. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12050681. [PMID: 34062774 PMCID: PMC8147265 DOI: 10.3390/genes12050681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been over forty years since the isolation of the first human oncogene (HRAS), a crucial milestone in cancer research made possible through the combined efforts of a few selected research groups at the beginning of the 1980s. Those initial discoveries led to a quantitative leap in our understanding of cancer biology and set up the onset of the field of molecular oncology. The following four decades of RAS research have produced a huge pool of new knowledge about the RAS family of small GTPases, including how they regulate signaling pathways controlling many cellular physiological processes, or how oncogenic mutations trigger pathological conditions, including developmental syndromes or many cancer types. However, despite the extensive body of available basic knowledge, specific effective treatments for RAS-driven cancers are still lacking. Hopefully, recent advances involving the discovery of novel pockets on the RAS surface as well as highly specific small-molecule inhibitors able to block its interaction with effectors and/or activators may lead to the development of new, effective treatments for cancer. This review intends to provide a quick, summarized historical overview of the main milestones in RAS research spanning from the initial discovery of the viral RAS oncogenes in rodent tumors to the latest attempts at targeting RAS oncogenes in various human cancers.
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14
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Lee YS, Lee JY, Song SH, Kim DM, Lee JW, Chi XZ, Ito Y, Bae SC. K-Ras-Activated Cells Can Develop into Lung Tumors When Runx3-Mediated Tumor Suppressor Pathways Are Abrogated. Mol Cells 2020; 43:889-897. [PMID: 33115981 PMCID: PMC7604022 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2020.0182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
K-RAS is frequently mutated in human lung adenocarcinomas (ADCs), and the p53 pathway plays a central role in cellular defense against oncogenic K-RAS mutation. However, in mouse lung cancer models, oncogenic K-RAS mutation alone can induce ADCs without p53 mutation, and loss of p53 does not have a significant impact on early K-RAS-induced lung tumorigenesis. These results raise the question of how K-RAS-activated cells evade oncogene surveillance mechanisms and develop into lung ADCs. RUNX3 plays a key role at the restriction (R)-point, which governs multiple tumor suppressor pathways including the p14ARF-p53 pathway. In this study, we found that K-RAS activation in a very limited number of cells, alone or in combination with p53 inactivation, failed to induce any pathologic lesions for up to 1 year. By contrast, when Runx3 was inactivated and K-RAS was activated by the same targeting method, lung ADCs and other tumors were rapidly induced. In a urethane-induced mouse lung tumor model that recapitulates the features of K-RAS-driven human lung tumors, Runx3 was inactivated in both adenomas (ADs) and ADCs, whereas K-RAS was activated only in ADCs. Together, these results demonstrate that the R-point-associated oncogene surveillance mechanism is abrogated by Runx3 inactivation in AD cells and these cells cannot defend against K-RAS activation, resulting in the transition from AD to ADC. Therefore, K-RAS-activated lung epithelial cells do not evade oncogene surveillance mechanisms; instead, they are selected if they occur in AD cells in which Runx3 has been inactivated.
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Affiliation(s)
- You-Soub Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Institute for Tumor Research, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Ja-Yeol Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Institute for Tumor Research, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Soo-Hyun Song
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Institute for Tumor Research, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Da-Mi Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Institute for Tumor Research, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Jung-Won Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Institute for Tumor Research, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Xin-Zi Chi
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Institute for Tumor Research, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Yoshiaki Ito
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599
| | - Suk-Chul Bae
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Institute for Tumor Research, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
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15
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Shankar S, Tien JCY, Siebenaler RF, Chugh S, Dommeti VL, Zelenka-Wang S, Wang XM, Apel IJ, Waninger J, Eyunni S, Xu A, Mody M, Goodrum A, Zhang Y, Tesmer JJ, Mannan R, Cao X, Vats P, Pitchiaya S, Ellison SJ, Shi J, Kumar-Sinha C, Crawford HC, Chinnaiyan AM. An essential role for Argonaute 2 in EGFR-KRAS signaling in pancreatic cancer development. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2817. [PMID: 32499547 PMCID: PMC7272436 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16309-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Both KRAS and EGFR are essential mediators of pancreatic cancer development and interact with Argonaute 2 (AGO2) to perturb its function. Here, in a mouse model of mutant KRAS-driven pancreatic cancer, loss of AGO2 allows precursor lesion (PanIN) formation yet prevents progression to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Precursor lesions with AGO2 ablation undergo oncogene-induced senescence with altered microRNA expression and EGFR/RAS signaling, bypassed by loss of p53. In mouse and human pancreatic tissues, PDAC progression is associated with increased plasma membrane localization of RAS/AGO2. Furthermore, phosphorylation of AGO2Y393 disrupts both the wild-type and oncogenic KRAS-AGO2 interaction, albeit under different conditions. ARS-1620 (G12C-specific inhibitor) disrupts the KRASG12C-AGO2 interaction, suggesting that the interaction is targetable. Altogether, our study supports a biphasic model of pancreatic cancer development: an AGO2-independent early phase of PanIN formation reliant on EGFR-RAS signaling, and an AGO2-dependent phase wherein the mutant KRAS-AGO2 interaction is critical for PDAC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunita Shankar
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jean Ching-Yi Tien
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ronald F Siebenaler
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Seema Chugh
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Vijaya L Dommeti
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Sylvia Zelenka-Wang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Xiao-Ming Wang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ingrid J Apel
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jessica Waninger
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Sanjana Eyunni
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Alice Xu
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Malay Mody
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Andrew Goodrum
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Yuping Zhang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - John J Tesmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Rahul Mannan
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Xuhong Cao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Pankaj Vats
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Sethuramasundaram Pitchiaya
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Stephanie J Ellison
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jiaqi Shi
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Chandan Kumar-Sinha
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Howard C Crawford
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
- Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Arul M Chinnaiyan
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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16
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Concomitant deletion of HRAS and NRAS leads to pulmonary immaturity, respiratory failure and neonatal death in mice. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:838. [PMID: 31685810 PMCID: PMC6828777 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-2075-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
We reported previously that adult (HRAS−/−; NRAS−/−) double knockout (DKO) mice showed no obvious external phenotype although lower-than-expected numbers of weaned DKO animals were consistently tallied after crossing NRAS-KO and HRAS-KO mice kept on mixed genetic backgrounds. Using mouse strains kept on pure C57Bl/6 background, here we performed an extensive analysis of the offspring from crosses between HRAS-KO and NRAS-KO mice and uncovered the occurrence of very high rates of perinatal mortality of the resulting DKO littermates due to respiratory failure during the first postnatal 24–48 h. The lungs of newborn DKO mice showed normal organ structure and branching but displayed marked defects of maturation including much-reduced alveolar space with thick separating septa and significant alterations of differentiation of alveolar (AT1, AT2 pneumocytes) and bronchiolar (ciliated, Clara cells) cell lineages. We also observed the retention of significantly increased numbers of undifferentiated progenitor precursor cells in distal lung epithelia and the presence of substantial accumulations of periodic acid-Schiff-positive (PAS+) material and ceramide in the lung airways of newborn DKO mice. Interestingly, antenatal dexamethasone treatment partially mitigated the defective lung maturation phenotypes and extended the lifespan of the DKO animals up to 6 days, but was not sufficient to abrogate lethality in these mice. RNA microarray hybridization analyses of the lungs of dexamethasone-treated and untreated mice uncovered transcriptional changes pointing to functional and metabolic alterations that may be mechanistically relevant for the defective lung phenotypes observed in DKO mice. Our data suggest that delayed alveolar differentiation, altered sphingolipid metabolism and ceramide accumulation are primary contributors to the respiratory stress and neonatal lethality shown by DKO mice and uncover specific, critical roles of HRAS and NRAS for correct lung differentiation that are essential for neonatal survival and cannot be substituted by the remaining KRAS function in this organ.
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17
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Abstract
Introduction: Smoking is the main preventable cause of lung cancer. This review summarizes preclinical and clinical data on the mechanisms of smoking-associated cancer development of the major histological lung cancer types small cell lung carcinoma squamous cell carcinoma and pulmonary adenocarcinoma (PAC) and the impact of several factors other than smoking on this process. Areas covered: The role of intracellular signaling induced by nicotinic receptors and beta-adrenergic receptors, the resulting increase in intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) as a key driver of PAC and the promoting effects of respiratory tract diseases and their therapeutics, psychological stress and global warming. Expert opinion: Smoking has deleterious effects on the regulation of lung epithelia by neurotransmitter receptors that are further enhanced by gene mutations. Sensitization of the alpha-7 nicotinic receptor (α7nAChR) by COPD enhances the carcinogenic effects of smoking and turns nicotine into a carcinogen. Nicotine vaping may, therefore, cause cancer in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The opposing effects of cAMP on the major lung cancer types indicate that patients with PAC of Clara cell phenotype (PAC-Cl) will benefit from treatment with cAMP reducers and suggest that global warming-induced respiratory tract diseases and their therapeutics cause the global increase in the incidence of PAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hildegard M Schuller
- a Department of Biomedical & Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee , Knoxville , TN , USA
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18
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Blasco MT, Navas C, Martín-Serrano G, Graña-Castro O, Lechuga CG, Martín-Díaz L, Djurec M, Li J, Morales-Cacho L, Esteban-Burgos L, Perales-Patón J, Bousquet-Mur E, Castellano E, Jacob HKC, Cabras L, Musteanu M, Drosten M, Ortega S, Mulero F, Sainz B, Dusetti N, Iovanna J, Sánchez-Bueno F, Hidalgo M, Khiabanian H, Rabadán R, Al-Shahrour F, Guerra C, Barbacid M. Complete Regression of Advanced Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinomas upon Combined Inhibition of EGFR and C-RAF. Cancer Cell 2019; 35:573-587.e6. [PMID: 30975481 PMCID: PMC10132447 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Five-year survival for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients remains below 7% due to the lack of effective treatments. Here, we report that combined ablation of EGFR and c-RAF expression results in complete regression of a significant percentage of PDAC tumors driven by Kras/Trp53 mutations in genetically engineered mice. Moreover, systemic elimination of these targets induces toxicities that are well tolerated. Response to this targeted therapy correlates with transcriptional profiles that resemble those observed in human PDACs. Finally, inhibition of EGFR and c-RAF expression effectively blocked tumor progression in nine independent patient-derived xenografts carrying KRAS and TP53 mutations. These results open the door to the development of targeted therapies for PDAC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Teresa Blasco
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carolina Navas
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Osvaldo Graña-Castro
- Bioinformatics Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen G Lechuga
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Martín-Díaz
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Magdolna Djurec
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jing Li
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucia Morales-Cacho
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Esteban-Burgos
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Perales-Patón
- Bioinformatics Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilie Bousquet-Mur
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Castellano
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Harrys K C Jacob
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Lavinia Cabras
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Monica Musteanu
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Matthias Drosten
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sagrario Ortega
- Transgenic Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisca Mulero
- Molecular Imaging Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Bruno Sainz
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain; Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28018 Madrid, Spain
| | - Nelson Dusetti
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Inserm U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université et Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163, Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Juan Iovanna
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), Inserm U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université et Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, 163, Avenue de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Francisco Sánchez-Bueno
- Department of Surgery, Clinical University Hospital 'Virgen Arrixaca' - Murcian Institute of Biomedical Investigation (IMIB), 30120 Murcia, Spain
| | - Manuel Hidalgo
- Rosenberg Clinical Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hossein Khiabanian
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Raul Rabadán
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Fátima Al-Shahrour
- Bioinformatics Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Guerra
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Mariano Barbacid
- Molecular Oncology Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain.
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19
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Targeting galectin-1 inhibits pancreatic cancer progression by modulating tumor-stroma crosstalk. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E3769-E3778. [PMID: 29615514 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1722434115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) remains one of the most lethal tumor types, with extremely low survival rates due to late diagnosis and resistance to standard therapies. A more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of PDA pathobiology, and especially of the role of the tumor microenvironment in disease progression, should pave the way for therapies to improve patient response rates. In this study, we identify galectin-1 (Gal1), a glycan-binding protein that is highly overexpressed in PDA stroma, as a major driver of pancreatic cancer progression. Genetic deletion of Gal1 in a Kras-driven mouse model of PDA (Ela-KrasG12Vp53-/- ) results in a significant increase in survival through mechanisms involving decreased stroma activation, attenuated vascularization, and enhanced T cell infiltration leading to diminished metastasis rates. In a human setting, human pancreatic stellate cells (HPSCs) promote cancer proliferation, migration, and invasion via Gal1-driven pathways. Moreover, in vivo orthotopic coinjection of pancreatic tumor cells with Gal1-depleted HPSCs leads to impaired tumor formation and metastasis in mice. Gene-expression analyses of pancreatic tumor cells exposed to Gal1 reveal modulation of multiple regulatory pathways involved in tumor progression. Thus, Gal1 hierarchically regulates different events implicated in PDA biology including tumor cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, inflammation, and metastasis, highlighting the broad therapeutic potential of Gal1-specific inhibitors, either alone or in combination with other therapeutic modalities.
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20
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Wandler A, Shannon K. Mechanistic and Preclinical Insights from Mouse Models of Hematologic Cancer Characterized by Hyperactive Ras. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2018; 8:a031526. [PMID: 28778967 PMCID: PMC5880163 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a031526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
RAS genes are mutated in 5%-40% of a spectrum of myeloid and lymphoid cancers with NRAS affected 2-3 times more often than KRAS Genomic analysis indicates that RAS mutations generally occur as secondary events in leukemogenesis, but are integral to the disease phenotype. The tractable nature of the hematopoietic system has facilitated generating accurate mouse models of hematologic malignancies characterized by hyperactive Ras signaling. These strains provide robust platforms for addressing how oncogenic Ras expression perturbs proliferation, differentiation, and self-renewal programs in stem and progenitor cell populations, for testing potential therapies, and for investigating mechanisms of drug response and resistance. This review summarizes recent insights from key studies in mouse models of hematologic cancer that are broadly relevant for understanding Ras biology and for ongoing efforts to implement rational therapeutic strategies for cancers with oncogenic RAS mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anica Wandler
- Department of Pediatrics, Helen Diller Family Cancer Research Building, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158-9001
| | - Kevin Shannon
- Department of Pediatrics, Helen Diller Family Cancer Research Building, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158-9001
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helen Diller Family Cancer Research Building, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158-9001
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