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Niharika, Ureka L, Roy A, Patra SK. Dissecting SOX2 expression and function reveals an association with multiple signaling pathways during embryonic development and in cancer progression. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189136. [PMID: 38880162 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
SRY (Sex Determining Region) box 2 (SOX2) is an essential transcription factor that plays crucial roles in activating genes involved in pre- and post-embryonic development, adult tissue homeostasis, and lineage specifications. SOX2 maintains the self-renewal property of stem cells and is involved in the generation of induced pluripotency stem cells. SOX2 protein contains a particular high-mobility group domain that enables SOX2 to achieve the capacity to participate in a broad variety of functions. The information about the involvement of SOX2 with gene regulatory elements, signaling networks, and microRNA is gradually emerging, and the higher expression of SOX2 is functionally relevant to various cancer types. SOX2 facilitates the oncogenic phenotype via cellular proliferation and enhancement of invasive tumor properties. Evidence are accumulating in favor of three dimensional (higher order) folding of chromatin and epigenetic control of the SOX2 gene by chromatin modifications, which implies that the expression level of SOX2 can be modulated by epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, specifically, via DNA methylation and histone H3 modification. In view of this, and to focus further insights into the roles SOX2 plays in physiological functions, involvement of SOX2 during development, precisely, the advances of our knowledge in pre- and post-embryonic development, and interactions of SOX2 in this scenario with various signaling pathways in tumor development and cancer progression, its potential as a therapeutic target against many cancers are summarized and discussed in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niharika
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Lina Ureka
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Ankan Roy
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Samir Kumar Patra
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India.
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2
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de Castro LR, de Oliveira LD, Milan TM, Eskenazi APE, Bighetti-Trevisan RL, de Almeida OGG, Amorim MLM, Squarize CH, Castilho RM, de Almeida LO. Up-regulation of TNF-alpha/NFkB/SIRT1 axis drives aggressiveness and cancer stem cells accumulation in chemoresistant oral squamous cell carcinoma. J Cell Physiol 2024; 239:e31164. [PMID: 38149816 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.31164] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Tumor resistance remains an obstacle to successfully treating oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Cisplatin is widely used as a cytotoxic drug to treat solid tumors, including advanced OSCC, but with low efficacy due to chemoresistance. Therefore, identifying the pathways that contribute to chemoresistance may show new possibilities for improving the treatment. This work explored the role of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)/NFkB signaling in driving the cisplatin resistance of OSCC and its potential as a pharmacological target to overcome chemoresistance. Differential accessibility analysis demonstrated the enrichment of opened chromatin regions in members of the TNF-alpha/NFkB signaling pathway, and RNA-Seq confirmed the upregulation of TNF-alpha/NFkB signaling in cisplatin-resistant cell lines. NFkB was accumulated in cisplatin-resistant cell lines and in cancer stem cells (CSC), and the administration of TNF-alpha increased the CSC, suggesting that TNF-alpha/NFkB signaling is involved in the accumulation of CSC. TNF-alpha stimulation also increased the histone deacetylases HDAC1 and SIRT1. Cisplatin-resistant cell lines were sensitive to the pharmacological inhibition of NFkB, and low doses of the NFkB inhibitors, CBL0137, and emetine, efficiently reduced the CSC and the levels of SIRT1, increasing histone acetylation. The NFkB inhibitors decreased stemness potential, clonogenicity, migration, and invasion of cisplatin-resistant cell lines. The administration of the emetine significantly reduced the tumor growth of cisplatin-resistant xenograft models, decreasing NFkB and SIRT1, increasing histone acetylation, and decreasing CSC. TNF-alpha/NFkB/SIRT1 signaling regulates the epigenetic machinery by modulating histone acetylation, CSC, and aggressiveness of cisplatin-resistant OSCC and the NFkB inhibition is a potential strategy to treat chemoresistant OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letícia Rodrigues de Castro
- Department of Basic and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas Dias de Oliveira
- Department of Basic and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thaís Moré Milan
- Department of Basic and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, Toxicology and Food Science, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Patrícia Espaladori Eskenazi
- Department of Basic and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rayana Longo Bighetti-Trevisan
- Department of Basic and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Otávio Guilherme Gonçalves de Almeida
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, Toxicology and Food Science, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcio Luis Munhoz Amorim
- Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering of São Carlos, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Helena Squarize
- Laboratory of Epithelial Biology, Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Rogerio Moraes Castilho
- Laboratory of Epithelial Biology, Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Luciana Oliveira de Almeida
- Department of Basic and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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Tsochantaridis I, Roupas A, Mohlin S, Pappa A, Voulgaridou GP. The Concept of Cancer Stem Cells: Elaborating on ALDH1B1 as an Emerging Marker of Cancer Progression. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:life13010197. [PMID: 36676146 PMCID: PMC9863106 DOI: 10.3390/life13010197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is a multifactorial, complex disease exhibiting extraordinary phenotypic plasticity and diversity. One of the greatest challenges in cancer treatment is intratumoral heterogeneity, which obstructs the efficient eradication of the tumor. Tumor heterogeneity is often associated with the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs), a cancer cell sub-population possessing a panel of stem-like properties, such as a self-renewal ability and multipotency potential. CSCs are associated with enhanced chemoresistance due to the enhanced efflux of chemotherapeutic agents and the existence of powerful antioxidant and DNA damage repair mechanisms. The distinctive characteristics of CSCs make them ideal targets for clinical therapeutic approaches, and the identification of efficient and specific CSCs biomarkers is of utmost importance. Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) comprise a wide superfamily of metabolic enzymes that, over the last years, have gained increasing attention due to their association with stem-related features in a wide panel of hematopoietic malignancies and solid cancers. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1B1 (ALDH1B1) is an isoform that has been characterized as a marker of colon cancer progression, while various studies suggest its importance in additional malignancies. Here, we review the basic concepts related to CSCs and discuss the potential role of ALDH1B1 in cancer development and its contribution to the CSC phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilias Tsochantaridis
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Angelos Roupas
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Sofie Mohlin
- Division of Pediatrics, Clinical Sciences, Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University Cancer Center, 22384 Lund, Sweden
| | - Aglaia Pappa
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Georgia-Persephoni Voulgaridou
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
- Correspondence:
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Niharika, Roy A, Mishra J, Chakraborty S, Singh SP, Patra SK. Epigenetic regulation of pluripotency inducer genes NANOG and SOX2 in human prostate cancer. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 197:241-260. [PMID: 37019595 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2023.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
The cells of multicellular organisms are genetically homogeneous but heterogenous in structure and function by virtue of differential gene expression. During embryonic development, differential gene expression by modification of chromatin (DNA and histone complex) regulates the developmental proceedings before and after the germ layers are formed. Post-replicative DNA modification, where the fifth carbon atom of the cytosine gets methylated (hereafter, DNA methylation), does not incorporate mutations within the DNA. In the past few years, a boom has been observed in the field of research related to various epigenetic regulation models, which includes DNA methylation, post-translational modification of histone tails, control of chromatin structure by non-coding RNAs, and remodeling of nucleosome. Epigenetic effects like DNA methylation or histone modification play a cardinal role in development but also be able to arise stochastically, as observed during aging, in tumor development and cancer progression. Over the past few decades, researchers allured toward the involvement of pluripotency inducer genes in cancer progression and apparent for prostate cancer (PCa); also, PCa is the most diagnosed tumor worldwide and comes to the second position in causing mortality in men. The anomalous articulation of pluripotency-inducing transcription factor; SRY-related HMG box-containing transcription factor-2 (SOX2), Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) or POU domain, class 5, transcription factor 1 (POU5F1), and NANOG have been reported in different cancers which includes breast cancer, tongue cancer, and lung cancer, etc. Although there is a variety in gene expression signatures demonstrated by cancer cells, the epigenetic mode of regulation at the pluripotency-associated genes in PCa has been recently explored. This chapter focuses on the epigenetic control of NANOG and SOX2 genes in human PCa and the precise role thereof executed by the two transcription factors.
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Thankamony AP, Subbalakshmi AR, Jolly MK, Nair R. Lineage Plasticity in Cancer: The Tale of a Skin-Walker. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3602. [PMID: 34298815 PMCID: PMC8306016 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lineage plasticity, the switching of cells from one lineage to another, has been recognized as a cardinal property essential for embryonic development, tissue repair and homeostasis. However, such a highly regulated process goes awry when cancer cells exploit this inherent ability to their advantage, resulting in tumorigenesis, relapse, metastasis and therapy resistance. In this review, we summarize our current understanding on the role of lineage plasticity in tumor progression and therapeutic resistance in multiple cancers. Lineage plasticity can be triggered by treatment itself and is reported across various solid as well as liquid tumors. Here, we focus on the importance of lineage switching in tumor progression and therapeutic resistance of solid tumors such as the prostate, lung, hepatocellular and colorectal carcinoma and the myeloid and lymphoid lineage switch observed in leukemias. Besides this, we also discuss the role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in facilitating the lineage switch in biphasic cancers such as aggressive carcinosarcomas. We also discuss the mechanisms involved, current therapeutic approaches and challenges that lie ahead in taming the scourge of lineage plasticity in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana P. Thankamony
- Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Kerala 695014, India;
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal 576104, India
| | - Ayalur Raghu Subbalakshmi
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India;
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India;
| | - Radhika Nair
- Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Kerala 695014, India;
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6
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Understanding the epigenetic landscape and cellular architecture of childhood brain tumors. Neurochem Int 2020; 144:104940. [PMID: 33333210 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Pediatric brain tumors are the leading cancer-related cause of death in children and adolescents in the United States, affecting on average 1 in 2000 children per year. Recent advances in cancer genomics have led to profound discoveries about the underlying molecular biology and ontogeny of these tumors. In particular, these studies have revealed epigenetic dysregulation to be one of the main hallmarks of pediatric brain tumorigenesis. In this review, we will highlight a number of important recent findings about the nature of this dysregulation in different types of pediatric brain tumors as well as examine their implications for preclinical research and clinical practice. Specifically, we discuss the emergence of methylation signatures as tools for tumor stratification/classification while also highlighting the importance of mutations that directly affect the epigenome and clarifying their impact on risk stratification and pediatric brain tumor biology. We then incorporate recent advances in our understanding of pediatric brain tumor cellular architecture and emphasize the link between epigenetic dysregulation and the "stalled" development seen in many of these malignant neoplasms. Lastly, we explore recentwork investigating the use of these mutated epigenomic regulators as therapeutic targets and extrapolate their utility in overcoming this "stalling" to halt tumor growth.
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Kalra S, Mittal A, Gupta K, Singhal V, Gupta A, Mishra T, Naidu S, Sengupta D, Ahuja G. Analysis of single-cell transcriptomes links enrichment of olfactory receptors with cancer cell differentiation status and prognosis. Commun Biol 2020; 3:506. [PMID: 32917933 PMCID: PMC7486295 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01232-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ectopically expressed olfactory receptors (ORs) have been linked with multiple clinically-relevant physiological processes. Previously used tissue-level expression estimation largely shadowed the potential role of ORs due to their overall low expression levels. Even after the introduction of the single-cell transcriptomics, a comprehensive delineation of expression dynamics of ORs in tumors remained unexplored. Our targeted investigation into single malignant cells revealed a complex landscape of combinatorial OR expression events. We observed differentiation-dependent decline in expressed OR counts per cell as well as their expression intensities in malignant cells. Further, we constructed expression signatures based on a large spectrum of ORs and tracked their enrichment in bulk expression profiles of tumor samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). TCGA tumor samples stratified based on OR-centric signatures exhibited divergent survival probabilities. In summary, our comprehensive analysis positions ORs at the cross-road of tumor cell differentiation status and cancer prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhant Kalra
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), Okhla, Phase III, New Delhi, 110020, India
| | - Aayushi Mittal
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), Okhla, Phase III, New Delhi, 110020, India
| | - Krishan Gupta
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), Okhla, Phase III, New Delhi, 110020, India.,Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), Okhla, Phase III, New Delhi, 110020, India
| | - Vrinda Singhal
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), Okhla, Phase III, New Delhi, 110020, India
| | - Anku Gupta
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), Okhla, Phase III, New Delhi, 110020, India
| | - Tripti Mishra
- Pathfinder Research and Training Foundation, 30/7 and 8, Knowledge Park III, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201308, India
| | - Srivatsava Naidu
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Bara Phool, Birla Seed Farms, Rupnagar, Punjab, 140001, India
| | - Debarka Sengupta
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), Okhla, Phase III, New Delhi, 110020, India. .,Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), Okhla, Phase III, New Delhi, 110020, India. .,Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla Phase III, New Delhi, 110020, India. .,Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Gaurav Ahuja
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), Okhla, Phase III, New Delhi, 110020, India.
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Rugo HS, Jacobs I, Sharma S, Scappaticci F, Paul TA, Jensen-Pergakes K, Malouf GG. The Promise for Histone Methyltransferase Inhibitors for Epigenetic Therapy in Clinical Oncology: A Narrative Review. Adv Ther 2020; 37:3059-3082. [PMID: 32445185 PMCID: PMC7467409 DOI: 10.1007/s12325-020-01379-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic processes are essential for normal development and the maintenance of tissue-specific gene expression in mammals. Changes in gene expression and malignant cellular transformation can result from disruption of epigenetic mechanisms, and global disruption in the epigenetic landscape is a key feature of cancer. The study of epigenetics in cancer has revealed that human cancer cells harbor both genetic alterations and epigenetic abnormalities that interplay at all stages of cancer development. Unlike genetic mutations, epigenetic aberrations are potentially reversible through epigenetic therapy, providing a therapeutically relevant treatment option. Histone methyltransferase inhibitors are emerging as an epigenetic therapy approach with great promise in the field of clinical oncology. The recent accelerated approval of the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2; also known as histone-lysine N-methyltransferase EZH2) inhibitor tazemetostat for metastatic or locally advanced epithelioid sarcoma marks the first approval of such a compound for the treatment of cancer. Many other histone methyltransferase inhibitors are currently in development, some of which are being tested in clinical studies. This review focuses on histone methyltransferase inhibitors, highlighting their potential in the treatment of cancer. We also discuss the role for such epigenetic drugs in overcoming epigenetically driven drug resistance mechanisms, and their value in combination with other therapeutic approaches such as immunotherapy.
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Patra SK. Roles of OCT4 in pathways of embryonic development and cancer progression. Mech Ageing Dev 2020; 189:111286. [PMID: 32531293 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2020.111286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Somatic cells may be reprogrammed to pluripotent state by ectopic expression of certain transcription factors; namely, OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and c-MYC. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms are not adequately understood, especially for human embryonic development. Studies during the last five years implicated importance of OCT4 in human zygotic genome activation (ZGA), patterns of OCT4 protein folding and role of specialized sequences in binding to DNA for modulation of gene expression during development. Epigenetic modulation of OCT4 gene and post translational modifications of OCT4 protein activity in the context of multiple cancers are important issues. A consensus is emerging that chromatin organization and epigenetic landscape play crucial roles for the interactions of transcription factors, including OCT4 with the promoters and/or regulatory sequences of genes associated with human embryonic development (ZGA through lineage specification) and that when the epigenome niche is deregulated OCT4 helps in cancer progression, and how OCT4 silencing in somatic cells of adult organisms may impact ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Kumar Patra
- Epigenetics and Cancer Research Laboratory, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Group, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, 769008, India.
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Cuyàs E, Gumuzio J, Verdura S, Brunet J, Bosch-Barrera J, Martin-Castillo B, Alarcón T, Encinar JA, Martin ÁG, Menendez JA. The LSD1 inhibitor iadademstat (ORY-1001) targets SOX2-driven breast cancer stem cells: a potential epigenetic therapy in luminal-B and HER2-positive breast cancer subtypes. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:4794-4814. [PMID: 32191225 PMCID: PMC7138538 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
SOX2 is a core pluripotency-associated transcription factor causally related to cancer initiation, aggressiveness, and drug resistance by driving the self-renewal and seeding capacity of cancer stem cells (CSC). Here, we tested the ability of the clinically proven inhibitor of the lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1/KDM1A) iadademstat (ORY-100) to target SOX2-driven CSC in breast cancer. Iadademstat blocked CSC-driven mammosphere formation in breast cancer cell lines that are dependent on SOX2 expression to maintain their CSC phenotype. Iadademstat prevented the activation of an LSD1-targeted stemness-specific SOX2 enhancer in CSC-enriched 3-dimensional spheroids. Using high-throughput transcriptional data available from the METABRIC dataset, high expression of SOX2 was significantly more common in luminal-B and HER2-enriched subtypes according to PAM50 classifier and in IntClust1 (high proliferating luminal-B) and IntClust 5 (luminal-B and HER2-amplified) according to integrative clustering. Iadademstat significantly reduced mammospheres formation by CSC-like cells from a multidrug-resistant luminal-B breast cancer patient-derived xenograft but not of those from a treatment-naïve luminal-A patient. Iadademstat reduced the expression of SOX2 in luminal-B but not in luminal-A mammospheres, likely indicating a selective targeting of SOX2-driven CSC. The therapeutic relevance of targeting SOX2-driven breast CSC suggests the potential clinical use of iadademstat as an epigenetic therapy in luminal-B and HER2-positive subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabet Cuyàs
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain.,Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
| | | | - Sara Verdura
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain.,Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
| | - Joan Brunet
- Medical Oncology, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Girona, Spain.,Department of Medical Sciences, Medical School University of Girona, Girona, Spain.,Hereditary Cancer Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,Hereditary Cancer Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
| | - Joaquim Bosch-Barrera
- Medical Oncology, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Girona, Spain.,Department of Medical Sciences, Medical School University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | | | - Tomás Alarcón
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain.,Centre de Recerca Matemàtica (CRM), Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Matemàtiques, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Barcelona Graduate School of Mathematics (BGSMath), Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Antonio Encinar
- Institute of Research, Development and Innovation in Biotechnology of Elche (IDiBE) and Molecular and Cell Biology Institute (IBMC), Miguel Hernández University (UMH), Elche, Spain
| | | | - Javier A Menendez
- Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Metabolism and Cancer Group, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain.,Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Girona, Spain
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11
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A Single Cell but Many Different Transcripts: A Journey into the World of Long Non-Coding RNAs. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21010302. [PMID: 31906285 PMCID: PMC6982300 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21010302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In late 2012 it was evidenced that most of the human genome is transcribed but only a small percentage of the transcripts are translated. This observation supported the importance of non-coding RNAs and it was confirmed in several organisms. The most abundant non-translated transcripts are long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). In contrast to protein-coding RNAs, they show a more cell-specific expression. To understand the function of lncRNAs, it is fundamental to investigate in which cells they are preferentially expressed and to detect their subcellular localization. Recent improvements of techniques that localize single RNA molecules in tissues like single-cell RNA sequencing and fluorescence amplification methods have given a considerable boost in the knowledge of the lncRNA functions. In recent years, single-cell transcription variability was associated with non-coding RNA expression, revealing this class of RNAs as important transcripts in the cell lineage specification. The purpose of this review is to collect updated information about lncRNA classification and new findings on their function derived from single-cell analysis. We also retained useful for all researchers to describe the methods available for single-cell analysis and the databases collecting single-cell and lncRNA data. Tables are included to schematize, describe, and compare exposed concepts.
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Bernhart SH, Kretzmer H, Holdt LM, Jühling F, Ammerpohl O, Bergmann AK, Northoff BH, Doose G, Siebert R, Stadler PF, Hoffmann S. Changes of bivalent chromatin coincide with increased expression of developmental genes in cancer. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37393. [PMID: 27876760 PMCID: PMC5120258 DOI: 10.1038/srep37393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bivalent (poised or paused) chromatin comprises activating and repressing histone modifications at the same location. This combination of epigenetic marks at promoter or enhancer regions keeps genes expressed at low levels but poised for rapid activation. Typically, DNA at bivalent promoters is only lowly methylated in normal cells, but frequently shows elevated methylation levels in cancer samples. Here, we developed a universal classifier built from chromatin data that can identify cancer samples solely from hypermethylation of bivalent chromatin. Tested on over 7,000 DNA methylation data sets from several cancer types, it reaches an AUC of 0.92. Although higher levels of DNA methylation are often associated with transcriptional silencing, counter-intuitive positive statistical dependencies between DNA methylation and expression levels have been recently reported for two cancer types. Here, we re-analyze combined expression and DNA methylation data sets, comprising over 5,000 samples, and demonstrate that the conjunction of hypermethylation of bivalent chromatin and up-regulation of the corresponding genes is a general phenomenon in cancer. This up-regulation affects many developmental genes and transcription factors, including dozens of homeobox genes and other genes implicated in cancer. Thus, we reason that the disturbance of bivalent chromatin may be intimately linked to tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan H Bernhart
- Leipzig University, Chair of Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, Transcriptome Bioinformatics Group - Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany
| | - Helene Kretzmer
- Leipzig University, Chair of Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, Transcriptome Bioinformatics Group - Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany
| | - Lesca M Holdt
- Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Frank Jühling
- Leipzig University, Chair of Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, Transcriptome Bioinformatics Group - Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Inserm, U1110 - Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, 67000, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, 67000, France
| | - Ole Ammerpohl
- Christian Albrechts University &University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein - Campus Kiel, Institute of Human Genetics, Kiel, 24105, Germany
| | - Anke K Bergmann
- Christian Albrechts University &University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein - Campus Kiel, Institute of Human Genetics, Kiel, 24105, Germany.,Christian Albrechts University Kiel &University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein - Campus Kiel, Department of Pediatrics, Kiel, 24105, Germany
| | - Bernd H Northoff
- Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Munich, 81377, Germany
| | - Gero Doose
- Leipzig University, Chair of Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, Transcriptome Bioinformatics Group - Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany
| | - Reiner Siebert
- Christian Albrechts University &University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein - Campus Kiel, Institute of Human Genetics, Kiel, 24105, Germany.,Ulm University &Ulm University Medical Center, Institute for Human Genetics, Ulm, 89081, Germany
| | - Peter F Stadler
- Leipzig University, Chair of Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, Transcriptome Bioinformatics Group - Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, LIFE - Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,University of Vienna, Department of Theoretical Chemistry, Vienna, 1090, Austria.,Max-Planck-Institute for Mathematics in Sciences, Leipzig, 04103, Germany.,Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Steve Hoffmann
- Leipzig University, Chair of Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, Transcriptome Bioinformatics Group - Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig, 04107, Germany.,Leipzig University, LIFE - Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig, 04107, Germany
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13
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Zane L, Sharma V, Misteli T. Common features of chromatin in aging and cancer: cause or coincidence? Trends Cell Biol 2014; 24:686-94. [PMID: 25103681 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Revised: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Age is a major risk factor for cancer. Alterations in DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin structure, and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms are prominent hallmarks of both the aging process and cancer. Intriguingly--or possibly coincidentally--several chromatin features are common between aging and cancer. Here we ask whether, and if so how, aging-associated chromatin modifications contribute to tumor susceptibility and tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Zane
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Vivek Sharma
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tom Misteli
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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14
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Frumm SM, Fan ZP, Ross KN, Duvall JR, Gupta S, VerPlank L, Suh BC, Holson E, Wagner FF, Smith WB, Paranal RM, Bassil CF, Qi J, Roti G, Kung AL, Bradner JE, Tolliday N, Stegmaier K. Selective HDAC1/HDAC2 inhibitors induce neuroblastoma differentiation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 20:713-25. [PMID: 23706636 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2013.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2012] [Revised: 03/07/2013] [Accepted: 03/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
While cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the hallmark of cancer treatment, intensive regimens fall short in many malignancies, including high-risk neuroblastoma. One alternative strategy is to therapeutically promote tumor differentiation. We created a gene expression signature to measure neuroblast maturation, adapted it to a high-throughput platform, and screened a diversity oriented synthesis-generated small-molecule library for differentiation inducers. We identified BRD8430, containing a nine-membered lactam, an ortho-amino anilide functionality, and three chiral centers, as a selective class I histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor (HDAC1 > 2 > 3). Further investigation demonstrated that selective HDAC1/HDAC2 inhibition using compounds or RNA interference induced differentiation and decreased viability in neuroblastoma cell lines. Combined treatment with 13-cis retinoic acid augmented these effects and enhanced activation of retinoic acid signaling. Therefore, by applying a chemical genomic screening approach, we identified selective HDAC1/HDAC2 inhibition as a strategy to induce neuroblastoma differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey M Frumm
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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15
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Epigenetic targeting therapies to overcome chemotherapy resistance. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 754:285-311. [PMID: 22956507 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-9967-2_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
It is now well established that epigenetic aberrations occur early in malignant transformation, raising the possibility of identifying chemopreventive compounds or reliable diagnostic screening using epigenetic biomarkers. Combinatorial therapies effective for the reexpression of tumor suppressors, facilitating resensitization to conventional chemotherapies, hold great promise for the future therapy of cancer. This approach may also perturb cancer stem cells and thus represent an effective means for managing a number of solid tumors. We believe that in the near future, anticancer drug regimens will routinely include epigenetic therapies, possibly in conjunction with inhibitors of "stemness" signal pathways, to effectively reduce the devastating occurrence of cancer chemotherapy resistance.
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16
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Abstract
The ongoing revolution in molecular genetics has led many to speculate that one day we will be able to change the expression or phenotype of numerous complex traits to improve ourselves in many different ways. The prospect of genetic enhancements has generated heated controversy, with proponents advocating research and implementation, with caution advised for concerns about justice, and critics tending to see the prospect of genetic enhancements as an assault on human freedom and human nature. Both camps base their arguments on the unquestioned assumption that the science will realize either their dreams or nightmares. In this paper, I show that their beliefs are based upon two fundamental mistakes. First, they are based upon an unwarranted reliance in a genetic determinism that takes for granted that the traits that we might most want to enhance, like intelligence, aggression, shyness, and even athletic ability, can be causally directed by specific genes. In so doing, character descriptions are reified to be concrete and discrete entities, in this case, genes. Second, they have accepted on faith that there is, or will be, a science to translate their hopes or worries into reality when, in fact, that is unlikely to occur because of the irreducible complexity of phenotypic expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip M Rosoff
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, 108 Seeley G. Mudd Building, Box 3040, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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17
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Vincent A, Van Seuningen I. On the epigenetic origin of cancer stem cells. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2012; 1826:83-8. [PMID: 22495062 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2012.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2011] [Revised: 03/09/2012] [Accepted: 03/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms are the key component of the dynamic transcriptional programming that occurs along the process of differentiation from normal stem cells to more specialized cells. In the development of cancer and according to the cancer stem cell model, aberrant epigenetic changes may ensure the property of cancer cells to switch cancer stem cell markers on and off in order to generate a heterogeneous population of cells. The tumour will then be composed of tumourigenic (cancer stem cells) and non-tumourigenic (the side population that constitutes the bulk of the tumour) cells. Characterizing epigenetic landscapes may thus help discriminate aberrant marks (good candidates for tumour detection) from cancer stem cell specific profiles. In this review, we will give some insights about what epigenetics can teach us about the origin of cancer stem cells. We will also discuss how identification of epigenetic reprogramming may help designing new drugs that will specifically target cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Vincent
- Inserm, UMR837, Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Centre, Team 5 "Mucins, epithelial differentiation and carcinogenesis", Lille, France
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18
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Azad GK, Balkrishna SJ, Sathish N, Kumar S, Tomar RS. Multifunctional Ebselen drug functions through the activation of DNA damage response and alterations in nuclear proteins. Biochem Pharmacol 2012; 83:296-303. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2011.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2011] [Revised: 10/12/2011] [Accepted: 10/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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19
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Qureshi IA, Mehler MF. Epigenetics, nervous system tumors, and cancer stem cells. Cancers (Basel) 2011; 3:3525-56. [PMID: 24212967 PMCID: PMC3759209 DOI: 10.3390/cancers3033525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2011] [Revised: 08/01/2011] [Accepted: 09/08/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances have begun to elucidate how epigenetic regulatory mechanisms are responsible for establishing and maintaining cell identity during development and adult life and how the disruption of these processes is, not surprisingly, one of the hallmarks of cancer. In this review, we describe the major epigenetic mechanisms (i.e., DNA methylation, histone and chromatin modification, non-coding RNA deployment, RNA editing, and nuclear reorganization) and discuss the broad spectrum of epigenetic alterations that have been uncovered in pediatric and adult nervous system tumors. We also highlight emerging evidence that suggests epigenetic deregulation is a characteristic feature of so-called cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are thought to be present in a range of nervous system tumors and responsible for tumor maintenance, progression, treatment resistance, and recurrence. We believe that better understanding how epigenetic mechanisms operate in neural cells and identifying the etiologies and consequences of epigenetic deregulation in tumor cells and CSCs, in particular, are likely to promote the development of enhanced molecular diagnostics and more targeted and effective therapeutic agents for treating recalcitrant nervous system tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irfan A. Qureshi
- Rosyln and Leslie Goldstein Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA; E-Mail:
- Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Mark F. Mehler
- Rosyln and Leslie Goldstein Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA; E-Mail:
- Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +1-718-430-3543; Fax: +1-718-918-7505
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