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Marin JJG, Macias RIR, Asensio M, Romero MR, Temprano AG, Pereira OR, Jimenez S, Mauriz JL, Di Giacomo S, Avila MA, Efferth T, Briz O. Strategies to enhance the response of liver cancer to pharmacological treatments. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2024; 327:C11-C33. [PMID: 38708523 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00176.2024] [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: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
In contrast to other types of cancers, there is no available efficient pharmacological treatment to improve the outcomes of patients suffering from major primary liver cancers, i.e., hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. This dismal situation is partly due to the existence in these tumors of many different and synergistic mechanisms of resistance, accounting for the lack of response of these patients, not only to classical chemotherapy but also to more modern pharmacological agents based on the inhibition of tyrosine kinase receptors (TKIs) and the stimulation of the immune response against the tumor using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This review summarizes the efforts to develop strategies to overcome this severe limitation, including searching for novel drugs derived from synthetic, semisynthetic, or natural products with vectorial properties against therapeutic targets to increase drug uptake or reduce drug export from cancer cells. Besides, immunotherapy is a promising line of research that is already starting to be implemented in clinical practice. Although less successful than in other cancers, the foreseen future for this strategy in treating liver cancers is considerable. Similarly, the pharmacological inhibition of epigenetic targets is highly promising. Many novel "epidrugs," able to act on "writer," "reader," and "eraser" epigenetic players, are currently being evaluated in preclinical and clinical studies. Finally, gene therapy is a broad field of research in the fight against liver cancer chemoresistance, based on the impressive advances recently achieved in gene manipulation. In sum, although the present is still dismal, there is reason for hope in the non-too-distant future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose J G Marin
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocio I R Macias
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maitane Asensio
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta R Romero
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alvaro G Temprano
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Olívia R Pereira
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Laboratório Associado para a Sustentabilidade e Tecnologia em Regiões de Montanha (SusTEC), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal
- Research Centre for Active Living and Wellbeing (LiveWell), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal
| | - Silvia Jimenez
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
- Servicio de Farmacia Hospitalaria, Hospital de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Jose L Mauriz
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), University of Leon, Leon, Spain
| | - Silvia Di Giacomo
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Matias A Avila
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
- Hepatology Laboratory, Solid Tumors Program, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias de Navarra (IdisNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Thomas Efferth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Oscar Briz
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
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2
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Su X, Li Y, Ren Y, Cao M, Yang G, Luo J, Hu Z, Deng H, Deng M, Liu B, Yao Z. A new strategy for overcoming drug resistance in liver cancer: Epigenetic regulation. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 176:116902. [PMID: 38870626 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116902] [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: 03/09/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma has posed significant obstacles to effective treatment. Recent evidence indicates that, in addition to traditional gene mutations, epigenetic recoding plays a crucial role in HCC drug resistance. Unlike irreversible gene mutations, epigenetic changes are reversible, offering a promising avenue for preventing and overcoming drug resistance in liver cancer. This review focuses on various epigenetic modifications relevant to drug resistance in HCC and their underlying mechanisms. Additionally, we introduce current clinical epigenetic drugs and clinical trials of these drugs as regulators of drug resistance in other solid tumors. Although there is no clinical study to prevent the occurrence of drug resistance in liver cancer, the development of liquid biopsy and other technologies has provided a bridge to achieve this goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorui Su
- Department of Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic-Splenic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Yuxuan Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Yupeng Ren
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Mingbo Cao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Gaoyuan Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Jing Luo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Ziyi Hu
- Department of Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic-Splenic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Haixia Deng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Meihai Deng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic-Splenic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Zhicheng Yao
- Department of Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic-Splenic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
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3
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Vinh Hanh N, Thi Thanh Thuy L, Ngoc Hieu V, Hai H, Ikenaga H, Sato-Matsubara M, Uchida-Kobayashi S, Urushima H, Van Khanh N, Thi Ha N, Shinkawa H, Kubo S, Ohtani N, Enomoto M, Tamori A, Kawada N. Poorly Differentiated Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Avoid Apoptosis by Interacting with T Cells via CD40-CD40 Ligand Linkage. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2024; 194:1230-1247. [PMID: 38548267 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with increased soluble CD40 levels. This study aimed to investigate CD40's role in liver tumor progression. CD40 levels were examined in HCC patient tissues and various HCC cell lines, and their interaction with CD4+T cells was studied. RNA sequencing analysis was performed to explore the mechanisms of CD40 induction. Poorly differentiated HCC tumor tissues exhibited high membrane-bound CD40 expression, in contrast to nontumor areas. Poorly differentiated HCC cell lines showed high expression of membrane-bound CD40 with low CD40 promoter methylation, which was the opposite of that observed in the well-differentiated HCC cell lines. Solely modulating CD40 expression in HCC cells exerted no direct consequences on cell growth or appearance. Interestingly, the human hepatoma cell line HLF co-cultured with activated (CD40 ligand+) CD4+ T cells had increased CD40 levels and a modest 3.2% dead cells. The percentage of dead cells increased to 10.9% and underwent preneutralizing CD40 condition, whereas preblocking both CD40 and integrin α5β1 concomitantly caused only 1.9% cell death. RNA sequencing of co-cultured HLFs with activated CD4+ T cells revealed the up-regulation of interferon and immune-response pathways. Increased interferon-γ levels in the activated T-cell media stimulated the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 pathway, resulting in increased CD40 expression in HLF. Collectively, CD40 expression in poorly differentiated HCC cells prevented cell death by interacting with CD40 ligand in activated T cells. Targeting CD40 may represent a promising anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngo Vinh Hanh
- Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Le Thi Thanh Thuy
- Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan; Department of Global Education and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Vu Ngoc Hieu
- Department of Microbiology, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Hoang Hai
- Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroko Ikenaga
- Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Misako Sato-Matsubara
- Department of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Sawako Uchida-Kobayashi
- Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hayato Urushima
- Department of Anatomy and Regenerative Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nguyen Van Khanh
- Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan; Department of Pathology, VinMec International Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Thi Ha
- Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroji Shinkawa
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shoji Kubo
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Naoko Ohtani
- Department of Pathophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masaru Enomoto
- Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akihiro Tamori
- Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan; Department of Hepatology, Kashiwara Municipal Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Norifumi Kawada
- Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan.
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4
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Ladd AD, Duarte S, Sahin I, Zarrinpar A. Mechanisms of drug resistance in HCC. Hepatology 2024; 79:926-940. [PMID: 36680397 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
HCC comprises ∼80% of primary liver cancer. HCC is the only major cancer for which death rates have not improved over the last 10 years. Most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease when surgical and locoregional treatments are not feasible or effective. Sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor targeting cell growth and angiogenesis, was approved for advanced unresectable HCC in 2007. Since then, other multikinase inhibitors have been approved. Lenvatinib was found to be noninferior to sorafenib as a first-line agent. Regorafenib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab were shown to prolong survival as second-line agents. Advances in immunotherapy for HCC have also added hope for patients, but their efficacy remains limited. A large proportion of patients with advanced HCC gain no long-term benefit from systemic therapy due to primary and acquired drug resistance, which, combined with its rising incidence, keeps HCC a highly fatal disease. This review summarizes mechanisms of primary and acquired resistance to therapy and includes methods for bypassing resistance. It addresses recent advancements in immunotherapy, provides new perspectives on the linkage between drug resistance and molecular etiology of HCC, and evaluates the role of the microbiome in drug resistance. It also discusses alterations in signaling pathways, dysregulation of apoptosis, modulations in the tumor microenvironment, involvement of cancer stem cells, changes in drug metabolism/transport, tumor hypoxia, DNA repair, and the role of microRNAs in drug resistance. Understanding the interplay among these factors will provide guidance on the development of new therapeutic strategies capable of improving patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra D Ladd
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Sergio Duarte
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Ilyas Sahin
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Ali Zarrinpar
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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5
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Armani S, Geier A, Forst T, Merle U, Alpers DH, Lunnon MW. Effect of changes in metabolic enzymes and transporters on drug metabolism in the context of liver disease: Impact on pharmacokinetics and drug-drug interactions. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2023. [PMID: 38148609 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Changes in the pharmacokinetic and resulting pharmacodynamic properties of drugs are common in many chronic liver diseases, leading to adverse effects, drug interactions and increased risk of over- or underdosing of medications. Structural and functional hepatic impairment can have major effects on drug metabolism and transport. This review summarizes research on the functional changes in phase I and II metabolic enzymes and in transport proteins in patients with metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and cirrhosis, providing a clinical perspective on how these changes affect drug uptake and metabolism. Generally, a decrease in expression and/or activity of many enzymes of the cytochrome P450 family (e.g. CYP2E1 and CYP3A4), and of influx and efflux transporters (e.g. organic anion-transporting polypeptide [OATP]1B1, OATP2B1, OAT2 and bile salt export pump), has been recently documented in patients with liver disease. Decreased enzyme levels often correlate with increased severity of chronic liver disease. In subjects with hepatic impairment, there is potential for strong alterations of drug pharmacokinetics due to reduced absorption, increased volume of distribution, metabolism and extraction. Due to the altered pharmacokinetics, specific drug-drug interactions are also a potential issue to consider in patients with liver disease. Given the huge burden of liver disease in western societies, there is a need to improve awareness among all healthcare professionals and patients with liver disease to ensure appropriate drug prescriptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Armani
- CRS Clinical Research Services, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Geier
- Department of Internal Medicine and Hepatology, University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Forst
- CRS Clinical Research Services, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Uta Merle
- Department of Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David H Alpers
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Herraez E, Al-Abdulla R, Soto M, Briz O, Bettinger D, Bantel H, Del Carmen S, Serrano MA, Geier A, Marin JJG, Macias RIR. Role of organic cation transporter 3 (OCT3) in the response of hepatocellular carcinoma to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 217:115812. [PMID: 37722628 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115812] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Impaired function of organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been associated with unsatisfactory response to sorafenib. However, some patients lacking OCT1 at the plasma membrane (PM) of HCC cells still respond to sorafenib, suggesting that another transporter may contribute to take up this drug. The aim of this study was to investigate whether OCT3 could contribute to the uptake of sorafenib and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and whether OCT3 determination can predict HCC response to sorafenib. Cells overexpressing OCT3 were used to determine the ability of this carrier to transport sorafenib. Immunostaining of OCT3 was performed in HCC samples obtained in the TRANSFER study. Considering the intensity of staining and the number of OCT3-positive cells, tumors were classified as having absent, weak, moderate, or strong OCT3 expression and were also categorized according to the presence or absence of PM staining. Functional in vitro studies revealed that OCT3 is also able to mediate sorafenib uptake. Other TKIs, such as regorafenib, lenvatinib, and cabozantinib can also interact with this transporter. In silico studies suggested that the expression of OCT3 is better preserved in HCC than that of OCT1. In HCC samples, OCT3 was expressed at the PM of cancer cells, and its presence, detected in 26% of tumors, was associated with better outcomes in patients treated with sorafenib. In conclusion, analysis by immunohistochemistry of OCT3 in the PM of tumor cells may help to predict the response of HCC patients to sorafenib and potentially to other TKIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Herraez
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain; Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBEREHD), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruba Al-Abdulla
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain; Institut für Medizinische Biochemie und Molekularbiologie (IMBM), Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Meraris Soto
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Oscar Briz
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain; Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBEREHD), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Dominik Bettinger
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Heike Bantel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sofia Del Carmen
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer (CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca) and CIBERONC, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Maria A Serrano
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain; Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBEREHD), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andreas Geier
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jose J G Marin
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain; Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBEREHD), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Rocio I R Macias
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain; Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBEREHD), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
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7
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Karaś K, Karwaciak I, Chałaśkiewicz K, Sałkowska A, Pastwińska J, Bachorz RA, Ratajewski M. Anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activity of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor AT7519. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 164:115002. [PMID: 37311277 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancerous tumors and one of the leading causes of death among cancer-related disorders. Chemotherapy is ineffective in HCC patients, and the number of drugs that are in use is limited. Thus, new molecules are needed that could increase the effectiveness of anti-HCC regimens. Here, we show that AT7519, a CDK inhibitor, exerts positive effects on HCC cells: it inhibits proliferation, migration and clonogenicity. Detailed analysis of the transcriptomes of cells treated with this compound indicated that AT7519 affects a substantial portion of genes that are associated with HCC development and progression. Moreover, we showed that the concomitant use of AT7519 with gefitinib or cabozantinib sensitized HCC cells to these drugs. Thus, our research indicates that AT7519 is worth considering in monotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma patients or in combination with other drugs, e.g., gefitinib or cabozantinib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Karaś
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodowa 106, 93-232 Lodz, Poland
| | - Iwona Karwaciak
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodowa 106, 93-232 Lodz, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Chałaśkiewicz
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodowa 106, 93-232 Lodz, Poland
| | - Anna Sałkowska
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodowa 106, 93-232 Lodz, Poland
| | - Joanna Pastwińska
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodowa 106, 93-232 Lodz, Poland
| | - Rafał A Bachorz
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling, Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodowa 106, 93-232, Lodz, Poland
| | - Marcin Ratajewski
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodowa 106, 93-232 Lodz, Poland.
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8
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Samavarchi Tehrani S, Esmaeili F, Shirzad M, Goodarzi G, Yousefi T, Maniati M, Taheri-Anganeh M, Anushiravani A. The critical role of circular RNAs in drug resistance in gastrointestinal cancers. Med Oncol 2023; 40:116. [PMID: 36917431 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-01980-4] [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: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, drug resistance (DR) in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, as the main reason for cancer-related mortality worldwide, has become a serious problem in the management of patients. Several mechanisms have been proposed for resistance to anticancer drugs, including altered transport and metabolism of drugs, mutation of drug targets, altered DNA repair system, inhibited apoptosis and autophagy, cancer stem cells, tumor heterogeneity, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Compelling evidence has revealed that genetic and epigenetic factors are strongly linked to DR. Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) interferences are the most crucial epigenetic alterations explored so far, and among these ncRNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs) are the most emerging members known to have unique properties. Due to the absence of 5' and 3' ends in these novel RNAs, the two ends are covalently bonded together and are generated from pre-mRNA in a process known as back-splicing, which makes them more stable than other RNAs. As far as the unique structure and function of circRNAs is concerned, they are implicated in proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis, and DR. A clear understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for circRNAs-mediated DR in the GI cancers will open a new window to the management of GI cancers. Hence, in the present review, we will describe briefly the biogenesis, multiple features, and different biological functions of circRNAs. Then, we will summarize current mechanisms of DR, and finally, discuss molecular mechanisms through which circRNAs regulate DR development in esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadra Samavarchi Tehrani
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fataneh Esmaeili
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Moein Shirzad
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Golnaz Goodarzi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tooba Yousefi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahmood Maniati
- Department of English, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mortaza Taheri-Anganeh
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
| | - Amir Anushiravani
- Digestive Disease Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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9
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The Role of Organic Cation Transporters in the Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics and Drug-Drug Interactions of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032101. [PMID: 36768423 PMCID: PMC9917293 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) decisively contributed in revolutionizing the therapeutic approach to cancer, offering non-invasive, tolerable therapies for a better quality of life. Nonetheless, degree and duration of the response to TKI therapy vary depending on cancer molecular features, the ability of developing resistance to the drug, on pharmacokinetic alterations caused by germline variants and unwanted drug-drug interactions at the level of membrane transporters and metabolizing enzymes. A great deal of approved TKIs are inhibitors of the organic cation transporters (OCTs). A handful are also substrates of them. These transporters are polyspecific and highly expressed in normal epithelia, particularly the intestine, liver and kidney, and are, hence, arguably relevant sites of TKI interactions with other OCT substrates. Moreover, OCTs are often repressed in cancer cells and might contribute to the resistance of cancer cells to TKIs. This article reviews the OCT interactions with approved and in-development TKIs reported in vitro and in vivo and critically discusses the potential clinical ramifications thereof.
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10
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Zhang N, Tian X, Yan T, Wang H, Zhang D, Lin C, Liu Q, Jiang S. Insights into the role of nucleotide methylation in metabolic-associated fatty liver disease. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1148722. [PMID: 37020540 PMCID: PMC10067741 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1148722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a chronic liver disease characterized by fatty infiltration of the liver. In recent years, the MAFLD incidence rate has risen and emerged as a serious public health concern. MAFLD typically progresses from the initial hepatocyte steatosis to steatohepatitis and then gradually advances to liver fibrosis, which may ultimately lead to cirrhosis and carcinogenesis. However, the potential evolutionary mechanisms still need to be clarified. Recent studies have shown that nucleotide methylation, which was directly associated with MAFLD's inflammatory grading, lipid synthesis, and oxidative stress, plays a crucial role in the occurrence and progression of MAFLD. In this review, we highlight the regulatory function and associated mechanisms of nucleotide methylation modification in the progress of MAFLD, with a particular emphasis on its regulatory role in the inflammation of MAFLD, including the regulation of inflammation-related immune and metabolic microenvironment. Additionally, we summarize the potential value of nucleotide methylation in the diagnosis and treatment of MAFLD, intending to provide references for the future investigation of MAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Zhang
- Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xinchen Tian
- Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Tinghao Yan
- Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Haochen Wang
- Clinical Medical Laboratory Center, Jining First People’s Hospital, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Dengtian Zhang
- Clinical Medical Laboratory Center, Jining First People’s Hospital, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Cong Lin
- Clinical Medical Laboratory Center, Jining First People’s Hospital, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Qingbin Liu
- Clinical Medical Laboratory Center, Jining First People’s Hospital, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- *Correspondence: Qingbin Liu, ; Shulong Jiang,
| | - Shulong Jiang
- Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Clinical Medical Laboratory Center, Jining First People’s Hospital, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- *Correspondence: Qingbin Liu, ; Shulong Jiang,
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11
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Jin Z, Liu Y. Identification of Novel m6A-Related Long Non-Coding RNA Signatures for Cholangiocarcinoma Using Integrated Bioinformatics Analyses. J Biomed Nanotechnol 2022. [DOI: 10.1166/jbn.2022.3471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Traditional methods used to treat cholangiocarcinoma are less effective, and the identification of new CHOL signature genes can help in the early clinical diagnosis and intervention of cholangiocarcinoma. In this work, we used integrated bioinformatics analysis to find new m6a-associated
lncRNA signatures in cholangiocarcinoma. Pearson correlation test was used to identify m6A-lncRNAs by co-expression analysis of m6A-mrna and lncRNAs. we then selected m6A-lncRNAs co-expressed with METTL3 and METTL14 genes and screened for DEm6A-lncRNAs by comparing expression differences.
we then used R package of Spearman coefficient correlation analysis to investigate the relevance of m6A-lncrna expression in CHOL. To determine the relative levels of immune cell infiltration, we performed ssGSEA analysis on all samples using the R package, and then we used graphs to illustrate
the differences in immune cell infiltration between the CHOL and NC groups. The results of this study will help to identify new CHOL-causing biosignatures, which are important for the early clinical detection and management of CHOL.
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12
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Zhou L, Chen G, Liu T, Liu X, Yang C, Jiang J. MJDs family members: Potential prognostic targets and immune-associated biomarkers in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:965805. [PMID: 36159990 PMCID: PMC9500549 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.965805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common gastrointestinal malignancies. It is not easy to be diagnosed in the early stage and is prone to relapse, with a very poor prognosis. And immune cell infiltration and tumor microenvironment play important roles in predicting therapeutic response and prognosis of HCC. Machado-Joseph domain-containing proteases (MJDs), as a gene family extensively involved in tumor progression, has pro-cancer and anti-cancer effects. However, the relationship between MJDs family members and immune cell infiltration and tumor microenvironment in HCC remains unclear. Therefore, cBio Cancer Genomics Portal (cBioPortal), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), UALCAN, Human Protein Atlas (HPA), MethSurv, and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) databases were performed to investigate the mRNA expression, DNA methylation, clinicopathologic features, immune cell infiltration and other related functions of MJDs family members in HCC. The results indicated that the expression of ATXN3, JOSD1, and JOSD2 was dramatically increased in HCC tissues and cell lines, and was correlated with histological grade, specimen type, TP53 mutation, lymph node metastatic, gender, and age of patients with HCC. Meanwhile, these genes also showed clinical value in improving the overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), progression free survival (PFS), and relapse-free survival (RFS) in patients with HCC. The prognostic model indicated that the worse survival was associated with overall high expression of MJDs members. Next, the results suggested that promotor methylation levels of the MJDs family were closely related to these family mRNA expression levels, clinicopathologic features, and prognostic values in HCC. Moreover, the MJDs family were significantly correlated with CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and DCs. And MJDs family members’ expression were substantially associated with the levels of several lymphocytes, immunomoinhibitors, immunomostimulators, chemokine ligands, and chemokine receptors. In addition, the expression levels of MJDs family were significantly correlated with cancer-related signaling pathways. Taken together, our results indicated that the aberrant expression of MJDs family in HCC played a critical role in clinical feature, prognosis, tumor microenvironment, immune-related molecules, mutation, gene copy number, and promoter methylation level. And MJDs family may be effective immunotherapeutic targets for patients with HCC and have the potential to be prognostic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Guojie Chen
- Hunan YoBon Biotechnology Limited Company, Changsha, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xinyuan Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Chengxiao Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jianxin Jiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Jianxin Jiang,
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13
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Marin JJG, Romero MR, Herraez E, Asensio M, Ortiz-Rivero S, Sanchez-Martin A, Fabris L, Briz O. Mechanisms of Pharmacoresistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: New Drugs but Old Problems. Semin Liver Dis 2022; 42:87-103. [PMID: 34544160 DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1735631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with poor prognosis when diagnosed at advanced stages in which curative treatments are no longer applicable. A small group of these patients may still benefit from transarterial chemoembolization. The only therapeutic option for most patients with advanced HCC is systemic pharmacological treatments based on tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immunotherapy. Available drugs only slightly increase survival, as tumor cells possess additive and synergistic mechanisms of pharmacoresistance (MPRs) prior to or enhanced during treatment. Understanding the molecular basis of MPRs is crucial to elucidate the genetic signature underlying HCC resistome. This will permit the selection of biomarkers to predict drug treatment response and identify tumor weaknesses in a personalized and dynamic way. In this article, we have reviewed the role of MPRs in current first-line drugs and the combinations of immunotherapeutic agents with novel TKIs being tested in the treatment of advanced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose J G Marin
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain.,Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta R Romero
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain.,Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elisa Herraez
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain.,Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maitane Asensio
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain.,Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Ortiz-Rivero
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Anabel Sanchez-Martin
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Luca Fabris
- Department of Molecular Medicine (DMM), University of Padua, Padua, Italy.,Department of Internal Medicine, Yale Liver Center (YLC), School of Medicine, Yale University New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Oscar Briz
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM), University of Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain.,Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
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14
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Jafarzadeh A, Paknahad MH, Nemati M, Jafarzadeh S, Mahjoubin-Tehran M, Rajabi A, Shojaie L, Mirzaei H. Dysregulated expression and functions of microRNA-330 in cancers: A potential therapeutic target. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 146:112600. [PMID: 34968919 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
As small non-coding RNAs, MicroRNAs (miRNAs) bind to the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of mRNA targets to control gene transcription and translation. The gene of miR-330 has two miRNA products, including miR-330-3p and miR-330-5p, which exhibit anti-tumorigenesis and/or pro-tumorigenesis effects in many kinds of malignancies. In cancers, miR-330-3p and miR-330-5p aberrant expression can influence many malignancy-related processes such as cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, as well as angiogenesis and responsiveness to treatment. In many cancer types (such as lung, prostate, gastric, breast, bladder, ovarian, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer, and osteosarcoma), miR-330-5p acts as an anti-tumor agent. These cancers have low levels of miR-330-5p that leads to the upregulation of the tumor promotor target genes leading to tumor progression. Here, overexpression of miR-330-5p using miRNA inducers can prevent tumor development. Dual roles of miR-330-5p have been also indicated in the thyroid, liver and cervical cancers. Moreover, miR-330-3p exhibits pro-tumorigenesis effects in lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, osteosarcoma, bladder cancer, and cervical cancer. Here, downregulation of miR-330-3p using miRNA inhibitors can prevent tumor development. Demonstrated in breast and liver cancers, miR-330-3p also has dual roles. Importantly, the activities of miR-330-3p and/or miR-330-5p are regulated by upstream regulators long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), including circular and linear lncRNAs. This review comprehensively explained miR-330-3p and miR-330-5p role in development of cancers, while highlighting their downstream target genes and upstream regulators as well as possible therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdollah Jafarzadeh
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Molecular Medicine Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Hossein Paknahad
- Department of Cardiology, Chamran Cardiovascular Research Education Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Maryam Nemati
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran; Department of Haematology and Laboratory Sciences, School of Para-Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Sara Jafarzadeh
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Maryam Mahjoubin-Tehran
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Ali Rajabi
- School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; Student Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Layla Shojaie
- Research center for Liver diseases, Keck school of medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Hamed Mirzaei
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
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15
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Chae YJ, Chang JE, Lee MK, Lim J, Shin KH, Lee KR. Regulation of drug transporters by microRNA and implications in disease treatment. JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL INVESTIGATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40005-021-00538-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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16
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Yang S, Yang S, Zhang H, Hua H, Kong Q, Wang J, Jiang Y. Targeting Na + /K + -ATPase by berbamine and ouabain synergizes with sorafenib to inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 178:4389-4407. [PMID: 34233013 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The multikinase inhibitor sorafenib is a first-line drug for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. The response to sorafenib varies among hepatocellular carcinoma patients and many of the responders suffer from reduced sensitivity after long-term treatment. This study aims to explore a novel strategy to potentiate or maximize the anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects of sorafenib. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We used hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, western blotting, various antagonists, siRNA and tumour xenografts mouse model to determine the anti- hepatocellular carcinoma effects of sorafenib in combination with berbamine or other Na+ /K+ -ATPase ligands. KEY RESULTS Berbamine and the cardiotonic steroid, ouabain, synergize with sorafenib to inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma cells growth. Mechanistically, berbamine induces Src phosphorylation in Na+ /K+ -ATPase-dependent manner, leading to the activation of p38MAPK and EGFR-ERK pathways. The Na+ /K+ -ATPase ligand ouabain also induces Src, EGFR, type I insulin-like growth factor receptor, ERK1/2 and p38MAPK phosphorylation in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma cells with Src or EGFR inhibitor inhibits the induction of ERK1/2 phosphorylation by berbamine. Moreover, sorafenib inhibits the induction of Src, p38MAPK, EGFR and ERK1/2 phosphorylation by berbamine and ouabain. Importantly, combination of sorafenib with berbamine or ouabain synergistically inhibits both sorafenib-naïve and sorafenib-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma cells growth. Co-treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma cells with berbamine and sorafenib significantly induces cell death and significantly inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma xenografts growth in vivo. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Berbamine or other Na+ /K+ -ATPase ligands have a potential for improving sorafenib responsiveness in hepatocellular carcinoma. Targeting Na+ /K+ -ATPase represents a novel strategy to potentiate the anti- hepatocellular carcinoma effects of sorafenib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songpeng Yang
- Laboratory of Oncogene, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shu Yang
- Laboratory of Oncogene, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongying Zhang
- Laboratory of Oncogene, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hui Hua
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qingbin Kong
- Laboratory of Oncogene, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiao Wang
- School of Basic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yangfu Jiang
- Laboratory of Oncogene, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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17
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Estevinho MM, Fernandes C, Silva JC, Gomes AC, Afecto E, Correia J, Carvalho J. Role of ATP-binding Cassette Transporters in Sorafenib Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: an overview. Curr Drug Targets 2021; 23:21-32. [PMID: 33845738 DOI: 10.2174/1389450122666210412125018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Molecular therapy with sorafenib remains the mainstay for advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma. Notwithstanding, treatment efficacy is low, with few patients obtaining long-lasting benefits due to the high chemoresistance rate. OBJECTIVE To perform, for the first time, an overview of the literature concerning the role of adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in sorafenib therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS Three online databases (PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus) were searched, from inception to October 2020. Studies selection, analysis and data collection was independently performed by two authors. RESULTS The search yielded 224 results; 29 were selected for inclusion. Most studies were pre-clinical, using HCC cell lines; three used human samples. Studies highlight the effect of sorafenib in decreasing ABC transporters expression. Conversely, it is described the role of ABC transporters, particularly multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR-1), multidrug resistance-associated proteins 1 and 2 (MRP-1 and MRP-2) and ABC subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) in sorafenib pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, being key resistance factors. Combination therapy with naturally available or synthetic compounds that modulate ABC transporters may revert sorafenib resistance, by increasing absorption and intracellular concentration. CONCLUSION A deeper understanding of ABC transporters' mechanisms may provide guidance for developing innovative approaches for hepatocellular carcinoma. Further studies are warranted to translate the current knowledge into practice and paving the way to individualized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Manuela Estevinho
- Department of Gastroenterology, Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Hospital Center, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. b Department of Biomedicine, Unit of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto. Portugal
| | - Carlos Fernandes
- Department of Gastroenterology, Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Hospital Center, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. b Department of Biomedicine, Unit of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto. Portugal
| | - João Carlos Silva
- Department of Gastroenterology, Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Hospital Center, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. b Department of Biomedicine, Unit of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto. Portugal
| | - Ana Catarina Gomes
- Department of Gastroenterology, Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Hospital Center, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. b Department of Biomedicine, Unit of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto. Portugal
| | - Edgar Afecto
- Department of Gastroenterology, Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Hospital Center, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. b Department of Biomedicine, Unit of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto. Portugal
| | - João Correia
- Department of Gastroenterology, Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Hospital Center, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. b Department of Biomedicine, Unit of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto. Portugal
| | - João Carvalho
- Department of Gastroenterology, Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Hospital Center, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. b Department of Biomedicine, Unit of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto. Portugal
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18
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Wang Y, Zhu Q, Hu H, Zhu H, Yang B, He Q, Yu L, Zeng S. Upregulation of histone acetylation reverses organic anion transporter 2 repression and enhances 5-fluorouracil sensitivity in hepatocellular carcinoma. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 188:114546. [PMID: 33838133 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. The failure of chemotherapy in HCC patients is partly due to inadequate intracellular drug accumulation caused by abnormally expressed drug transporters. Human organic anion transporter 2 (hOAT2), a transporter mainly expressed in liver and kidney, is responsible for uptake of various antineoplastic drugs such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Among 32 pairs of human HCC samples, we preliminarily found that OAT2 was suppressed in HCC tissues compared with matched tumor-adjacent tissues at both mRNA and protein levels, which resulted in 5-FU resistance in HCC. However, the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms of OAT2 downregulation have not been investigated. In this study, we first proved it was histone hypoacetylation rather than DNA hypermethylation that participated in transcriptional repression of OAT2 in two HCC cell lines (BEL-7402 and SMMC-7721). In general, there were two pathways confirmed using tissues and cells: 1) Increased histone deacetylase sirtuin 7 (SIRT7) mediated loss of histone 3 lysine 18 acetylation (H3K18ac) at the promoter of OAT2 and inhibited its transcription. 2) More histone deacetylase 7 (HDAC7) instead of lysine acetyltransferase 8 (KAT8) enrichment at the promoter of OAT2 led to low levels of histone 4 lysine 16 acetylation (H4K16ac). Further, we found that histone deacetylases inhibitor vorinostat (SAHA) could reverse histone hypoacetylation state to activate OAT2 transcription and enhance uptake of classic OAT2 substrate zidovudine. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of combining SAHA and 5-FU and the results demonstrated that SAHA could sensitize HCC cells to 5-FU. Collectively, we proposed such a combination treatment to overcome 5-FU resistance in HCC from the perspective of epigenetically restoring OAT2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Wang
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qianying Zhu
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haihong Hu
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hong Zhu
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiaojun He
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lushan Yu
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Su Zeng
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou, China.
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19
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Zhou S, Zeng S, Shu Y. Drug-Drug Interactions at Organic Cation Transporter 1. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:628705. [PMID: 33679412 PMCID: PMC7925875 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.628705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction between drugs and various transporters is one of the decisive factors that affect the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs. The organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1) is a member of the Solute Carrier 22A (SLC22A) family that plays a vital role in the membrane transport of organic cations including endogenous substances and xenobiotics. This article mainly discusses the drug-drug interactions (DDIs) mediated by OCT1 and their clinical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiwei Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Oral Medicine, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland at Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Thyroid Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Hunan, China
| | - Sujuan Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Oral Medicine, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan Shu
- Key Laboratory of Oral Medicine, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland at Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States
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20
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Bedon L, Dal Bo M, Mossenta M, Busato D, Toffoli G, Polano M. A Novel Epigenetic Machine Learning Model to Define Risk of Progression for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:1075. [PMID: 33499054 PMCID: PMC7865606 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although extensive advancements have been made in treatment against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the prognosis of HCC patients remains unsatisfied. It is now clearly established that extensive epigenetic changes act as a driver in human tumors. This study exploits HCC epigenetic deregulation to define a novel prognostic model for monitoring the progression of HCC. We analyzed the genome-wide DNA methylation profile of 374 primary tumor specimens using the Illumina 450 K array data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. We initially used a novel combination of Machine Learning algorithms (Recursive Features Selection, Boruta) to capture early tumor progression features. The subsets of probes obtained were used to train and validate Random Forest models to predict a Progression Free Survival greater or less than 6 months. The model based on 34 epigenetic probes showed the best performance, scoring 0.80 accuracy and 0.51 Matthews Correlation Coefficient on testset. Then, we generated and validated a progression signature based on 4 methylation probes capable of stratifying HCC patients at high and low risk of progression. Survival analysis showed that high risk patients are characterized by a poorer progression free survival compared to low risk patients. Moreover, decision curve analysis confirmed the strength of this predictive tool over conventional clinical parameters. Functional enrichment analysis highlighted that high risk patients differentiated themselves by the upregulation of proliferative pathways. Ultimately, we propose the oncogenic MCM2 gene as a methylation-driven gene of which the representative epigenetic markers could serve both as predictive and prognostic markers. Briefly, our work provides several potential HCC progression epigenetic biomarkers as well as a new signature that may enhance patients surveillance and advances in personalized treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Bedon
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano (PN), Italy; (L.B.); (M.D.B.); (M.M.); (D.B.)
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Michele Dal Bo
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano (PN), Italy; (L.B.); (M.D.B.); (M.M.); (D.B.)
| | - Monica Mossenta
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano (PN), Italy; (L.B.); (M.D.B.); (M.M.); (D.B.)
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Davide Busato
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano (PN), Italy; (L.B.); (M.D.B.); (M.M.); (D.B.)
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Toffoli
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano (PN), Italy; (L.B.); (M.D.B.); (M.M.); (D.B.)
| | - Maurizio Polano
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, 33081 Aviano (PN), Italy; (L.B.); (M.D.B.); (M.M.); (D.B.)
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Abstract
The organic cation transporters (OCTs) OCT1, OCT2, OCT3, novel OCT (OCTN)1, OCTN2, multidrug and toxin exclusion (MATE)1, and MATE kidney-specific 2 are polyspecific transporters exhibiting broadly overlapping substrate selectivities. They transport organic cations, zwitterions, and some uncharged compounds and operate as facilitated diffusion systems and/or antiporters. OCTs are critically involved in intestinal absorption, hepatic uptake, and renal excretion of hydrophilic drugs. They modulate the distribution of endogenous compounds such as thiamine, L-carnitine, and neurotransmitters. Sites of expression and functions of OCTs have important impact on energy metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of drugs, and on drug-drug interactions. In this work, an overview about the human OCTs is presented. Functional properties of human OCTs, including identified substrates and inhibitors of the individual transporters, are described. Sites of expression are compiled, and data on regulation of OCTs are presented. In addition, genetic variations of OCTs are listed, and data on their impact on transport, drug treatment, and diseases are reported. Moreover, recent data are summarized that indicate complex drug-drug interaction at OCTs, such as allosteric high-affinity inhibition of transport and substrate dependence of inhibitor efficacies. A hypothesis about the molecular mechanism of polyspecific substrate recognition by OCTs is presented that is based on functional studies and mutagenesis experiments in OCT1 and OCT2. This hypothesis provides a framework to imagine how observed complex drug-drug interactions at OCTs arise. Finally, preclinical in vitro tests that are performed by pharmaceutical companies to identify interaction of novel drugs with OCTs are discussed. Optimized experimental procedures are proposed that allow a gapless detection of inhibitory and transported drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermann Koepsell
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Department of Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Julius-von-Sachs-Institute, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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22
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How Dysregulated Ion Channels and Transporters Take a Hand in Esophageal, Liver, and Colorectal Cancer. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 2020; 181:129-222. [PMID: 32875386 DOI: 10.1007/112_2020_41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Over the last two decades, the understanding of how dysregulated ion channels and transporters are involved in carcinogenesis and tumor growth and progression, including invasiveness and metastasis, has been increasing exponentially. The present review specifies virtually all ion channels and transporters whose faulty expression or regulation contributes to esophageal, hepatocellular, and colorectal cancer. The variety reaches from Ca2+, K+, Na+, and Cl- channels over divalent metal transporters, Na+ or Cl- coupled Ca2+, HCO3- and H+ exchangers to monocarboxylate carriers and organic anion and cation transporters. In several cases, the underlying mechanisms by which these ion channels/transporters are interwoven with malignancies have been fully or at least partially unveiled. Ca2+, Akt/NF-κB, and Ca2+- or pH-dependent Wnt/β-catenin signaling emerge as cross points through which ion channels/transporters interfere with gene expression, modulate cell proliferation, trigger epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and promote cell motility and metastasis. Also miRs, lncRNAs, and DNA methylation represent potential links between the misexpression of genes encoding for ion channels/transporters, their malfunctioning, and cancer. The knowledge of all these molecular interactions has provided the basis for therapeutic strategies and approaches, some of which will be broached in this review.
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23
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Uptake Transporters of the SLC21, SLC22A, and SLC15A Families in Anticancer Therapy-Modulators of Cellular Entry or Pharmacokinetics? Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12082263. [PMID: 32806706 PMCID: PMC7464370 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Solute carrier transporters comprise a large family of uptake transporters involved in the transmembrane transport of a wide array of endogenous substrates such as hormones, nutrients, and metabolites as well as of clinically important drugs. Several cancer therapeutics, ranging from chemotherapeutics such as topoisomerase inhibitors, DNA-intercalating drugs, and microtubule binders to targeted therapeutics such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors are substrates of solute carrier (SLC) transporters. Given that SLC transporters are expressed both in organs pivotal to drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination and in tumors, these transporters constitute determinants of cellular drug accumulation influencing intracellular drug concentration required for efficacy of the cancer treatment in tumor cells. In this review, we explore the current understanding of members of three SLC families, namely SLC21 (organic anion transporting polypeptides, OATPs), SLC22A (organic cation transporters, OCTs; organic cation/carnitine transporters, OCTNs; and organic anion transporters OATs), and SLC15A (peptide transporters, PEPTs) in the etiology of cancer, in transport of chemotherapeutic drugs, and their influence on efficacy or toxicity of pharmacotherapy. We further explore the idea to exploit the function of SLC transporters to enhance cancer cell accumulation of chemotherapeutics, which would be expected to reduce toxic side effects in healthy tissue and to improve efficacy.
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Marin JJ, Macias RI, Monte MJ, Romero MR, Asensio M, Sanchez-Martin A, Cives-Losada C, Temprano AG, Espinosa-Escudero R, Reviejo M, Bohorquez LH, Briz O. Molecular Bases of Drug Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12061663. [PMID: 32585893 PMCID: PMC7352164 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The poor outcome of patients with non-surgically removable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequent type of primary liver cancer, is mainly due to the high refractoriness of this aggressive tumor to classical chemotherapy. Novel pharmacological approaches based on the use of inhibitors of tyrosine kinases (TKIs), mainly sorafenib and regorafenib, have provided only a modest prolongation of the overall survival in these HCC patients. The present review is an update of the available information regarding our understanding of the molecular bases of mechanisms of chemoresistance (MOC) with a significant impact on the response of HCC to existing pharmacological tools, which include classical chemotherapeutic agents, TKIs and novel immune-sensitizing strategies. Many of the more than one hundred genes involved in seven MOC have been identified as potential biomarkers to predict the failure of treatment, as well as druggable targets to develop novel strategies aimed at increasing the sensitivity of HCC to pharmacological treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose J.G. Marin
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.J.G.M.); (O.B.); Tel.: +34-663182872 (J.J.G.M.); +34-923294674 (O.B.)
| | - Rocio I.R. Macias
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria J. Monte
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta R. Romero
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Maitane Asensio
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Anabel Sanchez-Martin
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Candela Cives-Losada
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Alvaro G. Temprano
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Ricardo Espinosa-Escudero
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Maria Reviejo
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Laura H. Bohorquez
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
| | - Oscar Briz
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (R.I.R.M.); (M.J.M.); (M.R.R.); (M.A.); (A.S.-M.); (C.C.-L.); (A.G.T.); (R.E.-E.); (M.R.); (L.H.B.)
- Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.J.G.M.); (O.B.); Tel.: +34-663182872 (J.J.G.M.); +34-923294674 (O.B.)
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25
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Cabral LKD, Tiribelli C, Sukowati CHC. Sorafenib Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Relevance of Genetic Heterogeneity. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1576. [PMID: 32549224 PMCID: PMC7352671 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in biomedicine, the incidence and the mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain high. The majority of HCC cases are diagnosed in later stages leading to the less than optimal outcome of the treatments. Molecular targeted therapy with sorafenib, a dual-target inhibitor targeting the serine-threonine kinase Raf and the tyrosine kinases VEGFR/PDGFR, is at present the main treatment for advanced-stage HCC, either in a single or combinatory regimen. However, it was observed in a large number of patients that its effectiveness is hampered by drug resistance. HCC is highly heterogeneous, within the tumor and among individuals, and this influences disease progression, classification, prognosis, and naturally cellular susceptibility to drug resistance. This review aims to provide an insight on how HCC heterogeneity influences the different primary mechanisms of chemoresistance against sorafenib including reduced drug intake, enhanced drug efflux, intracellular drug metabolism, alteration of molecular targets, activation/inactivation of signaling pathways, changes in the DNA repair machinery, and negative balance between apoptosis and survival of the cancer cells. The diverse variants, mutations, and polymorphisms in molecules and their association with drug response can be a helpful tool in treatment decision making. Accordingly, the existence of heterogeneous biomarkers in the tumor must be considered to strengthen multi-target strategies in patient-tailored treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Caecilia H. C. Sukowati
- Fondazione Italiana Fegato (Italian Liver Foundation), AREA Science Park, Basovizza, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (L.K.D.C.); (C.T.)
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26
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Liu A, Wu Q, Peng D, Ares I, Anadón A, Lopez-Torres B, Martínez-Larrañaga MR, Wang X, Martínez MA. A novel strategy for the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and chemoresistance of hepatocellular carcinoma: DNA methylation. Med Res Rev 2020; 40:1973-2018. [PMID: 32525219 DOI: 10.1002/med.21696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The cancer mortality rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second highest in the world and the therapeutic options are limited. The incidence of this deadly cancer is rising at an alarming rate because of the high degree of resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy, lack of proper, and adequate vaccination to hepatitis B, and lack of consciousness and knowledge about the disease itself and the lifestyle of the people. DNA methylation and DNA methylation-induced epigenetic alterations, due to their potential reversibility, open the access to develop novel biomarkers and therapeutics for HCC. The contribution to these epigenetic changes in HCC development still has not been thoroughly summarized. Thus, it is necessary to better understand the new molecular targets of HCC epigenetics in HCC diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. This review elaborates on recent key findings regarding molecular biomarkers for HCC early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Currently emerging epigenetic drugs for the treatment of HCC are summarized. In addition, combining epigenetic drugs with nonepigenetic drugs for HCC treatment is also mentioned. The molecular mechanisms of DNA methylation-mediated HCC resistance are reviewed, providing some insights into the difficulty of treating liver cancer and anticancer drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimei Liu
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), Wuhan, China
| | - Qinghua Wu
- College of Life Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China.,Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Dapeng Peng
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), Wuhan, China
| | - Irma Ares
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Arturo Anadón
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Bernardo Lopez-Torres
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - María-Rosa Martínez-Larrañaga
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Xu Wang
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), Wuhan, China.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - María-Aránzazu Martínez
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
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27
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Huang KM, Uddin ME, DiGiacomo D, Lustberg MB, Hu S, Sparreboom A. Role of SLC transporters in toxicity induced by anticancer drugs. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2020; 16:493-506. [PMID: 32276560 DOI: 10.1080/17425255.2020.1755253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION . Membrane transporters are integral to the maintenance of cellular integrity of all tissue and cell types. While transporters play an established role in the systemic pharmacokinetics of therapeutic drugs, tissue specific expression of uptake transporters can serve as an initiating mechanism that governs the accumulation and impact of cytotoxic drugs. AREAS COVERED . This review provides an overview of organic cation transporters as determinants of chemotherapy-induced toxicities. We also provide insights into the recently updated FDA guidelines for in vitro drug interaction studies, with a particular focus on the class of tyrosine kinase inhibitors as perpetrators of transporter-mediated drug interactions. EXPERT OPINION . Studies performed over the last few decades have highlighted the important role of basolateral uptake and apical efflux transporters in the pathophysiology of drug-induced organ damage. Increased understanding of the mechanisms that govern the accumulation of cytotoxic drugs has provided insights into the development of novel strategies to prevent debilitating toxicities. Furthermore, we argue that current regulatory guidelines provide inadequate recommendations for in vitro studies to identify substrates or inhibitors of drug transporters. Therefore, the translational and predictive power of FDA-approved drugs as modulators of transport function remains ambiguous and warrants further revision of the current guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Huang
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Ohio State University , Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Muhammad Erfan Uddin
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Ohio State University , Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Duncan DiGiacomo
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Ohio State University , Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Maryam B Lustberg
- Department of Medical Oncology, College of Medicine, the Ohio State University and Comprehensive Cancer Center , Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Shuiying Hu
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Ohio State University , Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Alex Sparreboom
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Ohio State University , Columbus, OH, USA
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28
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Marin JJG, Serrano MA, Monte MJ, Sanchez-Martin A, Temprano AG, Briz O, Romero MR. Role of Genetic Variations in the Hepatic Handling of Drugs. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E2884. [PMID: 32326111 PMCID: PMC7215464 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The liver plays a pivotal role in drug handling due to its contribution to the processes of detoxification (phases 0 to 3). In addition, the liver is also an essential organ for the mechanism of action of many families of drugs, such as cholesterol-lowering, antidiabetic, antiviral, anticoagulant, and anticancer agents. Accordingly, the presence of genetic variants affecting a high number of genes expressed in hepatocytes has a critical clinical impact. The present review is not an exhaustive list but a general overview of the most relevant variants of genes involved in detoxification phases. The available information highlights the importance of defining the genomic profile responsible for the hepatic handling of drugs in many ways, such as (i) impaired uptake, (ii) enhanced export, (iii) altered metabolism due to decreased activation of prodrugs or enhanced inactivation of active compounds, and (iv) altered molecular targets located in the liver due to genetic changes or activation/downregulation of alternative/compensatory pathways. In conclusion, the advance in this field of modern pharmacology, which allows one to predict the outcome of the treatments and to develop more effective and selective agents able to overcome the lack of effect associated with the existence of some genetic variants, is required to step forward toward a more personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose J. G. Marin
- HEVEFARM Group, Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, University of Salamanca, IBSAL, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; (M.A.S.); (M.J.M.); (A.S.-M.); (A.G.T.); (O.B.); (M.R.R.)
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Plasma Membrane Transporters as Biomarkers and Molecular Targets in Cholangiocarcinoma. Cells 2020; 9:cells9020498. [PMID: 32098199 PMCID: PMC7072733 DOI: 10.3390/cells9020498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The dismal prognosis of patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is due, in part, to the extreme resistance of this type of liver cancer to available chemotherapeutic agents. Among the complex mechanisms accounting for CCA chemoresistance are those involving the impairment of drug uptake, which mainly occurs through transporters of the superfamily of solute carrier (SLC) proteins, and the active export of drugs from cancer cells, mainly through members of families B, C and G of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins. Both mechanisms result in decreased amounts of active drugs able to reach their intracellular targets. Therefore, the “cancer transportome”, defined as the set of transporters expressed at a given moment in the tumor, is an essential element for defining the multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype of cancer cells. For this reason, during the last two decades, plasma membrane transporters have been envisaged as targets for the development of strategies aimed at sensitizing cancer cells to chemotherapy, either by increasing the uptake or reducing the export of antitumor agents by modulating the expression/function of SLC and ABC proteins, respectively. Moreover, since some elements of the transportome are differentially expressed in CCA, their usefulness as biomarkers with diagnostic and prognostic purposes in CCA patients has been evaluated.
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30
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Models for Understanding Resistance to Chemotherapy in Liver Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11111677. [PMID: 31671735 PMCID: PMC6896032 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11111677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of response to pharmacological treatment constitutes a substantial limitation in the handling of patients with primary liver cancers (PLCs). The existence of active mechanisms of chemoresistance (MOCs) in hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and hepatoblastoma hampers the usefulness of chemotherapy. A better understanding of MOCs is needed to develop strategies able to overcome drug refractoriness in PLCs. With this aim, several experimental models are commonly used. These include in vitro cell-free assays using subcellular systems; studies with primary cell cultures; cancer cell lines or heterologous expression systems; multicellular models, such as spheroids and organoids; and a variety of in vivo models in rodents, such as subcutaneous and orthotopic tumor xenografts or chemically or genetically induced liver carcinogenesis. Novel methods to perform programmed genomic edition and more efficient techniques to isolate circulating microvesicles offer new opportunities for establishing useful experimental tools for understanding the resistance to chemotherapy in PLCs. In the present review, using three criteria for information organization: (1) level of research; (2) type of MOC; and (3) type of PLC, we have summarized the advantages and limitations of the armamentarium available in the field of pharmacological investigation of PLC chemoresistance.
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Al-Abdulla R, Perez-Silva L, Lozano E, Macias RIR, Herraez E, Abad M, Segues N, Bujanda L, Briz O, Marin JJG. Sensitizing gastric adenocarcinoma to chemotherapy by pharmacological manipulation of drug transporters. Biochem Pharmacol 2019; 171:113682. [PMID: 31669256 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.113682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Owing to intrinsic and acquired chemoresistance, the response of gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) to chemotherapy is very poor. Here we have investigated the role of transportome in reducing the intracellular content of anticancer drugs and conferring multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype. Tumors specimens and paired adjacent tissue were analyzed to determine the MDR signature by TaqMan Low-Density Arrays and single-gene qPCR. Strategies of sensitization were evaluated in vitro using the GAC-derived cell line AGS and in vivo using a subcutaneous xenograft model in immunodeficient nude mice. Several transporters involved in drug uptake and export, which are present in healthy stomach, were highly expressed in GAC. In contrast, the cancer-type OATP1B3 was almost exclusively expressed in tumor tissue. The transportome profile varied depending on tumor anatomical location, differentiation, and stage. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed high MRP1 and MRP4 expression at the plasma membrane of tumor cells as well as AGS cells in culture, in which MRP inhibition resulted in selective sensitization to cytotoxic MRP substrates, such as sorafenib, docetaxel, etoposide, and doxorubicin. In mice with subcutaneous tumors formed by AGS cells, sorafenib alone failed to prevent tumor growth. In contrast, this drug induced a marked inhibitory effect when it was co-administered with diclofenac. In conclusion, MRP1 and MRP4 play an important role in the lack of response of GAC to drugs that are transported by these export pumps. Moreover, agents, such as sorafenib, considered at present useless to treat GAC, may become active antitumor drugs when co-administered with non-toxic MRP inhibitors, such as diclofenac.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruba Al-Abdulla
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Laura Perez-Silva
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Elisa Lozano
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocio I R Macias
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elisa Herraez
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mar Abad
- Department of Pathology, IBSAL, University Hospital of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Nerea Segues
- Department of Pathology, Biodonostia Research Institute (Donostia University Hospital), San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Luis Bujanda
- Department of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Biodonostia Research Institute (Donostia University Hospital), University of Basque Country (UPV/EHU), San Sebastian, Spain; Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Oscar Briz
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose J G Marin
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain; Center for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.
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32
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Lozano E, Macias RIR, Monte MJ, Asensio M, Del Carmen S, Sanchez-Vicente L, Alonso-Peña M, Al-Abdulla R, Munoz-Garrido P, Satriano L, O'Rourke CJ, Banales JM, Avila MA, Martinez-Chantar ML, Andersen JB, Briz O, Marin JJG. Causes of hOCT1-Dependent Cholangiocarcinoma Resistance to Sorafenib and Sensitization by Tumor-Selective Gene Therapy. Hepatology 2019; 70:1246-1261. [PMID: 30972782 DOI: 10.1002/hep.30656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Although the multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib is useful in the treatment of several cancers, cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is refractory to this drug. Among other mechanisms of chemoresistance, impaired uptake through human organic cation transporter type 1 (hOCT1) (gene SLC22A1) has been suggested. Here we have investigated the events accounting for this phenotypic characteristic and have evaluated the interest of selective gene therapy strategies to overcome this limitation. Gene expression and DNA methylation of SLC22A1 were analyzed using intrahepatic (iCCA) and extrahepatic (eCCA) biopsies (Copenhagen and Salamanca cohorts; n = 132) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-CHOL (n = 36). Decreased hOCT1 mRNA correlated with hypermethylation status of the SLC22A1 promoter. Treatment of CCA cells with decitabine (demethylating agent) or butyrate (histone deacetylase inhibitor) restored hOCT1 expression and increased sorafenib uptake. MicroRNAs able to induce hOCT1 mRNA decay were analyzed in paired samples of TCGA-CHOL (n = 9) and Copenhagen (n = 57) cohorts. Consistent up-regulation in tumor tissue was found for miR-141 and miR-330. High proportion of aberrant hOCT1 mRNA splicing in CCA was also seen. Lentiviral-mediated transduction of eCCA (EGI-1 and TFK-1) and iCCA (HuCCT1) cells with hOCT1 enhanced sorafenib uptake and cytotoxic effects. In chemically induced CCA in rats, reduced rOct1 expression was accompanied by impaired sorafenib uptake. In xenograft models of eCCA cells implanted in mouse liver, poor response to sorafenib was observed. However, tumor growth was markedly reduced by cotreatment with sorafenib and adenoviral vectors encoding hOCT1 under the control of the BIRC5 promoter, a gene highly up-regulated in CCA. Conclusion: The reason for impaired hOCT1-mediated sorafenib uptake by CCA is multifactorial. Gene therapy capable of selectively inducing hOCT1 in tumor cells can be considered a potentially useful chemosensitization strategy to improve the response of CCA to sorafenib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Lozano
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocio I R Macias
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria J Monte
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maitane Asensio
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Sofia Del Carmen
- Salamanca University Hospital, IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Laura Sanchez-Vicente
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Marta Alonso-Peña
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ruba Al-Abdulla
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Patricia Munoz-Garrido
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Department of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Letizia Satriano
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Department of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Colm J O'Rourke
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Department of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jesus M Banales
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Donostia University Hospital, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Ikerbasque, San Sebastian, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Matias A Avila
- Hepatology Programme, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), IDISNA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria L Martinez-Chantar
- Liver Disease Laboratory, CIC bioGUNE, Technology Park of Vizcaya, Vizcaya, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesper B Andersen
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Department of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Oscar Briz
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose J G Marin
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
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33
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Brosseau N, Ramotar D. The human organic cation transporter OCT1 and its role as a target for drug responses. Drug Metab Rev 2019; 51:389-407. [PMID: 31564168 DOI: 10.1080/03602532.2019.1670204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The human organic cation uptake transporter OCT1, encoded by the SLC22A1 gene, is highly expressed in the liver and reported to possess a broad substrate specificity. OCT1 operates by facilitated diffusion and allows the entry of nutrients into cells. Recent findings revealed that OCT1 can mediate the uptake of drugs for treating various diseases such as cancers. The levels of OCT1 expression correlate with the responses towards many drugs and functionally defective OCT1 lead to drug resistance. It has been recently proposed that OCT1 should be amongst the crucial drug targets used for pharmacogenomic analyses. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms exist and are distributed across the entire OCT1 gene. While there are differences in the OCT1 gene polymorphisms between populations, there are at least five variants that warrant consideration in any genetic screen. To date, and despite two decades of research into OCT1 functional role, it still remains uncertain what are the define substrates for this uptake transporter, although studies from mice revealed that one of the substrates is vitamin B1. It is also unclear how OCT1 recognizes a broad array of ligands and whether this involves specific modifications and interactions with other proteins. In this review, we highlight the current findings related to OCT1 with the aim of propelling further studies on this key uptake transporter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Brosseau
- Department of Medicine, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Dindial Ramotar
- Department of Medicine, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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34
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Chen M, Neul C, Schaeffeler E, Frisch F, Winter S, Schwab M, Koepsell H, Hu S, Laufer S, Baker SD, Sparreboom A, Nies AT. Sorafenib Activity and Disposition in Liver Cancer Does Not Depend on Organic Cation Transporter 1. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2019; 107:227-237. [PMID: 31350763 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.1588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Systemic therapy of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with the small-molecule multikinase inhibitor sorafenib is associated with large interindividual pharmacokinetic variability and unpredictable side effects potentially requiring dose reduction or treatment termination. Organic cation transporter (OCT1; gene SLC22A1) has been proposed as a clinical biomarker of HCC response. Because proof is lacking that OCT1 transports sorafenib, we used a combinatorial approach to define how OCT1 contributes to sorafenib transport. Overexpression of functional OCT1 protein in Xenopus laevis oocytes and mammalian cell lines did not facilitate sorafenib transport. Otherwise, sorafenib considerably accumulated in liver cancer cell lines despite negligible OCT1 mRNA and protein levels. Sorafenib pharmacokinetics was independent of OCT1 genotype in mice. Finally, SLC22A1 mRNA expression was significantly reduced by DNA methylation in The Cancer Genome Atlas HCC cohort. These results clearly demonstrate OCT1-independent cellular sorafenib uptake indicating that OCT1 is apparently not a valid biomarker of sorafenib response in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingqing Chen
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Claudia Neul
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany.,University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Elke Schaeffeler
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany.,University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Franziska Frisch
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany.,University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Winter
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany.,University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Schwab
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Departments of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy, and Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hermann Koepsell
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Department of Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Shuiying Hu
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Stefan Laufer
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sharyn D Baker
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Alex Sparreboom
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Anne T Nies
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Stuttgart, Germany.,University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC2180) "Image-guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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35
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Li J, Yang Z, Tuo B. Role of OCT1 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Onco Targets Ther 2019; 12:6013-6022. [PMID: 31413596 PMCID: PMC6662865 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s212088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers causing death worldwide. It is difficult to detect at an early stage and most patients with advanced HCC rarely achieve satisfying therapeutic results. Accordingly, researchers have been trying to find new biomarkers for diagnosis and new methods of treatment. OCT1, a member of solute carrier super family, is highly expressed in normal liver tissues, and predominantly transports endogenous and exogenous substances, such as metabolites, drugs and toxins to hepatocytes. Studies have demonstrated that the expression of OCT1 is related to the progression and survival of HCC patients. Furthermore, sorafenib, which is regarded as the only effective molecular targeting drug for advanced HCC, is affected by OCT1 variants. In the current review, we summarized the reports about OCT1 and HCC in order to present a comprehensive overview of the relationship between OCT1 and HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingguo Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengyi Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Bijie First People's Hospital, Bijie, Guizhou Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Biguang Tuo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, People's Republic of China
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36
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Grieb BC, Goff LW, Goyal L, Denlinger CS. Evolving Landscape of Systemic Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Breakthroughs, Toxicities, and Future Frontiers. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book 2019; 39:248-260. [PMID: 31099615 DOI: 10.1200/edbk_237555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The incidence and death rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are rising. For more than a decade, the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib was the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved systemic therapy for HCC. However, since 2017, five additional agents have been approved in the first- or second-line setting. Although this represents an incredible victory for the field, there are no clear guidelines for agent selection on the basis of either patient or tumor characteristics. Here, we review the available systemic therapy options for advanced HCC and reported clinical data for each. We outline each agent's unique toxicity profile, potential impact on patient quality of life, monitoring recommendations, and supportive strategies. Last, we review molecular and immunologic classifications of HCC as well as preclinical data that may serve as a basis for future biomarker enriched clinical trials to enable precision oncology care in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C Grieb
- 1 Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Laura W Goff
- 1 Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Lipika Goyal
- 2 Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Crystal S Denlinger
- 3 Department of Hematology/Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
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37
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Mechanisms of Anticancer Drug Resistance in Hepatoblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11030407. [PMID: 30909445 PMCID: PMC6468761 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11030407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The most frequent liver tumor in children is hepatoblastoma (HB), which derives from embryonic parenchymal liver cells or hepatoblasts. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which rarely affects young people, causes one fourth of deaths due to cancer in adults. In contrast, HB usually has better prognosis, but this is still poor in 20% of cases. Although more responsive to chemotherapy than HCC, the failure of pharmacological treatment used before and/or after surgical resection is an important limitation in the management of patients with HB. To advance in the implementation of personalized medicine it is important to select the best combination among available anti-HB drugs, such as platinum derivatives, anthracyclines, etoposide, tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, Vinca alkaloids, 5-fluorouracil, monoclonal antibodies, irinotecan and nitrogen mustards. This requires predicting the sensitivity to these drugs of each tumor at each time because, it should be kept in mind, that cancer chemoresistance is a dynamic process of Darwinian nature. For this goal it is necessary to improve our understanding of the mechanisms of chemoresistance involved in the refractoriness of HB against the pharmacological challenge and how they evolve during treatment. In this review we have summarized the current knowledge on the multifactorial and complex factors responsible for the lack of response of HB to chemotherapy.
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38
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Al-Abdulla R, Lozano E, Macias RIR, Monte MJ, Briz O, O'Rourke CJ, Serrano MA, Banales JM, Avila MA, Martinez-Chantar ML, Geier A, Andersen JB, Marin JJG. Epigenetic events involved in organic cation transporter 1-dependent impaired response of hepatocellular carcinoma to sorafenib. Br J Pharmacol 2019; 176:787-800. [PMID: 30592786 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The expression of the human organic cation transporter-1 (hOCT1, gene SLC22A1) is reduced in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The molecular bases of this reduction and its relationship with the poor response of HCC to sorafenib were investigated. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH HCC transcriptomes from 366 samples available at TCGA were analysed. Alternative splicing was determined by RT-PCR. The role of miRNAs in SLC22A1 downregulation was investigated. Expression of Oct1 was measured in rodent HCC models (spontaneously generated in Fxr-/- mice and chemically-induced in rats). hOCT1 was overexpressed in human hepatoma cells (HuH7 and HepG2). Sorafenib and regorafenib uptake was determined by HPLC-MS/MS. KEY RESULTS hOCT1 overexpression enhanced sorafenib, but not regorafenib, quinine-inhibitable uptake by hepatoma cells. In rodent HCC, Oct1 was downregulated, which was accompanied by impaired sorafenib uptake. In mice with s.c.-implanted HCC, sorafenib inhibited the growth of hOCT1 overexpressing tumours. In human HCC, hOCT1 expression was inversely correlated with SLC22A1 promoter methylation, whereas demethylation with decitabine enhanced hOCT1 expression in hepatoma cells. Increased proportion of aberrant hOCT1 mRNA variants was found in HCC samples. In silico analysis identified six miRNAs as candidates to target hOCT1 mRNA. When overexpressed in HepG2 cells a significant hOCT1 mRNA decay was induced by hsa-miR-330 and hsa-miR-1468. Analysis of 39 paired tumour/adjacent samples from TCGA revealed that hsa-mir-330 was consistently upregulated in HCC. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Impaired hOCT1 expression/function in HCC, in part due to epigenetic modifications, plays an important role in the poor pharmacological response of this cancer to sorafenib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruba Al-Abdulla
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Elisa Lozano
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocio I R Macias
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria J Monte
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Oscar Briz
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Colm J O'Rourke
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Department of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maria A Serrano
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesus M Banales
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology. Biodonostia Biomedical Research Institute, San Sebastian University Hospital. Basque Country University, San Sebastian, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Matias A Avila
- Hepatology Programme, Centre for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), IDISNA, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria L Martinez-Chantar
- Department of Metabolomics, CIC bioGUNE, Derio, Vizcaya, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andreas Geier
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine II, Würzburg University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jesper B Andersen
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Department of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jose J G Marin
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM), IBSAL, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,National Institute for the Study of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
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39
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Cai H, Yang Y, Peng F, Liu Y, Fu X, Ji B. Gold nanoparticles-loaded anti-miR221 enhances antitumor effect of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Int J Med Sci 2019; 16:1541-1548. [PMID: 31839741 PMCID: PMC6909811 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.37427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Currently, sorafenib is the main systemic chemotherapy drug for advanced stage of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, emerging data from some clinical HCC patients indicates that sorafenib alone has only moderate antitumor efficacy, and could not inhibit metastasis and progression of disease. MiR-221 plays a role in promoting tumorigenesis in HCC by inhibiting the expression of p27. In this study, we analyzed the synergistic anti-tumor effects of sorafenib and gold nanoparticles-loaded anti-miR221 on HCC cell lines. Methods: Gold nanoparticles-loaded anti-miR221 was investigated and identified by transmission electron microscope, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, zeta potential and dynamic light scattering measurements as well as the confocal microscopy and dark-field imaging. Two HCC cell lines were treated with sorafenib and AuNPs-anti-miR221 alone or combination in vitro to investigate the inhibitory effect by CCK-8, live/dead fluorescence staining and colony-forming unit assays. MiR-221/p27/DNMT1 signaling pathway including p27 and DNMT1 was examined by western blot. Results: AuNPs-anti-miR221 can enhance the effect of sorafenib in inhibiting cell proliferation via inactivating miR-221/p27/DNMT1 signaling pathway. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that sorafenib combined with AuNPs-anti-miR221 treatment does effectively inhibit proliferation of HCC cell lines synergistically. These data suggest the AuNPs-anti-miR221 may be a promising chemosensitizer to sorafenib in the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongqiao Cai
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Fenghui Peng
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Yahui Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Xueqi Fu
- Edmond H. Fischer Signal Transduction Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130012, China
| | - Bai Ji
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Jilin 130021, China
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