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D'Alessandris QG, Menna G, Izzo A, D'Ercole M, Della Pepa GM, Lauretti L, Pallini R, Olivi A, Montano N. Neuromodulation for Brain Tumors: Myth or Reality? A Narrative Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11738. [PMID: 37511496 PMCID: PMC10380317 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, research on brain cancers has turned towards the study of the interplay between the tumor and its host, the normal brain. Starting from the establishment of a parallelism between neurogenesis and gliomagenesis, the influence of neuronal activity on the development of brain tumors, particularly gliomas, has been partially unveiled. Notably, direct electrochemical synapses between neurons and glioma cells have been identified, paving the way for new approaches for the cure of brain cancers. Since this novel field of study has been defined "cancer neuroscience", anticancer therapeutic approaches exploiting these discoveries can be referred to as "cancer neuromodulation". In the present review, we provide an up-to-date description of the novel findings and of the therapeutic neuromodulation perspectives in cancer neuroscience. We focus both on more traditional oncologic approaches, aimed at modulating the major pathways involved in cancer neuroscience through drugs or genetic engineering techniques, and on electric stimulation proposals; the latter is at the cutting-edge of neuro-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quintino Giorgio D'Alessandris
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Grazia Menna
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Izzo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Manuela D'Ercole
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Maria Della Pepa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Liverana Lauretti
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Pallini
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Olivi
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Montano
- Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Kumar K, Dubey V, Zaidi SS, Tripathi M, Siraj F, Sharma MC, Chandra PS, Doddamani R, Dixit AB, Banerjee J. RNA Sequencing of Intraoperative Peritumoral Tissues Reveals Potential Pathways Involved in Glioma-Related Seizures. J Mol Neurosci 2023; 73:437-447. [PMID: 37268865 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-023-02125-y] [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: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-induced changes in the peritumoral neocortex play a crucial role in generation of seizures. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms potentially involved in peritumoral epilepsy in low-grade gliomas (LGGs). Intraoperative peritumoral brain tissues resected from LGG patients with seizures (pGRS) or without seizures (pGNS) were used for RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Comparative transcriptomics was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in pGRS compared to pGNS using deseq2 and edgeR packages (R). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) using Gene Ontology terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes & Genomes (KEGG) pathways was performed using the clusterProfiler package (R). The expression of key genes was validated at the transcript and protein levels in the peritumoral region using real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. A total of 1073 DEGs were identified in pGRS compared to pGNS, of which 559 genes were upregulated and 514 genes were downregulated (log2 fold-change ≥ 2, padj < 0.001). The DEGs in pGRS were highly enriched in the "Glutamatergic Synapse" and "Spliceosome" pathways, with increased expression of GRIN2A (NR2A), GRIN2B (NR2B), GRIA1 (GLUR1), GRIA3 (GLUR3), GRM5, CACNA1C, CACNA1A, and ITPR2. Moreover, increased immunoreactivity was observed for NR2A, NR2B, and GLUR1 proteins in the peritumoral tissues of GRS. These findings suggest that altered glutamatergic signaling and perturbed Ca2+ homeostasis may be potential causes of peritumoral epilepsy in gliomas. This explorative study identifies important genes/pathways that merit further characterization for their potential involvement in glioma-related seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vivek Dubey
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Syeda S Zaidi
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, 110029, India
| | | | - Fouzia Siraj
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, New Delhi, India
| | | | | | | | - Aparna Banerjee Dixit
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
| | - Jyotirmoy Banerjee
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, 110029, India.
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Fluoride in the Central Nervous System and Its Potential Influence on the Development and Invasiveness of Brain Tumours-A Research Hypothesis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021558. [PMID: 36675073 PMCID: PMC9866357 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to attempt to outline the potential role of fluoride in the pathogenesis of brain tumours, including glioblastoma (GBM). In this paper, we show for the first time that fluoride can potentially affect the generally accepted signalling pathways implicated in the formation and clinical course of GBM. Fluorine compounds easily cross the blood-brain barrier. Enhanced oxidative stress, disruption of multiple cellular pathways, and microglial activation are just a few examples of recent reports on the role of fluoride in the central nervous system (CNS). We sought to present the key mechanisms underlying the development and invasiveness of GBM, as well as evidence on the current state of knowledge about the pleiotropic, direct, or indirect involvement of fluoride in the regulation of these mechanisms in various tissues, including neural and tumour tissue. The effects of fluoride on the human body are still a matter of controversy. However, given the growing incidence of brain tumours, especially in children, and numerous reports on the effects of fluoride on the CNS, it is worth taking a closer look at these mechanisms in the context of brain tumours, including gliomas.
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An integrated analysis of the effects of maternal broccoli sprouts exposure on transcriptome and methylome in prevention of offspring mammary cancer. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264858. [PMID: 35263365 PMCID: PMC8906608 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Broccoli sprouts (BSp), a cruciferous vegetable, has shown promising effects on prevention of many types of cancer including breast cancer (BC). BC has a developmental foundation, and maternal nutrition status may influence an offspring’s risk to BC later in life. What is less understood, however, is the influence of maternal nutrition intervention on reversing epigenomic abnormalities that are essential in BC programming during early development. Our research focused on how maternal exposure to BSp diet prevents offspring BC and investigation of possible epigenetic mechanisms during these processes. Our results showed that maternal feeding of BSp can prevent mammary tumor development in the offspring of a transgenic mouse model. Through comprehensive integrated multi-omics studies on transcriptomic and methylomic analysis, we identified numerous target genes exhibiting significantly differential gene expression and DNA methylation patterns in the offspring mammary tumor. We discovered that maternal exposure to BSp diet can induce both gene and methylation changes in several key genes such as Avpr2, Cyp4a12b, Dpp6, Gria2, Pcdh9 and Tspan11 that are correlated with pivotal biological functions during carcinogenesis. In addition, we found an impact of maternal BSp treatment on DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylases activity. Our study provides knowledgeable information regarding how maternal BSp diet influences key tumor-related gene expression and the epigenetic changes using a genome-wide perspective. Additionally, these findings provide mechanistic insights into the effectiveness of maternal BSp administration on the prevention of BC in the offspring later in life, which may lead to an early-life BC chemopreventive strategy that benefits the progenies’ long-term health.
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Mollazadeh H, Mohtashami E, Mousavi SH, Soukhtanloo M, Vahedi MM, Hosseini A, Afshari AR, Sahebkar A. Deciphering the Role of Glutamate Signaling in Glioblastoma Multiforme: Current Therapeutic Modalities and Future Directions. Curr Pharm Des 2020; 26:4777-4788. [DOI: 10.2174/1381612826666200603132456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
As the most popular intrinsic neoplasm throughout the brain, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is resistant
to existing therapies. Due to its invasive nature, GBM shows a poor prognosis despite aggressive surgery
and chemoradiation. Therefore, identifying and understanding the critical molecules of GBM can help develop
new therapeutic strategies. Glutamatergic signaling dysfunction has been well documented in neurodegenerative
diseases as well as in GBM. Inhibition of glutamate receptor activation or extracellular glutamate release by specific
antagonists inhibits cell development, invasion, and migration and contributes to apoptosis and autophagy in
GBM cells. This review outlines the current knowledge of glutamate signaling involvement and current therapeutic
modalities for the treatment of GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Mollazadeh
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
| | - Elmira Mohtashami
- Pharmacological Research Center of Medicinal Plants, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Seyed H. Mousavi
- Medical Toxicology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mohammad Soukhtanloo
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mohammad M. Vahedi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Azar Hosseini
- Pharmacological Research Center of Medicinal Plants, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Amir R. Afshari
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
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Huang S, Song Z, Zhang T, He X, Huang K, Zhang Q, Shen J, Pan J. Identification of Immune Cell Infiltration and Immune-Related Genes in the Tumor Microenvironment of Glioblastomas. Front Immunol 2020; 11:585034. [PMID: 33193404 PMCID: PMC7606992 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.585034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most prevalent malignant brain tumors with poor prognosis. Increasing evidence has revealed that infiltrating immune cells and other stromal components in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are associated with prognosis of GBM. The aim of the present study was to identify immune cells and immune-related genes extracted from TME in GBM. RNA-sequencing and clinical data of GBM were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Four survival-related immune cells were identified via Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and immune-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) screened. Functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks for the genes were constructed. In addition, we identified 24 hub genes and the expressions of 6 of the genes were significantly associated with prognosis of GBM. Finally, the genes were validated in single-cell sequencing studies of GBM, and the immune cells validated in an independent GBM cohort from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA). Overall, 24 immune-related genes infiltrating the tumor microenvironment were identified in the present study, which could serve as novel biomarkers and immune therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sicong Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zijun Song
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tiesong Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xuyan He
- The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kaiyuan Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qihui Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Dong Fang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jian Shen
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianwei Pan
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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Ni T, Huang T, Gu SL, Wang J, Liu Y, Sun X, Wang YD. DRG Neurons Promote Perineural Invasion of Endometrial Cancer via GluR2. J Cancer 2020; 11:2518-2528. [PMID: 32201522 PMCID: PMC7066017 DOI: 10.7150/jca.40055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Perineural invasion (PNI) is correlated with negative prognosis in multiple cancers, but its role in endometrial cancer (EC) is still largely unknown; thus, targeted treatment for nerve infiltration is lacking as well. Methods: The interaction between nerve and EC cells were investigated by in vitro neural invasion assay and transwell coculture system. Then the nerve-related receptor gene glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA type subunit 2 (GRIA2) was detected in EC tissues and cells using PCR array, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. The role of GluR2 (gene name GRIA2) on EC proliferation, migration and invasion was evaluated by a GluR2 antagonist and shRNA. At the same time, the neurotransmitter effect on GluR2 (glutamate) from the cocultured conditional medium was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: EC cell line Ishikawa (ISK) showed the ability to migrate along neurites in vitro and the numbers of migrated/invaded EC cells in the DRG neuron coculture group were significantly increased. The expression of GluR2 in EC tissue was found to be higher than that in para-carcinoma tissue. After GluR2 antagonist and GluR2 shRNA treatment, the proliferation, migration and invasion of ISK cells was markedly inhibited. Moreover, the ability of DRG neurons to promote the migration and invasion of ISK cells could also be attenuated by downregulation of GluR2, and the concentration of the neurotransmitter glutamate was notably increased in the coculture conditional medium compared to that in the DRG neuron or ISK cells alone. Conclusions: DRG neurons promote metastasis of EC cells via GluR2, which might be a risk factor for PNI in EC. Moreover, the perineural system may promote tumor invasion and metastasis under certain circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Ni
- Department of Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Ting Huang
- Department of Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Sheng-Lan Gu
- Department of Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yao Liu
- Department of Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Xiao Sun
- Laboratory for Gynecologic Oncology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Yu-Dong Wang
- Department of Gynecology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 910 Hengshan Road, Shanghai 200030, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
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Yi H, Talmon G, Wang J. Glutamate in cancers: from metabolism to signaling. J Biomed Res 2019; 34:260-270. [PMID: 32594024 PMCID: PMC7386414 DOI: 10.7555/jbr.34.20190037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutamine and glutamate are major bioenergy substrates for normal and cancer cell growth. Cancer cells need more biofuel than normal tissues for energy supply, anti-oxidation activity and biomass production. Genes related to metabolic chains in many cancers are somehow mutated, which makes cancer cells more glutamate dependent. Meanwhile, glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter for conducting signals through binding with different types of receptors in central neuron system. Interestingly, increasing evidences have shown involvement of glutamate signaling, guided through their receptors, in human malignancy. Dysregulation of glutamate transporters, such as excitatory amino acid transporter and cystine/glutamate antiporter system, also generates excessive extracellular glutamate, which in turn, activates glutamate receptors on cancer cells and results in malignant growth. These features make glutamate an attractive target for anti-cancer drug development with some glutamate targeted but blood brain barrier impermeable anti-psychosis drugs under consideration. We discussed the relevant progressions and drawbacks in this field herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haowei Yi
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy
| | | | - Jing Wang
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
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Corsi L, Mescola A, Alessandrini A. Glutamate Receptors and Glioblastoma Multiforme: An Old "Route" for New Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20071796. [PMID: 30978987 PMCID: PMC6479730 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20071796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive malignant tumor of the central nervous system, with poor survival in both treated and untreated patients. Recent studies began to explain the molecular pathway, comprising the dynamic structural and mechanical changes involved in GBM. In this context, some studies showed that the human glioblastoma cells release high levels of glutamate, which regulates the proliferation and survival of neuronal progenitor cells. Considering that cancer cells possess properties in common with neural progenitor cells, it is likely that the functions of glutamate receptors may affect the growth of cancer cells and, therefore, open the road to new and more targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Corsi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi 287, 41125 Modena, Italy.
| | - Andrea Mescola
- CNR-Nanoscience Institute-S3, Via Campi 213/A, 41125 Modena, Italy.
| | - Andrea Alessandrini
- CNR-Nanoscience Institute-S3, Via Campi 213/A, 41125 Modena, Italy.
- Department of Physics, Informatics e Mathematics, Via G. Campi 213/a, 41125 Modena, Italy.
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Pain and its Impact on the Functional Ability in Children Treated at the Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon. J Pediatr Nurs 2018; 39:e11-e20. [PMID: 29338904 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of pain in children under treatment at the Children Cancer Centre of Lebanon at the American University of Beirut Medical Centre. Design and Methods A cross-sectional correlational survey was used. The Adolescent Pediatric Pain Tool and the Functional Disability Inventory were used to examine the characteristics of pain experienced in a consecutive sample of children treated at the CCCL and its impact on their functional abilities. RESULTS The mean age of the 62 participants was 12.3 (SD 2.9). The overall mean pain intensity rating for the sample was 5.06 (SD 1.87) on a 10 cm Word Graphic Rating Scale. More than one-half of the children in the sample (57.4%) reported having pain "sometimes" with a median duration of two hours per pain episode. The most frequently reported locations of pain were the forehead, the abdomen, and the lower back. For the most part, the children used sensory words to describe their pain experience. The children reported moderate levels of functional disability (mean FDI score 25.04, SD 13.81). Multivariable linear regression analysis identified frequency, duration, location, use of affective descriptors, and treatments as statistically significant predictors of pain intensity. CONCLUSION Regrettably, the findings reported attest once again to unrelieved pain in a pediatric oncology population. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Policy makers can contribute to pain control by introducing legislation and national policies to ensure adequate pain management for children with cancer in Lebanon.
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Mahajan-Thakur S, Bien-Möller S, Marx S, Schroeder H, Rauch BH. Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) signaling in glioblastoma multiforme-A systematic review. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E2448. [PMID: 29149079 PMCID: PMC5713415 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18112448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The multifunctional sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a lipid signaling molecule and central regulator in the development of several cancer types. In recent years, intriguing information has become available regarding the role of S1P in the progression of Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive and common brain tumor in adults. S1P modulates numerous cellular processes in GBM, such as oncogenesis, proliferation and survival, invasion, migration, metastasis and stem cell behavior. These processes are regulated via a family of five G-protein-coupled S1P receptors (S1PR1-5) and may involve mainly unknown intracellular targets. Distinct expression patterns and multiple intracellular signaling pathways of each S1PR subtype enable S1P to exert its pleiotropic cellular actions. Several studies have demonstrated alterations in S1P levels, the involvement of S1PRs and S1P metabolizing enzymes in GBM pathophysiology. While the tumorigenic actions of S1P involve the activation of several kinases and transcription factors, the specific G-protein (Gi, Gq, and G12/13)-coupled signaling pathways and downstream mediated effects in GBM remain to be elucidated in detail. This review summarizes the recent findings concerning the role of S1P and its receptors in GBM. We further highlight the current insights into the signaling pathways considered fundamental for regulating the cellular processes in GMB and ultimately patient prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandra Bien-Möller
- Department of Pharmacology, University Medicine Greifswald, 17487 Greifswald, Germany.
- Clinic of Neurosurgery, University Medicine Greifswald, 17487 Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Sascha Marx
- Clinic of Neurosurgery, University Medicine Greifswald, 17487 Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Henry Schroeder
- Clinic of Neurosurgery, University Medicine Greifswald, 17487 Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Bernhard H Rauch
- Department of Pharmacology, University Medicine Greifswald, 17487 Greifswald, Germany.
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Wang XY, Li YL, Wang HY, Zhu M, Guo D, Wang GL, Gao YT, Yang Z, Li T, Yang CY, Chen YM. Propofol inhibits invasion and proliferation of C6 glioma cells by regulating the Ca 2+ permeable AMPA receptor-system x c- pathway. Toxicol In Vitro 2017; 44:57-65. [PMID: 28663055 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2017.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Anesthetics are documented to affect tumors; therefore, we studied the antiglioma effect of propofol on proliferation and invasiveness of glioma cells and explored the underlying mechanism. C6 glioma cells were cultured and treated with propofol, and cell viability, invasiveness, and migration were measured. Glutamate release was measured using an enzyme-catalyzed kinetic reaction. xCT protein and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor GluR2 subunit protein expression was assessed with Western blot analysis and immunofluorescent staining. We observed that propofol significantly inhibited C6 glioma cell viability, invasiveness, and migration and decreased glutamate release. An agonist of the cystine/glutamate antiporter system (system xc-), N-acetylcysteine (NAC), reversed propofol's effects, and propofol could inhibit C6 glioma cell proliferation by adding excess exogenous glutamate (100μM). Finally, propofol increased the surface expression of GluR2, but decreased surface expression of xCT. The effects of propofol on surface expression of GluR2 and xCT could be rescued by (R, S)-AMPA, an agonist of Ca2+ permeable AMPA receptor (CPAR). Thus, propofol can inhibit cell viability, invasiveness, and migration of C6 glioma cells, and the CPAR-system xc- pathway contributes to these events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yue Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, the Third Central Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Third Central Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Artificial Cell, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Artificial Cell Engineering Research Centre of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Yan-Li Li
- Department of Cardiology, Tianjin Third Central Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Artificial Cell, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Artificial Cell Engineering Research Centre of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Hai-Yun Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, the Third Central Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Third Central Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Artificial Cell, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Artificial Cell Engineering Research Centre of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300170, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
| | - Min Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin first Central Hospital, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Di Guo
- Department of Anesthesiology, the Third Central Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Third Central Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Artificial Cell, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Artificial Cell Engineering Research Centre of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Guo-Lin Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Ying-Tang Gao
- Tianjin Third Central Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Artificial Cell, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Artificial Cell Engineering Research Centre of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Zhuo Yang
- College of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Tang Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, the Third Central Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Third Central Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Artificial Cell, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Artificial Cell Engineering Research Centre of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Chen-Yi Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, the Third Central Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Third Central Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Artificial Cell, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Artificial Cell Engineering Research Centre of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Yi-Meng Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, the Third Central Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Third Central Hospital, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Artificial Cell, Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, Artificial Cell Engineering Research Centre of the Ministry of Health, Tianjin 300170, China
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13
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Ribeiro MPC, Custódio JBA, Santos AE. Ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists and cancer therapy: time to think out of the box? Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2016; 79:219-225. [PMID: 27586965 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-016-3129-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate has a trophic function in the development of the central nervous system, regulating the proliferation and migration of neuronal progenitors. The resemblance between neuronal embryonic and tumor cells has paved the way for the investigation of the effects of glutamate on tumor cells. Indeed, tumor cells derived from neuronal tissue express ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluRs) subunits and iGluR antagonists decrease cell proliferation. Likewise, iGluRs subunits are expressed in several peripheral cancer cells and blockade of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) ionotropic glutamate receptor subtypes decreases their proliferation and migration. Although these mechanisms are still being investigated, the inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway was shown to play a key role in the antiproliferative activity of iGluR antagonists. Importantly, MK-801, a NMDAR channel blocker, was effective and well tolerated in animal models of melanoma, lung, and breast cancers, suggesting that the blockade of iGluR signaling may represent a new strategy for cancer treatment. In this review, we focus on the significance of NMDA and AMPA receptor expression in tumor cells, as well as possible therapeutic strategies targeting these receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana P C Ribeiro
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3000-354, Coimbra, Portugal.,Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - José B A Custódio
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3000-354, Coimbra, Portugal.,Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Armanda E Santos
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3000-354, Coimbra, Portugal. .,Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal.
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14
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Su X, Chen J, Ni L, Shi W, Shi J, Liu X, Zhang Y, Gong P, Zhu H, Huang Q. Inhibition of PTTG1 expression by microRNA suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis of malignant glioma cells. Oncol Lett 2016; 12:3463-3471. [PMID: 27900021 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2016.5035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the role of pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) in the proliferation, invasion and apoptosis of human malignant glioma U251 cells. Firstly, 2 microRNAs (miRNAs) targeting PTTG1 messenger (m)RNA were ligated into a pcDNA6.2-GW/EmGFP-miR expression vector. The recombinant plasmids, miRNA-1 and miRNA-2 (miR-2), were transfected into U251 cells using the liposome method. PTTG1 mRNA and protein levels were evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. The proliferation and invasion abilities of U251 cells were determined using methylthiazol tetrazolium and Matrigel assays. Flow cytometry analysis with Annexin V/propidium iodide double staining was used to determine the percentage of apoptotic cells. PTTG1 expression was effectively suppressed by miR-2. U251 cell growth was inhibited between 10.7 and 34.7% in the miR-2 group compared with the blank group. The Matrigel assay demonstrated that the percentage of infiltrating U251 cells was significantly lower in the miR-2 group (12.3±1.0%) compared to the blank group (24.7±1.4%; P<0.001) and the negative control group (24.0±2.0%; P<0.05). A higher percentage of apoptotic U251 cells were observed in the miR-2 group compared with the blank group (53.6 vs. 32.4%) using flow cytometry due to cycle arrests at the G2/M phase. The miR-2-transfected U251 cells were subcutaneously injected into nude mice, and these mice possessed a decreased tumor tissue growth rate and higher percentage of apoptotic cells compared with the blank and negative control groups. In conclusion, PTTG1 gene expression in human malignant glioma U251 cells was effectively suppressed by exogenous miR-2. The downregulation of PTTG1 induced glioma cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase, which inhibited cell proliferation, reverse invasion and infiltration of glioma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Su
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Jianguo Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Lanchun Ni
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Wei Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Jinlong Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Xiaojiang Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Peipei Gong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Hui Zhu
- Comprehensive Surgical Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Qingfeng Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
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15
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Hu H, Takano N, Xiang L, Gilkes DM, Luo W, Semenza GL. Hypoxia-inducible factors enhance glutamate signaling in cancer cells. Oncotarget 2015; 5:8853-68. [PMID: 25326682 PMCID: PMC4253402 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.2593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Signaling through glutamate receptors has been reported in human cancers, but the molecular mechanisms are not fully delineated. We report that in hepatocellular carcinoma and clear cell renal carcinoma cells, increased activity of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) due to hypoxia or VHL loss-of-function, respectively, augmented release of glutamate, which was mediated by HIF-dependent expression of the SLC1A1 and SLC1A3 genes encoding glutamate transporters. In addition, HIFs coordinately regulated expression of the GRIA2 and GRIA3 genes, which encode glutamate receptors. Binding of glutamate to its receptors activated SRC family kinases and downstream pathways, which stimulated cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis resistance, migration and invasion in different cancer cell lines. Thus, coordinate regulation of glutamate transporters and receptors by HIFs was sufficient to activate key signal transduction pathways that promote cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxia Hu
- Predoctoral Training Program in Human Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Naoharu Takano
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Lisha Xiang
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Daniele M Gilkes
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Weibo Luo
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Gregg L Semenza
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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16
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Stepulak A, Rola R, Polberg K, Ikonomidou C. Glutamate and its receptors in cancer. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2014; 121:933-44. [PMID: 24610491 PMCID: PMC4133641 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-014-1182-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2013] [Accepted: 02/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate, a nonessential amino acid, is a major bioenergetic substrate for proliferating normal and neoplastic cells on one hand and an excitatory neurotransmitter that is actively involved in biosynthetic, bioenergetic, metabolic, and oncogenic signaling pathways on the other. It exerts its action through a family of receptors consisting of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) and ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs), both of which have been implicated previously in a broad spectrum of acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we discuss existing data on the role of glutamate as a growth factor for neoplastic cells, the expression of glutamate receptors in various types of benign and malignant neoplasms, and the potential roles that GluRs play in cancer development and progression along with their clinical significance. We conclude that glutamate-related receptors and their signaling pathways may provide novel therapeutic opportunities for a variety of malignant human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Stepulak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University in Lublin, ul. Chodzki 1, 20-093, Lublin, Poland,
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17
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Simulated annealing based algorithm for identifying mutated driver pathways in cancer. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:375980. [PMID: 24982873 PMCID: PMC4058194 DOI: 10.1155/2014/375980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 05/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
With the development of next-generation DNA sequencing technologies, large-scale cancer genomics projects can be implemented to help researchers to identify driver genes, driver mutations, and driver pathways, which promote cancer proliferation in large numbers of cancer patients. Hence, one of the remaining challenges is to distinguish functional mutations vital for cancer development, and filter out the unfunctional and random "passenger mutations." In this study, we introduce a modified method to solve the so-called maximum weight submatrix problem which is used to identify mutated driver pathways in cancer. The problem is based on two combinatorial properties, that is, coverage and exclusivity. Particularly, we enhance an integrative model which combines gene mutation and expression data. The experimental results on simulated data show that, compared with the other methods, our method is more efficient. Finally, we apply the proposed method on two real biological datasets. The results show that our proposed method is also applicable in real practice.
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18
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Glutamate et gliomes malins, de l’épilepsie à l’agressivité biologique : implications thérapeutiques. Bull Cancer 2013; 100:829-35. [DOI: 10.1684/bdc.2013.1781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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19
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Yelskaya Z, Carrillo V, Dubisz E, Gulzar H, Morgan D, Mahajan SS. Synergistic inhibition of survival, proliferation, and migration of U87 cells with a combination of LY341495 and Iressa. PLoS One 2013; 8:e64588. [PMID: 23724064 PMCID: PMC3664620 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2012] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastomas exploit various molecular pathways to promote glutamate- dependent growth by activating the AMPA (2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazol-4-yl) propanoic acid) receptor, the group II metabotropic glutamate receptor, mGluR, and the epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR. We hypothesized that targeting more than one of these pathways would be more effective in inhibiting glutamate-dependent growth. Using a model of U87 cell line, we show that blocking glutamate release by Riluzole inhibits cell proliferation. Glutamate-dependent growth is effectively inhibited by a combination of Iressa, an inhibitor of EGFR activation and LY341495, a group II mGluR inhibitor. Treatment of U87 cells with a combination of Iressa and LY341495 inhibits proliferation as indicated by Ki-67 staining, induces apoptosis and inhibits migration of U87 cells more effectively than the treatment by Iressa or LY341495 alone. These results demonstrate that a combinatorial therapy with Iressa and LY341495 is more effective due to synergistic effects of these drugs in inhibiting the growth of glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zarina Yelskaya
- Department of Health Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Vangie Carrillo
- Department of Health Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Ewa Dubisz
- Department of Health Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Hira Gulzar
- Department of Health Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Devon Morgan
- Department of Health Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Shahana S. Mahajan
- Department of Health Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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20
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Oh MC, Kim JM, Safaee M, Kaur G, Sun MZ, Kaur R, Celli A, Mauro TM, Parsa AT. Overexpression of calcium-permeable glutamate receptors in glioblastoma derived brain tumor initiating cells. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47846. [PMID: 23110111 PMCID: PMC3479115 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2012] [Accepted: 09/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme is the most malignant type of primary brain tumor with a poor prognosis. These tumors consist of a heterogeneous population of malignant cells, including well-differentiated tumor cells and less differentiated cells with stem cell properties. These cancer stem cells, known as brain tumor initiating cells, likely contribute to glioma recurrence, as they are highly invasive, mobile, resistant to radiation and chemotherapy, and have the capacity to self-renew. Glioblastoma tumor cells release excitotoxic levels of glutamate, which may be a key process in the death of peritumoral neurons, formation of necrosis, local inflammation, and glioma-related seizures. Moreover, elevated glutamate levels in the tumor may act in paracrine and autocrine manner to activate glutamate receptors on glioblastoma tumor cells, resulting in proliferation and invasion. Using a previously described culturing condition that selectively promotes the growth of brain tumor initiating cells, which express the stem cell markers nestin and SOX-2, we characterize the expression of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isozolepropionic acid (AMPA)-type glutamate receptor subunits in brain tumor initiating cells derived from glioblastomas. Here we show for the first time that glioblastoma brain tumor initiating cells express high concentrations of functional calcium-permeable AMPA receptors, compared to the differentiated tumor cultures consisting of non-stem cells. Up-regulated calcium-permeable AMPA receptor expression was confirmed by immunoblotting, immunocytochemistry, and intracellular calcium imaging in response to specific agonists. Our findings raise the possibility that glutamate secretion in the GBM tumor microenvironment may stimulate brain tumor derived cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Oh
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Joseph M. Kim
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Michael Safaee
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Gurvinder Kaur
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Matthew Z. Sun
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Rajwant Kaur
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Anna Celli
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Theodora M. Mauro
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Andrew T. Parsa
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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21
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Zhao J, Zhang S, Wu LY, Zhang XS. Efficient methods for identifying mutated driver pathways in cancer. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 28:2940-7. [PMID: 22982574 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/bts564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
MOTIVATION The first step for clinical diagnostics, prognostics and targeted therapeutics of cancer is to comprehensively understand its molecular mechanisms. Large-scale cancer genomics projects are providing a large volume of data about genomic, epigenomic and gene expression aberrations in multiple cancer types. One of the remaining challenges is to identify driver mutations, driver genes and driver pathways promoting cancer proliferation and filter out the unfunctional and passenger ones. RESULTS In this study, we propose two methods to solve the so-called maximum weight submatrix problem, which is designed to de novo identify mutated driver pathways from mutation data in cancer. The first one is an exact method that can be helpful for assessing other approximate or/and heuristic algorithms. The second one is a stochastic and flexible method that can be employed to incorporate other types of information to improve the first method. Particularly, we propose an integrative model to combine mutation and expression data. We first apply our methods onto simulated data to show their efficiency. We further apply the proposed methods onto several real biological datasets, such as the mutation profiles of 74 head and neck squamous cell carcinomas samples, 90 glioblastoma tumor samples and 313 ovarian carcinoma samples. The gene expression profiles were also considered for the later two data. The results show that our integrative model can identify more biologically relevant gene sets. We have implemented all these methods and made a package called mutated driver pathway finder, which can be easily used for other researchers. AVAILABILITY A MATLAB package of MDPFinder is available at http://zhangroup.aporc.org/ShiHuaZhang. CONTACT zsh@amss.ac.cn. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfei Zhao
- National Center for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
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22
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Identification of differentially expressed genes according to chemosensitivity in advanced ovarian serous adenocarcinomas: expression of GRIA2 predicts better survival. Br J Cancer 2012; 107:91-9. [PMID: 22644307 PMCID: PMC3389416 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2012.217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study was to identify genes that are differentially expressed in chemosensitive serous papillary ovarian carcinomas relative to those expressed in chemoresistant tumours. Methods: To identify novel candidate biomarkers, differences in gene expression were analysed in 26 stage IIIC/IV serous ovarian adenocarcinomas (12 chemosensitive tumours and 14 chemoresistant tumours). We subsequently investigated the immunohistochemical expression of GRIA2 in 48 independent sets of advanced ovarian serous carcinomas. Results: Microarray analysis revealed a total of 57 genes that were differentially expressed in chemoresistant and chemosensitive tumours. Of the 57 genes, 39 genes were upregulated and 18 genes were downregulated in chemosensitive tumours. Five differentially expressed genes (CD36, LIFR, CHL1, GRIA2, and FCGBP) were validated by quantitative real-time PCR. The expression of GRIA2 was validated at the protein level by immunohistochemistry, and patients with GRIA2 expression showed a longer progression-free and overall survival (P=0.051 and P=0.031 respectively). Conclusions: We found 57 differentially expressed genes to distinguish between chemosensitive and chemoresistant tumours. We also demonstrated that the expression of GRIA2 among the differentially expressed genes provides better prognosis of patients with advanced serous papillary ovarian adenocarcinoma.
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23
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de Groot J, Sontheimer H. Glutamate and the biology of gliomas. Glia 2010; 59:1181-9. [PMID: 21192095 DOI: 10.1002/glia.21113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2010] [Accepted: 10/29/2010] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Several important and previously unrecognized roles for the neurotransmitter glutamate in the biology of primary brain tumors have recently been elucidated. Glutamate is produced and released from glioma cells via the system x(c) (-) cystine glutamate transporter as a byproduct of glutathione synthesis. Glutamate appears to play a central role in the malignant phenotype of glioma via multiple mechanisms. By binding to peritumoral neuronal glutamate receptors, glutamate is responsible for seizure induction and similarly causes excitotoxicity, which aids the expansion of tumor cells into the space vacated by destroyed tissue. Glutamate also activates ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors on glioma cells in a paracrine and autocrine manner. α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoaxazolepropionate acid (AMPA) glutamate receptors lack the GluR2 subunit rendering them Ca(2+) permeable and capable of activating the AKT and MAPK pathways. Furthermore, these receptors are critical in aiding the invasion of glioma cells into normal brain. AMPA-Rs accumulate at focal adhesion sites where they may indirectly mediate interactions between the extracellular matrix and integrins. Glutamate receptor stimulation results in activation of focal adhesion kinase, which is critical to the regulation of growth factor and integrin-stimulated cell motility and invasion. The multitude of effects of glutamate on glioma biology supports the rationale for pharmacological targeting of glutamate receptors and transporters. Several ongoing and recently completed clinical trials are exploring the therapeutic potential of interrupting glutamate-mediated brain tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- John de Groot
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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24
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Ahluwalia M, de Groot J, Liu W(M, Gladson CL. Targeting SRC in glioblastoma tumors and brain metastases: rationale and preclinical studies. Cancer Lett 2010; 298:139-49. [PMID: 20947248 PMCID: PMC3212431 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2010.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2010] [Accepted: 08/22/2010] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is an extremely aggressive, infiltrative tumor with a poor prognosis. The regulatory approval of bevacizumab for recurrent GBM has confirmed that molecularly targeted agents have potential for GBM treatment. Preclinical data showing that SRC and SRC-family kinases (SFKs) mediate intracellular signaling pathways controlling key biologic/oncogenic processes provide a strong rationale for investigating SRC/SFK inhibitors, e.g., dasatinib, in GBM and clinical studies are underway. The activity of these agents against solid tumors suggests that they may also be useful in treating brain metastases. This article reviews the potential for using SRC/SFK inhibitors to treat GBM and brain metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manmeet Ahluwalia
- Cleveland Clinic Main Campus, Mail Code ND40, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, Phone: 216-444-6145
| | - John de Groot
- The Brain Tumor Center, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515, Holcombe Blvd., Unit 431, Houston, TX 77030, Phone: 713-792-7255
| | - Wei (Michael) Liu
- Lerner Research Institute, Department of Cancer Biology, Cleveland Clinic Mail Code NB40, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, Phone: 216-636-9494
| | - Candece L Gladson
- Lerner Research Institute, Department of Cancer Biology, Cleveland Clinic Mail Code NB40, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, Phone: 216-636-9493, Fax: 216-445-6269
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